NINJAGO: The Beastmaster

CHAPTER NINE - Old Friend

 "Ta-Da! Home sweet home!" Medua said, fanning her arms out as the island came into view. Ryo was surprised as she looked up at the massive tree growing up from the middle of the land. It was a tree she hadn't seen in years.

"Is that our old treehouse?" Ryo asked as they got out of the boat and started walking for it. Medua held her arms behind her back regal, like the royalty her personality was.

"Indeed it is," Medua replied. "It took several spell casts and recasts to keep it alive on the new island, but nothing the old Mage hands couldn't handle."

"So many memories of this place," reminisced Ryo. "Though, I do remember it when it was a lot smaller."

Medua laughed.

"I've had to make a lot of renditions to the place over the years to make room for my ever-expanding plans--and I have an idea for it that I think you'll like, Ryona," Medua said as she stepped back and stood side-by-side with her childhood friend, setting an arm across her shoulders as they entered the treehouse.

"What would that be?" Ryo asked as she looked at Medua, who spun around the lobby of the treehouse with the grace of a dancer.

"Close your eyes and just imagine it," Medua said, now swinging from one of the support posts. "The castle of the new world, platformed above the city of unity in all of its elegance. The only proper way it's beauty should ever be showcased."

"That would be incredible," Ryo said. "And it could have gardens surrounding it! And beautiful staircases lead up to it."

"Exactly!" Medua agreed, climbing down from the post and then leading Ryo to another room. "I knew we haven't drifted apart, despite our differences."

Ryo smiled brightly, and then looked over at the wall of papers Medua tacked up. She looked on a little longer, only for Medua to jump in front of her with excitement across her face.

"With us working together, and Squatton handling the finances, our city will be the definition of perfect!" she said.

"Of course," said Ryo, walking past and grabbing a page from off a table beneath the tall wall of papers. "But, how are we going to achieve that?"

"Simple, darling," Medua replied, then jumped up on the desk and pulled sheets of paper from their places on the wall, revealing some more behind it. "We start all over, and I've already done the hard part of setting things in motion."

"Setting things in motion?" Ryo asked.

"Yes! I gave Harken the last Griffie years ago and sent him back to Reatania to raise it," Medua explained. "I told him only to feed it gentle portions of meals--but I knew that one day it would get out. He was worried about it at first, thinking I'd be upset, but I just told him exactly what I needed him to do..."

Now Ryo looked at Medua in shock. She couldn't believe it, but at the same time, she could. She thought that there were still bits and pieces of that friendship they had as kids, but Ryo had it all wrong. Very wrong.

"With the help of the ninja, they'd retrieve several tons of Vengestone to place on the surface of Mount Bunco that would feed the Griffies to their full strength. They'd continue to clear Ninjago of its cities and monuments so we can have all the space we need for our city! And the volcano? Getting the ninja to cause it's eruption would also solve the problem of anyone trying to stop us for thinking differently--especially them." Medua finished.

"Wow..." Ryo said, then scratched her head. "I can't believe that we'd have to lie to people so we can get what we want."

"What do you mean?" Medua asked.