Nya's POV

     Cole and Morro left quickly; I had an idea of where they were going to go. The ancient Cloud Kingdom temple seemed like the perfect place to start looking up ancestries, and I half wanted to drag Jay up there myself just to get this mess over with quicker. But there was a bigger mystery we needed to solve.

    Storm Lightning.

     Leader of House Lightning. Cliff's wife who died in childbirth. Jay's mother.

     There were so many unanswered questions about Jay's past, and I knew if we didn't address it now, he would never be the same again. Jay didn't like to admit to it, but his mysterious past was like a festering wound. The facts he had learned today kept him quiet during the entire ride to my parent's house, and Jay was never quiet. It must be hard on him. He grew up with loving foster parents, but never actually knew they weren't his parents until Nadakhan came into the picture. That was the time when everything got... messy. I twisted the golden band on my finger. Our relationship may have been chaotic back then, but we were much better off now.

     As I faced my parents while Jay hobbled outside, there were so many questions I could have asked. What was Ray hiding about Storm? Why did he look so pained every time we talked about her? Why did Storm die in childbirth. especially since there had to be hospitals around? What influenced Cliff to leave his only son with a different set of parents; then never tell him the truth about who he was?

     There were so many questions I could have asked.

     But I chose a selfish one.

     One to satisfy my own burning curiosity, simply because I knew my parents would not help us further on our journey of discovery.

     "You said only one Elemental Master can hold the power at a time. Why did you pass down your powers to kids that barely knew how to tie their own shoes?"

     My mother gritted her teeth, which normally meant she didn't like being asked these things. She was probably tired from all the questions.

     "When Krux led us away, we knew we might not see you again. We had no choice but to transfer our powers to you so that Krux couldn't abuse them. We also did it on the hope that you would one day use them to free us."

     "Was there some sort of safeguard you put in place so our powers wouldn't activate until later?" Kai and I hadn't even known we had powers until several years after they supposedly gave them to us.

     Mother looked guilty. "No, that wasn't intended. I think your powers didn't show themselves early because Ray and I didn't do the ceremony properly. Kai received the ability to control fire, but it wouldn't manifest until extra power activated it. As for you, it took you painstaking effort to get the power to start manifesting. It was an... unintended side-effect of a flash decision."

     I tried not to scowl as I thought of all those days Master Wu pushed me to start controlling water. The days where moving the slightest drop was nearly impossible. I was getting the impression that if Ray and Maya had completed the ceremony correctly, it wouldn't have been as hard. Then again, if I had been able to control water at a young age, things might have been a lot worse for Kai and I growing up.

     "Thank you for answering all those questions." I said, plastering a grateful smile on my face.

     Mother nodded, pulling me in for a gentle embrace. "I hope you find what you are looking for."

     I didn't want to stay much longer; Jay was staring at the horizon like it held the secrets of the world. The dirt path that led us away from our old home seemed familiar, yet so distant. I hadn't been to Ignacia in forever. The responsibility of being a ninja kept me away from the community most of the time. When Ninjago wasn't being saved from some impending disaster, we were busy trying to rebuild it and put things back in order. I'm not sure how much that bothered my parents; they didn't seem to mind scarce visits. I guessed they just wanted some peace and quiet after practically being slaves for so long.

     At least I accepted those terms with grace. Kai had been infuriated when they first started to reject living on the Bounty with us, but I was pretty sure he was over that now. He had known our parents much better than I had, so he had wanted to get to spend time with them again. It wasn't like he had a lot of time to spare though, so his anger was unjustified.

     "We forgot to ask them where Storm used to live." I facepalmed.

     Jay gave me a small smile. "Your parents said her Elemental House was important. Perhaps if we just look up, 'Elemental House of Lightning,' we'll find the place where she used to be. There's no need to go back. Besides, aren't we heading to the temple?"

     I shook my head. "I know you better than you think."

     Jay's face melted into a mix of confusion and profound thought, like he was trying to figure me out. He finally turned his head away, letting the sound of footsteps fill up the silence. After a second, he sighed. "I don't want this to get in the way. It isn't as important."

     "It is to you." I argued. "Kai is going to look into my ancestry. The only thing we have to do is look into yours."

     "This isn't ancestry. I just want to know why they left me behind. I mean, mystery is cool and all, but Ray's explanation isn't enough. Giving me away because Storm died in childbirth doesn't explain why my father hid my existence."

     "I understand. Do you know how many times I wondered why mother and father disappeared at the time they did? I was so young, so when the town proclaimed them dead, I believed them. It was only after my time with you all that I realized things might not be the way everyone says they are. You have a right to look into this."

     Jay reached out to take my hand. "Doesn't stop me from feeling guilty," he mumbled.

     I squeezed his fingers. "It'll just be a quick side trip. We won't be gone long. If things work out, we can get to the temple by tomorrow afternoon."

     Jay looked comforted by that.

     I smiled, internally promising I was going to find out what mysteries surrounded Jay's past, even if it was the last thing I did.

>(<>)<

It was early the next morning when I steered my water dragon to land on the soft dirt outside of the thriving town of Munja. It was just a bit bigger than Jamanakai village, but the reason it couldn't expand much was due to the large walls surrounding the town. Just like Jay suggested, we looked up the Elemental Houses on the internet and were able to find an archive about the old lands. Munja laid inside the Lightning Manor's grounds where it was protected by the walls. That way, the House Lightning nobles were able to access resources quickly. Huge amounts of farmland spread over the hills outside the walls. Small huts were being built outside the walls as the citizens started the spread outside the boundaries they had been confined to for years. The sound of an open market greeted us as I started to unravel the dragon's streams of water.

    Normally, I would jump off the dragon and let it dissipate into thin air. However, with both Jay and I injured, I had to disintegrate the dragon slowly so it would let both of us down gently. The process used up a lot of my energy; about halfway through it I felt my side start to protest with pretty bad pains.

     "I can make it down by myself." Jay said gently, rubbing my shoulders as I gritted my teeth. "You don't have to strain yourself."

     I ignored him, letting the final strands of water lower us to the ground. Though the impact was light, it felt as if a knife had been buried in my side. I hissed, dropping to my knees with the pain. Jay gingerly wrapped an arm around me whispering, "My stubborn little phoenix."

     "Are you hurt miss?" A voice called from not so far ahead.

     Jay and I looked up to see one of the townspeople. He looked like a farmer's son, with a straw hat and dirt all over his worn jeans. His skin looked baked by the sun, and his large white tennis shoes were stained with soggy kelp. He couldn't have been over twelve or thirteen, but the excitement in his eyes made him look much younger.

     "Just recovering," I forced the words out, pulling myself up straight. Perhaps after he learned I wasn't in need of assistance; he would go away. Jay and I weren't here to get sidetracked by the townspeople.

     He didn't go away; the reply only seemed to make him more curious. "Those are strange uniforms. Are you from the caretaker committee? My sister is on the committee, so I know a lot of the members. I've never seen you two before. Are you visitors? Not a lot of people visit the town unless they want some nice tiles from our clay stores. We don't see a lot though because I heard other towns sell more tiles for less—"

     "While we do look cool enough to buy some tiles, I'm sorry to say that we are actually plain, boring visitors. We're here to see my aunt." Jay said so smoothly I wondered if he had been rehearsing the reply in his head.

     "Your aunt?"

     "Cliff Gordon's sister."

     The boy's jaw dropped. "D-did you say Cliff Gordon?"

     Jay nodded, shifting slightly on his crutches.

     "The man behind Fritz Donegan?" 

     Another nod from Jay had the boy practically squealing. "He's our town's greatest accomplishment! Born and raised here like the rest of us, but he went out into the world and became famous. I want to be like him someday. I'll be famous for my acting, just like he was. Mom says I can't leave town until I'm older, but that day has to come soon right?" He looked at us like we were supposed to know the answer.

    "I don't kn—"

     "Wait, did you know Cliff Gordon?" I frowned at the boy's interruption, already planning the most humane way to shoo him away.

     Jay's cheeks flushed, no doubt feeling guilty about never getting to meet his father. Now I really wanted to make the boy go away. No one made Jay feel guilty without messing with me.

     "You said Penelope was your aunt... does that mean you're related to Cliff?"

     I watched Jay become more and more uncomfortable with each word out of the boy's mouth. My temper flared.

     "Look, it doesn't matter if we've met the guy. We just need to talk to 'Petunia' or whoever." I snapped, hauling a backpack over my shoulder. The pain in my side had died down, leaving behind a stale ache.

     "Why? Penelope doesn't usually have visitors."

     "That's none of your business, you little—"

     "We had some questions about Cliff Gordon." Jay said, tightly smiling as he lifted an arm to restrain me, "We figured it would be best to talk to someone who knew him personally." 

     When the boy still didn't get that I would throw him out of the way if he didn't leave, I just hooked an arm around Jay's and stormed past.

     "So, you didn't know him?" The boy followed us, much to my annoyance. "What type of questions do you have? I know a lot about Cliff Gordon. I even know the year his first movie was released."

     We walked through the gates, entering a very busy marketplace complete with dusty colors and the smell of smoked meat. The boy ran ahead of us, over to an older woman who was buying grapes. They shared a few quick words in hushed conversation, then the woman started walking towards us. The farm boy followed, excitement still lining his every move. I set my jaw. Did this boy know when to leave people alone?

     "They might be able to help us," Jay's quiet murmur sounded next to me as the woman gave us a quick bow.

     "I apologize for my son's incessant nagging. He gets quite excited when new people visit our town. My name is Acantha. Welcome to Munja."

     Jay and I returned the bow the best we could with injuries. I tried not to look annoyed. We didn't need to be welcomed; we just needed to be shown the right place to go.

      "They're looking for Penelope," the boy tugged at the sleeve of Acantha's dress to get her attention.

      Acantha's eyebrows rose, but she shushed her son. "Kester, go find your siblings."

     "Do you know where she lives? We just have a few questions." Jay pressed.

     "Not many people visit Penelope. She's famous for being Cliff Gordon's sister; that is all. When Cliff was younger she had a somewhat successful marriage, but her husband is dead now. She comes out of her house every now and then to buy food. She mostly keeps to herself. How do you know her?"

     Jay tensed. "Well... you know..."

     "We were looking into Cliff's history and thought it would be beneficial to talk to one of his siblings." I cut in, trying to give her enough information to be satisfied.

     Acantha nodded. "We've had a few newspaper journalists come through every now and then. I can take you to Penelope's house. You might want to find an inn first." She looked at the luggage we were carrying.

     Jay smiled. "We won't get stronger if we wimp out on carrying luggage. Besides, we won't be long."

>(<>)<

Jay knocked on his aunt's oak door with about as much force as a mouse. I noticed he was trembling.

     "Why are you scared? We've faced much worse than an old woman." I attempted to make him laugh as we waited for Penelope to open the door.

     "I'm finally getting answers," Jay whispered, his gaze not leaving the doorknob.

     Apparently, someone inside had heard the pitiful knock because the door cracked open.

     "Can I help you?" A small woman asked, looking about ready to put on a practiced speech.

     "Yes," Jay squeaked, then coughed to recover his voice. "Could we please speak to Penelope? We had a few questions."

     The woman tilted her head, showing the gray strands hidden in her dark hair. "I am Penelope."

     Jay dipped his head so fast the momentum almost knocked him off his crutches "Miss Penelope... I am your nephew. I am Cliff Gordon's son."

     Penelope did not at all look surprised at the news. Rather, she sighed and studied Jay for a few seconds.

     "Tall." she muttered, reaching up to touch his hair. I snorted, seeing as I was about Jay's height and this woman still managed to be shorter than us. Jay shot me a look as Penelope said, "Auburn." She squinted at his face. "I can see Gordon features, but that isn't enough proof." She walked back over to her door, her gaze switching back from me to Jay, from Jay to me. "Tell me then, if you are Cliff's son, who was your mother?"

     Jay gave her a grim smile. "My mother was Storm Lightning of House Lightning."

     Penelope went very still. She peeked out behind us, then gestured for us to come inside. The minute we stepped through the door, she slammed and locked the door.

    "That is a small detail most liars forget to find out. Leave your things at the door. My tea has been steeping for too long." When we hesitated to follow, she squinted again. "I thought you had questions."

     Penelope's house was small with flaking wallpapers and a very rustic look. The furniture had been nibbled at by moths, and the windows showed cracks made by years of suffering through cold winters and hot summers. Everything look well loved, but so strangely ancient I wondered if we had stepped back in time. Penelope's kitchen was small, decorated with various aprons and knitting projects. We sat down in the parlor, trying not to be disturbed by the number of cobwebs on the ceiling. She quickly brought in tea that tasted somewhat bitter.

     "No imposters have ever been able to tell me who Cliff married. They like to pretend they're related to him, but all of them seem to forget that essential piece of information." Penelope sat down on a sofa in front of us. The more I looked at her, the more I saw bits and pieces of Jay. Her auburn hair was only a few shades darker than his, her face had a generous sprinkling of freckles, and she had the sharp bone structure Cliff possessed. "Him and Miss Storm preferred to keep the knowledge quiet. I think they did that out of respect for Miss Storm. She had just gotten out of an arranged marriage after all. Why have you come looking for me now, Mr.—"

    "Jay."

    "Mr. Jay?"

    Jay looked at me, then turned back to Penelope. He swallowed. "The truth is that I need answers about my past." Jay took one of my hands in his for comfort, then spilled everything. He started by talking about he was raised by foster parents who he believed were his real parents. He continued to tell her how Master Wu found him, how he became the Ninja of Lightning, and how we saved Ninjago many times. He explained the return of past villains into the present, bringing a terrible prophecy with them. It was a search for the fulfillers of the prophecy that brought us here, in search of the past.

    "I will tell you what I can," Penelope sipped her tea, strangely passive towards the influx of information that she had just received. "But I am several years older than Cliff. I wasn't as close to him as I should have been."

    Jay jumped right into the questions. "You said my mother and Cliff wanted to keep the marriage quiet because Storm had just gotten out of an arranged marriage. Who was she engaged to?"

     "Miss Storm's house, House Lightning, was the second most prominent house of them all. Her parents had married wisely and wished for her to do the same. She was engaged to Mr. Thunder Shadow, the leader of House Shadow. House Shadow was the leading house; they had more land and influence than several others combined. Mr. Thunder held the elemental power of shadow, which made him quite popular on the marriage market. Since Miss Storm was the leader of her house, and Mr. Thunder was close to her age, it was only logical to pair them up."

    "Why did they break the engagement?"

    "I'm not entirely sure. Miss Storm and Mr. Thunder went away to war, and when they came back Miss Storm's father gave her the blessing to marry Cliff."

    "Was Cliff not a good match for her?" Jay immediately flushed with the words. I saw his train of thought. If Cliff and Storm weren't happy together, maybe Cliff got rid of Jay to spare himself of bad memories. But, if that were the case, then why didn't Cliff remarry? Why did he write that heart-filled journal to Storm? It didn't make sense.

     "Not according to her parents. I know I look like I had a nice life, but our family was rather poor. Our mother died soon after giving birth to Cliff, and our father wasted away any money we had left. I was able to drag myself out of that mess early on with a good match, but Cliff had to stay and work as a stable boy for the Lightning Mansion. His life was pretty rough. He left Munja to travel with a band of gypsies right before Miss Storm went away to war. I guess it was out there that he was in the right place at the right time. By the time Miss Storm came back, he had worked himself up a small fortune." Penelope sat down her tea, which was probably cold after all of her talking.

     "Wait... so Cliff went to work for the nobles? Is that where he met my mother?"

     "I assume so."

     "And Storm's father let Cliff marry her because Cliff was rich?"

     "Word had it that Mr. Thunder blessed their union first." Penelope's face twisted as she tried to recall the details. "But, yes, Miss Storm's father saw that Cliff would make a decent husband and allowed them to marry. They moved off to the city afterward, where Cliff continued to his career."

     "What happened to Thunder?" I asked, letting curiosity take hold.

     "I don't know. The Houses were falling apart during the war, so my best guess is that he took on a normal life once he returned to a nobility that no one paid attention to."

     "Was Cliff happy with Storm?" Jay had to have proof that his theory was incorrect.

     Penelope smiled. "You should have seen him when he announced the news of their marriage to me. His smile was so big I'm surprised it didn't hurt. I knew he had a silly crush on one of the nobles when he was young, I just never guessed it was Miss Storm Lightning herself."

     Jay smiled gently, as if trying to imagine the scene. "Then, if she didn't bring back bad memories, why did he hide me?" He said the last part to himself, slouching in the chair.

     Penelope tilted her head at him. "Why do you think a loving husband hid his only child?"

     My thoughts swam around in my head. Penelope was right. If Cliff loved Storm, if he loved her enough to write to her in a diary, if he loved her enough to win a fortune just to claim her hand in marriage, then why did he hide his only connection to her after she died? Why would he keep such close tabs on the child he gave away? None of his actions made sense.

     I tried to picture myself in his place. A son in my arms; the only connection I had left to Jay. I gave that son to an unknown couple and watched over him like a guardian angel as he grew up. I couldn't let him know I was his mother, not for any reason. Just as the images filled my head, it clicked.

     "You were in danger." I said the words, feeling the breakthrough crash in my head. Jay paled as I looked at him.

     "That is a reasonable guess." Penelope said.

     "How was I in danger?" Jay looked at me, at his hands, and at Penelope frantically. "I-it couldn't have been the Houses... th-they were dissolved, and her father approved the marriage—"

     "I don't know, Mr. Jay." Penelope said gently from her reclined position. "I've only gathered so much information over the years."

     Jay's posture had become rigid as he muttered to himself. His grip on my hand was clenching and unclenching as he used his other one to fidget with his crutches.

    "What if...?" An idea popped in my head. "What if it had something to do with Storm's disappearance before you were born?"

     "Disappearance?" Penelope looked at me, her brows furrowed.

     "We found a journal written by Cliff. He was confiding in someone; and from what we read, it sounded like he was talking to Storm. He mentioned missing her several times very close to when the journal entries ended."

     "That is interesting. We didn't hear much about the old House Lightning leader after she left with Cliff until they announced she was dead."

     "If she died in childbirth like Ray and Maya said, and Cliff ended the journal right after she died, then... wouldn't that mean she left while she was pregnant?" Jay asked me.

     "This could have something to do with you." I finished his train of thought.

     "Please Penelope, is there anything else you would know about this?" Jay turned to his aunt, his eyes pleading.

     Penelope touched her chin. "The only thing that comes to mind is a cave. Let me put up the tea." She picked up our now cold tea and left the room. Jay rubbed his arms, shaking in his seat. I massaged the back of his hands, offering what wordless comfort I could. This was a lot to take in.

     Penelope returned moments later, holding a piece of paper.

     "Hearts of longing, memories falling.

     The Ancestors are not far away.

     Say the words; spirit calling.

     You'll see the blue moon's magic at play."

     She looked at our hooked arms. "It was a poem supposedly written by one of the first Elemental Masters. It's about a set of caves far west from here. They say if you enter the caves and say the right words, you'll be able to see someone from the past. Only a few people have ever gotten the correct words right, but all of them testified in seeing someone they thought was dead. Many people head to the Caves of Calling during the blue moons to see if they can also get their words correct. There is a blue moon in three days if you wanted to try the caves to get answers. I don't know what you'll see, but if the legends are true, then maybe you will meet your lost mother."

     She handed the poem to Jay, who stared at it like it was the answer to everything.

     "Where did you find out about this?" I asked. This didn't seem like something that some noble-like lady from the secluded town of Munja would know.

     "My father journeyed there late in life. It was after Cliff went away. He wanted me to go with him; I believe he wanted to see someone who could help dig him out of the hole he had made for himself. I was all for seeing someone who was dead, until I learned the second part of the poem."

     Jay read the words from his paper.

     "Magic words; magic song.

     An accurate guess and you'll see the one.

    Guess incorrectly and the caves will do you wrong.

     Be careful or be done."

     Penelope looked wistfully in the distance. "While many enter to find their lost loves or lost family, many do not come back out. That's why the few who entered came out testifying; they guessed their phrases correctly. Those who didn't guess right didn't come out at all. I didn't think it was worth the risk after I found out."

    "Worth the risk." Jay's hand gripped the paper so tight I worried it would tear.

     "You said the next blue moon was in three days?"

     Penelope nodded. "Though I'm not sure what your phrase might be."

     I stood up, grabbing my backpack off of the floor. My side protested at the movement, but now wasn't the time for weakness. I needed to be strong for Jay. "It doesn't matter. We'll figure it out. It's time to solve this mystery, once and for all."