(Jay's POV; song for this chapter: "Just My Imagination" by The Temptations")

"Each day through my window

I watch her as she passes by.

I say to myself,

'You're such a lucky guy.'

To have a girl like her

Is truly a dream come true.

Out of all the fellas in the world,

She truly belongs to you.

But it was just my imagination

Running away with me.

It was just my imagination

Running away with me.

Soon we'll be married

And raise a family, whoa, yeah.

A cozy little home out in the country

With two children, maybe three.

I tell you, I can visualize it all.

This couldn't be a dream,

For all too real it seems.

But it was just my imagination, once again,

Running away with me.

I tell you, it was just my imagination

Running away with me.

Every night, on my knees I pray,

'Dear Lord, hear my plea,

Don't ever let another take her love from me,

Or I will surely die.'

Ooh, her love is heavenly.

When her arms enfold me,

I hear a tender rhapsody.

But in reality, she doesn't even know me.

Just my imagination, once again,

Running away with me.

I tell you it was just my imagination

Running away with me.

I never met her, but I can't forget her.

Just my imagination

Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,

Running away with me.

It was just my imagination."

Wu cracks me over the head with his staff.

"OWW!" I squeal.

"Get off your belly, and stop humming like that! Focus, Jay!" my sensei reprimands.

"Yes, Master Wu," I moan, rubbing the sore spot on my head. I see the object of my affections snicker out of the corner of my eye.

Wow, she's so beautiful when she laughs.

"Now, as I was saying, you are all descended from elemental masters."

"What?" I exclaim. This catches my attention.

Wu frowns at me. "If you'd been paying attention, Master of Lightning, you'd have heard that earlier. Yes, all of you are descended from elemental masters who were either your parents or grandparents. Kai and Nya already knew this about their father and mother."

"We knew very little," Kai corrects. "Our parents never wanted to talk to us about it."

I wince at the bitterness in his tone. Kai took the loss of his parents really hard.

Wu clears his throat. "Zane is the exception to the rule. He somehow inherited his powers from the master of ice."

"So, Zane didn't get his powers from his parents?" Kai frowns.

Zane and Wu share a look I have no idea how to interpret.

"He didn't, but that's beside the point. What's important is that you know there are many more elemental masters out there. Certain elements are Form, Gravity, Speed – "

"Speed's not an element!" I speak up.

Wu cracks me over the head again.

"As I was saying, there are many more masters. Several of these have been kidnapped into what I assume is an underground ring of power exploitation."

"A...what?" Kai questions.

"He means that powers are being sold on the black market," Nya chimes in. Then, turning back to Wu, she asks, "How are they selling the powers, Sensei?"

"You all know of Master Chen, correct?"

"The evil noodle salesman who's now banished to the Cursed Realm? Duh," says Cole. Cole is the Master of Earth and my best friend. He doesn't always say the smartest stuff, but he has a big heart.

"Don't 'duh' me!" Wu frowns, swatting Cole in the back of the neck.

Wow, it's a day to serve punishment by the stick.

"It appears that Master Chen's staff has been stolen," the sensei commences. "The thieves, called the 'Sons of Garmadon', have found a way to distribute powers to buyers. This means you are all danger." He eyes each of us, letting that soak in. "It also means that you are all going to find this ring and put a stop to it. None of you should be alone."

"I'll stay with Nya," Kai protectively growls. His sister rolls her eyes and starts to argue, but Wu speaks up.

"No, Kai, you will not. You cannot go with Nya to school every day."

"Then she'll stay home!"

He gets a bonk over the head with our master's stick. "No, she will not. You must trust your team to watch over her, just as she will watch over them. As for you, you will stay at the monastery with Lloyd, Misako, and me."

I speak up. "Shouldn't it be 'Lloyd, Misako, and I'?"

Wu whacks me again. I should learn not to say anything around him. "No! 'Me' goes in a prepositional phrase, not 'I'! Study your grammar, and be on your guard!"

Starting over, he says, "Now, I've decided to assign each of you partners based on your class schedules. These may change due to the needs of the team. Zane and Lloyd will be partnered."

My eyes widen. Does that mean –

"Jay, Nya, and Cole, you must stick together, as well."

Just as quick as my heart sped up, it beats in defeat. I'm partnered with the girl of my dreams, but my best friend is our third wheel. And, I'm pretty sure Nya has always had a crush on him.

This could not get any worse.

"And find a why to tell your parents you're all sleeping at the monastery for three weeks, starting tonight!" Wu commands.

Well, I lied. It did get worse. Positive thinking tells me I should be happy to have a giant slumber party with my friends for weeks. However, reality says they're going to make fun of me for watching Breakfast at Tiffany's every Saturday night. And they'll all get to see my morning dance routine.

These are going to be the worst three weeks ever.

(Nya's POV)

These are going to be the best three weeks ever! I get almost a month off from Kai's overprotectiveness, and I get to hang out with my team 24/7!

I share an excited look with Lloyd. He's probably the closest friend I have. When I first started school here, we bonded over our shared idea that our futures were predetermined. He's always felt pressured to become a super-ninja and defeat his father. I, on the other hand, have always been told what I can and can't do by Kai.

He leans over and whispers, "I bet Jay will be excited to spend more time with you."

I roll my eyes. Lloyd has this crazy notion that Jay has a crush on me. "Yeah, right. Jay only ever talks about himself. There's no way he has a crush on me."

Lloyd raises a brow. "Whatever you say. How do you feel about hanging out with Cole?"

I blush and give him a furious look. "Good grief, Lloyd, are you still not over that?" Seriously! Last year, Lloyd asked me who the hottest guy on the team was. I jokingly said Kai, but he said being a hothead didn't count. I may or may not have mentioned that Cole had nice cheekbones. However, that did not mean that I had a crush on him! Lloyd took it all the wrong way, though, and has been pestering me about it ever since.

"Even if I did have a crush on Cole," I continue quietly, "Kai would never let me do anything about it in the first place. It wouldn't matter." Then, turning the tables, I ask, "How's your evil girlfriend?"

Lloyd's cheeks flame, creating a stark contrast with his green eyes. "Harumi's fine, and she's not evil. She just needs to get over her family's wealth, and she'll stop treating people badly."

"It's not your job to change her, Lloyd."

"It's not your job to judge her."

I shrug. "What are best friends for, but to make sure all is well in romantic paradise? Anyway, I was thinking we could watch a movie tonight."

He blinks at the topic change. "Okay. What would you like to watch?"

My smile turns sly. "Something Kai would kill me for even thinking of watching."

"He's not going to kick my shins afterward, right?"

"Puh-lease. I'll take the blame for it. You can just be an innocent observer. Now, here's what I'm thinking..." I whisper a devious plan in his ear.

He shakes his head and sighs. "I'm going to need a new best friend once this is over."

*Well, there's chapter 2! Things are starting to get interesting! Questions, comments, concerns? Hope you're enjoying it, as well as my taste in old music ;) *