Chapter 20; Heinrich's garden of scarlet flames

Emma's POV

Looking out the window in the bridge, I try to remember where I saw that building before. Laura herself does seem a little familiar as well. I feel two hands on top of my shoulders and I turn around to see Zane. Smiling, I turn back to the window.

"Are we just going to fly around Ninjago city untill Emma finds the building?" Kai asks.

"Affirmative" Zane answers behind me.

"This may take a while…" Cece includes

"Pish-posh, it will not take that long!" I turn around and ague my point.

"Did you say pish-posh?" I hear Jay ask.

"Affirmative" I say slightly mocking Zane with a smile. I continue to look out into Ninjago City. What building do I know of has a garden on the roof? Pensively, I look out the window observing the many building we are flying over. After searching for a while we came across many buildings gardens but none of them were the one. What was the thing that made this garden so… different...? I lean on Zane's shoulder. After I was imprisoned in the Hypnobrai tombs I still feel a little warn out. However my thoughts were interrupted. Freezing where I was standing, everything stopped. Tense, I couldn't seem to move. I couldnt think, my mind was blank, but it only lasted for a second. I felt a concentrated pain inside my head once more. I felt myself fall to my knees and my vision become somewhat blurred. I felt pain I was helpless to stop. Leaning into Zane, he cradles me and strokes my hair softly. I am bombarded by thoughts racing though my head and like they where cars they crash and burn. Attempting to focus on my internal surroundings, as quickly as it came, the pain left. I opened my eyes and all I could see were roses. It was a prodigious amount of roses. The roses were growing on countless bushes and they were all a single shade of crimson. I close my eyes and when I open them up again I look up into two icy blue eyes. Filled with worry and apprehension they stare back at me unwavering. Zane helps me up and I stand on my feet. Everyone stares at me and I start to feel slightly nervous, I don't blame them though.

"Roses…" I say hardly audible.

"You ok Emma?" I hear Anne ask. I close my eyes for a second to concentrate and recover.

"Yeah… I think" I say.

"Well you sure are not getting a break!" Cole states.

"A break would be nice…" I think out loud.

"Emma, what were you saying before about roses?" Zane asks

"Oh yes, roses! Thanks for reminding me, Zane!" I pause and think for a moment. I knew that building looked familiar, I know where Laura is! "I know where she is!" I profess.

"Where?" asks Nya.

"Heinrich's Boarding School for the Extraordinary" I answer Nya's question.

"How did you know that?" Anne asks.

"When I was little I went there but later I was taken out. I didn't drop out or anything I simply hated the school and the people were not very nice there. However I remember they had a small garden on the roof and they had the most beautiful roses!" I finish and everyone nods their heads.

"That seems legitimate." Zane says.

"Set course to Heinrich's Boarding School for the Extraordinary Nya!" Jay exclaims.

Zane's POV

The rockets of the bounty shoot us forward, we set course to Emma's former boarding school. Turning to look at Emma, she is looking out the front window of the bridge. I am concerned for Emma's safety in all this. It seems that there is something… painful she is keeping from us and I sense that there is something deep inside Emma's thoughts that troubles her... What is it though…? I am curious as to why her eyes were so vivid with a pure white glow when she caused Skales' retreat to save me from his hypnotism. What happened exactly? I remember asking her about it. She was very shocked when I asked and she replied very ominously...

"Remember Zane, as long as my eyes glow a pure white I will be fine..."

Why when she said that did her eyes seem so… dreary? I look at her for moment thinking profoundly about this. She is about the same height as me but a little shorter, probably because of the age difference but that will not matter for now… Emma senses my gaze and looks back at me. I feel slightly embarrassed but I only blush a little due to my robotic nature. However I am taken off guard and it shows on my face. Emma has a small blush but after a while she smiles vividly and I return that smile.

"We're here!" Nya proclaims and Emma breaks our eye contact by swiftly turning her head to look out the window. Emma on impulse walks almost too quickly to the exit to leave the bounty. I felt torn because she left my presence so swiftly. However I know that she did not mean to be so swift. I quickly follow her pursuit along with everyone else.

The sun hits my face blandly as I walk outside the bridge. Looking up to see my falcon, he flies around the bounty in circles. I watch as he then flies down and I reach out my arm. He lands on my arm and I pet him softly behind the head.

"Is that a falcon?" I hear Emma ask. The falcon had been gone for a while so I do not think she really did get to see him.

"Oh yes he is a falcon and my feathered friend!" I state proudly.

"I love birds!" I watch Emma's eyes sparkle as she observes the falcon. "Could I hold him…?" She asks and I nod. The falcon looks back and forth between Emma and I and hesitantly flies on Emma shoulder. Emma gently pets the falcon on her shoulder and smiles. "What a sweetheart!" She says.

"I think he likes you too…" I say.

"What is his name?" She asks but that takes me by surprise.

"I never really gave him a name. I normally address him as Falcon or feathered friend…" Emma raises her eyebrows but thinks for a bit.

"I can't really think of a name for him either! I guess he is just awesome like that." Emma says and I agree. My falcon then decides to fly off her shoulder and back onto mine. He gives me a 'she's-a-keeper' look and I smile. Well I guess the falcon 'approves'. I give a small laugh and we continue to traverse the deck. We get off the bounty and land right in front of the Boarding school and we decide to take a 'visit'. I look around the halls of the building that seemed very pristine and polished. At the moment classes were going on however I think school would be nearly over for them. They must end school later in the summer for many schools have already been out. We all wonder unsure of what we need to do. Emma and I decide that a good place to start searching would be in the garden. After we gain a visitor pass and give an excuse as to why we are here we make it to the roof. I look around the garden and look at the rose bushes. Roses surround the edges of the garden with a fewer in the middle. To me it looks slightly like a maze like pattern however there are not simply enough rose bushes for it to be a true puzzle.

"Wow the garden grew a bit sense I left…" I hear Emma say as I inspect a few roses. I look at a few young ones along with the ones in full bloom. I look at a rose that lost all its petals completely. I then hear a bell ring and I hear kids in the hallways downstairs. "I think they are taking a lunch break, Zane" Emma observes as the din continues for more than five minutes.

"I would agree to that." I say. I stand up from my kneeled position and look at Emma. Stopping to stare into her eyes, she looks into mine. I move a stand of hair from her face as I slowly move closer. Placing my hand under her chin, staring into her wonderful sky blues eyes, wavering, the emotions inside both of her forget me not flowers dance and shine like stars. I hear the door open to the roof and we break apart. Only then do I realize our former close proximity. However I turn my head as a girl walks into the garden. Her eyes widen and her visage blossoms like a rose.

"I-I am sorry, I-I didn't mean to interrupt anything!" She stammers and speaks quietly.

"Oh it is ok, do not worry about it!" Emma tries to calm the girl down. "It happens!" Emma includes which is true. Emma walks over to the girl who seemed about the same age as Emma but Emma seems more mature. "I am Emma." Emma puts her hand out for the girl to shake.

"Laura." The girl grabs her hand but Emma looks very shocked. Emma releases her hand abruptly and puts it towards her head. I rush over as Laura starts to panic slightly. Emma looks up to my eyes with pain written inside and I grab her to hold her in my arms. She recovers quickly and her heart rate decreases from their former rapid pace.

"Is she ok?" Laura says a little louder but still quiet. Emma looks up to me and I turn to Laura.

"Do not worry, Emma is fine. She just goes through a lot with her extra psychic abilities." I say bluntly and look at Emma who seems to be free of her sudden illness.

"She… is the one." Emma says breathless and hardly audible. I then introduce myself to Laura.

"I am Zane." I say and put out my free hand. Laura stands there and looks me up and down.

"Zane Julien, white ninja of ice?" Laura says in shock and I nod my head. She grabs my hand and shakes it. "HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? ONE OF NINJAGO'S HEROS IS RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES! Oh my goodness, ARE THE OTHER NINJA HERE TOO?" she says loudly compared to her barely audible speech pattern.

"The other ninja are here too…" I think quickly. "Would you like to meet them?" I think this will buy Emma time to recover.

"IT WOULD BE AN HONNOR!" Laura says excited.

This chapter took FOREVER to write! However I finally got to introduce my last cosmic master! (30,500 words into the fic…) I was surprised by everyone's excitement to meet her… she is a lot like me in a way… so she relates a lot to Emma and Emma is sort of like her big sister! Though they are both around 17… *Emma presses the mute button as I begin to talk of spoilers*

NINJA-Noooooooooooo~ *performs Sarcasitzu*

SergeantSarcasm7 at your service!