Kai raced for the door. Skylor pulled him back.
“Whoa, slow down, Kai,” she said. “I mean, it’s good to see you’ve got some pep back in your step, but are you seriously going to run to the outskirts of Ninjago wearing a stained sweatshirt in the middle of the night?”
Kai frowned. “Well…I hadn’t exactly thought it out.”
“I’ll stay here and clean this up. You go home and get a good night’s sleep,” Skylor instructed. “Get your ninja gear out of the closet. I’ll pick you up tomorrow with some supplies. This could be a dangerous journey.”
“You don’t need to come with me,” Kai shot back. “This is a personal quest, and I’ve got to do it on my own. I can handle this. I can—”
Plop!
A flopping fish from the fish tank slid out of his sleeve and fell to the floor. Skylor gently picked it up and put it back in the tank with the others.
“I won’t get in your way,” she promised. “I know you’ve got this. It’s just…maybe a road trip would be good for us. I mean, we haven’t even been out on a real date yet.”
“I visit you every night at the noodle shop,” Kai protested.
“That does not count as a date,” Skylor replied.
Kai couldn’t argue. “All right. You can come with me.”
“Gee, thanks!” Skylor replied, rolling her eyes. “See you at sunrise!”
Still dripping from his clash with the fish tank, Kai walked down the streets of Ninjago City to the small basement apartment he’d moved into after he lost his Fire Powers. He hadn’t been the first to leave. Zane, the Ice Ninja, had retreated to the Samurai-X cave with the android P.I.X.A.L., who had created some experimental software that she thought would help Zane regain his Ice powers.
Then Cole, the Earth Ninja, had left the city for a simple life on a farm, and Jay—well, the Lightning Ninja didn’t tell anyone where he was going. Nya, the Water Ninja, was busy saving the world in her revamped Samurai-X mech.
That had left Kai with Master Wu and Lloyd. When he wasn’t busy helping to rebuild the monastery, the Green Ninja continued to train, and Lloyd had tried to get Kai to train with him every day. But Kai’s heart just hadn’t been in it.
“I want to try living an ordinary life,” he’d said, and he’d packed a bag of clothes and ventured into Ninjago City. He found a place near the noodle shop, where he spent most of his free time. During the day he worked odd jobs around the city, and at five o’clock he headed to the restaurant and lingered there, talking to Skylor, eating noodles, and watching the giant TV.
There wasn’t much to his apartment except a bed, a table, a bathroom, and a small kitchen area with a sink, mini fridge, and electric stovetop. The only time he spent there was to sleep. If he lingered for too long, he would be alone with his thoughts, and he hated that.
Kai changed out of his wet clothes and into some dry sweats. Then he pulled a duffel bag from under his bed and unzipped it. Inside, neatly folded, were his red ninja jacket, pants, and belt.
I’m not sure if I’m ready for this, Kai thought. But tonight I let a bunch of inexperienced goons with a ridiculous name kick my butt, and Skylor had to save it. I need to be the Fire Ninja. And the only way I’m going to do that is to put on this uniform, defeat Fire Fang, and get my powers back!
The next morning, Skylor pulled up in front of the building in a small, three-wheeled delivery vehicle with Mr. Chen’s Noodle House in bright letters on the side.
“This is what we’re driving on our adventure?” Kai asked, wearing his uniform.
“It’s got all it takes for out-of-the-way deliveries,” Skylor replied. “Don’t be fussy. Hop in!”
Kai climbed into the passenger seat. Skylor grinned at him. “Looking good, Kai. Red is your color,” she said. “And your hair is styling.”
“Thanks, uh…you look nice, too,” Kai replied.
Skylor had donned her fighting uniform. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She was an Elemental Master too, just like Kai had been. As the Master of Amber, she could temporarily use the powers of any other Elemental Master she touched. That meant that most of the time, she had to rely on her combat training in battle.
Skylor had inherited her Amber powers from her mother, and had been trained in the martial arts by her father. Master Chen had tried to take advantage of his daughter’s power by luring all the Elemental Masters to an island so he could steal them—and that was how Skylor and Kai had met. Skylor had helped her dad at first, but decided in the end to help the ninja. She’d been an ally to them—and a good friend to Kai—ever since.
“So, where exactly are we going?” Kai asked as Skylor drove through the city streets.
“I called the NGTV station and got the coordinates for the village from the news story last night,” Skylor replied. “It’ll take us most of the day to get there. But I brought snacks!”
She held up a bag from the noodle shop. “Not-so-puffy potstickers. Not good enough for my customers, but just fine for a road trip.”
They drove for hours, listening to music, snacking, and talking. Their journey took them out of the city, over rolling hills, and through farmland. By the afternoon, the terrain had changed to more open, flat land. Kai could see what looked like desert sands in the distance, bordered by low, reddish mountains.
“The village should be just over this ridge,” Skylor said, and Kai looked at her with gratitude. As much as he thought he needed to make this journey alone, it was good to have company, especially Skylor’s. But he felt his palms sweat as they crossed the ridge.
Can I really beat Fire Fang without my Elemental Powers? he wondered to himself.
As they drove over the sprawling land, they soon spotted an oasis of green and activity nearby. A stream flowed down from one of the mountains and snaked through a small village. Modest homes and shops were clustered on either side of the stream, and crops grew on the western side of the settlement.
Skylor drove the delivery vehicle into the center of the village and parked. A curious crowd quickly approached.
“Noodle delivery? All the way out here?” a woman asked, as Skylor emerged from the vehicle.
“We’re not selling food,” Skylor replied. “We’re here because—”
“IT’S KAI THE FAMOUS NINJA! HE’S COME TO SAVE US FROM THE FIRE FIENDS!” someone yelled, and the villagers began to swarm Kai.
“Okay, okay, everyone, please back off! You’re messing up my hair,” Kai said, and the villagers quieted down and obeyed as the ninja patted his hair back into place.
A cute little girl gazed at Kai with admiring eyes. “Is it true? Are you here to save us from the Fire Fiends?”
“Well, um, sure,” Kai said. “I mean, we’re looking for that big snake they hang around with, Fire Fang.”
A man stepped forward and pointed north.
“You will find Fire Fang there, in the Lake of Fire,” he said. “The snake came to the crater many months ago.”
A white-haired woman chimed in. “Those who live around the crater have always worshipped fire. They kept to themselves. But when Fire Fang arrived, they worshipped him. And that’s when the trouble started.”
A teenage boy spoke up. “They began to attack the villages in this region, burning down houses and bringing the plunder back to Fire Fang.”
“They have attacked us once already, and we’re trying to rebuild,” a man added.
Kai gazed around at the village, and saw what he hadn’t noticed before. Some of the homes were just shells of charred wood. Other buildings were under construction with fireproof bricks made of red clay.
“How far away is this Lake of Fire?” he asked.
“Just an hour’s journey in your truck,” the man replied. “Although I must warn you, many have tried to face the Fire Fiends, and all have failed.”
“But now we’ve got the Master of Fire on our side,” the girl said, gazing at Kai with admiration.
“And the Master of Amber, too!” Skylor said
The man put a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “We’re glad you’re here, Kai, but haven’t you…well, people say you’ve lost your powers.”
“He’s still a ninja!” Skylor interjected.
Kai frowned. “It’s okay, Skylor. It’s true. I don’t have my Elemental Powers of Fire. But that’s only temporary. As soon as I find Fire Fang—”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A loud bell rang through the village.
“The Fire Fiends are attacking!” someone yelled, and before the villagers could flee, flaming balls of fire began to rain down!
“This way!” Skylor cried, and she raced toward the direction of the fireballs.
Kai followed her to the edge of the village, where a small army was lined up on the edge of the crop field. Each soldier wore a bright orange uniform with a protective vest, and a helmet shaped like a head of a snake. All the Fire Fiends held flaming torches, and several were operating red cannons shooting fire balls.
Kai’s eyes narrowed. “Stand back, Skylor. I got this,” he said. “Ninjaaaaaaaa-go!”
