A/N: omg. heyyy...

so, funny story. i'm visiting family for the summer and i think to myself, 'hey, it's been a minute since you uploaded a new chapter. it's been, what, three months?' and then i looked and it's been since CHRISTMAS. sorry guys, it seems that life got the best of me. but this chapter is super long (longer than the last one, i believe), so consider it my apology.

happy reading!

oOo

Christmas is so lively and jubilant that the aftermath of it seems almost dismal.

Things at the monastery revert, more or less, back to normal—or whatever qualifies as normal for the ninja's household, anyway.

Though he had been more than happy to partake in the holiday revelry, Sensei Wu is back to whipping them all into shape. He has the ninja on an even stricter training regimen, insisting upon daily sunrise exercise until the guys can manage to "take themselves seriously".

Nya is not required to join them, but sometimes all the morning commotion jostles her awake and she has nothing better to do but insert herself.

(She'll never admit she's always happy for an excuse to do so.)

Then, of course, she still finds time for brief one-on-one practices with Sensei, who graciously provides pointers and general feedback.

During one such practice session, Sensei is especially pleased.

"You are making excellent progress," he says, nodding as Nya completes another round on the training course. She skids to a halt, hands on her knees.

Nya grins, still panting. "Think Kai should be worried?"

Sensei's expression is chiding but indulgent. "I daresay you are on his heels, yes."

"Awesome."

Ever since her victory against Kai in the courtyard, Nya has been pursuing improvement with newfound determination. She's not sure what her goals are—she only knows that she wants to be more.

Nya would never say it out loud, but she's been feeling a little left out. Sure, she's allowed to join them for training, but she can't shake the feeling that the guys aren't always happy about it. And yeah, Christmas was really great and everyone acted welcoming and inclusive...

But the ninja stuff is different. The ninja stuff is theirs.

Maybe it's paranoia. She's been known to make mountains out of molehills, as Sensei would put it. It's just...

Nya doesn't want to be Kai's little sister who can't keep up. She wants to be an asset.

How will she ever become an official member of the crew if she's the weak link? She needs to be able to jump and flip and run and fight like the boys. Better than the boys.

Nya will prove herself. She just has to trust the process.

Part of that process should be testing the samurai mech, a task that keeps getting shoved farther and farther back on the to-do list. Snagging a ride has proven more inconvenient than Nya expected, considering how busy everyone is. She briefly pondered stealing Flame for a few hours, but that would so not go over well.

She dusts her pants off, refocusing. Sensei is watching her, a question in his eyes.

"Is everything alright?" he asks.

Nya hesitates only the barest of seconds, then nods. "Yeah. I was just catching my breath."

"I see. Perhaps it's time we call it a day—"

"Can I go again?"

Sensei raises an eyebrow, looking her over. "I would prefer you do not injure yourself with overexertion."

"I'm not overexerted, I'm fine."

He ponders for a moment, then surprises her.

"Alright, once more."

Nya beams at him, leaping back into position for another round. She doesn't care how many times she has to repeat this stupid training course. She doesn't care how many times she has to fall. She doesn't care if she comes inside every day sweating and bleeding and aching.

Because one day, she's gonna be the freaking master of this courtyard. And then maybe she'll receive her rightful reward—a spot on this team.

oOo

The first sign of a change in routine arrives, one brisk January morning, with the mail.

Nya has always been curious about how the mailman even finds the monastery and how he's got the stamina to climb all those steps. But regardless, he arrives once a week to deposit an armload of items for the eager boys.

Cole always gets care packages from his dad who, allegedly, lives in the city and "always has something to say." Information about Cole's dad is usually revealed through bitter jokes or accidental comments. It's a touchy subject. Nya doesn't pry, because she remembers what Cole told her about his mom. Grief changes things.

Jay receives boatloads of letters and photographs from his parents. As far as Nya knows, his mom and dad are eccentric and a tad overbearing, but the photos they send are so cool. They're inventors. Jay always waves it off with flushed cheeks, but Nya senses a profound closeness between him and his parents. It's a closeness she tries not to be resentful of, but she's accustomed to banishing those constant ghosts of jealousy.

Zane falls into the category with Kai and Nya. That is to say, he never gets mail.

On this particular day, the mailman stumbles into the courtyard, huffing and puffing, to call out, "Big news!"

Everyone files in, pulled from various activities. At the head of the group, Sensei frowns as he leans against his staff.

Between breaths, the mailman manages, "Skulkin—sighted in Ninjago—in the forest."

The guys erupt in excited chatter, overlapping one another with speculations and ideas and declarations of naive vengeance. Nya shoves past them, more interested in what the mailman has to say.

"The forest?" Sensei asks, his frown deepening. He hums in disapproval. "That is cause for concern. If I may ask—who spotted them?"

The mailman gestures with his hand. "I heard from my friend Ted, who heard from the guy at the hardware store, who heard from his wife, who saw it on N-TV News or somethin'."

Sensei quirks an eyebrow. "Or something, you say?"

"The grapevine is a tricky thing."

"I see." Sensei strokes his beard, eyes clouded briefly in thought. "Still, we must take every precaution. I'll see what we can do."

Nya, dutiful wallflower of this conversation, waves as the mailman heads off, saluting as he starts down the winding stone steps. When the top of his hat has disappeared, Nya turns to face Sensei.

"What're we gonna do?"

He studies her, then glances at the boys, who are still lost in their own company.

"Well...I suppose we will investigate."

It takes some loud clapping and throat-clearing to snap the guys to attention. When Sensei has them all lined up, he takes to pacing, hands clasped behind his back.

"As you all heard, it seems we may have some unwanted visitors in Ninjago. The best course of action—"

"I'll go, Sensei," Kai offers, that arrogant spark in his tone. Nya rolls her eyes at it.

"No, Sensei," says Cole. "I can go."

Kai glares at him. "I volunteered first."

"Yeah, well, I'm team leader."

"Just because you're the oldest doesn't mean—"

"Why don't we investigate in pairs?" suggests Zane, eager to soothe the heightening tension.

"Yeah," Jay chimes in. "Me 'n' the dirtclod can take the east half."

"In your wildest dreams," says Cole. "I fly solo."

Kai gags. "Well, aren't you just a regular Batman."

"You try riding with Sparky Mc-Loud-Mouth over here—"

"Hey—"

Sensei thumps his staff against the ground, silencing them. "Enough. Wait for my instructions before you begin quarreling, please."

"Yes, Sensei," they mumble, exchanging still-charged glares.

"Now then. I believe the best course of action is to send you in pairs—thank you, Zane. Each pair will patrol a side of the forest. This way, if you happen across any problems, you will have adequate back-up."

The ninja nod their understanding. Jay raises his hand.

"Yes, Jay?" asks Sensei wearily.

"Can we choose our partner?"

The corner of Sensei's mouth twitches, but he shakes his head once. "Today I will assign your pairs based on my judgment."

Three synchronized groans and a nod from Zane.

"Jay, you will accompany Cole in the west end of the forest."

The partners in question cross their arms, still glaring halfheartedly. They know better than to argue.

"Zane, you and Nya will patrol the east half."

Kai's startled "What?" is what jerks Nya back to the present. She'd been spacing off, certain this mission would not involve her whatsoever—as their missions tended to do.

Now she blinks, agape. "Wait—me?"

"And what, I'm on my own?" Kai looks aghast with betrayal.

Sensei's expression is unreadable, but there's something glimmering there that suggests this will be painful. For Kai, that is.

"As a matter of fact, Kai," he begins, "you will stay here with me."

Nya's first thought is that she should step forward, offer Kai her spot on the mission, and avoid any further conflict. But this time something stops her.

It's not exactly defiance, and not quite selfishness either, but Nya recognizes the stiffening of her spine, the square set of her shoulders. She loves Kai, but this is her chance.

Her chance to prove herself.

If Nya can pull this off—if she can work well with the others—Sensei might consider making her a permanent addition. That's all she wants.

Kai's already a part of the team. She needs this more than he does.

So she stays quiet, realizing with some alarm that Kai has yet to explode.

The other ninja have evacuated to a corner of the courtyard, pretending to prepare their gear but very obviously eavesdropping. Nya's about to join them when Kai dips his head. He mumbles something.

"What was that?" Sensei asks.

Louder, Kai says, "I don't think this is a good idea."

Nya swallows a remark, waiting.

"I'm sorry to hear that," says Sensei. "However, I'm afraid I've made my decision." He turns to the others, leaving Kai in the long afternoon shadows. "The rest of you—collect yourselves and your equipment. I expect you to be ready for send-off in fifteen minutes."

They all mutter an acknowledgment, gathering weapons. Jay and Cole hurry into the stable to saddle up their dragons, but Kai (predictably) stalks back into the monastery, looking murderous.

Nya only waits a tiny moment before she follows.

"Hey," she calls after him. "Don't be mad."

He brushes her away.

Nya latches onto his arm, tugging until he's forced to whirl around and look at her.

"Look, I'm sorry," she pleads. "I didn't ask to go. Maybe—I don't know, maybe Sensei just wanted to shake things up—"

"Oh, please." Kai narrows his eyes, looking angrier than Nya's seen him in a long time. "I know exactly what Sensei's doing."

"Which is what?"

"He's trying to teach me a lesson. 'Be humble, Kai.' 'Know your role, Kai.' 'Step out of line and I'll replace you with your sister, Kai.' I know how this works."

Nya frowns. "He's not replacing you. What if he just wants me to experience a real, actual mission? Is that the worst thing in the world?"

"No, the worst thing in the world is him using you to get to me."

"That's not what's going on here," Nya insists.

"Really? What about that little stunt on the training course, huh? You're telling me he didn't want you to knock me down a peg?"

"Kai, that was forever ago—"

"Not for me it wasn't. He wanted to humiliate me in front of the guys, and guess what? You took the bait then, and you're taking it now."

"What, am I supposed to say no? What happened to 'respect' and 'he's your sensei, too'—?"

"It's the principle of it, Nya."

"Sensei's the one calling the shots, okay? Not me. And unlike you, I know better than to argue about everything."

"Whose side are you on, anyway?"

The word yours materializes, ready to leap from her lips and fix this. It trembles on the tip of her tongue, begging to be heard.

She's always on Kai's side. More than anything, she wants Kai to be happy. She wants him to have friends and enjoy his life and use his talents.

But...is it too much if Nya wants that, too?

What if she wants friends? What if she wants to have fun and learn and experience new things? What's wrong with that?

Nya's shoulders drop, her expression set firmly.

"Mine," she says.

Kai had not foreseen that response, clearly. He blinks, searching her eyes for a trace of humor, like maybe she might be messing with him.

"This time, I'm on my own side," continues Nya. "Because I'm just as capable as you guys and maybe today I can finally prove that to you."

"There's nothing to prove."

Nya freezes, fairly certain she knows what direction this conversation is headed in.

Kai rakes a hand through his hair, releasing a breath. He takes a step toward her.

"Listen," he says. "You're talented, okay? I've always known that. I don't doubt that you could go out there and do some serious damage." Then, "But you're not one of us."

Nya feels herself shrink several inches as the comment hits her. Kai won't make eye contact with her as he continues.

"Sensei chose me and the others because we're descendants of elemental masters, not because we're guys or because we're older than you. You're great one-on-one, but I'm worried that if you go up against a whole group of our enemies..." He pauses, choosing his words. "You'll get hurt or worse."

Bristling, Nya tries to catch his eye. "What, like you guys are invincible?"

"No, but we have elemental powers. Dad was the Master of Fire, and he passed down—"

"He's my dad, too!" Nya presses her heels deeper into the floorboards. "Who cares if I can't make a dumb sword light up."

"It's not dumb."

Then Kai, evidently deciding he's wasting time, waves his hands to clear away the words hovering between them.

"Look, someday it'd be really cool to have you fighting with us. But you're just not ready."

Nya stomps closer to him, about to unleash hell's fury, when Zane appears in the hall.

He stops at the sight of them almost head-to-head, clearly aware he's stumbled into something private.

After a moment, he says, "Shard is ready for departure. I came to see if Nya was prepared. But if she requires more time..."

Taking this as her cue for a dramatic exit, Nya whirls to face him.

"Actually, I'm all set." She looks back to Kai. "I think we're done here."

After bestowing this announcement upon her brother, Nya strides down the hall and links arms with Zane, practically dragging him back into the courtyard.

Kai indulges in the luxury of an eyeroll, but as he watches them disappear through the doors, a lump of dread settles in his stomach.

When Nya gets something into her head, there isn't much that can stop her. Kai would know. He and his sister are more similar than he cares to admit.

oOo

The energy in the stable is charged with adolescent adrenaline, eager voices bouncing off the walls as everyone clambers into the saddles.

To get a more even coverage of the forest, Jay and Cole decide to share a dragon. They struggle, however, to settle on whose dragon.

"Wisp is the obvious choice," says Jay, hands on his hips.

Cole shakes his head. "No way. Your dragon's a total scaredy-cat."

"He is not."

"We're taking Rocky. He can handle anything."

"Admit it—you just want the reins."

Cole sputters for a moment. "Wha—no! I don't care who has the reins. I just don't want your dragon to throw us off at the first sign of danger."

"Oh, save it. I heard you whining about my flying to Sensei yesterday."

Caught in his lie, Cole pauses, then crosses his arms over his chest.

"Okay, fine. I'm tired of your rollercoaster flying and I don't want to get airsick. Sue me."

Nya smiles to herself as she watches the two of them go back and forth. Zane, already waiting atop Shard, offers her a hand up.

While he waits for Cole and Jay to sort things out, Zane busies himself with adjusting and readjusting his grip on Shard's reins. He says nothing. Nya swings her heels a little.

"So," she tries. "You excited?"

Zane stares grimly ahead. "This mission may be dangerous if the Skulkin are indeed in Ninjago. I would not say excited is the correct term."

Nya blinks. "Right. Well. Nervous, then?"

"Not exactly."

"Do you feel prepared?"

"We are only as prepared as our training allows."

"Okay, then."

Nya quiets down, seeing as this conversation isn't going anywhere. Zane has a way of answering questions without actually...answering.

Just then, Kai pokes into the stables. He scans for Nya, then tosses her a thick winter jacket before she can object.

"Wear it," he says. His tone is firm but most of the bitterness has already drained from his posture. For once, he seems to have cooled off quicker than Nya.

Nya glares at him but shrugs the coat on just the same.

"Thanks," she says.

"Sure." Kai gives her a stern look—the kind that usually implies an oncoming lecture. But he only says, "Be careful."

Embarrassed, Nya glances to the side, but Cole and Jay are still occupied with their bickering. Zane is busy with his shurikens, spinning them nervously between his palms.

Nya shifts back to Kai and sees him lingering, waiting for a confirmation. Momentarily, some of her anger dissolves.

"I will," she assures.

With her eyes, Nya urges her brother out of the stable. After only a brief moment of hesitation, he complies.

Nya tugs the coat sleeves lower, secretly grateful. It was nice of him to think ahead. Even as a kid, she was always forgetting to dress for the weather.

Dang it, Nya broods. Now he's making it hard to be mad at him.

Jay and Cole reach a consensus: Jay can "drive," but they're riding Rocky.

"If you send us into the stratosphere, Sensei's gonna hear about it," warns Cole.

Jay scoffs. "Yeah, yeah. We get it, you're boring."

On dragonback, they shuffle out of the stable and into the biting daylight. As Nya feels Shard's ice-hard muscles shift beneath her, a thrill shivers up her spine. Now that things are in motion—now that she's really doing this—Nya's recognizing a faint spark of anxiety.

Zane's anxious, too. His posture is always on the stiffer side, but today his shoulders are rigid in a way Nya's not familiar with.

She knows that, in accepting this mission, she's putting an extra responsibility on the guys' backs. Not that she can't handle herself, but out of everyone here...

Well. Nya's definitely the least experienced with actual combat. She's worried that everyone is wondering what they're meant to do with her.

Zane is a steady flier. He doesn't do dips or twirls like Jay likes to, and he doesn't charge ahead with as much speed as the others usually do. His grasp on the reins is firm, but not clenching. He sits with his back perfectly straight.

When Nya flies with Jay or Kai, she likes to hold them a little for balance. Today, she just squeezes her legs into Shard's side.

Zane doesn't strike her as the kind of person who likes to be touched. Whenever the guys are romping around, he tends to keep a respectful distance if he can. One time, she saw Jay go in for a hug and Zane just stood there. Still as a statue.

Everyone has their weird niche, she supposes. Kai doesn't like bodies of water. Cole is outwardly superstitious. Maybe Zane just isn't a people-person.

On a number of levels, Nya can sympathize.

For a long while, they carry on in silence. Then, from across the expanse of open air, Cole calls out.

"We should prepare to split up!"

Shard gives a few strong beats of his wings to catch up. Zane locks in beside Rocky, keeping pace.

"We'll head east," says Cole. "You two can—"

"West," says Nya.

Everyone turns to her.

She swallows. "Sensei said Jay and Cole have the west side. Zane and I go east."

"Oh."

Cole hardens momentarily, probably not thrilled with the correction, him being the typically self-proclaimed leader and all. But he moves on quickly.

"Alright, then. Jay and I will take the west side, going counterclockwise. You two fly clockwise and circle east."

"But won't that only cover the perimeter?" asks Nya.

"We'll have to search the interior on foot. The canopy's too thick, we'll have trouble seeing anything from a bird's eye view."

Nya nods, playing back the instructions in her head.

"We'll meet at the bottom of the perimeter and head in from the ground," finishes Cole. "If you find anything, call for backup."

Nya glances between them. "How?"

Jay lets go of one of Rocky's reins to hold up a battered-looking device. "Communicators!"

"Two hands, Jay!"

"Sorry, sorry."

Nya nods again, trying to feel reassured. It's a little hard, though, considering she doesn't actually have a communicator.

It's probably fine, she tells herself. I'm with Zane.

If anyone here has a level head, it's him.

Still, her stomach performs quite the astounding swan dive when Shard breaks off from Rocky's side, arcing neatly to the right.

Shard's wings catch a wayward gust and Zane twists them a little. It catches Nya off-guard and she grabs the back of Zane's gi to balance herself, then lets go almost immediately. The tips of her fingers are numb with the same burn you'd get from holding an ice cube too long.

"Is everything alright?" asks Zane, peeking back at her.

"Yeah, sorry." Nya tucks her hands under her arms. "You're cold."

"Apologies."

"Don't apologize. Kai runs extra hot. Maybe it's an elemental master thing."

"Perhaps."

Nya isn't sure how the elemental powers really work. Kai's always been warmer than the average person, but she's never received an electric shock from touching Jay. Cole doesn't walk around in a cloud of dirt.

They all do tend to embody their respective elements, though. At least in certain ways. Is that part of the elemental power stuff? Or just a fascinating coincidence? She wishes there was a convenient library she could raid for this kind of information.

Shard swoops lower, then levels out in the last of the clearing, where the trees are still sparse and spindly. They cruise along the line of the perimeter in nervous silence.

Well, Nya's nervous anyway.

Typically she's a nervous talker. Typically when the situation is hurtling toward bleak or messy, her lips start moving so fast that her brain can hardly keep up. This time, though, she resists the urge.

Ninja are quiet. Stealthy. She's not about to blow their cover by running her mouth. That sounds like something Kai would do, and today she's trying to be better.

After a while, though, the silence and general lack of action is making her sleepy. The air is calmer down here and thick with the sharp scent of pine. Nya never realized how adjusted she'd become to the brisk mountain winds and puddles of slush in the courtyard.

Down near the forest floor, everything is alive. There are sprawling mazes of shrubbery and animals rustling in the undergrowth. The snow is more plentiful, layered over the mud like a second skin. Heaps of it are piled around tree trunks. Where sunbeams filter through the canopy, the snow melts away to reveal bare patches, sprouting clumps of mushrooms and clover.

January looks different from up above, she supposes.

About three-quarters of the way down the east perimeter, Zane's communicator buzzes mechanically. Cole's voice is crackly through the speaker.

"Zane. You there?"

Zane's face is as neutral as always when he answers. "I read you. Have you run into any trouble?"

"No...we might be a little late to the rendezvous, though. Sparky here thinks he saw something, so he's having us retrace the perimeter."

Jay's voice interjects crisply. "I swear I saw—"

"It was a bird, Jay."

"We don't know that!"

Cole's sigh is a burst of static. "If you two are feeling up to it, you're good to head in from the ground. We'll try to meet you in the middle."

"We copy."

"Cool. Over and out."

They hear the last fragments of an argument between Jay and Cole. Then the communicator goes silent.

All business, Zane tugs on Shard's reins, coaxing him lower. The patchy earth below them drifts closer and closer as Nya focuses almost exclusively on her breathing.

There's something distinctly trippy about the sensation, she realizes. Maybe because Kai would normally be here with them, not her. It's a bit like being an imposter. Nya feels like an obnoxious tag-along. Deadweight.

She'll have to be extra on her game today, then. As long as nobody has a reason to be upset with her, Nya might stand a chance at earning a permanent place on the team. Alongside Kai. Not instead of him.

Shard lands with a mighty thump, sending dead leaves flying out in a ring around them. Zane slides right off the saddle, offering a solemn hand up to Nya. She takes it, hopping down.

When Zane starts off into the forest, Nya looks back at his dragon.

"What about Shard?" she asks.

"He will not leave without us."

"How do you know?"

Zane turns to his winged companion and calmly commands, "Shard, sit."

He does.

"Stay, please."

Shard exhales twin puffs of frost from his nostrils. He curls up serenely, resting his massive head on a mound of packed snow. And there he stays, utterly at ease.

Nya raises an impressed eyebrow. "Did you teach him that?"

"I did."

"Wow. That's really cool, Zane."

And she means it, too. Though Nya's convinced the dragons really can understand at least a portion of human communication, she'd never thought about training one like that. Flame wouldn't respond to "sit" if his life depended on it. Meanwhile, Shard is borderline domesticated.

Maybe Zane has a special bond with his dragon. They do both seem rather docile.

He hasn't replied to her comment, but Nya thinks she might see the faintest twinkle of pride in his eyes.

"Stay close," he says. "We are more likely to encounter the Skulkin on foot."

Nya nods. The anxious butterflies are back, stirring up a sick feeling in her stomach. Now that they're down here, potentially headed into enemy territory, Nya's realizing how woefully underprepared she is.

Maybe Kai was right...

No. No, that's quitter talk. This probably won't even be a serious mission. They'll go in, scout around, and leave when the forest is inevitably empty. Sensei wouldn't have allowed her to come if he thought it would be that dangerous.

Plus, you know, she's got three trained ninja on her side. If things do get tricky, they'll handle it. Worst case scenario, Nya winds up hiding in a shrub while the others Spinjitzu their way to victory.

Either way, it'll be a learning experience of some kind. At least, that's what she's choosing to believe.

Zane takes the lead, navigating easily between the trees. He steps over the snow as lightly as a bird might, leaving the shallowest of dents in his wake. Meanwhile, Nya is wading through the forest. She sinks down, snow up to the middle of her shins no matter how carefully she steps.

Master of ice, she remembers. Lucky.

They trudge on in silence, making the occasional stop to listen for any suspicious noises. On one such respite from the trek, Nya leans back against a tree, catching her breath as Zane peers through the foliage.

She listens to the wind whispering through the pine needles. A loose strand of hair tickles her ear and Nya tucks it away. Her hands are cold.

Kai was definitely smart to give her the coat. Too bad she doesn't own any other winter gear, like boots or gloves. She'd grown out of her snow boots a while ago and FSM knows they couldn't afford new ones. She probably could've dug out a scarf, though...

Zane suddenly straightens, fixed on something to the west.

"What is it?" asks Nya, tensing.

The ice ninja is still for another moment, then turns to her.

"I sense our friends are on their way. We may be wise to wait here until they join us."

"Okay."

Nya has enough questions to fill a few pages, but she's not sure if asking them would be rude or not. Zane is by far the most mysterious ninja. The other guys don't seem to know much about him, and now Nya has the perfect chance to get acquainted.

Zane lowers himself to the ground, sitting meditation-style atop the drifting snow. Nya is reminded briefly of Shard, who had settled down in a similarly patient manner.

Go for it, Nya. Now or never.

She clears her throat. "So...since you're the ice ninja, do you not get cold?"

That is not the question she'd meant to ask. The nerves must be getting to her, scrambling all her intentions.

Zane blinks up at her, looking baffled. "You told me I was cold."

"Oh—yeah, when I touched you I felt it. But do you notice the cold? Does it bother you?"

A thoughtful expression crosses over his face and Zane tilts his head a little.

"I suppose I never thought about it."

Nya lifts a brow. "Really? Never?"

Zane shrugs one of his shoulders. There's a tight moment of hesitation, like he might not say anything else. Nya picks at the bark on the tree; prying was probably a bad idea.

Then Zane says, "I grew up surrounded by the cold. I suppose—since it was all I knew—it did not affect me."

This might be the first real piece of Zane's past Nya has ever heard. She takes a slow breath, as though the fragile moment could shatter at any sudden movement.

"Where did you grow up?" Nya asked, then added, "In Ignacia, we had all the seasons. But—I know if you go farther north, some areas get snow all the time."

Zane's cool gaze is fixed on some distant, nonexistent point through the trees. He shakes his head.

"I do not remember where I grew up."

"You mean—you moved away when you were really little?"

"I...suppose I must have."

Nya pauses, looking fully at him now. "You really don't know?"

Zane shifts uncomfortably and Nya feels a stab of guilt for pushing the matter. Still...

She can't imagine not knowing where she grew up. Even despite the constant instability of her childhood, Nya can remember every bed she's ever slept in, every nuance of routine. Ignacia was dull and her uncle was rough but she knows it was home.

"You find me...strange," says Zane.

"No!" Kind of. "Just—most people know where they grew up, even if they only lived there a little while. But, you know...everyone has different backgrounds."

Zane nods his head in concession, though he doesn't look thoroughly convinced.

Nya exhales, tracing the swirls in the bark. She's really wishing the other guys would get here right about now.

A squirrel leaps into view, startling them both to attention. They relax just as quickly, exchanging awkward smiles. False alarm.

After some more silence, Zane suddenly pushes to his feet, facing Nya in earnest.

"I do not remember my parents," he says. "I think—perhaps I never knew them."

His face is the most animated Nya's ever seen it, all wide blue eyes and lifted brows. As though he's just been struck with this revelation, or the confession held so much weight that it sprung out of him unannounced.

For a moment, Nya just stares.

Then she says, "Me, too."

Zane's eyebrows lower into something like a frown, carrying sympathy and confusion.

"You and Kai did not know your parents?"

Nya shakes her head. "Not really. I guess he knew them better than I did, but they disappeared when I was three."

"Disappeared?"

"Yeah. Well, everyone thinks they're...y'know. Dead. I just say 'disappeared' because it's less—intense."

"It is?"

Nya thinks about that, shakes her head with some amusement. "Not really."

Zane's eyes are gleaming with such authenticity that Nya has to look away. Her first thought is that the ice ninja is capable of showing emotion.

Her second thought is, geez, Nya, how insensitive can you be?

"I guess we're sort of in the same boat, huh?" she asks.

Zane blinks. "Boat?"

"Uh—it's a metaphor. It means we're in the same situation. We can relate to each other. Because we both lost our parents."

"I see." Zane nods to himself, smiling a little. "We are in the boat together."

Ducking her head, Nya laughs.

Solemnly, Zane adds, "You are lucky to have a brother like Kai. It is honorable that he values family."

"Aw yeah, well. He's a bozo, but I love him." Nya glances up at Zane. "You're his family, too, you know. You all are."

"I do not think—"

Nya holds a hand up. "No, trust me. Kai's all prickly at first, but it doesn't take him long to warm up to people."

She giggles a little at her own pun, then realizes it went over Zanes head and stops.

"I mean it," she says.

"Kai is quite warm," muses Zane. "I imagine it is useful during the winter."

Nya has to resist the urge to palm her forehead. "Well, he's physically warm, too, but I was talking about, like—being a warm person." Nope, that's not right, either. "I mean—being friendly."

"I always found Kai to be rather abrasive."

"He is. But he can be really nice, too."

"Then, when you say I am cold, you mean that I am—not nice?"

Now Nya does smack her forehead. "No. I meant that you were cold to the touch."

"Warm and cold have different meanings, then?"

"In different contexts, yes." She tilts her head at him. "You don't get out much, do you?"

Zane only splays his hands, as if to say, beats me.

Just then, two voices carry through the trees, one gravelly and authoritative, the other pitched higher and teasing.

The higher voice says, "Sorry I was trying to be thorough!"

Jay and Cole.

"That's them," Nya says, shoving off the tree trunk.

Like clockwork, the butterflies descend into her stomach with a flurry of nerves. Nya thinks butterflies is probably a bad way to describe it. Her butterflies have always felt a lot more like—possessed hornets, or something.

Truthfully, she'd been enjoying her exchange with Zane. It was the most she'd ever spoken to him before and he's actually a very interesting case.

Maybe when they get back to the monastery, she'll try chatting him up again.

Jay's voice grows nearer, accompanied by Cole's deeper tones. Nya shakes out her hands.

Zane glances sideways at her, noticing.

"Is everything alright?" he asks.

Nya sticks both hands in her pockets. "Yeah. I'm just—I guess I'm feeling the adrenaline."

Zane looks her over. "I sense you are anxious."

"You can sense that?"

"Are you anxious about the mission?"

Nya squints against a particularly cold gust of wind. "Uh...a little." Don't sound like a loser. "But—some of it is excitement, too."

"But anxiety and excitement are very different, are they not?"

"Sure. I'm just feeling them at the same time."

"Oh." Zane frowns to himself. "Fascinating"

Nya only has time to raise an eyebrow before their partners are upon them.

Cole and Jay burst through the brush, their bickering preceding them.

Nya catches Jay's eye and he halts his rambling, elbowing Cole swiftly in the side.

"C'mon, man, time to get serious."

Cole gapes at him. "Who, me? I'm pretty sure you were the one dragging us on a wild goose chase this whole—"

"I told you I thought I saw something—"

"Yeah, probably one of the various woodland creatures—"

"You should never take chances. What would Sensei think if—"

"I believe," Zane chimes in, "Sensei would want us to focus on the task at hand."

Nya seconds that, though she doesn't actually say anything. Somehow, she figures inserting her opinion into this particular exchange might only fan the flames. Cole doesn't seem all that thrilled to have her here in the first place. Based on the look in his eyes, he's already stamped LIABILITY on Nya's forehead.

She knows that look. She can practically read his mind. It's the classic "It's not personal, I'm just worried you might die" look.

"Zane's right," says Cole. "We should head toward the center of the forest." He looks at Nya. "I take it you two didn't find anything along the perimeter?"

She shakes her head. "Nothing."

"Same. I guess we're going in."

The three ninja exchange nods and head north. Nya falls into step behind them, content with being in the back for a while. She'd actually like to be ignored for a change.

Unfortunately, Jay has no radar for such desires. He intentionally slows his pace and winds up striding next to Nya, fingers hooked nonchalantly through the belt loops of his gi.

"So," he begins, drawing it out. "First mission, huh?"

"Yep."

"How do you feel so far? Excited? Nervous? Tingly? I always feel kind of tingly heading into these things."

"Uh..." Nya inhales, holding the breath in her sternum. She lets it out in a whoosh of crystallized air. "Honestly? I'm getting major imposter syndrome."

"Imposter-what-now?"

"I feel like I'm pretending."

"Pretending to do what?"

A muscle twitches in Nya's cheek. She wishes she knew how to bring this conversation to a polite end and avoid hurting any feelings. It's just too hard to chat and scan her surroundings at the same time. She's new to this whole vigilant thing and Jay's distracting her.

"This isn't usually my scene," she says, glancing at a thick cluster of trees. "I feel like I took Kai's spot."

"Didn't you?"

Nya frowns. "Not on purpose. Sensei told me to, so I did."

At this point, Nya's starting to forget exactly why she was so eager to tag along today. She's feeling cold and unwanted. It's like living at her uncle's house all over again. She almost laughs but now doesn't seem like the appropriate moment.

"Hey," Cole says, turning to face them. "Cool it with the chatter back there. We have to stay focused."

Nya falls silent, her cheeks flushed.

The group emerges into a wide clearing. Ahead of them, spanning off into the distance, is a glistening lake.

"And to think, I didn't bring my swim trunks," Jay quips, approaching it. He presses a foot to the glassy surface. "It's totally frozen over. Cool."

Jay shuffles out a little bit, his arms pinwheeling for balance as he finds his footing.

"Jay, c'mon," says Cole. "Quit fooling around."

"Forget swim trunks, I should've brought my ice skates."

Zane crouches, laying a palm over the frozen expanse. He frowns.

"The ice is thickest here," he says, "where the water is shallow. I would not advise traversing beyond—"

"Traversing?" Jay laughed. "What the heck kinda word is that?"

"It means 'traveling'," says Nya absently. "Or 'moving'."

Jay pauses his amateur ice skating to gape at her. "You're smart, too?"

Cole points a finger at her. "Ohh, yeah. You used to read a lot. I remember you telling me that."

Jay suddenly yelps, leaping away as the ice crackles threateningly. He skids back to shore.

"See?" reprimands Cole. "Bad idea."

Zane gazes out at the lake. "The center is likely unstable. Bodies of water freeze at the edges first, where there is less movement."

Jay scowls, brushing bits of snow from his gi. "You learn something new every day."

"We should keep moving," says Cole. "We still have to—"

An ominous rustling of foliage cuts him off, causing the whole party to whip their heads around in a jolt of awareness. Branches creak and leaves whisper in the canopy overhead. Nya feels goosebumps creeping down both arms.

Silence. As though they'd imagined it.

Then, swift as a serpent, Zane pulls a shuriken from his belt, whirls, and launches it at the rather narrow space between Cole and Jay. They jump apart in alarm at the same time that the weapon nails its target—a Skulkin lurking in a bush of dead wildflowers.

Nya has less than two seconds to grasp the situation before it escalates. In that miniscule window of time, she thinks approximately three things:

(1) Where there is one Skulkin, there are surely more.

(2) She had not expected to actually find anything and now combat is inevitable and she had not mentally prepared enough.

(3) She does not have a weapon.

By the moment that last thought crosses her mind in a flash, Skulkin are emerging from all angles, surrounding them where they're standing at the edge of the clearing. With the lake behind them and the enemy approaching from the front, Nya wonders how they're going to get out of this one.

Cole draws his scythe, barking orders. "Jay, three o'clock—Zane, cover my six. Nya—" She turns to look at him. "—you're with me on nine."

Grateful for some direction, Nya dives for Cole's side, wishing he'd stop making clock references. Her mind is scrambled enough as it is.

The Skulkin advance slowly, grinning with their square teeth and stretching their knobby limbs. They look confident, almost bored. As though they're all thinking, it's no contest.

Nya does a quick assessment—there are seven skeletons versus three ninja and...one inexperienced trainee. Definitely outnumbered.

She experiences an instant of blinding regret. Why had Sensei thought this was a good idea? This was a terrible idea, someone's going to be killed and it's probably going to be her.

Somewhere to the right, Jay's nunchucks rattle. Nya acknowledges the noise, then freezes. They sound...wrong. Not as sturdy.

She jerks her head toward Cole.

"You guys don't have your Golden Weapons?" Nya hisses.

Cole glances at her. "Too risky. We haven't figured out their full powers yet—"

Three Skulkin are on them in a heartbeat, one lunging at Cole with a butterfly sword—Nya's made dozens of them, she'd recognize one anywhere.

Cole blocks just in time, his scythe glinting. One of the other Skulkin aims for his exposed side, but Cole swings out a leg in an impossibly 90-degree-angled kick, knocking his opponent into a nearby tree trunk. Grunting, he clashes a few times with the other adversary, his dark eyebrows furrowed angrily.

Nya doesn't realize she's backing away until she runs right into something. She turns around, heart leaping at the sight of the third skeleton peering down at her.

"The prisoner?" he asks, and Nya blinks in surprise as she recognizes the voice.

"Kruncha?" she says.

He gestures in a grand, sweeping motion. "At your service." Then, "I thought you were dead."

"I thought you were dead."

"I am dead."

Nya stares, all too aware of the fighting and yelling breaking out around them. "What're you doing here?"

"Wreaking havoc in Ninjago. Obviously."

"But what—"

At that present moment, a switchblade lodges itself in a tree, mere centimeters above Nya's head. She yelps, ducking reflexively as it makes impact. From across the clearing, another Skulkin charges toward her.

"Kruncha, tell your drones to call it off," Nya yells, darting away.

"No can do."

Closest to the lake, Zane is fending off two skeletons, twirling his shurikens and striking with crisp precision. A few yards away, Jay is locked in combat with another and bursting frequently into a whirlwind of electricity. Cole is still fully engaged with his first two opponents, and Kruncha is scratching his head in the middle of it all.

Meanwhile, the final Skulkin is hot on Nya's heels.

Why didn't I bring a weapon, why didn't I bring a weapon, why didn't I bring a weapon—

In her haste, Nya fails to watch where she's stepping. She pitches abruptly forward, her foot ensnared by a protruding tree root.

Amidst the shock of panic, Nya feels something pressed against her ribs. It feels almost like—the hilt of something? But no—must be a rock.

She flips onto her back, tugging at her foot, but it's caught. Desperately, she calls over her shoulder.

"A little help?"

A gleaming shuriken slices through the air, nailing the Skulkin on the shoulder. He screeches, pausing to remove the pointed tip from his arm. It's exactly the amount of time Nya needs to yank her foot free and dive between the skeleton's legs.

She dashes up a short incline, deeper into the forest and away from the clearing. Zane, who had just appeared to assist, spots her.

"Nya, wait!"

But the adrenaline is too high and her heart is pounding and she needs a second of solitude to check one thing.

When she is a good distance away—but still within earshot of the fighting noises—Nya reaches into her jacket. It's a thick denim one with a wooly collar, the one she always wears in the winter. And it has pockets—on the outside and inside.

She dips a hand into one of the inner pockets and her fingers brush what is unmistakably a steel hilt.

Hoping against hope, she pulls out—

"Oh, thank the FSM."

It's a short dagger, perfect for close-range combat and handcrafted by Nya herself, years ago. Looking at it now, the blade could be sleeker and the design is commonplace—but she has a weapon.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Nya sends a silent thank-you to Kai. No doubt he had slipped the dagger into the pocket, knowing she would need it.

Man, now he's really making it hard to stay mad at him.

There's a sharp clashing of metal and a thud, then the Skulkin that had been chasing her bursts out of the foliage. Nya screams as he swings his katana at her; she lurches to the left just in time.

That's when she realizes a dagger versus a sword is not good odds. A dagger is close-range unless you throw it, and Nya's not about to put that much trust in her aim. To fend off against a longer blade with such a short—

The next swing almost gives her another haircut, and that's when Nya realizes she should stop thinking so much and start paying attention.

What would a ninja do?

Nya pivots and runs for it.

It's a coward move and if Kai were here she'd never hear the end of it, but she'd like to live to see another battle—preferably one where she is better prepared. And as she runs, she digs through her options with superspeed.

Theoretically, she could just keep running. Keep going until the Skulkin gets tired or loses her in the trees. She's fast and maybe she stands a chance that way. Or! She could stand her ground. She could plant her feet and fight. Prove herself like she's wanted to all along, prove herself because that's the whole reason she's here, tripping through the forest like a drunken gazelle.

She angles herself a little, heading more to the right. By now, the clearing and the ninja are long gone and Nya knows better than to assume they'll be popping up to help her.

Here she was, minutes ago, assuming they'd step in if things got drastic. FSM, sometimes she's such a thirteen-year-old.

A flash of silver is her only warning before the Skulkin drops from one of the trees ahead and rushes her in a blur of red and white.

One of Nya's diehard techniques in sticky situations is to convert any granule of fear into all-consuming anger—which really seems to do the trick most of the time. But as the skeleton goes in for a strike, Nya barely has half a breath to make a decision; when she throws her dagger arm up to block, it is not anger that fuels her but the rawest of survival instincts.

The edge of the katana collides with the dagger and Nya feels the vibration all the way up her arm. For a moment she can't believe she doesn't have a sword through her skull.

She only holds for a moment and then the katana is lifting and swinging down again. Nya drops to the ground and rolls to the side, out of the way. The sword digs into the grass beside her. Thinking quickly (or, more likely, not at all) Nya slams the butt of her dagger into the Skulkin's blade.

The katana shatters in half.

Nya gasps without meaning to, then peers at the broken pieces.

"What is this, bronze?"

Forgetting himself, the Skulkin nods.

Nya shakes her head, propped up on her elbows. "Bronze isn't ideal. With all the wear-and-tear, it won't last long. Steel is better. Or iron."

"Ohhh."

But then they both remember what they're doing here and the skeleton's gaze lights up in a warning shade of red. Nya swallows.

"Any chance I could convince you to walk away and just pretend you destroyed me?"

The Skulkin growls, sizing her up. Nya knows she's got a handful of seconds to come up with something. She's at a disadvantage, sprawled on the ground and facing a monster twice her size—

A memory resurfaces, then, and Nya can hear Sensei's voice.

...What matters is not the size of the ninja in the fight, but the size of the fight in the ninja.

He'd commended her for using her resources. For being aware of her surroundings. Heck, if she could take down her hothead of a brother, maybe she does stand a chance.

Nya takes a breath, clutching the dagger in a backward grip. She starts to rise slowly.

The Skulkin twitches reflexively, growling again.

"Easy," says Nya. "Hear me out."

She stands with caution, as though avoiding the gaze of a dinosaur. Behind her, she knows there's a hill. If she can get this creature to make contact, she should be able to pull a maneuver and send him tumbling over the slope.

Even more slowly, she extends the hand holding her weapon.

"Take it," she says.

The Skulkin eyes it, then narrows his beady eyes at her. "What's the catch?" he grinds out.

"It's only fair, right?" Nya nods at the ground. "I broke your weapon, you take mine. That's uh—ninja code."

She hopes fiercely that her opponent is as dim-witted as she thinks he is.

"But you won't have one," he says, frowning suspiciously.

"I can hold my own." She extends the dagger again, further this time. "Come on, take it."

Miraculously, the Skulkin reaches out, taking his time as his fingers nearly graze the hilt—

A spot of white catches Nya's eye and she looks over the skeleton's shoulder. Zane has just emerged over the ridge. Her eyes widen.

Zane sees her and flings himself into a Spinjitzu tornado, particles of ice whirling around him. The noise stops the skeleton in his tracks. He looks at the dagger, looks behind him, snatches the weapon and flees.

But Zane is faster. The Skulkin is sucked into the funnel of frost, knobby limbs disappearing as Nya takes this as her cue to get out of here.

Before she can get very far, however, the Skulkin launches from the tornado, as though thrown haphazardly. He flies into Nya with such extraordinary force that she is knocked completely off her feet. The two go crashing over and down the hillside.

They're only tangled up for a second before the skeleton bounces in another direction and Nya is gaining momentum at an alarming rate. She twists and tumbles, snagging on branches and limbs thwacking against roots and logs—she can't tell which way is up or if her head is still connected to her body or if she's bleeding somewhere or—

Suddenly the vegetation and hard earth give way to something smooth and slippery. Nya can't open her eyes yet (due to the fact that her head might not be attached to her body) but she's sliding almost as fast as she was falling.

Then, at last, Nya feels the motion come to a leisurely stop.

She lies there a moment, feeling only marginally alive and maybe also dismembered. The world spins for another second or two. Noises fade in and out.

The substance beneath her becomes so uncomfortable that Nya is forced to open her eyes, just to make sure she's not in a much more precarious position than toppling swiftly downhill.

Blink. Blink. Blue.

Very blue.

Nya squints against the afternoon light. She's staring at the cloudless winter sky. And the cold is seeping through her clothes like ink.

She lifts her head just a fraction, wincing as it throbs. Then—

Oh, FSM almighty—

Nya sits up, suddenly immune to the various aches and pains because she's been lying, starfish-position, in the middle of the frozen lake and a crisis like that takes priority.

"No," she breathes. "No no no."

She can already feel the fragility of the layer keeping her above water. She can see the air bubbles joining and separating under the surface like a lava lamp. She is, quite literally, on very thin ice.

"Okay. Not a big deal." Nya exhales. "Just—don't move."

Even as she thinks it, she has the urge to shift her weight. To try to stand, to make a run for the shore.

"Guys?" she calls. The word echoes up into the air, bouncing away. "Guys?"

Nya doesn't dare move another finger. Her chest rises and falls with shallow breaths—the tiniest movement could turn this situation more dire than she's willing to think about. Sure, she can swim okay, but she doesn't know how deep this water is or how long it could take for someone to get her out—

Movement further down the shoreline redirects her attention. The Skulkin is stumbling to his feet. At the same time, three color-coded figures pop their heads over the hill—which, now that Nya's looking at it, is really more of a bluff. She hadn't realized the terrain was so uneven.

"Guys," she yells, gratefully.

She can see Cole's expression of mute horror all the way down here. "Holy—" he cuts off. "Hold on, Nya, don't move!"

Yeah, no kidding.

They clamor around for a moment before beginning their descent.

The Skulkin warrior, alerted by this communication, glances up at them miserably. He follows their gazes and his eyes land on Nya, exposed as she is. She tenses.

"I never wanted your stupid knife anyway!" hollers the skeleton. He winds up his arm and hurls the dagger out to the lake. In a flash, he's gone.

The weapon doesn't land by Nya, not even close. Where it does land is almost twenty feet to the left of her—tip-first.

Nya senses the chill of dread crawling up her spine before anything even happens. But then she hears the vengeful rumbling.

It's the yawn of a waking giant. It's the unfurling of tired, ancient limbs. It's the sound of the ice cracking.

She wants to scream at the guys to hurry up but Nya's ability to even blink has disappeared entirely. Paralyzed with anxiety, she can only wait.

From the corner of her eye, she knows Zane is more than halfway down the bluff already, so that's why, when another rumble comes from below, his name is the one that leaps from her throat.

"Zane."

It sounds almost like a reprimand, the way it bursts out. But Zane, attune to the undertones, snaps his head up. He tilts it. He hears the ice, too.

There is a sound like a muffled gunshot, then an ominous creaking. Nya's fingertips hover at her sides, just over the frozen surface. She grinds her teeth.

To Nya's horror, her whole body jolts as the ice under her cracks. A spiderweb of fissures begins to whiten all around her. Water leaks through, soaking her pants, and this is where she has to draw the line.

Ever so carefully, Nya prepares to tip onto her side and roll to the non-splintered patch of ice just to the right. It seems like the safest option, since it keeps her body weight spread fairly evenly.

The ninja are at the bottom now, halting one by one at the shore. Zane turns to the other two and says something, but Nya's too far out to hear exactly what.

She turns to assess the other crack to the left and nearly ascends out of her body. Her discarded dagger, embedded neatly in the ice, is now a grim beacon, surrounded on all sides by spreading fractures—the larger of which is jaggedly snaking directly toward her.

Regardless of how stupid it might be, Nya throws herself to the right. The ice she'd just been sitting on abruptly crunches and splits into pieces.

She lands on her hands and knees, which immediately dents the ice. "No no no—"

The fissures are approaching from all sides. Half-manically, Nya figures her only choice now is to make a mean dash for the shore—on the ninja's side, Zane is ushering the others back.

Nya remembers how he'd walked over the snow.

Right—ice is his thing.

But he'll never make it in time. Already, her new safety spot is pooling with water. Her fingers are numb and the eerie sounds of ice cracking are ringing in her ears and her head is still foggy from the downhill catastrophe and—

Cr—a—a—a—ack—

A portion of ice collapses behind her and Nya's whole back half plunges into the water.

Frantically, she claws for purchase, dragging herself out inch by inch. But it's harder than it should be and Nya understands with a skip of her heart that that's because there is a current. Which implies that this isn't a lake at all but a river.

The freezing shock of ice-water-on-skin is then joined by a flash of rekindled thrill. A bad thrill. A thrill that says this is way worse than I thought.

But it urges Nya on and she heaves herself out, flopping onto her stomach. No more waiting around. She scrambles to her feet.

"Anytime now, Zane!" she shrieks as an angry halo explodes into the ice with every step she takes.

She picks up speed, going as fast as she dares, footsteps leaving deeper and deeper impressions. Zane is closer now, they'll meet halfway if she can just—

"Nya!"

With a startled scream, she pitches forward as the ice underfoot buckles and shatters. Nya doesn't even have time to inhale before she drops into the bitter depths where the current, utterly indifferent to her, roars smugly onward.

oOo

A/N: literally typing this from a hotel room before i go to bed. a quick note on the chapter—

i love nya's "i have to prove myself" complex, and i think it's a good parallel she shares with her brother (though they express themselves a little differently). however, we all know she grows up to be a badass. in this story so far, she's still young and rather new to the hero world. so i wanted to put her in a situation where she has to flounder a little bit and, ultimately, "fail." she must be humbled before she grows! and boy was this experience humbling. but we'll dive more into that in the next chapter, which HOPEFULLY (no promises) should be up sooner rather than later.

thank you for reading, as always. you are so appreciated. i hope everyone has not disappeared since christmas, hahaha. see you soon!

xoxo

saturn