"Zane! Zane!"

The ninja of ice woke up to the sound of his name. He jolted from his bed as he heard a loud horn being blown from the mountain. Pixal invaded his vision, hovering inches from his face.

"Pixal what's happening?"

"I don't know. But the sound seems to be coming from Master Wu's school. Something must be wrong." Suddenly, Zane's bedroom door swung open with a bang. Kai stood at the doorpost, still in a cold sweat.

"The manor's been breached and the Serpentine have escaped!" The blacksmith began to strap his sword and sheath onto his belt, somewhat dazed from being abruptly awoken.

"The school's been breached as well," Nya added, fumbling to tighten to her robes. "Otherwise we wouldn't hear that alarm."

Zane grabbed his leather vest with his sword and darted out with the siblings. Residents near the manor had already gotten buckets of water, doing their best to douse the fire. By now the fire had spread rapidly and soldiers were trying to get everyone out of the manor. As the three of them ran across town zipping past the people heading the opposite direction, Kai heard screaming on the other side of the street. When he turned his head, he saw Skylor on horseback, making a beeline with several other horses towards the village's exit, forcing other villagers to move out of the way in fright.

"Skylor!" Kai called out. She didn't seem to hear him. He kept repeating her name until she reached the border. The young blacksmith was about to dart after her when he felt a hand grab his shoulder.

"Kai! What are you doing?!" Zane grabbed him by the shoulders. "We need to protect the people!" Kai looked back one more time before groaning in agreement, ascending the steps leading to the manor.

"Get out of the way!" Nya yelled as she entered the gates. Servants were running in the opposite direction while guards were helping people exit the mansion. Kai ran up to the nearest guard.

"Who else is still inside?"

"A few people are still in there, including her Ladyship and the young lord."

"Nya, stay here and douse the flames," Kai drew his sword and approached the front door, which had already been kicked down. "I'm going in."

"I've got your back Kai," Zane said, his own sword drawn, his faithful pixie still beside him.

"Be careful."

The two men charged inside. They weaved through the hallways, trying to find whoever was still trapped inside.

"The ground floor's clear!" Zane yelled as Kai skipped through the steps toward the second floor. Smoke had now entered the mansion and it was getting thicker by the second. As Kai reached the top step, he covered his mouth and nose. Zane easily caught up with him but also began coughing as black smoke clouded their vision. Their lungs were getting constricted as well, forcing them to hold their breath longer than both could.

'If I were a nindroid, this wouldn't be a problem.' Zane thought to himself. Kai forced himself to move forward but he wasn't faring any better. Then a silver light enveloped them both, encasing both their bodies. His lungs were clearing of the smoke and his eyes could see straight ahead.

"Come on, Lloyd and Misako need us." Zane turned his head to see Pixal flying ahead of him, her own frame emitting a silver glow. With a newfound confidence, Zane looked at Kai who was starting to regain his bearings as well. He offered his hand to him to hoist him up, and they continued to trudge forward. After some time, they could hear a voice in the hallway, accompanied by severe coughing.

"Is anyone still here?"

"Cole!" Kai called out. "Cole is that you?"

Pixal flew ahead and disappeared in the smoke, Zane and Kai hastening their steps to follow. Closing the distance, they caught sight of the dark-haired general carrying an unconscious Lloyd in his arms, both of them glowing a silver aura provided by Pixal hovering above them.

"Lady Misako?" Zane asked. Cole shook his head.

"She's nowhere to be found. This one I found trying to help the other staff clear out, but the smoke got to him too fast."

By now, the fire had started to consume the posts, walls and the ceiling. Debris fell faster and faster as the four men now tried to get to the stairs and out to the nearest exit.

"LOOK OUT!" Zane yelled as he pulled Kai back from stepping down the stairway just as the wooden support beams came crashing down, obliterating their only route down. Zane looked around, looking for another way out. "Cole. What's the closest chamber to the frontage of the house?" Without hesitation, Cole turned around, heading for the sleeping quarters. After five doors down the hallway, Cole finally stops. "Kick it down!" Zane spun and sent the door flying off its hinges. The room was on fire already, but the damage was still minimal. Looking around, he grabbed the drapes hanging on the windows and tugged them off.

"Kai! Grab the beddings and blankets! We're getting out through that window!" Kai did as he's told and yanked the blankets off the bed, putting out the small flames consuming its corners. He then handed them to Zane, who proceeded to tie them together, with the end being secured to one of the bed posts.

"Cole, open that window and see how far we are from the ground." Cole speedily but gently props Lloyd on one arm as he unhooked the latch of the window sticking his head out.

"Cole! Down here!" Nya's voice rang from below. She then proceeded to blast water at the sides of the windows to extinguish the consuming flames. "We're trying to extinguish the flames as fast as we could, but the others are tending to the wounded. Where's Kai and Zane?"

"They're right here. They're currently tying sheets together to—" more debris began to fall from the hallway.

"We have to move!" Zane heaped up the sheets and dropped them out the window. He then moved aside to give Cole room. Zane and Kai took Lloyd from the general to allow him to maneuver out of the opening and position himself to receive the young boy before descending. When he was ready, Kai lowered Lloyd to Cole's arm, while Cole's free arm remained tight on the blanket. Gently, he slid himself down, getting a rough landing, but he made sure that was shielded from the impact. Nya and Jay—who arrived moments earlier—ran to his side along with some other retainers of the house, pulling him and the young lord to safety.

"Your turn," Zane told Kai, who immediately sheathed his sword and shimmied down the building. As Zane swung his leg over the window jamb, the fire grew closer. "Pixal, let's go!" The pixie simply nodded and zipped outside. Zane swiftly slid down the knotted fabric and ran away from the building to join the others.

After a few minutes, a few more mages arrived from the mountain, summoning water to douse the flames once and for all. All the injured were placed in the infirmary, while injured guards were placed in the barracks, with anyone available tending their wounds. Zane, after being treated for some minor burns, got looked around at the people helping each other patch up. He silently cursed at himself. If only he had his ice powers, he could have frozen the flames solid and got everyone out unharmed. Or he could have used spinjitzu to get through the flames with ease.

"I know that look." The ninja looked up from his trance to see Pixal hovering in front of him, her arms crossed. "Do not feel guilty or feel that you weren't competent enough tonight. You know that you would always protect those who cannot protect themselves, powers or no powers." Zane smiled weakly. "Whatever would I do without you, Pixal?" The pixie's cheeks were tinted with pink, something Zane never saw before due to her previous metal skin. And he found it quite endearing.

"You know you can do fine without me Zane," Pixal replied.

"That's not true. We've been through so much, it's hard for me to think without you by my side."

"Ahem." Both turned from their conversation to see Jay, looking very grave. "Sorry to interrupt, but Cole wants to see you." Zane slowly got up from his cot, entering the general's office. Lloyd, Kai, and Nya were already there. Cole was sitting at his desk, his dark eyes deep in thought. Before him was a map of the realm, extending beyond Jamanakai village, covering deserts, forests, mountains, all the way to the ocean. Small and big villages scattered across the map, but the general's eyes were fixed on Jamanakai's borders. Standing up, he began pacing around with his hands behind his back.

"You know you don't need to act tough right now, right?" Kai told him. "We're all still a little roasted so a little rest won't hurt."

Cole let out a heavy sigh. "I know that. But the longer we stay here, the farther the Serpentine get away from us."

"And no one's seen my mother yet," Lloyd added. "I'll bet the Serpentine took her."

"She left with the Serpentine, that I can assure you," Master Wu entered the office as well. "But not of her own will. She was hypnotized by the Serpentine chief Skales and stole Clouse's spell book for them."

Lloyd ran his hand through his hair. "How could you be so careless, Mom? What if something happens to her? What do you think the Serpentine will do when she's served her purpose?"

Kai put his hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "We'll just have to make sure that does not happen."

"So, what's the plan, General?" Jay asked moving towards the map.

"There won't be a plan until we figure out which way they're headed" Cole replied, looking at the map as well.

"Have you tried investigating their cells created to escape?" Zane asked. "Surely it must have a clue lying around somewhere."

"Not yet," Cole replied. "My men are still clearing out the wreckage from the fire. Once the path is clear, we'll head into the dungeons to see where the tunnel they bore will lead. In the meantime, any information that's out of the ordinary would be very helpful right now."

"I think I may have seen something last night," Kai pointed out. Everyone turned to him, anxiously waiting for an answer. "I saw Chen's daughter ride out of the village with five horses in tow."

"Five horses for five Serpentine chiefs," Nya concluded.

"So, wait, you're telling me Chen's daughter was working with the Serpentine this whole time?" Jay asked. "Like some double agent-spy whatever?"

"That is highly unlikely," Master Wu corrected. "Skylor aided me when Misako was under their control. Then she went after them herself."

"Are you sure about that?" Cole challenged. "She did threaten to kill Dareth to get to the dungeons."

"She did it because your soldiers stopped her from getting there upon Misako's orders. She had no choice. Though I do not commend her method, I know that she is one of the most loyal and trustworthy people I know. I believe that when she got to the chiefs, she was hypnotized as well."

Cole finally backed down and sat on his chair. "Alright. Given that that is what happened, the Serpentine have a bigger head start than we thought, now that we know they're on horseback."

"If they're going on horseback, they must be going somewhere far. Perhaps home?" Zane perused the map, looking for possible clues. Where could they go? He decided to dig in his own mind, reminding himself of the encounters of his world's Serpentine. When they were together, where would they go? And then it hit him. "Does the name 'Ouroboros' sound familiar to any of you?"

"Ouroboros, Ouroboros, I know I've read about it somewhere," Nya replied while rubbed her temples, commanding herself to remember.

"Ouroboros is the legendary city of the Serpentine tribes," Wu answered for her. "The tribes' villages are scattered all over the land, but the one place they converge in reverence is the City of Ouroboros. That's where all their most sacred rituals are held."

"Based on my mother's interrogation with Skales," Lloyd joined in. "The Serpentine wanted to turn themselves into giant snakes of legend, like that of the Great Devourer. Do you think that's what they plan to do once they get to the city?"

"There's no doubt about that now," Master Wu replied. "That's why they allied with Chen in the first place. But with Clouse gone, they don't have anyone to perform the spell on them. Unless…"

"Unless they took Skylor with them as well," Kai finished. There was a huge moment of silence.

"Okay, okay, so backtrack for a minute," Jay spoke up. "The Serpentine allied with Crazy Warlord Guy to get Spooky Mage's spell book to turn into giant snakes. The realm crystal was never in their agenda, so they couldn't care less what happened to Chen as long as they got the spell. But since Chen's plan went downhill, they formulized another plan to get the book by hypnotizing Lady Misako into stealing it from Master Wu's Magic School. Oh, no offense, Sir."

"None taken, young Jay," Wu replied.

"And on top of that, they also kidnapped Chen's daughter to perform the spell in place of Clouse so we're pretty much doomed until we find where this Ouroboros is in order to stop them. Did I miss anything?" By the time he was finished, Jay was pretty much huffing, realizing he was talking at a fast pace.

"Nope, that's pretty much it," Nya told him casually. "The only problem we have right now is locating Ouroboros because it's not on the map." Nya looked at the huge parchment sprawled on the table, its sides rolling off the edges. She lifted the sides, looking for possible clues, but it was getting quite difficult for her to see the whole thing. "Cole, can we bring this to the war room, please? Sorry but your table's too small for this." Cole simply nodded and rolled up the map. He then led everybody to the adjacent room, where a huge circular table as found at the center of the room. The general then sprawled the parchment on the table, allowing the entire thing to be seen from end to end.

"Ah, that's much better, thanks, Cole." Nya continued to move around the map, taking notice of the locations of the Serpentine villages. Zane followed along with her, remembering how his world's Nya was able to figure out the location of the Venomari and Constrictai tombs. As his eyes wandered the map, he noticed that the villages were positioned at a similar pattern as that of the Ninjago symbol for a serpent, just like back home. He also remembered his Ouroboros was located in the Sea of Sand. Perhaps their city was hidden in a desert area as well.

"General!" A soldier burst into the room, panting.

"It'd better be good news," Cole told him, face stoic as ever.

"We've cleared the debris from the cell and found the exit of the tunnel dug beneath it: It leads to the far side of the mountain, quite a blind spot for anyone from Jamanakai to see. However, that's not all of it. We found fresh horse tracks that seem to lead to the desert."

"Anything else?"

"No, Sir."

"Then dismissed." The soldier bowed his head and left.

"Okay, so desert it is. But where do we look first?" Nya circled the table to look that the desert area of the map. "They could be anywhere."

"If only I could mass produce my gliders for everyone, then we could search for them faster." Jay sighed.

"Great idea, Jay, but we need something solid to get there fast now," Kai replied. "But thanks for trying anyway."

"Agreed," Zane added. "With a desert as vast as this and those people on horseback, we need something that can cut our search time in half just to find them. In addition, we also need a contingency plan that will help us defeat the Serpentine if ever…" his stomach churned at what he was going to say next. "They do turn into giant snakes."

"He's right." Lloyd continued. "I don't mean to be a pessimist, but what if we don't get there in time, we should at least have a plan. One giant snake is tough enough to take down, but five? I don't see a way out of that, as of right now anyway."

"There may be a way to do both, but it is less than pleasing," Master Wu spoke once more, although very hesitant if he should continue.

"And what's that?" The old man didn't say another word, turning from the group, as if regretting what he just said.

"Uncle, we need to know." Lloyd approached him, looking deep into his eyes. "If there's a chance we can defeat them, we should take it no matter what." After a long pause, he finally gave in.

"Dragons."

"I'm sorry, Master Wu, did you say 'dragons'?" Cole asked in disbelief.

"Master, dragons have been extinct for thousands of years," Nya added. "And even if there were existing dragons, where are we going to find them?"

"We don't need to find them. They are made."

"Dare I ask what they're made of?" Jay asked.

"Anyone who is willing to become one."

"Wait a minute," Kai interrupted. "You're telling me, that there is a spell to turn someone into a dragon?!"

"It is a spell that I myself have never performed in my life. But it is indeed doable."

"So, by becoming dragons, we can cover more ground, and we can actually go toe to toe against those monsters!" Cole exclaimed becoming excited. "I like it. Scary, but let's do it. It's not like we have time for another plan when one's sitting right in front of us."

"But I'm sensing there is a catch in this spell somewhere," Zane interjected. "Isn't there, Master Wu?"

"Very perceptive of you, Zane. Yes, there is a catch. You see, the reason, I have never performed such a spell, because, in order to do it: one would have to give up their own life." Silence filled the room.

"No. No, there has to be another way," Nya said. "Maybe there's another spell that has equal strength but does not require anyone dying."

"I am afraid there isn't one, Nya. Believe me. I have looked through every spell book and this is the only way to defeat the Serpentine."

"Then let me do it, Master," Nya pushed. "Jamanakai can't lose you. But it can lose me without a problem."

"I'm not letting that happen!" Kai gripped Nya's hand tight.

"Neither will I," Jay moved closer to the water mage. Nya sighed.

"Look, we don't have time for this. Every second we waste time arguing, the Serpentine are getting further and further away!"

"I'm afraid it's not that easy, Nya," Master Wu explained. "The spell was specifically made by mine and Garmadon's father. He made sure that a direct descendant of his—specifically one who had powers over light, creation, or energy—could do the spell. What he did not anticipate was that the effects of the spell were so great, it drained the entire life force of the person when he transformed the person's body into that of a dragon. I know this because he tried to do it to me and Garmadon. But he stopped the spell midway when he felt his life force leaving him faster than he thought. He nearly died had he not have the strength to stop himself. Which is why I'm the only one who can do it."

Lloyd's eyes filled with tears. This can't be happening. Not again. He just lost his father, his mother is missing, and now he's about to lose his uncle as well? Not caring who was in the room, he wrapped his arms around Master Wu, latching onto him as hard as he could.

"I won't let you do this, Uncle. Not after Dad left. You can't leave me too." Everyone else could feel the weight of the decision on their shoulders. Wu simply patted his nephew's head and stroked his golden hair.

"It will be alright, Lloyd. You're strong. You can carry on without me. And we all know that our duty is always to the people, and not to ourselves. Did you not vow that yourself when you ascended as governor?"

"I know, but it did not have to be at the cost of your death!"

"Do not worry, my boy. Everything will be fine." Wu gently pulled Lloyd away from him and approached the table. Everyone forced themselves to draw closer, stomachs churning in dread with what they were about to do.

"I know this is difficult for all of you. But right now, you are the last line of defense between the Serpentine and Jamanakai, and perhaps, the world as we know it. Therefore, I implore you to be strong and to look out for each other once the spell is complete."

"Wait," Cole forced himself to speak. "If we do this, how many dragons are we talking here?"

"I believe everyone in this room is enough. I don't know if I can turn an entire army into dragons, but the key to the success of this spell is dynamics. I have seen how you all interact. You have the makings of a great team. In order to make a team of dragons, there must be proper communication, which will be done telepathically. That means you will all be hearing each other's thoughts all the time. Therefore, the less of you the better. However, if you can learn to think as one mind, the rest is easy. Let your hearts take flight, and let your instincts guide you in the air."

Everyone looked at each other, then at Zane. They understood that they probably had a so-called bond since they've been friends for years. But Zane, he just appeared in their lives. And yet, they felt this respect and trust for him, like they had known him their whole lives. Eyes lighting up with determination, they all nod in agreement.

"Alright, let's do it."

"For Jamanakai."

"For the rest of the world."

"For Lord Garmadon."

"For Mom and Dad."

"For those who cannot protect themselves."

Wu weakly but happily smiled at the young people around him. "I suppose we should begin immediately. General, I expect you have guards around every corner, while my mages will set up the barrier once more."

"Yes, Master Wu." With that, Cole left the war room.

"What about us?" Nya asked.

"We wait for him to return, then we head to my private garden." When Cole returned, he motioned everyone to move closer to him. Creating a barrier with his hands, Master Wu encased everyone in a giant glass sphere. White smoke began to cover the sphere as everyone looked in awe at what was taking place. A moment later, the smoke dissipated and gone was the war room, and they were greeted with lush greenery and a small pond, and a stone façade carved with a familiar face.

'Dad.' Lloyd approached the tomb and kneeled in respect. Everybody did the same.

"Come." Wu's voice came from behind them. "We do not have much time. Create a semi-circle, all of you." The six of them did as they were told. Wu's eyes darted to Pixal, who was resting on Zane's shoulder.

"Zane, I am afraid you'll have to leave your pixie behind. I'm going to need her here as the only one who can help prepare things for and after my death." Everyone shuddered at the word but no one objected. Pixal immediately flew to the old man, and he began to whisper something in her ear. It was a lengthy instruction, but Pixal retained it all, word for word, and flew out of the garden and into school grounds.

"Do not worry about her," Wu assured Zane. "She will do her part. The real question is: are you ready to do yours?" They all looked at each other once more before giving a simultaneous nod.

"Nya, come here." Nya approached and Wu also whispered something into her ear. Nya's eyes widened after hearing everything but she nodded and immediately went back into position, leaving the young men in a state of curiosity.

"The ritual begins now! Everyone, stand still, and close your eyes. Clear your mind and focus on my voice alone." Wu raised his arms in the sky, as a white and golden aura emanated from his body. He then gestured to each one of them.

"Kai, you have the fire that burns deep inside. It burns bright to protect the ones you love." Kai then began to glow a red aura.

"Jay, fast as lightning, able to adapt to change and bring light to the darkest moments." Jay began to emanate a dark blue aura.

"Cole, solid as rock, always keeping everyone grounded, ever unshaken to what is wrong and unjust." Cole began to show a black aura.

"Zane, unpredictable and mysterious as ice, yet never failing to be there when you're needed." Zane was enveloped with a white aura.

"Nya, flexible as water, you move with current, but are forced to be reckoned with the tides have turned." Nya was encircled with a light blue aura.

"Lloyd, my beloved nephew, the world has been unfair to you, but you have the strength to push through it all. The light in your heart will never be extinguished, and the you have the power to create change as long as you believe it is possible." Lloyd's body radiated with a green aura.

Wu continued to move his arms in circular motion until he rested his arms at chest level. "I release my spirit into the Spirit Realm in exchange that these chosen ones before me become the greatest creatures who walked the earth. Let them take flight as one mind! Let them fight for what is right and just. And let their hearts be forever unclouded by wrong judgement as they soar through the skies and defeat the trials that lay ahead. This I give my spirit for. Dragons, for my life."

A large ripple of light exploded from Wu's body as his aura is divided into six, each being absorbed by the people before him. As each of them absorbed the old man's life force, a surge of energy and pain ran throughout their entire body. They screamed, groaned, yelled as they felt their body expand. They felt themselves being lifted off the ground as something sharp began to pierce the inside of their backs. Wings began to sprout from their backs while scales began to cover their skin like armor. Their faces began to elongate and they felt their teeth and nails sharpening. But the weirdest and most uncomfortable thing they probably felt was the tail sprouting from their rear. When they opened their eyes, everything was clearer, more vivid. They slowly floated downward, back onto the ground. As they silently took in their surroundings, moving their new appendages, voices began to invade their heads all at once.

What's happening? You guys alright?

Whoa, who said that?

This is getting really weird you guys.

Everybody just focus. Don't say anything in your mind unless you have to.

Will do, Zane.

Okay, but what am I thinking right now?

Jay, shut it.

Wait, where's Master Wu?

Turning around, they saw the figure of an old man, limp and lifeless, lying on the stone floor. The green dragon was the first to move, nudging his uncle, asking him to wake up.

I'm sorry Lloyd. He's gone.

Lloyd slowly backed away from his uncle and began walking away from the garden.

Let's go. I think we should take flight at the gates, lest we blow things away.

Everyone followed Lloyd's lead and walked towards the gates.

Where are all the students and teachers from the school? You think seeing six huge dragons would cause a commotion.

That's probably what Pixal was asked to do. Keep everyone in the school at bay until we fly out of here.

This is so weird. Walking on four feet.

That's what got you weirded out? We have tails!

Hey watch where you swish that thing!

Relax, everyone. We can do this. Master Wu believed in us. So, we should to. Let's not put these abilities to waste.

Hey, Nya, what did my uncle whisper to you?

He just told me to remember stay focused and work together as a team.

Yeah, but why tell you alone? That's pretty off.

Wu's always been cryptic. He has his reasons. So trust him.

As they reached the gates, which began to open at Lloyd's presence, Lloyd began to stretch his wings. He looked down at the cliff below, a tinge of fear coming over him. But with the combined minds of his friends, this fear disappears instantly. And then, instinct takes over. Lloyd jumped and spread his wings, signaling the others to follow. At first it was difficult, getting their wings to coordinate, and their voices clashing against each other. But after some practice they finally got the hang of it.

Guys, we're actually flying! We're flying!

Pfft! That's no surprise to me. Jay zoomed ahead, spinning around before slowing down to join his teammates. Then an idea occurred to him. Hey guys, let's fly in a v-formation like a bunch of geese!

This isn't an aerial show, Jay.

No just here me out. Geese fly in v-formations because they provide additional lift and less air resistance. That way we're spending less energy for a longer flight session.

Allowing us to save up energy for the big fight.

Exactly!

Alright, let's do it.

I'll take the front. Jay and Kai take the second row. Nya and Zane, take the third. Lloyd…

Don't worry, I'll be at the back. No problem.

Everyone began to move into formation, agreeing to take turns when the one in front was getting tired. As they flew, focusing on what lay ahead. Within an hour they reached the desert.

Okay, so what are we looking for? Because I have no idea what Ouroboros looks like.

I heard Ouroboros means "snake eating its own tail". I think that means the city is circular in its planning.

Well whatever it looks like, as long as we got these eyes, we can spot them pretty easily.

Good. Because I see them dead ahead!

OMG! What's this?! An update? Hello everyone! I'm finally back! I'm sorry I've been gone for so long, and I didn't even leave a note in my last chapter. Honestly, I wrote that chapter out of stress from my thesis. But good news is that I've finally finished my college degree, but no sooner had I left university, I've been in and out of the hospital due to health reasons. So that's why it took even longer for me to post again. But I'm back, and I intend to finish this fic! So, hang in there, dear readers! We're almost through with this ride! Thank you for your reviews, NinjagoMLP77, TheAmberShadow, BrightBlueSkies, The Mayor of Ninjago City, Jens, Energy BlastNinjaWriter, Guest, GLACIER 3, Stydealized, and Minecraft, for your reviews in Chapters 13 and 14. I didn't get to thank you last time. And even for those who don't review but read my story, I thank you all the same.

Also, some more news: I'm planning to do commissions soon! If you guys are interested, send me a message, or if you're curious to see my works, you can check them out at my Deviantart page

Till next chapter ~ SnowflakeShard