Ninjago's Tournament

2: Only One Shall Remain (Part 1(the real chapter))

The boat slows to a stop as it enters the port of Chen's island. A ramp is lowered and the contestants walk down then on to the grand stone steps leading to a huge red, gray, purple, and black palace. Forest stands on either side of the step and the palace with the ocean at the bottom of the steps and a lone mountain ehind the palace. Garmadon and the ninja are the last to walk off.
Jay looks around in aw. "Wow this place is amazing."
"Yes." Garmadon nods. "Here Chen is completely self sufficient and lives like a king. The only way off and on his island is by his word."
"I don't think I've ever seen this island on any maps." Cole exclaims.
"I've been all up and down and around this planet as Blood Bringer, but I have necer seen this place." Leray muses. "Come to think of it... the Over Lord always had me avoid these waters..."
Again Garmadon nods. "Chen was banished here after he split up the team of the original elemental masters. But little did we know thathe would start his network of evil from here."
"He may have succeeded in spliting up the first masters. But he won't succeed in spliting us up." Lloyd says as he clenches his fist in determination.
Then Kai jumps forward, pushing the others back. He watches the girl with the orange hood walk by as he says, "Ladies first."
She glances at him then huries up the stairs.
"Fire will melt her icy heart." Kai mutters over his shoulders to his friends.
Garmadon sighs and shakes his head slightly and Leray thwacks the back of Kai's head. "The reason we came here is to find Zane and get him back, not to go after a random girl you met. Get your headout of the clouds and back in the mission." Then they start walking again.
"That was a little harsh...." Kai mumbles under his breath.
Leray jumps as a bird cries out somewhere in the forest.
"Are you okay?" Cole asks her.
She shakes her head to clear it.
"What do you expect?" Garmadon says when she doesn't say anything. "She just learned she had a mother and a possible family member here, and her brother is somewhere on this island, most likely prisoner to Chen. It is only natural for her to feel tense and angry." He turns to her as she flashes a greeatful glance at him. "Even so, take a deap breath and relaxe. Chen will try to strike on anyone he thinks could be an easy target."
Leray takes a deep breath and some of the tension in her shoulders fades. "How do you know so much about Chen?"
"Because before I was Lord Garmadon, I sought a darker means of trainning." He unclips his kimono over his left shoulder, letting it fall back to reveal the purple head of a snake tattood on his sholcer blade. As he clips the fabric back in place he looks at Lloyd and says, "It wasn't untill you helpped me to find the light that I truely left Chen as a master."
By now they are walking through the main entrence of Chen's palace and can no longer talk for the spectical that the great red wooden doors give way to. Big men in green pants with purple snake tattoos across their arms, backs, chests, and faces, stand behind round red and white drums, beating a strong rythim.
All the contestants file down the hall of polished wood walls and smooth cobblestone floor covered with a strip of red carpet. Then they enter a high ceilinged room with a lower arena like place in the middle of the circular floor that has red sitting pillows around the edges for each contestant. However there is an empty space in front of the gong that is across the room from the entrance. Spiraling around the wooden walls is a stair case and at each floor level is a balcony with elaborate gold railing. Branching off from the balconies are grand doors, spaced equally around the room at every floor level. Around the room are also six red pillars supporting the balconies.
Everyone goes down the two small steps onto the arena like floor and sits down on one of the pillows while Clouse goes to the gong, walking on the cobblestone floor that is raised around the arena. He picks up the mallet and hits the gong, making it ring with a strong crash. On cue, a fan faire begins to play and high above a throne begins to desend on cables.
"All hail Master Chen." Clouse says with a wave of his hand toward the man sitting in the decending throne.
Garmadon leans over towards Lloyd, who's sitting beside him, and whispers, "I forgot to mention that Chen has a thing for theatrics."
Theres a small thump as the throne fills the empty spot in front of the gong and then the man in the throan can be seen. He wears a head dress made from the top half of a serpintine skull that sits on the top of his head and atatched to it looks like two purple snake tails curling over his shoulders. There's red makeup around his almost completely black eyes and he has a black mustache and goatee as well as black sideburns streaked with gray. His kinono is red with gold, black, white, and purple markings. He also has three large snake fangs on a short purple string sround his neck.
Master Chen leaps to his feet and laughs before saying in a some what slightly high pitched voice, "Now you can all dei-" he points at the door which bang shut causing everyone to gasp "-rect your atention to me!" He laughs again when he finishes his sentance and everyone nervously laughs along.
As he continues speaking he gets to his feet and walks into the center of the arena like floor. "Never before have so many elemental masters gathered beneath one roof." Chen turns in a circle, looking at all the members of his tournament sitting around him. "I see master of fire-" he looks at Kai "-earth and lightning-" he gestures to Cole and Jay "master of shadows-" he faces a sallow faced man with black hair and clothes that are different shades of ash, then Chen turns to Lloyd "-even the prophicied green savior, and-" he faces Garmadon "-I see a former pupil has returned." Finally he turns to Leray, his eyes gleaming. "As well as the demon daughter of th-"
"Don't." She warns, cutting him off. Leray glares at him and for a second Blood Bringer flickers across he face. Her arms are tightly crossed and from the stiffness of her posture, she's as tense as a coild spring.
Everyone saw the flicker of her demon form and uneasiness stirs through the room, silence hanging hevily.
In order to save his presentation, Chen hurries back to his throan and grabs the hilt of something. He pulls it free and raises it high so it can be seen, revealing a dagger with a green blade. "This is a jade blade. In some cultures it represents wealth. But here on my island it represents life. Obtain one, and move on. With any luck you might just win the tournament of elements."
The guy with the melat helmet and gloves waves his hand for Chen's attention. "What does Karlof win?"
"Win a round, you move on. Win it all, you get treasures beyond your wildest dreams and a life time supply of Master Chen's noodles!"
"Karlof will win it all!" Karlof thumps his fist against his chest twice.
Chen shrugs. "Maybe, maybe not." Then turning back to the rest of the contestants he says, "Only one shall remain, and that one shall be the winner of the tournament! Now everyone to their rooms, you all have a tournament to get ready for!"
Thin women that have their black hair done up in buns with fancy hair clips file onto the arena like floor and each stand behind a contestant. They all wear silky cream, pink, or violet kimonos with delicate flower designs and white paint on every inch of skin that can be seen with bright red lip stick and striking colors of eyeshadow.
"Clowns....?" Jay asks as he looks at them.
"No, kabooky." Garmadon corects. "Chen's personal serve ts."
As one the women grab a contestant's wrist then pull them to their feet and lead them up the stairs, splitting off at the floor levels and going to the doors. Once all of them have lead each contestant to a door and have their hands on the handles, they throw open the doors as one and step aside to let the contestants go into their rooms.
However, Garmadon isn't taken to a room. He's lead outside and when he tries to go back in Clouse stops him. "We didn't expect for any one else to come, I'm afraid there isn't a room for you."
Garmadon just crosses his arms. "Fine. Then I'll stand guard."
Clouse's only reply is a smirk and an amused smirk then he slames the door closed in Garmadon's face. Garmadon turns his back to the doors and looks out across the ocean.