This is bad and good. I've been so focused on this story that I've neglected my other four that I should be updating! On the bright side…I won't ever be late with this story! R&R!


9. New Discoveries

Alex laid on her bed in her dress. She hated wearing it. She hated that she couldn't do anything but help Jay over the kingdom wall. She hated that she got caught and her dad…she took a deep breath. She missed her old dad, the one that played with her and her brothers. The one that rarely yelled and had the evil under control.

There was a soft knock at the door before it opened. Misako walked in and Alex sat up, straightening her dress. "Alexandra, we need to talk," she said.

"Please, just call me Alex. I don't deserve such a high class name, I haven't for a long time," Alex said.

"And how long is that exactly?" Misako asked.

Alex shrugged. "How long has it been since the sun's been out?"

Misako looked down. "You know, there was a point where I wasn't royalty," she said.

"Not this again!" Alex moaned as she dropped back, laying down on her bed.

"Just listen," Misako said, "this time my story has a point in it. I didn't have much either. It was just me, my mom, and my brother. You remember your uncle Henrey right?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Okay, well anyway," Misako continued, "when I met your father, he was trying to escape being next in line to the throne."

Alex sat back up, staring at her mom. "You've never told me that before. He didn't want to be king?"

"No, he didn't," Misako said, "but when he met me, something changed. We'd been playing soccer in the park when the guards came, and he agreed to go back, but everyday at one he came to the park. When I was sixteen, my mother died of an illness. It could've been prevented, but since we were third class my brother and I were unable to afford it. Garmadon found out and made it his mission to protect me. He asked me to move in."

"And you just said yes?" Alex questioned. She knew her dad was turned evil when he was eight, so if her mom had known him for a few years and was moving in with him at sixteen…she had to have known!

"Alexa– Alex," Misako said, "by then I've known him for three years. I knew I loved him. So yes, I agreed to move in. His father took care of my living arrangements. Anyway, I never let things go to my head. I didn't think I'd be staying long, but after I married your father we agreed that none of you should ever have to live what I lived through. We wanted you to live decent lives without it going to your head."

"Still not seeing the point," Alex said.

"The point is," her mom said, sitting down next to her daughter, "what went wrong? Why would you go and do something like join the rebellion? Your father and I had finding Lucas covered."

"You wouldn't understand," Alex mumbled. "It wasn't just about finding Lucas. I needed to find myself too."

She closed her eyes. I promise, Jay's words rung through her head. She wondered if he got caught or not. Hopefully he wasn't stupid enough to go to where ever the rebellion was, but that's what Alex would use as her cover. She let Jay go so be could lead the guards to the rebellion. That seemed believable right?

"Alex, what do you mean by that?" Misako asked.

"I mean I wasn't meant to be just a princess. I wasn't meant to just take orders and sit quietly," Alex said. "I hate dresses. I hate not speaking freely to Dad, and I don't love Kai like you guys want me to."

"I never–"

"Not you, but Dad. If we never found Lucas or he turned up…" her voice faltered but she tried to continue, "I knew that Dad would set me up with Kai so he could be king next."

Misako was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "I know where Lucas is."

"What?" Alex questioned, rising to her feet. "Where?"

"I cannot say where exactly, but your uncle has him. It was important he left, the details are none of your concern," Misako said, slowly pacing the room. "Please, keep that in mind. Now you're to come to the throne room. Your father and I must agree on a punishment. He insists you have one for trying to betray him."

"Don't worry about that, I've got my speech covered," Alex said.

Misako nodded. "Then let us go."


"Zane, you don't know Lucas like I–"

"You don't know him either," Zane said. "He's been here for what? Three days? Four?"

"Yeah, but–"

"Zoe, I'm only looking out for you," Zane interrupted. "It's my job as your brother."

Zoey smiled a little, glad her brother cared so much. "Yeah, but I'm an adult now. I can make my own decisions," she said. "Doesn't your twinepathy tell you that?"

Zane chuckled. "We don't have twinepathy, Zoe."

Zoey shrugged. "Just because nothing odd has happened with it in the past, doesn't mean it won't surface now."

"Really, you're–"

"Did too!"

Zane looked to the window and walked over to it. He frowned. "Didn't Echo go to her room to study?" he asked.

"Yeah and?" Zoey asked.

"She just brought a man here," Zane replied.

"Jay?" Zoey asked, then caught herself. "I don't know how I know that."

"That's not the first time," Zane noted. "You've predicted the future before."

"Let's not talk about it," Zoey said. "There's nothing special about me." She walked over to the door before her brother could disagree. She walked down to the upper deck. "Um, Lucas," she said, her voice getting soft, "are you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"Yeah, sure," Lucas said, "Zoey this is Jay, he's with the rebellion. Jay this is Zoey, her and her brother live here."

"I'm not actually with the rebellion," Jay corrected. "I'm actually their prisoner by choice."

Zoey was about to ask why he'd purposely be a prisoner, but an image flashed through her mind of Jay leaving home everyday and returning to eat nothing but pancakes. She shook it away, it meant nothing. "That's…kinda odd," she said.

Jay shrugged. "Beats eating pancakes for breakfast…and lunch…and dinner."

Zoey felt herself become light headed. Something was wrong. First she knew his name, and then she saw him only being able to eat pancakes. She took a step back as her breathing became rapid.

"Zoey, are you okay?" Echo asked.

Zoey looked down to the young girl. She just needed to breath. "I think I might be coming down with something," she told her.

"My uncle should have some tea for it," Lucas said.

Zoey smiled a little.

"I'll take Zoey to see Daddy, you take care of Jay."

Zoey's smiled faltered as Echo grabbed her hand and led her to the lower decks. She glanced at Lucas who only shrugged. She looked back to Echo as she knocked on Sensei Wu's door.

Wu opened the door. "Yes, what is it?" he asked.

Echo took a deep breath and said, "SoIsnuckouttoplaywithaserpentinebythekingdomandthenweranintoJaysoItoldhimhecouldstayandLucasagreedsoheneedsaplacetostayandZoeyissick."

Zoey was able to understand what the young girl said, but Wu looked like he was having trouble following. He looked to Zoey with a look that asked, What did she just say?

"She said she snuck out to play with a serpentine by the kingdom, ran into Jay and told him he could stay here. Lucas apparently agreed and then she told you I was sick," Zoey told him. "I wouldn't say I'm sick though."

Wu shot a small look of disappointment to his daughter. "Echo, there's a reason we shouldn't be by the kingdom. Go to your room, and this time stay there until I come to get you. Understood?"

Echo looked down and nodded. "I'm sorry Daddy," she mumbled before heading to her room across the hall.

Wu sighed and Zoey could tell he didn't like being mad at his only child. He looked up to her. "So what's wrong?" he asked.

Zoey nervously looked to the upper deck. "Uh, may we speak in your room?"

"Of course." Wu let her in and he walked over to his small kettle and sat down in front of it on the floor. He signaled for her to sit down in front of him.

Zoey sat down and steadied her breathing. "Sensei, I've been having weird occurrences lately," she started. "I've had…visions of things. Most happen in the future, but I just had one of the past. Am I losing it?"

Sensei just slipped a slight chuckle. "No, you're just having a little trouble with your gift," he said. "Soon you will fully understand your powers."

"Powers?" Zoey questioned. "No, I'm just a normal girl."

"No, you're not," Wu argued. "Why do you think I allowed you and your brother to stay here? You were both old enough to find your own way, but I knew you two had something special."

"So…how am I special?" Zoey asked.

Sensei stood up and walked over to a small scroll shelf. He grabbed one and brought it over to Zoey. As he handed it to her, he said, "You're the Ninja of Prophecies."


Since we're just now introducing powers, obviously we're far from done. Review!