Pythor's Revenge Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  From the Journal of Master Wu

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Copyright

  What makes the most dangerous enemy?

  Is it the opponent who battles with great strength — like the relentless stone and skeleton warriors? Or is it the cunning foe with unmatched intelligence, such as the Nindroids and Anacondrai?

  Perhaps the most dangerous enemy is the one whose quest for power is all-consuming — the Overlords and Master Chens of our realm.

  Indeed, there are many types of enemies. And the ninja have faced them all. But it is difficult to say which were the most dangerous. Each posed their own challenges and stretched the ninja to their true potential.

  Some enemies were vanquished. Others were banished to the Cursed Realm. And then there were the rare few who transformed from enemies into allies, such as Master Yang.

  Master Yang used to be a wise teacher. But his spirit became trapped in the Temple of Airjitzu, cursed to remain there for all time. Over the centuries, he became vengeful.

  When the day of the Yin-Yang Eclipse fell on the Day of the Departed, Master Yang saw his opportunity. He unleashed the spirits of the ninjas’ former adversaries to do battle. Master Chen, Kozu, and even Cryptor all returned for one fateful evening to exact revenge.

  But Cole discovered that Master Yang was not truly evil. He was simply a forgotten soul who longed to be remembered. Cole helped Yang realize he was already remembered as the creator of Airjitzu. In return, Master Yang allowed Cole to pass through the Yin-Yang portal in his place. Cole became flesh and blood once again.

  Reunited, the ninja are prepared to face whatever enemies await them. Which brings me back to my original question — what makes the most dangerous enemy?

  It could be argued that the ninja have already overcome the most dangerous foes possible, and that any challenge left for them to face would simply be a repeat.

  And yet … perhaps that is my answer. The most dangerous enemy is not the one who is completely unexpected. No, it is the one who keeps coming back time and again, never relinquishing the fight.

  Though the ninja have defeated many opponents, there are those who have managed to slither away undetected, waiting for their moment to rise again. I hope the ninja are ready for such enemies. Because there is no telling what they will have learned with the advantage of time …

  Was I right, or was I right?” Cole smiled triumphantly as he guided the other ninja into the courtyard of the Temple of Airjitzu. He and his friends all held softly glowing Day of the Departed lanterns.

  “I told you guys,” Cole continued. “This will be the perfect place for us to train!”

  The friends admired the nighttime beauty of the ancient temple. It had been returned to its former glory in the wake of their battle against Master Yang. Now its towers rose tall and pristine against the starry night sky — a vision of how it had been long ago.

  Cole smiled and glanced up to one of the temple towers. He caught a glimpse of Master Yang smiling from a window. Only Cole knew that the master’s spirit remained inside. But Yang was no longer vengeful. Cole had set him free from that fate. Now Yang’s spirit would remain as a guide, watching students practice the Airjitzu fighting style he had invented many years ago. Yang was not forgotten with time. Instead, he was cherished.

  Yang winked at Cole, and Cole winked back.

  “Happy Day of the Departed, ninja,” said Master Wu.

  “Happy Day of the Departed, Master,” they replied. Then they yawned and stretched.

  “I don’t know about you guys,” said Kai, “but I could use a good night’s sleep. All this battling has gotten me drained, departed-style.”

  “I agree,” said Zane. “A full night’s rest would be restorative.”

  “Let’s head back to the Bounty,” said Lloyd. “We can start packing up everything to move into the temple tomorrow.”

  “Ugh, tomorrow?” groaned Jay. “Can’t we take a day to relax?”

  “What did you have in mind?” asked Nya.

  “I don’t know,” said Jay. “A video game tournament. Maybe eat my way through all the Day of the Departed candy I collected. Ooh, ooh, guys, I’ll bet my mom still has some crumb cake left —”

  Just then, Lloyd’s cell phone buzzed. “Huh,” said Lloyd. “I just got a text from Dareth.”

  “What’s it say?” asked Kai.

  Lloyd read from his phone. “ ‘Do u guys (plus grl) have plans 4 tmrw? Have something fun in mind.’ ”

  “See?!” Jay exclaimed. “Even Dareth knows we could use some fun!”

  Lloyd shrugged. “I guess one day off couldn’t hurt.”

  The others nodded. So Lloyd texted Dareth back.

  “No plans. What’s up?”

  Three dots appeared on Lloyd’s phone screen, indicating Dareth was typing.

  “Meet me at the Ninjago Museum of History. Tmrw morning, before opening. Will show u then.”

  “Guys … this does not look like fun.” Jay frowned as they arrived at the Ninjago Museum of History the next morning.

  Scattered all around the front entrance were piles of debris. And leading straight into the museum storage room was … a hole in the wall shaped like Kozu, the Stone Warrior.

  “My favorite ninja!” cried Dareth, stepping through the hole. “Right on time, as always.”

  “Dareth, what happened?” asked Lloyd. “Why is there a hole in the museum wall?”

  “And why is it shaped like Kozu?” Nya added.

  “Ah, crazy story,” said Dareth. “You know how on the Day of the Departed we honor, well, the departed?”

  “Let me guess,” said Kai. “You encountered an actual departed enemy from the past who wanted to send you to the Departed Realm in his place?”

  “No, that’s not … oh, yeah, that is it, actually,” said Dareth. He looked slightly deflated that Kai had guessed the truth so easily. But he bounced back quickly. “Naturally, he was no match for the Brown Ninja. I outsmarted him with my usual combination of skill and astonishing quick thinking. However, the battle had some, er, side effects.”

  “We can see that,” said Nya. “It looks like Dr. Saunders’s museum needs major repairs.”

  Jay shook his head. “I don’t understand. You texted us saying you had something fun in mind. What does this have to do with fun?”

  “Well, if there’s one thing I know about my ninja, it’s that you guys love fixing things,” said Dareth. “Fixing Ninjago City. Fixing the realms. I figured that this sort of laid-back, low-key fixing would be right up your alley.”

  The ninja blinked.

  “Are you serious?” exclaimed Kai. “Spinjitzu is fun. Kicking Master Chen’s butt is fun. But cleaning up your mess is not fun!”

  “Why don’t you help Dr. Saunders clean his museum?” asked Cole.

  Dareth sighed heavily. “I would if I could, little ninja. But there’s so much to do and so little time.”

  “Such as … ?” asked Kai.

  “The BorgWatch unveiling!” exclaimed Dareth. “I’ve been waiting months for the big reveal. I’ve followed every chirp, every media leak, every photo-chat. All the intel is pointing to a release this week. Maybe even today! I have to be ready, and I can’t be ready if I’m sweeping up stone warrior dust.”

  “Let me get this straight,” said Nya. “You want us to clean up your mess because you have to wait outside the Borg Store on the chance the BorgWatch might be unveiled?”

  Dareth nodded. “I
knew you’d understand.”

  Nya looked like she was ready to show Dareth just how much she did not understand, but Lloyd held her back. “Guys, this is serious. Dr. Saunders needs our help.”

  “Speaking of …” said Lloyd.

  Everyone looked over to see a very distressed Dr. Sander Saunders, the head of the Ninjago Museum of History, rushing toward them.

  “Ninja, thanks to the goodness that you are here!” Dr. Saunders cried in his thick accent. “My beautiful museum! Do you see what has been happening? Stone … debris … HOLE! This must to be fixed. Right away!”

  Dareth patted Kai on the back. “Like I said, nobody is better at fixing things than you guys. Plus girl.” He quickly stepped away. “Gotta go.”

  The ninja watched in disbelief as Dareth took off down the museum steps. Then they turned to the doctor.

  “Uh, Dr. Saunders,” said Lloyd, “let’s talk about all this for a minute.”

  “Here, let’s go inside,” said Jay. He guided the shaking doctor through the Kozu-shaped hole. “Right this way.”

  No, no, no.” Dr. Saunders groaned as he surveyed the damage. “My display hall, my storage room. All broken, very bad. But why? Why? What made all this happen?”

  “Well …” Jay started.

  “As you know, there was a Yin-Yang Eclipse last night,” said Zane.

  “And the spirits of our old enemies kind of inhabited the statues from your Hall of Villainy,” said Cole.

  “And came back to battle us for one night,” finished Nya.

  Dr. Saunders shook his head. “You speak, but I do not understand. The statues, what made them move? Why did they move?”

  “Well, why is kind of a long story,” said Jay. “But they did move. And one of them attacked Dareth in your storage room.”

  “The big stone guy,” added Kai. “The one who left behind his hole in the wall.”

  Dr. Saunders moaned. “This is bad, yes, very, very bad. Everything took a long time to create, you see. All the statues, painted by hand. Special-ordered months in advance.”

  “Hey, it’s okay, doc,” said Jay. “It’s just a little messy. Nothing a few mops and buckets can’t clean up.” As he spoke, he leaned against a statue of a Nindroid. One of its arms fell off and smashed to the ground.

  “Everything you are doing is bad,” said Dr. Saunders. “I want you to know this.”

  “Do not worry, doctor,” said Zane. “We will help you to fix your museum so it’s back to optimal conditions.”

  “Optimal conditions …” Dr. Saunders’s eyes suddenly went wide. “Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!”

  The doctor rushed behind several dusty shelves. A moment later, the ninja heard him cry out.

  “Dr. Saunders, are you okay?” Cole exclaimed as they all chased after him.

  When the ninja turned the corner, they discovered Dr. Saunders with his head in his hands. He was standing next to a broken device hanging from the wall. “Destroyed! Shattered! Yes! Completely ruined!” he cried.

  “What was this?” Nya asked, stepping forward.

  “It appears to have been an internal systematic temperature gauge,” said Zane, scanning the debris.

  “An internal whosit whatsit?” asked Jay.

  “A thermostat,” explained Zane.

  “Ah,” said Jay. Then he raised an eyebrow at the weeping museum director. “Gee, I would have expected something more … dramatic.”

  But Dr. Saunders shook his head. “One of a kind. This thermostat was very precise, you see. I have been tinkering with it for years. To keep the base — I mean, the museum — at perfect temperature. For customer comfort, you understanding.”

  “Here, maybe we can fix it,” said Kai, reaching toward the shattered device.

  An odd look passed across Dr. Saunders’s face. He smacked Kai’s hand away.

  “Sorry,” said Kai, stunned. “I was just trying to help.”

  “No, no, no help. It is requiring very specific parts,” Dr. Saunders explained.

  “What if we could find replacements for the parts that were broken?” offered Lloyd. “We happen to know a guy who might have just what you need.”

  “Ah, yes, Dr. Cyrus Borg.” Zane smiled. “He would indeed have everything needed to repair the thermostat. Perhaps improve it.”

  “Dr. Borg, you are saying?” Dr. Saunders suddenly sounded curious. “Interesting. Precise temperature control, very impressive. Yes, it would be the perfect … time.”

  “Right …” said Cole. “So, we’ll go see Dr. Borg, then, and ask if he has the part you need to fix your thermostat?”

  Dr. Saunders didn’t reply. He simply gazed into the distance.

  Lloyd looked at his friends and shrugged. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’ ”

  The ninja stepped out from the dark museum into the bright sunlight.

  “Do you think Borg will have what we need?” Kai asked Lloyd. “His expertise isn’t exactly heating-and-cooling repair.”

  “I can’t imagine he wouldn’t,” said Lloyd. “Dr. Borg has everything.”

  The sunshine was suddenly blocked by an enormous shadow overhead. The ninja looked up to see a giant blimp floating in the sky.

  “Coming soon!” a loudspeaker from the blimp announced. “The new BorgWatch! Guaranteed to change the way you tell time … forever!”

  A big smile popped up on Jay’s face. “Now THAT’S something worth getting excited about. I can’t wait for the new BorgWatch! All of Borg’s gadgets are so cool!”

  “It sounds like you should get in line right behind Dareth,” Nya teased.

  “Hey, if I could, I would,” said Jay. “This was supposed to be our day off.”

  “The BorgWatch is predicted to be revolutionary,” Zane interjected. “A seamless merger of technology and fashion.”

  “What he said.” Jay pointed at Zane. “Seriously, the BorgWatch is going to be the biggest thing to hit Ninjago City since, well, the BorgPad! And the BorgPod.”

  “Don’t forget the Cyrus PDA,” added Cole.

  Jay sighed. “Dr. Saunders got all weepy over his broken thermostat. That’s weird, right? It’s just a thermostat. But I have to admit I may weep with joy when that BorgWatch is finally unveiled.”

  “Maybe we can get a sneak peek.” Lloyd smiled at Jay. “You know, have some fun today after all.”

  “What do you mean?” Jay asked curiously.

  “While we’re stopping by Cyrus Borg’s, it can’t hurt to ask if we can take a look at the BorgWatch prototype,” Lloyd explained. “You know, as a favor.”

  Jay’s eyes grew wide. “Do you … do you really think … OHMYGOSH!”

  “It’s worth a shot,” said Lloyd. “And if he says ‘no,’ we still need the parts for Dr. Saunders’s thermostat.”

  “Then it is settled,” said Zane. “To the Borg Store.”

  The ninja kept chatting as they headed farther down the street, away from the blimp. None of them noticed the lone shadow that remained behind in a nearby alleyway.

  The shadow’s owner watched the ninja intently for a moment. Then he silently slithered away.

  My good friends, what a pleasant surprise!” Dr. Cyrus Borg wheeled up to greet the ninja as they entered the Borg Store. All around him, workers scurried to and fro, setting up the store for the upcoming BorgWatch reveal.

  “You are looking as well as ever,” Borg said, smiling. “Ah, and Cole, I see you have rejoined us in the world of the living. Perhaps an even pleasanter surprise.”

  “Thanks, Dr. Borg,” Cole replied. “I’ve never felt better.”

  “I apologize; the store is in a frenzy.” Cyrus Borg gestured to the flurry of activity around him. “I’m sure you’ve seen the ads. My new BorgWatch is causing quite the hubbub.”

  “I’ll say.” Kai peeked through thick curtains shielding the store windows from the outside street. Hordes of people were camped outside, awaiting the big BorgWatch reveal. Kai caught a glimpse of Dareth toward the back of the
line.

  “It was a challenge just to get in here,” Kai continued. “It’s a good thing you let us in the back. Those campers wouldn’t take too kindly to us cutting the line.”

  “Indeed not.” Dr. Borg couldn’t help beaming. “It’s all very exciting. The release of a new gadget is always buzzworthy, but this is perhaps my biggest achievement yet!”

  “If I might ask, Dr. Borg,” said Zane, “what makes the BorgWatch so different from a standard timepiece?”

  Borg’s eyes flashed gleefully. “Oh, my dear Zane, it is so much more than a timepiece. The BorgWatch will revolutionize the smart device industry entirely! It will provide a whole new perspective on the world as we know it … on the time that we live in.”

  Jay jumped up and down a little. “Oh, man! Can we have a sneak peek? Please, doctor? Pretty, pretty, pretty please???”

  Borg hesitated. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible …”

  “Can’t you make an exception for us, just this once?” asked Lloyd.

  “We are your biggest fans,” said Kai.

  “And, not to bring it up, but we did kind of save Borg Industries from the Nindroids a while back,” said Cole.

  “And the Digital Overlord,” added Zane.

  “And the Anacondrai and ghosts,” said Nya. “Basically, its general existence is thanks to us.”

  “So what do you say?” Lloyd gave Cyrus Borg his most charming smile. “A return favor for some old friends?”

  The doctor looked torn. “I-I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. But I simply can’t reveal the watch ahead of, well, the reveal. These unveilings are quite sensitive. Contracts have been signed. Nondisclosures negotiated years in advance. It would put me in an extremely awkward position.”

  The ninja sighed.

  “Well, you can’t blame us for trying,” said Lloyd. “Speaking of trying, we’re actually here to ask another favor.”

  Alarm crossed the doctor’s face again.

  “No, no,” said Lloyd. “Nothing confidential. We were just hoping you could give us some parts to repair a very sensitive thermostat. One that needs to keep a precise temperature at all times. We kind of destroyed the Ninjago Museum of History’s thermostat.”