*several days later*

Nya's POV

My feet weigh me down more with each step I take. I've been walking for the past three days, taking breaks during the night to sleep and short ones during the day to eat. Recently, there has been talk of a contraption that can move you mass distances. It's like a carriage, except there don't need to be any horses. It propels itself and can exponentially increase the distance gone in a day. I really need one of those right now.

Last time I had to make this long of a trip alone, I had Zippy with me. There was at least some moral support then, but there's none now. However, my determination distracts me from loneliness.

I didn't realize how big of a task I was undertaking when I left the camp that day. Ninjago is huge, and the five of them can be anywhere in it. They could even not be alive at all, dying a long time ago. My gut tells me they haven't though. Unless it was self inflicted, no one would have been able to kill them. They could have aldo passed their powers down to their children, but due to how stigmatized they are, I doubt that happened either.

Throughout the walk, I've been trying to mentally prepare myself to see them. These people are infamous for a pretty significant event. They murdered a princess, a princess that they were seen to love. Two of them also killed the person dearest to me. I can't be scared though. They're our only hope.

I've been trying to think of a way to convince them to fight on our side. All of Ninjago has been hunting them down for centuries. These new elementals aren't a threat to the masters of creation, just the establishment that sent them into hiding. They don't really have a strong reason to fight.

I'm going to try to appeal to their pride in being elemental masters. I'm going to try to paint the unnatural elemental masters as fake elementals that are a mockery to the real elemental masters. All I need to do is convince one of them, and the rest will fall in line. I know it.

Not only am I nervous to see them, but I'm also terrified at the thought of meeting my brother for the first time. I've been alive for over 600 years, and he's only come to see me once. I can't even remember it. I have no idea what he looks like, sounds like, or how he acts. When I try to picture him, all I can see is my dad, and I know he's not going to be a clone of my dad. That's impossible.

I also can't help but wonder what's happening back at camp. I left off an impulse, not waiting to say goodbye to anyone, not even my best friend. Not only that, but I abandoned Shade. He definitely stepped out of line with his comments, but I still regret how I treated him. He cares about me, and I care about him. I just hope he knows that I didn't mean to hurt him. I just want what's best for all of Ninjago, and hopefully this is it. At the end of this, I know that I'll want to be with him again. I already want to be with him and see him again.

I took a break impulsively like we have in the past. Both of us are stubborn, but I'm more of a firecracker than him. We clash, but he also will call me out when I'm wrong (and sometimes when I'm not). He holds me accountable. I need that in my life. My parents and Jay would never tell me I'm wrong and would just silently fix my mistakes if I made any. Shade confronts me about it and in turn, I actually learn. I miss it already.

After several more hours of walking, I finally reach a town. It's not too big, only several thousands of people live here. Shops are lined up down a path through the center of it. There's a nice variety from grocery stores to clothes stores and furniture stores. At the end of the row, there appears to be a little tent set up selling flowers.

To start off, I walk into a restaurant. I've had to ration my food, and I finally want to devour something. As the sweet aroma fills my nostrils, I let out a sigh of content. Even at camp, our food wasn't the best. This is going to be the best meal I've had in a while.

I go to stand in line. It's going to be torture, my mouth watering at the smells, but I'm going to have to sit through it. Making the most of my time, I tap the person in front of me on the shoulder. He's a man that looks about 40, his hair combed back and a scowl on his face.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for some people. Can I ask you some questions?" I try to start off on the right foot, but he rolls his eyes.

"Look kid, I'm a businessman, not a charity worker. File a missing person report with the police," he tells me passive aggressively. Quickly, he turns back to the front. I roll my eyes at his manners. I then turn around to the person behind me that seems to be eavesdropping. She is an older woman, white hair in tight curls and blue eyes staring at me.

"Who are you looking for?" her weight rests on her cane.

"I'm looking for the elemental masters of creation," as the words escape my mouth, her eyes narrow at me. Her friendly smile turns to a rude scowl.

"We don't accept talk like that in our town. I know the kids these days probably think that looking for them is some fun, risky activity, but the rest of us don't want them anywhere near society. They're so primitive. We would go back hundreds of years," she scolds me.

Her words deflect off of me. She doesn't understand the situation. I simply turn away from her and focus back on getting my food.

"Don't you dare turn your back to me!"

"Excuse me, what is going on here?" a smooth voice asks from behind me. Turning my head, I'm met with one of the most gorgeous girls I've ever met. Her skin is completely clear, free of any blemishes. Hair that's nearly white is tied back in a bun while a flower sits tucked between her ear and head. Her lips are coated in red lipstick, complimenting her vibrant green eyes.

"This little heathen is trying to find out where the elemental masters of creation are!" she points at me, drawing attention to the two of us. Everyone else in the store looks at me, shaking their heads. They all silently judge me.

"You don't have to raise your voice, Ruth," the girl, looking about my age, rests her hand on the woman's shoulder, a beautiful jade ring around her finger. She turns to me. "This is the town that the master of energy lived in over 600 years ago before he realized his power and moved to the capital. It's like a smear on the permanent record of our town, and many of us have tried to forget about it. Even mentioning trying to bring them back in this town can get you kicked out. I know you're just passing through, but especially to the older generations, speaking about them is very harmful and disrespectful."

"I had no idea," I say truthfully. However, I did nothing wrong, so I'm not apologizing. When they see the same elemental masters they're scolding me for looking for save the day, they'll be thinking differently.

"It's alright. Ruth will forgive you, won't you?" she turns to face the old woman who is crossing her arms.

"Fine, she didn't know."

"See, everything is all fixed. How hard was that?" the girl gives us a quick smile. "I hope you two enjoy your food. Everything here is delicious."

Once the girl leaves the store, the old woman sighs. "Isn't she amazing? Heather and her husband are the two best people I've ever met. They're adorable."

The word husband takes me off guard. She looks my age (or at least my "age"), and she's already married. While getting married that young was more popular when I was born, over time, people have started to get married later and later.

Instead of continuing the conversation, I keep my head forward. While patiently waiting in line, I try to come up with a game plan. I'm obviously not getting any information out of this town, and possibly the towns bordering it. There needs to be a lead somewhere. If I search hard enough, I'll find something.

---

The food at the restaurant was more than good. I finished the food faster than I've eaten anything in my entire life. While I was eating, I decided that the only choice I had was to get some supplies and keep moving. I need to get this done soon. There's no time for me to dilly dally in a town that clearly has nothing for me.

The general store was pretty empty and quiet. I was able to buy enough supplies and a blanket to hold me over until the next town. The whole time I was shopping, I was trying to eavesdrop to hear if there were people talking about the elemental masters of creation, but there were none. All I heard was talk of eggs or town politics, neither of which I'm interested in.

After loading everything into my backpack, I make my way out of town with my head held low. I had hopes coming in, but it looks like the task is going to be a lot more difficult than it seemed. I won't give up though. Ninjago needs me to keep going.

"Hey, you look upset. Let me give you a flower," my thoughts are interrupted by someone at the flower stand I saw earlier. Looking around my age, he has a head of wavy blonde hair and a kind smile on his face. His eyes are a vibrancy I've seen in very few things ever, the purest green that I've ever witnessed. His long sleeved green shirt compliments them.

"You don't have to," I tell him, but he shakes his head and gestures me over. Caving in, I walk over to the booth he has set up. A sea of colors covers every inch of his stand. The flowers are open, each of which to the same degree. They're breathtaking.

"You look like you'd enjoy the color blue. Here, take a hepatica," he offers me a beautiful blue flower. I hold it in my hands, a small smile on my face. It's been a while since I've seen natural life this beautiful.

"Thank you. I appreciate the gesture," I look at him. The kind smile on his face tells me all that I need to know about him. Being alive this long taught me how to gauge the person through just their facial expressions and their actions. He's legitimate, a good person.

"It's nothing. Now, why are you upset? I'm more than happy to listen," he leans up against his booth, resting his chin in the palm of his hands. "Some people even call me the town therapist. People come here to buy flowers and end up telling me all about their struggles."

"It's nothing. I left my job to try to find something that could help us, but no one here wants to help me, which I understand, but I was still hoping for something more," I let myself vent a bit.

"What are you looking for? I'd be more than willing to help," he offers. This boy is being so nice. I don't want to scare him off.

"I work for the elemental army, the natural one. Things weren't looking good for them, so I went off several days ago to find some backup that could tip the scales, the elemental masters of creation," I tell him. The color seems to drain out of his face slightly. He's taken aback from my comment. He stands up, slightly backing away from me. I knew it was a mistake.

"A-aren't you scared of them?" he stutters. He crosses his arms, his hands clutching onto his own biceps. The tips of his fingers turn paper white.

"I wouldn't have come all this way if I didn't wholeheartedly believe it was a necessity. I'm willing to search all of Ninjago to find just one of them," as I say this, he looks down at the ground, his face getting even paler.

"They don't want to be found, trust me on that. People have been looking for centuries. If they wanted to help with the war, they would've stepped forward by now," he twists his feet, watching them with intensity. It's like his head is being weighed down.

"I have to try. Even if only one of them will join me, it'll change things. Even if I can only find one of them, I..."

"Lloyd, I got the... oh my gosh, what's wrong?" he's wrapped in a pair of arms also sporting a green shirt. I immediately recognize the mane of nearly white hair on the girl's head. She's the girl from the restaurant. She turns her head to me, and once she registers who it is, her eyes narrow. The kind emeralds I saw earlier are gone, replaced with their vicious counterparts. "I told you to not talk about it."

"I asked her what was wrong. She said no one was helping her with her problem. It's alright," he looks at her, seemingly trying to convince her not to kill me. When I spot the jade ring on his finger, I recognize that he's her husband. It explains why she's so protective over him.

"Are you sure?" she asks him softly, turning back to his direction. She looks deep into his eyes, brushing some of his hair from in front of his face to behind his ear.

They look at each other with such intensity, such care that I feel like I'm intruding even being near them right now. I can feel their chemistry, feel their attraction. I can only wonder if their tattoos match.

"I'm positive. Look, I'm already feeling better," he gives her a quick peck on the lips, but there's obvious distance in how he's acting that wasn't there before.

"We're still going home. You need to relax," she tells him gently, holding his hand, before turning towards me. "When we're back in town tomorrow, you better be gone," she orders me strictly.

"I don't want to stay in your dumb town anyways. It was six centuries ago. Grow up," I finally snap at her, narrowing my eyes. Little does she know that I could knock her off her throne in a second with my powers.

I appear to strike a nerve. Her expression hardens even more. The grip she has around her husband tightens,"You don't know shit about anything."

"Oh I don't? Well then, enlighten me, princess," I respond with an attitude. The girl's eyes look on fire, rage pouring out of her body.

"Don't call me that," she grits her teeth. When she goes to take a step forward, her husband pulls her back.

"There's no point in opening any old wounds. Let's just go home," he tells her. When she goes to protest, he gives her a look that makes her quiet. "It was your idea."

"You're right," she sighs before she gives me one more dirty look. "You have no idea what anyone has gone through. When you're told to stop, stop."

Instead of countering back, I decide to be the bigger person and just take it.

"I hope things go well for you and the army of natural elementals," the boy, Lloyd, tells me. I give him a small smile before walking off with my head down. This was a total bust. Not only did I fail at finding any leads, I also got into multiple unnecessary fights.

"Did I just hear you having a talk with that young man over there about the elemental masters of creation?" at the sound of a new voice, my head whips over to the sidewalk. A man is leaning against a building. He's covered in a visible layer of filth. His hair is matted, matching the disarray of his clothes. His face is full of fatigue. Wrinkles cover his body.

"Yes, yes you did," I admit curiously.

"You're looking for them to try to save Ninjago, what a noble cause," his raspy voice hums. I notice the empty water bottle beside him.

"Would you like some water?" I offer, holding up my own flask. Even if I pour it all in his, it's easy for me to get more.

"I would. Thank you," I take his bottle and pour my water into his. "The people of these towns have exiled me. I know of no other place, so I stay here. The only person that will ever help me is that boy you were talking to. He has a heart of gold."

"Why did they exile you?" I tuck my flask back into the side of my backpack. I'll fill it up again once I'm out of sight.

"My shop was in a dire state. I would do anything for money," he admits, letting out a sigh. "I was paid to find the Fire Kingdom..."

"Fire Kingdom, what is..." I start before he cuts me off.

"..and validate that the master of fire was still alive. When I returned from my journey, the entire village disowned me. When those two moved to town, he didn't care what the others said and still offered a helping hand out to me." My eyes widen. "You offered me kindness, so I will offer you my help." He digs into his shirt and pulls out a piece of paper. "I was not able to get into the Fire Kingdom, but I was able to make a map to its whereabouts. I have faith that you will be able to get to him."

I take the paper eagerly. I don't even care if it's a false lead. The fact that there even is a lead gets my heart beating, and one possibly to my brother at that.

Opening the map, it gives detailed directions of how to get there from here. "Thank you! You won't regret this. When all of this is over, I'll help you get your shop back."

"No need. My time is almost up anyway. I'm content with helping save Ninjago."

A/N: I'm busy tomorrow, so surprise! You all get the chapter a day early.

Sooooo, what did you guys think of the chapter? Nya is on her way to find her brother! Will she find him though...

I personally like the next chapter a lot (just from the plans). I'm hyped to write the back half of it (the front half is going to be a bit boring but bear with me whoops)

I hope you guys enjoy! I liked writing this chapter.