Chapter 18: Anacondrai Attack
“Parumph tarnum harambe.” Lloyd said.
At least, that’s what it sounded like. It was hard to tell what anyone was saying inside the large ice cube. Why had Zane turned on them? What happened to him to make him do such a thing? How would they get out? What is the plural of platypus?
Andrew suddenly had an idea. Lloyd and Jay looked at Andrew in surprise as he began to morph (Nya was in a position where she couldn’t see.). There, instead of Andrew, was Kai, frozen into the ice block as well. Flames erupted from “Kai’s” hand, and the ice block began to melt. Drops of water dripped down the cold cube as it shrank, becoming smaller by each moment. Finally, about a minute late, the ninja pulled their feet from the remains of the ice block. Andrew shrunk (both his body and hair) back into his original form.
“I didn’t know you could turn into people!” Nya gasped.
“Yeah! I thought only Chamille could do that!” Jay said.
“Sure I can!” Andrew declared. He suddenly grew taller and his hair turned orange. “Hi, I’m Jay!” Andrew said with a dopey voice. “I’m da master of lightning! Whoop-whoop!”
Lloyd and Nya laughed. Jay chuckled lightly, but still kept a trace of irritation. Andrew walked over to Nya, stumbling once or twice. “Hey, honey.”
Nya and Jay cringed. Lloyd began to laugh hysterically, but quickly stopped once he saw the others weren’t amused. “Har, har, hilarious.” Jay said dryly. “Now knock it off.”
Andrew wasn’t about to stop, though. He shrunk and his hair grew puffier and blonde. “Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!” He cackled. “I, Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, will rule the world!”
This time, it was Jay and Nya who lost it and began roaring with laughter. Lloyd looked offended. “Please, no. I don’t wanna remember that again.”
Andrew grew and morphed to an imitation of Lloyd at his current age and look. “Please, no.” Andrew mimicked. “I don’t wanna remember that again.”
This made Jay and Nya laugh even harder and Lloyd blush from embarrassment and offense. “C’mon, guys, we gotta get going and find out how took down those Anacondrai.”
Andrew returned to his original form once more. “I think that’s getting easier for me!”
“Great.” Lloyd said dryly. “Now let’s go.”
The ninja ran up the sloped road up to the front of Master Chen’s Noodle House. There, was a figure covered in Deepstone armor. She stood triumphantly in the middle of the road. Lloyd walked up to her skeptically. “May I ask who you-” He paused. “Skylor?!”
“Yes, it’s me.” Skylor informed him.
“Where’d you get all that Deepstone?” Nya asked.
“Ronin.” Skylor answered. “His shop’s full of it. All I had to do with strap on some.”
“Yet he told us it was a rare material!” Jay exclaimed. “What a cheat!”
“Well, that was easy enough.” Lloyd stated. “We didn’t even need Chen!”
“Rude.” Chen declared from outside his shop.
Suddenly, the Anacondrai appeared once again through the vortex. They slithered once again upon the road towards the ninja. “Thought you could get rid of us, eh?” One said. “We’re already Departed – nothing can stop us. No matter how many times you defeat us, we can always come back.”
Chen seized the moment. He ran out from his restaurant (he stumbled once, as the fake snake legs were hard to walk in) and stood in front of the fierce Anacondrai army. “I command you not to!”
“Master Chen?!” The army gasped.
“Yes, it’s me!” Chen declared. “I command you not to fight these ninja!”
“With all due respect, sir,” Chope began, “those ninja kind of deserve a battle. I mean, they disgraced us and condemned us to that awful Cursed Realm and then the Departed Realm, so shouldn’t we-?”
“No, of course not!” Chen said. “I mean, think about it! If they already did all of that to you before, wouldn’t fighting them again make things even worse?”
Kapau rested his ghostly chin upon his fist. “He has a good point.”
Eyezor, who normally just grunted, spoke for the first time in ages. “I refuse.” He said in a rough voice. “We Anacondrai are stronger than that!”
Chen raised an eyebrow. “I’m also the one who changed you into Anacondrai. I also have the ability to change you into other things – how would you feel about being gerbils?”
At this, the army shut up and decided to obey Chen. They trudged back to their horrid Realm through the portal, disappointed they weren’t able to fight, but thankful they weren’t small and furry. Chen strode on back to his restaurant. “Later, peeps!” He said.
Nya laughed from joy. “I can’t believe how easy that was!”
Suddenly, one of the Anacondrai turned around. He suddenly grabbed Nya by the arm and pulled her over with a sudden tug. Nya screeched and stumbled as she was pulled closer to the slimy, purple creature. “If we can’t fight, I’ll find another way to get back at you.” The Anacondrai said with a smirk as Nya struggled and attempted to pull away. “So long, ninja.”
“No!” Jay yelled. He ran to the Anacondrai and began pulling on Nya’s free arm, yet the Anacondrai maintained a firm grip. “What are you doing?!” Nya yelled.
“I’m saving you!” Jay yelled between grunts as he tried to pull her.
“I am not the damsel in distress here!” Nya protested. “Stay with Lloyd; don’t worry about me! Leave me for the sake of the team!”
The Anacondrai’s sudden pull on Nya almost sent Jay stumbling over. “I’m not letting the team fall apart further! We need you!”
“How sweet; these two demand to stick together.” The Anacondrai cooed sarcastically. “Well, so be it.” He suddenly grabbed Jay’s arms, and pulled them both into the vortex.
“Jay! Nya!” Lloyd yelled. He ran towards the portal, but it suddenly shrunk and disappeared, making Lloyd run head-first into a lamppost as it vanished. Lloyd fell over and rubbed his head in pain.
“Are you okay?” Andrew asked, concerned.
Lloyd looked up from where he sat upon the ground. He stared at Andrew with a fearful look in his eyes. “There’s no doubt about it.” Lloyd declared. “Somebody’s making sure our team meets its demise.”

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Stress piled atop Andrew, making his mind race until there was no other feeling than overstimulation. What was going to happen to the team? How would they find a way to stop the next army? How long would it be until there were no ninja left in Ninjago? No, seriously, what IS the plural of platypus?! Questions swarmed Andrew’s head until the stress became so unbearable all he could do was block it out.
Lloyd and Andrew swung open the doors to the temple gloomily, but suddenly jerked up with surprise as they saw and heard the monstrosity happening in the temple. There they saw Zane trying to drag away Misako and Wu. The two struggled and squirmed, yet the nindroid held an iron grip. “Let go of me, Zane!” Misako demanded. “What is the meaning of this?!”
Zane showed no response, but noticed Lloyd and Andrew in front of the doorway. Until then, Andrew was in shock, but he suddenly realized the situation as he and Lloyd began to run to save their friends. “HALT.” Zane demanded. “Do not take one more step closer, or it’s quitting time for your friends.”
His hand suddenly turned into a spinning razor blade, looking dangerously sharp. Lloyd and Andrew stopped suddenly in their tracks, not wanting to harm their mentors. Andrew didn’t know Zane could do such a thing with his hand, but he had heard he had acquired new gadget’s upon Chen’s island a while back.
Lloyd’s gaze was a distressing combination of fear and anger. Andrew just gaped it the horrible situation. “If you want to keep these two alive, you will not move until I have left, and you will not follow me. Otherwise, your ‘team’ may go on without these two.”
Andrew could hardly believe what was happening. One of his beloved teammates was dragging off his friends, and he couldn’t do a thing about it. His mind raced with wonder on how to possibly save them, but there was seemingly no hope. Suddenly, an idea hit Andrew, and without warning, he shrunk into a small, gray mouse and began to run towards Zane.
“Andrew, no!” Lloyd shouted.
He grabbed Andrew by the tail and raised him into the air. “We can’t do anything.” Lloyd declared sorrowfully. “We have to leave them alone – for now.”
Zane and his prisoners left the temple, and the door was shut with a slam. Andrew grew back into his child form, landing back upon his feet as Lloyd let go. “Darn.” He muttered. “I was hoping I could run up Zane’s pant leg.”
Lloyd walked over to the small counter where Wu and Misako previously were. Steam rose from a small white teapot as an unused teabag lay beside it. On the other side of the counter was a small cardboard box. Lloyd peered inside with interest. His eyebrows raised suddenly in surprise.
He slowly pulled out a large orange cloth. Andrew nearly gasped in shock. There, in Lloyd hands, was a small orange robe with a golden dog emblem sewn on the left. Andrew had his own ninja suit.
Lloyd set it in Andrew’s hands. Andrew stared at the suit. He felt as if he should have been happy, yet for some reason he felt sorrowful. “I guess I am a ninja now.” Andrew declared slowly. “And I’ve failed my first mission.”

Welp, we're all caught up. Prepare for a large gap of time until Chapter 19.
Wait, I just finished Chapter 19. Okay, wait for a large gap of time until Chapter 20. 

Oh.  Yeah, I do.

(I don't trust myself to write a good story.  So I won't.)