Nya slowly opened her eyes to find light streaming through the porthole window. 

      Getting up, she walked over to the porthole and looked out. 

  'This doesn't look like the Shard sea.' Nya thought, before turning back and getting dressed.

  Leaving her room, she poked her head round the doors of her friends rooms to find that they were already up.  

  Going up onto the main deck, she saw Skylor and Pixal standing facing the sea, leaning against the rail. 

    "Hey, good morning." Nya greeted them as she was approaching. 

  "Morning Nya!" Skylor and Pixal turned and smiled at her. 

    "Where are the others?" Nya asked, glancing around.

  "Still having breakfast. Have you had any yet?" Skylor asked.

   Nya shook her head. "No, I just got up. By the way, where are we? This doesn't look like the Shard sea anymore."

     "Welcome to the Ultra seas." 

   The girls spun round to see Lloyd standing a couple or so yards behind them, leaning slightly against the mast, an unreadable expression on his face. 

    "How many seas are there? I know only of three." Nya said. 

  Lloyd scoffed slightly, smirking as he turned his head. 

     "There are seven altogether. There's the Shard sea, which we were sailing in yesterday, then there's the Wisp sea, know for the strong winds that can rise up there and also for the lightning storms and light mist, the Rocky sea, known for the the rock mountains that rise from it, the Flame sea, know for the fire fountains, the Dark sea, known for the dark islands, fog, and the legends and fables of monsters in the seas and on the islands, the Flowing sea, known for it's gentleness and calmness, as well as the Moon's reflection in the water, and then the Ultra sea, famous for it's shooting stars and... light shows." Lloyd raised an eyebrow at the last part.

     "Wow, that's a lot. We were only taught about the Flowing sea, the Shard sea and the Wisp sea." Skylor said. 

    "What are the light shows?" Nya asked.

   "You'll see." Lloyd said, pushing himself off the mast and walking away, going up to the Quarter deck then up to the Sterncastle deck, taking the steps two at a time. 

     They watched him take over the wheel from Kai who jumped over the railing on to the Quarter deck much to the girls surprise and shock that Skylor let out a short scream. 

    Kai turned to look at them, giving them a look as if they had gone mad. 

  "Sorry, that startled me. Are you trying to give us a heart attack?" Skylor asked, doing breathing exercises. 

   "I didn't do it for your entertainment." Kai snapped, scowling at them before entering the Great Cabin. 

     Nya glanced at Lloyd who had an amused expression on his face but was looking straight ahead. 

    "First Spinjitzu Master, he didn't have to snap at us." Skylor huffed, crossing her arms. 

   Nya laughed. 

      "At least you were able to get Captain Lloyd to smile a little." Pixal pointed out. 

    "That's true," Skylor agreed, glancing at the young captain, "He's always so... I don't know, serious, with no signs of emotion at all." 

   "To think that we only knew about three seas when there are actually seven!" Nya excliamed, as they headed below deck.

    As they were talking, they suddenly crashed into a couple of the Commanders. 

  "Watch it!" Jay barked out.

  "Look where you're going!" Cole snapped. They both glared at the girls before heading up to the main deck. 

    "Humph! Why are they so bad tempered today? They were fine yesterday." Skylor grumbled as they entered the dining cabin.

    "Perhaps it is because they had succeeded in doing a little looting in the palace yesterday. They only captured us because we got in the way and they were afraid that we would tell on them. The success of their original plan made them more, how can we put it, joyful or happier,  that they were not bothered at first that they had to bring us with them. Now that the feeling of yesterdays success is gone, they are bothered that we are here." Pixal explained, taking a seat in between Harumi and Nya. 

    "I agree with Pixal, we heard them yesterday, didn't we Harumi? And then later on after dinner. Captain Lloyd certainly was not happy about us being here. The others... they don't mind, but as Pixal said, that was yesterday." Nya said, reaching for an apple. 

    They were interrupted when Morro, along with Ultra Violet and a young boy, walked in. 

  "We have strict instructions to keep you busy and out of our Commanders' way." Morro said, as he leaned against the wall while Ultra Violet started clearing away the table. 

   "But before that, the Commanders want to have a word with you in the Great Cabin, Nelson will lead you there once you're ready." Morro gestured to the young boy who stood waiting by the door. 

   "Well, I suppose we shouldn't keep them waiting." Harumi said as well mannered as she could, since Morro was one who captured her back at the palace. 

   The girls rose and followed Nelson out. 

  "The Commanders aren't always so serious and quick-tempered, it's just that they don't know you very well and they don't know if they can trust you. If you gain their trust, they'll probably warm up to you. They're serious when they give orders and all that, but for casual days and stuff they're nice." Nelson said, talking nineteen to a dozen as he lead them back up on deck.

      "How are we to gain their trust? We heard them talking yesterday, we're unwanted here, and Captain Lloyd certainly doesn't want us here." Harumi said, Skylor agreeing with her. 

       "I have to admit it will be really hard! They have a hard time trusting people, especially since, you know, when they learned that they were abandoned. They don't get close to anyone. The only people they get close to is the crew, like a big family." Nelson explained. 

     "I see... I guess, I guess they never got over the fact that they were abandoned, did they?" Seliel whispered. 

    "Nope, I mean, they love their life, you know, sailing, being pirates, commanding their own crew. They love it. But sometimes, when I'm cleaning the Great Cabin and they're in there or their private cabins, they talk about what their lives would have been like if they hadn't been abandoned." Nelson confessed. 

     "Oh." Nya said softly. 

   "We're here," Nelson said abruptly. He knocked on the door. 

   "Enter." A voice called sharply. 

       Nelson pushed the door open and entered, the girls following. 

    Lloyd was sitting at the big, round table, his back to the huge window. He had maps and lists in front of him as well as a couple of weapons and a pen. 

    Kai and Jay were throwing daggers at a target on the right wall between a couple of bookcases. 

    Cole sat sharpening a blade while Zane stood slightly facing the window going through a list. 

   "Captain, you asked for them?" Nelson announced the girls presence. 

        Lloyd glanced up before raising his head fully. "

    "Thank you, Nelson. You may go and wait outside. I'll call you when we're done." Lloyd nodded at the boy. 

    Nelson gave a quick nod and dashed outside, accidentally slamming the door after him.

   "NELSON! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU NOT TO SLAM THE DOORS?!" Lloyd roared after him. 

    "Sorry Captain! I didn't mean too!" Nelson's voice called back through the door. 

   Lloyd shook his head and sighed, a small smile on his face which quickly disappeared, but not before the girls noticed. 

      "Y-you wanted us, sir, I mean, Captain?" Harumi stuttered, as they stood unsure. 

    "Yes." Lloyd answered, before standing up, a pen in his hand 

       "We have no wish for you to be here, but we can't waltz back to Ninjago City and hand you back, 'cause they'll arrest us on the spot. And we're not killing you either since we don't kill.  So, there are some rules for you," Lloyd started, "One, you're not allowed in out cabins unless given permission from us to do so, secondly, you aren't allowed in the hold were the cargo and loot is. Thirdly, you aren't allowed in the weapons room without one of us with you. Fourth, you are our prisoners so we won't take orders from you, no matter how royal you lot are. And lastly, you're not allowed to snoop around, have I made myself clear?" Lloyd listed them off while taking care of the scrolls of parchment in front of him. 

  "Yes, sir, Captain, I mean." Skylor quickly corrected herself. 

  Lloyd glanced up at this but turned his attention back to the maps. 

 "Zane, you must have '2 bags of silverware' on your list 'cause I don't." Lloyd said. 

   "Affirmative. Would you like me to cross it off?" Zane replied, turning to the young captain. 

  "Yeah," Lloyd mumbled. 

     The girls glanced about, unsure on what to do next. 

   Kai, Cole and Jay glanced at them briefly but returning their attention to what they were doing. 

    "Have you got '1 box of fragile ornaments' on one of your lists?" Zane asked. 

   Lloyd nodded and crossed it off. 

     "The crew will keep you busy and entertained." Lloyd spoke to the girls again. 

    "Umm, okay. Thank you." Seliel said. 

     "I didn't arrange it out of kindness... NELSON! GET IN HERE!" Lloyd then yelled, not taking his eyes off from the maps and lists. 

     The door flew open and the said boy ran in. 

     "Yes, Captain?" Nelson asked. 

     "Show them out and hand them over to Shade, Griffin, Paleman and Faith. They have their orders on what to do." Lloyd said. 

    "Right away, Captain." Nelson nodded and ushered the girls out of the cabin.

    Once the door shut behind them, they breathed a sigh of relief which made Nelson look at them oddly.  

   "So, Nelson, how old are you?" Nya asked, just to break the silence. She figured out that once you got him talking he won't stop.

     "I'm 13. Young, I know. The Commanders recruited me  when I was eight. I always wanted adventure and being the ships boy on a pirate ship, well, for me, you can't get any better than that. The Commanders allow me to do stuff other than ship-boy duties, so it's fun. They also allow me to come with them now and then when raiding ports, cities or villages, although, less of the villages, more of the cities and ports." Nelson chattered. 

      Pixal and Skylor exchanged glances, thinking that he was adorable and wanting to keep him. 

   "Hey! Griffin! The Commanders want me to hand them over to you, so, they're yours for now." Nelson called out. 

     Griffin and Shade turned around. 

    "Alright, thanks Nel. Could you go call Faith and Paleman? They're below deck in the saloon." Griffin instructed. 

    "Ummm... what are we doing?" Nya asked. 

   "We have orders to teach you how to use a few weapons. Being on a pirate ship, you don't know when you made need the skill." Shade said. 

    The girls looked at each other.

   "We've never held weapons before. Our parents wouldn't allow it because they thought we'd be fine with all the guards." Nya spoke up. 

   "Why do you think we're teaching you then? For fun? It's the Captain's orders." Griffin sighed in annoyance. 

   Harumi looked out to the sea where it glistened and sparkled under the nearly-noon Sun. 

  The others may not have been taught how to handle any weapons, but secretly, she had been taught how to handle a blade back at her own palace in the Southern Kingdom. 

   "Harumi? Harumi? You still with us?" Nya waved a hand in front of her face. 

   "Huh? Yeah, I am. Sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment." Harumi apologised. 

  "Yeah, well, we're about to start. Come on, grab a sword, or katana... whatever these things are called." Nya dragged Harumi over to the box of blades. 

    "I think these are katanas and those are swords, so you are not entirely wrong, Nya." Pixal stated. 

    "Right, we'll start with blades first, before we move on to any other weapon," Griffin started as the girls lined up in a row. "Blades up, point upwards slightly. Lean slightly forward with you your right knee bended... Good. We'll begin." 

                 ⚔⚔⚔⚔⚓⚔⚔⚔⚔ 

    "Your majesty, your guests have arrived." General RSeven announced, flinging the doors to the throne room wide open and leading a large group of people inside. 

    "We got your urgent letter, we came as soon as we could get away and leave the Kingdoms under good hands." King Garmadon said, striding in with his wife, Queen Misako, and brother, Lord Wu, beside him. 

   "Thank you, there are no traces of their disappearance at all. It's like they... just disappeared." Ray sighed, "Just like what happened with, you know..." 

    Everyone else nodded. 

   "Where's Maya?" Queen Libber asked, looking around. 

   "She's in our room. She hasn't left it since Nya and the other girls disappeared. So she's been in there since, around late afternoon yesterday. I think Nya going missing has really broken her again." Ray replied. 

    Silence fell in the room, thinking not only about the missing girls, but also about the others who were lost and gone for good...

      ⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓⚓

   Phew.... 😅 Word count is 2303. It's the longest chapter yet in this book!!! 😂😂

   Well, there you have it, Chapter 4! Hope you enjoyed reading it and I'll see you all in the next chapter!!!

   And guys.... THIS IS RANKING 2# IN PIXANE!!!!!!!!!! 😮😮😮😮 Thank you guys so much!!!!!! 

 Claire xxx ⚓