The Search for Zane

by Kate Howard

  TITLE PAGE

  FROM THE JOURNAL OF SENSEI GARMADON

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  COPYRIGHT

  Throughout Ninjago™, five ninja are well-known for their speed, strength, and — of course — the elemental powers that help them protect our world from evil. But there are others who possess some of the same powers as the ninja. Others who may not always use their powers for good.

  Before now, the ninja believed they were special. They did not know there were others like them in the world. But in fact, there are many descendants of the original Elemental Masters. Long ago, before Sensei Wu and I were born, the first Spinjitzu Master had guardians who were each endowed with an elemental power. These powers have been passed through generations. They need only be awoken for an individual’s power to be fully realized.

  Kai, Jay, Cole, Zane, and Lloyd all learned to harness their powers from my brother, Sensei Wu. They continue to learn from me. But many others have discovered their special talents on their own. They serve no master and have unlocked their powers without training.

  The time has come for the ninja to meet some of the others who are like them.

  Master Chen has invited the ninja to join him and the other descendants of the Elemental Masters at his Tournament of Elements. In this tournament, each player will fight the others in one-on-one battles until a single victor emerges.

  The ninja have agreed to attend Chen’s tournament, but not in the quest for victory. Rather, Chen has led them to believe their missing friend, Zane, is alive and hidden somewhere on Chen’s island.

  Perhaps he is.

  Perhaps he is not.

  The ninja have traveled to Chen’s island to search — and they hope to come back to the mainland as a complete team.

  I swore to never return to Chen’s island. But I have chosen to join the ninja at the tournament because Master Chen is a dangerous man. He should not be trusted. I know this because long ago, Chen was my sensei. When I was younger, I sought a darker means of guidance. Chen taught me to win at all costs, no matter who I hurt.

  At one time, I considered Chen a friend. But during the Serpentine Wars — when my brother, Wu, and I fought side by side — Chen turned against his own kind and sided with the treacherous snakes. He used deception to divide the Elemental Masters. We barely defeated the Serpentine, and in a deal for his surrender, Chen was to never leave this island. Since then, he has built a criminal empire from his hidden island fortress. He is a Master of Dark Arts. And he is dangerously powerful.

  The ninja serve with honor. But honor means nothing in Chen’s tournament. The other fighters will be gunning for the ninja, and they will use any means necessary to win.

  Though Lloyd, Kai, Jay, and Cole must all fight their own battles, I will be there to guide them. The ninja are in for many surprises with Master Chen, that much is certain.

  I just hope they will find what they are looking for on Chen’s island. I also hope that, without Zane by their side, they will find a way to prevail.

  Sensei Garmadon

  Congratulations, Master of Fire.”

  Chen smiled at Kai. Sometimes Kai thought Chen looked much more like a friendly noodle shop owner than a Master of Dark Arts. Even though Chen did own a noodle shop — and they were seriously good noodles — the ninja couldn’t be fooled. Not after Garmadon had told them some of the evil things Chen had done in the past.

  Chen continued, “The Master of Fire has moved on to the next round in my Tournament of Elements.”

  Kai breathed a sigh of relief. He, Jay, Cole, and Lloyd had all made it through their first challenge in Chen’s tournament. The battle had been close, but the ninja had done what they needed to do to stay in the game. None of them could afford to lose this early in the competition.

  If a player lost a challenge, they would get kicked off the island faster than you could say egg roll. And if any of the ninja got kicked off the island, they wouldn’t get to look for Zane. That’s what they were there for. They had to find their pal Zane, then get off Chen’s creepy island and back to their day jobs: fighting evil, as a team.

  Meanwhile, Kai’s opponent, a metal-fisted warrior named Karlof, sulked. He had lost the tournament round to Kai, which meant he was out of the competition.

  “Fine, I lose,” Karlof said gruffly. He looked at Chen. “Karlof never wanted to be on stinking island anyway.”

  Master Chen’s eyes flashed dangerously. “I’m sorry to hear you did not enjoy your stay. I guess this worked out for the best. This is good … BYE!”

  In a flash, a trapdoor snapped open beneath Karlof, and he disappeared!

  All of the competitors gasped. They knew losing meant you were out of the competition. But Chen had never said anything about trapdoors or disappearing. Where had Karlof gone? Where would they be sent to if they lost a tournament round?

  All the Elemental Masters powered up, ready to fight! But Chen’s guards quickly surrounded them.

  “Tee-hee-hee!” Chen giggled, eerily cheerful. “As you can see, lose and you are out. Break any rule, you are out. Never bite the hand that feeds you … Master Chen’s delicious noodles! Now rest up! Tomorrow, the tournament will recommence!”

  The four ninja looked at one another grimly. With Chen’s guards surrounding them, they couldn’t fight. They would have to continue in the tournament … or else.

  But more important, they had to find Zane, and fast. They had seen the mad skills of the other Elemental Masters. There was no guarantee how long any of them would last in the competition.

  And who knew what that meant?

  Later, the friends met in Chen’s temple cafeteria. They eyed the other competitors warily as they stood in line to get food. The other Elemental Masters eyed them in return.

  “I’m starting to realize this isn’t going to be as easy as we thought it would be, is it?” Kai asked.

  “None of us can afford to lose,” Lloyd said. “We have to find Zane —”

  Jay cut him off. “And then we have to get out of here. This place gives me the creeps.”

  “I warned you,” Sensei Garmadon said. “There’s something fishy about Chen’s tournament.”

  “Fishy?” Jay asked with a smile. “I thought you said Chen is into snakes?”

  “Was,” Sensei Garmadon corrected him. “Long ago, he partnered with the Serpentine army. But that was many years ago.”

  Cole carried his tray of food to the table with his friends. “At least the chow’s good here.”

  “It’s killing me,” Jay burst out suddenly. He couldn’t stop thinking about how Kai’s battle partner — Karlof — had disappeared down a trapdoor. “What’s under the trapdoor? What happens when you lose?”

  “Don’t think about that,” Garmadon said.

  “It’s all I can think about,” Jay moaned. “I moved on. I feel guilt. These are not good feelings.”

  “You think you feel bad? Imagine how I feel. Karlof is out because of me.” Kai sighed. “Now, our mission is simple. Tonight we find Zane and get off this crazy island.”

  “Just how are we supposed to do that?” Cole blurted. “You heard Chen. Break a rule, and we’re out. He’s not going to let us roam around.”

  “Then it’s a good thing we’re ninja.” Kai smiled knowingly. “Meet in my room at midnight.”

  The friends stood to leave the cafeteria, but Lloyd looked pensive.

  “What’s bugging you?” Jay demanded.

  “Why are we waiting until tonight? We have all day to search for Zane, and we’re going t
o do what? Take warm baths and relax for the next few hours?” Lloyd said.

  Jay’s cheeks turned red. That was exactly what he had in mind. “Uh, no?”

  “Exactly,” said Lloyd. “We need to get moving. Now.”

  Cole shook his head. “But how are we supposed to sneak around the island in broad daylight? Chen’s guards are swarming the whole place.”

  “Like Kai said, we’re ninja,” Lloyd insisted. “We’re trained to be sneaky.”

  Jay gestured to Cole’s rumbling stomach. “No one’s going to be sneaking anywhere with Cole. We might as well just tell Chen where we’re going. ‘Hey, Noodle Dude, check out Cole’s stomach tunes!’ ”

  “Enough,” Garmadon said, quieting the group. “I agree with Lloyd and Kai. If we’re going to act, we must act quickly. The more time spent on this island, the greater danger we are all in.”

  The ninja decided to split into two groups to make their escape from Chen’s heavily guarded fortress. They knew that a group of two or three sneaking out would attract a lot less attention than all five of them walking out together.

  “Lloyd, why don’t you come with me?” Kai suggested. “Jay, Cole, you go with Sensei Garmadon, and we’ll meet outside the front gate in a couple of minutes.”

  “I’m going with Lloyd,” Garmadon insisted. Lloyd was Garmadon’s son. They had only been reunited for a short while, and Garmadon liked to stay close by Lloyd whenever he could.

  “Fine,” Kai said. “Guys?” He looked at the other ninja.

  Cole and Jay stared at each other. Neither wanted to work together. They were still having a hard time getting along because of Kai’s sister, Nya. Things always got messy when two guys fell for the same girl. After a long moment, Cole moved away from Jay and said, “Ah, um —”

  “You two still can’t get along?” Lloyd asked. “When are you going to get over it?”

  “When Nya finally realizes I’m the best guy for her,” Jay said.

  Cole scoffed. “Even though the computer test she took said I was her perfect match. Why don’t I go with Lloyd and Sensei, and Kai can team up with Jay?”

  “Fine, whatever,” Kai said. “We’re not picking teams for soccer. It’s just our exit strategy. Come on, Jay, let’s get moving.”

  The first group of two ninja snuck through the large front entrance of the palace. Jay and Kai tried not to attract any attention from Chen’s guys. Large, muscled guards were clustered all around the palace courtyard. Chen’s island was practically swimming with them — and they had all been tasked with making sure no one broke the rules.

  Also, Chen’s sinister assistant, Clouse, was lurking around. He and Garmadon clearly had some kind of history. Clouse seemed especially interested in the ninja.

  The most distracting part of their whole escape plan, though, was the Kabuki entertainers. They were like creepy clowns who pranced around the courtyard acting as Master Chen’s jesters. They danced and mimed and had the habit of popping up unexpectedly at any moment.

  Jay and Kai pressed their backs against the rough fortress walls. They ducked under small trees and shrubs every time one of the guards looked their way. “Get down, Jay,” Kai whispered as a pair of guards came close. They continued to slither along the edge of the wall until they could see the big gate. It was shut tight.

  “Now what?” Jay asked. He and Kai were crouched behind a leafy tree that someone had trimmed into the shape of a pelican. “Think if I yell ‘Open sesame,’ the gates will magically open?”

  “We’re going to have to wait until they have a reason to open the gate,” Kai said. “I wish Zane were here. He’d be able to calculate the probability of the gate opening and the exact moment we should go.”

  Jay picked up one of the rocks lining the edge of a garden. He passed it from one hand to the other. “I have an idea. We need to trick the guards into thinking there’s someone outside the gates. Grab a couple of rocks, and get ready to toss them. We’re going to make some noise on the other side of the wall.”

  Kai and Jay both picked up rocks and began to toss them over the high wall. “Hi-yahh!” Kai said softly. The rocks went sailing over the wall. As they fell to the ground, they knocked branches off trees and boomed onto the earth on the other side. The guards gathered at the gate all snapped to attention.

  “Who’s out there?” one demanded.

  “Announce yourself!” shouted another.

  The two ninja looked at each other, surprised.

  “I’ve got to admit, I didn’t think that would actually work,” confessed Jay.

  The guards opened the gate and cautiously stepped out of the courtyard to investigate. They left the front entrance unguarded — for just one second too long. As soon as the coast was clear, Jay and Kai dashed through the open gates and ran for cover on the other side.

  Meanwhile, Cole, Lloyd, and Garmadon had taken a different approach for their escape. They scaled the impossibly high walls that protected the fortress and stealthily ran along the edge.

  Off in the distance, Cole, Lloyd, and Garmadon could see the courtyard gates opening — for Jay and Kai. “I guess we could have just used the front gate,” muttered Cole.

  “That would have been too easy,” said Lloyd.

  “You ready to jump?” Cole asked. His stomach rumbled loudly — luckily, they were high enough that none of the guards below could hear. He’d have to do something really foolish, like yelling, to attract someone’s attention way up there. Cole looked out at the leafy trees that surrounded the courtyard. A few yards out, he spotted a branch that he hoped could support his weight. “We’ll go on three. One, two —”

  Lloyd leaped on two. But he didn’t jump far enough. Instead of making it to a branch, he fell. Down, down, down.

  Splat!

  “Lloyd!” Cole yelled. He covered his mouth when he realized he’d probably gotten more attention than he’d bargained for. Just as one of the guards looked up to see what the commotion was, Cole said, “Three,” and he and Garmadon jumped.

  When Cole and Garmadon got to the bottom of the tree, Lloyd was moaning on the ground.

  “Are you okay?” Garmadon asked, kneeling beside his son.

  “I’m fine,” Lloyd said, brushing himself off. “I guess you could say I took the direct route.”

  As soon as he was certain Lloyd was okay, Garmadon said, “We should get out of this area as quickly as possible.”

  “Sensei’s right,” said Cole, just as Kai and Jay ran up. “Great, now we’re all here. Let’s head this way and start exploring the island. Zane’s got to be here somewhere.”

  The ninja ran quickly away from Chen’s fortress, hoping the guards were far behind them. Soon, they found themselves in a thickly wooded area. The trees were lush, providing good cover for renegade ninja who were exploring in an area they weren’t supposed to be. The ground was covered with moss and leaves, masking their footsteps. The branches above their heads made it almost seem like it was nighttime outside, though the midday sun was shining brightly above the trees.

  “We need to get to higher ground,” said Kai. “If we could scan the whole island, we’d be able to see where Chen may be keeping Zane.”

  “Good idea, Kai,” said Cole. He pointed to a path leading upward through the thick groves of trees. “Let’s go that way.”

  As they walked, Jay looked around at the wooded surroundings. “You know, if it weren’t for the creepy clown dancers … and the maniacal host … and the temple of doom … this island would be a pretty relaxing vacation spot.”

  “Be quiet,” Cole said urgently.

  “It was just a joke, Cole,” hissed Jay.

  “No, seriously — shh. I think I hear something.” Cole held up his hand for silence. “It’s water. I hear running water.”

  “You think it’s a river or something?” asked Kai.

  Garmadon nodded and closed his eyes thoughtfully. “Many years ago, I trained on this island. I do remember a river, long and winding.” He opened his ey
es. “And a waterfall. There is a waterfall.”

  “Then I think we should check it out,” said Lloyd. “Where there’s a waterfall, there’s also a cliff that the water can fall over. It will be a good place to get a view of the island. Let’s go.”

  They made their way toward the sound of running water. After a few hundred yards, they came to a wide river flowing quickly. “I’m starting to realize Chen’s island is bigger than we may have thought,” said Kai.

  “Guys!” exclaimed Lloyd. “What’s that — out there in the middle of the river?” Lloyd pointed. The others followed his gaze. There were several huge rocks jutting up out of the middle of the river.

  “They call them rocks,” said Jay, cracking himself up.

  “I mean, what’s on the rocks? Do you see that?” Lloyd ran forward to the river edge. He stepped into the water and the current rushed past so quickly that it nearly washed him away.

  “Lloyd, be cautious!” Garmadon urged. “You must choose your path wisely.”

  “There’s some sort of symbol on the big rock in the middle of the river,” Lloyd exclaimed. “I’m going out there to check it out. It might be some sort of clue about the island. Maybe even about Zane.”

  “It’s too dangerous,” warned Garmadon. “The current is too strong.”

  Lloyd wasn’t about to be stopped by water. He was the Green Ninja! He could handle some harmless water, no problem. He jumped from the shore onto a small rock a few feet away. The others gathered at the edge to watch him.

  Lloyd easily leaped from one rock to the next, making it look as though he were following an official path into the middle of the river. When he was almost to the large rock, he stopped and waved at the others. “Almost there!” he called. As he turned back, he slipped. “Whoa!” He waved his arms around in circles, trying to catch his balance.

  “Don’t fall in!” Cole hollered.

  Kai, Jay, and Garmadon all watched nervously. Time stood still for a moment as Lloyd continued to windmill his arms. Just when they thought it was all over, Lloyd righted himself and leaped to the next rock. The other ninja breathed sighs of relief.