(Even though I haven't updated in forever, This chapter isn't exactly long it was just kinda necessary to create one of those ever so annoying cliffhangers! Either way the chapter I've been dying to write (Sensei and the others at the fire temple!) WILL be coming tomorrow and after that I'll try to stick to my one chapter a week routine)

Chapter 9-The heart of the forest

Lloyd was the walked far behind the others, sulking at not having been able to go along with Naomi to the fire temple. After saving her life with a kiss, Lloyd smiled at how cliché that sounded in his head, The green ninja hadn't really spent a moment alone with the purple eyed girl. He guessed they were both technically 'dating' even there hadn't been anymore kissing or hand holding involved in their relationship. Lloyd guessed Naomi must like him, due to the way she'd turned into a giggle machine after their first kiss, but since she had never directed the word 'boyfriend' at him he didn't really feel like their relationship was anything more than a daydream.

Not too far from her son stood Misako, dealing with her own internal conflict as she followed her husband's footsteps to Casey's treehouse. Misako tried to remember the moment in which her sister had begun the skin of a psychopath. No doubt the extreme amout of power at her command had thrown Casey onto the darker path of life. But there must've been something more, because from the small things Misako remembered about her lousy childhood the one thing that stood out was the goodness in her sisters heart. Sure, Casey had always been a little strange and tended to like things that no other people did but other than that her sister had never hestitaded to sacrifice a couple of things just so that Misako would have the best life she possibly could.

The thought of her childhood made Misako stumble across another fact, Misako loved her sister more than she cared to admit.

If it came down to me being the only one being able to stop my sister Misako thought would I ever be able to destroy her for 'the greater good'?

Just wondering about it made her stomach twist inside of her. It was only at this moment that she finally understood what her son must have gone through when destiny pushed him into battling his own father.

"I still don't see the point of coming back here," Cole muttered with annoyance, walking beside Garmadon.

"The point is to find Casey and ask her what the hells her problem," Garmadon continued walking, spotting the small clearing where Casey's treehouse should be just up ahead.

"First of all I'm pretty sure she wouldn't answer any of your questions," Cole replied. "Second, As my sister kindly told you before, her treehouse burned down."

"Just because I'm not evil anymore doesn't mean I can't smack some manners into you. "Garmadon said, the attitude in Cole's voice was beggining to get on his nerves. "Don't try to get smart with me."

"I was just stating the facts,"

Before Cole's words could anger Garmadon, they stepped into the clearing and the former dark lord froze in his tracks staring at the pile of twigs and ashes that had once been Casey's home. "It's burned down,"

Cole managed to bite his tongue and hold back the ever so annoying, I told you so

Garmadon turned towards his wife. "Why would she burn down her own home?"

Misako shook her head. "I don't know, but we should look around,"

Garmadon agreed and started walking through the ashes, keeping his eyes peeled for anything that might be helpful. Cole did the same, figuring than the faster the looked through the mess the faster they'd be able to head back to the bounty. Lloyd stayed back, refusing to help on something he didn't even want to do in the first place. But even his sulking eyes couldn't ignore the corner of a piece of an aging paper sticking out of the black ashes.

He bent over to pick it up, wondering how it had made it through the inferno. Lloyd's green eyes widened with recognition when the paper revealed itself to be the map of the serpentine tribes he had rescued from the hypnobrai tomb what seemed to be centuries ago. This time he noticed something else in the map. Apart from the four snakes drawn in the serpentine's locations there were seven more smaller marks scattered across ninjago. Even though the paper was old and hard to read, the marks were easily recognized as drawings of keys.

But that wasn't the thing that jumped out at Lloyd's eyes. The thing that mad his heart beat faster and his palms sweaty was the fairly recent red writing in the map. It circled the temple of fire, in which a key symbol was written, and said in sloppy red letters.

One in fire.

Lloyd showed the map to his mom, who then showed it to Garmadon and Cole. Looking at the worry in his parents eyes, he said. " Uncle Wu was right wasn't he? And now Casey's heading to the others!"

"We need to head there as fast as we can," Misako said then started heading to the bounty.

As Lloyd's mom pocketed the old man, the green ninja frowned slightly. It could have been the way the shadows fell across the paper, or perhaps it was only the worry in his heart, but the letters seemed to have changed. His skin went cold after reading the new words.

One dies in fire.