"My Young Master, wake up. We've arrived at another tomb," - Moon announced once Sprint landed.
Lloyd stirred, yawning and standing up.
"Which tomb? Which snake?" - he asked, rubbing his eyes.
"The Fangpyre," - the ninja replied.
Lloyd immediately jumped to his feet, looking urgent.
"Young Master?" - Moon tilted her head, puzzled - "Was the trip uncomfortable? Did it disturb your sleep?" -.
"N-No, I just really need to go to the bathroom," - he said, blushing with embarrassment.
Moon understood and respectfully turned around. Lloyd headed deeper into the bushes... to relieve himself.
o0o0o
Sprint stayed outside the cemetery, waiting for the ninjas.
"This place isn't scary. Maybe a little bit... But I like scary. That's right. I'm the Dark Lord's son, and I love darkness!" - He looked around the cemetery, holding the map. - "Yeah, I eat darkness for breakfast!" -.
"Young Master, I'm fairly certain darkness isn't great for your health," - Moon said with a touch of hesitation.
She stood to Lloyd's right. The boy turned and jumped at the sight of a Mutant Tree, dropping his flashlight and hiding behind her, trembling a bit.
Moon picked up the flashlight and lit up the tree.
"It's okay, Young Master. It's just a tree- or rather, the Mutant Tree, the entrance to the Fangpyre tomb." -.
Lloyd relaxed and smiled with a little more confidence, though he still looked embarrassed.
"I... I knew that! I was just testing you," - he said with a smug look.
"Whatever you say, Young Master," - she said, bowing with a hand over her chest before straightening up.
"If I want to make the Hypnobrai pay for betraying me, I need to find the Fangpyre. If there's one thing a snake hates—it's another snake," - he said, grinning as he moved closer to the tree.
He brushed away some dust on the ground, revealing a carving of two snake heads connected.
"Soon all serpents will know who their master is. And that master will be me, Lloyd Garmadon!" - he declared, arms outstretched, gazing upward.
Lightning cracked above, startling him a bit. After all, he was still just a kid in a creepy cemetery, with only his guardian beside him.
Finding courage again, he pressed a button that began opening the Fangpyre tomb. Mist poured out and snakes sprang from within, prompting the Purple Ninja to swiftly move the young one behind her, protectively.
Lloyd and Moon turned to see the general—a two-headed snake.
"Who isss it... that freed usss... from our confinement?" - both heads asked, finishing each other's sentence.
"Lloyd. I released you to punish the Hypnobrai for betraying me," - Lloyd said, holding up the map.
"The Hypnobrai? Thossse hypnotic cheatsss! This will be... most enjoyable!" - the general hissed.
"Perfect! I'll show the way. And afterward, there are a few ninjas I need to take care of," - Lloyd added.
"You ssseem to know... what you want. But the Hypnobrai are ssstrong... and we are few. We'll need... reinforcementsss," - the Fangpyre general explained.
"And what do you have in mind?" - Lloyd asked, tilting his head.
They hissed, revealing fangs even larger than the Hypnobrai's.
They began traveling in search of resources, preferably a junkyard.
o0o0o
"Ed & Edna's Junkyard," - Moon thought, nodding. Since she and Lloyd were in front, it was her job to inform the others - "Fangpyres, we're approaching a junkyard," - she warned, glancing back.
"Perfect, jussst perfect," - both heads agreed.
The snakes stormed into the junkyard while Moon noticed a faint but large aura approaching the entrance.
"Someone's coming," - she said, narrowing her eyes.
They all- snakes, Lloyd, Sprint, and Moon- hid among the rusted metal and old machinery.
"Home sweet home," - said the old man as he exited his car, heading toward a statue made of scrap - "Back to work." -.
"Oh, honey, you spend all day and night on that thing!" - the woman said, walking toward the trailer.
(They must be the parents of one of the ninjas. Odd though, the kids usually resemble the parents.) – Moon thought, analyzing them - (Not even their auras are similar.)
"Well, we never know when Jay might show up," - Ed replied.
(Definitely adoptive parents... Does the Blue Ninja even know? Probably not.) – The Purple Ninja shrugged. It wasn't really her business.
"Right. We never know," - Edna said, closing the trailer door.
Ed resumed working on the Jay statue, but one of the Fangpyre darted past, catching his attention.
"Uh, Edna? Was that you?" - Ed called, slightly startled.
"What is it, Ed? Hearing things again?" - she shouted back.
"Ah, yes! Did you set the alarm before we left, dear?" - he asked.
Edna checked and found the alarm oddly broken.
"Huh. Must be busted," - she said just as the lights began to flicker off.
"Whoever's out there- my son knows Spinjitzu!" - Ed warned.
"Why are the lights going out?" - Edna asked in confusion.
"Better call Jay, darling, we've got an intruder!" - Ed urged.
"Or what if we just wait for him to call you?" - Lloyd stood there with the phone cord in his hand cut - "Mwahahaha!" -.
Next to him stood the Fangpyre General and the Purple Ninja.
"Ed!" - Edna gasped, growing scared.
"Stay strong, Edna. I won't let them hurt you," - Ed said bravely.
"If we are to attack... the Hypnobrai... we mussst... rebuild our army," - said the general.
"And how do we do that?" - Lloyd asked, head tilted.
"Let'sss just sssay... we Fangpyre... bite off more than we can chew... Boysss, go wild!" - the general ordered.
The snakes began transforming the vehicles into snake-vehicles.
One slithered toward Sprint, who growled and swatted it away with his tail. The others got the message and kept their distance.
"We can alssso... transssform people," - said the general, looking at the Purple Ninja.
"Don't even think about it," - she warned under her mask - "If you try to turn me, Lloyd, or Sprint into a snake, I'll split you in two then you'll have two generals." -.
"Relax! Jussst joking," - the general said, backing off.
Moon glanced at the couple and then leapt toward them with a somersault.
"What are you doing, Moon?" - Lloyd asked, confused as she blocked the Fangpyre from biting the couple.
"If we give the ninjas more reason to fight us, they'll just be even more annoying to deal with," - she said. That logic made sense to Lloyd, but not to the serpent general.
What a liar... but at least she still holds her honor of not harming civilians.
"My enemies are the ninjas because they're my Master's enemies. And anyone who opposes my Master... opposes me," - she muttered to herself.
The snakes moved on to transform other things.
"Thank you, dear," - Edna said gratefully.
"Are you a friend of my son?" she asked.
"Don't thank me. I'm not a good person," - the Purple Ninja replied - "If you mean the Blue Ninja, definitely not. Or any of the others." -.
The couple remained confused but grateful she'd protected them.
Sprint came closer, growling.
"It's time," - Moon said, beginning to remove Sprint's armor.
"Time? Time for what? Why are you taking off Sprint's awesome armor?" - Lloyd asked, confused.
"Because, Young Master. He's shedding. He's growing up," - she said, feeling his warm scales - "Every adolescent dragon undergoes a transformation before adulthood. I have to let him migrate to the Eastern Spirit Caves. Holding him back would only make him weak and sick." -.
She removed the last piece - (The other dragons must be going through this too... they'll likely meet along the way.) -.
"So Sprint is leaving? When will he come back?" - Lloyd asked, saddened.
"Hard to say. Everything I know about dragons is from books. Sprint's the only one I've actually known," - she said, stroking his head gently - "But he'll return one day. It's just a matter of time." -.
Now Ed and Edna were sure she was a good person, even if a bit intimidating.
The snakes left them alone. Lloyd wandered off, not wanting to say goodbye—it would hurt too much.
"Farewell, old friend," - the ninja murmured, caressing Sprint's snout one last time.
The dragon purred, then spread his wings and flew east as the sun rose.
"Um, miss. What's your name?" - Ed asked, trying to strike up a conversation.
"That's classified. But I know you heard my Young Master say it. It's Moon," - she replied without turning.
Ed and Edna kept trying to talk to her but were mostly ignored.
"Hey, dear... Can we see your face?" - Edna asked with a warm smile.
Moon tilted her head. Such a silly request.
"Why? That's a foolish question," - she replied bluntly.
"We're just curious. Besides, what harm is there in seeing your face?" -.
Moon hesitated, analyzing them. They'd be hard to convince otherwise. She quickly pulled down her mask, showing her face briefly before putting it back up.
"You're so beautiful! You shouldn't hide that face," - Edna complimented.
Moon simply stared, then climbed onto a metal platform to keep watch.
"The ninjas have arrived," - she whispered to a nearby Fangpyre.
The snake alerted the general and Lloyd.
Everyone hid and observed. Jay walked to an old fridge and opened it finding his parents tied up inside, mouths taped.
They were getting on our nerves... They talk so much.
Then again... Like father, like son.
"What happened?! Who did this?" - Jay asked, alarmed.
"Sweetie, you came!" - Edna exclaimed as he removed the tape.
"Son! You have to get out of here! You shouldn't have come! It's the snakes!" -.
"And a kind, pretty girl didn't let those disgusting snakes bite us!" - Edna smiled.
"Girl?" - Jay looked confused.
"This has to be the Fangpyre. Their venom turns anything into snakes," - Sensei Wu explained.
Then the snakes appeared, along with a crane and the wrecking ball seemed to be glaring at Cole.
"Uh... is that wrecking ball looking at me?" - Cole asked as they readied for battle.
Moon snuck behind them, gripping her staff.
The snakes launched the wrecking ball toward the group, aiming to crush them.
"Lloyd!" - Sensei Wu shouted, spotting the boy with the general above.
"Hello, uncle! Seems like it's a family reunion! Thanks for bringing the ninjas. I needed help taking out the trash!" - Lloyd raised his arms, cackling - "Mwahahaha!" -.
"Everyone, hit the deck!" - Cole shouted as the wrecking ball descended.
During the chaos, a Fangpyre bit the couple, starting their transformation.
"What did I say about that?!" - Moon growled, nearly slashing the snake's throat - "Ugh, I don't have time for this," - she turned to face the ninjas.
"Mom! Dad!" - Jay panicked.
"The scepter has the antidote!" - Nya warned.
"Nobody messes with my family!" - Jay charged at the snakes - "Ninja, Go!" -.
"Ninja, Go!" - Moon echoed, launching her Spinjitzu - "Your opponent is me, Blue Ninja!" -.
"Ugh! You really are a thorn in my side!" - Jay spun his nunchucks.
"And you're just an obstacle to my Young Master's future!" - she shouted, spinning her staff skillfully.
They clashed with equal strength.
You know you should be doing the opposite, right?
Your place is not serving Lord Garmadon or his son.
Your place is protecting Ninjago—lifting the weak and comforting the suffering.
"Shut up," - she muttered, her eyes glowing with aura.
"What?" - Jay blinked, confused.
Moon took the opening to kick him back. Sensei Wu was playing his flute.
Suddenly, a song started blasting Lloyd was holding a snake-shaped boombox.
"Dear nephew, must I really teach you to choose the right side?" - Wu called.
"Sorry, Uncle! Can't hear you!" - Lloyd yelled, turning up the volume.
Edna hit a snake with a frying pan. Moon landed beside Lloyd after a flip.
"Oh, it's the kind, pretty girl!" - Edna waved, making Moon look confused.
(Why are you like this with me?) – she wondered.
Then the giant ninja metal statue was turned partially into a snake, now attacking the ninjas.
"What the heck is that?!" - Jay yelled in shock.
"It was supposed to honor you, son! So... do you like it?" - Ed asked nervously.
"Thanks, but no!" Jay replied as the ninjas began retreating.
Jay used the snake-crane to bring the metal giant down, forcing Lloyd and the Fangpyre to flee.
Lloyd, Moon, and the general escaped via helicopter.
(They managed to activate vehicle mode?) - Moon thought, surprised - "Young Master, if you'll allow... I'm going to slow the ninjas down," - she said, grabbing her staff.
Moon leapt from the helicopter, worrying Lloyd. Then a bright light and neon-blue aura surrounded her. Her golden weapon morphed into a jet.
"She can do that?!" - Lloyd exclaimed, amazed.
The jet was violet with silver and blue details.
She flew to intercept the ninjas but couldn't stop them from stealing the scepter.
"New mission: get the scepter," - she muttered, continuing pursuit.
By sheer luck, they dropped it. She opened her cockpit and grabbed it.
"Mission complete. Previous mission... total failure," - she muttered in disappointment.
Moon flew back to the helicopter and landed on the platform.
"My ssscepter..." - the general grabbed it from her hands. "Thossse ninjasss... mussst be sssstopped!" -.
"Don't even get me started," - Lloyd murmured.