Ninjago: Hidden Secrets

The Royal Blacksmiths

We were all gathered around a hologram of a Fangblade the screen projected as Nya explained our current situation. I wasn't paying attention, however. My mind kept wandering. I don't know why though. 

I failed to notice that Nya was calling my name until she started snapping her fingers in my face.

"Ayata! Are you listening?"

"No. So what were you saying again?"

"Are you alright? You've been spacing out lately."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm fine."

Actually, I was quite tired. For some reason I kept waking up in the middle of the night in a cold-sweat. I could never fall back asleep no matter how hard I tried.

The teenager sighed. "As I said: Pythor already has the first Fangblade, which leaves only three left, but we only need one to stop him. The only problem is that they have a map and we don't. So how are we supposed to get them before they do?"

I thought for a moment. "Maybe there's some sort of pattern."

"Maybe, but we don't have enough information to try and find it."

"Is anyone else still blown away by the fact that Nya's the Samurai?" Jay said, his voice holding excitement as he stared at Nya with admiration. The girl blushed in response.

"We're over that! Can we move on now" Kai snapped.

Jay whistled. "Someone's a little hot under the collar!"

Kai growled at the blue ninja.

"It appears his source of impatience is because he has not found inner peace and unlocked his true potential like you and I have, Jay."

"Great observation, Mr. Roboto, but may I remind you that Cole hasn't found his either."

Cole chose that as the perfect moment to shout," I got it!"

"You've unlocked it?!" Kai asked in bafflement as he shouted in anger," Oh, why am I the only one!?"

"No, not that--I figured out where I recognized the Fangblade from!" Cole said as he ran out of the control room, "I have a picture of it."

Kai let out a nervous chuckle at his outburst. "Oh, is that it? Heh...."

"I got it!" the earth nina exclaimed as he came back. He set down a book of some sort and Jay immediately snatched it up and opened it. 

His eyes lit up when he opened the book. "That's it!"

We all gathered around the book and saw a single picture that showed the Fangblade inside a really big golden trinket of sorts.

"Back where I grew up ,there's this pretty big competition and each year the winner gets the Blade Cup," Cole explained, a big smile on his face. "My dad's won it multiple times."

"You never told us your father was an accomplished athlete," said Zane mildly. "What sport?"

Coles grin began to fade. "Oh, uh, he's a blacksmith."

"Nothing wrong with that; my father was a blacksmith, too." Kai said. "But I've never heard of a competition--"

"That's because he's not a 'blacksmith' blacksmith...he's a royal blacksmith." Cole flipped the page to another picture where it showed a well-aged man with graying black hair hair and a small mustache holding the Blade Cup. The others began to snicker.

"That's your dad?" asked Jay.

"Um, what's a royal blacksmith?" I asked.

"The Royal Blacksmiths is a barbershop quartet my dad is in--it's basically a group of singers," Cole explained when he saw my confused face.