ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: Starset - Ricochet

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◄◄⠀▐▐ ⠀►►⠀⠀ ⠀ 0:00 / 5:10 ⠀ ───○ 🔊⠀ ᴴᴰ ⚙ ❐ ⊏⊐

We had ahold

Of the lightning strikes

When we should have been afraid of heights

---

(Y/n) opened her eyes.

The orange colour that decorated her Master's Suite greeted her.

She sighed in relief before her head started to throb with pain, making her clutch her head. Beside her bed was a cup of water, and she took it and drained it in one gulp.

The pain slowly ebbed away, and her thoughts were cleared.

'Morro?'

There was no response.

'Hello, anyone in my head? Listen to me!'

'Geez, don't need to shout in your head, I can hear you.' Morro replied, sounding annoyed.

'Then why didn't you speak up the first time?'

(Y/n) caught something he said, something like: 'You're not my mother...'

The Master of Illusion sighed and heard a knock on the door. ''Come in.'' She called, and Lloyd walked in, holding another cup of water.

''Are you okay?'' The Green Ninja asked, setting a cup of water down on the bedside table.

She nodded. ''Your father opened-''

'Don't say anything!' Morro told her.

The Green Bean looked confused. ''My father opened... what?'' Lloyd questioned.

''Uh, nothing.'' (Y/n) quickly replied, snatching the cup of water from its place and slowly draining it.

'Great, now he'll be suspicious.' The Master of Wind groaned.

Lloyd looked as if he didn't believe her, and took the empty cup and placed it on the bedside table.

''What happened?'' (Y/n) questioned, Lloyd seemed to think for a moment, before answering:

''I saw that you fell from your hoverboard, and I was on my dragon at the time so I quickly rushed in to save you, it was a close call.'' The Green Ninja answered.

'He's clearly a liar.' Morro hissed.

'What do you have against this guy?' (Y/n) asked.

The Spooky Master of Wind became silent.

(Y/n) got off her bed, and walked towards the door. She turned her head to Lloyd, who was staring at her with a certain look in his eyes.

She raised her eyebrow, and the Green Ninja came out of his trance and followed her to the door.

Opening it, they went outside to see the others.

---

The other elemental masters were outside, waiting for the two on dragons.

''Okay, what happened while I was out?'' (Y/n) asked, looking up at them.

''Chen's turned his followers into Anacondrai, Zane's found out how to summon his elemental dragon, leading to the others finding out how too as well, and yeah, I guess,'' Lloyd replied.

''Guess it's something like this?'' The Master of Illusion asked, and suddenly there was a black and orange dragon that appeared, with (Y/n) at the reins.

The Green Ninja blinked in surprise, before summoning his Energy dragon. ''I guess.'' The Green Bean replied, scratching his head sheepishly.

''Let's go already!''

---

The Elemental Masters flew towards Ninjago City on their dragons.

''Chen and his Anacondrai army have a day's start on us. Be prepared for anything and everything.'' Lloyd told the others

''How did we lose so much time?'' Kai asked.

''You know, you took an oath never to leave a man behind,'' Dareth replied, sitting behind Zane on his dragon.

''And we're not all quick learners. Mastering your fear to create Power Dragons takes time.'' Jay told the others.

''Well, we're running out of that. There's Ninjago City. Hurry.'' Nya said, sitting behind Jay.

''Hurry's my middle name. Hyah!'' Griffin said, making his dragon go faster.

''Remember, whatever happens down there, we're stronger united. We fight as one.'' The Green Ninja told the others.

''Let's do this!'' Jay exclaimed.

The crowd gasped as they saw the pretty trails the dragons left behind, as well as the dragons themselves.

''Everyone else, stick together and watch over the people,'' Lloyd told the other Elemental Masters, and Skylor noticed her hand was turning back to normal.

---

The Ninja, Garmadon, and Skylor entered the Samurai X Cave. The Falcon screeched and landed on Zane's arm.

''And hello to you, my old friend.'' Zane greeted his mechanical feathered friend.

''Ah. You're all back. Zane, look at you. You're all...shiny.'' Wu said, laughing.

''The original titanium tin can is back.'' (Y/n) said with a smile, putting her hand on his shoulder.

''But where's your father?'' Misako asked.

''It's me, Misako,'' Garmadon spoke, making her gasp.

''Don't worry. We have a reason to believe the spell may be wearing off.'' Skylor reassured her.

''But if that's true, it only makes Chen more desperate to act now. Everyone, this is Skylor, Chen's daughter.'' The Fire Ninja introduced the Noodle Daughter.

''You're amongst friends, Skylor,'' Misako told her with a warm smile.

''Thank you for looking after my Misako,'' Garmadon said to Wu.

''As any good brother should.'' His brother replied.

''Yes. A good brother.'' Garma-snake said, looking at the ground.

''There isn't much time. Our friends are on standby but we don't know where Chen will strike first.'' Lloyd told the others.

''And if we're not all there to stop him when he first attacks...'' Cole replied.

''Ninjago will succumb to war. Our greatest fear will become true.'' Garmadon finished.

''Then the greatest victory will be that which has no battle,'' Wu told them.

''But how do we prevent a war? How do we stop an enemy we know so little about?'' The Lightning Ninja questioned.

The Falcon cawed, flying over to the screen which showed Kryptarium Prison.

''We find someone who does,'' Wu answered.

----

The Ninja flew on their dragons towards Kryptarium.

''Kryptarium Prison. Home of Ninjago's worst of the worst.'' Garmadon spoke as they de-summoned their dragons.

''I don't get it. Who's gonna help us here?'' Cole asked.

''If one must learn how to fight a snake, one must talk to one first.'' Wu answered.

''Sorry I had to confiscate your weapons. Here we try to foster what I call "an environment of encouragement."'' Noble told them, opening and temporarily disabling the mechanisms that prevented the prisoner's escape.

''I'll rattle your bones, Warden,'' Kruncha said, rattling the bars of the cell.

''Very creative, Frakjaw. Love the puns.'' Noble complimented the skeleton.

''Pajama Men!'' Soto exclaimed, reaching through the bars of his cell.

''Easy, Soto. I'm the captain of this ship. Haha. Ninja ain't popular around these parts, considering you put most of them behind bars, hmm. But who you're looking for, he hates Ninja the most. Last cell on the left.'' Noble told them.

''I foresee my sister Chamille will soon be with the other criminals.'' (Y/n) whispered under her breath to Jay, who chuckled.

''Hmm, why yes, Pythor, this may very well be the greatest cup of tea you've steeped,'' Pythor said to himself, holding a basketball with a face painted on it. ''Oh, you flatter me, Rodrigo, but do go on.'' The bleached Anacondrai replied.

''We need your help,'' Lloyd told him, appearing on the other side of the window.

Pythor gasped. ''Help you? The Ninja? You fed me to the Devourer, defeated every army I've aligned with, even forced me to swallow your shrinking pill! Haven't you done enough damage to my diminishing ego?'' The tiny Anacondrai asked, and Cole turned the dollhouse around to face the ninja, making Pythor scream.

''Well played. I suppose this is about that culturally insensitive noodle baron and his ilk that are now Anacondrai. Imposters, if you ask me.'' Pythor told the others, putting his hands on his hips.

''You are the last remaining Anacondrai. You must know how to stop them.'' Jay replied.

''I'm not going to say another word until you can figure out how to make me big. And don't ask me to trust a Ninja.'' Pythor said stubbornly, crossing his arms.

Remo appeared on (Y/n)'s shoulders, looking down at the once Anacondrai his size, now no bigger than the pill he swallowed.

He then slithered over to Pythor, and made a hiss that sounded like a laugh.

''Look at you! You're so tiny,'' Remo teased, ''I could almost eat you up.''

''No! Not that!'' Pythor screamed.

''Now you know what it's like to be the smaller one.'' The not as little as Pythor replied, laughing again.

''Remo!'' (Y/n) groaned.

''Right.'' Remo replied, going back onto her shoulder and smirking at Pythor before disappearing.

''Would you trust a snake?'' Garmadon asked Pythor, who looked around warily for Remo before turning to Garmadon.

''Garmacondrai? Oh, now my interest is piqued. Let's make a deal, shall we?'' Pythor asked.

''I thought you should be aware that someone has been poking around at the Kryptarium database with an interest in your, shall I say, little friend,'' Pixal spoke.

''Chen?'' Zane asked.

''I don't know, but be on your guard. You may be expecting unannounced visitors.'' Pixal replied.

Noble looked up to see a "floating" prisoner's outfit. ''Ooh, that's strange.'' He said, and tried to turn on the alarm, but was stopped by a cultist.

''Hehe, so gullible. Everyone knows there's no such thing as ghosts.'' Said a cultist, taking the keys.

''Then you get the spellbook and I'll tell you their weakness and then—'' Pythor informed them.

''There's been a breach in Sector 2! They appear to be Anacondrai and—uh-oh, they're coming my way. They see me talking on the intercom. Oh, boy, here they come. Why am I still talking on this thing?'' A man said over the intercom, before becoming silent.

The prisoners yelled, cheering.

''You led them to me? What have you done? There's no escaping an Anacondrai!'' Pythor told them and tried to open a wardrobe. ''Curse this fraudulent furniture!'' When it didn't open, the bleached Anacondrai used a lampshade to hide his head.

''Tell me! How do we stop them? What is their weakness?'' Garmadon asked.

''Don't you get it? There is no weakness! They're Anacondrai!'' Pythor answered.

''Guys, we've got company,'' Kai told the others, seeing the Anacondrai Cultists appear.

''I'll handle this. Earth!'' Cole exclaimed, using his powers to toss bricks at them, instead denting some cell bars.

''We're trying to keep the inmates in, not let them out!'' Jay shouted.

Garmadon grabbed Pythor, taking the lampshade off his head and some of his sweat lands on his hands, turning it back into Anacondrai scales.

''Your hand. That may be why they've come for Pythor. What if he holds the key to making their transformation permanent?'' The Ice Ninja questioned.

''That's why Chen hasn't attacked,'' Wu replied.

''Then we have to get him out of here. If he's the key to preventing a war, we can't let him fall into the wrong hands. Literally.'' Lloyd told them.

''Oh, I get it. It's literal because of my size.'' Pythor replied sarcastically. ''Haha, very funny. But I'm a little sensitive to all the size references.''

''I'm used to it,'' Remo said, appearing again on (Y/n)'s shoulders, making Pythor scowl.

''A little sensitive?'' Garmadon asked.

''Okay, I stepped right into that one,'' Pythor replied.

''Zane, keep them busy,'' Wu told the Ice Ninja.

''Ah. What do you think we've been do—'' Kai started, on the shoulders of an Anacondrai but it used its tail to hit him off.

''Get out of here already. It's not like we can hold them off all day.'' Jay said, grunting as he was in the coils of the Anacondrai's tail.

Noble finally pressed the red button for the alarms.

''Kryptarium's on lockdown. If we don't find a way out, we may never escape.'' Garmadon said, and he, Wu and Lloyd went under the door as it closed.

''It ain't fair. Why is it they've got weapons but we don't?'' Cole asked, dodging a hit from an Anacondrai sword.

''Everything's a weapon in the big house.'' Jay replied, reaching through the bars of a cell to grab a toothbrush loaded with toothpaste. He then gave the Anacondrai a good brushing.

---

''Fire!'' Kai shouted as he fired a blast of flame at the Anacondrai Warrior, but they ducked.

''Lightning!'' Jay shouted, electrocuting the Anacondrai.

The Cultist's sword landed near No-eyed Pete.

''Awk, left!'' The Parrot squawked.

''Hey, watch it!'' Soto shouted.

''Hurry, grab his spear!'' Jay exclaimed.

''No, the other left! Awk!'' The parrot squawked, and the no eyed pirate brought the spear to the lever, making it release all the prisoners.

''We're so screwed.'' (Y/n) mumbled, seeing the prisoner's cells open.

''Oh, no,'' Kai said, looking around at them.

''Uh, guys, I think we're about to serve some hard time,'' Cole told the others, seeing the Giant Stone Warrior.

It spoke in its ancient language, towering over the ninja. It then hit Cole who leapt at it, making him hit a wall.

The Ninja began fighting the prisoners.

''I'm not an outdated relic anymore,'' Zane said, fighting a nindroid.

Jay used Kruncha as a shield against the Anacondrai sword. ''Okay, since we've already fought most of these guys before, let's say we keep this short?''

''I'm with you. The door, hurry!'' Kai replied, and they ran, with the prisoners chasing them.

''All right, who's busting out here with me?'' Cole asked the others.

''There's no way you're breaking through this door. It's solid metal.'' The Fire Ninja replied, kicking it.

''I didn't say anything about a door.'' The Earth Ninja told him, punching a hole in the wall. The ninja ran through, with the prisoners slowly advancing.

''When people try to bust out of jail, they do so quietly. Not literally!'' Jay shouted, running as Cole broke down every wall in his way.

''Ah, digging our way out takes forever,'' Dan said, using a metal spoon to dig through the wall. Kevin Hageman pulled him back before Cole punched their wall. ''Thank you!''

As (Y/n) ran past, she looked at the two. ''No, I'll thank you.'' She said, saluting before disappearing with the rest of the ninja.

The boys burst through the final wall, seeing Wu and Garmadon fight the Anacondrai Cultists.

''Do you have him?'' Kai asked.

Wu looked at his staff where Pythor once was, before seeing him in the hands of an Anacondrai.

''We can't let them escape,'' Cole replied.

Wu saw the prisoners trying to escape. ''No, we can't let them escape! No more smashing walls.''

''Leave this to me. Ice!'' Zane shouted, making a bridge leading outside.

''I'd hate to let anyone down, but...Fire!'' Kai said, using his fire to break the bridge once the ninja were out.

---

After Chen had used his noodle trucks to separate the Elemental Masters, they had realised the Noodle Man used it as a trick to spread fear.

''It was all a trap.''

''Then that means...''

''The greatest victories...have no battle. Our worst fears have come true.''

''the new Serpentine War...has just begun.''

You know what comes next ;)

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See ya Bookworms.

WriterAgreste, over & out!