#also lloyd and zane figure out its jay (he never took off his mask)

[fishybehavior]

Need to write or draw evil jay idea rn

[sketch--booked]

It's 6am, I just woke up from another dream--

--about Echo returning.

And it's another island adventure dream but FAR MORE OOOHHH OKAY THAN OWWIE OH NO. It had the same energy as Nya trying to figure out who Samurai X was. And Echo was not a villain this time.

Actually the dream had the S14 guy as the villain, the one with the mask, spoilers.

It started with a fight between masked man, who's name I neglect to remember, and the ninja. They barely even get a chance to fight him before someone in a hodded cape swoops in and kicks him clean off his thone/podeum. They guy lands poorly and his leg gets messed up but continues fighting while the ninja just s t a r e at them.

The ninja only make a real reaction when they see the mystery man use the element of wind, and they're all utterly bewildered.

The mystery man can't hold them all off and is knocked far into the forest, presumably dead considering how far he went, and the rest of the ninja are separated into groups (Kai and Cole, Nya and Zane, Jay and Lloyd with Wu and Misako).

It followed Kai and Cole mostly, just discussing the possibility of two elemental masters of wind (they recalled Krux and Acronix) and that this guy could be dangerous. While they're talking, they bump into the motionless body of that cloaked person and Kai literally nearly pukes. Cole manages to get close to the guy and with prompting from Kai, pulls back the hood to see, not a man, but a nindroid! And a nindroid that looked eerily like Zane.

.

That's when it cut to Lloyd and Jay, they're talking with Wu and Misako about the mystery man, and this is where Wu info dumps that, after an elemental master passes without any heirs, the elements will take an unknown amount of time to present itself in a new host. It depends on that persons destiny and whether or not they're fit to use it and yada yada.

Lloyd understands that this would mean morro would no longer be the elemental master of wind, since after the DotD, he legit died and is gone for good. Which resulted in the element passing on. Wu comments that this is the fastest he'd seen an element passing on and presenting itself, and says that whoever this person is, must have been picked for a very good reason.

Jay then starts making a ridiculous list of people that he thinks could be the new master of wind, despite Wu telling him the probability of Jay knowing this master, is near impossible (Jay gets a kick outta this r e a l soon).

.

Then we hop back to Cole and Kai, who are freaking out over the rusty version of their friend who somehow has elemental powers too??

Kai says they should leave him here, saying it could be an evil nindroid, since they were also based off of Zane's prints. Cole argues and says they should take him back for questioning, and that Cole would be very happy to carry him.

While they're arguing, the fake Zane starts to wake up, and in a comedic way, screams at Cole and Kai, who in turn also start screaming. The mystery nindroid awkwardly chuckles and remarks that this was not particularly how he wanted to introduce himself, but anything works...

Kai and Cole begin questioning him and he answers their questions, starting with his name, telling them his name was Zane, but upon seeing their reactions, he says they can call him Echo.

Echo tells them they need to get into shelter, since at night, the island becomes unbearable and deadly. Kai and Cole reluctantly follow, continuing to ask questions while the three of them walk away, Echo limping from his earlier fight.

.

"Why are you on a random island?" Kai asked

"My raft washed up in a lightning storm." Echo replied.

"So did Julien build you too?" Cole continued.

"Yes, I would reluctantly say he is, in essence, my Father"

"Reluctantly?"

Echo did not answer.

Cole broke the silence "Where did you come from?"

"There is a lighthouse, in the-"

"-middle of the ocean between ninjago and the dark islands. You were there?" Kai interrupts.

"You know of the lighthouse? You were there?" Echo wondered "How come you did not know of my presence?"

"Your father never said anything, neither did Zane." Cole answered his question, giving the earth ninja even more of his own.

"Oh, no. My brother would not know of me, I was built in the lighthouse, not--wherever he was built" Echo confirmed "How did you get past the leviathan?"

"Zane swam to the chains and broke them with those star thingys" kai shivered, recalling those star shaped demons--

"Oh, you mean the Starteeth!" Echo begins laughing lightly "You know, one time, a bunch of them washed up and ate through the window in the basement. The basement was flodded and made me all rusty. I couldn't move for a week!" He walked slightly ahead while laughing hard.

He suddenly stopped laughing and looked serious "Looking back on it now, it was probably not funny."

Kai and Cole shared a look before Cole jumped up, realising something, and whispered close to Kai.

"Hold on a second, we completely forgot about his powers!"

"Oohhh, you're right! Hold on, I'll ask 'em."

Cole was going to pull him back to explain how shouldn't just--ask--but Kai had already begun running to catch up.

"So how did you end up an elemental master?"

"An ele-mento-who-what?" Echo fumbled his words.

"An elemental master? Y'know, with the crazy wind powers."

Cole was ready to punch Kai out, the man couldn't be subtle to save his life, which it just might right now.

"Oh! Honestly, Red, I have no idea." Echo had called Kai, Red, as the other two masters had not given their names. "I just remember the lighthouse getting nearly blown into the sea after weeks of strong winds. I had not realised the strong winds were the cause of my emotions. It was--new and scary. Gizmo was there to help me."

"The little cleaning robot? You brought that little guy with you too?" Cole caught up with Kai and the second wind master.

"Of course, he is my only friend! I would not abandon him the way I was. That is too cruel of a punishment for any being, organic or metallic." Echo yelled, a breeze shook the trees. Cole stayed quiet, but silently apologised to the nindroid.

Their questions were ended as they came across a half-cave-half-hut-like shelter. Where the settled and only prayed for their respective brothers.

.

There was a lot more small talk in the dream but I cut it down to the funnier and more important parts.

The next bits of the dream is fuzzy, but I know it revolves around the ninja reuniting and accepting the mystery person into their group while they defeat the evil and escape the island.

Kai and Cole agree to Echo's pleas to not tell Zane for the time being, as he doesn't want Zane to see his brother for the first time looking like--how he looks.

Each of them get some interactions with Echo, with his identity hidden, remaining mute as to not throw them off with his voice. He even has an interaction with Zane where Zane politely asks Echo not to keep staring at him, as he's been doing that since they came together. Zane pegs his curiosity to "he's never seen a nindroid before" and Echo confirms that for him. (unknowing the truuuuth aaaaa)

I'll write Jay's interaction with Echo another time maybe, and how he figures it out, since hoooo boy it hurt. Echo didn't remember Skybound so Jay's just mentally torturing himself for the rest of the journey.

The ninja that find out its Echo is Nya, Jay, Cole and Kai.

.

I'm gonna jump to the end, because my dream also jumped to the end? Rip. But the end what what gave me the Nya and new Samurai X vibes, but less fighting and more chill chat.

.

.

He was on a real boat. Not a makeshift raft constructed out of his father's old bed, table, chairs and shelves, not pushed forward by his newly explained "elemental powers". A real boat, one that would take him away from tiny islands that kept him prisoner, away from the existential dread of loneliness. He'd be free. Free from fearing his last day would be solitary and sad. In one day alone, he'd made a literal boat load of friends. They wouldn't abandon him, not as his father once did.

He was happy, he felt really, truly happy. But he didn't smile. Yes he had friends, but what he wanted more than anything else, was his brother. He was right here on the boat, but Echo's own worries about how his brother would perceive him, how his brother would react to seeing him in such a state (Upon first meeting too! Talk about first impressions), persuaded him to otherwise say nothing.

Deep down, Echo knew he had nothing to fear, he'd heard stories from his father, before he'd locked him away, about Zane and about what it was like--just the two of them. Happy. And from what Echo had seen, Zane was more that strong. Not just physically, nindroid and all, but mentally and emotionally. Echo only wished he had that confidence, the ability to say nothing but be so loud at the same time.

It would make talking to him a lot easier, if he had to say so himself.

Echo, however, had his thoughts interrupted by the sound of footsteps he hadn't even registered, and a soft, yet firm, hand on his shoulder. He tensed just slightly, preparing himself to pull his hood down further.

"It's nice, is it not?" That voice, it was Echo's voice. No, Echo had his voice. His brother was standing right next to him. So close and yet so far, just one swipe of his hood would bring them together, finally. But he resigned himself to simply nod in response. He hadn't come this far to give up now.

A comfortable silence covered the two like a thin layer of snow, fitting considering who was standing next to him. It would almost make him laugh.

"You fought well, out there," Zane started, Echo had thought he was done and nodded again, a small smile forming on his face. Zane may not have known who he was complimenting, but Echo took every moment of it with pride. But then his world span at Zane's continuation.

"For a nindroid."

Zane looked down with a small smirk. Like he'd told the best joke in history. Echo tightened his grip on the wooden railing of the bounty, crushing the paint under his permanently short nails. Zane must've noticed, but didn't say anything. Either in respect for his privacy or because he wanted to hear the confession himself.

In Echo's mind, he was obviously panicking. He didn't want his brother, someone who he'd heard stories from his father, the bot he was built off of, his singular role-model, to find out who he was, like this?

Despite the fear in his ticking heart, he did something probably really stupid and something that would likely result in his downfall. He thanked him.

"Thank you... How- how did you know?" Though, he lowered the pitch oh his voice. It would not be difficult for Zane, or anyone really, to rase the pitch and find out who he was, it still calmed him down just a bit.

"A nindroid knows a nindroid. A brother knows a brother."

Oh I'm f*ucked...

There was only panic, in his systems. The ticking of his clockwork had never sounded louder in his ears. It'd drowned out the sounds of water, the automatic breathing he for some reason had, the cracking of wood underneath his palms was the only sign that ticking was not the lone sound in the world.

He fell out of his anxious trance when the hand left his shoulder and those footsteps came back. No. They were moving away. Echo looked back, moving his fingers to clutch his hood tight against the unintentional winds that now followed him and his emotions. He could see Zane walking towards the steps of the bounty, but halted at the top of them, his hand instead lazily laying on the banister.

"Don't worry, I won't tell them-" He called, just loud enough for Echo to hear over the breeze.

-about what? That he knows who I am? That he'd practically lied to them? That he knew everything all along, because of course he knew, this was Zane, how could he not know, he-

"-Cryptor."

Echo ceased all thoughts from his head. Cryptor? What was that? Was that some kind of fruit? Or a vegetable?

Echo turned his body in the direction of his brother to ask him or at least say goodbye, but he was gone. He'd walked off and down the stairs. Leaving behind not so much as a sheet of frost.

The clockwork child stayed standing there, pure surprise, fear, relief, confusion--actually a lof of emotions he didn't know how to process--flooding his brain. If it weren't for the distant voice of Nya yelling about the sudden gusts of wind changing their direction, he would likely not have moved from that position until they landed.

Cryptor. He thought, it must be a nickname. There was no way he couldn't have figured out Echo was his sibling. He'd said, "a brother knows a brother", they didn't have any other siblings. Right? No. It was just them, just the two of them. The only two nindroids in Ninjago.

His father had said so himself. Although, his father had also buried him under scrap metal and kept him hidden from his family.

Anything could be truth now.

Although Zane had left, and there was no one to hear him, he still felt it necessary to acknowledge what happened. Quietly and sadly, he spoke with a smile.

"Good guess, brother."

.

.

.

.

SO Uhh I'm gonna assume this was because i watched DotD last night,,, and so both Cryptor, and Morro were on my brain hense wind and Cryptor calling Zane "brother", but I always have Echo on the brain man,,, so uhh. Echo for the new master of wind? Anyone? I think it's cute,,,

I probably missed something, other than writing Jay and Echo's interaction, Jay was so sad throughout the rest of the dream, man. And Echo didn't even know why, it was heartbreaking---but it was also a dream and like all my dreams, they never get made into real things.

But I did like the Zane and Echo bit at the end though. There was a second ending, but it relied on the reveal of echo to the audience at the e n d of the dream. Zane still says Cryptor and Echo turns with the camera getting close to him. And as he turns his head to the camera, you see its Echo and then he says "good guess, brother" BUT NGL I THINK IT HURS MORE WHEN WE KNOW FROM THE BEGINNING SOOO.

My dreams are whack dudes,,,

Also this took nearly 3 hours to write its actually 8:50 now Soooo ilya

[aweebwrites]

Celestial Influence 7 (pt1)

(Hnnnnn thank you for helping me out as always @thelucariosfish! Ily! Also splitting this in two so ye. Next post will be another day.)

_______________

"How do you even have food around here?" Cole asked as he watched Zane and Garmadon work in the kitchenette the next morning, Lloyd put to sleep on his bed upstairs.

"Oni are shape-shifters and Lloyd has the power of amber, which means he also has the power of form like Nya does. We take occasional trips to Ninjago for supplies." The Oni shrugged, stirring the pancake batter with his lower hands while adding milk with an upper.

"I'm more curious how you got like this." Kai says, gesturing to his clearly Oni state with the mentality of the Garmadon they once knew.

"Yeah. Didn't those Oni masks just bring back the bad you?" Nya asked, perplexed.

"That it did." Garmadon confirmed, reaching for a small bowl of blueberries, his gray-tipped tail flicking as he did. "But power like that is never that simple. Try as the Oni- my kind- may, they cannot change the will of things. For where there is shadow, there is light, just as no matter how bright the light may be, the moment it flickers, the shadows return-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Lessons and what not. Just tell us how Lloyd managed to bring you back!" Jay huffed impatiently from his crossed legged seat mid air.

Garmadon shot him an unimpressed look but he supposed he owes them a more direct explanation. He sighed then turned to them, setting the empty bowl aside as he stirred still, Zane quietly working on eggs and bacon.

"A soul may be one thing but it has two sides, like a coin. The good and the bad. Much like a coin, you can't part the two sides, or rather make the coin hold one side. But what you can do, is to put the coin on one side, allowing only one side to be visible and the other side hidden underneath. That's exactly what the masks did: amplified the dark half of my soul and suppressed the light half under it." He explained, making sure they were all following him. "What Lloyd did was bring back balance within my soul, turning the coin on its side so to speak. The reawakening of my Oni blood through the masks however, is irreversible. I will tell you all the very same thing I told Lloyd." He says seriously and they all unconsciously stiffened.

"I am both the Sensei and the Lord you once knew. Both sides are equal within me which means I may do and say things that makes that clear. While I have no intentions to rule Ninjago, I also have no desire to become a Sensei again." He told them, meeting all of his former students' eyes. "Right now, I'm content to simply be a father." He adds, turning away again as he focused on his batter.

The five ninja shared a look before Zane spoke up.

"... Is that why you chose not to let Sensei Wu know?" He says quietly and Garmadon's shoulders stiffened then slumped.

"I'm not the brother he once knew." He whispered solemnly.

"But you are the brother he'd be happy to have." They all looked to Lloyd as he walked down the narrow staircase.

"Lloyd!" The others called, perking up.

"Hey guy-" Was all he could get out before he was smothered in a group hug.

"Hey, we missed you bud!" Cole grinned, ruffling his hair.

"How have you been faring?" Zane asked him with a pleased smile on his face.

"I've been good!" Lloyd says with a laugh, then smiled at his friends. "I've missed you guys." He says fondly then laughed as he was pulled into another group hug.

Garmadon watched the group as they caught up then smiled a bit as he turned back to the stove. He can take over breakfast.

___

"Woah! Kai has a dragon?!" Lloyd asked excitedly once Cole let it slip over breakfast.

"4 to be exact." Kai says with a grin that soon fell. "I'll have to head back soon. I'm worried, you know?" Kai says, glancing out the opened doors.

"Speaking of, I gotta check on those boneheads back in the underworld. They're pretty clumsy so let's hope that the Underworld Temple is in one piece still." Cole says, twirling his fork.

"Not to mention we have to check in on Sensei Wu." Nya reminded.

"And figure out what we're gonna do from here." Zane added.

"Yeah. It's clear we're not needed as ninja anymore but defending Ninjago is in our blood." Jay spoke up with a frown. "... But at the same time, it's been great having a break, you know?" He added, looking to his friends who shared a look.

"Jay's right. Despite everything… It's nice to just relax for a bit but at the same time, I don't want to just abandon our role of protecting Ninjago, no matter how unwanted we are." Lloyd says with a frown, poking at his egg he hadn't touched.

"We should confront Sensei with this and see if he can assist us." Zane suggested and the team gave their agreement.

"So when do we leave?" Nya asked them, twirling her fork.

"After you've all finished your meal." Garmadon says from the kitchenette and they all looked down at their half finished meal.

"You'll come with us, right dad?" Lloyd asked quietly and Garmadon looked at his son, at his large, pleading green eyes…

Then swore.

"Woah! Did Garmadon just swear?!" Jay yelled, looking at him wide eyed in surprise and delight.

"Don't listen to your dad, Lloyd." Kai says, covering his ears as he shot Garmadon a glare.

Said Oni only rolled his eyes, placing a lower hand on his hip.

"Hurry up before I change my mind," was all Garmadon said and Lloyd beamed at his dad.

The former Lord huffed lightly then turned back to the pots with a small smile. One thing hasn't changed: he'd do anything for his son.

_

Wu swept the Monastery yard in silence, his movements slow to reflect that he was deep in thought. It's been almost 4 months since he's lain sight on his students. While Ninjago was still in one piece, it's been a struggle to keep it that way. The other elemental masters were by no means useless but they are new to protecting all of Ninjago, and this often too. Villains old and new have stepped up to the plate, some wanting to rule, most wanting to make mischief and steal. They haven't had any real threats yet but that won't last very long. It's all a matter of time. He set aside his broom then looked over at the pillar in the middle of the training yard that held all of their symbols on the ground around it. It was an anomaly.

During once each week when the celestial occurrence happens, each of their symbols glow in turn with each. While it may have been obvious that they had been the ones to cause each, the glows only goes further to confirm that his pupils were well. He walked over to the pillar- only to be stunned by a bright flash of light. He stumbled back, rubbing his eyes to erase the white spots taking over his vision so he could see.

"Oh Sensei! Good timing!" He looked up then, his heart swelling with hope and happiness to see his students there, all grinning at him.

"Ninja…" He says in relief, a smile lighting the weary lines of his face. "I-" He cut himself off once he noticed the tall figure behind them shift.

His eyes widened once he saw his brother there, saw his red-orange eyes flicker up to him before he sighed, stepping forward, the claws on his inverted legs tapping lightly as he did. Soon, his older brother was standing before him, all but towering over his shorter frame.

"There is… Much to discuss." Garmadon spoke and Wu couldn't help but give a huff of laughter.

"That is an understatement."

__

"Any tips on what to do here, Sensei?" Kai asked after Lloyd explained their current situation, all of them seated for tea in the large communal space.

Wu pondered all he had just learned for a moment. They've made vast strides in control over their powers during the time they've been away but despite that, Ninjago may never accept them again as its protectors. But Ninjago did need them, that much was undeniable. He sipped his tea.

"This is indeed a… Unique situation." He began. "Ninjago will need your protection still. While the Elemental Masters and Pixal grow stronger each day, the role of Ninjago's protector will always belong to you six. Given that they have refused you all and are unlikely to willingly ask for your help… Then there is only one solution that fits all of your needs." He says, glancing at them.

"What?" Jay asked impatiently.

"Let's just say… What Ninjago doesn't know… Won't hurt them." Wu says with a barely suppressed smirk.

It took them all a second before they got what Wu was implying.

"Wait, you want us to-"

"Keep protecting Ninjago, but under the radar?" Zane finished for Nya.

"More along the lines of an occasional patrol." Garmadon corrected, all of their attention shifting to him. "From what I've seen, the other Elemental Masters are effective, despite their lessening struggle. An occasional check up to see how they're doing and give a hidden but helping hand should suffice." He says then finished off his tea.

"My brother is correct," Wu spoke up, saying the word fondly and Garmadon could barely keep the small smile off his face. "This way, not only do you each get to keep a considerable amount of your free time, you are also still involved in keeping Ninjago safe," he summarised, and the ninja pondered this.

"It shouldn't be a problem staying out of sight. At least, not for me." Kai grinned then vanished from his seat, setting his cup down. "Plus having time for my dragons still? Sign me up." He says, appearing next to Wu.

"Well, I am resigning vehicles and mechs for the other ems as is. I can drop them off in areas I know they'll see them so that could give us even more time. I mean, some peace and quiet isn't a bad thing. I'm down." Nya hummed, tapping her nails against the table.

"Yeah I'm in. I mean, the Skulkin can take care of themselves- er, mostly- but Ninjago is also under my jurisdiction." He grinned, resting his chin in his hand.

"Yeah! Though looks like I gotta get a hobby or a pet. Or just bug you guys." Jay shrugged then grinned at his teammates cheekily.

"Don't forget your promise to your parents though," Lloyd reminds him.

"Never." Jay says seriously, giving them all a bit of whiplash from his jump from playful to dead serious.

"Well… Good." Lloyd says, blinking at him then turning to his uncle. "That works then. Ninjago will always be my home and I'll always defend it but... I finally have my dad back. For good this time." They didn't miss the subtle glow in his eyes at that fact.

"I wanna enjoy it, you know?" He said, smiling at his father who returned it and ruffled his hair gently, pulling a small laugh from his lips.

"Speaking of parents. Nya, are you up for a visit to ours in a day or two?" Kai asked her and she nods.

"Yeah. It's been a while after all." She says softly, tracing the lines on her cup.

"For now," Kai says as he stepped away from their Sensei. "I have to head back to the Fire Temple," he announced, and they nodded.

"I'll come with!" Jay says, eager to meet the dragons Kai was worrying so much over.

"I think we all will. I mean, it's been a while after all." Lloyd says and a moment of silence passed as they remembered the Ultra Dragon.

"Let's go then." Cole says, breaking the silence as he stood up.

"I'll be back soon Uncle, Dad." Lloyd said as they all got up.

"I'll be here when you get back." Garmadon reassured, noting how his son's shoulders relaxed.

Lloyd nods before heading out with the others. Soon, there was a flash of light and accompanying thunder.

"... So, shall I give you a scratch behind the ear?" Wu asks, glancing down at his brother's thumping tail.

"Fuck off, Wu."

__

"Flare! Solaris! Spark! Heath! I'm home!" Kai called out as they all walked across the bridge over the molten lava moat below.

There was silence for a moment before Solaris and Flare rushed out, eager chitters and roars escaping them. They skittered to a stop not far away however once they noticed he had company they didn't know.

"It's alright! They're friends!" Kai laughed, walking up to them both, reaching his hands out and they both lowered their heads to them, purring as he petted them. "Where's Spark and Heath?" He asked with a small frown, noticing that they weren't coming.

That seemed to remind them of something and they began nudging him towards the temple. Immediately knowing something was wrong, he took off without explanation, leaving his friends to follow, confused and worried. He hame to a stop in the ground center of the temple, looking up at where his nest was. There, Heath sat anxiously, looking down into the next. Kai took a single leap, landing at the edge of it and gasped softly to see Spark laying there, breathing quickly, his worst fears coming through.

"Spark…" He whispered, shifting closer, hands hovering over her, not sure where to begin with trying to fix this, trying to make her better. "Heath, what happened?" Kai asked the blue dragon as his friends and Heath's siblings joined him.

Heath gave a low whine, wings pressed flat with a pained look on his face that showed he didn't know.

"Don't worry Spark, I'll-" Kai cut himself off when he touched her.

"What is it?" Nya asked, all of them watching them.

"Can we help?" Jay asked and Kai shook his head.

"No, no. It's just… She's colder than I remember,” he says with a frown before his eyes widened. "I think I know what's wrong." Kai then gathered fire in both of his hands.

He gently rested them on her body, a pulse of fire rushing over her. Spark blinked open her eyes then, a confused coo leaving her and Kai laughed.

"She had a cold is all. It happened once before with Solaris shortly after I made them. They're still growing so it's pretty easy for them to get sick. A lava bath or a faster working fire shot from me does the trick." Kai explains as Spark lifted her head, sitting up slowly as she regained her bearings.

"Feeling better girl?" He asked, reaching up to stroke her snout and she purrs, leaning into his touch.

She opened her eyes to look at him then spotted the group, a curious sound leaving her.

"They're friends. Go say hi." He encouraged her and she shuffles past him eagerly, taking a sniff at Lloyd.

"Nice to meet you." The blonde smiled as he reached up, letting her smell his hand before pressing her snout against it.

That gave the others the courage to interact with her as well as Solaris and Flare. Kai smiled at them but it fell when he turned to Heath, seeing the neutral expression he wore but seeing that he was troubled through his eyes.

"She's alright now, Heath. You did good," Kai says, reaching up to stroke the blue scales of his snout but Heath only looked more troubled.

Kai frowned, looking over his dragon, trying to figure out the source of the negativity he could feel from him. Heath wasn't usually like this. Did something else happen? He looked back at the other members of their little family, seeing them relishing under the curious attention of the other ninja then looked back at Heath. It hit Kai out of nowhere but it didn't stop him from feeling ridiculous for not realising sooner. He tasked Heath with a lot of responsibility, taking care of his siblings as he did. To have Spark come around with a cold so suddenly and for him to be as helpless to do anything about it as he was must have taken a serious toll on him. If he was in his place, of course it would bother him.

"Heath…" Kai says quietly then stood. "We'll be back in a sec, guys." He called, beckoning Heath to come with him as he floated his way towards the main chamber of the volcano the temple was attached to.

Heath hesitated, looking at Solaris as she gave the freckled brunette a lick as he laughed, looking at Flare as he purred under the expert petting of the black-clothed male and the one in white, looking lastly to Spark as she preened under the attention of all the others. They're just as powerful as their creator. They'd be safe… with that, he climbed off the high nest, following after his creator. 

Kai lead him away from the others and towards the magma pool that made up the core of the volcano. He then stood at the edge, slipping his shoes off before sitting and dipping his feet in the hot material, the heat not bothering him at all. Heath padded over, sitting at the edge of the pool, his tail dipped into the material as well, his wings tucked close as he looked at the hot material bubbling before him. Kai watched him for a moment before he fixed his eyes there too, finally speaking.

"You did well. Looking after the others I mean." Kai says and Heath glanced at him, his eyes clearly showing that he didn't agree. "You did. I don't need to look to know your expression is saying otherwise," Kai huffed, and Heath only returned to watching the magma bubbles.

"Really though, Heath," Kai says, looking over to the blue dragon that refused to make eye contact. "I'm really proud of you." He shifts closer so he could reach up to pet Heath’s maw.

Heath shook his hand off however, a series of growls, hisses and grumbles pouring from him angrily but Kai understood what he was trying to say. While he couldn't speak or directly understand what they were trying to say, he did have a connection with then that exceeded language barriers, and that made him understand exactly what they were saying anyways.

"Heath," Kai deadpans, stopping the anxious blue dragon from ranting any further.

Heath finally met his creator's eyes, looking into his understanding amber eyes that flickered and morphed like the flames he commanded.

"Spark getting sick wasn't something you could have prevented. It's the will of all living things to get sick at some point. It's not your fault. It's just the will of things," Kai says gently, his touch feeling far warmer than the boiling materials his tail was dipped in. "You've done perfectly. None of you have a scratch, the temple and forest are still in one piece and you didn't leave Spark's side the whole time she was sick. But I can tell your worry, your doubts won't go away so easily." He says with a sad smile, tilting his head to the side as he continued to stroke Heath's muzzle.

"Good thing I'm practically a god. Let's see what these powers can do." Kai announces, looking down at his hands.

He then took a slow breath out, focusing on what he wanted, then willed his goals into being. Heath watched curiously as his creator began to glow, the light traveling up his hands to his face. He watched still as light began to collect in the space between his hands, glowing brighter and brighter still. Heath looked away once it became too much, only looking back once his creator sighed. In open palms, he held a white flame that danced leisurely. The flame then grew apart, creating four equally sized flames, one meant for each of the dragons he birthed from his flames.

"This should do the trick. Healing flames." Kai says then held three in one hand as he got to his feet, standing before Heath. "You'll each have this one. Just in case someone else gets sick." He says then pressed the flame into Heath's chest, watching as he glowed white for a moment, the glow soon fading to reveal Heath looking the same- aside from his claws and beginnings of his horns being white that is.

"From now on, you don't need me or the volcano to help you heal up. You can do it for each other. You don't have to feel helpless anymore," Kai says softly and Heath looked at his creator for the longest while before leaning in and rubbing his head up against his chest, a low purr escaping him, worries for the future soothed for now.

Kai only smiled and rubbed between his horn nubs.

"Come on. Let's share the love," Kai says softly, Heath lifting his head with a confirming huff, leading the way back to the others, his strides confident and protective.

Kai laughs as he dissolved into smoke, reappearing in the nest where the others were, the healing fire ready to be gifted.

__

"So we'll meet back up here in two days?" Cole asked asked as they all stood outside the Monastery in the courtyard.

"Yeah. Then we do first patrol." Lloyd told them and they nodded.

"Alright. Then I'm off to my parents," Jay says, taking a step back then vanishing in a flash of lightning.

"The same for us." Nya grins, gesturing to Kai before they both took off going airborne.

"I have to head back to the Underworld," Cole says, tapping his foot against the ground and Zane watched as he slowly sunk into the ground without so much as a tremble from the earth below them.

"I'll return back to the Birch Forest." Zane says then paused, his eyes glowing brighter for a moment before he blinked it away. "... I just need to make a quick detour first." He adds and Lloyd nodded at him, watching as he and the Falcon vanished into shadow.

Lloyd stood there for a second longer then yawned as he turned inside, scratching at his stomach, his new gi fading into his comfy hoodie and sweats as he did. He walked towards his father and uncle as they talked at length, interrupting by crawling into his father's arms and testing his head against his chest, dozing almost instantly, leaving both Oni and hybrid to stare at him. Garmadon only released low, barely audible purrs as he stroked his son's hair, picking back up on their conversation about the future of the ninja as their powers continue to develop. Thankfully, much slower than their initial power gain.

Wu was content to continue their discussion, eyes on Lloyd as he slept comfortably. His brother had explained how Lloyd brought him back but it made him even more aware of just how powerful he was. Soul manipulation was not an easy feat after all. In fact, only his father, Lloyd's grandfather, managed to do it without a relic and even what little he managed to do was a great struggle. It made the fact that Lloyd's power, that the ninja's power surpassed that of their father's. They had the power to reshape, to remake the entirety of Ninjago with mere thoughts if they wanted to. He supposed he should be grateful this power fell into their laps and not anyone else's.

__

Zane reappeared on a tiny remote island somewhere in the Endless Sea. Reclusive as it may be, Zane knew this island, had been here before. But the tower that had stood tall was in less than favourable conditions, no doubt due to the backlash if unlocking their powers. At the very least, it was still standing. Zane began walking up the stairs as his Falcon checked the perimeter, his mind going back to the brief vision he had. Usually he received visions while sleeping. Having them while awake is… Different. But it's more convenient, unable to be passed off as a dream. Though this one made him question a few things…

He stood before the wooden door, withering no doubt from exposure to seawater, no means of replacing it available. Still, he was gentle on opening it, a microscopic amount of his powers more than enough to freeze the locks to their core, a gentle push breaking them like they weren't there at all. Zane continued inside, keeping his steps light against the decaying wood, a small frown on his face. He supposes the broadening of his understanding that came with awakening their powers was responsible for his lack of a harsh reaction at what was revealed to him. He understood his father's position why he would hide something this big from him. But he also understood his father was incorrect in hiding this. If he had said something, left him a clue, perhaps he could be here sooner. Perhaps he wouldn't have to be left on his own for this long, wouldn't be forced to suffer loneliness and malfunctions. He looked up as he finally entered the main room of the tower, the slumped figure next to the table catching his eye. He walked towards them, his footsteps unheard, despite the worn floorboards, standing before the younger brother he realised he had just moments ago. He stood before him and the small rust covered bot he clutched close to him. He recognised it as the one his father left behind. Tai-D. He doesn't appear to be working anymore, either. The rust was too substantial. He watched as the bronze Nindroid's eyes flickered on, a creak sounding as he lifted his head.

He watched still as those mustard-coloured eyes widened at the sight of him. There was a straining creak as he lifted his hand towards him with difficulty.

"Y-y-you're… Y-y-you're…" Echo Zane attempted to say, his voice glitching and faltering as he suffered from lack of maintenance.

There's only so much a Nindroid can do with so little supplies after all. Zane knelt before him, a small smile on his face as he took his hand, lacing their fingers together.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get here, brother." He says quietly as the glow of Echo's eyes flickered in and out. "Things will be alright from here on out." Zane promised him, and Echo managed a smile, even as his brother began to glow.

His vision flickered out as he started to power down. He'll be alright from now on…

Brother was here…

________

When Echo awoken next, it was to an unfamiliar and very high roof. Are those stairs?... He sat up- then blinked once his joints hadn't creaked or rubbed in any way. In fact, they had never felt so smooth. He looked down at his hands… Then blinked again.

"What's… This?" He whispered, noticing the minor adjustment in his metal colour and design

It's hard not to, not when the analytics in the corners of his vision were so sharp and precise. He's never had them that updated before. His plating was never this seamless either. What happened? He blinked once he heard a familiar sound. His eyes widened once Tai-D hopped up, looking more put together than he ever has been before.

"Tai… D…" Echo whispered, eyes wide and happy.

He wasn't rusty anymore! He wasn't… He wasn't… Gone. Tai-D only gave a beep of greeting.

"I see you're awake." Echo looked to the voice as they spoke and he blinked, seeing him there.

The one he was modeled after, the one father told many tales about… The original Zane.

"It only occured to ask your consent before I gave you an update and for that, I'm sorry." Zane apologized and Echo blinked at him.

"So you really came…" Echo whispered, confusing and concerning his older brother.

Zane saw him leap at him before he actually did it but he allowed it all the same, hugging him close as Echo clung to him tightly. He rubbed his back gently as his brother shook, unphased when he began dampening his clothes with the lens cleaner that acted as tears. He's been through a lot after all. Zane closed his eyes as he held him tight. He won't ever be alone again. That's one thing he can promise.

___________

(Finally posted this! Ahhh! At least part of it... Anyways, I wanted to do a Nya and Kai talking wirh their parents thing but i cannot Ray or Maya so oof. I'll use Zane and Echo Zane content to make up for that. Thanks for reading!)

[yuki7900archive]

(Movie) Cole x Reader PT.2

I still can’t believe I wrote over 8700 words for an x reader fanfiction about a lego minifigure. This is what my life is now.

PART 1

You hadn't told anyone what you knew, not even Stephanie, but that hadn't stopped you thinking about it twenty-four seven. It just baffled you! Your crush was also one of the ninja in the secret ninja force. You couldn't believe it. It plagued your mind so much you were becoming distracted at school. It was only Monday lunchtime, yet you'd already been told off for daydreaming three times. You'd also walked into a few other students and even stood in the middle of the corridor for no reason, even after the bells had rung and signaled that you needed to get to class. You were just zoned out completely, and it hadn't gone unnoticed.

"(Y/N), honey, are you alright? You seem off." You blinked and looked up at the four girls staring at you with worried looks.

"Yeah, I'm fine." You smiled briefly at them all and took a bite out of your apple.

"Sweetie, is it what happened on Saturday? Ya' know, with Garmadon?" Oh yeah...he'd almost killed you hadn't he? You'd actually forgotten about the near-death experience. "It's okay that you're scared but like, you can't the fear control your life. Yeah?"

"Steph, honestly, I'm okay. I think I'm just tired."

"Well, the bags under your eyes have gotten a lot worse. You look awful."

"Aw geez, thanks."

"That wasn't a compliment." Oh my god, did she really not understand sarcasm? That was basic too! You sighed and closed your eyes, placing your apple down on the table momentarily as you rubbed your eyes. It's true you hadn't been getting sleep as of recently, and this shocking revelation certainly hadn't helped matters.

"Maybe you should go home, get some rest? I'm sure the teachers will understand." Somehow you doubted it, but you did feel yourself getting particularly sleepy last lesson. You had to prevent yourself from nodding off in perhaps one of the most boring lectures you'd ever had to sit through. Sleep sounded nice.

You only gave a simple hum as you finished off the remains of your apple and stood up ready to leave. You waved goodbye to the girls as they told you to get better soon, then heading off to your locker to collect your things and go home. The corridors were pretty quiet as a majority of students were in the cafeteria. You didn't think you'd ever heard such quiet in a school before, it was kind of relaxing but also felt uncomfortable and weird. You didn't think too much about it as you stopped at your locker and started getting everything together, also not noticing how you were the only person in the hallway. All except for one other person.

As you shut your locker door, it revealed the tall, muscular, raven-haired teen that you had been crushing on since your first day at this school. You flinched and gasped out of fright before settling down after seeing it was only Cole. However, they didn't prevent the blush steadily rising on your cheeks.

"We gotta talk." He leaned against the lockers beside your and looked down at you with seriousness plastered across his face. You couldn't say you weren't expecting this, but you thought he'd wait until the end of the day and then follow you home or something. Maybe he didn't have the patience, or maybe he was instructed to by his leader. Either way, you definitely needed to talk to one another.

"Yeah, okay." You sighed a little and shut your locker, waiting for him to lead the way. Instead, he handed you a bottle of water and a small pill. You glanced down at the items, then at him, then back down at the items again. What in the heck were these things for? You cautiously took them from his hands and examined them.

"What are these for?"

"To knock you out, we can't have you knowing the way to our secret base."

"You can't be serious-"

"It's either willingly take the pill or ill have to knock you out with chloroform and kidnap you. One way or another you'll be unconscious." You had always wondered what being knocked out with chloroform was like...but at the same time, the tablet was in your hand, and you were kind of thirsty anyway. Without another moment's hesitation, you popped the pill into your mouth and threw your head back as you chugged half the bottled water. You put the cap back on the bottle and handed it back to Cole.

"So how long does it take for the-" You never finished that sentence. Instead, your mind completely blanked as you fell into the teenager's arms and immediately went into a deep sleep.

---

When you awoke you were lying on a couch. You blinked a couple of times and groaned as you brought your hands up to your face and rubbed at your eyes. Propping yourself up on your elbows for a few seconds, you exhaled and allowed your vision to come back to you before you sat up straight and let your legs fall back onto the floor. Only then did you see the six familiar figures stood in front of you.

They all had their masks on, Cole included, despite you already knowing his identity. Each of them had a serious expression on their face, a few crossed their arms and other stood with their hands on their hips. It was almost as if they held you accountable for discovering the identity of one of their crew. It wasn't though! You didn't know how his mask had fallen off, but you were pretty sure one of the blades from the crab mech had snagged the fabric upon Cole's release and accidentally taken his mask. That's the only thing you could think of.

"Welcome to our headquarters (Y/N)," the green ninja spoke clearly to you, and the more he talked the more you recognized his voice. "My team and I need to discuss something with you."

"Look, you don't have to worry about me telling anybody, alright? I'm not stupid, you guys have a city to protect and an identity to keep. If I told people it would put Cole's life at stake. I'll keep it a secret, so don't even worry about it." It's silent for a few moments as everyone stands there, the five teammates looking at their leader and waiting for him to continue.

"How can we trust you?" He finally said. Suddenly that's when it clicked in your head.

"Wouldn't I have told people by now if I really wanted to expose you guys? It's been two days, Lloyd." Everyone froze in place.

"How did you-"

"I just realized I knew your voice somewhere. Let me guess, the rest of you are Kai, Zane, Jay and Nya, right?"

"...No?" Jay shrugged and you shook your head. That's when they all groaned and pulled their masks off, each revealing to you their real identities. They looked kind of mad that you'd managed to join the dots so easily.

"Great, now you know who we all are." Kai muttered and scratched his head.

"Yeah, but again, I have no interest in telling anybody. It's better for it to remain a secret." You stood up from your seat and placed your arms behind your back as you peered around the warehouse. All the mechs were in their own little corners, Nya's being on the roof, and the room had other little gadgets in it as well. There was an arcade machine and a jukebox, a games console hooked up to a tv also. It wasn't just a storage place for their weapons, it was almost like a chill-out zone too. You had to admit it was pretty cool.

"Welp, we've already missed the start of class so, might as well hang here until our next one." Lloyd clicked his tongue and walked over to the arcade game. Zane wheeled over to his mech and sat beside a wall, inserting himself into a charger (and making you suddenly realize he was a robot which, honestly, explained so much), Nya and Jay both sat where you were moments before and began setting up a video game to play whilst Kai just joined them on the couch.

That left only you and Cole.

You were sure he was gonna take you back to school or possibly even just drop you off at home if you asked nicely. However what he said next shocked you a little.

"Wanna listen to some of my mixes?" You felt the heat rise steadily in your cheeks as all you could do was nod and follow behind him. He went over to his mech, helping you to climb inside the cramped space and then going through his records. He was surrounded by shelves of this vinyl, one side was his own tracks whilst the other side contained records of a variety of artists. AC/DC, N-Pop Girl, Macklemore, The Kinks, he had a lot of different artists work. A really good mix.

You leaned against the back wall and watched the boy skim over his playlist as he tried to decide a piece to play for you. As he did that you couldn't help but admire his looks. You'd realized he'd put his hair up into a man bun, and you literally felt the butterflies roar in your stomach at the sight. He looked really cool with his hair up like that. You almost wanted to say 'uber-rad' but that felt a little odd to say in this day and age. Unless he still said stuff like that? He seemed like the kind of person who would.

Finally, he pulled out one from the shelf.

"Here's a good one." He said as he passed you a spare set of headphones to put on. You placed them over your ears and watched as the boy giddily pulled the record out of its sleeve and put it on the deck. You couldn't help but smile at the sight of his eyes lighting up and his grin widening in anticipation. He was like a little kid right now; full of excitement. It was so cute.

Suddenly the music blasted in your ears and you jolted in shock. You weren't expecting it to be quite so loud, especially the baseline. Your ears managed to adjust though and you found yourself enjoying the heavy rock music. You bobbed your head up and down in time to the beat and Cole did the same when he sat down on the floor beside you. You didn't say anything to one another, mostly because you couldn't hear anything other than the music anyway, but he knew you liked his music. At least you thought you'd made it clear through your actions. Eventually, the music stopped and Cole got up off the floor to go and change the record.

"That was really good, Cole." You told him with a beaming smile. He glanced at you as he put the previous piece of music back on the shelf.

"Thanks. I take it you like Rock?"

"Oh, psh-" You rolled your eyes and shrugged at him. "I like a bit of everything. You gotta appreciate all the genres there are, you know? Otherwise, all you do is listen to the same thing over and over and over again." The teen grinned at you when you said that to him.

"Yeah, exactly! All music should be listened to, cos' everything has something new to offer."

"Yeah!" There are a few moments of quiet as the pair of you stare at each other, blushing and looking down to the floor after those few seconds slipped by. You couldn't believe you were actually talking to him. You thought that you would never get the chance to talk to the earth ninja or Cole, now here you were talking to both. It was so cool! He was so cool.

"Do you wanna pick a record?"

---

The next hour or so flew by as you both sat and listened to the different bands and artists he had available in his vast collection. There was some classical, some pop, some techno, any genre you could think of, he had. Sometimes you'd even sing along if you knew the words.

"You have a nice voice." He told you once the music died down again, signaling that the song had concluded. You laughed nervously and hid your face as you blushed heavily.

"Ha-ha, thanks. I don't usually sing in front of people."

"You should." You felt your heart explode in your chest and you had to stop yourself from hurling up the butterflies in your stomach. With each comment, he made they only grew more ferocious, and it was starting to make you feel nauseous. "Ha-ha, you're blushing soooo bad."

Him pointing that out to you only made your cheeks turn a darker shade, which as a result made him laugh even harder. You playfully punched his arm with an embarrassed smile on your face.

"Whatever!" Was all you could think of for a response. You blamed Cole for this, of course. Him and his stupidly attractive face, making your brain go to mush. The nerve of him!

The raven-haired teen got up and put the previous record back into its sleeve before sliding it into its place on his shelf. He scanned over the vinyl again before pulling out a new record. You didn't get a chance to see the cover but it looked old and tattered. The moment he placed the disc on the plate, the music began to play and you hummed along to the tune. It was an old song, one you recalled your grandparents singing a lot when you were a child. You could recall the lyrics well enough so you decided to sing along again. And apparently so did Cole.

"I will always think of you." Cole sang the first line as he came and sat beside you, pressing his back up against the wall. You were quite surprised by this; he didn't seem the type who liked singing along with songs. "I see your face when each day's through. And days go past-"

"Oh so fast." You chimed in when the female part started up. The pair of you grinned at each other as you sang along to the music.

"But memories they last~" The song continued and you both rested your heads against the wall behind you, peering at each other in the corners of your eyes. This whole situation was crazy, the more you thought about it. You were sat in the secret ninja force's base, tucked on the inside of the black ninja's mech as you harmonized with your crush. That stuff just...didn't happen. Yet here you were now. What an unbelievable day this was. You quietly recalled how less than two hours ago you had been feeling so exhausted and ready to just go home and sleep the day away, yet now you felt so alive and more awake than ever. Maybe now that everything was cleared up you were at ease. Maybe now that you were friends with Cole you were at ease.

"Summer, Winter, year by year-"

"Year by year.

"I'll hear this song inside my ear."

"Trying to restart-"

"That'd be smart." Back and forth you and he went. Your voices were in perfect sync with one another and the music on the record. As the next verse came up Cole began to sing a little louder with all the more heart. He sang like there was no one watching him, completely forgetting about the other five ninja who weren't that far away from where you both were. They could hear you too, by the way, and they also enjoyed your melodic voice. So much so they'd stopped what they were doing and gathered around the bottom of Cole's mech so they could hear you and their close friend better. Zane even came off of his charging station to come and listen. Each of them smiled at one another.

"Spring and Autumn, up and down, I keep trying to escape this town."

"And I just might-"

"I'll take flight..." You looked up at the ceiling of the mech with half-lidded eyes, waiting a few seconds before singing the final line of the song together with the ninja sat beside you.

"Maybe tomorrow not tonight." The track ended and it was silent for quite a while. Cole didn't get up to remove the record and you carried on sitting on the floor. Instead, you looked at him and he looked at you. No words were exchanged for a little bit, but you swore you felt Cole's fingertips nudge against yours. In return, you slotted your fingers in between his and joined your hands together. He didn't pull away, much to your relief.

"So...my friends and I were gonna go to this sushi bar after school, do you wanna join us?" He seemed a lot more nervous than he usually sounded when speaking, his tone was rather hesitant, almost afraid that you would decline. Of course, you agreed to go though.

---

It had been three months since you'd become a part of Lloyd's group of friends, and two months since you and Cole had gone on your first date. Since both of you were too anxious to ask each other out, the ninja decided to shove you two together at every possible opportunity. And when that didn't work they, Kai rolled his eyes and groaned before saying "will you two just go get a drink together already?" After a small fit of uncomfortable and awkward chuckles from you both, the same day you went and spent the rest of the afternoon in Ninjago city.

You didn't do much, you went browsing in music stores and bought a few CDs before going to his house and getting a drink there. For a while, you just sat on the sofa and watched really bad reality TV shows, until his dad came home from rehearsal that is. The moment he saw you he instantly assumed you were Cole's girlfriend, not that you could really blame him. You were both squashed up next to each other, his arm draped behind you with his hand messing with little strands of your (H/C) locks. You also supposed it wasn't technically wrong. True, it was early days at that point and it had only been your first date, but was there even a technical term for that relationship status? Other than 'seeing each other'? You hadn't heard of one.

Lou accepted you with open arms and a number of times Cole had come home from doing a quick errand, only to hear the sounds of piano and your voice coming from the living room, was enough to make him wish his dad sent him to do more jobs. He loved walking in and your singing to be the first thing he heard.

And now, two months down the line, you'd only grown closer to one another as each day passed.

"Hey, guys!" You shouted from down the corridor as you ran up to him and Jay. They both stood outside their lockers, your boyfriend leaning back as Jay stood upright. They greeted you with a smile, the green-hued male pushing off of the lockers and uncrossing his arms as you approached them both. He walked a little of the way towards you and pulled you into a hug, his nose buried deep in your hair. He kissed your forehead gently before letting you go and taking your hand in his instead.

"Hey (Y/N)." Jay grinned his usual awkward grin at you. You beamed a smile back at him.

"Where's everyone else? I thought we were going to hang out at the sushi bar again before you guys had training."

"We are. The others are-" Jay was cut off by another voice from the other side of the hallway. One you knew too well.

"(Y/N), sweetie," Stephanie hollered at you. "I need to talk to you."

You grumbled under your breath as you rolled your eyes. You'd already told her everything she needed to know. You were hanging out with Lloyd's friends, Cole was your boyfriend, what more could she possibly want to talk about? You heard Cole chuckle as he let go of your hand and motioned for you to go over to your old friend. With one final kiss on his cheek, you wandered over to Stephanie and her lackeys.

"Let's walk and talk-"

"No, Stephanie. Look," You began. "I know we've been friends for years and, don't get me wrong, I still consider you a friend. But...I don't know. I feel like I just get on better with these people."

The redhead didn't process what you were saying at first, she looked genuinely confused. Maybe a little bit hurt?

"What do you mean?" You sighed and crossed your arms.

"You're popular and pretty, and all the guys in this school like you. All of you are," you addressed the other three girls in the group and they all nodded as they paid attention to you. "But I'm not that. I'm not liked at all and I'm a huge dorky loser, kinda like those guys."

You turned behind you only to see that everyone had arrived without you noticing. Even Nya! And that motorbike was so loud you honestly didn't know how you didn't hear it coming. They all waved at you and gave encouraging smiles when they saw you looking at them all. Cole smirked at you and winked, typically. You blushed at his actions before turning yourself back around again to face Stephanie.

"They just get me in ways that you guys don't. And Cole? I honestly don't think I've ever met someone I've had a deeper connection with than him. He's just so wonderful and kind and...a great boyfriend for me. I don't think I'll ever meet anyone like him again." Your friend twiddled her thumbs a bit after you'd finished speaking as she thought quietly to herself. You recognized that look well, knowing it meant she was having some kind of internal struggle. After some time she sighed heavily and glanced down at the ground, shutting her eyes tightly. She refused to look up at you.

"Damn, girl." She laughed a little, but you heard her voice waver. "I guess things have changed a lot for us, huh?"

"Yeah. They kind of have." You laughed back too, suddenly feeling your stomach sink down.

Without any warning, Stephanie engulfed you in the biggest hug she'd ever given you and buried her head in your shoulder. You could tell she was struggling not to burst into tears over this. You had been besties for years and years, but now things were different. Things just weren't what they were in the past. The good old days before this whole 'high school social groups' thing came into play. You'd always been a nerd and she'd always...well, not been. But that had never gotten in the way of anything. It had never mattered. But now it did.

"Promise me we'll still text? And meet up for coffee and stuff?" You wrapped your arms around her and squeezed her comfortingly.

"Of course we will."

Seemingly satisfied with your answer, she pulled away with tears forming in her eyes. She wiped them away before they could smudge her make-up and gave you final smile.

"See you around (Y/N)."

"Yeah." You smiled back. "See ya' Stephanie." And with that final sentence spoken, you both walked away from each other. She went down the corridor whilst you returned to your friends. You felt a little emotional and had to bring Cole in for a bear hug in order to make yourself feel better.

"Woah! You okay?" His hands raked through your hair as you snuggled your head up against him.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"Mhm, you don't sound okay." He tried to pull himself out of the hug so he could get a better look at your face but you refused to let go. He didn't really want to force you off of him either (which he could easily do) so he let you cling to him for a little and just continued to comfort you. He even gave you a piggyback ride out of school, only for a little bit though. You had to walk the rest of the way.

The time at the sushi bar flew by and before you knew it, everyone had to go to training. You made your way to Cole's house and decided to wait for him there, making yourself a sandwich with some of the ingredients in the fridge. Luckily he had all the stuff to make your favourite sandwich, so you immediately started making it and wolfed it down the second you'd finished.  At around the same time, Lou came home from rehearsals. He greeted you and next thing you knew you were both sat at the piano again. Once again he played the keys accordingly as you simply sang along. He'd give you words of encouragement in between each song, telling you where to improve but also complimenting you to even out the good and the bad.

"You have a great voice (Y/N), you just need to project a little more."

"I just don't usually like singing in front of people, especially people with years of experience under their belt. You're really talented Mr. Brookstone."

"Please dear, we've been over this, call me Lou. And compliments aside, thank you, by the way, I've heard you sing so much louder. Like when you and my son do your little duets." You laughed nervously and felt the heat rising in your cheeks. He only arched his eyebrows and smirked at your response.

"That...That's different!"

"Oh really, how so?"

"Cole has a really loud voice so...so if I don't sing loudly, he can't hear me!" Lou seemed unimpressed with your answer, but he was most definitely amused that you'd even give that as a reason. He knew the real reason and so did you, but saying it out loud felt embarrassing. Heck, thinking about it made your heart flutter and left you feeling dizzy and breathless.

He made you feel relaxed and safe, comfortable, even. He never judged you and he always made you feel like you were the most precious thing on the earth. He looked after you and treasured you, made sure you were always okay and did everything in his power to make those bad days better. Singing in front of him was a piece of cake because you knew he loved you and you loved him back. He was your everything.

You started the next song and tried to imagine that your boyfriend was in the room with you, watching you. This seemed to help your confidence as you sang a lot louder than the previous few songs you'd done. About halfway through the song, Cole had returned from training, not that you'd heard him shut the door behind him. He heard your voice though and instantly he felt his knees weaken and his tense demeanor seemed to drip away until not a single drop was left. With a relaxed sigh, he slid his bag off his back and snuck his way to the living room so you wouldn't hear his footsteps. He saw you facing the window and looking out at Ninjago city, your back facing him. His dad saw him and nodded, Cole nodding back. He rested against the door frame and listened to the sweet music coming from you and Lou. He didn't make a sound, didn't move an inch, didn't say a single word until you'd nearly finished. When you reached the last line of the song, the raven-haired teenager quietly crept up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist.

You gasped and jumped a little, not expecting the contact, but calmed down when you saw it was just your boyfriend's arms that had you in captivity. You steadied your breathing and glanced back at him as he kissed your cheek. Then he twisted your body around so you were fully facing him. Lou left the room, deciding to give you two some privacy.

"That was beautiful." Cole whispered softly. You brought your hands up to his shoulders and planted them there.

"Mhm." You hummed. "You scared me."

"Ha-ha, I did? Sorry. I didn't wanna interrupt your singing."

"I wouldn't have minded."

"I would've."

You chuckled and he rested his chin on your head. You both stayed like that in perfect silence for a long time. Neither of you wanted to move or say anything. You wanted to stay in this moment for as long as possible. This wonderful moment of peace.

"Cake, anyone?" Cole's dad called from the kitchen. So much for staying in the moment, you thought to yourself.

"Yeah!" Your boyfriend replied giddily as he grabbed your hand and dragged you to the kitchen with a spring in his step. He was such an adorable little dork sometimes but that was the reason you loved him. One of the many, many reasons.