#Zane Alley

[fishybehavior]

Cole: I don't like you hanging around that cat. What if he has rabies or something?!

Zane: Cole, Jay doesn't have rabies, and why would he bite me??

Cole: Well someone gave you that bite mark!

Zane*blushing*: Can we stop talking about this plz?!?

[barbedwireii]

Call to Andre 🎳 | 18:45, Thursday, January 15th

...

....

...

Hey! Sorry, I know it's been a while...H-How -how are you doing? Good! Doing good. Uh, are you busy? Okay...'cause I was wondering if you could pick me up? No, I know, no rush or anything. I'm like, ya know that old ass hotel on the way home? Theres this forest next to it and i'm on the bath by the bridge. Sorry, I know it's weird. I can't get Maps to work. Can you stay on the phone? And maybe bring a towel or like, tape, or something? I...there's like...you know, they had cows on this property a billion years ago? No, there aren't any here anymore, but I saw that dusty old cow house -its full of spiders and -uh, yeah, so there was this fence, and I tripped on it, and it kinda -it kinda hurts. I can't get it off. Its stuck on my leg, I can't get it off. Like -its got these...spikes on it, and it really hurts, and its wrapped around -uh, maybe an hour? I really can't get it off. Yeah. Yeah...I probably shoulda start with that. Yes, please. Thank you. You're not going to hang up, right?

CALL ENDED | Call time: 00:13:06 | 18:58, Thursday, January 15th

[justtwotired]

Whispers of the night -Lloyd Garmadon x F!reader

This is a PT 2, here is part 1

Y/n was mindlessly skateboarding trough the streets, listening to the music blasting trough her headphones while silently humming along.

It was night time, not many people roamed the streets anymore, and they especially stayed away from fighting notices coming from an alleyway.

Not Y/n though, she didn’t hear a thing as she put the sound of her music up.

Suddenly she was ripped from her skateboard and a hand was pressed against her mouth, she felt something sharp against her neck.

Her eyes widened at the sight in front of her.

“Nice haul.” Kai called out to the five men that had just robbed a jewellery store, leaving the owner fatally injured. Zane was currently with him waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

“Yet, I think it abetted if you hand that back to us.” Kai’s voice had a threat laying beneath it and one of the robbers huffed. “And how do you intend to stop us?” He took a step forward with confidence.

Lloyd couldn’t help but smirk beneath his mask. Once again some simple robbers underestimating them.

“Let’s make a deal,” Cole jumped down the wall that was the end of the alleyway. “You hand is that sack, and maybe you will get away with this without broken bones.” He said.

“Sure, why don’t we make a deal,” the man, that was obviously their leader, stepped forward. “You let us go, and we won’t hurt one of your beloved citizens.” He grinned and the ninja shared unamused looks.

“That seems like a nice deal, of course, but uh, I think you are missing a part of your plan.” Jay said matter of factly.

“Oh, right,” the leader smirked. “Kano,” he looked back, and the biggest of the group smirked.

As if it was fate, someone just came by the alley and she was ripped of her skateboard by ‘Kano’ and another of the men pressed a knife against her neck.

The five Ninja recognised the girl immediately as the one that had given Lloyd her number. She looked up and her eyes widened when she saw the Ninja.

Great, of course she’d land herself in such a situation. She was obviously not going to tell her mother who’d get mad at her for sneaking out and she’d definitely get an ‘I told you so.’

“Alright, let the girl go.” The black ninja spoke. “And why would we do that?” One of her captors spoke.

“Out of the goodness of your heart?” The blue ninja tried making the others glare at him and Y/n rolled her eyes at the comment.

Couldn’t they get this over with? She was actually rather cold and still needed to go to school tomorrow.

She’d free herself, but the man holding her was way stronger than her so she didn’t bother. Not like her illusions would help in a situation like this too.

“Look, just let the girl go, we can handle this without you hurting another citizen,” the green ninja stepped forward, a hand resting in the hilt of his sword.

Oh they hurt another citizen? This situation might be a bit more serious then she expected.

Suddenly the guy that was holding her loosened his grip and she saw this as an opportunity to bit his hand and push the hand holding the knife away.

She wirled around to see the man falling on the floor unconscious, and behind him stood the white Ninja, who was, although the mask, obviously smirking.

The other ninja didn’t waste a second in taking out the others and moments later all of them where unconscious and tied up.

“Are you alright, miss?” The white ninja looked at her as she inspect her wrist that had been held incredibly tight.

“Yeah, I’m fine, rather cold though, so I guess I’d be headed home.” She shrugged and they looked at her in shock.

“You’re not hurt or anything, maybe a bit in shock?” The green ninja stepped forward. “Well, my wrist does hurt but that’ll be fine, I’ve handled worse injuries.” She waved it off.

And stepped out of the alleyway, looking around for her skateboard and cursing to herself when she didn’t see it.

“Here.” She turned around and it seemed the green ninja had already found it as he was holding it out to her. “Do you need Anglicanism to walk you home?” The water ninja asked her with concern and Y/n smiled.

“Nah, I’m fine,” she assured.

“Maybe it’s better if you don’t roam the streets on your own at this time.” The black ninja suggested and she shrugged. “I think I’ll survive, but bye I guess.” She said and then took off, calling Amelia on her way home to tell her the story.

—/—

The next day all eight of the friends walked trough Ninjago city.

“You you just told them that your fine, a bit cold, but you’d just get home easily and alone?” Luna asked with raised eyebrows and Y/n nodded. “That’s like the biggest you thing to do.” She laughed.

“What? It was not a big deal, it lasted five reminders tops, I don’t have to go to therapy for that?”

The others laughed and suddenly Anthony stopped walking. “What?” Arthur stopped next to him. “I’m kind of hungry, what about you?” Anthony smirked.

“Like you read my mind.” Charlie gave the same kind of smirk back. “Harvey’s, then?” Flora asked and everyone nodded. It was a huge supermarket almost everyone in Ninjago got their stuff there.

As they walked towards the place, they came by the alley Y/n had been the night before and she pointed it out with a small smile.

“Damn, almost died here then?” James joked making her laugh. “Imagine if you had died! Could I have gotten your skateboard then?” Luna looked at her.

“Absolutely not! It would definitely go to me!” Amelia protested. “You’re telling me that if I died, the problem would be who’d get my skateboard?” Y/n asked with a raised brow.

“Well, that’s not my problem, I’d just raid your closet.” Flora shrugged making everyone laugh.

They entered Harvey’s and smiled innocently at the cashier who gave them a suspicious look. “How cute, she recognised us.” Arthur grinned.

“Arty, please don’t tell me you like her.” Luna groaned. “Nah, don’t worry, Klara Butcher already has his heart.” Anthony said and Arthur hit his arm with a hiss.

“Oh right, I wouldn’t say.” He grinned innocently. “No way! You have a crush on Butcher?” Y/n interrogated. “You mean that girl with the purple haar tips?” Luna asked excitedly and Arthur just told them to shut up.

They walked trough the supermarket and towards the bread. “Croissants, everyone?” Charlie asked making everyone nod. “And a cinnamon roll for me aswel.” Flora quickly added. “And for me!” James chirped.

After that they head trough the drinks, making their way there, they walked trough the candy section and Y/n’s eye fell on a pack of skittles.

She grinned and as they walked past, she took it and placed it in the pocket of her hoody together with her hands.

They then took a bottle of cola and they checked out by the self-checkout.

They casually walked trough the store doors… and then the alarm went off.

They tried to keep walking casually but the moment someone yelled “hey, stop!” They bolted away.

They laughed as they looked behind them to see the two security guards try keeping up.

“Stop! Thieves!” He yelled out and the eight teens just kept running and laughing.

Just around the corner was a jewellery shop that had been robbed the previous night. Six ninja where there to try find any clues to who the group of robbers had been.

“Stop, thieves!” They shared glances before running out of the shop, only to see a group of teens being chased by out of breath guards.

“It’s not them, guys.” Jay waved it off about to walk back. “Their still thieves.” Nya pulled him back. “What do we do, are we going after them?” Kai looked as Lloyd.

“We don’t have much better to do.” Lloyd shrugged and the Ninja ran of towards the group of teens.

Not like they where to find anything in that jewellery shop.

“Uh, guys, I think we have a problem!” Luna yelled as she looked behind them. The group looked back to see they weren’t running from guards anymore, but from Ninja.

“Oh god, we are not winning this race.” Arthur groaned as they quickly turned a corner. “Well, I dare say we know the city better then them!” Hi twin brother disagreed.

“Anthony is right! I say we split!” Y/n called and she then grabbed Luna and turned into an alley, followed closely by Charlie.

“Their splitting up!” Cole called out. “Alright, Kai, Jay, you two go after those two, Zane and Cole you take the three that went straight, Nya and I go right!” Lloyd ordered and they all listened.

“Goddamnit Y/n! You know there’s a fence at the end of this alley!” Luna called as the three friends ran as fast as they could. “I know, I know, but we can get to the roof with that fence and then we can easily get to the Main Street, we’ll lose them easily in the crowd!” She called.

They got to the fence and when they looked back, the water ninja and the green ninja where approaching fast.

Charlie quickly helped Y/n up the fence who then went onto the roof, he then helped Luna who did the same.

Both of them then grabbed him and managed to get from the ground to the roof.

The hopper from roof to roof, almost slipping multiple times. The two ninja had easily got onto the roof, not wasting a second.

“You still think we can make it to main?” Charlie questioned. “I might have made a slight mistake in time.” Y/n called out.

“Well good going!” Luna called back. “Hey I’ve only ever ran from the police, I didn’t expect this alright!”

Her mind raced against time and she looked around. “You two jump down right here, then go leg immediately into opal-street and into the video store.” She called and they gave her a sceptic look.

“Trust me!” She called and Luna sighed. “Let me guess, you keep running and get caught? Little hero!” She joked and Y/n laughed.

“I’ll get myself out, promise!” She said and then the two finally listened as she kept running. When she looked back, the water ninja had followed her two friends and she hoped they would get to the video store in time.

Nya and Lloyd ran into the alleyway to see one of the boys help a girl up the fence. “Hold on a second, there is no way!” Nya called out recognising the girl.

“How is that possible!” Lloyd couldn’t help but laugh.

“She’s good!” Nya said as the girls helped the guy up the roof. Though, the two of them did it without breaking a sweat.

They followed them but where surprised when two jumped down.

“You follow them!” Lloyd called and Nya nodded and jumped after them.

He himself had almost caught up with Y/n who then jumped down aswel.

He quickly jumped after her and she tried to run but he grabbed her arm and pushed her Shinkansen the wall.

Lucky for him he had a mask because their faces where so close he couldn’t help but blush.

“Hello again.” He greeted and she was speechless for a moment. “Hi.” She said shortly before pushing him of her slightly.

“So you went from damsel in distress to thieve?” He gave her an amused look. “Thieve is a rather big word.” She rolled her eyes.

He huffed. “You shouldn’t be stealing either way, thieve or not.” He said and she chuckled. “Your kind of a kill joy, you know that?” She asked and he sighed.

“Listen- stealing is just wrong,” he pointed out making her huff a sarcastic laugh. “Harley’s is a multi million company, they won’t miss a pack of skittles.” She got it out of her pocket and waved it around. “And whatever my friends took.” She rolled her eyes.

“And before you give me the whole talk, we went to self check out, so no, the cashier doesn’t have to pay for what we stole, and no, I know damn well it won’t go of the workers pay check so don’t try to gaslight me into thinking that, and before you come up with a lie, I know Harleys policy because I worked there for a while so you also don’t have to give me the talk about not knowing how it feels.” She pointed out and he gave her an amused look.

“You’ve been caught multiple times, haven’t you?” He asked and she grinned. “A few, we mostly get away with it easily, the alarm doesn’t even always go off.” She explained.

Her phone started ringing and she got it out of her back pocket.

Incoming call from flowers😍…

“Can I take this?” She asked and the green ninja sighed and nodded. “Hey, babes,” she answered the phone making the person on the other end chuckle.

“Hey, n/n, we lost them,” Flora said. “We’ve re-grouped, where are you guys?” She asked and Y/n looked over at the ninja in front of her.

“No idea where Charlie and Lu are, but I’m having a nice conversation with the green ninja here.” She said, winning at him making him shake his head.

“Seriously? You got caught?” Flora laughed and Y/n could hear her other friends laugh aswel. “Yeah, haha, how funny, I suppose I see you at Jamie’s?” She questioned.

“You got it!” Flora said. “Right, see you in ten then.” Y/n said before hanging up.

“So, can I go?” She looked at the green ninja and he gave her a look. “You think that after shoplifting and then proceeding to let us chase you trough the city, I’m just going to let you go like that?” He gave her a sceptical look.

“Well, yeah, what, your going to take me back to Harvey’s and make me give back that bag of skittles?” She cocked an eyebrow and he was silent for a moment.

“Here, for your troubles.” She tossed him the bag of skittles which he caught. She walked past him and out of the alley.

“Hey,” he snapped out of his trans and looked at Nya who had appeared next to him. “I lost them.” She admitted.

“I caught Y/n, but she just gave me the skittles and walked off again.” He admitted. The others then found them, landing next to them.

“We literally just got beat by a group of teens.” Kai said annoyed. “Seems like Lloyd got himself a stealing girlfriend.” Nya laughed.

“Wait, was that the group from the park?” Jay asked and then everyone realised that they had just chased the girl that had given aloud her number.

Once again, Lloyd knew he was in for a day of teasing.

Her friends cheered when they noticed Y/n coming their way.

“How’d you escape the green ninja?” Amelia joked. “I just gave him the skittles I stole and walked off, didn’t even stop me.” She grinned.

Everyone laughed and headed inside James house.

“So, what’ve we got?” Arthur asked. “Well, we don’t have skittles, that’s for sure.” Luna said as she laid three cans of energy drink on the table.

“Not like we’re gonna need those that much anyway.” Anthony said, putting two chocolate bars, two cans of soda and a small bag of candy down.

“Jeez, Andy, how many pockets have you got?” James joked as he threw just two snickers onto the table.

The only one who had nothing was Flora. She had just joined a year ago after she began dating Charles and the idea of stealing was always a bit hard for her.

[xenazaria]

When the Preeminent was finally submerged, something... Strange... Happened. All of the remaining ghosts collapsed to the floor at the same time. Every single one of them. Lloyd watched, confused as Morro fell.

He should probably... Do something? Right?

He walked over to the ghost, cautiously.

He instinctively reached out to roll Morro over, but his hand faded through the ghost's body.

Luckily- or unluckily, depending on how you looked at it- the ghost stirred after only a few awkward moments of stillness.

Morro rolled over, blinking and confused. Lloyd's green eyes met Morro's brown for only a second before jerking away, searching for anywhere else to look other than the eyes of his-

Wait.

Morro's eyes were green.

Why are they brown now?

Unless...

"Where... Am I?" The ghost asked slowly.

What.

"You are in Stixx, Morro. You know, the place where you literally released a giant tentacle monster and then tried to curse the entire realm? That place?"

Lloyd looked back at Morro. The ghost looked like you had just told him his grandma died and then killed his puppy.

"You... Do remember doing that, right?"

Morro shook his head no.

"Do you remember possessing me? Breaking into Cloud Kingdom? Stealing the armour?"

"I don't- Cloud Kingdom? What? Why would i-"

"GET THE FU- FRICK AWAY FROM MY BROTHER YOU JERK!"

Lloyd almost didn't have time to react as Nya started throwing water blasts at the ghost. Almost. He jumped in front of her, getting absolutely drenched in water but not letting any past him.

"Nya stop! I'm fine! I don't think he's a threat right now."

Nya paused at his words "The bi- JERK- that jerk fricking kidnapped you, Lloyd! How could you say he's not a threat?!"

"He doesn't even remember who I am, Nya! I don't think he remembers anything from after he died!"

"Okay, um... Thanks for like... Saving me or whatever that was, but can I PLEASE have some more fucking context about... Whatever is going on here? Why is Blondie wearing that? And who are you? I thought Maya was the master of water."

"SEE?! He doesn't even know where we are. And if you look, his eyes are BROWN now."

Nya let the ball of water that she was preparing fall to the floor. "What?"

"My eyes have always been brown, Blondie. Unless they haven't? This doesn't look like those caves. Or the cursed realm. Where did you say we are again?"

"Stixx. You escaped the cursed realm, kidnapped Lloyd, and freed the preeminent. Do you seriously not remember that?"

"Freed the who? That giant octopus wanna-be? Gross, why would I do that? That thing's ugly as fuck. Also you never answered my question about Maya."

The two ninja just stared at Morro in shock, before looking at each other.

"Okay, so... Chances of... That... Being some sort of mind control?" Nya asked.

"Pretty high. My scan, along with interviews from the other remaining spirits, suggest that none of them remember anything after arriving in the cursed realm the first time." Came a voice from behind, speaking as hesitantly as a nindroid could.

"Okay... So... What now?"

"I say we gather the remaining ghosts and... I don't know, put them in a deep stone cell until we figure out what to do next. Zane, do you think you could get the others started on that? But have W- have Sensei come to us. I think he will want to talk to a certain... Someone."

"I am right here, green bean. How long was I fucking gone? Is that actually the green gi, or is it just some copy? I died, so clearly it wasn't supposed to be me... Was I gone long enough for Wu to find the real green ninja? How long did it take for him to replace me?"

Before Lloyd could answer, Morro froze.

"Morro?" Asked the old man, standing at the entrance of the alley.

"Umm... Hi... Dad... It's been a while, hasn't it? Or... Not that long if these two were telling the truth... Did I really... Do all that?"

Wu ran to the ghost faster than he had ever seen his uncle run before.

"Morro... Is it- is it really you?"

"Were you expecting someone else?" Morro joked nervously.

"When you- At the tea shop, I had hoped that- That wasn't you right? Please tell me that wasn't really you."

"What tea shop? The last thing I remember is showing up in some ugly ass green ribcage and yelling at some bitch, and the next thing I know I'm here."

"Language," Nya said. "There are children in the room- er- alley."

"Okay, well I don't know how long I was gone, but last I checked I was 14, so does it really fucking matter if I swear around children?"

That seemed to cause everyone in the alley to pause.

"You were 14?"

"You're telling me I got kidnapped by a child who is YOUNGER THAN ME?!"

"But... You left the monastery only 3 months before your 15'th birthday... How long were you out there before..."

"As far as I'm concerned, the last time I saw you was when I walked down those stairs a month and a half ago."

"Morro... That was 40 YEARS ago... You left the monastery 40 years ago."

[circus4apsycho8]

Gosh idk if you’re ask box is open rn but I’ve been dying for a story where y/n pulls a Nya and turns into the wind (bc they’re the master of wind) and so Cole plays guitar outside and has tons of wind chimes to make music with his partner still. Bonus points if y/n comes back somehow

Lots of fluff Lots of fluff 😩 I beg

𝚊/𝚗: 𝚒 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚊 <𝟹𝟹𝟹 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐! 𝚒 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢 :) 𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚘, 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚜 𝚏𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚎!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛.

𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚘, 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚊 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌 𝚜𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚏𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚕 - 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚎𝚛𝚣𝚊 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚙𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚗 :)

𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚜𝚝, 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚍 𝚌𝚞𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐

anything. | cole x reader

“This is it, guys,” Lloyd notes, green eyes studying the map anxiously as he leans back. “They have everything that they need, which means that we don’t have much time. We have to find whatever it is that they’re working on and destroy it.” 

“The cameras that we’ve hid around Ninjago have picked up heightened activity at a certain warehouse,” Nya adds. “We think that’s where they’re working.” 

“Here’s the plan. Me, Kai, Cole, and Zane are going to infiltrate the warehouse first. Jay and Nya, you two are going to keep an eye on the streets around the block. And as for you,” Lloyd turns to face you. “You’re going to keep an eye out from above. Make sure that the communicators in your hoods are working.”

You all nod, everyone pulling their hoods over their heads. 

“Okay, what are we waiting for? Let’s do this!” Kai yells. 

“NINJAGO!” the seven of you shout together. With that, you all set off for the deck of the Bounty. 

You waste no time in leaping off of the edge, using bursts of wind underneath your feet to travel across the sky. You decide to expend the least amount of energy as possible, so you save your elemental dragon for later. 

You follow the ninja’s dragons, easily able to keep up with the wind on your side. The breeze snaps past your body, granting you a sense of liberty. It surrounds you entirely – no ground to be found for miles below. 

“The warehouse is not far,” comes Zane’s voice via the communicator. “But, we will need to land earlier in order to mask our presence.” 

“There’s an alley just before it that you all should be able to land behind,” Pixal replies. “Zane, I have sent you the coordinates. Take the lead and show them.” 

Zane’s dragon swoops in front of Lloyd’s, who slows down a little.  

You notice that Cole’s being pretty quiet. Not unusual, but you think he’s deep in thought. You turn towards him, letting a blast of wind emanate from your palm. You use the momentum to land on the back of his dragon, immediately snaking your arms around him and hooking them around his torso. 

Making sure that your communicator is muted, you set your chin on his shoulder. “Babe, are you doing okay?” 

Normally, he’s all hopped up on that pre-fight adrenaline like you are – talking with everyone else, joking and speculating about how the fight may go. But something is different this time. Perhaps because this is going to be the deciding battle? You’re not sure. 

You can feel how tense he is against your body. His dragon offers a low wail, making you think he’s somewhat apprehensive. 

“Yeah,” he replies, tone quiet. You study what you can see at your angle, but you can’t see much because of his mask. “I just...I don’t know. This feels off.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I can’t put my finger on it. Just...please, be careful?” 

“I will if you will,” you mumble. 

One of his hands come to grip yours, squeezing it. You snuggle your chin into the crook of his neck, listening as the wind whips past the two of you. 

“I love you,” he mumbles. 

“I love you too,” you respond, feeling his head lean on yours for a few moments. You notice the silence that has overcome the group as well. 

“Will you stay until we get down?” he wonders, still holding your hand. 

“Of course,” you respond, frowning. 

From there, the group descends from the sky, all heading towards the roof of a building that’s hidden behind a skyscraper. Hopefully, the enemy won’t see you guys because of that. 

The elemental dragons dissipate midair, allowing for the seven of you to leap onto the roof of the building. Cole hops down beside you, observing as the others sail down as well. 

“Okay, everyone, get into position,” Lloyd states. 

With that, Cole’s hand slips out of your grasp as he, Kai, Lloyd, and Zane all go to infiltrate the warehouse. Jay and Nya hop down the side of the building, both going to investigate the street. You, on the other hand, decide to get a better vantage point. 

The skyscraper in front of you seems to be tall enough to work. With that thought in mind, you utilize your power to send you sailing up to the top, bursts of wind supporting your feet as you essentially climb the air. 

When you reach the top, you latch one of your hands onto the side of the building, not yet wanting to climb over as your power dies down around you. You let yourself hang precariously off the side for a moment, your grip the only thing protecting you from gravity’s unforgiving grasp. The roads and buildings below you are so tiny now...like little dots or stripes all over a canvas. 

 You can’t help but grin; despite the seriousness of the situation, the adrenaline rush of being up high and in your element never failed to brighten your mood. Now reminded of the task at hand, you hoist yourself over the edge of the building, landing onto the roof with ease. 

The breeze slips through the fabric of your gi, beckoning an army of goosebumps to arise all over your skin. You walk around the perimeter of the building, making sure to locate the warehouse where the ninja will be at. 

Everything seems to be okay for the moment – the streets are running as normal, citizens carrying on as usual. You lean over the side of the railing for a moment, studying the warehouse. Nothing seems particularly off about it from your viewpoint. 

“Everyone else in position?” comes Lloyd’s voice through the communicator. It’s just above a whisper, making you think they’re inside. 

Jay’s static-laced voice is the next to sound: “Nya and I are ready!” 

“I’m watching from a nearby skyscraper,” you affirm. 

“Okay, good. We’re getting ready to breach the building. Keep a close eye out,” Lloyd instructs. 

“You got it,” Jay responds. 

With that, you simply observe for a few minutes. Nothing much of interest happens, and the others are being silent on the communicator. Paired with how quiet it is, that makes you think that they’ve successfully entered without being caught. 

Suddenly growing antsy, you turn to take a look at the other side of the city. Similarly, nothing out of the ordinary is occurring. 

Just as you’re about to stride back over to the warehouse side, a flurry of motion catches your attention from your peripheral vision. You twirl back around. 

“Huh?” you mumble to yourself, watching as something rises in the distance. It seems to be a tower of sorts...no surprise there, but it looks like it’s...getting taller? And wider? 

You frown, leaning on the edge of the building. What is that? It looks like it’s on the outskirts of the city. 

“Jay, Nya...do any of you guys see what I’m looking at?” you question. 

“No, what?” Nya answers. “Where?” 

“It looks like some kind of tower. But it’s expanding, growing taller,” you note, frowning as it swivels to face the city. Suddenly, a horrid feeling creeps through you. “Wait...” 

“Guys!” Kai’s voice yells, heavy static obscuring his words. It thickens as he speaks: “...was a trap...can’t get out...need to find...tricked us!” 

“A trap?” Jay wonders. 

You observe as four metal panels slide open on the tower, revealing some sort of machine. Eyes widening, you instantly leap into action, hopping over the edge and using your wind to dash across the air, straight towards the cannon. 

“Jay, follow her! I’ll try to get the others!” Nya says. You can barely hear her because of how loud the wind is, but either way it doesn’t matter. You have to get there before the enemy’s plan succeeds. 

So, they’d really thrown you all off this whole time. You’ll admit – it’s probably the smartest plan a villain has had in a long while. They’d completely thrown you off their tail this whole chase. 

Even so, they’ve made one mistake – you, Jay and Nya are still free. You can still prevent a disaster. 

It doesn’t take you long to arrive at the building. Using the wind to break your fall, you land just past the gated fence. The skyscraper spirals upwards before you, mechanical whirring coming from within. 

You watch as the very top expands into what appears to be some sort of giant weapon. A cannon? It kind of reminds you of Garmatron in a way. 

“Ninja!” someone yells. You spot a bunch of goons spilling out from the entrance, all armed. “Get her!” 

You swing your arm out, sending a strong gust of wind barreling towards them. It hurdles all of them backwards, all smacking the wall roughly. It seems as if the impact has knocked them out thankfully. 

But...what in the hell can you possibly do now? They most likely have everything they need completely set up if they’re only revealing themselves to you now. 

In other words, there’s not much you can do. 

Your breath becomes stuck in your throat as you see magic energy swelling up into a ball at the tip of the cannon. The shot is already charging, and it’s aimed directly at the city! 

Immediately, you swivel your head around to survey your surroundings. Ahead is a building that’ll get you high enough to suit your only idea. 

In an instant, you’re climbing up the air with the wind blasting from underneath your feet. It only takes you a moment to ascend the side of the building, leaping over the railing to the roof. 

You turn to face the cannon, watching as the blast gradually charges. With both hands now out to your sides, you close your eyes. 

Center yourself. 

The breeze lifts slightly, swirling around you as your fingertips curl. Once you feel a deepened connection with your element, you funnel your protectiveness into the spell. 

Now with your emotion woven between the seams of the wind, it snaps into something stronger. Its circumference multiplies, blocking the cannon’s path. 

Already you can feel your power weakening, but you don’t dare back off. Not now of all times. Despite being strained, you force yourself into a surge of Spinjitzu – the most emotionally charged burst that you’ve ever performed. The urgency of the situation causes the tornado to spiral, forming a wind barrier that cuts through the atmosphere at a dangerous speed. 

From somewhere, you can hear a faint boom. But your surroundings are blurring together, the wind howling far too loud for you to be able to hear anything else. Against your barrier, you can feel rancid energy throwing everything it has at you. 

But you push harder. 

A raw scream rips from your throat as the wind swirls faster, effectively cutting through the dark magic of the shot before it has a chance to pass you. 

Numbness creeps through your body as you feel yourself aligning with the wind; whispers of past masters echo within the confines of your conscience, too garbled to make any sense. 

Your vision becomes blinded by a sea of white, feeling now completely gone as you realize that you’re too consumed to return. 

But that’s okay. 

As the dark magic fades to nothing, you find yourself slipping past the force that lies beyond. The wind gradually fades to a stop, reverting the atmosphere to its normal state as you find yourself standing once more. 

Calm overcomes you as you study your surroundings. 

...What had you been doing? 

You stand there for a moment, finding your memories jaded as the numbness recedes, now replaced with...longing. A burning desire to be where you belong. 

Commotion emanates from the road below you, but you find that you don’t particularly care about it. Your interest lies in the horizon. 

Now free from the confines of mere physicality, whole with the element you have come to love... 

Nothing is holding you back from joining the sky, seeing what the world has to offer... 

Still in an anthropomorphic shape, you step onto the ledge of the building. You glance down, at first studying the height and then your hands. 

You are the Wind. 

Just as you’re about to step over the edge, voices resonate from behind you. 

“You did it!” 

You turn to face the group before you, all staring at you expectantly. Yes...you recognize these people. Your previous friends. 

The one in black – Cole – emerges first. “You’re okay!” 

He attempts to embrace you, but to no avail – the wind composing your body simply disperses as he passes through you. 

“Ha, that's gonna take some getting used to. But we'll figure out a way to change you back. Don't worry,” Kai assures, stepping forward next to the others. 

“Back?” you wonder. 

“To normal. You know, the old you,” Jay answers, face falling in confusion alongside Cole’s. 

“Normal?” 

“Hey...what’s wrong?” Cole questions, now directly in front of you as you stare at him blankly. 

Then, you hear it again – those enticingly mysterious whispers. They beckon you to join them in an eternal adventure throughout the sky. You turn to glance at the horizon longingly. 

“Do you hear it?” you question, ignoring Cole’s query as you stare at the sky. 

“What?” Cole wonders. 

“The wind. It's so much louder now. So powerful. More powerful than I could have imagined... I must go.” 

“Go? Wait...no. You can’t. Listen, you have to focus. Concentrate. We’ll figure something out!” Cole pleads, trying to touch you once more. 

You stare at him. How have you become so faded in what you feel? Either way, the distress on his expression prompts you to take one of his hands in yours, the other settling on his cheek in an attempt to comfort him somewhat. 

His stare begs you to remain, with unshed tears lining his eyes. “Please? I...I need you. More than you could ever know.” 

Still, you don’t respond. You gently pull your hand out of his grasp, turning to face Wu as he approaches you: 

“I implore you. Whatever you're hearing, whatever you're experiencing. Fight it! Remember who you are. Remember.” 

You smile slightly. “I am the wind. And we are one.” 

With that, you turn to face the sky, your back towards them. 

“Wind guide you, my friends. Su’um ahrk morah.” 

With that, you leap off of the edge, instantly merging with the wind as the calls of the people behind you fizzle out to nothing. 

… 

First his mom. 

Now you. 

Cole finds himself blankly staring at a picture posted on one of the walls in the monastery. It was of you and him – taken by Nya one day while the group had been cleaning. You had jumped on his back, like you always would. Both of you were smiling. 

Cole finds his thoughts racing back to the same what-if scenarios he’d been contemplating for the last few hours. Why didn’t he insist on staying with you? What had they missed that led them here? 

For a moment, he continues pondering on them when he feels a hand grabbing his shoulder lightly. Cole blinks, a few tears slipping out of his eyes before he turns to find his dad standing next to him. 

“Dad...” Cole mutters, suddenly finding his throat too tight for him to speak. 

Lou’s expression softens as he studies Cole, moving in to hug Cole a few seconds later. The Master of Earth returns the embrace, trying to hold back his tears to no avail. 

The two simply remain in embrace for a few moments as dread washes over Cole. Lou doesn’t falter with the strength of the hug, either. 

“I’m sorry, Cole,” Lou whispers. “I’m so sorry.” 

Cole finds his throat too tight to speak momentarily as his mind desperately searches for some kind of response. 

But for a few seconds, he can’t. 

“Dad?” Cole wonders, trying not to let his voice break. 

“Yes?” 

“Can I...come home with you for a little while? I just...I don’t know if I can be here. I need time away, I think.” 

Lou’s expression softens as he nods. “Of course you can, son. You can stay as long as you want.” 

“Thank you,” Cole replies, choking up slightly. “I’ll go pack.” 

“Take all the time you need. I’ll be here waiting.” 

With that, Cole makes his way towards his room. Everything around him suddenly feels too stifling to bear. The remnants of your energy are scattered everywhere, and it suffocates him. The feeling only strengthens its chokehold over him as he passes your room, unable to glance inside. 

Once he makes it to his room, he spends a few minutes shoving clothes and other belongings into his duffel bag. He finds that his thoughts are entirely focused on the process of packing, doing his best to ignore the tears pooling in his eyes. 

When he finishes, he takes a glance around before zipping the bag shut. After tossing the strap over his shoulder, the sound of a soft knock catches his attention. 

Cole pauses, turning slowly. 

There, he spots the Smith family gathered solemnly before him. 

“Hey Cole,” Kai greets softly, offering a hesitant nod. 

“We know you’re about to go, but...we made something for you. All of us. As our...tribute to her. But we think you should have it,” Nya explains, offering Cole a rectangular, black box. 

After taking a second to secure the strap of his bag around his shoulder, Cole takes the box gingerly. He removes the lid, breath hitching at the sight of the item. 

It’s a windchime – an intricate one, at that. Glass and aluminum sculptures cascade down from the top, all depicting different symbols. 

“It’s beautiful,” Cole murmurs, tracing a finger over it. “Thank you.” 

“We’re so sorry, Cole,” Nya mumbles, immediately going to hug Cole. The earth elemental returns the embrace, closing his eyes as a few tears run down his cheeks. 

“Thank you,” he whispers as she pulls away. 

“Let us know if you need anything,” Kai adds, pulling Cole in for a brisk hug as well. 

“I will,” Cole replies, nodding towards Ray and Maya. “Thank you all.” 

“Travel safely, Cole,” Nya adds. 

… 

A few weeks pass. 

Cole finds himself outside one morning, deep in the forest that’s close to his childhood home. After a few minutes of hiking, he finally arrives at his destination. 

“I can’t believe it’s still together,” he mumbles, spotting his old makeshift, childhood fort that he’d built years ago. 

It’s nothing much – just an old blanket strung between three trees to make an impromptu tent. It covers a small area between the trees, including a foldable chair and a flat tree stump that serves as a table. 

Everything looks so much smaller than I remember, Cole thinks as he sets his case and bag down, glancing at the chair. He tilts it down in order to swipe off the dirt and leaves that have collected on it. 

Once that’s done, he sits down slowly, glancing around. The place hasn’t changed much since he last came here – not that it’s much of a surprise. Eventually, Cole spots a short but thick branch within arm’s reach. 

Suddenly reminded of the purpose of his visit, he pulls his bag onto his lap. After unzipping it, he takes out the box that the Smiths gave him. He opens it, gingerly pulling the windchime out. 

Cole gently slips the loop over the branch, watching as his hands leave the item to make sure it doesn’t slip. Fortunately, the grip stays secure when the wind tousles the dangling bits slightly. In the sunlight, the metal and glass parts sparkle softly. 

His eyes linger on the chime momentarily, watching as it starts to emit a soft jingle upon being caressed by the wind. He closes his eyes, listening to its song 

A few moments later, Cole bends down to unlatch the case bearing his old guitar. He’d found it stashed within the closet of his childhood room earlier, which is when the idea to come out here occurred to him. As his gaze sweeps the object, he swallows a soft lump in his throat, not allowing his thoughts to wander just yet. 

As Cole lifts the instrument out of the case, a whelm of emotion floods him – hints of nostalgia mixed with grief and acceptance. His mother used to use this guitar – she would play him songs when he was little. The memory elicits a smile to cross his face as he sets it on his lap, the familiar weight comforting him slightly. 

The wind picks up, causing the windchime’s hum to be joined with the canopy of leaves overhead. Cole listens for a second before deciding to join in. In an attempt to become reacquainted with his former hobby, Cole’s fingertips pluck a few strings. 

As he does so, he eventually grows more confident and begins playing a song by memory. At first, he simply hums the lyrics, still somewhat scared to sing. Though, as he continues, he finds himself relaxing as he starts to sing quietly, opening his voice to the earth and wind. 

Cole finds himself in a state of thoughtlessness – only softly singing while listening to the windchimes’ addition to his makeshift song. At some point, he even unconsciously imagines you next to him, quietly singing along in place of the chime. 

As he finishes, Cole props the guitar against a nearby tree, rubbing a stray tear off of his cheek. He reaches inside his pocket to fish out a picture of you – one taken by Zane a while back. 

“I miss you,” he mumbles, tracing the image slightly. 

Cole sighs, setting it back in his pocket as he feels his eyes welling up with tears again. The thought occurs to him that you could be anywhere in the sky by now. What were you doing? How much of your identity was lost during the transformation? Would he ever be able to see you again? 

He doesn’t know, and he might not ever know. But he had learned a lesson from his mother’s death, and that was to continue fighting no matter what. 

Cole allows another set of tears to spill. Deep down, he understands that he needs time to grieve and reset. He’ll return to the monastery once he’s ready. But now is the time for him to rest and begin healing. 

So, with a heart not as heavy, Cole packs all of his items back up, heading back to his father’s house for the day. 

… 

One stormy day, Cole finds himself seated within the old theater in their town, watching as his father’s quartet rehearses an upcoming performance on the stage. The group dances in unison, Cole grateful to see Lou’s relaxed expression as he dances about with his friends. 

The raven-haired Master of Earth studies their movements carefully, knowing the quartet would want his feedback if needed. 

Too engrossed in the performance, Cole misses the sound of the door opening. Two sneaky pairs of footsteps pad down the aisle leading to each row of theater seats, eventually turning into Cole’s row. 

Upon spotting two silhouettes nearing him in his peripheral vision, Cole turns. 

“Hey!” whispers Jay in a hushed tone, grinning alongside Nya. “Don’t mind us!” 

Nya rolls her eyes, the two sitting down next to Cole. “We’ll wait until they’re finished. Now shush, Jay!” 

Cole chuckles, turning his attention back to the performance. Had they really come all this way to see him? 

Soon enough, the rehearsal comes to a stop as the Royal Blacksmiths pose at the end, all donning goofy grins. The three ninja stand, offering a round of applause. 

“Your hard work has really paid off,” Cole notes as the four men descend the stage. “That was better than last time. Not nearly as many mistakes.” 

“Mr. Brookstone! That sounded awesome!” Jay chirps from next to Cole. 

“I really liked how you transitioned each song in the medley,” Nya adds. 

“Ah, if it isn’t Jay and Nya! Thank you, thank you. We’re glad you all enjoyed the show. What brings you two this way?” 

“We came to see Cole,” Jay answers. “You know. Ninja stuff.” 

“Right,” Lou acknowledges with a chuckle, walking towards the rest of the quartet. “I’ll leave you three to it, then.” 

“Thanks, Dad,” Cole calls, watching as the group enters the backstage area before it goes quiet. 

“It’s good to see you, Cole! Sorry we came in kinda unannounced,” Jay starts as Cole turns to face the couple. 

“No worries. You know my dad loves having an audience,” Cole replies, shrugging. 

“How have you been?” Nya inquires as they sit down again. 

Cole smiles smally at the question. “I’m…better now.” 

“We’re glad,” Jay adds, his voice lowering. “We’ve been kinda worried, because…well, it’s been a while.” 

“Yeah, I’m sorry,” Cole notes. “I started doing miscellaneous work around town to keep busy, so I haven’t had as much time to check in.” 

“We understand,” Nya assures. “But, something’s come up back home.” 

“Wait, really? What?” 

“We’ve received word about a group of criminals attempting to smuggle suspicious amounts of Vengestone throughout Ninjago City,” Jay answers.  

“Vengestone? That can’t be good,” Cole mumbles, frowning. “Do you know who’s behind it yet?” 

“Remember Miss Demeanor?” Nya prompts. “It’s her. She and a few other goons.” 

“But that’s not even the worse part!” Jay cries, eyes widening. “There’s a new group of ninja out there! They’ve been stealing our thunder ever since!” 

“And people have been wondering where we are. Though, it’s been a year since we’ve seen any action, so I can’t say I blame them,” Nya remarks. “But, I have to admit, the idea of a new group of ninja just irks me.” 

“New ninja? That sucks,” Cole mumbles. 

“But, what we’re getting at is…we want you to come back home with us, Cole,” Nya adds. “We have a new threat on our hands, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to stand around and let these tryhard imposters handle it.” 

“Yeah,” Jay adds. “We’re going to go find Kai and Lloyd, too.” 

“What about Zane?” Cole questions. 

“He, Pixal, and Wu are back at the monastery,” Nya explains. 

“I see,” Cole trails off for a moment. Part of him likes the peaceful life he’s built for himself here over the past year, but another part of him is ready to go back. To return to the life of a ninja. To protect those who cannot protect themselves. 

And he knows that you would be the first person to kick his ass into gear if he were to remain while there were people to be helped. 

“Okay,” Cole decides, expression hardening. “Let me go home and pack. I’ll come.” 

… 

[Somewhere in Ninjago...] 

The whispers became clearer after a while. 

And you could hear them – the previous masters of wind, their shared memories with their elements all surging within your ethereal mind as you surfed the winds, never once touching the ground. 

There was one voice that was...familiar to you – almost akin to a rush of déjà vu, yet somehow stronger. Some of the names were familiar – they would tug at distant memories, but not quite hard enough to bring any to light. 

Their strength fades with every passing day, though, and at some point you simply stop worrying about it. 

That is, until you find yourself hovering above Ninjago City one night, watching as the citizens gather for a celebration of some sort below. 

Intrigued, you land on the roof of a nearby skyscraper, leaning over the edge to observe. In their hands, they bear orange objects. 

“It’s a remembrance ceremony.” 

You turn upon hearing the new voice, spotting the only other entity you had met in the sky – the only other entity like you. You don’t know his true identity, just that he has been lost to the wind for far longer than you have. 

“A ceremony...” you repeat, turning back towards the crowd below. “I see.” 

The entity steps closer towards you. “I am glad that you are here. There is something I must ask you.” 

“What is it?” 

“For some time now, I have been observing you. The other day, you intercepted a rooftop altercation and saved a man from falling to his death. Tell me: why do you save them?” 

You pause for a moment, thinking through your answer. Do you save people because it’s right? Well, that must be part of it, but something about that seems...lacking. Incomplete. And you don’t understand why. It’s on the tip of your tongue, except you know you won’t ever be able to understand why by yourself. 

For the moment, though, you elect to keep your thoughts to yourself. “Because...it is the right thing to do.” 

He seems aware of your hesitancy. “I sense there is more to it than that. After all, we are merely an aspect of nature. Right and wrong do not exist within our territory, yet still you insist upon interfering with human activity.” 

“But it feels wrong to me,” you mumble. “And I think there is something I’m missing. Something I’ve lost that has to do with myself.” 

“Then find it,” he encourages, the two of you watching as the lanterns begin floating up. “Perhaps the truth is closer than you think.” 

“Where would I even begin searching?” you question, trailing off as the lanterns float closer to the skyscraper’s edge. 

“Heed their words,” he answers. “You will find what is missing below.” 

With that, the entity dissipates, leaving you to figure out what he means. Hm...below. Did he mean the lanterns? 

You reach over the edge, grasping one of the lanterns and pulling it closer. It appears to have a message on it, addressed to a name that feels familiar, followed by: 

Thank you for stopping that blast of dark magic! Our city would have been torn to pieces if it weren’t for you! 

You repeat that name, releasing the lantern. You say it again as you go to grasp another one: 

Thank you for saving me and my mommy! I’m sure your friends will miss you, though. But you saved us all. Thank you! 

That name. It keeps appearing, again and again, lantern after lantern. Something is on the tip of your tongue, but still you feel that what you’ve learned isn’t quite enough to tip the scales in your advantage. 

You continue reading them, all of the messages along the same caliber before you come across one that sticks out to you: 

We all appreciate your sacrifice. Without you, Ninjago would have been destroyed. I bet Cole really misses you. 

“Cole...” 

That’s the name that triggers something. You narrow your thoughts in on that portion, jumping off of the building and going to zip across the sky so you can think about it more clearly. 

For a moment, you simply let yourself fall. As you contemplate the name, your form dissipates into the snapping bands of wind around you. An image conjures within the back of your mind – a group of people, their tauntingly familiar faces eating away at that strange wall blocking something. 

“Who are they?” you wonder, pushing against that block harder. Even still, it tries to continue its lasting suppression. 

But you push even harder. 

And finally, like a dam... 

...it snaps, allowing heaps of memories to crash through all corners of your mind. 

You’re not sure how long it takes you to process it all. You find yourself drifting aimlessly among the skies, sorting through all of the memories and trying to make sense of everything. 

But one thing is clear to you – you have to get back. You must find a way to return. 

But how? 

Your answer hits you a moment later, a mental image piecing together – one of a home long forgotten; a refuge that you had, at one time, known like the back of your hand. It makes sense that they would gather there, right? 

Mind set, you begin traveling in the direction of the monastery. 

… 

Cole sighs, yanking his mask off as the team enters the hangar bay. He runs a gloved hand through his sweaty, tangled hair, using the fabric of his mask to wipe away a few beads of sweat. Damn, he’s more out of practice than he thought. 

The others aren’t in any better shape, all sporting defeated expressions as the group processes what had just occurred. 

Lloyd is the first one to say what the entire team is thinking: “Ex-ninja? Old-timers? Who do they think they are?!” 

“The New Ninja of Ninjago City,” answers the uncaring voice of Zane. “And their arrival was fortuitous. Without their help, it is likely we would have been defeated. I calculate our odds⁠—” 

Zane is interrupted as a sudden sound pierces the relative silence of the background – something akin to a distant, shrill whistle. Had it come from within the walls? 

The team studies the ceiling for a moment, the sound droning on for a few more seconds before subsiding. 

“What was that?” Jay speaks up hesitantly, eyes nervously flicking back to the team. 

“Sounded like the wind,” Kai adds. “But...it wasn’t windy when we came inside, right?” 

“No, it wasn’t. Not to mention that we’re fully underground now,” Cole mutters. 

“I think it came from the vent. Everyone quiet down for a second,” Nya instructs, snatching a flashlight from one of the nearby tables. She approaches the vent, stare scrutinizing as she aims the beam of light inside. “Well, there’s nothing that I can see. But the draft is strong...stronger than it should be.” 

The group quiets down once more as the whistling returns, this time even louder. Nya shuts the flashlight off, backing away as the ninja ready themselves. 

The vent begins to shake violently, the whistling only increasing in volume. 

“Hangar bay sensors are detecting a breach in security,” Zane notes. 

“Did the sensors pick up any signs of life?” Jay questions. 

Zane shakes his head. “It is some kind of foreign entity. I cannot tell what exactly it is because the readings are unclear. Be ready.” 

This causes the group to quiet down, zeroing in on the vent. Moments later, something just...pours out of the opening. 

A pool of gray smoke puddles underneath the vent, the substance almost seeming...alive, in a way. 

“What the hell?” Kai mutters, stepping forward to observe it. “Is that...smoke? Why is it moving?” 

But something about the way the smoke is moving catches Cole off guard, leaving him to continue watching as the others start speculating. Something about it seems...familiar, in a strange way. 

That feeling only strengthens as the substance starts to mold itself into an anthropomorphic shape, bands of wind snapping together to form the same figure he hadn’t seen in a year. 

Cole crouches near the figure, catching the attention of the others as he says: “Guys...wait, look. It’s not smoke.” 

The earth elemental’s eyes remain locked on the figure as the wind finally finishes taking shape. Cole shoves his aching heart to the side as he whispers your name, gently testing the solidity of your form by pressing his hand against yours. 

Like last time, it passes through, but the interaction seems to catch your attention. You look up at him, the close angle giving Cole the perfect chance to study you. 

Despite being entirely composed of wind, he can still see your expression clearly; you’re straining yourself, trying to focus on speaking without breaking concentration. 

“C...Cole...?” you mumble, voice ethereal as your eyes widen slightly. “Is it...is it really you?” 

“Yes, yes, baby, it’s me,” Cole answers, tone almost frantic as he strains to listen to your quiet voice. Your form suddenly solidifies enough for him to touch you, allowing him to take you into his arms. 

“I...I r-remember now,” you stutter, raising a hand to cup his cheek. “I...need your help.” 

“Tell me, sweetheart. Tell me what you need me to do. I’m here,” Cole replies, fingers covering yours. 

“There’s a...way back,” you explain, voice straining. “Need to drain...my powers...I c-can't hold this form-” 

Cole feels his heart lurch as two pairs of hands pull him away, eyes widening. “No, wait!” 

His objections fall on deaf ears as he watches your form turn from that translucent white to the signature, icy blue of Zane’s element. 

“Apologies, but freezing her was the only way to maintain her form,” Zane explains, stepping forward to study you. 

“She’s...she’s okay, right?” Cole wonders, your frozen body still on the floor. 

“Affirmative. In her gaseous state, she should experience no damage. She said she needed to drain her powers, yes?” 

“Yeah, that’s what she said, but...that’s impossible, right? There’s no way we can undo whatever spell she performed,” Cole responds, a hand on his forehead. 

“No. It's not. Kai had his powers taken away. Remember?” Lloyd interjects as Cole takes a moment to process what his teammates are saying. 

Kai nods, eyes downcast at the memory. “Yeah. I remember. Real well. And if you're thinking what I think you're thinking⁠—” 

The brunet’s suggestion causes Cole’s understanding to click into place. 

Aspheera. She can take away your power. She can save you. 

Cole frowns upon remembering that Aspheera is imprisoned, and it would be risky to break her out – especially with those new ninja prowling about. So many things could go wrong... 

...but if it worked? 

Then...you could come back. For good. 

Sensei Wu interrupts this time, having been unusually quiet during the ordeal. “That is out of the question. There has to be another way!” 

Lloyd approaches his uncle, coming to a sudden realization. “Master Wu. You spent the last year searching for a way to bring her back. Have you found anything? Anything at all?” 

The old man releases a hefty sigh, shaking his head. “I have not.” 

“Sensei...” Cole starts, approaching him with pleading eyes. “After all she did...for us, and for the city. This could be the only chance that we have to save her.” 

Through Wu’s firm glare, however, Cole takes note of the pain lurking underneath. The exhaustion of hunting for another way, the pain of losing one of his pupils. Even Wu is breaking, despite his next rejection: “This is a mistake! Aspheera can't be trusted! If we let her out of prison, even briefly, lives will be at risk. I...I cannot be a part of this.” 

“But, Uncle,” Lloyd argues, eyeing your fallen self. “Everyone is safer with her back!” 

“No doubt, this is going to be one of the riskiest missions we’ve ever decided to take,” Nya notes. “And whatever we decide to do...we have to decide as a team.” 

“So...are we still a team, then?” Cole wonders, letting the question linger momentarily. 

Everyone’s head turns to Lloyd, who proposes the decision: 

“All in favor of going after⁠—” 

Before he can even finish, the entire team has their hand raised. A sense of relief floods Cole as Lloyd nods, the gravity of the next mission settling in as everyone comes to understand what must be done. 

The blond nods as everyone lowers their arm. “Okay then. It's decided. We go get Aspheera, and save her.” 

With that, the group disperses after collectively deciding to try and ask the mayor for help first before jumping into any drastic decisions. As everyone goes to gear up, Cole takes the opportunity kneel next to you again. 

Tears line his eyes as he gently traces your fingers, wishing he can hold your hand, but scared of his body heat potentially speeding up the melting process. 

“Don’t worry about a thing, love,” he mumbles. “I don’t care what I have to do. I’m going to get you back.” 

… 

You can't move. 

No matter how much you try, you’re stuck – frozen, you think. The energy lacing the ice encasing you is familiar; it prevents you from losing your shape. You don’t think you’d be able to reassemble yourself if it melted due to the lack of elemental wind energy present in the bay. 

Your vision is completely covered in ice, unable to see anything clearly; silhouettes dip in and out of your vision, sometimes accompanied by muddled voices. If you listen closely enough, you can make out patches of what they’re saying if they’re close enough. 

The one you cling to most is Cole’s. He visits you when he can between missions, promising that he’s going to find a way to turn you human again. You wish he could stay with you longer, but are grateful that he’s working so hard to help you. 

You have no idea how much time has passed. For the most part, you just feel...cold. You yearn to regain your sense of touch, realizing that you’ve nearly forgotten what it feels like. 

At some point, you start to hear...shouting? You can’t quite discern who is speaking, but it seems as if the entire team has returned. More commotion ensues, to the point where you find yourself overwhelmed trying to understand what’s happening. 

But...something’s happening. 

A sharp vibration instantly snaps the ice off from around your figure, a string of purple light encompassing you. You’re forced off of the ground, a newfound energy clawing its way between you and your elemental power while your vision is completely flooded with purple light. Little by little, the wind that you had grown so accustomed to wielding starts dwindling. 

Part of you instinctively latches onto the bit that remains, but the immense power of the spell overwhelms your last bit of control on it. 

And then? Your wind is gone. Just like that. 

But...that’s not all. The purple abruptly stops, and a loud noise sounds from somewhere near you. A chorus of shouts echo within the bay as the spell releases you. 

Blinding lights are the first thing you notice, followed by your body crashing to the ground. The breath in your lungs (if there was any there to begin with) is knocked out, leaving you struggling to breathe. Your skin is burning with the remnants of the spell, paired with the sudden sense of solidity underneath you. 

You try to suck in a breath again, but your muscles still won’t obey you. 

Suddenly, someone is hovering above you. You realize Cole has swept you into his arms, and he’s trying to tell you something. 

“Breathe, baby, breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth,” he instructs, his voice an anchor of familiarity amidst the chaos of your surroundings. 

After a few tries, you’re able to inhale deeply. 

“That’s it, there you go. Keep breathing. You’re okay. You’re safe now,” he promises, his spearmint eyes glassy with unshed tears. 

“C...Cole...” you drawl, still trying to become reacquainted with your physical body. “Thank...thank you...” 

“I told you I’d do anything for you,” he mumbles, dropping his head so that he can press a soft kiss against your lips. You close your eyes, savoring that missed feeling of your lover against you. 

More voices – these unfamiliar – start speaking, causing Cole to shift his attention elsewhere. You watch as his expression morphs into one of disappointment, turning back to face you. 

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart, but I have to go,” he mumbles. “I’ll be back as fast as I can, but Skylor and Sensei are going to take care of you until we get things sorted out.” 

“No...p-please stay!” you choke out, now able to move your hand to clutch his. 

“Your friends are being arrested for breaking into Kryptarium Prison and freeing a felon!” announces some punk in a teal gi. “We don't have any reason to arrest you three. Yet. But I warn you: we're watching you. And if you give us any reason to even think you're following the ninja's example, we'll be back. And you will face the New! Ninja! Smoke bomb!” 

“Don’t worry about it, love,” Cole states with a sad smile. “We’ll figure something out, okay? I love you.” 

“I love you too,” you say as he releases your hand. 

With that, the ninja are taken away, leaving you with Skylor, Pixal, and Sensei Wu. Cole breathes a heavy sigh of relief, knowing that you’ve returned and will recover. 

“I hope it was worth it, criminal,” sneers the pink ninja. 

“It was,” Cole states, glancing back at you one last time before sharing a small, victorious grin with the team. “For her... I’d do anything.” 

𝚊/𝚗: 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐! 𝚒 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚊𝚋𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 :> 𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚓𝚊𝚐𝚘 𝚡 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗; 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚏𝚘!

[lloydlings]

LIABILITY

by me (flyingdutchman on AO3)

When Arin accompanies Lloyd on a solo mission, and things go wrong; Arin blames himself for it. POST SEASON ONE.

TW: descriptions of injury, but non graphic. violence. please be warned.

"Now, I'm going to need you to follow me." Lloyd says, warning in his voice, as he fidgets with the scarf-half mask around his neck.

The boy next to him, clad in a bright sunshine yellow robe nods quickly. Own fingers wrapped tightly around his belt and his weapon. The boy looks around warily. There had been a group in his former home of the crosswords, and they'd since been warned about the threat. But when he and Lloyd, his teacher, arrived, they had been unable to find any sign, at least at the very moment. Lloyd had responded to an anonymous distress call, and earlier today, Arin had found his mentor convincing both Kai and Nya to let him do a solo training mission.

But maybe this trust was displaced, Arin thinks.

"Arin?"

The boy is brought quickly back to the present by Lloyd, vibrant green eyes searching him.

There's a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" Lloyd breathes out. Arin nods quickly.

He and Lloyd turn the corner, spotting several townsfolk in the wake, walking slowly and carefully. "Here's the plan-- we're going to get over there-- alley to the right, used to be a noodle shop my friend used to own."

Arin can hear the distaste in the usage of 'used to.", but Arin does not waver in his fear. He is scared. I mean, trying to become a ninja is much different than watching something from the sidelines. He'd never felt fear on this stage before, because he soon realized after the adventure of the dragon cores, that being a ninja was comitting to a life full of danger, that there was always a risk.

He'd admired Lloyd very much. The bravery, especially in his decision to harness power that could destroy him.

Arin didn't think he was as powerful to be able to do that -- I mean yes, he didn't have power and that was another thing that would probably up his chances of getting hurt but -- the distress call.

This was the Estrangers. A small group smuggling ancient artifacts. For Arin and Sora, they had been very knowledgable about the types of groups that wandered the crossroads. But this group had managed to source at least some vengestone after the Crystal King's fall.

Arin shakes his head, back to the present. "I'm not sure, --m, Lloyd. I've heard of the Estrangers, we sure we shouldn't call, Nya, Sora--Zane for backup?"

Lloyd turns to Arin after they find a spot behind the alley. Behind a trash bin. "I wouldn't of brought you on if this was something you couldn't handle."

A renewed sense of pride fills Arin as he sees Lloyd's trust in him, but he can't help but feel as though it's misplaced. When they'd all grouped to find the Dragon Cores it had felt as though he was the last choice, given his lack of elemental powers, and object Spinjitzu, and maybe that's why Lloyd had grouped up with him, given the green ninja powers were far different than anyone elses on the team, maybe more--powerful?

Well, Arin knew of Lloyd's past.

But recently, everyone was progressing. Wyldfire was far more controlled with Kai's teaching. Sora had grown stronger in her elemental power, and Arin couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy rush over him. But beyond this, in a distress call, Lloyd had chosen him, the legendary green ninja had asked him.

He had to have believed in him.

"They've sourced some Vengestone--" Arin says.

"It won't affect us, Arin." He says a peering eye. "It won't affect us. You don't need to have powers to be a great ninja--" Lloyd's attention is briefly halted, gesturing Arin to duck even more behind him.

Beyond the valley, they can see two men. One with a balaclava over his eyes, the other with a glowing object, shoved hastily but peeking through a bag. Judging from the yells and frantic speech they seemed mad, or at least distressed. Bright yellow daggers line their belts.

"They say it's from a perso-ordana--we can't."

The burlier man steps. "Those pesky ninja-- stopped us-- we can do it"

Their voices were cut off, Arin and Lloyd only being able to hear a few of their words.

Lloyd returns his gaze to Arin, who looks very much scared. Worry lining his features, his forehead leading his coiled bangs to stick there with sweat. The teacher brings his wrist to his ear, a whisper.

"Can we get a reading on the Estrangers?"

The com link on Arin's wrist lights up, as Lloyd instructs him how to use it.

"Copy." says Zane's voice on the line. "Estrangers, Location: Crossroads. Disrupted and destroyed multiple businesses to find Dragon items, items from Ninjago's history, scrolls, old Imperium software. Over seven victims."

Arin's worry grows, mouthing. "Are they...okay?"

"Can I get a toll"

"Seven fatalities, Lloyd."

Something in Arin breaks at the number. For he knows that being a ninja is a hard job, he knows it from the scars newly from the recent fights, from even training. To seeing Lloyd lost in his own thoughts, alone, in the library late at night.

"Keeping you on the line." Lloyd answers.

A pause. 'Always."

Lloyd reaches behind his back, clicking off the comm link radio as he does. He returns his gaze back to Arin, who is fearful.

"You're going to be fine, Arin. I've got you, we've got Zane; we can call a mech for backup, We have a plan."

Lloyd points to one of the men. "That man has a vial, most likely belonging to Lord Ras. We need to destroy it, and detain or question the Estrangers. You've learned return flight on objects, You can definitely knock it off, and I'll just proceed and destroy it."

Arin nods. "The Estrangers threatened Mr. Frohicky once, and the next morning his assistant went missing."

Lloyd watches as Arin looks at him, an anger hidden in the boy's expression but one that's there.

He puts a hand on Arin's shoulder, “Then we make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else."

A reassuring smile spreads on Lloyd's face. Arin nods.

"Let me lead, and you'll follow." Lloyd steps forward instructing Arin to put on his mask. Lloyd does the same. "We're good?"

A nod from the boy who's mask has dragon horns sewn into them.

And Lloyd is off, whisping past the trash bin as he follows to an edge. He instructs for Arin to follow, until they reach an alley end, two men fully in view, but a young woman now visible, crouched low, with her hands up.

"Where did you get this, girl?"

The girl shivers, as a sharp Imperium dagger is pointed.

"I-- I found it at the library-- the one at Domu -- My mom likes it the --"

One of the men laugh. "Speak clearer, or you meet your end--"

"Hey, hey, it's only a scroll." says a young man's voice. "Get away.." Lloyd points his katana. "from her."

The burly man scoffs, pointing the dagger over to him. "One of those cocky little ninja, wants.. to play a game?"

"If it were a game, it'd be fun." Lloyd says tilting his head.

His signal meets Arin, behind him, and Lloyd throws green; a burst of green as the man ducks, and lets go of the young woman beside him. Arin zips in fast, Lloyd leads the men off for a second.

"No game, when some person who thinks they're better than us wants to mess with Ras."

A large crack is heard as Arin takes hold of the girl, instructing her to hold onto his grappling hook. And the two zoom out of sight, probably over a building or two.

Lloyd grins. "I don't want to mess with Ras. I need to know what you are doing."

The other, shorter, balaclava wearing man brings up his own sword, pointing it at Lloyd's chest.

"Isn't he the connector.. to the source dragons, she says don't kill him." The burlier man steps forward. "But get his sword."

The other man jumps as Lloyd backs up twisting his sword, showing off like a swordsman. "You know I'm still here, right?" Lloyd says.

The man shoves his hand into his knapsack, and clicks something, lunging toward Lloyd, as the clash against his sword throws him off. He is thrown into a wall, as his back lights up in sparky, hot pain. Something is wrong, he can't quite pin it down, or pin what it is but something is wrong. Before trying to get up, he looks down at his hand, trying to light a signal, to reunite Arin with him, but it refuses to call.

He grips his sword, breathing hard, perhaps his only strength-- but the big man comes up again, pinning his other arm to the brick wall behind him.

"Such a loser, Green Ninja. And to think you're teaching that poor kid."

He attempts to call his comm, but it is smashed, erupting in a large spark. The blonde eyes the box behind the two men, glowing. He stares into the mans eyes, as he is unmasked hastily and it is thrown to the floor. Lloyd's face masked with sweat, his blonde hair sticking over his eyes, eyes darkened and emboldened.

"Would rather lose.. than be like dear old dad."

Lloyd looks up.

"You're from Imperium."

Lloyd is shoved hard, as they attempt to take his weapon. He gasps, holding his side, and the men step back a bit. It's almost mockingly, they have little to no fear in their eyes at all.

"Are we, hmm." The mask wearing man says. "You don't know us like you Ninja says you do. You don't know any of us. But Ras does, they're doing great things Lloyd Garmadon they're doing great things and idiots like you can't see it."

"Your sword is a great dragon product-- I mean Ras says you are one too” -- Lloyd winces, being referred to as an object. "But Jade interior, forged gold melted near the Golden Peaks, ibscirbes by one of the sons, what's his name -- Wu? is it. Thank the gods he's dead." He looks to the masked man beside him. "She needs good things to power her invention, doesn't she, Ko?”

"Yes she does."

"Don't hurt him!" Arin cries, distracting the men; as he throws the vial.

Lloyd rolls on the floor, throwing his sword previously locked on the floor. It collides with the vial, in a boom, of cloud and smoke. The men stumble back coughing, but Lloyd feels an arm lock around his neck. He attempts to breathe, but his effort is wasted as he struggles. His head is cloudy, as the tempting call to sleep fills him, his own effort waning.

Arin's own anger hit's a peek, as he takes a piece of the broken glass, holds a backup weapon from his belt. He throws the glass, spinjitzu, spinning with a golden swirl, colliding with the man holding Lloyd's neck. It hits the man's ankle, as he screams in pain, letting go of Lloyd, who coughs sharply as he hits the floor. His strength is still there as Lloyd gets into spinjitzu and rams the man into a wall.

"Oh you kid, you've got what's coming to you." The burlier of the two steps forward, as he swipes a dagger from his belt, Arin being cornered with no escape. Arin crawls, grabbing for his gun, anything to shield him, as the other.

The man raises the dagger, and suddenly there's a flash of green, elbow and hand holding the dagger away with extreme effort, away from Arin, a crouched kid, helpless behind him. Fear paralyzing him as he watches Lloyd.

"No you don't." Lloyd grunts, the green tinged with anger in his eyes. He's using all his strength to shield the dagger from Arin, eyes glazen with fear.

'Yes..' The man smiles, as he kicks at Lloyd's leg, which breaks him out of his focus, only to be caught on-- "I do.."

There's a ragged gasp, a cry of pain in front of Arin, as his teacher in front of him stumbles.

He doesn't see what's happening, but from where Lloyd was, and what he's hearing it's as though he knows it. Arin can hear Lloyd gasp for breath, struggling against the dagger, but the man smiles, as he maneuvers it. And whatever he did, Lloyd cries out, short, the hot, defining burn agonizing.

He has to be strong for Arin, he just has to--

And as soon as it's twisted, the fiery, hot pain, the weapon is yanked hastily, and Lloyd collapses to the floor, trying to stand up from his own two hands, as he moves one instincly going to the red, blossoming on his gi.

"Some ninja, huh?"

The man chuckles, kicking him in the wound, making the blonde keel onto the floor, hitting his head hard. Lloyd breathes raggedly again, his body shaking.

The burly man moves over to the one on the wall, hoisting the man over his shoulder, laughing at Lloyd, laughing at the child in the corner watching in horror. Watching in fear and trepidation, watching not because he wants to but the only person who's ever believed in him.

Is dying.

Oh god, Lloyd is dying.

The man laughs, taking the golden katana from the floor, stuffing it into the knapsack with all the items and the scrolls and -- They laugh louder and louder, it's never-ending. - and as soon as they laugh, it's gone, they're gone... And..

Arin crawls over to Lloyd.

He's shaking, blond hair over his eyes, only elbows holding him up.

The comm on Arin's own wrist crackles. 'Lloyd?" says the vaguely robotic voice. Arin looks to his wrist. "Zane--Zane”

Lloyd tries to turn at the sound, to respond, but he stumbles back on the ground.

"Calling-- suit breach, upper right quadrant." Zane says solemnly, but there's a quickness."Is this correct.. Arin?"

Lloyd looks over the Arin, as Arin comes and turns Lloyd over onto his back.

"Positive." Lloyd is able to grab Arin's wrist and respond. "We got--" Lloyd erupts into coughs.

Arin holds down the comm.

"Please refrain him from speaking, Arin." Arin looks over to Lloyd who nods, his head, pain swirling in his eyes.

"I'm fine." Lloyd says. "I usually can--", he starts coughing again, and Arin, feels frozen in time, trying to not believe what's going on in front of him. Because it's all so trivial, it's all so weird, and all of a sudden.

There is a pause. "We are on our way, but they have set up back up, and you might have to escort to a survival base, to a hospital."

There's a tinge of anger in Lloyd's voice. "I am not going to a hospital."

Maybe what feels so out of place is how young Lloyd sounds. For he knows Lloyd is young, at least far younger than some of his teammates, but all of the guard up, the solemness is gone, it's almost as if Lloyd doesn't remember what happened earlier, but he knows he has.

But he feels far more like a child, than his teacher, someone who's been acting sensei.

"Arin, he's suffering blood loss." Zane says, and Lloyd frowns, bringing his hand to the wound. "You need to stabilize, him, and move him, the quickest hospital is less than a mile, it's private but it's emergency, if not we risk---"

He leaves it off at silence. "It's not letting me-" Lloyd coughs. "I can't stabilize myself."

"Lloyd, it was a vengestone blade." Arin says.

The silence is cut off by Zane, responding with even more concern. "Vengestone?" Arin nods, as though Zane can see him. "Arin you need to get him to the nearest hospital, this is worse than I feared... They knew you were coming. It was a trap."

"Of course it was." Lloyd breathes, a scoff, only interrupted at he winces sharply pressing his own hand to the wound.

"Ras knows about Lloyd." Arin says, while Lloyd shakes his head. "He knows about his powers."

Zane responds. "We have your scan up right now, but the vengestone.. vengestone hasn't been used as a weapon before, other than shock bullets, but as a dagger, it's as though an infection. Elemental masters have some sort of healing process by the dragon power given to them, but vengestone stops that, which is why Lloyd is not stabilizing, and we have little supplies to address that injury. We cannot stabilize you in the time you have left Lloyd."

Lloyd curses under his shaky breath.

Arin pauses, taking the mask he finds from the floor, and pressing it over the wound, as it darkens instantly. He winces at the sight, noticing red on Lloyd's lips. Lloyd looks pale, he looks lifeless, although he is very sure he is alive, if not by the loud breathing beside him or the fight he can very well see.

There's no way to get Lloyd to a hospital unless he carries him there. And it's the only thing he will be able to do, at this point.

Lloyd grabs Arin's wrist, clicking the comm on an all-point setting, so they don't need to manually do it. It seems as though he's starting to accept his fate of being-- somewhat rescued if that's what's hurting him so much at this moment.

Arin has never seen Lloyd as a prideful person, though.

The boy moves to his teacher, placing one arm behind his back, the other under his knees. Arin lifts him with a bit of struggle. Lloyd is not exactly the shortest on the team, and it's not like he isn't heavy at all Lloyd is an adult, Arin is a teenager. But he's practiced weight training with Kai, and it's hard to carry a person, but he has to get to the hospital. He can't let his teacher die on him.

Lloyd doesn't tell him his own past, but Arin is familiar with a lot, with living in Ninjago City during Emperor Garmadon's reign, when Lloyd was only Arin's age, perhaps.

They walk, and walk, and Lloyd is not himself, that's for certain. There's a lot of pained muttering under him as he carries, a man far larger than him, and one that's bleeding out--

"He's crashing." says a voice, minutes into Arin carrying his own master down the dark streets. "Arin?"

Arin doesn't notice it, but tears are rushing down his face.

"Buddy, he can do it, he'll be able to be okay." Kai says. "Zane says we have a 10 minute ETA, you are at 2 minutes of St. Geraldine's Hospital." There is static on the other line for a moment, as he's rushing through the street. At this point he's not even sure Lloyd is alive or not. He has to be, they have sensors on the old suits that were redesigned.

"Crashing?" Arin says, Lloyd stirring in pain, Arin can now see he's unconscious.

There's a murmur on the other line. "Do your Spinjitzu, Arin. We have a minute until -- arrest, that's the fastest way."

Arin wails, defensively. "I can't do Spinjitzu, holding a person."

"You can, it's the only way you can save him." Kai says solemnly. "Do your Spinjitzu, Arin."

Arin curses under his breath, strikingly similar to the way his master does.

He looks down at the pale figure, struggling to hold, takes a deep breath as they dissolve into a yellow blur.

It's been hours.

He had been able to carry Lloyd into the hospital, collapsing with him as hospital worker, and at least four doctors whirred off as they carried him on a stretcher, his own gi, covered with red as though he'd been the one murdered. He stood in the middle of the waiting room, tears running down his face, until five minutes later when Kai and Zane had approached him and enveloped him into a hug.

It's been hours.

Nya had brought him a fresh change of clothes, including his golden hand stitched hoodie. He had walked into the bathroom and cried, until Kai ended up coming over and helping him replace the tainted fabric.

"He's going to be okay, Arin." Kai says, sitting on the bench in the waiting room, alongside Arin. Now dressed, clean of any remnants of battle. The floor, once dripping with--- covered with two slipping signs and cleaned over, smelling of bleach.

Arin looks away.

"If it wasn't for you, he would of--" Kai stops his sentence. "He knew what he was doing when he asked you along."

Arin winces at the statement. Knowing, his own master had gotten stabbed for what, for protecting him, it was almost like he couldn't protect himself, like he couldn't do anything, like he was worthless. If he wasn't so weak, he wouldn't need protecting.

He wouldn't of nearly killed the Green Ninja.

Perhaps if he brought anyone else Lloyd would be back at the Monastery by now, with a serene smile locking those items away so the Estrangers couldn't find them. Instead, and because of him, and only because of him, the green ninja had gone through surgery, because he'd nearly been stabbed to death.

"He pities me." Arin says, abruptly, before he is able to stop it.

"I'm.. I'm not a -- ninja, I'm just Arin, there's no way to get rid of me, because I have no place to go back to. I'm a charity case."

"He doesn't pity you." Kai says.

"I don't have powers, I'm clumsy, I trip over my own feet. I-- if you only had Sora, out of us two, you'd be better off. Lloyd chose me for the mission because everyone has been getting so much better, and -- I'm just me, I can do Spinjitzu, but even Lloyd makes fun of it.. "

"Before you go there, he does not make fun of it." Kai is firm now. "He was so amazed that you were able to transfer the energy to objects. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't of found any of these dragons, Sora, Wyldfire-- it was because one day, he was on patrol, he saw Spinjitzu. He thought it was one of us, because you can't teach yourself it, it's a thing of learning, we spent so much time."

Arin looks at him. "He wants me to feel better for being awful. He says he struggled with Spinjitzu, but I know that's a lie."

"Arin." Kai says calmly. "You gave him hope."

"And almost killed him." Arin says under his breath.

Arin stands up, but is interrupted when he feels Kai's hands on his shoulder.

"You did not do anything. The Estrangers made a choice. They made that choice, they've made that choice before. You didn't almost kill Lloyd. You're not the first one to feel that way either, believe me. But blaming yourself for what happens during battle, during attacks, is worthless. It doesn't get you anywhere. It certainly didn't get me anywhere, and I've done far more things and blamed myself for far more things that have happened to Lloyd than you."

Arin looks up.

"They were going to kill me."

Kai nods. "And he needed to protect you, that's what keeps that kid going, that's what gets him through the day, he'd never put it against you, and you know he wouldn't. Because he values you as a student, and as a friend, and -- that's the type of person Lloyd is."

"He won't remember it." They hear a familiar robotic voice, as Zane walks from the hallway. "At least from what happened, when Arin carried him here. It's remarkable how the human brain works." Zane looks to Kai. "Now I don't suggest mentioning what happened unless he talks about it himself, which is not what I expect as he heals.”

The fire ninja nods;

"The surgery was efficient, and he is stable. His healing processes are back to normal." Zane turns to look at Arin, who feels very small. "You were very resilient during this mission, I can see why Lloyd chose you in such a dangerous one, no matter how reckless that could be."

"Zane." Kai says warningly.

"I do not mean his choice in student." Zane says. "The choice to answer that call with two ninja in general, no matter if it was one of us or not, could be explained as reckless."

Kai nods, biting his lip. As he looks to Arin, who certainly seems very haunted by the situation. Kai re-assists his hand on his shoulder, but before he does, Arin collapses into a hug, holding onto him tightly, and he can't help but see the similarity between Arin and his mentor, how similar Arin is to Lloyd in some ways, their differences. but Arin doesn't let go.

"If you ever need to talk about this." Kai breathes. "Let us know, let me know."

Arin looks up:

"I will."

[froginninjago]

What if Tomorrow's Tea went differently? (AKA my on the spot villain AU)

From what I've seen, Tomorrow's Tea is when it kind of really settled in that Lloyd was going to be a "hero". He couldn't use the excuse of young age anymore. He was given expectations that no one has met before, before he even made it to middle school.

What if the other ninja weren't ready for that? What if they got fed up with Wu's cryptic sayings and being told to save everyone? First they were supposed to put their lives on the line, but now they're throwing a child out there?

Kai was the first to go. When he saw Lloyd, forced to grow up literally and metaphorically, he saw himself. He saw his younger self taking care of Nya long before he could provide for himself, and he knew that he couldn't watch that same thing happen to Lloyd. So he left. He ran off in the night, and everyone woke up to a note assuring them he wasn't taken, but that was it.

Cole was the second to leave. He was also the one to take Lloyd with him. Lloyd had been close to Kai, ever since the incident in the volcano. When Kai left, right after he'd just had his world turned upside down? Lloyd couldn't handle it. He trained, and only trained. He'd take breaks to eat the bare minimum of food he needed, and sleep only a few hours each night. After a month of this, Cole stormed into Lloyd's room as he was waking up for more training and announced they were leaving. Lloyd, not realizing that this wasn't a trip, went with him. They set out the next morning, and found Kai on the outskirts of the city, planning how he'd return to Ignacia. They convinced him to stay in the city, and stayed with him.

Jay was next. With Kai, Cole, and especially Lloyd gone, Wu had been treating him and Zane especially harshly. It was fine for the first few days, when he could at least talk to Nya. Sure, she was a bit off, but he chalked that up to her missing her brothers. After a week though, when it came clear no one was coming back, she gave up on talking to him. He didn't know where she kept disappearing to, but now it was just him, Zane, and Wu. So he left too. By coincidence, he ran into Cole at the grocery store, who took him back to where he was staying with Kai and Lloyd.

Zane stayed the longest. He saw nothing wrong with his training. Perhaps Wu was being harsh on Jay, Cole, and Lloyd, but he was a nindroid and equipped to handle this. He was built to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, and if he didn't have help, it made sense he'd work harder. He did miss Lloyd, Jay, Kai, and Cole. It was lonely. He hadn't known that he'd formed a relationship, until it was gone. Then, one night, his door was slammed open. Nya announced that she was leaving to find her brothers, and Zane wished her luck. He informed Wu of it the next morning, and that's when he started to consider leaving. Wu hadn't showed any sign of caring that Nya was gone. He hadn't shown much concern for any of the ninja leaving, but Zane had assumed that was due to their training and elemental powers. Now though? He realized what it was. Wu wasn't trying to have them be heroes.

Wu was turning them into weapons. And Zane wasn't going to sit around and let that happen. So he left, and ran to catch up with Nya. Together they found Kai, Cole, Lloyd, and Jay. They all agreed they didn't have the money or experience to stay in Ninjago City, and decided to head to Jay's parents junkyard.

It was a long trip on foot, but they all learned something about themselves. It started when Lloyd was out of his strict training regime. They had run out of money and food, and their youngest picked the pocket of a businessman who happened to pass them. Zane was originally against it, but they all talked him out of reporting them to the police. After all, it was only a one time thing, right?

It was a one time thing. Until they found someone in an alley beating up another. Zane stepped in, defending the woman on the ground and letting her run free. He accidentally hit the offending man too hard and knocked him out. They decided to take some of his money while he was down. After all, he wasn't using it, and they still had to travel a while. Little did they know, this was the start of a new life.

[weekend-whip]

Ninjago Fic Rec Week: Day 1

Prompts: Canon/Lloyd Recs! The hard part is not recc'ing everything I've got because I have to save some for later days sgkhjggsf

Canon Recs:

Pathway: Canon-compliant look at how Wu and Ray's relationship over the years have helped shaped Wu into the person he is today (and the connects he makes with Kai in the process). As a suck for all things Wu and his dynamics with people, this is a must-read rec from me <3

Enclosed: A canon-compliant mystery where Lloyd, Zane, and Nya start to pick up on a few things that just aren't quite right. Still just getting started but a gripping read nonetheless!

Ready to Fly A bit of a Canon and Lloyd rec, this focuses on Lloyd's capture by the Overlord during the events of Season 3! Which, again, is probably something I would have loved to see in real time snksnkssk

Raising Hell Another double-whammy for canon+lloyd focus (can u tell what I like), follows the story of Lloyd finding his place on the team (and with others in general) especially in the case of the Smith Siblings. I go back to it all the time for the top-notch characterization and even just the dialogue. Siblings will being siblings <3

Lloyd Recs:

Lord Garmadon is Not Impressed With the Future: Essentially it's S2!Garmadon getting flung to the future to where S8!Garmadon is making a mess of his legacy, but it views Lloyd in the lens of both versions of his father and it is a FASCINATING read, and a nice little 'what if' that really makes me wish something like it happened in canon!

Far Too Good, Far Too Soon: A tale following some of Lloyd's time at Darkley's, where he inadvertently comes to learn about the pieces of the prophecy of the Green Ninja...and also, his eyes turn green in the process. Totally just a coincidence, yeah? Right up my alley when it comes to worldbuilding. And Darkley's stuff. And Lloyd.

Myrtleberries: Lloyd and Sensei Garmadon bonding, and getting used to the new changes both of them have gone through over time (or rather, the fact that it hasn't been very much time at all)

planetary go A fic where Llloyd gets a taste of what it's like to be a "Normal Teen" going on a "normal school field trip", but of course ninja-related shenanigans get in the way. Good thing the friends he's with don't mind too much!

what happens if you put a vampire on the sun? Still one of the funniest things I've ever read, the world somehow becomes convinced that Lloyd is a vampire and the rollercoaster of a journey that takes is nothing short of good, light-hearted fun and shenanigans~

Pipes, Paint, and Other Ordinary Things: Another fic where Lloyd and Garmadon bond, although this time Garmadon's a little too much like a dad and Lloyd, for the most part, is just happy to be here snksnkssnkn

Constant: Short but POTENT take on Lloyd, Garmadon, and the prophecy of the Golden Master which ofc speaks to me on a personal level aaaaa

[spinchip]

Ultra Violet did not get scared. The word wasn’t in her vocabulary. When her sister screamed and cried and tattled to mom about the horror movie Ultra Violet had chosen, she was dry eyed and annoyed they couldn’t handle something as mild as SAW. She carried herself as a woman who didn’t fear anything. She was the one people were afraid of, not the other way around, and that’s how she liked it.

She’s not thinking about this as she races down the back alley, so certain in her steadfast nature that the strange barely suppressed panic that bubbled up her chest had been easily dismissed. She’d faced the ninja plenty of times before, and sure Zane may be her most annoying foe to face, there was no reason for the unease she’d felt when he stood across from her. He didn't act any different than the last time they’d battled. When she turned tail and ran, it was because she was out numbered. She wasn’t scared. She wasn’t following the warning bells ringing in the back of her head when brilliant blue eyes zeroed in on her like a hawk catching sight of a mouse. It was Zane, there was no reason to be afraid.

She turns a corner and comes to a brick wall, a dead end. Despite how calm and unafraid she definitely was, her heart rate jumped and her palms began to sweat. She whipped around, looking for another escape route- a ladder access to the fire escape, up to the roof? A sewer drain cover she could slip in? Anything, please-

Zane rounds the corner in a jog, coming to a stop when he realizes she's trapped.

She’s trapped.

Like an insect pinned to a board. He’s scrutinizing her just the same, but there’s something about his expression- about the way he carries himself that’s just- just-

Scary.

“Fine,” She tries to snarl, but her voice shakes, “You caught me. Just take me back to Kryptarium.” She’s trying to hold what little ground she has, preserving her dignity.

He takes a step forward and she immediately takes a step back, adrenaline flooding her veins. She can’t run anymore, so there goes flight. All that's left is to fight, and shes overcome with a strange certainty that she won’t win this one.

He stills, standing in the only spot the neon sign lights don't reach.

“Well, come on. Arrest me!” Are her hands shaking? Is her heartbeat loud enough that he can hear it?

The air thins, each breath harder to draw. She’s zeroed in on him, eyes so wide the whites are visible all around her iris. He takes another step forward, then another, steadily moving towards her. She’s given up any pretense of bravery, shoving herself back against the unforgiving brick wall behind her, scuttling into the corner to put any distance she can between them. His presence is massive in the back alley, a black hole that seems to swallow up all light until it is just her and him suspended in darkness.

He stops right in front of her, his eyes are pinpricks of electric blue that spear right through her head, pinning her in place.  Her breath fogs in front of her, her hands are shaking from a mix of fear and cold.

“What do you want from me?” She breathes, his overwhelming presence stealing her voice.

His expression changes minutely, and she's instantly aware she’s going to die. He’s going to kill her. It’s right there, in his eyes- the way he’d been examining her before, he was trying to think of a reason to spare her. He weighed her soul and found it wanting. The decision, the choice he made to end her life, holds no weight to him. He almost looks bored as he raises his hand, fingers misting with flecks of snow and frost.

“Zane?” A voice calls, and his hand stills for a long moment before it aborts its movement completely.

“Here!” He calls, and it’s the first word she’s heard him say this whole time. His voice is light and casual, jarring in comparison to the detached cold of his eyes. Eyes that want her wiped off the face of Ninjago. “I have located Ultra Violet.”

“Is she dead?” She recognizes Lloyd's voice, coming closer. The question isn't accusatory, but it's said so casually that Ultra Violet rapidly begins to go through the roster of her Fellow Kryptarium inmates in her head, wondering if the ones who she hadn’t seen in a while had been…

Zane tips his head, eyes still fixed on her. His hand twitches. “Not yet.”

“Let’s keep it that way.” Lloyd says, rounding the corner.

They escort her back to prison.

She doesn't watch scary movies for a long time.

[crying-over-cartoons]

Ninjago Characters in Petz

[image ID: Zane, Cole, Nya, Kai, Pixal, Lloyd, and Jay from Ninjago, redesigned as cats in the video game Petz. end ID]

You see these critters? I made these. I meant to make a post about them but then forgot, so I'm doing it now, lol

This post is pretty lengthy, so here, have a readmore:

Briefest possible introduction to Petz: It's a series of virtual pet games from the 90s, and it has a prolific modding scene. You can read more about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petz

The creations I will be talking about in this post were made for Petz 4.

Terminology:

"Hexing" refers to the process of creating a mod for Petz, since it required a hex editor in the early days, before dedicated programs were made. Hex editors are still used for some modifications, such as changing a petz' personality values.

A "hexie" is a breed or pet created via hexing.

The first NinCatGo (yes that's what I call them) hexie I made was Zane, because he's my favourite character. I initially intended to only make Zane, but he was so dang fun I decided to make some more.

[image IDs: Zane from Ninjago recreated as a cat in the game Petz. he is grey with silver and light blue accents, a blue nose, and blue whiskers. he has pale blue eyes with white pupils. in the third image, he is wearing neon green shutter shades, a green tail bow, and a sweater patterned with the aromantic flag. end ID]

Next up was Jay. He blends in incredibly well with most of the carpets and rugs in this game.

[image IDs: Jay from Ninjago recreated as a cat in the game Petz. He is dark blue with lighter blue speckles, a dark grey nose, and blue whiskers. his tailtip, legs, and ear insides are lighter blue. he has yellow eyes, freckles, and pawpads. end ID]

After Jay was Nya. Designing her was SO fun! Like Jay, she also blends into the carpets and rugs. She's doesn't act as angry as she looks, but I based her off of the Black&White Shorthair from the original game, and those cats are just kinda like that...

[image IDs: Nya from Ninjago recreated as a cat in the game Petz. she has blue fur with black tiger stripes. her belly, face, tailtip, and ear insides are lighter blue. her nose is dark grey, her whiskers are blue, and her eyes light blue. end ID]

Next, I made Kai. I used Nya as a base, but recoloured the tiger texture I was using, and made his tail and ears crooked by borrowing some code from the Alley Cat, a base game breed.

[image IDs: Kai from Ninjago recreated as a cat in the game Petz. he has red fur with brown stripes. his belly, tailtip, and ear insides are orange. he has a red nose and whiskers, and bright red eyes. he has multiple kinks in his tail, and his left ear is shorter than the right. end ID]

After that came Cole. He's the first one I made a texture for; all the other textures are either from the game, or downloaded from other websites. Cole's lava texture though, that's all me!

[image IDs: Cole from Ninjago recreated as a cat in the game Petz. his fur is black, and his face, belly, and ear insides are orange. his tail and legs have been textured to appear to be made of lava. he has black whiskers, a dark grey nose, and yellow eyes. in the third image, he is carrying a pink yarn ball. end ID]

Then came Lloyd. I left him for last (I didn't plan to make Pixal at the time) because his modifications are the most complex, requiring me to make a new tail, ears, horns, and mane for him (modifying the original tail and ears wouldn't work, because it would cause the animations to break and just generally be horrifying).

[image IDs: Lloyd from Ninjago recreated as a cat in the game Petz. he has green scales, with blonde fur on his legs, tailtip, face, throat, and ear insides. he has a blonde mane, and two black antlers. he has black whiskers and bright red eyes. in the third image, he is wearing shamrock-shaped glasses, a yellow collar, and a yellow tail bow. end ID]

Shortly after creating all of these guys, I decided I hadn't had enough, and made Pixal as well. I used Zane as a base, and created a new circuit texture for her. Considering there's a total of like, two purple colours available in the game's palette, I'm very happy with how she turned out.

[image IDs: Pixal from Ninjago recreated as a cat in the game Petz. she is light silver with white and purple accents. Portions of her body are covered in a circuitry texture. she has blue whiskers, a blue nose, and green eyes with white pupils. end ID]

Congrats on reading this far! If you like what you see, may I suggest giving Petz a try? For new players, I'd suggest downloading Petz 4 from this site: https://mazzew.neocities.org/ (warning for flashing imagery!)

You can also see some more images of these guys and a bunch of other neat Petz stuff on my own site: https://thecatingrey.neocities.org/

I hope I can manage to inspire at least one Ninjago fan to pick up Petz. It's an incredibly fun and low maintenance game, and unlike games like Animal Crossing and Nintendogs, time doesn't pass in-game when it's not on. This makes it the perfect virtual pet game for someone like me, whose Neopets are currently languishing and whose Animal Crossing island is in shambles.

Not to mention, the community for the games is incredible. I always struggle to describe it in words. Never before have I seen an online community this friendly and welcoming. The amount of talent I see every time I visit a new site is mind-boggling. I've genuinely been inspired to learn new skills because of some of the amazing things I've seen.

There are people who have been in this community since the games came out, and there are some websites that are nearly as old. Finding this community opened my eyes to a whole new world- one that I thought disappeared before I could use a computer. But the old web still exists, and there's a place for you in it.

[valentinesfandom]

an introduction to vee’s mystreet au:

this fic/au is set a few years after the events of ms s6, & it’s zane centric bc i can’t help it he’s a cutie:3

zane ro’meave is now ceo of his fathers company, due to garroth being shunned because of his new-found werewolf identity, and vylad being busy following his photography dreams and travelling the world. zane is rich, isolated, and therefore should be happy, right?

he’s had this ache in his heart since the events of starlight, not knowing why he isn’t happy with everything’s he’s always wanted, until one thing leads to another and he’s in the city watching an amateur theatrics society perform in a shitty bowling alley for far too much a ticket.

this is where he locks eyes with travis - and he realises maybe he doesn’t want to be cold and isolated - life’s too short to keep everyone out.

——————————————————————————

obviously there’s ton more after this !! and it isn’t entirely zanvis based but it is very slow burn/found family <3

[ i guess ask me things or give me advice or add your own headcanons to this ??? i would love that sm but i doubt anyone still left in this fandom really cares that much LMAO ]

[shaytonalbarns]

Morro Week Day 4 Scraps

"Birthday"

ok for context, imagine like,, morro in his early years celebrating his 'birthdays' on the streets, so basically its just the worst day of the year where he contemplates that this is basically his life. his supposed day just for him, is spent him trying to desperately find shelter and anything to satiate his hunger while other kids on THIER birthday gets handed things to them, get to eat load amounts of food and even get to go out in restaurants with a roof in their head. basically this is how he spends one of his birthdays, beside the trash in some alley in the streets. too sad to use for the prompt sdndovns

heehee ok something happy for a change, remember the kite Wu gave to Morro? yeah that, i'd like to think that even though it wasn't given on his birthday, he thinks very highly of it. to the point where when it IS his birthday, it'd become tradition that he'd fly that same kite and have this big bright smile on his face everytime.

ok this wasn't my favorite but it was a silly idea, imagine like, the ninjas leaving gifts or offering to Morro's mannequin in the museum. a little bag from cole, scrolls from lloyd, a small gift from zane, another bigger gift from nya and jay, and a small party hat from kai. and they'd all just leave them there, its just wishful thinking on my part but i'd like to think he comes by at that time of the year and just visits the thing. he's grateful that he's remembered but he won't actually admit that, not that he can admit it to anyone anyway.

[diino8081]

it's the guy

the him

this is part of my frozen liberation au which can be found in my au masterlist or in the tag here

open for higher quality + loredump below

canonically in flau zane helped out the mechanic (who i'm calling nick) with a job stealing something cause one of his usual team got arrested. turns out, this is actually super fun and he's really good at it so he volunteers more and eventually goes on his own heists.

(they steal btw because wanted criminals can't get regular jobs and this is much cooler lol)

nick told him that using his real name instead of an alias would be risky so he thought about it for a bit but couldn't come up with anything good until suddenly BAM kiki starr (oc) with the steel chair comes up with the name frostbite and then that's it it's set in stone that's his villain name now

he likes to mess with the ninja sometimes by always getting away in situations that it probably wouldn't be possible in. like he gets "cornered" in an alley one time but like dude he knows all the secret passages so they just can't get him

they don't figure out his identity until crystallised but that's a story for another time

for now though if you have any questions please send me asks and i'll throw my brainrot at you and maybe draw something (please i'm literally gnawing at the bars of my yaoi filled enclosure please ask me something)

ok yeah that's it thanks for reading

[mouwrites]

HIIIi love your writing so much so here i am making a request with promp 12. or 19.?? maybe combo or you can choose whichever youd like with the character Zane from Ninjago

when maybe with prompt 12 where Zane has some sort of panic attack so the reader is there to help him??? THANK YOU SO MUCH IF YOU DO HAVE A GREAT DAY AND DONT FORGET TO DRINK AND EAT UP😼😼😽

YAH thank you sweets!! One Zane fic, compliments to the lovely anon!! <3

Word count: 1.3k

Ninjago - 12. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” and 19. “Your hair looks so soft.” (Zane) (300 follower event)

The market was alive with noise and movement. The torrent of people was thick and powerful; if you stepped into it, you were bound to be swept away. So you and the ninjas made sure to stay on the outer edge, using alleyways as they were available instead of braving the main street.

Zane was never a fan of large crowds. They caused him a faint anxiety, especially when he was with people, as that added the responsibility of keeping track of them. You, of course, knew about this, so you were holding his hand to ensure you wouldn’t be separated. You still saw the occasional flicker of worry in his eyes, but you knew it couldn’t be helped.

“How far did Ronin say it was?” You asked, getting a little impatient. “We’ve been wandering the streets for hours.”

“That’s the thing,” Lloyd sighed. “He didn’t say how far it was. He just said to ‘look for a cart in a caravan with a blue feather painted on the door.’”

Jay rolled his eyes. “How specific of him.”

“I still think our best bet is the market. Where else would a caravan be in such a huge city?”

“Nya’s right. We’ll keep searching here,” Kai agreed as they emerged from an alley into a new portion of the market.

Before you stepped into the noisiness again, you paused, leaning in to speak softly to Zane. “Doing okay?”

He gave a sincere smile, squeezing your hand. “Yes. Thank you.”

You smiled back, hurrying to catch up with the others before they got too far.

You traversed several more streets before you found anything; the market was like an endless maze, seemingly never ending no matter how many twists and turns one made.

Your blind trek finally came to a conclusion as the sun was beginning to flush the blue from the sky with orange, and the people were beginning to head home. Many vendors had also left, but fortunately for your party the caravan appeared inhabited still.

It was a posse of quaint carts, each not much bigger than your average camping trailer. The intricate blue feather painted on the door distinguished the one you were looking for, and Jay practically bounded up the steep stairs to pound on the door.

There was no answer. Jay’s fists clenched. “If Ronin sent us on yet another wild goose chase—!”

“Are you looking for Natalia?”

Everyone turned their heads to see a young boy peering out from behind the cart. After exchanging glances and shrugs among yourselves, you turned helplessly to the boy. “Is this Natalia’s cart?”

“Yes. I will tell her she has visitors. She will be a while. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind you waiting inside.” The boy disappeared as quickly as he had come.

Jay opened the door just as you had opened your mouth to ask if it was a good idea to go inside. You hadn’t missed the way that Zane’s hand was tightening around yours, and you had a pretty good guess as to why. It had been a long day full of stress, and now he was being packed into a little cart with six other people. The strong smell of incense wafting from the open door wasn’t promising, either; you could tell before even stepping inside that you’d be choked by the smell.

And choked you were. The oppressive heat in the cart (partly from the several sticks of incense burning in the small space) only worsened the smell. The numberless trinkets and furniture impossibly crammed into the little space made it twice as claustrophobic as it should have been, what with seven people now crammed inside.

It was the smells. The colors. The heat. The voices of the ninjas. The voices of the remaining people out on the street. Everything. But most of all it was the stress of being on a mission in such a place. Zane had been trying to keep serious, knowing that what they were doing was important. But it was too much. It was all just so noisy.

Zane suddenly let go of your hand. Even the feeling of your skin on his was making everything worse. He tried to close his eyes, but it didn’t help, so he opened them again, and that didn’t help, either. It seemed that whatever he did, he was making the panic worse.

You knew what was up the second he stopped gripping your hand.

“Guys,” you spoke over the others, sounding as casual as you could. “Why don’t you go and keep a lookout for this ‘Natalie’ person?” You nodded at the door.

Jay opened his mouth to protest, but Kai, who seemed to suddenly notice Zane, smacked his shoulder before he could speak. He ushered the others out quickly, sending an encouraging look your way before stepping out himself.

You turned to face Zane when you heard the door close. By now his breathing was ragged and he was shifting his weight uncomfortably, his fingernails digging roughly into his palms.

“Hey,” you spoke quietly. “Zane. Just look at me.”

His head snapped up, distressed eyes wild as they bored into yours.

“Good. Now focus on me. Look in my eyes. It’s just you and me.” You seamlessly wrapped your hands around his, wedging his fingers out of his palms to entwine with yours as they relaxed.

He nodded subtly, but his breathing was only growing faster. You repeated your last line a few times, making sure to keep your tone calm and encouraging.

Zane’s hands gradually unclenched, and after a while his breathing finally began to slow.

“You’re doing great. Deep breaths. Here, just follow my lead.” You breathed deep too, letting him synchronize his breaths with yours.

Tears started to brim his eyes, and you could see the exhaustion of the day taking its toll on him: his knees wobbled a bit, so you guided him to a chair.

“Just take it easy,” you whispered, pulling up another chair beside him.

You wrapped an arm around his shoulder, letting him put his head on your torso. You felt him start to shake, and though he was clearly trying to keep his breathing calm.

“Your hair looks so soft,” you murmured. “Can I touch it?”

Given a small nod by Zane, you reached up a hand to stroke his hair. This seemed to help keep him relatively calm as he trembled, working the remaining anxiety out of his system.

It was a while before he tried to straighten himself. He suddenly pulled away from your chest, looking into your eyes with a sincere smile. “Thank you,” he whispered, his voice a little unsteady.

You just nodded, bringing the hand that was buried in his hair down to cup his cheek. “Of course.”

Zane placed his hand atop yours, adding pressure to quell the shakiness. He turned his head a little to kiss your palm as he leaned into your touch.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

You blushed a little, making Zane’s smile spread wider.

“Do you want to go back?”

“No. I’d like to finish the mission. I feel much better.”

You eyed him warily, prompting him to grab both of your hands and hold them on your lap. “Trust me, I’m fine now.”

You didn’t like the twinge of exhaustion you saw in his eyes, but ultimately you respected his judgment. You gave a small nod.

Not two seconds later a knock came at the door of the little cart. You heard Jay’s voice on the other side. “Guys! Natalia’s coming!”

You both shot up, you scrambling to the door, Zane following a step behind. You paused as you grabbed the handle, looking back at Zane one last time.

“Let’s go out,” Zane insisted. “The smell in here really is oppressive.”

You laughed, affirming your agreement by swinging the door open and hopping into the fresh air outside.

When on flat ground, Zane held your hand once more, once again aware of the (admittedly smaller but still not insignificant) bustling market.

Kai sent you a look that asked: All good?

You gave a thumbs-up, earning a confused yet innocent smile from Zane.

“All good,” you said, kissing Zane’s hand quickly before getting down to business; Natalie was approaching, and the mission had to go on.

Thank you so much for participating in our event!! And thanks for reading, take care guys <33

(divider by saradika)

[thes0lstice]

Spirits

Ninjago Cole x reader

Warnings: mentions murder, death, ghosts, kidnapping, angst, drug use

Summary: The Ninja get complaints about a haunted building and go to check it out. As they explore, the ninja can’t help but be affected by overwhelming emotions that surround the building. And Cole can’t get his girlfriend out of his head, who has been missing for 2 months.

Kai, Cole, Lloyd, Zane, Jay, Nya,

(M/N) = Man’s name

(Y/N) = Your name

(L/n) = Last name

“Why are we here again?” Jay whined, obviously scared about exploring a haunted building.

“Because we’ve gotten several complaints about this building being haunted and they need us to check it out. They plan on demolishing the building and rebuilding a hotel here.” Nya explained to her boyfriend. She rubbed his shoulder as she tried to reassure him.

“We should get this over with quickly. I don’t want to be here longer than necessary. It doesn’t feel right.” Kai shivered, rubbing his arms.

“Right. Let’s go.” Lloyd nodded. He lead the other ninja into the building, immediately stopping as the air grew heavy with emotion.

“It just got heavy.” Cole said, rubbing at his chest.

“Something is definitely wrong here.” Zane commented.

“Hello?” Lloyd called out, hoping to get a response from whoever haunted the building.

“…….Hel-lo?” An airy female voice responded. The voice rang through the air, making it difficult to tell where it came from.

“Woah!!” The Ninja shouted in surprise.

“Hi. We’re the ninja. We protect Ninjago.” Lloyd introduced themselves to the voice.

“….I know.” The girl replied.

“You know us?” Kai asked.

“……yes…..I know…….all of you.” Was the girl’s response.

“We heard that this building was haunted. Is that true?” Nya asked.

“…….Yes.” The airy female voice responded.

“Do you know who haunts this building? Is it you?” Lloyd asked next.

“….it’s…..me…..sorry.” The girl apologized. The Ninja shared looks with each other before Lloyd spoke again.

“That’s alright. We just wanna know why you are haunting this place.”

“……I’m……trapped here.” The girl answered.

“You’re trapped here? Why?” Cole asked this time. For some reason, the female’s voice was kind of familiar.

“…….Murdered.” The girl responded.

“Did she say ‘murdered’?” Jay asked. The Ninja shared alarmed looks at this.

“You were murdered?” Cole repeated.

“……..yes.” Was the girls response.

“Who murdered you?” Nya asked.

“……evil…….man.” The girl answered, anger in her voice.

“Do you know the man’s name? What was his name?” Lloyd asked.

“………..(m/n).” The girl answered.

“(M/n)? He’s in jail for several counts of murder and is suspected for several kidnappings.” Zane explained, pulling up the man’s profile on his database.

“…….good….he…..deserves it.” The girl responded.

“What’s your name?” Cole called out.

“………(y/n)…….(l/n).” She responded.

“(Y/n)?” Cole gasped. “Can you show yourself? Please? I need to see you. Please, (y/n).” Cole pleaded. The Ninja waited in silence until the air in front of them fizzled and a woman appeared, hair floating freely and her entire being transparent.

“(Y/n)!” The other Ninja shouted, recognizing Cole’s girlfriend. The other Ninja shared looks before looking sadly at Cole, who slowly approached the dead woman.

“(Y/n).” Cole whispered sadly.

“….Cole.” (Y/N) responded, slowly approaching Cole. Cole’s eyes watered as he could now recognize her voice, though it had an airy tone to it.

“(Y/n). How…..how did this happen?” Cole asked, a tear slipping from his eye as he reached his hand out to cup her cheek, only for his hand to go through her. A short sob escaped his mouth, not being able to touch her. Cole moved his hand to hover just above her cheek. (Y/n) smiled sadly as she titled her head towards his hand, as if nuzzling into his hand as she hovered one of her hands over his.

“I was……getting groceries. I was walking by…..an alley….when…..I heard……a cry for help. I went to……try and help…..but a man……took me. He injected me….with something…..and I fell asleep. When I woke up…….I was here. But I wasn’t…alive…..anymore. And I……couldn’t leave.” (Y/n) explained what happened to her. The Ninja wiped their eyes as tears threatened to fall, saddened by what had happened to their friend. (Y/n) wasn’t a ninja like them, but she was still very important to the team. She kept them strong and held them together. She always supported them.

“I’m so sorry.” Cole whispered, tears slipping down his face.

“Cole….it wasn’t your fault.” (Y/n) smiled sadly, reaching her other hand out to hover above his cheek. “I should’ve……been more careful.”

“But I should’ve been there. It was my job to protect you and I wasn’t there.” Cole blamed himself.

“No one knew…..this…..would’ve happened. It wasn’t…..your fault.” (Y/n) reasoned. “I’m glad…..the man……was caught. He deserves…..to rot……for what he’s done. To me……and all….. the other women.” Suddenly, (y/n)’s form started to fade, as if she was going disappear.

“(Y/n)!” Cole shouted, worried. (Y/n) only smiled sadly as she looked down at her fading self.

“It seems……I can finally leave. I’m at….peace now.” (Y/n) said. She looked back up and locked eyes with Cole, who stared at (y/n) with so much sadness that if she could, she would’ve cried. “I’m sorry…..my love. Our time together……is running short. I must leave you, my love…….I’m sorry.”

“Please, don’t. Please, don’t leave me.” Cole pleaded.

“I’m sorry, my love. I…..can’t stay.” (Y/n) sighed. As she was almost all the way faded, she went closer to Cole and leaned her forehead against his. Cole could barely feel the coldness that (y/n) let off, letting out a shuddering breath as tears continued to escape his eyes.

“I don’t want you to go.” Cole whispered.

“I know….my love. I don’t want to go……either….but I…..have to.” (Y/n) whispered back.

“I love you.” Cole said.

“I love you too.” (Y/n) replied. “I want you…..to live a long….strong life. Don’t ever…..give up on…..yourself. I want you to….find…..someone that makes you..happy. Don’t stay stuck…to me.”

“You make me happy. I don’t want anyone else.” Cole shook his head.

“At least….try. I want you……to be…..happy. Don’t be…..alone. Find someone.” (Y/n) insisted.

“Alright. I’ll try. For you.” Cole finally agreed.

“Good.” (Y/n) smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Cole replied. Then, she was gone. (Y/n) gave Cole one last smile before she faded away and Cole was left standing alone, the other Ninja standing a few feet behind him. Cole let out a loud sob as he dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms around himself. The other Ninja rushed forward and embraced the man, hoping to comfort him, at least a little. As Cole cried with his friends surrounding him, he couldn’t help but remember the small square box that sat on his nightstand, the ring inside waiting to be worn.

Extra~~~

After the Ninja left the previously haunted building, they went straight to the police station and turned in the recording of (Y/n), thanks to Zane having recorded the entire encounter. With this new evidence, (m/n) was charged with another count of murder and other charges and was sentenced with even more years in prison, adding on to his life sentence. Cole eventually adopted a little girl and raised her as his own. He told her all about (y/n) and the both of them visit (y/n)‘s grave once a week. Cole never had a relationship after (y/n), choosing to put all of his time into raising the little girl and give her the best life he could.