Wow, this story has actually got some fanart 😍!

First, ninjagofangirl19 drew the amazing cover image, and now daniaanlyn has made a beautiful drawing inspired by the previous chapter - it's in her artbook, please check it out!

And, another advertisement, please have a look at my ideas for this year's Christmas Special (it's the latest update of my One Shot book) and let me know your choice(s).

But now back to this story. This is the extra chapter which was not in my initial story outline. Well, the plot of it was, just as part of the next chapter (which is why it's rather short; I promise the next one will be a looot longer 😂!), but then I felt it would be better as a separate chapter.

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Chapter 2 / 2015-2016

I just couldn't believe Jay had stood me up.

So I kept waiting until it was really late, and I simply had to go home unless I wanted to get into serious trouble with my brother. And I even went back on the next evening, in case something had kept him from meeting me on the day before.

But he didn't turn up, and not on the following day either, or the one after that.

At first, I was simply very disappointed. I really had enjoyed spending the evening with a guy who was polite and not constantly hitting on me, but I had also thought there was some kind of connection between us. Unfortunately, as it seemed, Jay hadn't felt the same way.

And over time, my disappointment turned into anger.

Had it all been an act to humiliate me? First, he had gotten me to pay for everything we ate or did on the night (which I had enjoyed doing at that time, especially as I had thought it was for a friend). And then he had been the one to suggest to meet up again, even though he had never had any intention of turning up...

Also, as it turned out, he had even given me a fake backstory. There was no carpentry business in my hometown registered under the name Walker. There wasn't even a single person in Ignacia with that last name – yes, I checked that.

But I wasn't just angry at Jay for playing me, I was even more upset with myself for falling for it. And I wouldn't let it happen again.

So, I put the dragon plushie from the fun fair in a box on the attic (I still couldn't bring myself to throw it away though) and tried to forget about Jay.

It worked quite well for a few months, well more or less. I went on a couple of dates with guys who did show up and even paid for dinner or the movie, but just didn't feel right, so I mainly focused on my friends and on my grades. Even though they weren't around, I still wanted to make my parents proud.

As I had been offered to skip one grade and graduate a year early, I couldn't really use any major distractions (i.e. boy drama) anyway.

History was still one of my least favourite subjects. But just before the end of the school year, I realised that I needed a few extra credits, and I therefore signed up for a school trip to the Ninjago Museum of History in Ninjago City.

Most of my friends were going as well, mainly because, after the tour, we'd have some spare time to explore the capital (which meant we would probably end up visiting the mall). But things turned out a bit differently than expected.

Mrs Garmadon, our guide, was a friendly elderly woman. I've never met anyone who is even remotely as passionate about our country's past as her. But at least, it made the tour of the museum more interesting. And I had to pay attention as we would have an exam on the exhibition the next day.

To my big surprise, there even was an – admittedly small – section on Ignacia, in particular the Brookstone family that ruled the county until about 200 years ago.

I remembered my father telling us about the explosion that destroyed the palace and killed everyone inside, including the noble family, their guests, and their servants.

"Not many items from that time could be recovered from the ruins of the palace." Mrs Garmadon informed us. "The fire first started in the Treasure Chamber, so all valuables kept in there were destroyed. We only have a few outfits and paintings that miraculously survived the blaze."

One of the portraits showed a handsome young man with shaggy black hair and a determined look in his brilliant jade green eyes.

"This is Master Nicholas, he was the only son and heir to Lord Louis, the Duke of Ignacia, and his wife, Lady Rhea. Not much is known about him, only that he, his wife and their infant son were all killed that night."

I found it hard to avert my gaze from the painting. It made me very sad to think how someone so young, with a bright future with his little family ahead of him, can just vanish from one moment to the next. Just like mum and dad did...

I completely missed the guide's explanation to the next picture but when I finally managed to at least take a brief look at it, my eyes widened and I let out a little gasp. This can't be...

"Nya, are you alright?" Skylor, my best friend asked worriedly, snapping me out of my trance.

"I-I'm fine." I stated. "Just... feeling a bit dizzy..."

"You do look rather pale, my dear." Mrs Garmadon remarked. "Maybe you should get some fresh air. We're almost done with the tour anyway."

"O-okay." I nodded and left the museum to sit on a bench just in front of the large brick building. My red haired friend soon followed me.

"Take this." Skylor sat down next to me and handed me a little plastic bottle. "Just got it from the museum café."

"Thanks." I gave her a little smile as I opened the bottle to take a sip of cool water.

"Was it about... you know?" She carefully asked, giving me a gentle side hug.

"I-I don't know." I shrugged. "At first it was, but then I saw that other picture, and..."

I had never told anyone, not even my best friend, about what had happened on the previous Day of the Departed. It was just too embarrassing.

And what was even worse, a mere picture of someone who resembled the guy who tricked me could still upset me.

I slowly shook my pounding head. "It was probably just the stuffy air in the museum." I lied.

It didn't take long for our classmates to join us, bombarding me with concerned questions and comments.

"Are you aright, Nya?" – "How are you feeling?"– "She's probably getting her period."

The last statement was from that idiot Dareth who'd been hitting on my since seventh grade.

"Are you okay to go to the mall?" Chamille wanted to know. "We can do something else."

"I-I'm not sure." I replied, but I didn't want to disappoint my friends. "Why don't you go without me, and I'll just wait here..."

"We have a sofa in the staff room, you're welcome to lie down." Mrs Garmadon suggested. "If you're feeling better after a little rest, you can still join your friends later."

"I'd like that." I gratefully smile at the elderly woman. "Thank you."

After I said goodbye to my friends, the tour guide took my arm and led me up the stairs again.

"What happened during the tour, dearie?" She asked. "I saw your face earlier, you looked like you'd seen a ghost..."

"I-" I felt tears welling in my eyes, and then I told everything to a complete stranger.

"I thought I'm over him." I finished my narration. "But then I saw that picture..."

"What picture?" Misako – that's her first name as I had just found out – questioned. We went back to the exhibition.

"This one." I pointed at the small picture that had taken my breath away. The note attached to it simply said: 'Two craftsmen, identity unknown. Ignacia, around 1816.'

It was a rather small drawing, not as expertly drawn or as brightly coloured as for example the portraits of the Duke and his son, and it was also displayed in a very plain wooden frame.

It showed two people, a middle-aged man with black hair and thick glasses and a young one with messy auburn hair and blue eyes, standing in front of what looked like a prototype of a wooden Ferris Wheel. They both looked very proud of their achievement.

"He's even wearing more or less the same outfit." I said. "Why am I so upset about this? He's just a guy I've met only once, and he shamelessly tricked me into paying everything and then stood me up... I should just forget about him."

"What if he didn't do it on purpose?" The historian asked.

"But I've even looked him up, there isn't anyone called Walker living in Ignacia."

"Not anymore..." Misako replied. "According to the few records we have, it was one of the families that were wiped out in the fire. Maybe he didn't lie to you."

"What do you mean?" I turned to her.

"You've just told me that you met him on Haunted Hill on the Day of the Departed." She began. "Isn't that right?"

"It is."

"Do you know why we celebrate that holiday each year on exactly this date?" She asked me.

"My dad has always told us children that the Realms are closer together on that day. He said that our ancestors in the Departed Realm can see the lights we put up for them." I answered. "But that was just one of his stories, like the one about some ghosts from the Cursed Realm being responsible for the explosion that destroyed the palace..."

Misako narrowed her eyes. "Now I know why you looked so familiar, Nya Smith." She said. "You're Ray and Maya's daughter, aren't you?"

My eyes widened. "You knew my parents?"

"I did." She replied sadly. "I even came to their funeral, but I didn't want to bother you and your brother – Kai, right?"

I nodded silently.

"There are a few people in Ninjago who have always had a connection with the supernatural. Including your family – and mine." She explained. "So, what if your father's stories weren't just made-up tales?"

"You believe in them too?" I was surprised.

"Ninjago's history has been full of unexplained events." Misako smiled at me. "And you know that it's true.. Why else would you still light up the lantern for your parents each year?"

I blushed as I realised that she was right.

Misako pointed at the picture. "So... what if the boy on this picture doesn't just look like your friend?" She asked.

"He's not my friend..." I muttered.

"Well, it certainly sounded like he was. Also, you said you felt some kind of connection with him." Misako continued undeterred. "Maybe you've met him for a reason. What if this boy actually is him?"

"You mean I went to the fun fair, shared cotton candy, and rode on the Ferris Wheel with a ghost?" I looked at her in shock.

But she shook her head. "He doesn't look like a ghost to me." She smiled. "At least he wasn't one in his time."