IN THE LIBRARY in the Castle of the League of Heroes, (Y/N) walked impatiently around in front of a crystal mirror. Only it wasn't an ordinary mirror, but a magic mirror. The mirror contained portal magic from a shard of the surviving Crystal of Realm, which is powered by the shared magic of (Y/N), Clay, Wanda and Dragov.

With this artifact, ninjas no longer need their elemental dragons to travel between dimensions. Now they can easily go to from Ninjago to Knighton and from Knighton to Ninjago.

The mirror suddenly began to glow with a strong white light. (Y/N) smiled broadly and took a few steps back to make room for the incoming guests. The glare of the mirror blinded her and she covered her eyes, and when she opened them she saw her family.

- Auntie!!! - cried out Jake, dropping his bag and threw himself into arms (Y/N).

- Jake! How nice to see you! - the princess returned his hug and lifted the boy off the ground.

- Greetings, aunt (Y/N). - greeted Ingrid with a happy smile.

(Y/N) laughed and patted her on the head. - Greetings, my beautiful niece.

- Hey, auntie! - Flame and Rose greeted each other with smiles.

- Hi kids! Ready for a sleepover? Lily, Atlas, Ophelia, Ernest and Eshter were already looking forward to seeing you.

- Eshter is already here!? - exclaimed an excited Jake.

- Yes, she is. She settled in with us for a while. - (Y/N) replied with a giggle, putting the boy on the floor.

- Then what are we waiting for? Let's go! GUYS!!? - shouted an excited Jake and started running down the stairs to the library exit.

- Don't shout like that, Jake! After soon the glass from the shutters will break. - (Y/N) called out with laughter. - Come on, let's not stand in the library like this.

---

- So. What are we going to do? - asked Eshter as she and her siblings sat on the couches and comfy chairs in their common room. - Since we are already together?

- Lily has planned a wonderful quest for us! - replied Ophelia with sarcasm. - It's just that until now you haven't deigned to enlighten us as to what you have in mind.

Everyone looked at the red-haired girl, who giggled slightly. - I have a plan. Two days ago I found an undiscovered location on a map of the kingdom.

- And...? - Ernest inquired.

Rose rolled her eyes. - Think with your brain Ernest. Do you want us to go there and explore? - She asked her best friend with a smile.

- Exactly! Come on! We've never been further than Waterton! Wouldn't you like to visit a place that hasn't been touched for centuries?

- But it won't be unsafe, right? - Atlas asked.

- There is at least a 45% chance that this plan could fail. - Ingrid announced.

- So there is something waiting for us there that we should be afraid of? - Ernest asked.

- And yes and no. I don't know, mom didn't say anything.... Except for one thing. - announced Lily darkly.

- What? Ghosts? - snorted with amusement Ophelia.

- No. Wherever we go, there is a legend about.... Forest Monsters. - she announced in a tone no quieter than a whisper.

- Forest monsters? - asked a confused Eshter.

- Yes, another variety of monsters. - replied Lily.

- So what... Ordinary trees with mouths? - asked Rose.

Lily shrugged her shoulders. - I don't know. Mom didn't tell me about it because.... She told me not to go there. Never. - she rolled her eyes.

- And you want us to go there.... because? - Atlas asked.

- Nah! Haven't you heard, brother? She wants us to explore that forest! - exclaimed Ophelia, rolling her eyes. - I'm all for it! I want to see those trees!

- Why not? It could be an interesting experience. - Eshter shrugged her shoulders.

- After all, someone has to guard you from stupidity. - Ernest reported reluctantly. - This could be an opportunity to convince my father that I am also a warrior like him.

- There is nothing to wait for! Let's go! - exclaimed Jake excitedly.

- Let's discover these strange plants! - Rose agreed with a confident nod.

- Did you hear yourselves!? You are pushing into the mouth of a hungry snake! This could be dangerous! - Atlas vehemently denied it.

- Brother! You worry too much! We have ourselves, we are powerful! Who knows, maybe these trees are long extinct? - asked Ophelia, wrapping an arm around her brother, who wore an unconvinced face.

- Still a bad idea.

Lily walked up to him and grabbed his arm. Atlas raised his eyebrows and looked at her in embarrassment, and his tail began to rattle nervously. Ophelia smirked and stifled her laughter.

- Atlas. Trust me, as long as we are there together, nothing will happen to us. All we have to do is insure each other. What do you think?

The other kids in the room stifled laughter, wearing silly grins on their faces as Atlas had the system suspended. His eyes widened slightly and he stuttered.

- O-okay... M-maybe it won't be so bad? Hehe... - he giggled nervously.

- Yes!!! - Lily let go of his hand and hugged him tightly, making Atlas blush wildly.

- Uhuhu! Let the adventure begin! - exclaimed Jake.

All the children began to cheer, before running out of the living room to say this (Y/N).

---

- Do you want to go play in the city? - asked curiously (Y/N).

The kids came to the (Y/N)'s office, where she was filling out some more paperwork.

- Yes, the castle is great, but we want to play outside! - said Ophelia, smoothly trying to fool her aunt.

If (Y/N) found out the real reason for their going out, she would have immediately disagreed. That's why they had to lie, no matter how much they didn't want to.

- More than that, I have my own place in Waterton and I want to show them! Can we go? - asked Lily with a too wide smile and with the eyes of a puppy.

- In Waterton? - asked (Y/N) with a raised eyebrow. - There is nothing in this village except.... Ah! You want to show them this lake, right?

- Yyyy.... Yes, that's exactly it!

(Y/N) blinked slightly and scratched her neck, wondering whether to let the kids go to the village or not. She smiled slightly after a while.

- Alright. You can go....

The kids cheered and laughed happily as they walked to the door, when they were stopped by (Y/N)'s last sentence.

- As long as Char goes with you. - she finished with a smile, putting on her reading glasses.

Kids stopped with a screech of tires and looked at each other with fear, for the success of their plan. Lily and Rose groaned.

- We don't want Char! - Lily complained.

- Either with him or not at all. - ordered (Y/N). - Someone has to keep an eye on you, young lady.

The children groaned again and agreed to keep an eye on Char, to their great reluctance. Don't misunderstand them! They like Char, but sometimes.... He is a mere crutch. He can't keep up with them and preaches some strange wisdom. Whether it's about love or friendship. He just... sometimes it's impossible to listen to him.

---

- Hurry up, kids! The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get back. - said Char as he walked ahead of them along the dirt path.

Rose and Lily followed everyone else and whispered to each other.

- When do you think, we'll be able to slip away? - Rose asked.

- I don't  know, he will not let go so easily. We have to lose him quality. He doesn't like to fail his duties and orders from my mother. It seems to be with him some kind of.... strange fetish.

- And wasn't he sometimes a servant at the court, before he started working for Ophelia's and Atlas's dad? - asked the white-haired woman with a raised eyebrow.

- I think so, but why are we talking about him? Let's focus on the escape plan. - replied Lily.

- If I may interject. - said Jake. - I have a pretty good plan. - he said with a mischievous grin.

- Well, then we are listening, Mr. Sparkly. - replied Rose with a smile.

All three began to walk side by side and whisper greedily about the plan. I'll say this much... Char is in for quite a rollercoaster.

---

When the whole group was already at Waterton's doorstep, Char noticed behind him, how Rose and Ernest were still talking to each other and giggling like fools, unaware that they were finalizing the details of the plan. The black snake smiled and turned to them.

- Look at you and rejoice, the seed of love is blooming for us in Knighton. Your parents will be happy with you. - He said with a joyful smile.

- Huh??

The children looked confusedly at their guardian, not knowing what he was talking about. Well, except for Ingrid, who understood.

- They are probably already setting the date on their calendars. - He continued.

- The date? Of what? - Rose asked with a raised eyebrow.

- The wedding. Probably soon your parents will notice it. - He jazzed with some unintelligible expression on his face.

- Wedding? Who? - asked Eshter completely confused, sharing a look with Jake.

- The two of you. Someday perhaps you will be engaged. - He said to Ernest and Rose, who looked at each other strangely.

- In the sense of...? - Lily asked.

- About the fact that one day Rose and Ernest will get married to each other. - said with a happy giggle.

- EWWW!!!

Ernest and Rose squirmed with distaste and jumped away from each other, while their siblings burst out laughing.

- This is my friend, Char! - answered Ernest with embarrassment.

- Yes, even for one million two hundred dollars, I wouldn't marry him! He's a complete moron! - denied Rose with disbelief about this statement.

- Hey!

- Well, youngsters. You're still kids, but I don't know if you know, but to unite the royal families, marriage was usually involved. - Char said.

- What!? - asked Rose and looked at Ingrid.

- Char means that in order to unite royal families, in order to do some international business, acts of marriage were usually performed. That is, for example, the son of the king of another kingdom would have to marry the daughter of the king of the other kingdom for the merger of kingdoms to take place.

- But Rose is not even in the royal family! She doesn't come from a noble family, she's just.... ordinary. It wouldn't make sense. - replied Enrest.

- Besides, we are still children and we are family, Char. - Ophelia said.

- Yes, it doesn't make sense. - agreed Eshter.

The children were now annoyed by their guardian's chatter and sent nods to each other, wrinkling their eyebrows at Char.

- Take it easy, guys. When I become a princess, I won't let you get married. - assured Lily.

- And thank you for you, Lily. - Ernest hugged his cousin.

- So you would like to bury the royal traditions? I'm sorry to tell you this, Lily, but with such a point of view you will be a weak ruler. - Char said.

And this was a point he should not have crossed.

- When I become a princess, no one will tell me what to do, where to go and who to marry. I'll be a princess unlike any other. - Lily said with conviction.

- Lily, you can't escape your destiny and what's more decide about others. - said Char.

- Just watch. - Lily smiled mischievously and nodded to Jake. - Prove it to us, but first.... You have to catch us!! Now!!!

- What!!? - Char squealed.

Jake pulled a bag of dust from his pocket and threw it on the ground, spraying a smoke bomb. Char began to cough and the children began to run as fast as they could into town. When the smoke disappeared Char went through a shiver of fear and gasped.

- LILY!!! Come back here immediately!!

Char quickly began to run after the kids, who with amused laughter had already reached the city.

- So what is your plan? - Atlas asked.

- Let's just run and lose the tail. - replied Jake and moved ahead, followed by the others.

- So what? A plan without a plan? - Ophelia asked. - How original!

- We have to escape him, before we run through the cornfield into the forest. - replied Rose.

- And the snake has a good sense of smell! - she exclaimed in realization.

- Yeah. We have to lose his trail! - replied Lily.

- I have a great plan for that! - replied Jake.

- Well, then lead the way! - exclaimed Flame. - But will it hurt my hair!?

He didn't get an answer, they just kept running to a place only Jake knew.

---

Jake led everyone to the least expected place. To a flooded, grassy meadow. The rest of his friends looked on amazed and shocked.

- Are you some kind of abnormal? Are we supposed to roll around in the mud! - yelled Flame.

- Yep! Here until you smell ... such... - began Jake.

- The smell of wet dog!? I don't want to go into it! - said Ernest.

- Yes, it will be totally embarrassing! - agreed Eshter.

- Hey! And anyway we will be dirty where we go. Me, I prefer to smell like a wet dog and not like.... like some homeless person. - replied Jake and walked into the meadow, before lying down on the flooded ground.

Flame, along with Lily, chuckled in disgust and stepped back.

- I'm not going in there. - Flame said.

- But we have to, Flame. Otherwise Char will catch our scent. And in this grass we won't be seen. - said Ophelia. - Then nothing of our plan.

Ophelia entered the meadow and lay down, disappearing into the apt.

- She is right. We will be invisible and the trace of us will disappear. - Atlas said.

Atlas stepped into the flooded meadow with a thud and also disappeared into the grass and water as he lay down. All three of them rolled in the water like dogs and hid in the grass.

- What do we do? - Rose asked.

- I think we have no choice. It's better than hiding in some....other worse smelling place. - replied Lily and also jumped into the water.

- It's just a flooded meadow, guys! Don't get hysterical, all you can smell is grass and water! It's like you lay down in a puddle! - exclaimed Lily as she rolled in the water and hid in the grass.

- Is this supposed to comfort us!? - yelled Ernest.

- Do not discuss! All for the sake of the plan! - cried Ophelia, who was nowhere to be seen.

- KIDS!!! I GAVE MY WORD TO THE PRINCESS THAT I WILL NOT GIVE YOU UP!!! - shouted a voice from afar and the children gasped.

- It's Char! - cried Eshter.

- Come in! Now! - cried Lily, hiding deeper in the grass.

The other kids, except Flame, jumped into the grass and also disappeared as they moved a few meters forward. Flame hesitated about what to do. He groaned desperately.

- Kill me, readers.- He groaned and jumped into the grass. - This is so disgusting! It's cold!

- Be quiet already! - yelled Lily in a whisper. - Otherwise Char will hear us.

A moment later, Char appeared on the edge of the meadow, following the scent of the children. He sniffed the air and looked around, searching with his eyes for them, but found nothing.

- That's not possible. Did the trail break off? Where did they go? LILY!!! ROSE!!!

No one answered him. The kids looked at him, lying on their stomachs on the ground, hidden in the grass. They prayed that he wouldn't notice them.

Char groaned and looked up at the sky. - The princess will rip my head off if she finds out I lost her daughter and other kids.

He gave up and walked back into town. After a while, the children got up from the grass and started laughing with satisfaction.

- We made it! We escaped! - exclaimed Rose.

- I didn't think it would go so easily. - admitted Atlas.

- Now! Let's get out of here and head for the forest! - cried Ophelia.

The kids cheered, got out of the grass and, after washing themselves in the lake, fled to the Dark Woods. Unfortunately, they did not know what awaited them on the spot.... Something... Very dangerous.

= END OF CHAPTER SEVEN =