In the big city of Ninjago, it was night and heavily foggy. A snake was cornered by the ninjas.
"Going somewhere?" - Cole asked, hands on his hips.
The Golden Weapons were menacingly pointed at the snake's throat.
"Oh no," - he gulped hard.
"Thought you could walk around the city unseen? Where's the last Fang Blade?!" - Jay asked seriously.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" - he insisted.
"Of course, you do. When Pythor finds them all, he'll release the Great Devourer!" - Kai growled quietly.
"Oh, that Fang Blade... Hahaha... You're too late. Pythor's probably already out there digging it up! If I were you, I'd start preparing for the worst. Because when the Great Devourer wakes, there'll be nothing it won't consume!" - the snake exclaimed.
"Doesn't that mean it'll eat you too?" - Moon asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Ah! Please! You have to stop him! That snake is crazy! I don't want to unleash the Great Devourer! I'm a snake, not food!" - he said, terrified.
"Is it really too late to stop Pythor from getting the last blade?" - Kai asked.
"You're days behind him! But maybe there's still something you can do!" -.
The ninjas exchanged glances.
o0o0o
"He's right. By the time we safely cross to the other side of Ninjago, Pythor will have already found the last Fang Blade," - Nya explained, looking at the map.
"Oh, come on! It's the last blade! We have to get it! Let's think of something!" - Jay exclaimed, frustrated.
"Hey," - everyone turned to Lloyd - "If we just need one Fang Blade, why don't we take the other three? Pythor wouldn't risk carrying them all. He must've hidden them while searching for the fourth." - Lloyd's idea was really good.
"Of course!" - Cole exclaimed.
"Why didn't I think of that?" - Kai grunted.
"It can't be that easy," - Jay muttered.
"As expected from Young Master Lloyd," - Moon nodded quietly.
Garmadon still watched her coldly.
"Easy? Based on my calculations, retrieving the others will be much more dangerous. Pythor surely left them guarded by his best generals," - Zane suggested.
"Finally! I don't have to hold back anymore," - Kai seemed pleased.
"Even though you don't even know where they are yet," - Garmadon rolled his eyes.
"He's right. We've barely seen any signs of the snakes in the past four weeks. The way they're moving, it's like they're ghosts," - Sensei Wu said.
"Or snakes!" - Nya seemed to have an idea - "Bridge. Scan Ninjago with sonar."
The computer did so, but all the results were zero.
"See? Nothing! Just like the Sensei said," - Kai huffed, irritated.
"What if they're underground? Snakes dig!" - Nya turned back to the computer.
"And it would have to be pretty deep for my aura not to detect it," - Moon added.
Detecting things underground is complicated due to the earth, rocks, and minerals that make visualization difficult.
"Bridge, I want an analysis six meters below the surface," - Bridge projected a hologram of the underground in front of them.
"All the tombs have been connected to form a massive underground fortress," - Cole commented.
"Right beneath our noses!" - Jay frowned.
"Correction: feet," - Zane added.
"There! The most heavily guarded area. The Fang Blades must be there," - Kai pointed to the center.
"So what are we waiting for? Nya, plan our route," - Sensei Wu requested.
"Already on it. We'll get there by sunrise," - Nya said, typing on the computer.
o0o0o
The four ninjas went to train under Wu's supervision while Garmadon trained his own pupil with his methods.
"If you fail, it will be a disgrace to all. And, without a doubt, you'll be as flawed and useless as Master Aaron," - Garmadon spat cruelly.
Moon froze for a second. That name. The name that had caused her so much pain and fear.
"Continue!" - Garmadon barked loudly.
"We're approaching the Mountain of a Million Steps. You'll want to see this," - Nya said over the transmitter.
"So much junk!" - Jay groaned at the snakes' mess.
"What are these snakes up to?" - Cole raised an eyebrow.
"Their evil plans,"- Moon replied to Cole.
"It was a rhetorical question," - Moon looked at him, slightly confused - "You don't know what a rhetorical question is?" -.
"Wait for me!" - Lloyd ran to them.
"This battle isn't yours. The Green Ninja is too important for the future. You should stay with me," - Sensei Wu placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Wu is right, Young Master... It's too dangerous there," - Moon added, looking at him.
Lloyd really wanted to go and kick some scaly butts, but none of them would allow it.
"Well, he'll have to take care of himself. Because we've got a place for you," - Nya arrived in a modified exo-suit.
"You were worried he couldn't keep up, so Jay and Nya made a project so he could come with us," - Kai explained, proud of his sister - "What do you think?" -.
"I think..." - Sensei Wu dropped his staff and ran, doing a flip to land perfectly in the seat - "Let's go!" -.
(And then he pretends to be old again) - Moon rolled her eyes.
"I'll stay with Lloyd. I don't like saying this, but... good luck," - Quite a surprising statement coming from Garmadon.
Then the ninjas departed for the infiltration mission.
o0o0o
"Wasn't this place supposed to be well-guarded, Zane?!" - Jay was slightly disappointed but relieved.
"Sorry. Even nindroids make mistakes," Zane shrugged.
"Oh, take a look," - Kai was the first to approach.
"This has nothing to do with me," - Jay was offended by a wall painting resembling a ninja.
"Oh! He'll pay for this!" - Kai growled.
"Careful, there might be traps," - Moon warned.
"At least he got the mustache right," - And then Cole accidentally pressed a button.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," - Moon sighed.
Fortunately, Moon was wrong, and luckily it was a secret passage.
"Ahh-ah, I did it on purpose!" Cole stammered quickly.
"Liar liar, pants on fire," - Moon muttered.
Jay looked at her and realized he was shorter than her, wondering if that jab was aimed at him.
They ran forward and found a large pit full of snakes.
Moon blinked, her eyes glowing faintly with aura. She sensed three strong auras: three generals.
"There are three generals, and I'm sure one of them is the Fangpyre general," - Moon informed them.
"Man, sometimes I envy that power. It looks so cool," - Jay murmured excitedly.
"There are too many to face at once. We need to go through the shadows," - Kai suggested.
"I'm right behind you," - Nya said.
"And I, behind you," - Sensei Wu agreed.
"Yes. Finally acting like ninjas," - Moon sighed.
"Oh, don't start," - Kai gave her a tired look.
They moved forward in the shadows. But the operation failed and Nya tried to call for help through a communicator, which was malfunctioning.
"Lloyd, can you hear me?" - Nya asked anxiously - "Ugh! I'm not getting anything!" -.
A snake jumped on the Samurai, but Wu calmly spilled hot tea on it.
"Forget it. We need to fight. Ninjas, show what you've learned!" - Wu commanded.
Each Ninja fought off different serpents, using their skills and powers.
"Ahh! Look who it isss, the little mistresss of Aura! How about becoming a ssserpent?" - said a two-headed general, fangs dripping with venom.
"Cut the crap, little snake. I'll make you crawl back to where you came from," - she said, focusing until her fists ignited in flame-like aura - (Guess I've spent too much time with Kai... I don't usually talk like this...)
The general had no time to dodge her two punches and a kick, leaving him dizzy. He tried to bite Jay, but bit his armor instead.
"Totally awesome!" - Nya praised her fellow and only female ninja.
"You too, stay focused," - Moon replied, dodging strikes and grabbing her Golden Staff.
Gradually, all the ninjas were surrounded and trapped. Then, they spotted the Fang Blades.
"Guys! The Fang Blades!" - Kai pointed.
"Be my guest," - Cole said to him.
"Not me, you first," - Kai replied, blocking a snake.
Cole ran to get the blades but ended up with his wrists caught in snake-shaped traps.
"Run! It's a trap!" - Too late, they were all caught in a cage.
A very strong cage.
"Come! Come! This couldn't be better! You really fell into my trap! I'm even disappointed in you, Purple Ninja," - Pythor mocked.
"Keep talking, and the next disappointment will be when you look in the mirror and see the damage I do to your face," - the Purple Ninja lost her patience.
Some snakes recoiled, but Pythor remained unaffected.
"Whoa. She's mad," - Jay muttered.
"I support it," - Nya exclaimed.
"Very aggressive," - Zane commented.
"Now that's what I like to see," - Cole nodded.
Kai didn't know what to say, but honestly, he liked her fiery side: it made her even more amazing.
The cage was grabbed by a claw and lifted by a mechanism. Nya tried to contact Lloyd again, but it didn't work.
She hit a rock against her gear to stop the awful sounds.
"We're okay, but kind of hanging around," - Great joke - "They took our weapons and we're in cages," - Nya explained.
"And Pythor returned with the fourth Fang Blade!" - Cole added.
"Lloyd, where did your father go?" - Zane asked.
"I told him to leave. He was trying to steal secrets," - Lloyd explained.
Moon felt her heart ache.
(So... I guess I was being naive...?) - She felt bad, but couldn't let it distract her now.
"Surprise, surprise... I warned you about that guy," - Kai nudged Jay -"But did anyone listen to me?" -.
"My dad is returning to his place. But don't worry! I'm going to save you!" - Lloyd said, determined.
"I'm sorry, Young Master, but you haven't had the training needed for that," - Moon gave her opinion.
"Moon's right. You're not ready. Your destiny is too important to risk," - Wu said, holding the bars.
"Sensei, no offense, but if we don't get out before Pythor releases the Great Devourer, I think everyone's destiny is toast!" - Cole exclaimed.
"I'll get you out! Right now!" - Lloyd ran off.
Meanwhile, the snakes celebrated their victory. Pythor gave a speech to motivate and manipulate the serpents.
But before heading to Ouroboros, one snake suggested they throw a party at the base so it wouldn't be a complete waste.
For the ninjas, everything was terribly boring and dragging.
"Our only option is to wait? This sucks!" - Kai grumbled.
"Patience. Lloyd will come up with a plan," - Wu asked.
"We're putting all our trust in the son of Ninjago's greatest villain? Ugh! Anyone else nervous about this?" - Kai looked irritated.
Moon gave him a tired look.
"Even unarmed, we can use our powers," - Kai slipped an arm through the bars, trying to reach his weapon –-"We just need to focus." -.
"It won't work. The cage is made of Vengeance Stone. Elemental powers are useless," - Moon explained like it was the most obvious thing.
The first thing she felt when they were captured was her aura powers fading. In a way, it gave her a break from sensing everything around her, but also made her uneasy.
She sat with her eyes closed, meditating. Jay and Cole played a chess game with makeshift pieces. Zane meditated too.
Kai approached and grabbed the hair oil.
"Hey. That oil was going to be my king!" - Jay said, mildly outraged.
"Yeah? I'm trying to get us out of here," - Kai said, pouring it around his torso.
"Hey slick, what are you doing?" - Cole asked, confused.
Moon opened her eyes and saw the scene.
"Actually, that's a great idea," - Moon murmured.
Cole looked at her, very surprised.
"Say what you want, but we don't need powers to get out of here, just some creativity," - Kai miraculously slipped between the bars.
"He did it!" - Jay smiled under his mask.
"Look at that," - Zane was impressed.
"Okay smart guy, now what?" - Cole asked as he stood.
"Now we quietly grab a chain," – Kai stretched and managed to grab one.
The ninjas watched nervously (especially Jay).
Kai passed one of the chains to the cage. He lowered it. Moon moved to the edge and looked down, seeing snakes playing competitive games, and below that, what she suspected was venom.
Kai began to swing, which caused the cage to sway too.
"It's working! Keep going!" – Nya encouraged.
"Come on, guys! We can help by shifting our weight," – The ninjas joined in – "That's it! More speed!" -.
"Just a bit more!" – Kai was almost there.
Suddenly, Pythor appeared.
"Trying to essscape, are you?" – Pythor mocked.
"Guess I blew it, huh?" – Kai asked nervously.
o0o0o
Next thing, they were all chained by the wrists.
"Great! We're in such a better position now!" – Cole activated his sarcasm.
"Now we can even play chess," – Zane added.
"Dude, I was gonna be King!" – Jay was a little upset.
"Don't be so hard on Kai. At least he tried to do something, and that's what matters," – Moon decided to defend the Red Ninja.
"Wow, now I am surprised," – Kai was taken aback, not expecting her support.
"Don't worry, Sensei, I believe in Lloyd," – Nya said, as optimistic as ever.
o0o0o
"Hey! Look up there! It's Lloyd!" – Kai exclaimed, surprised.
Everyone stood up as he appeared. Lloyd ran up the stairs but tripped on a rock and rolled all the way down, ending up in the middle of the snakes.
(Lloyd!) – Moon thought in panic.
Everything fell silent.
"Oof. I gotta practice that more," – he dusted off his clothes – "Alright! Here we are again, Pythor!" – Lloyd pointed at the purple snake – "Free the ninjas! Or be humiliated by... the Green Ninja!" – he said, proudly puffing his chest.
Suddenly, the snakes burst into laughter, not taking a word seriously.
"You and what army?" – Pythor mocked the kid.
Lloyd got slightly nervous.
"How about my army of fists!" – he threw a weak punch and almost fell during a clumsy kick.
"Or this army," – Garmadon's voice cut through the moment.
Garmadon appeared with the Skeleton Army.
"Dad!" – Lloyd exclaimed in shock.
"Lloyd. You helped me realize I have a choice... And if someone's going to threaten Ninjago, then it might as well be me!" – One of the skeletons nodded in agreement.
"The Skeleton Army?! But why fight alongside him?" – Pythor pointed his staff – "He betrayed you and Samukai long ago."
"Because everybody hates snakes!" – one of the Skeletons exclaimed.
The Skeletons laughed evilly.
"Attack!" – Pythor yelled.
"Attack!" – Samukai shouted.
Then, everyone charged into the great battle. Pythor took the Fang Blades and tried to flee.
Suddenly, the cage began to move.
"We're moving!" – Jay panicked.
"Yeah, to where we didn't want to go!" – Cole just looked down and saw the poison.
Everyone climbed onto the railings to avoid being dissolved by the poison, which looked more like acid, it was so strong.
"Lloyd!" – Nya exclaimed happily upon seeing him approach a lever.
Lloyd pulled the lever, freeing them and lowering their weapons.
"I told you I'd save you," – Lloyd smiled from under his mask.
"Go, Ninja! Go!" – Kai exclaimed.
The Ninjas jumped onto the respective chains to grab their Golden Weapons.
Nya entered her Exo-suit, and Sensei Wu went to his little chair.
"Ninja... Go!" – They used their Spinjitzu.
Pythor and Garmadon faced off briefly, but the snake backed away, glaring at his new sworn enemy.
Pythor accidentally bumped into Cole and found a golden scythe blade pressed to his throat.
"Going somewhere?" – Cole pushed him away from the blades.
"Oh, dear..." – Pythor hissed and whistled for Come in frustration as he was forced to retreat, quickly turning invisible.
"He vanished completely! I can't even sense his aura," – Moon was surprised – (This isn't normal invisibility! Either he did something beforehand... to block my powers.) -.
Moon raised a fist just in time to punch a snake that tried to attack her.
Then the Ninjas performed Spinjitzu again to escape, now that they had all the Fang Blades.
The snakes didn't stand a chance against them or the skeletons.
"Don't worry! We'll keep fighting!" – one of the Skeletons exclaimed.
Kai waved in thanks for their help.
Samukai shrugged.
"Never thought I'd say this, but... Go, Ninja Go!" –.
o0o0o
Everyone could finally rest for a bit.
Garmadon was packing his things to leave, and Moon was about to do the same, when Garmadon appeared.
"Moon" – She straightened up and turned, bowing respectfully.
"Yes, Master" – She was ready to follow his orders.
"You still have the mission to protect and care for my son, now more than ever... When we see each other again," – Garmadon hesitated oddly – "your mission will end, and you must return to my side."
"Understood, Master" – She nodded.
Garmadon then left.
Moon could hear the Ninjas celebrating nearby, but her thoughts were only on how her Master strangely hesitated for a moment.
(It must be just in my head) – She shrugged and headed toward the party.
o0o0o
Somewhere in the ship-ship, Pythor sneaked in with a malicious grin on his scaly, evil face.
"You're gonna miss me a lot once I'm done with you, Ninjas," – He laughed as he turned invisible again, fully aware that his biggest problem would be the Aura Master.