I apologize soooo much for not updating for weeks, but you've got every author's (least) favorite friend to blame it on: writer's block.

Okay, first, I've got some great news: THE NEW SEASON COMES OUT THIS MONTH! I CAN'T WAIT FOR IT! If you haven't already, go see the trailer (it is epic).

So, while we're waiting for the first episode of Season 3 to come out, read.

And Lya200, we're going to have to wait and see about that...

Disclaimer: I do not own Ninjago

(P.S.: Before I forget, you guys should know that in this story, Emily is not Jay's younger twin sister [if you've read my profile and Zane's Fate]. Just thought I would clear that up in case you were wondering.)

Chapter 2

Zane slid off his mount, feeling sore after a day of nothing but riding. He took hold of Blizzard's reins and led him to a small nearby alcove of trees. Emily was already there with Night and Storm. Slightly to the left, Kai was struggling to get Firestorm to move. She snorted before leaning towards the ground, nuzzling a few tufts of green grass, snorting once before eating. Kai looked frustrated. Emily walked over to him and climbed onto Firestorm's back.

Emily gently pulled on Firestorm's reins, forcing the mare's head up. Firestorm shook her head, snorting, before walking towards the small cove of trees. Kai looked slightly outraged as Emily tied Firestorm securely to another tree, next to Blizzard.

The two horses brushed against each other in friendly greeting, nickering and whining softly. Night, Thunder, and Storm shook their heads, sending their long, magnificent manes flying.

"Are you magic?" Kai inquired Emily as she walked past him.

"No," she replied, draping her braid over her right shoulder. "I've dealt with horses for years. It's called experience, genius."

"Well, excuse me," Kai retorted dryly, "I didn't know." Emily snorted, flipping her head back. Her braid went swinging through the hair, hitting Kai's cheek. He glared at her, but she continued walking away from him.

"What?" he snapped at a grinning and giggly Jay, who was watching the scene with amusement glimmering in his blue eyes.

"Nothing," Jay snickered. Zane rolled his eyes. Was he really going to have to live with this giggly, easily amused male and the hothead?

Kai was perched in a low-hanging branch, his almond brown, orange-yellow flecked eyes narrowed. He kept his eyes trained on Emily as she checked to make sure that everything was okay.

"Hey, where are you going?" Cole called after her after she started walking into the trees.

"Scout," she replied, walking backwards.

"Stick to the trees, and make sure that you are back within a few minutes." Cole lectured her like a parent. Emily rolled her eyes, sighing.

"Whatever you say, Your Highness," she said, turning back around. "After all, I'm sure that you know these treacherous woods better than I do." And with that, she melted into the shadows.

"Is she always like that?" Kai asked, leaping down from his branch and landing off balance on the uneven ground. Jay jumped at Kai's sudden appearance.

"Kai, before I answer that question of yours, just let me tell you this," Cole said, "Emily is like a ninja. One second she's here, the next she's gone. There are times whenever I think that whenever she was born, her parents weren't humans; instead, she was born of living shadows."

"Wait," Jay began, leaning forward, "you said weren't. Weren't is a negative contraction past tense verb. Are you saying that…"

"Emily's an orphan?" Cole interrupted him, "yes, yes I am." Sadness filled Cole's voice, forcing him to look deep into the fire.

The different shades of red, orange, and yellow created a seductive dance of colors, crossing Cole's face. His eyes, bottomless pit black with rich mud brown, deep evergreen green, and stone gray swirls and stripes, burned with an unreadable light.

"Tell me this, Cole," Emily's voice came ringing down from the tops of the trees, "why do you like sharing with people the information about my past? Answer truthfully."

"I'm just answering their questions!" Cole's voice sounded desperate. Emily scoffed.

"Yeah, sure," she snapped. Kai strained his eyes, looking for the supple form. He found her at the top of the tallest tree, leaning casually against the trunk of the tree, balancing perfectly on a thin branch. She leaped gracefully to the lower branches, making her way down to the ground. Whenever she was about twenty feet off the ground, she sprang off the branch. She performed some complicated twirls in the air before landing crouched on the ground next to Jay, who looked at her like he just saw an angel.

"Show off." Kai overheard Cole mutter. Kai rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but agree.

"You're jealous," Emily taunted Cole as she sat down next to Jay.

"I am not!" Cole snapped at her. Emily raised an eyebrow, her mouth curling up into a mischievous smile.

"You are too," she replied, "you're jealous of a simple maid."

"I am not jealous of you," Cole growled. Emily snorted.

"Sure," she said, unconvinced. "You're not very convincing, Princey."

"Don't call me that!" Cole snarled viciously. His eyes blazed with fury as he glared at the female.

"Princey!" Emily sang. Color flooded Cole's face. Jay scrambled away from Emily, fear printed clearly on his face. Kai couldn't blame him. Zane calmly got up and went over to the base of a tree, sitting back down. Keeping his back pressed flat against the trunk, he closed his disturbingly piercing ice blue eyes, adopting a meditation pose. Kai was still next to the trees. That left the raging prince and the sly maid in the center. As if reading each others minds, they slowly got to their feet, drawing their weapons. Kai gulped, nervous.

"You're scared of me." Emily continued to taunt the furious prince as they began to circle each other. Tension prickled in the air between the two.

"Why would I be scared of you, Amelia?" Cole snapped back in reply, rage flooding his voice. Now it was Emily's turn to look furious.

"I never want to hear that name spoken again," Emily said in a dangerously quiet voice. Kai had enough experience with females to know that whenever she said something in that quiet tone of voice, things were going to get very ugly, very fast. He had gotten scratched by three long fingernails whenever his little sister had gone into one of her moods, so now his left eyebrow had a nick in it while two more scratches were underneath his eye.

"Wait," Jay broke in, "you're real name's Amelia?"

"That name deals with my past!" Emily rounded on him. There was no mistaking the rage in her stormy blue-gray eyes as she glared at him. Jay shrank back in fear, his deep blue eyes big.

Emily closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry if I scared you guys," she said in a quiet voice, "but I never want to hear that name spoken again. It deals with my past, and that is something that I do not want to remember." And with that, she disappeared into the closest tent. The flap closed behind her.

Jay, Kai, and Zane all looked at Cole.

"Don't bother trying to get any information out of me," Cole said, "because I've no idea what happened in her past. The only thing that she told me is that her name was actually"-he leaned forward-"Amelia," he continued in a quiet voice, "but that she wanted to be called Emily instead. She didn't say why, exactly, so I've no idea what happened to her for her to want to change her name." Cole leaned back. "She may never say what happened to her before we met."

At that second, Emily reappeared, clad entirely in black. Her shirt, pants, even boots didn't show another color. Her creamy complexion looked pale, like the color of milk, against the dark contrast of her outfit. Her stormy blue-gray eyes were piercing as they swept over the four men.

"It'll take about three more days to get to the Seer," she said, breaking the silence, "at least, as long as we don't get attacked by anything."

"Attacked by what, exactly?" The question forced itself out of Kai's mouth. Emily slowly turned her head to look at him.

"You would be surprised what lives in, under, and above these woods," she replied, "the woods themselves are a threat. But the animals that live here? Horrendous creatures that should only be imagined, but never seen in person, lest you should fall into its deadly trap." Emily's voice became creepy, as if she was telling a ghost story. Kai felt shivers running up his spine. If what Emily was saying was true, then Kai was doomed. All of them were doomed to deaths that were probably more horrifying than all the horror movies that he had seen. And he had a lot.

"Anyways, I'll keep watch." Emily changed the subject. "Tomorrow will be busy, I can guarantee that much. But what will happen, that part I can't say." And with that, she started climbing the closest tree.

Well, Emily seems to have a temper, doesn't she? I don't blame the guys for being scared. I would be too if I was there. But anyways, yeah.

I've got a question concerning Emily: What do you think happened in her past? Tell me in the reviews if you think you've got an answer.

Have a good day/night, peace, and I shall get started on Chapter 3! Hopefully the wait won't be that long. ;)