Onyx and the Rise of the Snakes

The Royal Blacksmiths

The ninja were standing in the bridge, Onyx on a wooden stepstool, examining a hologram of a Fangblade. "They got the first one, but there's still three more, and we only need one to stop Pythor. However, the Serpentine have a map, and we don't. So the question is, how are we going to find the blades first?" Nya said.

"I still can't believe that you were the Samurai. Is anyone else as blown away as I am?" Jay asked, obviously not paying attention. "We're over that. Can we move on?" Kai asked. Jay mumbled something under his breath. "Looks like someone's a little hot under the collar," was the most they could hear.

"It appears that his impatience is because he has not found inner peace like you and I have, Jay," Zane explained. "Great observation, Mr. Roboto, but Cole and Onyx haven't found theirs either," Kai snapped. "I got it!" Cole suddenly cried. Onyx gave him a confused look. There were multiple ways to interpret that.

Kai groaned. "Oh, why am I the only one?" He whined. Onyx rolled her eyes. "Yeah, let's just forget I exist," she muttered, too softly to be heard. Cole shook his head. "No, I realized where I recognized the Fangblades from. I have a picture of one." He crossed over to the ninja's collection of photo albums. Cole pointed to one of his father holding a trophy. Kai gave a sigh of relief. "Oh. Is that it? Hehe. Good," he said awkwardly. Onyx looked closer at the photo. The trophy had a metal hook on the top, but on closer observation, it wasn't a hook at all, but a...

"That's it!" Jay cried. Cole nodded. "Yeah. Back here I grew up, there's a big competition. Whoever wins gets the Blade Cup. My dad's won it several times," he said. "You never told us your father was an accomplished athlete. What sport?" Zane asked. Cole cringed. "Oh. He's not an athlete. He's a... blacksmith," he said. "Nothing wrong with that. My dad is a blacksmith too," Kai said. "No, he's not a 'blacksmith' blacksmith, he's a Royal Blacksmith," Cole explained. He flipped through the photo album to find a picture of his father wearing a pinstriped suit, flat hat, and holding a cane. The other boys snickered. "That's your dad?" Jay asked. "Oh, cool! So he sings barbershop music?" Onyx questioned. Cole gave her a surprised glance. "Uh... yeah. At least, I think that's what he called it," he said.

"But how did the Fangblade become a trophy?" Kai asked. "Supposedly some archeologist, I think his name was Dutch... no, Clutch! Clutch Powers, made it. Anyway, it gets passed down each year to the winner," Cole answered. "Who has it now?" Zane asked. Cole shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't talked to my dad in years," he said. Onyx found that statement odd. If she had children that kept refusing to respond to her letters, she would've gone looking for them. "Well we'll call him up then," Kai said, starting for the phone.

Cole grabbed him. "No, you can't! He still thinks I'm in Ninjago at the Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts. He wanted me to follow his footsteps, but when I couldn't sing or dance, I... ran away," he admitted. "He doesn't know you're a ninja?" Zane asked. "What, gonna crack a joke that my old man wears a tutu?" Cole snapped. "No. And quit being difficult. If we want to get the Fangblade, then you're going to have to suck it up," Onyx said. "She's right. To get that blade, we have to get our own act in tune," Kai agreed.

"Where does your father live? If we leave now, we should arrive with plenty of time to beat the Serpentine to the Blade," Nya said, already prepared to enter a destination into the Bounty's system. Cole gave a frustrated sigh and told her. "See? That wasn't so hard. And now you have time to figure out what you're going to say to him," Onyx said to Cole as the Bounty adjusted its flight path.

(=^･ｪ･^=)(=^･ｪ･^=)(=^･ｪ･^=)(=^･ｪ･^=)

The five ninja leapt from the side of the Bounty as it hovered above a house that exactly matched the others around it. Kai and Jay whooped excitedly as the six drew their golden weapons, using their power to land safely on the ground. The second they had all situated themselves, Cole popped open his black case. He'd said it was meant for a guitar, but Onyx thought it looked more like something you'd keep a rifle in.