"Look!" Nya cried out. "Footprints!" 

"And faceprints," Kai said, pointing to a strange-looking depression in the mud.

"Someone's been here recently," Cole mused, rocking Vania back and forth in his arms. "And there are also footprints facing the other way. The must've gone out afterward."

"They had better balance that time," Kai said, smirking. "No more faceprints."

Nya ran ahead. "The footprints keep going!" she announced. "I think they went into the tree before coming back out again. And it looks like they ran on the way out. The footprints aren't as close together."

"Then they probably snuck in without permission," Cole reasoned. "We better be careful. Right, Kai?"

"Mhmmm," Kai said, though he was obviously thinking about something else. "Whatever you said."

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"We're almost there!" Lloyd called to the others. 

"It doesn't look like we're almost there," Jay muttered. "The tree is literally five thousand feet away."

"I can give you hug," Zane offered. 

"Okay." Zane and Jay embraced, which made the master of lightning felt a little better about his situation. He missed Nya so badly, and his sore legs were only a painful reminder the he wasn't cuddling with her on a warm bed. A hug was just what Jay needed.

A few feet ahead of Jay was Akita. She hadn't slept for two days, and now she was starting to feel the effects. She stumbled along next to Lloyd, her eyes closing slowly and then fluttering open. She bumped into her crush for the seventeenth time, knocking him over. Akita swore quietly and wished Kataru hadn't been growling so loud the night before she came to Ninjago. 

"I am sorry, Lloyd," Akita whispered hoarsely, reaching out to help him up. "I'm really tired."

"That's okay, sweetie," Lloyd hushed, kissing her hand. "Do you want a piggyback ride?" Akita nodded. Lloyd crouched down and Akita climbed onto his back. The green ninja stood up and began walking again, his hand massaging Akita's. The Formling rested her head on Lloyd's shoulder, his soft blonde hair brushing against her cheek as she fell asleep.

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"Kai!" Nya whispered angrily. Kai looked up from the ground, a dazed look in his eyes. He collapsed a second later.

"Well, if the mud was still wet, he would've made a nice faceprint," Cole said, snickering. Nya shifted her glare to the master of earth, who immediately stopped laughing. He set Vania down in Nya's arms and went to go pick up Kai.

Nya stared at the queen, a tear slipping down her cheek. She stood up and started walking again, her eyes fixed on Vania. 

Nya remembered the time when she'd snuck into Vania's room the night before the princess' coronation. The queen-to-be had been up reading a Clutch Powers book, the moon lighting up her dark and solemn room.

"Hey," Nya whispered, leaning against the doorframe.

"Nya! Come sit." Vania patted the bed, scooting over so Nya could sit down next to her. As she lifted the covers, Nya got a glimpse of her beautiful nightgown. It was as white as her skin, and the only decoration it possessed was a single blue lily sewn right above Vania's heart. 

Nya took a seat on the bed, hoping her gi wasn't too dirty. Jay had helped her wash and press all the ninja's outfits that afternoon, and Nya suddenly noticed that she smelled strongly of detergent. 

Vania put down her book and smiled at the master of water. "Can't sleep?"

Nya nodded. "Our lives are just getting crazier and crazier. Sometimes- sometimes I wonder if we'll be okay in the end. We always have, but like Clutch Powers said," (here, Nya gestured to Vania's book) "luck runs out. Being a ninja is great, and I love it, but it also gives me insomnia. Being queen of the Munce wasn't a walk in the park either."

Vania nodded in understanding. "I get it. It's stressful, but it's worth it. I guess that's how being a queen is. It's overwhelming, but it's the right thing to do. You feel... you feel like you have a purpose when you're in a position like that. You feel like you can make a difference."

The two girls sat in silence, gazing into each other's eyes. They felt something rise in their chest as they did.... but neither of them could describe the feeling. 

It had taken Nya a month to find the right words, but she could do it. She could put it into words now. 

It's the kind of sensation people get when they see themselves in another person.  

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"Are you guys ready?" Lloyd asked. Everyone nodded, and the master of energy twisted the stone doorknob. Zane looked curiously at it. It certainly wasn't a normal stone. The ice ninja scanned the knob and found, much to his surprise, that it was a moon rock. 

Part of the tree swung open and the group stepped inside. Misako shut the door behind her, glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one was following her.

As soon as Jay hit the stairs, he began running. He needed air. He needed to get outside. He needed a break from Cole's element. Everyone followed suit, and the sound of footsteps echoed through the tree as they raced up the trunk.

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"Are you guys ready?" Cole asked. Nya nodded and Kai muttered a "yes". He had knocked himself out when he tripped on a small stone, much to Nya's dismay. While she cradled Vania, Cole had to carry Kai all the way to the tree. The master of earth was a lot warmer than Kai had expected, and the fire ninja had rested comfortably in his friend's arms. 

Cole pulled on the doorknob and held the door open for Nya. She smiled at her friend and began to make her way up the tree, the smell of strawberries filling her nose. Cole followed her, not at all tired from carrying Kai. 

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Jay stood on the balcony, taking in the view. Zane, Akita, and Lloyd crowded around him, inhaling and exhaling the fresh air. 

"I can see the mountains of Shintaro from here," Lloyd said, pointing. "I guess we didn't walk that far."

"That's because we went down," Zane said. "It would've been a shorter trip if we had just floated across." Jay chuckled, amused by his friend's humor.

Misako, meanwhile, observed the room inside the tree. It was entirely brown, and Misako thought it looked quite dull. The only thing that stood out was a small painting of a couple on one of the two nightstands. The boy and girl looked to be in their early twenties, and from the way they were standing, Misako could tell they were each other's first love. 

The boy had messy blonde hair the color of fresh butter. It shielded his dark brown eyes from the sun shining down at him. One arm was around his girlfriend's waist while the other was reaching out to hold her hand. The girl was smiling brightly, her long brown hair styled in a braid that brushed against her knees. Her dress was a beautiful sea blue color, flapping as a gentle breeze swirled around her. 

Misako stared curiously at the boy. She had met him before. But where?

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"We're almost there," Nya told Cole quietly. "Just a minute or two and we'll be at the top."

"Do you hear something?" Kai asked suddenly. Cole almost tripped in surprise, but he caught himself at the last moment.

"Gee, Kai! Tell me you're gonna talk before you do," Cole said.

"I can't-" Kai began.

"We know," Nya interrupted. "And I do hear something. There's someone up there."

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"Do you hear something?" Akita asked, turning toward the stairs.

"No- wait, yes! Someone's coming up!" Jay whispered frantically. Akita made her way into the room and performed a backflip. She growled at the door. 

"Get ready," Lloyd said softly, clenching his fists. 

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"On three," Cole whispered to Kai and Nya. He set Vania down on the fourth step, and put his hand on the doorknob. 

"One," Kai began.

"Two," Nya whispered.

"Three!" Cole pushed the door and leapt forward.

Only, the door didn't open. 

Cole slammed into the wood and slid down onto the floor.

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BANG! Akita jumped back, startled. She wasn't afraid, though. The Formling knew exactly what had happened. The person had tried to open the door before he twisted the knob. It had happened to her once, back when she had been a youngling. She shook her head at Lloyd, signaling that there was nothing to be worried about.

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"Ow," Cole groaned. Nya shook her head in disappointment as she reached down to help him up. She then gathered a ball of water around her left fist and grabbed the knob with her right. She twisted it and quickly pulled the door open. 

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"Ninj-" Zane began.

"No, wait, stop!" Jay cried, tackling his friend to the floor. "It's Nya!" The master of lightning got up and ran towards his Yang, throwing his arms around her neck.

"Jay!" Nya dropped let go of the water and it splashed onto the floor. She hugged Jay back, feeling a little guilty. Jay had obviously thought about her more than she had thought about him. But Nya knew that it would've been selfish for her to be more concerned about her love life than Cole's. 

Lloyd and Zane ran towards Cole and Kai, and pulling them into a group hug. Cole smiled as he rested his chin on Lloyd's shoulder. As long as his friends were happy, he'd be too.

They excited chatter was interrupted by Akita. She growled, facing the door once more. As the ninja fell silent, they heard a loud noise coming from downstairs. Someone was coming up. And they were in a rush to get to the top. 

The stomping ceased and the door creaked open. Everyone prepared themselves for an attack, but it never came. 

Cole's eyes widened when he saw who it was.

The girl stopped breathing when she saw the master of earth.

It was love at first sight.

*A/N I hope you enjoyed this extra-long chapter :) I think you'll find the next one pretty interesting.*