Ninjago: Earthly Origins

Chapter 1

Cole (The character's name at the top of the chapter means whoever's POV it is)

Cole's dream was going as great as anything.

Not.

He was running through the forest, when a huge portal opened up at his feet, and he was falling through nothing. 

He landed lightly on an island made of smooth black marble. He looked up and saw Lord Garmadon sitting on a carved throne.

"No!" Cole yelled. "Lord Garmadon, what are you up to now?" Lord Garmadon smiled evilly.

"Silly, ignorant ninja," he cackled. "I am not the threat. Hypnos is waiting to be released, and you think that it is I? We shall indeed see what Hypnos will do to you and your companions..." A voice started whispering, "Cole... Cole..." The floor underneath Cole vanished, and he was falling... falling...

"Argh!" he yelled as he rolled out of bed blindly. A figure in green fell back. "Hypnos?!" Cole said wildly. 

"Cole, it's ok, buddy, it's just me, Lloyd!" Lloyd said, alarmed. Cole's blurred vision cleared, and Lloyd's alarmed figure came into view. Cole's arms dropped to his side. "Sorry, Lloyd," he said shakily. "It was just a dream." "Well," Lloyd said warily. "I woke you because you slept in WAY too late, and Master Wu is NOT going to be happy." Cole ran and got his clothes. "Oh, great," he grumbled. "Thanks for letting me sleep in. Now Wu's gonna kill me just because you didn't wake me up." Lloyd grinned and ran out of the room.

Shortly after Cole had gotten changed, he joined his friends, Kai, Jay, Nya, and Lloyd in training.
"When you thrust back to dodge," Master Wu called to his students, "Try not to swing your head back!" Cole tried so when Jay swung his sword at him. He ended up on his butt. "Argh!" he shook his head, frustrated. When he looked around, he would see that no-one else had mastered the move.

He stood up, brushed away his thick black hair, and brushed off his knees for the eighth time in a row. 

"How long did it take you to master this, master?" he called as Jay tried. Master Wu stroked his long, white beard thoughtfully for a moment before answering, "About ten seconds, as I learned it while battling a Serpentine." Cole tried again. "And how long do you think it will take us to learn?" "Oh, about two months," Wu responded. The company groaned.

A hard pounding silenced the ninjas' complaining. Wu got up quickly and answered the door, opening it as he greeted the stranger with a "Greetings, friend. How can I be of assistance?" When he opened the door, a cold gust of wind swept over the ninja. 

"Greetings, warriors," a soft but chilled voice said. "I am Hypnos, lord of rest." At the name 'Hypnos', Wu's expression morphed to terror.

Cole was shocked. The Hypnos from his dream? Lloyd looked inquisitively at Cole, obviously thinking the same thing.

"Bow to me as your king," the voice continued, "And I will spare your lives." Slowly, Wu stepped back to join the ninja, and Cole got a good look at the stranger.

He had gelled white hair (even though he looked about forty), wore a robe made of black velvet, and his eyes... when Cole looked at them, he saw civilians fall to the ground, but... not dead? Wu looked at the ninja warningly. "Whatever you do," he advised them, "Do not touch him. One touch will put you in an eternal sleep." They nodded, and everyone turned back to the stranger, ready to fight. Hypnos sighed, and said sadly, "Then I guess we only have one more choice... fight." After quickly drawing a steel sword, he sprang forward with surprising agility. Cole and everyone else jumped forward to clash with the evildoer. 

Cole tried to let his sword pierce Hypnos' skin, but at every attempt Hypnos knocked him aside with his sword. Everyone else seemed to be having no luck as well.