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Chapter Text

Once upon a time in a kingdom lost in another world, where the air smells faintly of peppermint, the sky bluer than the deepest part of the oceans, and the grass a vibrant emerald green, a prince and his father, the king, lived in the Palace of Sweets in Ninjago. The castle rested at the top of the tallest hill, overlooking the pastel lands and sapphire rivers, dotted with evergreens and patches of forests.

The King, a man in his mid-thirties with slicked-back black hair, a thin mustache, and aged brown eyes that always seemed sorrowful, even in his joyous times, ruled over the kingdom, leading it to peaceful times. His wife, the Queen, had passed away during childbirth, leaving only one heir to the throne. The Prince, only five years old, was not ready to be the ruler of the kingdom for many more years, but the King worried that if something happened to him the kingdom wouldn't have the best ruler to lead them.

He sat down on his throne, deep in thought. Who would be his second in command? It couldn't be Captain Walker or Major Rowen, they were off on border patrol for the next several months or year. There had been minor skirmishes with other countries for the past couple of years, nothing too dangerous or worrisome, but it was better to be safe with patrollers than risk an invasion. The King bit his lip as he watched his servants and maids rush past him as they carried on with their duties, an idea coming to mind. There was one person he could trust with the golden scepter, his second-in-command, Morro Kaze. His most loyal partner for the last eight years, staying by his side without complaint. Why didn't he think of him before?

The twenty-three-year-old had snuck into the army when he was only fifteen, proving himself loyal to the king by pledging himself and following him into battle. Although Morro was injured in battle, taking a bayonet to the face, almost blinding his left eye, he refused to give up. After the battles were over, the King brought the orphan in and took him under his wing. Major Rowen didn't approve of Morro, fearing that he had ulterior ideas in mind, even to this day he still watched him out of the corner of his eye.

The King called for one of his servants, "Fetch Kaze, bring him here immediately. Tell him I have important news for him." The servant nodded and rushed off, leaving him in the silence of his own thoughts. He glanced down at the symbol of his power, a golden scepter with a large ruby on the top. The scepter had been passed down through his lineage for as long as his family had been on the throne in Ninjago, and with a simple spell can create or change anything the user sees fit. He never liked to use the scepter for personal use, he felt that the power should only be used to benefit or protect the kingdom.

A set of footsteps brought the King out of his thoughts, glancing up to see the servant returning with Morro. His black hair was neatly cut and tucked back behind his ears, his bangs covering his forehead and partially his eyebrows. Morro's hauntingly green eyes were constantly searching for something, what they were looking for the King did not know. Morro had always been a sickly pale, even after years of being in the sun before he was taken in, as well as being thinner than a peppermint stick.

Morro knelt in front of the throne, bowing his head as he asked, "You called for my presence, your majesty?"

The King stood and stepped down the two steps, holding his hand out to the younger man. As he stood, the King said, "Yes, Morro. I have been thinking about the future. I won't be around forever, and I fear that something could happen to me that leaves the throne empty. My son is not yet ready to rule for he is too young and inexperienced, he won't be ready for many more years. Until that time comes, I need someone to lead if I were to be gone."

Morro's stomach twisted in excitement, he couldn't possibly be thinking what he had been dreaming of for years. This had to be a joke, but even with the skepticism, a grin grew on his face.

"I want that person to be you, Morro. You've been learning about how to rule a kingdom for many years now, there is still much for you to learn but until the time comes that my son is ready to take the throne, you will be the one to protect and lead the land of Ninjago." The King turned and faced the younger man, "Will you accept my offer?"

Morro fell to one knee and bowed his head, "Of course, your majesty! I would happily accept your offer! I shall make you and Ninjago proud!"

Unknown to the King and Morro, the young Prince watched the pair from around one of the corners, a spark of envy glowed in his hazel-green eyes. Why didn't his father spend time with him like he did with Morro? He never got to spend time with him anymore. The Prince sulked away, deciding to play with his toys in the playroom until dinner.

Chapter Text

After a couple of years passed, Prince Cole started to realize that with Morro also being prepared to be King, he could relax and not have to worry about his lessons and future. He slept in until lunchtime, took strolls around the halls, curled up in hidden nooks in the library, and snuck his best friend away from his training.

Eight-year-old Jay Walker, son of Captain Ed Walker, chased the Prince as they played tag in the hallways, their giggles and laughter echoing through the sunlit arched corridors. His auburn hair rustled in the wind, his slightly tanned face was lit up with a bright smile, his electric blue eyes stayed locked on the Prince's back. Jay's blue and white cadet's uniform was loose on his thin body, shifting and swishing around him with every step.

Maids carrying baskets of clean clothes side-stepped out of their way with an "Oh!" Or "Oh my!" Some chuckled at their playfulness, others shook their heads and scoffed silently. That is not how a prince should act! That's not how a future captain of the army should act! Such ruckus! He should be studying, preparing for his responsibilities! The maids continued with their work as the boys disappeared down the hallway.

Skidding around the corner, Cole had glanced behind him to call for Jay to catch up, only to crash into a heavy, unmovable mass. He fell onto his backside with a loud "Oof!", grimacing and rubbing his lower back as Jay skidded beside him. He sputtered to a stop and lost his footing, slipping onto his backside as well with a yelp.

"Colton Anthony Brookstone! What are you doing?!"

The young prince shrunk back at his father's angered tone, hiding his eyes underneath his black bangs.

The King turned to Jay, "Cadet Walker: why aren't you with the others in training?"

"I told him to come," Cole said, finally looking up. His father had no right to be mad at his friend, it wasn't his fault that he wasn't training. "I wanted to play."

Jay trembled beside him, his blue eyes wide with fear. He remained silent, out of fear or respect for the king, Cole didn’t know.

"Now is not the time for him to play. Jay, go back to training, you won't be punished this time," the King said, his voice softening slightly.

The young boy nodded, murmured a quiet goodbye to Cole, then sprinted back down the hallway, leaving the father and son behind to talk.

"Cole, come with me." The King turned on his heels and started to walk away, Cole scrambled to his feet and jogged after him, staying a few feet behind.

Guilt and anger coiled in his stomach and chest. He could never have fun! Why does his father have to ruin that? Why can't he spend time with his only friend? Why did he have to remain isolated? Cole glared daggers at his father's back, his fists clenching and unclenching as he tried to control his breathing.

They arrived at Cole's bedroom, stepping inside as the King closed the door behind them. The bedroom consisted of three pastel green walls, massive windows and glass balcony doors filling the Eastern wall, and large white oak doors that led to the walk-in closet. His four-poster canopy bed rested against the South wall, the blue comforter perfectly smooth with the pillows fluffed and resting against the headboard. On both sides of the bed were white nightstands, covered with books, sketchbooks, and candles that were unlit. Within the room was a white writing desk, a bookshelf, a full-length mirror, and an armoire.

Cole sat on his bed and stared down at his hands as they rested in his lap, his anger faded while being replaced with guilt. He didn't want to have this conversation, he just wanted to be left alone.

His father pulled up the chair from the writing desk and sat down, still maintaining his regal appearance. He sighed, "Cole, why are you acting like this? Why aren't you taking your studies seriously? You do understand that one day you'll be king of Ninjago, everyone will rely on your guidance and protection. What's going on?"

The Prince shrugged silently, not daring to look up. He knew what he would see; the disappointment and sadness in his father's eyes. He couldn't handle that.

"Please Cole," his father said, his voice pleading. "I need to know what's going on."

"I don't want to be King," he murmured. "I don't want to be a Prince. I don't want this. I want to have a normal life. I want to play, I want to have friends, I don't want to be stuck inside all day."

The King sighed, seemingly looking older for a few seconds. He had guessed that was the reason to why Cole was acting out; he had the same problems when he was younger, but he grew out of it. He realized that his responsibility was to protect his kingdom, not to be thinking of himself. He had to accept that he would be king and lead the people.

"Son, you have to realize that this responsibility was bestowed upon us. I understand why these reasons made you act out, but you must understand that you can't change the future. It is your destiny to be king, you must move past this selfish behavior. You can still have time for fun, but not when Cadet Walker is in the middle of training or when you should be learning about the history of Ninjago."

"If I'm to be king," Cole mumbled, "Then why are you training Morro?"

"Morro is an alternative plan; if there comes a day that you are not ready to take the throne and golden scepter, he will lead until you are ready. If you arise to the throne and you accept it without any hesitation, he will become your second-in-command. You are destined to be king, the kingdom will rely on you and your decisions. Do you understand?"

Cole nodded solemnly, "Yes, Father." He hung his head in shame, guilt eating him alive. He didn't want to be king. He hated his studies, he didn't care about the history or previous battles or how to act regal in the presence of foreign leaders, especially with the kingdom of the mice.

Why couldn't he let Morro be king? Cole had seen how the older male stared at the throne and scepter when no one else was looking. He had the motivation and drive, he wanted to be king. But Cole knew that he could never speak up about this idea, his father would be extremely disappointed in him. What was he going to do?

His father spoke up, "You must realize that I'm doing this because I love you and I worry about your future. I only want what's best for you. I love you, Cole." He stood up and pushed the chair back to the desk, he brushed off his garments and walked up to his son. He brushed aside Cole's bangs and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "I will see you at dinner, alright?"

He nodded but refused to look up. Tears sprung to his hazel-green eyes as the bedroom door closed with a soft click.

I don't want to be king.

Chapter Text

"Stand up straight! Eyes forward! Arms at your side! Calm expression!" Cole's teacher cried, a twitch in his eye started to form.

The Prince was balancing three books on his head as he walked in straight lines, he bit his lip in concentration as he wobbled with every other step.

His teacher, Darreth Rowen, spouse to Captain Rowen, sighed in frustration. "Focus! Relax! Don't think about the books!" He snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose when the Prince tripped and fell onto his stomach. The books tumbled forward in loud thuds, some splaying open to random pages as they settled down.

Cole sat up and huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Can we move on to a different lesson, please?"

Darreth rubbed his temples, "You need to practice walking royally, a bad posture is a bad reflection on the kingdom, your father, and you."

"But we've been doing this for an hour straight!"

"And we won't stop until you can walk across the room without missing a step. Now, back on your feet!"

The ten-year-old Prince grumbled silently and climbed back to his feet. He picked up the books, dusted them off, and gently set them on the top of his head. Okay, I can do this, he thought, keeping his head still as he slowly walked across the ballroom. He felt an unsteady wiggle shoot up from his feet to his head, he started chewing on his lip again.

"Don't bite your lip!"

Cole rolled his eyes, only to be scolded about that a second later. I can't do anything around him, he thought. Step, step, step on the wooden floors, each step echoing around the empty room. Halfway there! He felt the books wobble with every step, he waited until the wobble stopped. Sighing with relief, he continued his painstakingly slow journey. Step, step, step, stare ahead, don't think, stiff and still like a tree. A bad posture is a bad reflection on the kingdom, my father, and me.

Almost there! A few more steps, then we can finally head to my next lesson! Thank goodness! He reached his right hand out and gently pressed his palm against the cream-colored wall.

"Good. Now turn around, remove the books, and walk across the room just like that. Then I'll let you go to your next lesson," Darreth said, watching him with a careful gaze.

Cole silently groaned; he wanted to get out as soon as possible, he hated these lessons with a fiery passion. Just do this then you're free, he thought. Standing tall, he strode across the ballroom with his head held high. After he reached the opposite wall, he spun on his heels and faced his teacher.
Darreth had an unimpressed look on his face, "We'll work on it next time. You're free to go."

Cole said his thanks and did his best to not sprint out of the room, thankfully his next lesson was reading and that wasn't for another forty-five minutes. He decided that he needed fresh air, so he turned and snuck through the servant's quarters, leaving through the door and into the garden behind the castle. He sat down against the stone wall and in the grass, he leaned his head back and stared at the cotton candy-like clouds. His mind became quiet, lost in the sky and gentle breeze fluttering past him, rustling his black hair in front of his eyes.

"Cole?"

The young prince flinched, how did his dad find him? What was he doing out here? He slowly looked up and found his dad looking at him with soft eyes. He wasn't mad? He wasn't upset?

"May I sit with you?" His father asked, gesturing to the open space next to him.

"Of course," the Prince replied, looking up at the clouds once again as his father sat down beside him.

After a few minutes of silence, he said, "It's a beautiful day today." Cole nodded. "How was your lesson with Mister Rowen?"

"It was fine," Cole replied. "A little exhausting and frustrating at points."

"That's understandable."

The two fell silent once again, eventually curiosity overtook the Prince as he asked, "Why are you out here?"

"Sometimes you just need to take a stroll around the castle, freeing your thoughts and relaxing your mind," the King said as he stared at the clouds. He turned to Cole, smiled and said, "I was getting antsy and needed a walk."

"Oh."

The two fell into a comfortable silence, leaning against the wall of the castle as time ticked by. Each lost in their own thoughts, each thinking about their own problems and schedules, but able to relax for the short time they were given. After a half hour, the King stood and stretched, then held his hand out to his son. He helped Cole stand and decided to walk him to his next lesson in the library. As they walked through the halls, the soldiers saluted the King and the maids and servants bowed and murmured, "Your Majesty."

Eventually, they arrived at the double oak doors, the King said his good-byes and wished his son luck in his lesson. Cole thanked him and stepped into the massive library, closing the door behind him.

The library was over thirty feet tall and forty feet wide; built-in shelves spanned the entirety of three of the walls with ladders posted every twenty feet, the outside wall was filled with regular and stained-glass windows, spilling in multi-colored sunlight on the red carpet. Two small tables were in the corners of the room while one large table was in the center of the room. Two standalone shelves split the room into three sections, Cole figured there were over two thousand books in the entire library, wondering if his father had read all of them.

Sitting at the center table was his reading teacher, a young woman named Seliel. She had bright red hair with a blue streak on the right side, caramel skin that glowed in the sunlight, and bright blue eyes that glinted with excitement. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail this time. She was wearing a blue and black dress with a silver necklace of a moon. She grinned at the Prince and waved him over, "You're here early, that's a first."

He smiled softly and sat down on the wooden chair, sitting up straight as she laid a book in front of him. He flipped open to the sixth chapter, where they had last left off, and started to read, stumbling every couple of words. "As the sun set on the ir-iri-"

"Iridescent," Seliel said softly.

"Iridescent sea, the young man hid in a..."

"Cavern."

"Cavern to es-escape?" He glanced up, continuing when he saw her nodding. "To escape the guards. The thunder...?"

"Thunderous."

"Thunderous roar of the horses grew louder as they grew closer to the boy's hiding spot. The boy trem-bled? Trembled and fell silent, waiting as the ground started to shake. He closed his eyes and held his breathe? Breath, until the horses and guards had passed. Once the world fell silent, he..."

"Crept."

"Crept out of the cavern and looked around, sighing when he saw that he was alone. The boy glanced around and snuck away, dis-disappearing into the dusk."

"Great job, Cole!" Seliel praised. "There were a few words that we need to learn, and a few others that you stumbled on, but I can tell that you've been practicing. Would you like to start the next chapter, or save it for tomorrow?"

Before he could answer, his stomach growled loudly in the silent room. "Save for tomorrow?" He asked.

"That's fine, go get something to eat, okay?"

Cole nodded, thanked her for the lesson, pushed his chair back to the table and left, making a beeline for the kitchen. He could smell the beef stew as it cooked in a large pot over the fire in the fireplace, bubbling and sizzling over the crackle of the wood. His mouth watered as his stomach grew louder, crying for the delicious meal that wouldn't be ready for a few more hours.

As he stepped into the busy kitchen, the chef looked up from the cutting board, a half-chopped carrot lay temporarily forgotten. "Ah, young Prince! What may I help you with?" The chef asked, grinning underneath his white mustache.

"I just need a snack," he replied, "Kinda skipped lunch."

"A growing boy needs every meal! There are a few buns sitting on the counter over there," the chef said, gesturing with the knife to the counter behind him. "Dinner will be ready in a while, hopefully, these will keep you filled."

Cole snuck around the other workers, ducking under trays and slipping around the other cooks until he arrived at the counter. He plucked the three cooled buns, thanked the chef once more before biting down on the fluffy bread, a happy shudder shook through his body as the buttered bite melted in his mouth. He walked out of the kitchen and into the cooled hallway.

After he ate his snacks, he wandered the castle, looking for something to do. He wanted to go to the market, but his father was busy, and he needed someone to watch over him, much to Cole's dismay. He walked around until he found the person he was searching for. "Morro!"

Morro, who was leaving his room, turned and held up a hand. "Good afternoon, Cole," he said, his voice sounding tired.

"Are you okay?" The Prince asked, cocking his head to the side. "You look sleepy."

Morro rubbed the back of his neck, "I didn't sleep well last night, had to deal with some... diplomatic issues. What can I help you with?"

"Will you take me to the market?"

"That's quite a distance away, what do you need there?"

"I don't know," Cole shrugged. "I just wanna look around. Please, Morro? Please?"

The King's second-in-command sighed and rubbed his eyes, the dark circles underneath seemed a little darker than usual. "Fine, but we can't stay for long, alright? Go tell your father where we'll be going. I'll meet you at the stables."

Cole grinned and sprinted down the hall with a spring in his step. He rarely got to go to the market, in fact, he rarely got to leave the castle grounds. He slid to a stop in front of his father's office and knocked three times.

"Come in," the King called from the other side. The Prince stepped inside and had to control his excitement. "Oh, hello Cole, are you all done with your lessons?"

He nodded and said, "Yes, father. Morro is taking me to the market for a short while."

"He is?"

"Yes, I asked if he could take me."

His father hummed softly, he didn't like the idea of his son leaving the castle so late in the afternoon, but with Kaze by his side, he should be safe. "Alright then." He reached into a drawer in his desk and removed a small pouch filled with gold and silver coins. "When you meet with Morro, tell him to hold onto this. He will oversee what you buy." He handed Cole the bag, as the Prince was about to leave, he said, "One more thing; find Private Walker. He needs experience outside of training. He shall be your guard."

Cole bowed, said his thanks, and quietly left in search of his friend.

Chapter Text

Cole couldn't stop grinning. He was on his way to the market with his best friend! They would finally be free, for a little while, at least. They would get to see the world! Well, the small part that led to the village market. He didn't care if he got to step five feet outside of the castle gates if he got to see the outside.

He looked to the horse next to him, a brown mare with a straw-yellow mane, with Jay resting on top. The other ten-year-old's eyes were constantly scanning the road around them, keeping one gloved hand on his sword's hilt while the other gripped the reins. Jay was wearing light armor without the metal helmet; his auburn hair was wild in the wind.

"Are you okay, Jay?" Cole asked.

He nodded, "Y-Yeah, just a little nervous!"

"We'll be fine! Oh, I'm so excited!" He giggled, bouncing slightly on his horse. Looking down the dirt road, he saw the village slowly growing closer. "Ah! There it is!" He was about to kick his horse into a gallop, but with a single cold look from Morro, he stayed at his normal speed.

The village was a bustling town, filled with colorful people of all shapes and sizes. Women in simple gowns wandered with baskets filled with food, clothes, or other items. Men in shirts and trousers stood in stalls and bartered prices of seeds, wool, dye, meats, and more. The buildings were either one or two stories tall, most were either painted cream or were made of bricks.

Cole, Jay, and Morro dismounted off their horses, staying close together as they led them to nearby stables. Morro looked down at the two boys and said, "Stay close to me, do not wander off. Don't talk to anybody, don't walk away with anybody, and don't help anybody. If you do get lost, come back to the horses and wait, understand?"

The two boys nodded and turned their attention back to the market. Cole started to develop a knot of nervousness in his stomach, he took in a deep breath to calm his racing heart. Cole held onto Jay's hand as they followed Morro into the crowd, staying beside him by a couple feet.

The Prince's eyes were wide in awe as they stared at the people bustling around them, his jaw was slightly agape as he oohed and ah-ed. Cole stole glances at the stalls, curious about the clothes and food being sold. When he felt his hand being tugged, he looked at Jay who had a slightly embarrassed appearance about him.

"Is everything okay?"

He nodded, then mumbled, "There was a stall... it was selling seashells. Do you think...?"

Cole grinned, "I'll ask! Morro?"

The older man sighed, turned, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Can Jay have a couple coins to buy some seashells?"

He turned to Jay, "What do you need seashells for?"

Jay turned a deep red from the sudden attention, maybe he should've just remained silent. "My mom likes seashells, she likes to collect them."

"Please Morro?"

The older man sighed and reached into the bag, removing a few gold and silver coins. As he dropped them into the Prince's open hand, he said, "Here, buy a shell or two then come back here, okay?"

"Thank you! C'mon, Jay!" Cole yanked his friend away, rushing through the crowd until Jay pointed to the stall. The two boys walked up and looked with wide eyes at the multicolored shells; some were white with pink swirls, others were turquoise blue with flecks of gold, and a few others were yellow or purple or white with hints of green.

Jay picked up a few different shells, flipped them over, rubbed the underside, and bit his lip in concentration. He put down a few and picked up the blue and gold one, and after a few moments of thinking, decided, "This one. I like this one."

Cole paid for the shell as it was gently tucked in a pocket on Jay's shirt. As they turned to walk back to Morro, they heard a voice whispering, "Boy, come here." Cole looked around and saw an older woman with stark white hair and white eyes staring blankly ahead. "Come here, there is a story that you must know, Prince Cole."

The Prince walked up to her, Jay panicked and hissed, "What are you doing?! We're not supposed to talk to anyone!"

"She knows me," Cole whispered. "I've never seen her before, but she knows me."

"I don't like this," Jay groaned as they approached the old woman.

"My Prince, please sit down," she said, gesturing to the blanket laying on the ground in front of her.

"What do you want with him?" Jay asked, slightly removing his sword from its sheath.

"I only wish to tell him a story," she replied. "Would you really harm an elderly blind woman?"

"If she poses a threat to the Prince, yes."

Cole placed a hand on Jay's arm, whispering that it'll be alright before he sat down on the blanket. Jay decided to remain standing, watching the woman's every move while scanning the crowd for anything suspicious.

"Have you heard of the Sugarplum Prince?"

Cole shook his head, only to realize that she couldn't see that, "No, I haven't."

"Although there isn't a lot of information on him, the Sugarplum Prince is a being of love, kindness, bravery, and loyalty. He's unassuming at first, but underneath has the biggest heart in all of Ninjago. All who meet the Sugarplum Prince love him, not just for his looks but because of his kindness and loyalty to his friends and allies. He has a power that remains unseen until the time is right. Although he has never been seen, tales of his powers wander this land on the wind itself. Supposedly, the Sugarplum Prince's powers could save a kingdom in its most dire need, but only if he can be found."

"Where is he?" Cole asked. "What does he look like?"

"No one knows where he is or what he looks like. The Snow Fairies to the Southwest claim to say that he is a fairy, deeply sleeping in the mountains. The Earth Fairies to the West say that he is an elf, hiding in the forests near them. The Fire Fairies to the East say that he is a Will o' the Wisp, staying in the shadows of the night." She leaned forward, her white eyes stared into his soul as she said, "Remember the Sugarplum Prince in your time of need, for there is a wolf in sheep's skin at the castle."

"There you two are!"

Cole jumped as Morro's voice rang out, he spun around and saw the King's second-in-command standing beside Jay with his arms across his chest. "I thought I told you two to buy the shell then come back to me."

"I just wanted to hear the story-" Cole started, but was silenced when Morro held up a hand.

"I don't want to hear it. It's time to head home." Morro grabbed Cole's arm and started to drag him away. The Prince turned back to the woman, but she remained still, staring at the spot where he previously sat.

Almost out of earshot, he heard her say one last time, "Be safe, my Prince."

Chapter Text

"You are in serious trouble, young man!" The King scolded, a disappointed look was in his eyes as he watched his son squirm in his chair. Cole stared down at his hands, refusing to make eye-contact. "Morro gave you clear instructions to follow and you disobeyed him, risking your life and safety!"

"But Dad-"

The King held up a hand, silencing the Prince. "Silence. You could've been kidnapped or taken the Mice or worse, killed. You didn't listen to Morro or Private Walker, putting your selfish wants above his and your life!"

"But Dad-!"

"What, Cole?!" The King snapped.

"There was an old blind woman! She knew me! She didn't seem bad and Jay was ready to protect me!" Cole cried. "I've never seen her before, but she knew me! All she wanted was to tell me a story!"

"Maybe she didn't look threatening, but you never know what or who is lurking nearby. You never know who you can trust or who wants to drive a dagger into your back! People may seem kind, but you will never know their true intentions." His father sighed and knelt down, holding his son's hands. "I just want you to be safe," he murmured. "I don’t know what I would do if I lost you."

Cole nodded but remained silent. He just wanted to hear the story of the Sugarplum Prince, was that such a big deal? His first time out of the castle and he ruined it, there would be no way that his father would let him out now. Maybe he was just overreacting? Maybe-

The door burst open, one of the soldiers had rushed inside and exclaimed, "Your Majesty! The Mice! They're approaching the castle from the South, armed to the teeth!"

The King stood and snapped, "Rally the troops, send a squadron to ambush them. Morro, take Cole and keep him in his room! Do not let him out until it is safe!"

Morro grabbed Cole's arm and yanked him to his feet, the Prince's eyes were wide in fear as his father followed the soldier to the throne room. The two rushed through the hall, dodging the soldiers as they marched the opposite way. What was going to happen? The castle had never been attacked before, why did it have to happen now? Would his father be okay? Would Jay be okay?

Cole was pushed into his bedroom, stumbling forward a few feet until he regained his balance. He spun around and started to shake.

"Stay here, do not open this door no matter what. When the battle is over, whoever comes to retrieve you will make ourselves known," Morro said, a steely expression hardened on his face. "Stay safe, my Prince." He slammed the doors shut with a slam, locking it from the outside.

Cole rushed over to the Eastern window and peeked out, his jaw dropped at the army of mice approaching the castle, there had to be at least three hundred soldiers marching up the road to the gates. The soldiers from the castle stormed out of the gate and were met with swords and crossbows, he could hear the muffled screams and shouts through the glass. He felt sick. Why did the mice hate them? Why was the crown so important? Speaking of which, wasn't there a Mouse King? Where was he?

Cole hurried over to his bookshelf and removed a history book about Ninjago, a birthday gift from his father several years before. He flipped through the pages frantically, mumbling, "Mouse King, Mouse King, where is it?" The Prince found a small paragraph about the topic:

"The Mouse King, a title given to the leader of the Mice, is not a singular being. The title belongs to the being in charge, whether that be man, toy, mouse, etc. The history of the Mouse King Lineage has stayed with the Mice for many centuries, but as of the last decade, it had been revealed that the former King had been killed mysteriously, his throat slit in the middle of the night. A newcomer had come to take the throne. The identity of the newcomer remains a mystery to this day."

The glass in his window shattered when a stray arrow shot through, spraying the bed and floor with the clear shards. The arrow sunk into the wood of the North wall, red feathers settled down once it stopped shaking. Cole yelped, grabbed the book and his stuffed dragon that rested on his pillow, and hid underneath the bed. He could hear the screams, the swords clashing, the shouts of orders now that the window was open.

"They're breaking through!"

"Hold the line!"

The guards outside of his room started yelling and swearing, metal scraping against one another, thumping of bodies hitting the floor. Cole started to cry, he curled deeper underneath the bed as the Mice grew closer. He jumped as the door started shaking, they were banging on the oak, scratching to get inside.

"The boy is in here!" one growled. "I can smell him!"

The door started to groan and whine against the strain, spider-webbed cracks appeared on the inside of the door. Cole covered his mouth with his hand, growing paler as the scratching and ramming grew louder and more desperate.

Someone help me, he whimpered silently.

A hole appeared in the center of the door, about the size of his forearm. One of the mice looked through it, it's black, soulless eyes scanned the Prince's bedroom, as it sniffed loudly.

"The boy's scent is strong, the fear is intoxicating!" It said, licking its lips. It reached its arm through the hole, it's nails scratched against the wood as it searched for the doorknob.

It's locked, Cole thought. They can't get through. He didn't know to be relieved to frightened, he decided to stay frightened.

The mouse's paw finally found the gold doorknob, gripped it tightly, and tried to turn it. He tried again but it wouldn't budge. "It's locked!"

"Well, then break down the door!"

Suddenly a loud screech filled the air, quickly followed by another. Cole felt nauseous, he stared in horror at the disembodied arm hanging limply from the doorknob, scarlet blood dripped onto the wooden floor. Through the hole, he could see the flash of metal, a sword, being swung through the air, connecting with one of the mice's throats. With a sickening thud, the mouse fell to the floor, joining its partner.

A familiar face appeared in the door's hole, blood covered his face in splotches. "Cole? Cole, are you alright?"

"Jay!" Cole scrambled out from under his bed, rushing to the door.

"Were those the only two mice? Did you see any others?" His friend asked, glancing down the hallway and into the room.

"I think so? I don't know! What's happening?!" He cried.

"We're getting things under control, Morro took out the general and that's when things started to fall apart for the Mice. A couple had made their way inside the castle and I, along with a few other soldiers, were sent in to get them," Jay explained.

Cole could hear through the broken window that one of the mice was shouting for the army to retreat. The Prince turned back and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a little...shocked. It wasn’t a pretty sight." Jay tried to open the door, only to find that it was still locked. "I'll go find Morro or your father to get you out, I'll be right back!" The young boy rushed down the hallway, his footsteps echoed quietly until they faded away.

The Prince was left alone with bodies outside his bedroom and an arm holding onto his doorknob. He felt sick, he felt dizzy. Oh no, he was going to throw up. He rushed over to his small trashcan, fell to his knees, and threw up. Tears streamed down as he gasped for air, his arms trembled weakly as whatever was left in his stomach was now in the trashcan.

"Oh goodness," he murmured, resting his head on his forearm. After a few minutes, he finally regained his breath as his stomach settled down.

"Cole!" Morro's voice called out from the hallway.

The Prince slowly stood up, leaning against the wall as Morro and Jay reappeared. The King's second-in-command looked horrified at the carnage to the door and the bodies that lay outside. "I'm still in here," he said weakly, still a tinge green.

The door was quickly unlocked, Jay rushed inside and hugged his best friend. "I'm glad you're still okay."

"I'm glad you're okay, too," Cole replied, resting his head on the smaller boy's shoulder.

"I'll get the woodcarver to make you a new door," Morro said, silently removing the arm from the knob. "For now, you'll have to sleep in one of the spare rooms."

Cole nodded and closed his eyes as he hugged Jay tighter.

He heard Morro mumble as he walked away, "They almost captured the Prince. That was too close of a call."

Chapter Text

A few years passed after the mice attack on the castle, and although security had been upgraded, there were still rumors of mice in neighboring areas. The King and the Prince remained on edge for a few months, until they received news that most of the Mice had retreated to their kingdom. Cole's father made the decree that Ninjago was temporarily free from them, but little did they know that things would change for the worse faster than the blink of an eye.

***

"The King! The King!"

Fourteen-year-old Cole grumbled and covered his head with his pillow, what were the servants crying about now? Was his father having another night-terror?

"The King! The King!"

Please, shut up! he mentally grumbled, pressing down on the pillow. It's too early for this!

He knew that there was no use in trying to fall back asleep, but he didn't care. He didn't hear the rooster crow and his maid hasn’t come in to fetch him yet, so he figured he didn't have to get out of his warm bed. Cole started to relax once again, slowly slipping into darkness until--BANG BANG BANG!!! He jumped up as his heart shot out of his chest, his pillow flew off and disappeared over the side of the bed.

His maid, an older woman with graying hair, burst into the room, tears streaming down her aged face. "Sire! The King! The King!" she wailed, falling to her knees at the side of his bed. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

Cole blinked a few times before speaking, "Marie, please, tell me what happened." He rubbed his eyes as he waited for her to catch her breath.

"The King is dead!" she howled, wailing her sorrows.

The Prince's heart stopped, it couldn't be true. It couldn't be! He just saw his father last night, looking as healthy as an ox! He scrambled out of bed, his bare feet cold against the wooden floors as he sprinted through the crowded halls.

Wails and keening echoed through the air as maids and servants grieved, soldiers marched through and around the people, their swords and spears glinted in the light of the dawn sun. Cole couldn’t hear any of the noise; not the metal armor nor the wails nor the thundering footsteps around him, he could only hear his heavy breathing and heartbeat pounding in his ears.

Cole skidded around the corner of the hallway that led to his father's bedroom, finding it even more crowded with soldiers lining the walls like tapestries. He silently approached the open doorway, feeling the sorrowful eyes of the soldiers on him. He could practically hear their thoughts: the poor prince, the poor prince, orphaned at fourteen, what will happen to him? His mouth felt dry as he tried to swallow, his body gently shook as one of the soldiers stepped up to him, he recognized the blue eyes underneath the metal helmet.

"Cole, you shouldn't be here," Jay murmured, pressing a hand against the taller boy's chest.

"I need to know," he whispered, not trusting his voice. Even with the whisper, it still cracked and gave out. The Prince stepped closer to the door, Jay pressed his hand harder to stop him.

"Please Cole, trust me, you don't want to see it," he pleaded.

Only a few feet away from the bedroom, the Prince collapsed to his knees, feeling completely numb at the realization. "So, it's true?" He whispered, tears streaking down his face. "He's really dead?"

Jay sat down beside him, he removed his helmet and set it down beside him. He nodded solemnly, "I'm afraid so. Maria was the one to find him."

Cole felt cold. He felt empty. He felt as if his world was crumbling around him. What was he going to do? His father was dead, the king was dead, he wasn’t ready. He started to breathe rapidly, trembling heavily as his body was wracked with sobs, his wails joined those of the maids and servants.

Jay held his friend against his chest, rubbing his back in soft circles. He remained silent, unable to say anything that could help ease his pain. I'm sorry, Cole, he thought, his heart aching. I'm so sorry.

Heavy footsteps walked out of the room, closing the door with a soft click. After a moment, a voice said, "Prince Cole?"

He looked up and wiped his eyes on his shirt sleeve, blinking a few times until his vision refocused. "M-Morro?"

Morro, now thirty-two, stood in front of the teens with a saddened gaze. In his right hand was the golden scepter, in his left was the crown. His black hair was slightly unkempt, his black nightshirt was wrinkled, but he didn’t care. "If you are able, I must talk to you in private," he said.

The Prince nodded and wiped at his face once again, standing up slowly. Jay reached up and squeezed his hand, giving him a comforting smile. Cole shakily followed Morro down the hall, he caught a quick glance inside the bedroom and saw a white sheet covering his father's bed. He sped up and stayed a few feet behind him, hanging his head in sorrow and grief.

They arrived at one of the offices and waiting for them was a man in his later years. He had graying hair, pasty-white skin, and thin lips in a sad frown. He was wearing a messy black suit and gray shoes.

"Cole, this is Chief Donovan. He's here to be a witness and to help you make that important decision," Morro explained.

"My deepest condolences, my Prince," Chief Donovan said, bowing low. "I am terribly sorry to hear about your father, but I came as fast as I could. There is a lot of preparation that must be done, not only for the funeral but for the new coronation. I must know, though. Are you prepared to be crowned?"

Cole froze. Was he? Things were moving too fast. He couldn't think, he couldn't feel. He felt numb, dizzy, was the room spinning? He stumbled back a few feet, only to be caught by Morro.

"Do you need to sit down?" he asked, concerned. He led him over to the chair at the pine desk, helping him sit.

The Chief gave him a glass of water, which he downed within a few seconds. "My Prince? Are you alright?"

"Just overwhelmed," Cole replied as he rested his head in his hand. "I need a few minutes."

"I just need a yes or no," Chief Donovan said. "Are you ready to take the throne?"

Cole shook his head, "No. I can't be king."

"Who shall take your place until your eighteenth birthday?"

"Morro Kaze," he said, staring at the desk blankly. "He's prepared, he knows what to do. He's ready."

"Understood, I shall start preparations at once." Chief Donovan bowed to Morro and Cole once more, then left the room in silence.

Morro started to leave the room as well, only to freeze when Cole called his name. He turned and asked, "Yes, my Prince?"

"How... how did my father..." His voice faltered.

"We think it was an assassin," Morro said. "His throat, well, it had been cut during the night."

Cole's eyes widened, he murmured almost silently, "The Mouse King. It was the Mouse King."

"Pardon?"

"A few years ago, during that attack, I read about the Mouse King. He killed the previous one by, uh, doing that," he said, still staring at the desk. "I think he did this."

"We can't be sure," Morro replied. "If we accuse the mice of this, it could start an all-out war. We have no proof." The two fell silent once again, the weight of the morning suffocated them. "I am terribly sorry, my Prince. I truly am." He left and closed the door behind him.

Cole didn’t move for the rest of the day.

Chapter Text

Cole stared at his reflection as he was dressed in a black tux; dark circles had appeared under his eyes, his hair was neatly combed, and his eyes were still tinged red from grieving. He didn’t want to leave his bedroom, he didn't want to go on the funeral procession, he didn't think he could handle it. It was only a few days after his father had been...

He took in a shaky breath, don't cry. Don't cry, Cole. Be strong for the people. Be strong for Ninjago. Maria approached him and tucked two red roses into his pocket, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

"Be strong, my boy. Don't be afraid to grieve, it's okay to cry. The people will feel better when they see your emotions," she said. "You should go, Morro is waiting."

Cole nodded and thanked her, glancing at his reflection one last time before stepping out into the hallway. The soldiers lining the walls bowed their heads, silently, as the Prince walked past with his head held high.

He felt like he was in a dream, in a daze. Was this real? It didn't feel real. He wanted his father to be in his office, working on diplomatic issues through the night and into the early morning. His weary smile would've made everything better. His aged eyes with a joyful gleam would've made Cole feel better. His warm hands, his cologne smelling of peppermint, anything would've been nice. Each thought made him feel worse. Why did his father have to die? Why would someone do that?

Cole, on his way to the main entrance where the procession was gearing up, froze in front of the gallery of past rulers. Portraits ranging from hundreds of years ago, generations long past, to his family, hung on the walls. His father had told him stories of his ancestors ruling Ninjago for lifetimes; some ruled with iron fists, others with kindness and compassion, most in-between.

The last two sprung fresh tears to his hazel-green eyes; a painting of his father and his mother, and a painting of his father and him. Her long, ebony hair was tied back in a loose bun, several curls had escaped and hung by her neck, her green eyes shimmered with joy as her ruby-red lips were parted in a bright smile. Her pastel green dress hung from her shoulders, revealing freckles on her dark shoulders. His father was wearing a red and black shirt with black pants, his lighter skin was stress-free, and his brown eyes were most joyful. His father and mother held hands and were radiant, he had to assume this was painted a few years before Cole was born.

The second painting had been painted six years ago when Cole was about eight. His father and he were standing side by side, Cole was in his mother's place. His father looked weary, the joy and light in his eyes were nearly gone. He didn’t remember that day very well, the only remembered that the painting took forever, and he was incredibly antsy.

He was shocked out of his memories when a few maids approached with ladders and black cloth. He watched as they climbed the ladders and covered the paintings with the black cloth, hiding his parents and his younger self from view. One of the maids looked at him and said, "Sire? You should head outside, everyone is waiting for you."

Cole nodded and ran to the entrance of the castle, he stepped outside and found everyone murmuring and waiting. Within the gate, there were at least twenty black stallions with knights and soldiers sitting tall, two black stallions waiting for their riders, and a black carriage with his father inside. He could see Jay on one of the stallions, he was one of the smaller soldiers due to his age.

Morro approached him and asked if he was ready to go. His black hair had been tied back in a loose ponytail, he wore a black suit with a green tie and white shirt. The Prince nodded solemnly. They climbed onto their stallions as the gates opened with loud creaks. Outside of the gate were hundreds of soldiers, waiting in their lines, as the carriage rolled out.

"The cemetery is past the town by a few miles," Morro explained. "Just remain quiet and keep your eyes forward. If anything happens, the soldiers will escort you back to the castle."

Cole nodded silently as they marched out, the sounds of the horses was the only thing in the air. The wheels of the carriage creaked and squeaked every couple of minutes, causing him to jump every time. He longed to be back at the castle, away from the black carriage. To be back in his bedroom, lost in the worlds of his books, sinking deeper and deeper into the inked words, to be anywhere but on this horse.

He could feel Jay glancing at him every so often, his worried blue eyes stared at his glassy hazel-green. He wanted to snap at him, stop staring at me! But he couldn't. He couldn’t do that to his friend. He didn't have the energy or the voice. Please stop staring.

Cole glanced over at Morro; he hadn't donned the crown yet, and the golden scepter remained at the castle. He wouldn't receive either until the Coronation in a few days. Morro was staring ahead with his head held high, back stiff, and hands were still. He looked like a pale statue, strong in the face of devastation. He wished he could be that strong, that impassive.

Morro looked back at him, "We are approaching the village, remember to remain quiet and look ahead. Don't look at the people, no matter what they say or do."

The Prince nodded and stared forward, feeling trapped in the sea of soldiers. The metal armor gleamed and blinded in the sunlight, clanking with each step. They entered on the main road, both sides filled to the brim with mourning villagers. Men and women wailed and sobbed as the carriage rolled past, children threw flowers onto the road in front of the soldiers, only to be trampled by the stallions.

The wails echoed in Cole's head; he desperately wanted to cover his ears and turn his horse around, to gallop back to the castle. The smell of the trampled roses was suffocating, the sorrow was choking him. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see the villagers consoling each other, some reached their hands out to him.

"Prince! Prince!" they wailed. "Please, Prince!"

He couldn't take it anymore. He started to cry. He covered his face as his sobs joined those of the people. Please stop, please leave me alone. Please. His body was wracked with each sob and gasp, he couldn't see anything through his tears. He couldn't control his horse, he could barely control himself. Go back to the castle. Get out of here. Run. Run! He reached out to grab the fallen reins, only to realize that Jay was guiding his horse, giving him a soft, respectful smile.

"It's okay, Cole," he said, his voice seemed to silence the wails around him. "I've got you. I won't let you fall."

The Prince gave a watery smile and wiped his eyes on his black sleeve. The villagers around him continued to wail and keen, reaching their hands out as the carriage left the town. Cole couldn't look back at the town as their cries faded away, falling silent with the breeze. That was horrible, he thought. Can this day be over soon?

The caravan approached the cemetery where past rulers and citizens now lay. The cemetery was several acres of grass, trees, and evergreens; the tombstones were ashen gray with moss crawling up the sides, some of the stones were knocked over or so weathered that the names were gone. Cole had never been here before, he hadn't known anyone who had passed before his father.

The soldiers lined the road to the graveyard, Jay had to stay behind to be in his spot, but he gave him one last smile before letting go. Cole and Morro rode up to the open grave before dismounting off of their stallions. Six soldiers stepped forward, each of the highest ranks, to remove the coffin. The black wood gleamed in the warm sunlight as it was laid next to the open earth, on the top was a carved golden crown.

Cole glanced to his left where his mother lay; Christine May Brookstone: 1814-1838, Beloved Mother, Daughter, and Queen to Ninjago. May she be with the Angels forever. He removed one of the roses from his pocket and placed it on the base of the headstone.

The Priest from the nearby church started to read the rites of the dead, praying for the safety of the King and Queen as they are reunited. He prayed for the King to find peace and joy, and to watch over his son. The Priest turned to Cole and Morro, asking if they wanted to say anything before the ceremony would finish.

Cole shook his head, he didn't trust his voice. Morro stepped forward and leaned down until he was barely above the golden crown, he whispered something that the Prince couldn't decipher. Once he was done, he stepped back beside the Prince and nodded, allowing the ceremony to continue.

The King was lowered into the darkness below as the Priest continued to pray for his soul. Cole looked away as the earth was pushed back into place, he didn't want to see it. The smell of the fresh earth was intoxicating, he felt like he was choking on it. Everything was too much; the sun was too bright, the breeze was too strong, the smell was too much, the sounds of the shovel grated on his nerves. He wanted to leave, but he knew he couldn't without dishonoring himself and his parents.

After what felt like an eternity, the earth was packed into place. The Priest finished his prayers and blessed Cole and Morro, telling them that he prayed for their safety. The two thanked him and allowed him to return to his church. The Prince removed the last rose from his pocket and laid it on the fresh headstone; Lou Franklin Brookstone: 1816-1852, Beloved Father, Son, and King to Ninjago. May he be reunited with his Queen once again.

Chapter Text

Cole stood in front of his throne as the Coronation began, he wanted to cover his ears as the trumpets on the other side of the room blared their triumphant tune. It was too loud. Beside him was his father's empty throne, decorated with black roses. The Priest from the cemetery stood on the opposite side. The audience filled the Grand Hall, filling the air with a suffocating atmosphere. The murmurs silenced as the sea of multicolored garments and gowns shifted to the entrance. The doors opened with a loud groan, revealing Morro in a black and green royal suit. His black hair was loose, hanging and swaying softly with each step down the aisle.

Morro had an aura of confidence about him, his grin was blinding to everyone. The day that he had been dreaming of for the last nine years had finally arrived; he was going to be King. He, Morro Kaze, would be the ruler of Ninjago! He had to control himself, he couldn't get too excited; after all, the people were still mourning their late ruler. He took in a deep breath and turned his expression to neutral, he had to remain professional.

Morro approached the throne, bowed to Cole and the Priest, and knelt in front of the throne. The Priest approached with the crown and Golden Scepter, he looked down and said, "Morro Kaze; next in line for the throne. Do you promise to give your life to Ninjago?"

"I do," he said.

"Do you promise to give everything to Ninjago?"

"I do."

"Do you promise to put the lives of the citizens in front of yours?"

"I do."

"Do you promise to put the welfare and future of Ninjago in every decision you make?"

"I do."

The Priest looked at the audience and called out, "Do you, citizens of Ninjago, accept Morro Kaze as your next King?"

The audience called back, "We do!"

The Priest turned to Cole and asked softly, "Will you, Prince Cole Brookstone, allow Morro Kaze to rule in your place until either your eighteenth birthday or when you feel the time is right?"

Cole whispered, "I do."

The Priest nodded and turned back to Morro, who lifted his head up. The golden crown was placed on his head, then the scepter was tapped on each of his shoulders. "In the hearts of the citizens, the legacies of the past kings and queens, and with our blessings, I crown our new King! Here, in the grace and presence of our eyes and hearts, is King Morro Kaze of Ninjago!" Morro stood tall and faced the crowd as the Priest handed him the scepter; he held the scepter up and into a ray of sunlight, the ruby glinted and gleamed as the audience cheered and praised them.

"Long live the King!"

"Long live the King!"

"Long live the King!"

***

Life at the castle resumed near normality, quiet but it felt as if something was missing. Cole resumed his lessons with Darreth and Seliel, continuing with etiquette and literature, math, and science. Darreth gave him a quick mention of condolences before resuming balance and posture, the Prince had to admit it was nice to focus on that and to not have a sorrowful gaze constantly on him. He was getting better at balancing and keeping his back straight, only dropping the book on his head about three times instead of the usual five or six.

With Seliel, she was very comforting and soft-worded. She asked him if he wanted to talk about anything or if he just wanted to start the lesson. He said that he just wanted to read. Seliel gave a courteous nod and pulled out their latest book, flipping to the chapter that they left off on.

Cole found out that he had a new "lesson" that he needed to attend every few days or so when Morro had to meet with leaders of the villages or to make decisions on laws. He sat down at a large table in one of the meeting rooms of the castle, along with Morro at the head of the table, several leaders of the villages, and Major Rowen and Captain Walker. He tried to listen but would eventually start to doodle on the paper in front of him, no matter the topic.

A few months passed before things started to change; Cole was walking through the hallway with his nose in a book when he bumped into something large and furry, he stumbled back a few feet as he and his book fell to the floor with a loud thud. The Prince looked up, realized what he ran into, and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"MOUSE!!!"

As his scream echoed down the hallway, two soldiers sprinted down the hallway with their swords drawn. They positioned themselves in front of Cole and stood defensively.

Morro rushed out of the nearby room in a panic, his eyes wide in surprise. "Cole! Cole, it's okay! I invited him here!" He turned to the soldiers and commanded them to stand down. "Prince Cole, this is Remington. He is a diplomat for the Mouse Kingdom, I asked him to come to try for a peace treaty."

"W-What?" Cole asked, staring at the towering mouse glowering at him.

"We are trying to discuss a peace treaty between our two nations, at this moment we have no ill will."

"B-But..."

"We will be fine," Morro said, holding the door open for Remington. The Mouse entered without a second thought, Cole blinked in confusion as Morro closed the door behind him.

Peace? With the Mice?! After what they've done? The Prince couldn't wrap his mind around it. He sat on the ground for another few minutes, trying to understand the Mice agreeing to not only enter enemy territory but to possibly discuss peace. The wooden floor, after a while, started to hurt his back. He climbed to his feet and picked up his book, glanced back at the door one last time before continuing his walk.

Cole later learned that Morro and Remington had come to an "agreement" of sorts, but what the details were remained unknown to him for several more weeks until he noticed something off about the soldiers posted around the castle.

"Morro?" he asked, one night at dinner.

Morro looked up from one of his documents that lay next to his plate, after wiping his mouth, he replied, "Is something wrong?"

Cole stared down at the half-eaten mashed potatoes and corn, slowly losing his appetite. He quietly asked, "Why are there Mice around the castle?"

"Well, it's a part of the deal I made with the Mouse Kingdom. We agreed to send soldiers from each other's sides to understand and learn from one another."

Cole didn't like that answer, it didn't make sense. Why would someone send soldiers to an enemy land to protect them? Wouldn't they worry about treason or attempted assassinations? Cole felt cold at that thought. He didn't want to end up like his father, killed at the hands- err, paws, of a mouse assassin. He was about to speak up about his fears, but Morro had returned his focus to the document and his dinner.

The next day, he found Jay in the training yard. Desperately, he asked Jay to train him to fight, to defend himself. The Private scratched his head and asked what the need was for. Cole confessed that he felt unsafe with the Mice "guarding" the castle and its inhabitants and that he wanted to protect himself if needed. "Will you train me?"

Jay gave the brightest grin Cole had seen in the last few years, "Absolutely! Let's get started!" He glanced over at a barrel of swords and jogged over he pulled out a few different blades, thought about them, shook his head until he found one that he liked. He handed the sword, handle first, to the Prince and said, "We'll start with defensive stances."

The day flew by, quicker than Cole realized, as the sun started to set behind the castle walls. He wiped the buckets of sweat off of his brow as he gasped for air. He felt a little dizzy, was the world spinning around him? He's going to collapse-

A steady hand was placed on his shoulder as a glass of water was held out to him. "Here, drink. You look like you're gonna pass out," Jay said with a soft chuckle.

Cole wheezed out a thank you and downed the glass, panting heavily as he rested his hands on his knees. He didn't realize that defending and practicing took such a heavy toll on his body. How could Jay do this on a daily basis? He was a madman!

"Shall we continue this tomorrow?" his friend asked with a joyful grin. "The pain goes away, I promise. You just need to build up endurance." Jay remembered his early days of training; nearly passing out on the grassy training yard, drinking too much water only to vomit it a few minutes later, the endless aching of his muscles, the sunburns, waking up at dawn every single morning. Ah, the memories. He laughed at Cole's wide eyes and hung head.

"Ugh, fine," he finally said, his shoulders drooped in defeat. This was his decision, he needed to stick with it. Cole stood straight, only for a few seconds though. His knees trembled and gave out, he collapsed forward and faceplanted onto the grass. He groaned, "Just leave me here to die."

Jay cackled, his body trembled with the force of an earthquake as he collapsed onto the grass beside him. He couldn't breathe; the royal prince, the future of Ninjago, was lying face first on the grass, mumbling and grumbling about his body dying.

"Well I'm glad someone's enjoying this," he grumbled, turning his head to the side. His hazel-green eyes glared playfully at his friend. "How did you survive this every day?"

"Endurance," Jay replied after his laughter died, holding onto his aching stomach. "What to know a little secret? That wasn't even the hardest training. I taught you the easiest lessons today."

Cole started to playfully cry; a mix of laughter, sobs, and defeated grunts erupted from him as he buried his face back in the dirt. "I'm not going to make it, Jay. You will surpass me. The strong will survive."

"You'll get it eventually," Jay chuckled. "I've been practicing for the last nine years, you just started five hours ago. You'll get it soon enough." He stood up and held his hand out to the taller teen, which he gladly accepted. The two walked into the castle to fetch some dinner before it got cold, unaware of the eyes watching them from the shadows.

Chapter Text

"Is it me, or has Ninjago started to change for the worse?"  

Jay leaned against the balcony and stared out at the rolling hills and distant mountains to the East and the Sea of Storms extending to the horizon in the Northeast. The boiling waves continued to crash against the shoreline, even on the sunniest of days. "What do you mean?" 

Cole hummed as his hazel-green eyes scanned the faraway land, "I feel a strange sense of forlorn and gloom approaching. The emerald grass is fading, the sky is darkening, and a storm is brewing. Something is wrong with our home, but I can't find the source." 

"How long have you felt this?" 

"For the last year or so," he replied. "Ever since the mice had been 'introduced' to our castle and villages, things have been getting worse for the citizens. Usually, we would have a family or two, every week or so, come to the castle asking for food or loans for aid, and my father would help them. Since Morro took over, I have seen five or six families coming more and more frequently, each time looking ragged and sick. 

"They claim that the mice have been ransacking their villages, their homes, abusing them and stealing from them, all in the name of the King. Morro just waves them off and sends them away without any aid.” Cole's face darkened, "Speaking of which, Morro has been changing too. I think the scepter is hurting him. He's becoming agitated, angrier, even his appearance has become ragged."  

The Prince thought about Morro; his pale skin had a strange greenish tint to it now, his green eyes were bloodshot, and his pupils were constantly dilated, his once primly nails were now black and were coming to points, almost like claws, he had noted. Even his teeth were starting to sharpen. He remembered his father once telling him that the golden scepter affected the user by revealing their internal truths, but Morro couldn't be evil. Right? 

"What are you going to do?"  

"I've tried talking to him, but he always shuts me out. I'm worried; not only for him but for all of Ninjago. If things continue the way they are now, we could be in ruins within the next few years." 

Jay turned to him with a small smile, "Since when did you become all wise and shit?” 

The fifteen, nearly sixteen-year-old, Prince laughed, "Let's just say I've been reading my father's old works recently. He was wiser beyond his years, I was hoping he would've left a tip or something that could help me understand our current situation. Sadly, I haven’t found anything yet, but I won’t give up searching.”

***

Cole was frustrated. There were more mice than human soldiers in the castle, and the familiar faces that he had grown up with had disappeared. He tried to ask Morro about their whereabouts but he refused to answer, changed the subject, or blatantly ignored him. More families continued to journey to his home, begging for peace, food, and shelter, and he was helpless to do anything.

Cole paced around his bedroom, mumbling, and grumbling to himself. “Morro isn’t helping Ninjago, he’s hurting it. He’s not helping the people, he’s ruining them. He’s shutting them out, starving them, and abusing the power of the scepter. I have to do something, but what?”

Overthrow the King. He’s not fit to rule anymore.

But how? It’s not like he could walk up and say, ‘You’re not King anymore.’

Or could he?

He had an idea. Rushing through the hallways, he made his way to the library and started to scan the numerous shelves. Where was it? Where was it? Ah! Here it is! The Prince removed a book on the rules of a King, his father had recommended it to him years ago, but he had long forgotten about it until now. He flipped through the pages, mumbling incoherently until he found his desired page:

“If a present-serving King has become unfit to rule; such as by mental instability, destitution of the nation, suspicion of treachery, or by the voice of the citizens, the next in line of the throne may lay claim to the throne with the vote of the people and a council of elders. The vote must be a two-thirds pro from the council of three elders, those of whom were the generals, majors, and captains to the past King. The vote of the leaders of the villages must be a three-fifths pro. Without both votes, the rule of the possibly unstable king will remain intact.

”Another option would be through force. If the next-in-line to the throne is unable to gain the vote of the council and leaders, he or she may challenge the King to a duel. The duel may be until defeat or death. Each dueler must wield one sword, made by the royal blacksmith with an identical material, metal mined from the South. The duel would take place at noon of the next day, in the courtyard of the castle. Each dueler will have a second to watch from the sidelines, as to make certain that the duel is fair.”

There wouldn’t be enough time to assemble a council, he had to act now. He had to duel Morro for the crown. To save his people. To save Ninjago. Tucking the book against his chest, he held his head high and stormed down to the throne room where he knew Morro would be waiting. Storms of butterflies fluttered angrily in his stomach. Cole felt sick. Nerves were eating him alive. He was going to challenge the King for the crown, something he didn’t even want in the first place! He had to do this, though. He could either sit back and watch his home suffer, or he could do something about it. He couldn’t rest on his laurels.

He approached the throne and kept his eyes trained on the King, clenching his fists as he stepped up to the golden throne. Morro watched him with curious black eyes, resting his head on his fist.

“What is the little Prince up to, today?” he asked with a minuscule smirk.

Cole took in a deep breath, softly stuttering, “A-As explained in the R-Rules of the King, I believe that you, Morro Kaze, have become unstable and unfit to l-lead. I believe that the power of the golden s-scepter has corrupted you, and so I say that you should step down from the throne.”

Morro lazily blinked, twirling the scepter around on his other hand, “And what are you going to do about it?”

“I c-challenge you to a duel! Tomorrow at noon!”

Morro sat up straight, “How interesting.” He stood up and smoothed out his robes. As he did, he said, “I understand. Will you follow me, then? We must be fitted with the right swords, that way we won’t have any advantages, hm?”

He stepped down and started to walk down one of the hallways, Cole jogged after him. He couldn’t believe that he was willing, that he understood his side, that he wanted to make it a fair fight. As they walked down the hallway, they passed two mice standing guard on each side, they followed behind them at a close distance. They approached the weapons bay as their footsteps echoed on the wooden floor, but then they passed it. Morro just kept walking. Where was he going?

After a minute, Cole realized, in a panic, that they were heading towards the dungeon. He immediately stopped walking, only to have his arms restrained by the mice behind him. He started to kick and flail as they lifted his body off of the ground effortlessly. He had voluntarily walked right into a trap.

Cole was carried down the stone spiral staircase and into one of the dungeons, past the iron-gated door. Morro stood, facing away from him, as he was forced to his knees on the dirt ground. The cell was small, about fifteen feet long and ten feet wide, the walls were made of different shades of red bricks, and on the back wall was a single window, barred. The Prince was frightened, was he going to become a prisoner in his own castle? What was going to happen to him?

“Do not worry, Prince Cole,” Morro said, still facing away from him. He looked down at the golden scepter, stared at his reflection in the ruby, and said, “I have a way to deal with you. If I kept you down here, someone would find you and my secret would be revealed. I have always wanted to use the scepter on a human, but haven’t had the change before, but now I have my own personal guinea pig.”

He spun on his heels and grinned from ear to ear, revealing his fang-like ivory teeth. He held the scepter at Cole’s chest and, as the ruby glowed like an ember, said, “A Prince no more, my time has come; a toy you are, till life undone!”

A beam of red light shot out from the ruby and struck Cole’s chest; his body started to convulse within the mice’s grasp as every fiber of his being was in insurmountable amounts of pain, an ear-shattering scream erupted from his lips as it echoed out of the dungeon. Something was happening to his body, it felt as if everything was stiffening. His hair, his arms, his legs, everything felt as if it was becoming… rigid. Stiffer. Even his teeth and mouth felt wrong. Everything felt wrong! He shrieked again as his body started to grow and shift; his joints started to harden, his chest grew larger as his waist shrank, even his head felt larger. His jaw felt as if it was extending larger than normal, his vision started to become blurry. His crown felt heavier and larger, did that change too? What happened to him?! Finally, the pain subsided, had he already become accustomed to it, as his body collapsed forward and hung limply.

Morro growled and snapped, “No, no, no! Why is he still alive?! He’s supposed to be a toy!”

Cole felt sick, but he knew he had to get out, otherwise, Morro would experiment on him again. Or worse, he would just kill him right here! He had to act fast. In the blink of an eye, he used his now longer and lankier legs to thrust himself into the air in a front flip. He remembered what Jay had taught him about offense and threw two uppercuts into the mice’s shellshocked faces, causing them to stumble backward in pain.

Cole sprinted up the stone staircase as Morro screamed for him to be stopped, he stumbled on his wobbly legs as he bumped into the edges of the hall. He slipped into the weapons bay, snatched a sword, just a random one, and continued through the castle as the orders for his capture chased him. He had to escape, he had to disappear, but where to go? And what about Jay? He couldn’t think about him now, he had to think about his own safety. He skidded into the Grand Hall and in full view of the mice standing guard.

Cole charged out of the front doors and sprinted to the nearby stables as the mice chased after him. He had to get to his horse, it would be the fastest way to escape, otherwise, he’d be captured within a quarter mile of the gate. He scrambled onto his beloved horse’s back, refusing to look at his body. He didn’t dare think about what Morro had done to him, it would just make him ill. He kicked his horse into a full gallop and barreled through the mice, knocking them to the ground with a triumphant call.

Where to go? Where to hide? Cole struggled to think of a safe hiding spot, nowhere felt safe. Morro could find him anywhere! He galloped through the village, past the villagers as they cried out in shock. Who was that? Why was he in such a hurry? Past the village was a dense forest, he could find temporary refuge within the evergreens, towering trees, and bushes. He glanced over his shoulder and saw an army of mice pouring out of the castle gates, Morro really wanted him captured or dead.

Branches thwapped, smacked, and struck his face as he plowed through them desperately. Deep within the forest, he splashed through a creek and into an incredibly dense thicket of bushes. He climbed off of his horse, petted her snout one last time, and sent her on her way. He had to go alone, she would only be a massive link to his identity. She whinnied and darted away, leaving him by himself. His heart ached at the loss of his prized pet, but he had to remain silent.

He ducked down and hid within the cluster of bushes, removing what used to be his crown. Now it was a royal blue military hat with a golden star in the center and gold trim on the outside and lid. What was he? What had he become?

He could hear the mice approaching; their thundering footsteps splashed through the creek nearby, their chattering and clanging of swords against their legs. He held his breath as they rumbled past, please don’t find him. Please don’t find him!

One of the mice, near the front of the army, called out, “There’s his horse! Get it!”

He remained deathly silent and still, waiting several minutes after they had disappeared. He had to make sure that they were gone before crawling out from between the thicket, his eyes scanned the area around him as he stood up. He realized that he was still holding his breath and let loose a soft sigh. He needed to find shelter, hopefully somewhere where he can find out what he looked like.

Cole snuck his way through the endless trees, roots, bushes, and patches of wildflowers, avoiding the path as much as he could. He wished he knew where he was going, but he figured that he needed to stay away from the villages as long as he could, at least until the search for him had died down. But where to go? As he continued to walk, he realized that the sun had started to set but yet he didn’t feel any exhaustion or pangs of hunger, he guessed that was positive in his situation.

With no one to talk to, as he continued on his journey, he became lost in his thoughts. He shouldn’t have challenged Morro, he shouldn’t have given up the throne. He should’ve just stepped up and accepted his position, instead of cowering away from his destiny. Now, Morro had complete control of Ninjago and he was stuck as, what had he said, a toy? Was he a toy? Who would help a toy, especially a toy of the now missing Prince? He should’ve realized that it was a trap, he knew that it was strange that he was willingly accepting the duel for the crown, why had he been so naive? So stupid! Now all of Ninjago was going to suffer because of his carelessness!

He heard several mice a short distance in front of him, he skidded and silently rushed back the way he came, except a little bit to the left. Cole realized that, as he ran, he seemed to have unlimited endurance but his new body was clunky and slower than what it used to be. What was he?! Eventually, he found the creek once again and continued through the forest. He knew that the forest extended past the mountain-like hillside where the castle rested and continued to about two miles away from the Sea of Storms to the North. There were fairies that lived up there, they might be able to help! He sighed; it would take most of the night, probably into the morning, but it was a journey that he had to make.

Chapter Text

By mid-morning, Cole was only a few miles away from the Apple Blossom Valley. He had regained control of his body but still refused to look at his hands, legs, or anything else. He had to stay positive, he had to find help. Outside of the valley, a bubbling blue creek wound its way through the grassy hillside on its quiet journey to the Sea of Storms. Although he had no urge to drink, he decided it was finally time to look at himself. He had to admit that he was a bit frightened. What would he see? Cole knelt down on the bank, closed his eyes with a deep breath, leaned over the water, faced downwards, and opened his eyes.

He screamed.

His black hair had turned stark white, flat and smooth, with thin pastel blue lines running from the part to the rounded tips at the base of his neck. His hazel-green eyes appeared to be painted now, his eyelids were seemingly made of wood. He now had a small black mustache and short white goatee at the base of his chin. His mouth had two thin lines on each side that curled underneath his chin and met together behind the goatee. He now wore a blue military cap instead of a golden crown, and his body had changed as well. His red outfit, with gold trim over the chest, was now his chest, which had grown and rounded out. The decorative gold pauldrons were now his shoulders, rounded with rings from being cut from a tree. His upper arms were thin and painted red, while his lower arms, connected by thin joints, were slightly thicker and rounder. The ends were painted white, similar to that of cuffs. His hands were painted white and his fingers were now molded together and rounded, only bending at two joints instead of three. His waist was thin but his hips were rounder, with red and gold coat tails trailing behind him. His legs were painted red, with similar joints as his elbows, but his shins and feet were painted black with a thin gold trim.

Cole had been turned into a nutcracker.

He scrambled backward, away from his cursed reflection. This couldn’t be happening, this couldn’t be true! He was a nutcracker! He couldn’t believe it; Morro cursed him into a wooden decoration meant to open walnuts. How was he going to save Ninjago in this horrid body? The former Prince held his, sadly larger, head in his hands. His heart ached as he started to dry sob. No tears. There were no tears. He couldn’t cry. He couldn’t even grieve for his human form. He couldn’t eat, he couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t feel, and he couldn’t cry.

Cole slammed his fist onto the earth; he had to stop feeling sorry for himself, he had to push past this. Stop whining, he scolded himself. He may be a nutcracker, but at least he’s still alive. He slowly climbed to his feet, brushed himself off, and stomped through the creek, shattering his reflection within the ripples. He marched through the rolling hills, under the shade of the clouds, until he arrived at the valley.

The valley itself was unimpressive, in fact, Cole wondered if he was in the right area. There was a clearing with a stone well in the center, and trees filled with ripe red apples were scattered around the land. As he approached the well, he could hear the flittering and fluttering of the fairies that lived in the area, streaks and softly glowing balls of pastel colors rushed around him as chirping and squeaks filled the air. He had to watch his step to make sure he didn’t step on one of them. They definitely wouldn’t help him if he did that.

Cole sat down on the edge of the well as hundreds of fairies fluttered in front of him. He cleared his throat and said, “H-Hello, fairies. I have come here to ask for your help and aid.”

The fairies chirped, asking what his need was.

Before he spoke, he thought, Should I reveal my identity? By telling them who I am, I would put them in danger if Morro found out that I was here. “The Palace of Sweets has fallen under the control of a ruthless King,” he explained. “The Prince was exiled, and he sent me to find a way to save him. But I… I don’t know what to do.”

The fairies chittered and tweeted amongst themselves, asking if he knew of any legends or places that could help. A once foggy memory resurfaced, his eyes widened as an old voice echoed in his mind.

"Supposedly, the Sugarplum Prince's powers could save a kingdom in its most dire need, but only if he can be found. No one knows where he is or what he looks like… Remember the Sugarplum Prince in your time of need, for there is a wolf in sheep's skin at the castle." 

How did that old woman know about Morro? She warned him years ago that something would happen, so why didn’t she just come out and say that the wolf was his guardian? She could’ve saved him and Ninjago all of this turmoil and anguish!

Cole sighed. “Do any of you know about the Sugarplum Prince? Where he is, what he looks like, anything at all?”

They squeaked and flittered, telling him that they didn’t know much about him. They told him to try the Gingerbread Village and Snow Fairies to the Southwest.

His shoulders slumped in defeat; it was a long shot anyway, might as well try on his next leads as soon as possible. He had to keep moving. He couldn’t be caught. He had to stay out of sight.

***

Several days of traveling and dodging mice sentries later, he arrived at the gingerbread village. A small village of less than two hundred, the buildings and homes were constructed out of the town’s namesake, allowing for a delicious scent to permanently fill the air. Gumdrops and frosting decorated the homes as thin smoke puffed out from the chimneys. Cole walked along the outside of the road, glancing at the people occasionally. Thankfully, no one paid the newcomer any attention as he entered the small, one-room library. Well, a library was a bit of a stretch. It couldn’t even be described as a quaint room. The wall with the door was made up of two windows, and inside had one floor-to-ceiling bookshelf filled to the brim with books. The wall to the right held four chairs, all empty, while the opposite side had a small desk with an old man dozing away.

The bell that hung from the doorway jingled as Cole stepped inside, the old man jolted awake with a snort and a cry. “My apologies for waking you,” Cole said.

The man waved him off, “It’s quite alright, young… man. I-Is there anything I can help you find?”

“Do you have anything on the Legends of Ninjago?”

The old man hummed in thought. He slowly climbed off of his stool and shuffled over to the shelf, adjusting his glasses as his aged eyes scanned the titles. Sluggishly, he lifted a wrinkled hand and shakily removed a thin book. A children’s book. Cole recognized it from when he was a boy; he knew that there was no mention of the Sugarplum Prince in it.

“Will this do?” the man asked.

“Is there anything else?” Cole asked, hopeful.

The old man turned back to the shelf and scanned it once again, this time coming up empty. “My apologies, Sir. Is there anything else?”

Cole shook his head, “No, but many thanks for your time.” He exited the library with another jingle of the bell. Leaning against the wall, he thought about his next location. The other villages were many miles to the East, and most likely they would come up with the same empty-handed response. The closest location would be the Ice Cavern to the West, about five miles away. The Snow Fairies there might know something, it was worth a shot anyways.

As he walked out of the village, he was unaware of a pair of mice that had spotted him. They murmured amongst themselves, should they chase after him or fetch the King? After a minute, they turned and started on the long journey to the castle. The missing Prince had been spotted.

***

Cole had arrived at the Ice Caverns when dusk fell; he knew that the fairies would be asleep until dawn, so he had to wait. It was long and tedious, finding anything he could to pass the time. He sharpened his sword on a nearby rock, recited pieces of memorized poetry and speeches his father used to give, practiced old ballet tricks only to realize that his new body was clumsy and stiffer than his old one. Eventually, he decided to lay back and watch the stars twinkle and glisten above him, wondering about his parents. Would they be proud of him? Were they thinking of him in Heaven? Guiding him through this turmoil, leading him on the right path? He would never know.

Finally, the Sun rose to the East, casting its warm rays across Ninjago— except Cole couldn’t feel it. He couldn’t feel anything; not the snow underneath him, nor the warmth of the Sun, nor the breeze that brushed past him. He shook that thought off when he heard the fairies inside flittering and chittering about. He stood up and walked into the icy cavern, his distorted reflection followed him as he looked around at the numerous light blue and white streaks of light twirling about.

“E-Excuse me?” Cole called, his voice ricocheted off of the walls, catching their attention. Within seconds, he was surrounded by the fairies. “I have come to ask for your help. The Prince of Ninjago was exiled by the King, and he asked me to help him. Do you know anything about the Sugarplum Prince?”

The fairies chittered and fluttered, telling him that they didn’t know anything. But then, a pair of fairies sped in from the entrance, squeaking frantically. A group of mice was spotted heading towards the cavern, and the King was leading the way.

Cole panicked, he was trapped! There was only one road to the cavern and they were marching up it right now. “Please, you have to help me! I can’t be caught by the King! Is there another way out?!”

Half of the fairies froze the opening to the cavern as the other half led him deeper inside, chittering about a portal to another world. He would be safe there until the King left and the trouble went down. Cole had been unaware of portals here, his father never mentioned it and there were no references in his old books. Where would they send him? He had to trust the fairies, they were his only hope.

Cole could hear Morro screaming at the mice to break open the entrance. He picked up his pace as they rushed down a corridor of ice, arriving at a black doorway. It was the blackest of darkness that he had ever seen; darker than the night of a new moon as if it was made of space itself. The fairies told him that he would be safe, he just had to walk in. He stood straight, thanked them for their aid, and stepped inside. His body stiffened and became immobile; he couldn’t talk, he couldn’t move, he couldn’t think. Cole fell unconscious.

If he had remained awake, he would’ve realized that he landed in a bazaar in a new world. People bustled around him, murmuring and laughing amongst themselves as they walked past his location on the ground. He would have remained there for an indefinite amount of time, if not for a young woman in her late thirties finding him. She leaned down and gently picked him up, smiling softly, as she dusted him off.

“This will be a perfect gift for my dear Zane.”

Chapter Text

It’s Christmas Eve at the Garmadon household; the snow was falling outside in large fluffy clumps, the temperature was dropping as the Sun had set an hour ago, and the New England home was aglow with the light of smiles and candles. Inside the colonial home, in the living room, sat a Christmas tree filled with ornaments, ribbons, and bows. Underneath the tree sat piles of presents, each wrapped in reds, blues, gold, and silver wrapping papers with bows on top. The fireplace was aglow, lighting the room with its warmth and dancing flames.

Sitting on a chair beside the tree was a young man; his short blond hair was slightly longer in the front, drooping onto his forehead, his pale white skin was golden in the firelight, and his icy blue eyes were distant as he stared down into a snow globe. Inside the glass world was a cream-colored castle with two minuscule figures dancing in the snow-covered courtyard; one dressed in light blue, the other dressed in red. The young man sighed, imagining the story of the two lovers inside the castle. The one in blue was a peasant that fell in love with the king, but due to their social classes, they had to be apart until one day the king decided to throw a party and invite the one in blue. The two met in the courtyard, under a light snowfall, and danced the night away.

A voice called him out of his daydream, “Zane, my boy, wake up.”

Zane, a young man of sixteen, blinked a couple of times as he returned to reality. He stood up and brushed off his dark blue shirt and black pants, “I’m sorry, Uncle Garmadon.”

Montgomery Garmadon gave him a warm smile; he had grayish brown hair, earth brown eyes with flecks of gold, and slightly tanned skin, he was wearing a black suit with a deep green tie and was checking his pocket watch every few minutes. He and his wife, Misako, adopted Zane when his father died several years ago. “It’s quite alright. Our guests shall be arriving any minute, so look presentable.”

Garmadon turned and left as one of the maids entered the room, carrying two more boxes. She sat one down beside the snow globe and left the other on the side table next to the couch. Zane gingerly opened the lid and smiled, removing a pearly ornament of a ballerina. He placed it on one of the tree branches as the maid complimented it.

“My mother bought this for me when I was very young,” he replied, gingerly running his finger along the woman’s silky face.

The maid smiled at him before focusing on the other box, the one filled with cookies from the kitchen. She cried out, “Oh no! The mice have gotten into the desserts!” She lifted a gingerbread man into the air, revealing that the cookie was missing one of its legs.

Zane chuckled, “I don’t think that it was the mice. Have you seen Lloyd lately?”

The two glanced around the room until they heard soft crunching coming from behind the couch. The sixteen-year-old leaned over the back and covered his mouth before a snicker could escape. Lloyd was sitting with his back against the couch, his face was covered with powdered sugar which covered his freckles. His green eyes scanned the area around him, unaware of his stepbrother above him.

Zane reached down and plucked the cookie from his fingers, then ruffled his blond hair with a chuckle. Lloyd cried out as he scrambled to his feet, “Hey! That’s mine!”

“These were for the guests,” he replied.

“But that one was mine! No one wants a half-eaten cookie,” Lloyd argued, crossing his arms.

“You’ll get this back after dinner, now go and get cleaned up.” The older teen wiped away part of the sugar from his face, Lloyd slunk away to find a bathroom. Zane shook his head as he set the cookie back in the box.

A woman’s voice called out, “Zane! How are you doing?”

He looked up and grinned as the maid quietly left; his Aunt Misako had returned home from her world-trekking adventure. Her light brown hair with a soft gray streak was tied back in a braid, swinging behind her with each step. She wore a deep green gown and light silver glasses that rested on the edge of her pale nose. She hugged him with a bright grin.

“Aunt Misako! I am doing quite well. How was your journey to Asia?”

“It was wonderful!” They sat down on the couch as Misako continued, “I got to sail on a junk, walk the Great Wall, visit a Bazaar, and I got to dance with an Emperor.”

“That sounds amazing! You must’ve been on Cloud Nine,” he said, sighing.

“Yes, it was wonderful, but I would’ve preferred to dance with my husband.”

Zane’s smile faltered, “I wish I could’ve been there.”

Misako glanced over her shoulder and then around the room, leaned close and said, “Maybe, next time, you can come with me.”

“Uncle would never allow it. He says that he needs me here with the company.”

Misako pursed her lips, then brightened, “Well, maybe he won’t object to these. Lloyd, dear? Could you come in here?”

Walking out from the bathroom, Lloyd grinned and sprinted over to his mother, hugging her tightly. She kissed his forehead, then leaned over the arm of the couch, revealing two boxes. She handed one to Lloyd, a small box with a green bow, and the other to Zane, a long thin box with a white bow.

Lloyd ripped off the lid and grinned, “Whoa! A dragon! Thank you!” He sat down by the fireplace and started to play with his gift.

Zane gently lifted the lid and gasped, for tucked within the white papers was a nutcracker. He had a navy blue cap with a gold star in the center, dark wooden skin, brownish-green eyes that seemed to glint in the firelight, a black mustache, white hair and a white goatee, a royal red outfit with gold shoulders, and black boots.

“A nutcracker,” Zane breathed, running his finger alongside the left arm. “He’s beautiful. I love him! Thank you, Aunt Misako!” He hugged her and hugged the nutcracker close to his chest. He sat down and continued to marvel at his gift; he swore that he saw a flash of light within his eyes, but decided that it must’ve been a reflection of the flickering flames.

***

Misako and Garmadon found Zane asleep on the couch at about 11 o’clock that night, not long after the party had ended and the last of the guests had left. He had the nutcracker tucked against his chest, with one arm wrapped around it, and the other arm tucked underneath a throw pillow. He had changed into a light blue nightshirt and pajama pants before curling up on the couch. Garmadon sighed; as he extinguished the flames of the candles, he said, “We should wake him.”

“And ruin a wonderful dream? No, let him rest,” Misako said, pulling a blanket over him. “Zane isn’t a boy anymore. He deserves a chance to explore and live his life. We can’t keep him locked up forever. His father wouldn’t have wanted that.”

“He needs to be responsible and practical,” Garmadon said, winding the grandfather clock beside the doorway.

“He is; you need to trust him, he needs to be able to explore the world and to make his own decisions.”

Garmadon sighed, then glanced back at the time, “It’s getting late. We should head to bed.” He held his hand out to his wife, who gladly took it. The pair left for their bedroom, allowing the house to fall into a peaceful slumber.

Everything changed as the clock struck twelve; soft glowing streams of light flowed out of a mouse hole at the base of one of the walls, near the fireplace. The streams of light flowed about the room, dancing and twirling around the tree, through the branches, and spread around the room and up the grandfather clock. One of the lights flowed through the wooden owl perched on the top of the clock, causing a twinkle to gleam in its black eyes.

The owl came to life, watching the living room with unblinking eyes. It stared at the mouse hole as growling and snarling were heard coming from the darkness within; stepping out from within was an army of mice, armed with swords and crossbows, as they spread around the room the final warrior stepped out. He had jet black hair with a green streak on the right side, wore a golden crown, he had sickly green skin, held a golden staff in his hand, and was wearing a black and green surcoat. The man’s eyes scanned the room before landing on the Nutcracker, who had slipped out of Zane’s grasp and landed upright on the floor. One of the lights twirled through the Nutcracker, causing it to shudder to life.

He blinked his eyes, stretched his jaws, and realized that he was awake. The Nutcracker’s eyes scanned the room and widened, the mice were charging at him. He removed the sword from its sheath on his hip, raised it into the air, and cried, “Insolent mice!” The cry was louder than he expected, but he was too distracted to realize the impacts.

Woken from his slumber, Zane yawned and rubbed his eyes, stretching his arms to the sky. He glanced around the room but was distracted when he heard crunching beside him. He looked up and was startled to find a mouse, dressed in armor, munching on Lloyd’s abandoned cookie. “G-Get away! Shoo! Shoo!!” he exclaimed, and in a panic, grabbed one of the pillows and whacked the mouse across the room.

The soft sound of clashing metal caught Zane’s attention; he turned and gasped, his nutcracker was caught in a battle against at least thirty mice. He blinked rapidly and rubbed his eyes, realizing that, yep, he was awake. “This can’t be real,” he mumbled, furrowing his eyebrows. Zane pinched his upper arm, nothing changed.

The Nutcracker’s yell caught his attention, “Get back! Get back!” He thrust his sword forward and caught one of the mice’s shoulders, he stabbed again and caught another one on its face. “I won’t let you take me back!” he shouted. For a nutcracker, Zane was surprised at how agile he was.

He seemed to have the upper hand until the man with black and green hair approached him. He and the Nutcracker were about twenty inches tall, slightly taller than the rest of the mice, who were about eighteen inches tall. The man with the golden crown stepped closer to the Nutcracker and growled, “Even as a nutcracker, you’re a thorn in my side.”

The Nutcracker looked angry. He held the sword at the man’s chest and snapped, “And a thorn to you I shall remain.”

The man, who Zane had to assume was royalty of sorts, swung the scepter out like a baton. It glowed a bright yellow before it shifted and changed into a sword. “I may have lost you years ago, but you won’t escape me this time,” he snapped.

Zane’s eyes widened; that small man knew magic?! That wasn’t possible! Magic wasn’t real! He watched in horror as the Nutcracker and Small King clashed, blade to blade, metal against golden metal. The two dueled back and forth until the Small King punched the Nutcracker in the face, sending him reeling to the ground. “It’s finally time to get rid of you once and for all,” the Small King said, aiming the sword at his chest.

Zane jumped to his feet; he had to save his Nutcracker! His eyes scanned the room and found a large vase, about two feet tall, and knew what he had to do. He rushed over, grabbed the vase, flipped it upside down, and said, “Not in my house!”

The Small King turned and glared at him, his green eyes ablaze with fury. He swung his staff once again and aimed it at Zane’s chest. The ruby glowed red as he snarled, “Meddling human towering tall; let my scepter shrink you small!”

The Nutcracker called out, desperately, “Watch out!” But it was too late.

A beam of light shot out of the ruby and struck Zane in his chest; in a shock, he dropped the vase as his body started to shake and tremble. The room around him started to grow taller and larger, or was he growing smaller? Then, the next thing he knew, he was the same size as the Small King and his Nutcracker. The Small King aimed the scepter at his throat and approached him, snarling and growing. Zane backed up, glancing everywhere for a way out. “This isn’t good,” he mumbled.

“Lost all bravery, I see. No power, no strength, just fear,” he sneered. The Small King pushed Zane closer to a group of mice, snarling and stabbing at the air in front of them. There was nowhere to run, Zane was trapped! The Small King raised his scepter into the air, ready to strike, only to be run down by the Nutcracker riding on one of Lloyd’s abandoned toy carriages. The King was sent reeling backward, crashing into one of the groups of mice some distance away.

Zane hid behind the Nutcracker as several rodents approached them, armed to the teeth. He had to dodge arrows that were shot at his head, but his Nutcracker remained focused on the swordsmen— swords-mice? One of the rodents swung it’s blade at his head, while another stabbed at his chest. The Nutcracker threw his head back and missed the blade by barely an inch or so, but the second blade sliced into his chest, leaving a large dent by his right shoulder, revealing the tan wood underneath the red paint.

Zane let out a loud cry, but the Nutcracker seemed unaffected. Did he not feel pain? He dodged a few more arrows and started to back up towards the softly glowing fireplace.

The Nutcracker glanced back at him, then upwards, then asked, “Can you make it up there? To the mantle?”

Zane shook his head, “I don’t know! I can’t leave you down here!”

“I’ll be fine! Now go!” the Nutcracker cried, deflecting another blade.

Zane wanted to object but decided that he knew better than he did. He scrambled over to the garland that was hanging off of the fireplace and started to climb. Don’t look down, don’t look down! Hand over hand, step on the top of the ornaments for a boost, ignore the sounds of swords and grunts below. About halfway up the garland, he knew he had to check on his nutcracker. He tightened his grip on the evergreen wreath and looked down.

The Nutcracker had his back against the grate that stood in front of the fireplace, his sword held out in front of him as the Small King and several mice approached.

“You’re not getting away from me this time,” he hissed. “Either you come with me or I’ll feed you to the fire.”

The Nutcracker’s eyes scanned for any exit, then he had an idea. He stabbed his sword into the grate above his head, leaped up, and kicked the Small King square on his chest. Although he was given a moment’s reprieve, he realized that his sword had become stuck within the wires. He struggled to yank it out, only to be met with more swords and arrows being shot at him. The Nutcracker did one last kick before dropping to the ground, he scrambled up the opposite side of the garland as the King regained his posture.

His eyes narrowed as he growled deeply, Zane didn’t like where this was going. The King swung his scepter once again, changing it into a crossbow; he closed one eye and aimed it at the Nutcracker.

“Oh no!” Zane gasped. He had to do something! Thinking quickly, he called out, ”Hey! Over here!” He swung one of his legs and kicked his shoe off as hard as he could. With impeccable aim and strength, his shoe flew and whacked the Small King square on his head. The crossbow fired, hitting one of the ornaments close to the Nutcracker and caused it to fall, shattering on his head.

The King stumbled back and fell unconscious within the shards of the decoration. The mice gasped, looked at one another, then scrambled around their fallen leader. They picked him and his fallen scepter up and retreated into the mouse hole with little hesitation.

Zane breathed a quiet sigh of relief until he felt the garland above him groan and shift. “Uh oh!” The garland dropped with a plunge, leaving Zane’s stomach behind as he swung with gaining speed. “Look out!” he wailed, flailing wildly.

The Nutcracker turned, his eyes wide with shock, just before he was rammed by the sixteen-year-old. The two flew through the air before crashing onto a throw pillow that lay on the floor. The two grunted as a poof of loose feathers fluttered around them; once Zane’s head stopped spinning, he realized that the Nutcracker had climbed down and was holding his hand out to him. He gave him a thankful smile and graciously accepted it, sliding off of pillow before landing on the ground with a soft thud.

Zane dusted off his nightshirt and pants before looking around the room, dismayed. “This has to be a dream,” he muttered. “There is no way that actually happened.”

“I’m afraid this is all too real, what you witnessed really happened,” the Nutcracker said, removing his sword from the grate. “I’m sorry for bringing you into the mess, but I must return to Ninjago before things get worse.”

“Well, could you change me back to my normal height?” Zane asked. “That King had magic, don’t you?”

“I’m afraid I don’t. Only the person who holds the golden scepter can wield its magic, and I’ve been searching for the Sugarplum Prince who can supposedly reverse his spells.”

“The Sugarplum Prince?” he asked. “Who’s that?”

The Nutcracker shrugged helplessly, “To be honest, I don’t know. I’ve been searching for him ever since I was turned into a nutcracker.”

Zane froze, what did he say? “Wait, you used to be-“

“Not a nutcracker,” he finished, hanging his head with sorrow in his eyes. He looked up and was about to say something, but was interrupted by the sounds of wooden wings flapping.

“Perhaps I can be of assistance?”

The two glanced up and cried out; Zane dove underneath the couch as the Nutcracker drew his sword and held it out, the wooden owl that once rested on the top of the grandfather clock glided over the pair and landed on one of the arms of the chairs. The owl said, “You will find the Sugarplum Prince on the small island across the Sea of Storms; he will be revealed in your greatest time of need.”

“I didn't know that there was an island,” the Nutcracker murmured to himself. He furrowed his eyebrows, then called back, “It’s impossible to cross the Sea of Storms! It’s constantly churning, with waves reaching heights of fifty feet or more!”

The owl replied, “It’s dangerous, yes, but not impossible. You just need to find the right allies to aid on your journey.”

Zane crept out from under the couch, once he realized that the owl was friendly. He watched the Nutcracker approach the mouse hole, before hesitating and turning to face him.

“Are you coming?” the Nutcracker asked.

Zane stiffed with fear, “Me? Go with you? In there? I don’t think so!” He couldn’t imagine leaving his home; sure, he dreamed of going on adventures, but not with a nutcracker and being twenty inches tall! Yeah, he wanted to join his Aunt Misako on her archeological adventures, but not against a King with magic! He couldn’t do it… could he?

“Surely you don’t want to spend the rest of your life the size of a doll?” the owl argued; its black eyes gleamed with confidence.

It had a point, but there was still one massive problem. “How would I return home?”

The wooden bird silently glided across the room, hovered above the ballerina ornament, and removed the heart-shaped locket from around its neck. It glided back across the room and dropped the locket into his outstretched hands. “Once you find the Sugarplum Prince, open it and you will return home safe and sound.”

Zane stared down at his reflection within the silver heart, everything was happening too fast. “Wait!” he cried, but it was too late. The owl had returned to its post and became lifeless once again. He had to do this. He had to return to his normal height. He placed the necklace around his pale neck, took in a deep breath, and approached the Nutcracker, who had been waiting patiently by the hole in the wall.

“Are you ready?” he asked, softly.

“I hope so,” Zane replied.

The two walked into the darkness of the mouse hole, but after a few feet, Zane felt the floor underneath him give away. They plummeted down and lost consciousness.

Chapter Text

Zane awoke to snow covering his body and dusting his head. He groaned and nestled his face into the crook of his elbow. What happened to him? He remembered the battle in the living room, following the Nutcracker into the mouse hole, then, falling. Where was he? And where was the Nutcracker? He jolted up and looked around; he appeared to be in a cavern made entirely of a myriad shade of blue with hills and valleys of snow stretching from wall to wall.

A short distance away from him, the Nutcracker sat up in a plume of snow, appearing relatively unharmed and unshaken. He glanced over at Zane, locked eyes for a brief second, then glanced away. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“Oh, yes,” Zane replied. “Where are we?”

“The Ice Caverns in the Southwest part of my home.” The Nutcracker looked around in the snow and asked, “Have you seen my sword?”

He noticed the yellow guard standing out against the white snow surrounding it, he stood and walked over to grab it. “Here! Let me give you a hand with that.” Zane leaned down and picked up the sword, only to realize that the lower half of the Nutcracker’s arm was still attached. With a yelp, he dropped it back in the snow and held his hands against his chest.

The Nutcracker chuckled and stood up, walking over to the teen who had picked the sword up once again. “Sorry, probably should’ve warned you about that.” He reconnected his arm, switched his blade to the other hand, and flexed his hand and arm. While they were distracted, a swarm of light blue balls fluttered around them.

Zane stared at the lights in awe, “Are those fireflies? I’ve never seen blue fireflies before!”

The Nutcracker chuckled, “No, they’re snow fairies. They helped me escape Morro last time I was here.”

“Morro?”

“The King that rules Ninjago.”

The snow fairies started to frantically chitter and squeak, bouncing and twirling around the Nutcracker frantically. His painted brownish-green eyes grew wide with horror, he started to tremble and murmur to himself. “That’s not possible. It couldn’t have been more than a day. It felt like a day!”

“Nutcracker?” Zane asked, reaching his hand out. “What’s wrong?”

He looked up and, in a broken voice, said, “I’ve been gone for almost four years.” He closed his eyes for several minutes, regaining his composure. Zane wondered what was going through his mind; he knew that his Aunt had found him at one of the Bazaars she visited, but he didn’t know how long ago. She had been gone for most of the year, visiting archeological sites from Europe to Asia so she could’ve found him at any time during that period. Had the nutcracker been unconscious that entire time? Why had he awakened on Christmas Eve? Zane wanted to ask but decided to remain quiet, not only for privacy but for the Nutcracker’s sake.

The fairies chittered and surrounded him, comforting him with soft chirps. Although Zane couldn’t understand what they were saying, his heart warmed at their attempts to aid him. He reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a warm smile.

The Nutcracker opened his eyes and glanced up, he gave a nod of thanks and straightened his posture. “We can’t stay here much longer, we have to keep moving.”

The fairies chirped and turned into a flurry of lights, shooting down the hallway and disappearing around the corner. Zane and the Nutcracker looked at one another then followed after the flurry. They found an exit on one of the walls of the cavern as sunlight filtered in, lighting the snow up in a wonderful array of light. Zane’s stomach flipped with excitement; he was about to see a brand new world, experience new things, meet new people. He couldn’t help but pick up his pace, crunching on the snow that he realized wasn’t cold. He had to see the Nutcracker’s home.

They stepped outside of the cavern and into the sunlight; the Nutcracker turned to him and said, “Welcome to Ninjago!”

Zane’s mouth dropped agape; the land stretched for miles around, with grass a soft green and large cracks running through the hills, and the sky bluer than sapphires, rivers, and streams winding their way through the valleys and hills like veins. Forests and villages dotted the landscape, and in the distance, on the largest hill, sat a castle that was the color of margarine. The smell of peppermint filled his senses as cotton candy shaped clouds lazily floated overhead. A grin grew on his face, “It’s so beautiful. It’s absolutely amazing. I can’t believe that it’s real!” He turned to the Nutcracker, who had a soft smile on his face.

He turned to face Ninjago and his smile fell. What did he see that Zane did not? “It won’t be like this for long with Morro running it into the ground. We have to find the Sugarplum Prince and ask for his help.” After a moment of silence, he gestured to Zane’s right where a stone staircase was waiting. The two started on the journey down the mountainside, unaware of a spy hanging from one of the trees. A bat overheard them, recognized the Nutcracker, and decided to alert the King.

The Nutcracker had returned to Ninjago.

Chapter Text

After a night’s rest in the forest, the two found themselves in a wreckage of a village. Zane’s gaze wandered from crushed house to destroyed building; the smell of gingerbread, gumdrops, and candy canes filled his senses, the crunching of the bread underneath his feet echoed in the silence. He glanced at the Nutcracker out of the corner of his eye, his heart ached from the look of devastation on his face.

“I didn’t know that things had gotten this bad,” he murmured. “Last time I was here, this was a bustling village. There were kids playing about, women and men at work. Everything was fine. Did the mice really do all this?”

As they continued to walk through the rubble, sifting through the fresh snow, Zane stumbled upon a child’s rag doll half-buried in a snow pile. He reached down and lifted it up to his chest, twirling one of the reddish-orange yarn strands of hair around one of his fingers. His heart ached at the thought of children being harmed or worse.

“We should keep moving,” the Nutcracker said, looking crestfallen. “There might be guards posted around here.” He continued through the village, attempted to keep his head held high only for it to droop with the weight of the lives lost. Zane wanted to speak up, but his words became caught in his throat.

At the edge of the village, they found a partially collapsed stable with a horse still inside. The horse had a light red coat with gold colored mane and tail, Zane had never seen anything like it. He reached up and gently stroked her neck, murmuring softly, “It’s okay; we’re not going to hurt you.”

The horse nuzzled against the Nutcracker’s hand, only to be startled when a snowball exploded near her head. The Nutcracker, in a panic, tackled Zane into a snowdrift, crying out, “It’s an ambush!”

Zane grunted from the impact and ended up only a few inches away from the Nutcracker’s face, staring into his painted eyes. He realized that they had flecks of gold, they almost seemed… real. A soft blush dusted his cheeks when he realized that his breath had been taken away. Maybe it was from the weight of the Nutcracker on top of his body.

The Nutcracker, after a moment too long of staring into Zane’s eyes, realized the position they were in and scrambled off in a flurry of mumbled apologies. He peaked over the stable wall, his body stiff with a hand on his sword’s handle, and scanned the area in front of them.

Zane scooted over and glanced above the wall, ducking when another snowball was chucked at his head. He peeked again and noticed two children hiding within the ruins of a nearby home. He sighed with relief, “They’re just children.”

Another snowball flew by, knocking the Nutcracker’s hat off. “With very good aim!” he yelped.

Zane held his hands up in surrender, “Don’t shoot! We won’t hurt you!” He stood up and held the doll out, “We found this; does she belong to you?”

The young girl brightened, jogging over excitedly, “Skylor!” Zane handed the doll to her with a smile. He glanced over at who he assumed was her brother. He reluctantly walked over and stood protectively next to her.

Zane knelt down and asked, “What are your names?”

“I’m Nya!” said the young girl. She had short black hair, blue eyes, slightly tanned skin that was dirtied with grime and candy cane crumbs. Her clothes were faded red and ragged, with cuts and holes every so often. He assumed her to be about eight years old.

“Kai,” the boy grumbled after a second. He had slightly spiked brown hair, brown eyes, slightly darker skin than his sister, and his clothes were also ragged and dirtied. He was about ten years old.

The Nutcracker knelt down and asked, “What happened around here?”

“It was the King and his mice,” Nya said, growing sorrowful. “We went out with Flame to find berries, but when we returned-“

“Everything was destroyed and everyone was gone,” Kai finished, looking angry. “This is all Prince Cole’s fault!”

Zane grew confused, “Who’s Prince Cole?”

The Nutcracker, looking somber, explained, “He was the son of the former King.”

“Yeah, but he didn’t do anything!” Nya said, crossing her arms with a huff.

“The King, before he died, left his golden scepter and throne to the Prince, but the Prince wasn’t ready to rule. The Prince passed the throne and scepter to the Royal Advisor, Morro, until his eighteenth birthday.”

Zane could sense where the story was heading, “And let me guess; Morro loved the power and refused to yield. But what happened to the Prince?”

“Don’t know, don’t care,” Kai grumbled. “He let this happen. He left us with the mice, so why should we care?”

The Nutcracker looked away, something was bothering him. “It’s too dangerous for you two to remain here; you can travel with us until we either find your parents or a safe home.” He and Zane attached a nearby carriage to Flame’s harness; they helped the kids climb into the back while they sat in the front, the Nutcracker took the reins and snapped it. Flame whinnied and galloped through the village, then followed a path that led along the valley.

The children fell asleep in the back seat after a couple of minutes, Zane stared forward in silence as Flame let them up a steep hill. The sounds of the horse’s clops on the dirt road, as well as the occasional snort and shudder of its head, filled the quiet air around them. Zane’s mind raced with thoughts; how long has he been gone from home, did Aunt Misako and Uncle Garmadon notice his absence, would he be able to return home? He feared another confrontation of the King and his mice; they were powerful, he and the Nutcracker barely made it out the last time. Could they stop them, even with the Sugarplum Prince?

Zane glanced over at the Nutcracker, then down at his right shoulder where the cut from the mice’s blades had struck him. He had to know something. “Nutcracker?”

“Yeah?”

“Back in the family room, during the attack, you were struck by one of the swords. Are… Aren’t you hurt?”

He sighed, giving a forced grin, “I’m a nutcracker. Because I’m made of wood, I can’t feel anything.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” Zane felt guilty for bringing the topic up, he didn’t want to bring him any pain from bad memories or events. It’s not as if he knew that he couldn’t feel pain, but he still felt bad about bringing it up.

The Nutcracker turned and placed a white wooden hand on his leg, “It’s alright, you didn’t know. There’s no harm in asking.” This time, he gave Zane a real smile, this one reached his painted eyes as they gleamed in the sunlight.

The young man nodded, feeling the guilt leave his stomach. One question still nagged at the back of his mind; who had the Nutcracker been before his transformation? He wanted to ask but felt that that would be crossing an invisible line of privacy.

The path before them winded around a large hill; one the left was a dense forest with trees that shot into the sky, enveloping the ground with shadows from the canopy stories in the air, and on the right is a cliffside, with the edge dropping into a basin far below. The Nutcracker yanked on Flame’s reins, halting the horse on the dirt road. Kai and Nya awoke with soft grumbles and mumbles. Zane asked the Nutcracker what was wrong.

“I hear something up ahead,” he replied in a hushed tone. As he dismounted, he slid the sword out of its sheath and crept up the hill. At the peak, he waved for the others to follow him. Zane helped the children out of the carriage, then met up with the Nutcracker at the top of the hill. “Morro’s mice,” he spat, glaring down at the cliffside road. About fifty feet ahead of them, there was a small squadron of mice, about thirty of them, carrying carts of gingerbread, candy canes, and gumdrops.

“That’s part of our village,” Kai said. Nya made a heartbroken sound as she held her brother’s hand.

They spun around when they heard Flame whine and cry out; their horse was being grabbed by two mice, but he reared back and kicked them to the ground before fleeing up the path. One of the mice glanced up and realized who was on the hill. He shouted, “There they are! Get them!”

“We gotta move!” the Nutcracker cried. He picked up Kai as Zane carried Nya, they charged into the wooded area to their left and followed a faint path through the shrubs and above-ground roots. They slid under fallen tree trunks and climbed over rotted logs that blocked their paths, but the mice were still after them.

“They’re getting closer!” Nya cried, gripping Zane’s neck and shirt with all of her strength.

Zane feared that they would be caught as the squadron approached them, he could hear their paws clawing into the ground as they thundered closer. “We can’t take them on!” he exclaimed. “We’re outnumbered!”

Then, as if answering their prayers, a rope ladder descended from the heavens in front of them, waving in the soft breeze as a voice called for them to climb up. Zane and the Nutcracker glanced briefly at each other, decided that it was their best option, and helped Kai and Nya climb up.

“Go,” the Nutcracker said, removing his sword. “I can hold them off!”

Zane looked up and saw Kai and Nya about a quarter of the way up. After dueling thoughts raged in his head, he finally said, “No! I won’t leave you! Now climb!” He started to ascend into the air, feeling the ladder shake from the Nutcracker below. Hand over hand, they climbed and swayed, growing closer and closer to the lower part of the canopy. The children had disappeared into the leaves above, leaving the teen and wooden man in the quiet air. Suddenly, the ladder jolted and started to move upwards. The mice ran past them, unaware of the ladder disappearing above them.

Zane brushed past the leaves of the lower branches and gasped; there was a small treetop village above the ground, homes, and pathways made of the wood, branches, and leaves, with bridges connecting the different homes across the numerous trees. Above him was a platform with a hole cut out, which was where the ladder was disappearing to. He scrambled up the remaining distance and climbed onto the platform, only to be met with pitchforks and swords aimed at his neck.

Zane was ushered over to Kai and Nya, laying his hands on each of their shoulders, as the Nutcracker appeared. “Is everyone alright?” he asked before seeing the swords and pitchforks being aimed at him.

“I’m not really sure,” Zane confessed.

Chapter Text

“Is everyone alright?”

“I’m not really sure,” Zane said.

The villagers watched the teen, two kids, and Nutcracker warily, shifting in their defensive positions as two people approached them. A young man with auburn hair, lightly tanned skin with freckles dotting his cheeks, electric blue eyes, and a notched right eyebrow with a long thin scar running over his eye and cheek approached them. He was wearing a deep blue and gold military outfit as well as black pants and black boots, but it was faded and slightly torn in places. He had a sheath on his hip, attached to a white belt, and the sword aimed at the Nutcracker.

The other man, much older than the teen, towered above him. He had shaggy muddy hair that seemed untamable, with loose stubble around his mouth, chin, and up to his sideburns. He had a brown eyepatch over his right eye, mostly hidden by his wild hair, and Zane noticed four scars traveling underneath it, going from his forehead onto his cheek. The man, who he guessed to be in his late thirties to early forties, wore a sherbet orange military outfit with black pants and black boots.

“What do we have here?” the older man said, crossing his arms with a quirked eyebrow. “A wooden spy? Or a traitor?”

“Maybe a trap, or kidnappers from what I can see,” the younger man said, looking at Zane and the kids.

“They didn’t take us!” Kai cried.

“They saved us from the mice!” Nya said.

The younger man pointed his sword at Zane, saying, “If you have nothing to hide and nothing to fear, then you won’t mind answering a few questions.”

The Nutcracker stood up and followed the man in blue to one of the hollowed out trees. He looked calm but almost sad. Zane noticed his hand had started to reach upwards but dropped back against his side.

The man in orange looked at Kai and Nya and said, “Do not worry, children. Seliel will take care of you.” They were led over to a woman, in her mid to late twenties, with red hair that had a blue streak on her right side. She was wearing a blue and silver dress that was covered in dried mud and was fidgeting with a necklace of a crescent moon that hung around her neck. Kai and Nya looked up at Zane, who gave them a nod of encouragement.

“We’ll be fine,” he murmured. “We should be safe here.”

Zane was then led inside by the man in orange; he stood beside the Nutcracker as the two men stood on the opposite side of the tree, he had a strange urge to reach his hand out to hold onto the Nutcracker’s, but he decided against it.

The man in blue said, “Alright; tell us who you are, where you came from, and what you want.”

“I’m Nutcracker, and this is Zane. We are victims of Morro’s curses,” he explained with a sorrowful tone.

“We’re searching for the only person who can supposedly defeat him; the Sugarplum Prince,” Zane said.

The man in blue looked stunned as if he had been slapped in the face. He blinked several times before stuttering, “T-The Sugarplum Prince?”

The orange man scoffed and waved his hand at them, “I’ve never heard such a ridiculous tale. If this Sugar-sweet whoever can stop Morro, then why haven’t I heard of him before? They must be lying.”

“It’s the truth though,” the Nutcracker said, almost desperately. “I… I was told by Prince Cole to find him before-”

“Prince Cole?! Ha! That boy is the reason that Morro is on the throne!” the orange man snapped, pointing in the direction of the castle. “If he had just stepped up and taken his father’s place, then we wouldn’t be hiding in trees! We wouldn’t be living in fear of being turned into toys! We would be back in our homes with our families!”

The Nutcracker’s gaze fell to the floor. In a dejected voice, he said, “You make the Prince sound pretty awful.”

“Awful? That’s one way of describing him! When Ninjago started to fall, he didn’t do anything to stop him. He was lazy, irresponsible, weak-“

“Major Rowen!” the blue teen snapped. He took in a quick breath before continuing in a calmer tone, “You’re forgetting that the Prince was once my friend, your spouse’s student, and orphaned at fourteen. He must’ve had his reasons for passing on the throne.”

“Captain Jay Walker; are you forgetting that I am your superior?” Rowen asked, narrowing his one hazel eye.

Jay faltered, “No, Sir.”

Rowen gave a huff, then turned to face a map of Ninjago that lay on a table behind him. “I had high hopes for the Prince; I thought that he would’ve made a great King, like his father before him. But, no matter, we must focus on keeping what’s left of the citizens safe from Morro and his army.”

“Perhaps you should be searching for the Sugarplum Prince too?” Zane offered, feeling that it was time for him to speak up.

“I don’t have the time to search for a myth,” he argued. “Every day, Morro grows stronger and we lose another part of Ninjago. More people are turned into knick-knacks, more villages are destroyed, and more lives are lost.”

“Major Rowen; I think they’re telling the truth,” Jay said. “I was there when Prince Cole was told the story of the Sugarplum Prince. If he told them to find him, then I think that we should listen.”

Rowen hummed in thought, then turned back to the Nutcracker and Zane, “Do you know where he might be?”

“We were told that he is on an island across the Sea of Storms,” the Nutcracker said, deciding to leave out that they had been told by a talking wooden owl in Zane’s living room.

The Major sighed, ran a hand down his face, and said, “Fine; in the morning, we shall start on the journey to the shoreline. It should be about a three-day travel. Captain, alert the group and gather supplies. You two are dismissed.”

The Nutcracker gave a short bow. As they turned to leave, Jay placed a hand on his shoulder and, in a quiet voice, asked, “Do you know what happened to Cole? Please, I need to know.”

He murmured, “Morro… Morro destroyed him.”

Jay’s hand fell from his shoulder, stunned into silence. He wrapped his arms around himself as soft tears brimmed, threatening to fall down his cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” the Nutcracker whispered before he left. Zane followed silently, his mind racing with hundreds of thoughts. Something wasn’t right with the wooden man, he had an idea and decided to ask him later that night. For now, he needed to check on Kai and Nya to let them know of their upcoming journey.

Chapter Text

The Sun had set during the interrogation of Zane and the Nutcracker; the treetop village was aglow with torches and hanging lanterns that swayed in the breeze, everyone was back in their hollowed out tree-homes, except for the Nutcracker. He had disappeared after the questioning and Zane was unable to find him. He asked around, but all he received were shrugs and I don’t know. Eventually, he found the room where Kai and Nya were resting, tucked in two spare beds.

“Are you two alright?” Zane asked. The siblings nodded and settled deeper into their beds. “Tomorrow morning, Nutcracker, Rowen, Jay, and I will be heading North to the Sea of Storms. You two will be safe here.”

“But what about Flame?” Nya asked, hugging Skylor close to her chest.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine. She can take care of herself.”

The children nodded and curled deeper underneath the quilts. Zane wished them a good night’s rest then quietly departed. He stepped outside and looked around; out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of red and blue disappearing up one of the staircases. Nutcracker! he thought, following him with quiet steps. The wooden staircase ran along the outside of the tree, spiraling upwards until it broke through the canopy above, the view took his breath away. He could see for miles, past the edge of the forest, even to a castle many miles away. A myriad of stars glistened within the navy blue, violet, and black sky, not a single cloud could block the view.

Sitting on the edge of the platform was the Nutcracker; his gaze lay on the castle in the distance. His hands were folded in his lap as he was slumped forward, his eyes were distant and glassy as if lost in times long passed. Zane sat down beside him and stared forward, enjoying the lull of the night. The chirps of the crickets seemingly miles below were nearly carried away on the wind, the shuffle of the leaves in a dance above their heads and below their feet was soothing to their worried nerves. The faint smell of peppermint was nonexistent in the treetop village, but the Nutcracker seemed to have that scent permanently infused within his wooden body. It made Zane smile.

“Ninjago sure is beautiful,” the teen murmured. “You are lucky to have lived here.”

The Nutcracker gave a weak smile as his gaze fell downward.

Zane continued, “You said before that you didn’t feel anything because you’re a Nutcracker, but I know that you are more than that. I can see that you’re kind, caring, determined, and you have a heart of gold. You’re more than a Nutcracker— Prince Cole.”

The Nutcracker’s eyes widened. His body stiffened. He spun around and faced Zane as he bled fear. His mouth opened several times but nothing came out, the teen knew what he was thinking.

“I won’t tell anyone your identity,” he said quickly. “No one else knows, and no one will know.” The Nutcracker relaxed, but his eyes hadn’t left Zane’s. “If I may ask; why haven’t you told anyone?”

Their gaze finally broke, he faced forward once again and fell silent, debating whether or not and what to confess. Barely above a whisper, he finally said, “I feared becoming King. My whole life led up to one decision, but I couldn’t do it. I failed my parents, I failed my country, and most importantly, I failed my people. I passed the crown and scepter to Morro and caused all of this pain. I didn’t deserve to be King when I had the chance, and I don’t deserve it now.”

“That’s not true!” Zane cried, then lowered his voice. “That’s not true. You’re risking your life to fix your wrong, to save your people, to protect your land. Isn’t that what Princes and Kings are supposed to do?”

The Nutcracker’s voice broke, “My people think less of me than they do Morro. You’ve heard what they said, and I think they’re right. I let them down. I caused this pain. My only hope to save my people is to find the Sugarplum Prince and ask for his aid.” He reached out and held Zane’s hands, squeezing them desperately as he pleaded, “Please, do not reveal my identity to anyone! Not to Jay, not to Kai or Nya, and especially not to Major Rowen. I know he blames me for the loss of his spouse. Please, Zane! Promise me!”

Zane, with steel-like determination, said, “I promise. Your secret is safe with me.”

***

Zane awoke the next morning tucked in a warm bed as sunlight streamed through the cracked doorway. He remembered sitting with Prince Cole, err— the Nutcracker, for a few hours last night. The Nutcracker had told him stories of Ninjago; different legends, growing up in the castle, and even about his departed parents.

“My father was murdered when I was fourteen,” the Nutcracker said, staring at the stars above. “One day, he was fine; fit and strong, leading Ninjago with a kind but strong grip, but the next… he was gone. I miss him terribly. He was kind but stern, prideful but humble. Everyone in the kingdom looked up to him, including me.”

Zane placed a hand on the Nutcracker’s knee, “I lost my father about five years ago to the same sickness that took my mother. It was hard to see him deteriorate, but I know that not only are they together, they are happy and in a better place. He was a brilliant scientist, working into the early hours of the morning for his research. My mother was gentle; she knew when something was wrong, she was willing to help anyone and everyone. She passed away when I was seven.”

“I never knew my mother; my father told me that she died in childbirth. Sometimes I wondered if he blamed me for her death.”

“I don’t believe that for a second; he may have felt grief for her, but I doubt that he would’ve blamed you for something that was completely out of anyone’s control. From what you have told me, I can tell that he loved you with all of his heart. He only wanted the best for you.”

The Nutcracker nodded and glanced up at the stars, his painted eyes shone with sorrow, but underneath, he saw pride. Zane turned back to the darkened land stretching out before them as a yawn escaped his lips, he rested his head on the Nutcracker’s shoulder and closed his eyes. It was supposed to be for a few minutes, but he inevitably fell asleep. The Nutcracker must’ve tucked him in bed afterward.

He sat up and stretched his arms above his head, yawning silently. It was a surprisingly comfortable night of rest; he felt ready for the journey ahead, he just needed to eat something. Zane climbed out of the twin-sized bed, fixed the blanket and smoothed out the wrinkles, ran his fingers through his hair as a makeshift brush, and stepped out into the daylight.

One of the villagers was walking past his room, he believed it was the woman named Seliel, the one who was going to watch over Kai and Nya. She grinned and held a hand up. “Good morning!” she chirped. “It’s Zane, right?”

He nodded, “Yes, and you’re Seliel, correct?”

“Yep! Heading to breakfast?”

He sheepishly shrugged, realizing that he didn’t know where to get food. He hadn’t explored the treetop village enough to know where to go. She told him to follow her. They walked down one of the wooden staircases and over to one of the larger platforms where several tables were sitting. More villagers rested on the benches, chatting quietly as they nibbled on different fruits and vegetables. The Nutcracker stood off to the side, talking in a low voice to Jay and Major Rowen, he caught Zane out of the corner of his eye and smiled, raising a hand.

Zane thanked Seliel and walked over to the Nutcracker; he was handed one of the reddest apples he had ever seen. Taking a bite, his eyes widened as the flavors exploded over his senses; the juices were sweeter than any candy he had ever had, the crunch was delicious and loud, and boy was it filling. He quickly wiped his other hand at the corners of his mouth to remove the sticky juice that had escaped.

“…at the Apple Blossom Valley.”

Zane blinked, what did Jay say? He looked at the Nutcracker in confusion.

“He said that we’ll pick up some more fruit at the Apple Blossom Valley,” he explained. “It’s a few days walk from here, and it’s a few miles away from the Sea of Storms. The fairies there can give us aid if it’s needed.”

The teen nodded and finished his apple, placing it in a pile of other discarded apple cores. Jay handed him a cloth sack filled with more apples, a few bananas, and a canteen of water, which he was thanked for. Once it was decided that they were ready, they climbed down the ladder and started on the path towards the Apple Blossom Valley.

Chapter Text

The Sun had reached the horizon as the group of four arrived at a broken bridge; what used to be a sturdy brick archway over a plummeting chasm were now floating rocks, suspended in mid-air with nothing holding them up. Zane gasped and held onto the Nutcracker’s arm, fear coursed through his veins at the thought of crossing it.

Major Rowen huffed, glanced at the fading light, and placed his hands on his waist. “We can cross this bridge then camp on the other side for the night.”

“Perhaps we should find a safer way across?” the Nutcracker offered.

“Or we could camp here for the night?” Zane asked.

“In the morning, these rocks will be covered in dew, making them slippery and even more unstable. Let’s get moving.” Rowen shut down any other cries of objection by stepping on the first floating stone. It wobbled underneath his weight but remained suspended above a watery death hundreds of feet below. He stepped onto the next one, holding his arms out for balance, and continued across.

Jay approached the broken bridge, trembling like a child on a stage. He hesitantly stepped onto the first one, soft cries continued to escape as he struggled to maintain stability. But then, as he went to step on the second stone, his foot slipped out from underneath him. Jay toppled over the side, crashing against the chasm’s earthy side as his hands scrambled for any grip. His fingers frantically dig into the dirt, carving trenches, until his hands grasped a pair of roots that had been partially buried.

“Please help me!” he cried out, gripping the roots with every ounce of his strength.

Zane and the Nutcracker rushed over to the edge, each held their arms down but neither could reach. The Nutcracker’s arms were slightly longer, but they were still several feet away from Jay. What to do, what to do?

“Do we have rope?!” Zane asked, looking around at the area around them. Nothing was around that could help.

“No,” the Nutcracker said, then grew determined. “But I have an idea.”

The roots started to crack and groan, dropping Jay a foot or two closer to his death. “Please hurry!” he wailed, his feet dug into the earth for any leverage but it only made his shoes slicker. He started to silently pray for his soul, he prayed for his mother and father, and he prayed for his end to be painless.

“It’s okay, Jay,” the Nutcracker called. Jay looked up and saw him reaching his hand down, only a few inches above his hands. “I’ve got you. I won’t let you fall.”

That sounded familiar, why did that sound familiar? He didn’t have the time or concentration to dwell on it. Desperately, he threw his hand up and clasped the wooden one, then grabbed it with his other hand. On the ground above, Zane had his arms wrapped around the Nutcracker’s waist as he helped pull backward.

“Almost there!” the Nutcracker grunted.

Jay’s feet slipped, skidded, and dug against the earth as he climbed higher and closer to safety. He ground his teeth in concentration, keeping his eyes locked on the Nutcracker and Zane. He would not look down. With a final yank, Jay was thrown onto the grass, splayed out like a starfish. He cried out in relief, thanking the goddesses above for his safety.

“Sorry,” the Nutcracker murmured. Jay glanced up, watching the wooden soldier pop his right arm back into its socket. “We didn’t have any rope.”

The young captain gave a weak chuckle and rested his face on the grass, his body fell limp. He decided that he was content resting on this one spot for the night, even if Major Rowen dragged him across that damned path himself.

Zane knelt down in front of him, held out a hand, and asked, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, I promise,” Jay confessed with a weak chuckle. “Don’t worry about me.”

Major Rowen slowly made his way back across the bridge, almost slipping a few times himself. Once he had made it back across, he asked the group if they were alright. Everyone nodded in confirmation, Jay held up a thumbs up before it fell back onto the ground limply. He gave a huff and said, “It’s a shame about your supplies. You’ll have to share with someone until we can get replacements.”

Jay hadn’t realized that his bag had tumbled off of his shoulder during the fall, and right now he didn’t care. He was just thankful to be alive.

“I’m willing to share,” Zane said.

Rowen huffed and faced the broken bridge, “Looks like we’ll have to cross this in the morning.”

Jay cried out in relief.

The trio, minus the Nutcracker, rolled out their blankets and sat down a safe distance away from the chasm. The Nutcracker told the others to rest, that he had no need to sleep. An hour later, Zane and Rowen had fallen asleep underneath the shining stars, but Jay’s mind wouldn’t stop running.

It’s okay, Jay. I’ve got you. I won’t let you fall. Why had that sounded familiar? He stared at the stars, running through any and all memories that might explain how he would recognize that. As he started to drift off into a daydream-like state, a memory manifested out of nowhere.

The funeral of the King. Cole in a state of extreme distress, ready to leave the procession. Jay had held onto his horse’s reins and said that exact quote to him. But how would the Nutcracker know about that? And how did the Nutcracker know the Prince? He never explained how he knew the Prince, or how he knew Cole had been—

“Hey, Nutcracker?”

The wooden soldier glanced downward and gave a small smile. “Yeah?”

“How did you know Prince Cole?”

The Nutcracker stiffened, his minuscule smile disappeared without a trace as he stared at the horizon. He seemed to be lost in thought or searching for an answer. “I only knew the Prince very shortly,” he said. “It was during his brief escape of the castle when Morro and the mice took control of Ninjago. He… He was on his horse, in the Forest of Tranquility, when he ran into me. Literally. The Prince was knocked off of his horse and fell into my arms. We could hear the mice approaching. He told me that he didn’t have much time, that I needed to find a being called the Sugarplum Prince. That he had the power to stop Morro, to save Ninjago, to bring peace back to the people.” He sighed as his painted gaze fell to the ground, “He was captured not long afterward; sent back to the castle to Morro, he made me promise to find the Sugarplum Prince. Ever since then, I’ve been searching for him.”

Jay stared up as his heart ached within his chest, his throat ached from the sorrow building inside. “He was my best friend; we knew each other since we were five years old when I was first brought to the Palace of Sweets on the hillside. I was trying to make friends with the other cadets, but given that I was the youngest out of all of them and that my father was the Captain of the Army at the time, the others decided that I wasn’t worth the effort. We had met during one of the training breaks; he had been walking through the yard with his teacher when I had said ‘Hello’.” He gave a weak chuckle, “I didn’t realize that he was the Prince, even though he was wearing a crown and very fancy clothes. Yet, he said hello back. We started talking, he invited me into the castle to play, and it just grew from there. I always wondered what he saw in me, why he stayed friends with me. I’m just a fast-talking, anxious—“

“You’re more than that!” the Nutcracker cried, startling Jay. He rubbed the nape of his neck, “Sorry, but I don’t believe that that is all that you are. You’re brave, you think on your feet, you’re funny, you’re intelligent—“

Jay interrupted him, “You’ve barely known me for a day. How do you know that I am all that?”

The Nutcracker’s jaw snapped shut with a loud clack. He was hiding something. Jay was determined to find out what.

Chapter Text

The trio awoke the next morning to a deafening clap of thunder echoing across the lands. Zane shot up and spun around, searching for what he thought was a cannon. Unable to find it, he looked at the Nutcracker, who had a tense appearance to him, underneath it was fear.

“Nutcracker? What are you—?”

He pointed East, to the castle on the hill many miles away. Dark storm clouds brewed above it, bubbling and boiling in fury as lightning struck from cloud to cloud and cloud to ground. Thunder boomed and grumbled, but Zane swore he heard a monstrous roar underneath the claps.

“It’s Morro,” the Nutcracker said, grinding his wooden teeth. “He’s plotting something.” His tense appearance fell, revealing the fear and worried expression underneath. “I’m the target for his anger, I’m putting everyone in danger,” he murmured.

“What are you talking about?” Jay asked.

The wooden soldier stiffened, “I… I’m targeted by Morro because I knew the Prince.”

Jay gave him an unconvinced look. He was about to say something but was interrupted by Major Rowen.

“The Sun is up, let’s get started.”

The quartet gathered up their blankets and started across the broken bridge. Jay held onto the Nutcracker’s arm as they stumbled across the floating rocks, praying that they would make it across. Zane held onto the Nutcracker’s other arm, refusing to look down.

“Five more steps,” the Nutcracker said, over his shoulder.

The teen smiled, feeling his heart skip at the ex-Prince’s care. Four steps. Three steps. Two steps. One step. The Nutcracker aided him as he stepped onto solid ground, then, after a minute of walking, they realized that they were still holding hands. The two quickly dropped their hands and their gazes, Zane’s face heated up to a soft pink as a bubbly smile grew on his lips. As they walked along the gravel path, the teen wondered what these strange feelings that were growing in his heart were. He had never felt anything like this back home; no man or woman made him feel the way the Nutcracker made him feel. His heart skipped whenever he looked into his painted hazel-green eyes, he smiled so warmly whenever he felt his presence nearby, he felt his face flush as his stomach fluttered with the force of hundreds of butterflies. What was this feeling, and did the Nutcracker feel the same way?

***

The next day of traveling went by without a hitch. Nothing but valleys, sparse trees, the occasional stream, summer breezes, and the shadows of clouds drifting by. The group made small talk along the way; Zane learned about Jay’s time in the King’s army before Morro replaced everyone with mice. He learned about Rowen and his spouse, who used to be a teacher for Prince Cole before the Prince was ‘destroyed’ and his spouse went missing. Jay was curious as to where Zane came from, and how the Nutcracker and King Morro found him.

Zane turned to the Nutcracker, asking silently if he should tell them that he was from another world.

“Zane is from the Birchwood Village. We met when I was searching for any information about the Sugarplum Prince,” the ex-Prince explained.

Jay said, “Oh. I’ve never been that far Northeast, what’s it like?”

“… It’s very snowy,” Zane said.

The teen Captain gave a nod of approval, but Rowen wasn’t convinced. Although he decided to keep his mouth shut, he kept a close eye on the blond and wooden man. He still believed that they were spies for the King, and decided that if they did do something, he would be able to stop them without putting the remaining citizens in danger.

By mid-day, the quartet had arrived at a hill overlooking a gray sandy beach; partly buried in the sand were two wooden boats, one with a mast but no sail, the other had neither. The Sea of Storms stretched out before them as waves crashed against the beach and soared in the deeper waters, casting a deep sense of trepidation within the group.

Major Rowen shifted his backpack on his shoulder and said, “The Captain and I shall fix one of the boats, see what we can salvage. You two should gather supplies for the journey over.” Without waiting, he started to walk down the side of the hill towards the shore. Jay gave a helpless shrug and followed Rowen towards the boats.

The Nutcracker took Zane’s hand and said, “Follow me. I want to show you something.” He led him further up one of the hills, reaching the highest point of the area. The land flowed and curled liked the waves to the North. At the base of the valley, there were dead trees, dusty grounds, limp bushes, and the broken remains of a stone well in the very center.

Zane felt the Nutcracker’s hand drop by his side. He turned and saw the look of absolute horror on his face. “Nutcracker?”

“What happened to this place?” he murmured before starting on the harsh slope downwards. Zane quickly followed, holding one hand against the dry earth as he slid and skidded down to the base. “This valley used to be filled with life. The trees constantly bloomed with apples, the scent filled the air and carried on the breeze for miles.” The Nutcracker gave a weak smile as he stood up straight. “On certain windy days, I could smell the apples from the open windows at the castle. Goddess, my mouth used to water on those days. I begged my father to take me here, but he wouldn’t let me out past the gates. How I dreamed of sneaking to the stables, climbing on my horse, bursting through the gates, and riding far away.”

Zane dusted his hands on his pants, then followed the Nutcracker to the broken remains of the well. The air around them was stagnated and dead, the smell of rotting trees and apple cores made his stomach upset. His eyes scanned the bricks and rocks, wondering what secrets they held.

The Nutcracker looked around once more, then wondered, “There used to be fairies that lived here. I met them once before. Where did they go?” He leaned down and shifted aside several of the bricks, then gave a short quiet cry of surprise. “The well’s capped. Why would someone do that?”

Over the hole to the well was a large metal covering, flat with the insignia of a crown with four slash marks forged into it. The Nutcracker bristled with rage. He hissed something intelligible, stood up, and drew his sword. Without a second thought, he drove his sword in between the metal edge and the earth, grunting as he heaved the lid up.

Zane jumped in and pushed with all of his might until the lid popped off; it fell against several bricks with a loud bang as the well revealed the dark abyss within. From deep below, the pair heard the echoes of chittering and the flittering of wings. Then, a wave of hundreds of fairies burst forth like a volcano erupting with multicolored pastel balls of light. The blond stumbled back from the force of the fairies, but the Nutcracker remained stuck in place.

Once all of the fairies had been freed, they surrounded the two on all sides, chittering and flittering nonstop. Zane had no idea what they were saying, but the ex-Prince seemed to understand. “I’m glad to hear that everyone is okay. When was the well capped? That long ago? That explains the state of the valley. What about Morro? Good, better for us.” The Nutcracker glanced at Zane, then asked, “We’re getting ready to cross the Sea of Storms in search of the Sugarplum Prince. We were told that there is an island far off the coast. Do you have any supplies or advice for us?”

Most of the fairies suddenly spread out around the valley, emitting high pitched squeaks and chirps as the grass and trees started to return to life. Shades of green, from the lightest of lights to the darkest of darks, overtook the browns, blacks, and tans in waves as the fairies twirled around one another, swaying and zooming past the pair.

The Nutcracker continued to talk to the remaining few fairies, but Zane had zoned out on the conversation. He was too fascinated in watching the fairies resurrect the Apple Blossom Valley; they arrived at the rotten trees, twirling and dancing around the trunk as the earthy brown color returned, then they separated to each of the branches. A warm summer breeze brushed past him, blowing his hair gently as if in a teasing manner. The smell of fresh apples filled his nose, causing his mouth to water involuntarily. Each of the trees blossomed a bright pink and white as the petals fluttered in the advanced aging, then they became swept up within one of the stronger breezes, forming into a tornado of petals dancing across the grass. As the leaves replaced the petals, the trees blossomed with cherry red apples, as if they had been growing there for months.

Suddenly, the fairies that had been talking to the Nutcracker were floating, flitting, and fluttering around the teen’s head. He felt one nuzzle his left cheek, another rubbed against the back of his neck, tickling him, while the third lay in his hair. Zane heard the Nutcracker cover his laugh with a cough, he turned to him and asked, “What? What’re they saying?”

“They’re saying that you look beautiful,” the Nutcracker said. He looked away shyly as he rubbed the back of his neck. Was he embarrassed? Were the fairies really calling him beautiful? He didn’t speak fairy, so he had to trust the Nutcracker’s translation. Well, he was quite content with that.

The Nutcracker gestured him towards a grouping of trees, about twenty yards away. Zane removed the bag from its position over his shoulder and held it in his right hand as they walked underneath the shaded canopy. Each reached up to the lower branches and plucked off several apples, but neither was aware of a pair of fairies that hovered near a cluster of fruit. As the Nutcracker wandered, unknowingly, underneath it, the fairies shook the branch, causing the apples to plummet and thud against his head. The last apple knocked off the Nutcracker’s hat, it tumbled and landed in the pile of fruit, perfectly upright.

Zane covered his chuckles behind his hand. “Are you alright?” he asked, allowing a brief laugh to escape.

The ex-Prince quietly snorted and picked up his hat, dusting off a few leaves that had landed on the royal blue outside. “I’m fine.” He reached down, after placing his hat back on his head, and picked up an apple. “Looks like we got some more supplies.”

The Nutcracker scooped up the pile and approached Zane, he unloaded the fruit into the bag and helped him tie the strings, laying his hands over his. For the first time in a very long time, he felt something within his chest; he felt warmth whenever he held Zane’s hands, he felt hope within every smile, he felt joy whenever Zane was awed at a new part of Ninjago, and there was a new emotion. Something he couldn’t describe within his chest, it grew and pulsed in the center where his heart used to be. Did he even have a heart anymore, or had that been turned to wood too? He looked up and into Zane’s eyes, that strange feeling was stronger than ever.

“Zane?”

The blond smiled, “Yes?”

“I… I think I—“

A loud roar shattered the tranquil air, the ground beneath them started to tremble, but it didn’t feel like an earthquake. The pair’s hands retracted as they faced one of the hills to the Southeast, what they saw shook them to their cores. A Titan, soaring over fifty feet tall, made completely out of black and gray stone with strange purple ooze leaking out of the crooks and crannies was stomping towards them. It’s violet eyes, seemingly seething with anger and hatred, were locked on the Nutcracker and only the Nutcracker. It roared a thunderous roar, causing the two to cover their ears as the valley shook from the bass. Fluttering next to the Titan’s head was a bat, about the size of the Nutcracker’s forearm.

“Run!” the Nutcracker screamed, grabbing Zane’s arm. He yanked on him as the two charged up the hill they had descended down.

“What is that thing?!” Zane shouted, his body felt cold from the fear. He didn’t dare look back; he knew it was after them, but he didn’t dare see how close it was getting.

“I think it’s a gift from Morro! Don’t stop, don’t stop!”

The ground beneath them trembled and shook, causing their knees to buckle every few steps. They stumbled and clambered over the grass, growing closer and closer to the shoreline. The pair breached the peak and saw Jay and Rowen still working on one of the boats, the one with the mast.

“Major! Captain!” Zane and the Nutcracker cried, each stumbled down the hillside frantically.

Rowen was muttering something unintelligible, shaking his head as he continued on the fabric in his hand. He would’ve kept working on it if Jay hadn’t pointed at the hilltop and shrieked, “Titan!”

Zane and the Nutcracker scrambled behind one of the larger rocks that rested on the shoreline. Zane waved at the others, calling them over for shelter. Jay and Rowen joined them as the Titan ripped a nearby tree out of the ground and threw it at the two boats, shattering them into splinters.

Rowen growled and grumbled, “That was our only chance to escape that beast. What are we going to do now?!”

The Titan’s violet eyes scanned the rubble, then locked back on the Nutcracker once again. It gave a deep rumble, like thunder on a summer night, and started towards the quartet.

“What do we do?!” Jay cried as they backed towards the water. “We’re trapped! There’s nowhere to go!”

Out of nowhere, a wave of myriad blues shot past the group as pastel colors swirled around the Titan’s head. The Nutcracker smiled as the Snow Fairies started to freeze the Sea behind them, while the Earth Fairies blinded and distracted the rock giant. The waters creaked and groaned, echoing as the ice thickened and paused the waves in their places; some were towering as tall as the Titan itself, others were in the midst of crashing or rolling, creating tunnels of ice. As the Snow Fairies grew further and further away, a whinny caught their attention.

A familiar horse, with a light red coat and golden mane, approached them with a familiar carriage. Zane grinned brightly, “Flame!”

Major Rowen ushered everyone into the carriage as Flame slid to a stop, “Hurry before the ice starts to melt!”

The Major and Captain Jay climbed into the front seats while Zane and the Nutcracker sat in the back. The Major snapped the reins, Flame jolted and started to gallop across the frozen wasteland. Zane held onto the Nutcracker’s hand with a death-like grip, silently praying that the ice wouldn’t break.

Behind them, the Earth Fairies fled from the Titan, once they saw that the group were safely on their way. The Titan swatted at the remaining fairies before they fled back to the valley, then it spotted the retreating carriage a distance away. It had to complete its mission; it had to destroy the wooden man. The man with the green stripe made it for this one job. It started marching towards the red and blue wooden soldier, not caring about what it crushed or stepped on.

“I think the Snow Fairies froze the ice too well,” Jay gulped, looking behind them.

Zane and the Nutcracker looked at one another, the same thought ran through their minds; what were they going to do?

The ex-Prince’s eyes scanned everywhere, looking for anything that could help. He had to protect his old friend, he had to protect Zane, he had to save everyone. Think, Cole, think. What to do? As he scanned the carriage, his hand brushed against his sword’s handle. The quick brush sent a jolt of an idea to his head. He knew what he had to do.

The Nutcracker leaned forward, past the Major and Captain, and yanked on the reins. Flame reared back and skidded to a stop. The wooden prince leaped out of the carriage and started skating towards the Titan.

Zane stood on the seat and cried, “What are you doing?!”

He didn’t reply, he had to remain focused on the task. At his predetermined spot, a flat section of ice, he dug his heels and came to a halt; he removed his sword, held it above his head, and waited for a moment’s breath.

“Be careful!” Zane’s voice echoed across the frozen sea.

“Don’t worry,” the Nutcracker murmured to himself. “Wood floats. Rock sinks.” With a loud cry, he stabbed the blade deep into the ice as spiderwebs of cracks shot out in all directions. He thrust the blade in and out of the ice a few times, forcing the veins to grow closer to the Titan and to his friends.

“Run Nutcracker!” Zane cried.

The Nutcracker ripped the sword free, glanced one last time at the ice, and skated as fast as his wooden feet could carry him. Don’t look back. Don’t look back! The ice underneath him continued to tremble, creak, groan, and crack as the Titan boomed and roared behind him. In front of him, Flame had started to gallop away. Panic surged through his body, the Nutcracker started to fall behind.

Zane leaned outside of the carriage and held his hand out, his silver necklace gleamed in the light as it flopped against his chest, “C’mon! C’mon! You can do it!”

The Nutcracker reached his gloved hand towards the blond’s, but it barely grazed his fingertips. The carriage was pulling away. He reached out again but missed once more. Think, think, think! That’s it! He popped his left arm off and reached out, grasping Zane’s pale hand with a grip of iron.

As the teen pulled him closer to the carriage, the Titan behind them had stepped onto the section of broken ice, courtesy of the Nutcracker. It’s foot shattered the ice and started to sink underneath the choppy waves; the giant toppled forward and crashed into the water, sending massive cracks in all directions, including towards the retreating carriage and horse.

As the Titan roared one last time before sinking below the waves, it’s violet eyes disappearing into the darkness below, Jay whipped the reins and screamed, “Go! Go! Go!”

The cracks shot out beside them, unleashing the wild waves underneath while disrupting the path under the carriage. Zane, with a grunt and all of his strength, yanked the Nutcracker into the back of the coach. The ex-prince toppled forward and landed on Zane’s chest. The two felt everything around them slow; the sounds of the ice cracking disappeared, the clopping of Flame’s hooves quieted, Jay’s cries were silenced. All the Nutcracker could hear was Zane’s heartbeat and breath underneath him, all he could see was his icy blue eyes staring at him, and was that a soft pink blush crawling up his face, burning the tips of his ears? His face hovered only about a foot above Zane’s; every fiber of his being screamed at him to confess, to lean closer, to do something!

“Nutcracker?” Zane murmured.

“Y-Yeah?”

“You’re crushing me.”

In a flash, he scrambled off of the teen in a flurry of embarrassed apologies. The Nutcracker faced away and covered his face, internally scolding himself for being smitten with someone who probably had someone back in his world that he was smitten with, or that he would never see again once they found the Sugarplum Prince. Speaking of which-

“We should be arriving at the island in an hour or so,” Rowen explained, then gave an uncertain huff. “Well, we hope an hour, as long as this fog bank ahead of us lightens up.”

A knot of anticipation tightened at the thought in the Nutcracker's stomach; his journey was almost over, they had almost found the Sugarplum Prince, and he would soon be free of his curse. Right?

Chapter Text

To Zane, it felt as if half a day had passed since the Titan sunk to the bottom of the Sea of Storms, but as he fidgeted with the silver locket that rested on his chest, he knew it had only been about an hour or so. The fog bank had grown thicker, so thick that he swore the Nutcracker could cut a hole through the fog with his sword. As he looked around, his thoughts continued to circle back to the locket tucked between his index finger and thumb. They were so close to the Sugarplum Prince’s island, so close to saving Ninjago, so close to breaking his and the Nutcracker’s curses, but why did he have a tight knot in his stomach? He wanted to go home, especially his normal size, and to reunite with his family, but at the same time, he felt a sense of belonging in Ninjago and with the Nutcracker. He felt hesitation now that they were so close, but he had to keep going. If not for him, then for the Nutcracker and Ninjago.

Flame kept veering to the right as Major Rowen had to swing her back every so often. “The fog is getting worse, we should turn back,” he said.

“But we’re so close,” the Nutcracker cried.

“There’s no sign of this island, and the ice underneath us could crack and melt underneath us at any moment,” Jay said.

Zane continued to stare into the distance through the shifting fog until he noticed something large and unmoving, as well as the smell of flowers drifting through the air. He had to know what it was. He leaned past Jay and Rowen, grabbed the reins, and halted the carriage.

“What are you doing?” Jay asked as Zane dismounted.

“I saw something in the distance,” he replied. He heard the Nutcracker behind him as they walked towards the lightest part of the fog bank. As they broke through the vapor, his heart skipped a beat in excitement; it was the island! He found it!

The Nutcracker stood beside him, his eyes shone with excitement and hope. “That’s it! We’re almost there!” The two looked at each other, grinned, and started skating as fast as their feet could carry them. Behind them, Rowen and Jay followed in the carriage at a distance.

Eventually, the quartet arrived on the shore of the island. White, sandy beaches surrounded the land as the ice melted and reverted to the choppy waves of turquoise waters. Inland, there were deep green hills that soared to the sky, bundles, and hillsides covered in red, white, pink, blue, and yellow flowers that swayed in the breeze, wafting a dizzying fragrance around them. Evergreens and oak trees dotted the hills as the leaves and needles shifted and waved at them. A dirt path led to the center of the island, disappearing around one of the grass hills.

Zane unhooked Flame from her carriage and let her graze, stroking her neck as the Nutcracker said, “I can sense a strong presence of magic here. I think he’s at the center of the island.”

Jay gestured for him to lead. Rowen watched the Nutcracker and Zane head down the path, he had a bad feeling in his stomach. The quartet followed the winding path, deciding to remain silent as an anxious aura surrounded them. Zane started to fall behind, fidgeting with his necklace once again, then completely froze when the path straightened out. At the end of the path sat a castle that soared into the clouds; with pink and white walls, towers with balconies, stained glass windows that glinted in the sunlight, and two large cedar doors that loomed over them.

Jay and Rowen glanced at one another, then at the Nutcracker and Zane, then approached the doors. The Nutcracker started to follow, then he realized that the teen hadn’t moved. “Are you coming?” he asked, softly.

Zane looked up and gripped the locket, he stuttered, “O-Oh, yes. Of course. Go ahead, I’ll catch up in a second.”

The Nutcracker nodded and approached the castle doorway. At the entrance, he raised his hand to knock but, only an inch or so away from the wood, it swung open with loud, thundering creaks. Inside was a grand entrance; pink and white tiled floors, a grand chandelier made seemingly of diamonds, and a grand staircase made of white marble.

Jay, Rowen, and the Nutcracker walked into the silent hall as Zane watched from a distance. His eyes wandered across the castle’s beauty until he noticed something fluttering near one of the towers. It looked like… a bat? Where had he seen that bat before?

Inside the castle, the group was standing underneath the chandelier, looking confused. “Where’s the Sugarplum Prince?” the Nutcracker murmured.

“I’m right here!”

The trio looked up and gasped. Standing at the top of the stairs was a man with stark white hair with a light pink stripe on the right side, rose quartz pink skin with a scar on his right eye, and had cotton candy pink eyes. He was wearing a red and white royal gown with a golden crown resting on his head, and in his right hand, he was holding a golden scepter with a ruby on the top. The scepter— the Nutcracker knew that scepter. His eyes widened.

Outside, Zane realized where he saw that bat. The Titan. It was with the Titan. “Nutcracker!” he cried.

The Nutcracker spun around as the same thought echoed through his head. It was a trap! The chandelier above them suddenly crashed down, changing into a metal cage before it could crush them. It slammed down with a loud metallic bang, the Nutcracker slammed his fists against the bars in fury. “No! No! No!” he shouted, bristling with rage. They had made it this far, how could they have been so blind?

Above them, the ‘Sugarplum Prince’ cackled, waved the scepter, and descended the stairs as the mirage around them disappeared. “I finally caught the Nutcracker and his friends,” he sneered. “It might have taken four years, but now my hunt is over. I can finally kill the Nutcracker!” He waved the scepter one last time as the castle completely disappeared, revealing his black hair and green stripe, sickly green skin, and black and green outfit.

“How did you get here?!” the Nutcracker growled. “There’s no way that you could’ve known about this!”

“How ignorant, how naive, so unknowledgeable about the power of the scepter. I can create whatever I want, whenever I want. I can go wherever I want with a simple spell. The power that this scepter has in unfathomable to you, but it has been whispering its secrets to me since I first held it.” Morro approached the cage and pressed his body against the bars in front of the Nutcracker. “Do they know your secret?” he hissed. “Do they know your history? Your lineage? Your voice? Your eyes? Maybe I should tell them? Shatter whatever trust they had with you-” He leaned forward and whispered into the Nutcracker’s ears, “Colton Anthony Brookstone.”

A colony of bats descended from the sky and hooked onto the top of the cage, lifting it into the air. “Take them to the palace. I’ll see them there.”

As the cage was flown away, the Nutcracker’s eyes scanned the area for his friend, but he couldn’t see him. Where had Zane gone?

Morro looked around the area one last time, waved the scepter above his head, and vanished.

***

Zane sat underneath the oak tree that he had hidden behind; within five minutes, he had lost his friends to the King and became stranded on an island surrounded by a raging sea. He rested his head against the bark and stared up at the crystal blue sky above him. What was he going to do? He couldn’t swim across the waters unless he wanted a death sentence, and all of the ice had long melted away. His fingers absent-mindedly reached back to the locket.

“This whole journey was a mistake,” he mumbled, closing his eyes. “Why did we think that there was a mystical Prince that was going to save the whole kingdom?” He sighed, “Uncle Garmadon always said that I believed too much in fairy tales, that I could be too trusting. He was right.” The teen’s heart ached at the thought of his Uncle, Aunt, and cousin. He missed them terribly.

He looked down at the silver heart, remembering what the owl had told him once they found the Sugarplum Prince. “I could always return home,” Zane mumbled. “I’m sure Lloyd has some doll clothes that could fit me. Wouldn’t that be a sight?” He gave a breathless whine, “What am I saying? How could I abandon them for my own selfish needs? I’m their only hope.”

Filled with a sudden sense of determination, he stood up and said, “I just need to find a way off of this island! Then, I’ll need to find a way to the castle. Then, a way into the castle…” With that, most of his determination fled, leaving him feeling slightly hopeless. Zane started walking back towards the shoreline when he heard familiar chirping and flittering around him. He froze and spun around, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw a whirlwind of pastel colors fluttering towards him. He held a hand out, allowing one of the fairies to land on his palm. “Hello there, little friend,” he said. “Are you here to help? The Nutcracker, Captain Jay, and Major Rowen were captured by King Morro, and I’m stranded on this island!”

The fairies chirped and squeaked excitedly, then they swarmed a nearby patch of long grass, flowers, and a willow tree that was growing nearby. After gathering many sections of grass, flowers, and branches of the willow, they formed a swing sturdy enough to hold his weight.

Zane was a bit hesitant. “Are you sure that will hold me?” After hearing their confident chirps, he accepted his fate. “Alright, then to the castle please!” With a jolt and a yelp, the teen was carried away.

Chapter Text

The cage landed with the heavy thud, sending the prisoners inside stumbling around. The entire flight over had been filled with silence and distrusting glances, mostly from Rowen to the Nutcracker, but the ex-prince didn’t care. The anger that had been boiling inside him had turned into ice-cold fear as the castle loomed into view; it had been so long since he had been inside the walls to his own home, and things had certainly changed since he had fled. The cream-colored walls were covered in dirt and grime, revealing a dingy appearance that his father would’ve been horrified to witness. Several of the windows were shattered or missing panes, a few pillars in the courtyard were cracked, and the once lush grass was dead and brown. What lay on the grass horrified the Nutcracker; statues upon statues of citizens, servants, maids, even soldiers frozen in midst of screams of pain and horror.

Rowen shoved his way forward as a look of pure panic was written on his normally stoic face, his one eye was locked on a single statue on the right side of the yard. The Nutcracker recognized it as his former teacher, Darreth Rowen.

The Nutcracker turned away, hiding his face as Rowen spat, “Curse the Prince! Curse the King! Curse this whole castle!”

The cage rattled from Morro’s palms slamming against the bars, “Oh dear, looks like our little Major isn’t happy being reunited with his beloved husband. Wouldn’t you like to join him?”

Rowen snarled and lunged at him, “You son of a bitch! I’m going to rip your—"

Morro stepped back, tsk-tsking at him disapprovingly. “Such vulgar language! Would your dear Darreth approve of such obscene words?” He turned to a pair of mice guards and said, “Take the Major and Captain to the cells below but keep the Nutcracker in here. I would like a few words with him before he joins them.” Jay and Rowen were yanked out of the cage and held at sword-point, the tips pressed against their necks; hard enough to cause fear, but not hard enough to draw blood. The Captain and Major were led into the castle, disappearing into one of the hallways.

Morro slammed his hands against the bars, startling the ex-prince once again. “So, you’re probably wondering why I don’t just kill you right here and now?”

The Nutcracker glared at him, remaining silent.

The King started to stalk around the cage, never breaking eye-contact with his painted eyes. “Well, there would be no fun in that! No spectators, no fanfare, nothing big; where’s the excitement, huh? I want to see the horror in the citizen’s faces when they find out that their long-lost Prince had not only been in their presence but will be killed in front of their very eyes.”

The Nutcracker felt his knees start to buckle. He had never seen this kind of crazed-bloodlust before, especially from someone he used to look up to. He had to find his old mentor within the killer. “Morro; I don’t understand what happened to you! My father trusted you, you were his second-in-command. You promised to lead Ninjago into prosperity, to protect the people-"

Morro’s bark of a laugh silenced him, “You still don’t get it! I don’t care about the citizens, I don’t care about the prosperity of this land! I only want the power! Your father led the war that killed my parents twenty-three years ago.”

“All of this was to avenge your parents’ deaths?!” the Nutcracker cried. “All the power in the world can’t bring them back! Killing me won’t bring them back!”

“You think I’m stupid?” he snapped, completing a full circle around the cage. “Of course I know it won’t bring them back!”

“Then why are you doing this?”

“I can’t have anyone standing in my way. Your father got in my way, Rowen and Walker got in my way, you got in my way, and soon you’ll all be gone.”

The Nutcracker narrowed his eyes, “What did you mean that my father got in your way?”

Morro shook his head, “Wow, you are thickheaded. Don’t you get it?!” He pressed his body against the bars and snarled, “I killed your father! I slit his throat in the cover of night, relishing in the blood that pooled around his head. I watched the life drain from his eyes, struggling for breath, as he grasped at anything that could save him. It was delicious.”

The Nutcracker was shocked into silence, horrified at the smug confession as his back pressed against the opposite side of the cage. If he had a stomach, he would’ve lost everything in it. His father had been killed at the hands of his most trusted commander, betrayed in the middle of the night. It didn’t make sense.

“Why didn’t you kill me?”

“That would’ve raised too much suspicion,” Morro said, stepping back. “The beloved King and Prince killed in the same night? Someone would’ve figured out it was me sooner rather than later, so I waited. Waited for the perfect moment to strike. Sure, I didn’t get to kill you during the change, but I destroyed something more valuable; your legacy, your reputation, your good name. I had one of my spies follow you and your little boy-toy around the country, listening in on every word. I know about the treetop village, I know about the fairies, and I know that the blond knows your identity. What’s his name? Zane, if I’m correct?”

Fury bristled within him at the mention of Zane. He rammed the cage’s bars and snarled, “Don’t you dare harm him! He’s innocent in all of this, just as Jay and Rowen are. If you wish to kill anyone, kill me!”

“I’ll do more than that! Once I have my preparations set, I’ll destroy anyone who pledges allegiance to you. Anyone that has given you shelter, or aid, even showing the briefest acts of kindness shall be killed until no one is left. You have my word on that, Cole.” Deciding that he was finished with the conversation, he turned to the guards and said, “Take him down to the dungeons, I’ll be there momentarily to make sure they can’t be found.”

The door to the cage was opened with a loud creak; the mice surrounded the Nutcracker with swords aimed at his chest and face, he could see his own furious reflection within the blades. As he stepped out of the cage, he was shoved forward from a push from behind. He stumbled and crashed onto the ground, seething as the mice snickered above him. As one of the mice held the sword against his wooden cheek, the Nutcracker finally snapped. In the blink of an eye, he had bit down on the blade and snapped it in half, sending shards scattering around him. The mouse started shrieking in a panic as he stared at his shattered sword, only to be knocked out with a strong punch to his face.

The Nutcracker started swinging wildly, connecting with the mice’s faces, chests, paws, anything that he could hit. He would not go down without a fight. Any swords that came near his face, he bit in half. Any paws or arms, gone in a second. He felt a fire burning within his chest, even as he was surrounded. He knew that the swords had cut into his face, next to his mouth from being shattered, he knew that the mice were slashing at his back, arms, and chest, leaving shallow trenches in the wood and paint, but he didn’t care. He just had to fight, even if it didn’t last much longer.

The Nutcracker knew it was over, even as Morro conjured a constricting rope around his chest, tying his arms to his side as well as locking his legs together. He topped forward and slammed against the ground once again with a loud bang, his jaws cracked together from the impact.

Morro knelt down and hissed, “I can’t wait to see you burn.” He grabbed the ropes and started to drag the Nutcracker into the castle halls. The interior was in ruins; cobwebs in every corner, windows unwashed from years of dust and grime, dust bunnies as big as the Nutcracker’s fist rolled past him, even large cracks were apparent in the used-to-be cream colored-walls. What had happened to his old home?

He was dragged on the wooden floor, his head occasionally slammed against a loose or uprooted floorboard. If he had been human, he definitely would’ve had a killer headache. Down the hallway, past the weapons bay, and with an increasing sense of deja vu, he knew that he was heading towards the cells down below. The Nutcracker’s head slammed against every brick step as they descended down the spiral staircase.

The dungeons had been expanded since he had last been there, from one cell to a whole hallway full. Morro dragged him past the empty cells to a wooden doorway at the end, two mice were already standing guard. “Move aside,” Morro snapped. The mice stepped aside as door was opened, revealing Jay and Rowen shackled to the walls. Rowen was glaring daggers at the two of them while Jay watched with worried eyes. The Nutcracker was dragged to the side beside Jay and the ropes were shackled to the wall.

Morro stood by the doorway, waved the scepter in the shape of an arch, then left, locking the door behind him. Rowen glared at the Nutcracker, only to realize that he had blood dripping from his mouth. “Who’s blood is that?” Rowen asked, suspicious.

The Nutcracker spat on the ground and said, “Mouse.” He looked up and asked, “Are you two alright?”

“Oh, we’re fine!” Jay said, sarcastically. “Y’know, other than the fact that we’re being held captive by a crazed King and have essentially been sentenced to death!”

The ex-prince sighed and hung his head, “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. If I hadn’t asked for your help, you two wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Morro would’ve found us sooner or later,” Jay sighed. “At least we tried to help a good cause.”

“Yeah, such a great cause this was,” Rowen grumbled. “I told you the Skystar-whatever-they-were was a myth, but no one listened to me.”

The Nutcracker hung his head in shame, the last embers of fury had long died and were now replaced with a waterfall of sorrow. He had sentenced his best friend to death, stranded his friend on an island across a now raging sea, and would be killed most likely within the hour. How could things get any worse?

Chapter Text

Zane was getting anxious. They were approaching the castle as the storm above them boiled and thundered, lightning flashed and streaked from cloud to cloud before the thunder shook his bones and rumbled in his chest. The fairies flew him to the back of the castle, the side that faced the Sea of Storms, as well as the side that had the least amount of guards patrolling. Zane relaxed his grip on the sides of the swing as the fairies gently set him down on the dead grass yard, the soft crunch did nothing to settle his nerves. He looked up at the towering castle walls as he felt his soul be shrouded in icy fear. This was it. This was what everything had been leading up to. Even though their mission to find the Sugarplum Prince had been a total bust, he still had to find the hope to save the Nutcracker, Jay, and Rowen before Morro did anything to them.

He turned to the fairies as they released the swing and gave them a soft nod. “Thank you for your help, I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

One fairy flew up to him, and in a high-pitched minuscule voice, said, “Save the Nutcracker.”

With a newfound sense of determination, he faced the castle and started searching for a way inside. The fairies behind him scrambled away, where they went he didn’t know. He ran his hand alongside the dingy yellow walls, feeling every bump and crack underneath his palm and fingertips as his eyes scanned the walls from the sky to the ground. Just as he was ready to turn around and search the other direction, he heard voices echoing from the front entrance. Crouching low to the ground, he pressed himself against the wall and crept up as far as he could.

At the edge of the wall, he poked his head around the corner and silently gasped; in front of him was a massive courtyard filled with mice, some were sharpening their swords while others were readying their quivers and bows, piles and piles of wood and logs stacked by the main gate, and a cracked fountain in the very center of the yard. Piled within the fountain were even more logs, stacked in the formation of a bonfire.

Zane shrunk back as Morro stepped out of the main entrance, his fists were white from his grip on the scepter. “I want more wood!” he shouted. “I want this to be the biggest fire Ninjago has ever seen!” As he continued to shout commands the gates opened, revealing the citizens from the treetop village. Within the crowd, he could see Seliel, Kai, and Nya huddled together.

Move, Zane thought. Keep going. Don’t get distracted. He inched back and started sprinting around the opposite side of the castle walls, quietly panting as he rounded the back end. C’mon, there has to be a secret entrance somewhere! he thought. Then, as if to answer his prayers, he spotted a wooden door a short distance away. Sure, it was rotten and had holes in it, but it was a door. He glanced around one last time before shoving it open, stumbling into the darkness within.

After emerging from a thick cloud of dust, he looked around and realized that he was in a storage room filled with boxes and old armor. He scavenged through the boxes in search of anything helpful but came up empty-handed. Zane shrugged off a thin layer of dust that had settled down on his shoulders and started to creep through the next hallway.

His footsteps were muffled on the wooden floors as he glanced through every open doorway, hiding behind statues and tapestries from any wandering guards. Where would the Nutcracker be? he thought. This is a castle, so there must be a dungeon or prison somewhere. Zane slipped behind yet another dusty tapestry as a pair of mice entered the hallway. He couldn’t understand what the mice were murmuring to one another, but it still filled him with a sense of dread and uneasiness. He had to find the Nutcracker, Major, and Captain before things made a turn for the worse.

Once the mice had rounded the corner into the next hallway, Zane waited for two breaths then crept out from behind the gray cloth. He continued to glance into the doorways before making his way into the western side of the castle. As he wandered the hallway, he stumbled upon two portraits hanging side-by-side; one of a man and a woman, and the other of the same man and a child. Though he couldn’t make out many details other than the clothes and body shapes, he found the artistry of the paintings to be amazing. The shading, the lighting, the details were stunning, but he wished he could’ve seen the faces. Someone or something had torn away from the faces, revealing the faded white of the canvas cloth.

Zane shook his head, he had to keep moving. Within the same hallway, he found a massive library, several empty studies, a bedroom or two, and a weapons bay filled with rusted swords and moldy bows. Zane decided to keep the bay in mind before facing the final door. There was nothing special about it; it was just an oak door with metal designs going across the center, so why did he have a feeling the Nutcracker was behind it? He couldn’t ignore this strange sense, he had to know what was behind it.

Zane approached the door, turned the handle, and gave it a strong tug. The door gave a long, sorrowful groan as it swung open, unleashing the smell of wet earth and mildew upon him. In front of him was a brick spiral staircase that descended into darkness, the only sounds echoing upwards to him were droplets of water hitting the stone and the sounds of metal armor rustling around. He glanced behind him one last time before following the stairs downward. His feet gently splashed against small pools of water that had grown on the stairs, silently praying that it wouldn’t alert the guards. At the base of the stairs was a torch, lighting up what used to be a single dungeon cell; three of the walls were made of brick, different shades of red that glowed and flickered in the firelight, while the fourth wall, the one to his left, had been torn down and replaced with another hallway. Zane’s senses were getting stronger, he knew the Nutcracker was at the end of the hall.

Zane could hear the guards from his location by the stairwell, there had to be at least two from what he could decipher. He couldn’t take them on physically, he didn’t have any weapons, and he didn’t have the Nutcracker. So how was he going to get past them?

“Think, Zane, think!” he hissed. They were mice, they followed Morro’s command. Morro had a scepter, a magic scepter to be specific. A magic scepter that could change anything he wants. Morro most likely uses fear to control the mice. Strike fear into the mice guards! Now, all he had to do was act terrified and say the right things, then, on a wish and a prayer, he could get past them.

He drew in a deep breath, swallowed his fear, and sprinted down the hallway, looking backward, as if something had been chasing him. Zane skidded to a stop in front of the two guards who were looking at him as if he was a piece of dirt. “Thank goodness I found you!” he cried between gasps. “The King was looking for you two! He said that if you didn’t meet him by the stables within the next few minutes, he would turn you into house flies! Or was it horse flies?”

Zane inwardly grinned at the fear that had grown in the guards’ eyes. Without any further convincing, the two shoved the teen to the side and skittered down the hallway, disappearing from view. Once their footsteps had faded away, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief, ran his fingers through his hair as his heart rate struggled to slow down. He couldn’t believe it actually worked! Next to the wooden door was a ring of keys, hanging on a metal hook attached to the wall. After, trying three of the four keys, he finally unlocked the door and stepped inside.

It was empty.

The cell was circular in shape, unlike the rectangular ones down the hallway, with unlit torches suspended on the stone wall. The ground was made of dirt and was seemingly undisturbed. The only light that entered the cell was from the torches in the previous room. This didn’t make sense. They were supposed to be here, everything led to them being here. So, where were they? Zane took a few steps into the room and continued to look at anything and everything, but nothing seemed out of place. He even tried to move the torches, hoping that it would reveal a secret passage, but nothing changed. Something wasn’t right, but what was it?

Zane turned to leave, but his sense was going insane. The Nutcracker was here, he was here, he just knew it. He couldn’t leave, not yet, he had to figure out one thing. “Why would the King post guards on an empty cell?” he murmured, facing the center of the room once again. Step forward. They’re here. He’s here. Holding his hand out, he approached the opposite end of the room one step at a time. His heartbeat echoed in his ears with each step. One, two, three, four, five—

His hand hit something cold in the dead center of the room, it felt almost like a mirror. A grin of disbelief grew on his face, he knew that something wasn’t right with this room. He ran his hand along the entirety of the mirror, but there were no seams that he could find. Zane stepped back a few feet, biting his lip as his eyes kept glancing to the right side of the room. He had to break the mirror, but with what? His eyes flickered to the side and focused on one of the torches hanging on the wall. That’s it!

Zane raced over, yanked the torch off of the wall, gave a grunt from the surprising amount of weight the object packed and heaved it over his shoulder. “Stand back!” he called, then he swung. The torch collided with the mirror and sent a shockwave of cracks across the entirety of the mirror, shattering it into hundreds of shards that fell and dissipated into the floor, leaving no trace whatsoever.

“Zane!” a trio of voices cried. Appearing before the teen was Major Rowen, Captain Jay, and the Nutcracker, chained and shackled to the wall. Jay and Rowen appeared to be relatively unharmed, but the Nutcracker not only was covered in new scratches and cuts, especially on his face but had dried blood around his mouth.

The teen raced over, ready to free him, but the Nutcracker shook his head and said, “Get Jay and Rowen first. I’ll be okay.”

Zane nodded and rushed over to Jay, found the right key, and unlocked the shackles from his wrists. Then he moved to Rowen, found the next key, and unchained him. As he freed the Nutcracker from the ropes around his arms and chest, he could hear Jay murmuring about his shoulders and wrists aching.

Once the ropes had been untied, the Nutcracker fell forward and landed in Zane’s outstretched arms with a quiet grunt. “Thank you, Zane,” he murmured as he regained his posture.

Zane felt butterflies flutter excitedly in his stomach. He struggled to think of a response other than you’re welcome, but nothing was coming to mind. Thankfully, he didn’t have to stutter for much longer, for Jay cleared his throat and caught everyone’s attention.

“Not to ruin the moment, but shouldn’t we get out of here before the guards or Morro come back?”

Zane nodded, “Jay’s right; Morro’s building a bonfire in the courtyard as we speak, and he brought the villagers from the forest here.”

“Then let’s get moving,” Rowen said, but the Nutcracker hesitated.

“You three don’t have to do this,” he said. “This is my fight and my fight alone. I’m the cause for Morro gaining the throne, I’m the one who put you two in danger, and I’m the reason that Zane was cursed in the first place. You three can find a way out through the wall; there’s a secret exit on the North side, just follow the outside and you’ll be free.”

“Are you serious?”

The Nutcracker was surprised to find that it was Zane who had spoken.

“I am not letting you battle Morro alone,” Zane continued, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve traveled across Ninjago with you, gone through thick and thin with you, and will stay with you until Morro is gone for good!”

Jay grinned, “He’s right. You’ve shown more determination that most of the soldiers from the Royal Army, you even remind me of my best friend from many years ago. He would do anything for me, and I would do anything for him. That means I will do anything for you.”

Rowen gave a deep sigh, “Hate to say it, but Bluebell is right. As the Major of the Royal Guard, it is my duty to make sure the job is done, and as of right now, the job is to get Morro off of the throne.”

“We’re with you until the end of the line,” Zane said, determination glowing in his eyes.

The Nutcracker’s grin lit up the room, he wiped at his face (thankfully removing the blood that Zane refused to think about) and asked, “How did I get so lucky to find three amazing people like you?”

“I’d say fate, now let’s get moving!” Zane said, charging out the door without a moment’s hesitation. Jay, Rowen, and the Nutcracker followed him to their awaiting destiny.

Chapter Text

The group of four peeked around the corner of the castle wall, Zane realized that the wood stacked in the fountain had almost doubled in size, reaching a height of over fifteen feet. The villagers were lined up along the Western side of the wall, each on their knees with their hands in their laps.

The Nutcracker bristled with fury. He growled, “Sugarplum Prince or no Sugarplum Prince, that man has got to be stopped!” He drew his sword, a new one that they had found in the armory (it was also the least rusted), and stepped forward. With a booming voice, he shouted, “Is this any way to run a kingdom?”

Morro spun on his heels and sneered, “The guest of honor has finally arrived! Took you long enough, I was just about to light the fire!” He swung the scepter towards the bonfire, a ray of light shot out of the ruby and into the center of the logs. The bonfire erupted into a raging inferno, casting a shockwave of heat across the entire courtyard.

The Nutcracker growled, “You don’t deserve to be King; you lost that right the moment you betrayed Ninjago to the mice. You promised to protect the people, to lead them into prosperity, but you led them into ruin!”

“You think you know how to be King?” Morro spat. “You think that I care about these peasants? I don’t even need them!” He faced the crowd, aimed the scepter at the far left and shouted, “Those peasants who do challenge me, living statuary be!” Within seconds, the villagers had all been turned to stone, their faces were frozen in fear and agony. They didn’t even have time to scream.

Zane felt like he was going to pass out. Jay threw up behind him. Rowen remained frozen in horrified silence.

The Nutcracker gave a guttural scream and charged at the King, sword at the ready. Morro got into a ready stance as the scepter changed into a golden sword, identical to the one he used in Zane’s home. In front of the bonfire, the two clashed with a loud resonance of metal screeching together. The Nutcracker swung his blade at Morro’s head, but the King dodged underneath. Morro stabbed his sword forward and nicked his left arm. The Nutcracker used his weight and clashed their swords together once again, grinding his jaws in concentrated frustration. Morro’s eyes started scanning the makeshift arena for any aid, any distraction, anything he could use against the ex-prince. Then, he fell onto his back, tucked his legs against his stomach, and kicked the Nutcracker backward with all of the strength he could muster.

The Nutcracker stumbled backward, but dug his heels into the ground and regained his balance. He looked up and had to take a step back as Morro charged at him, fury and rage burned like wildfires in his eyes; he was determined to kill the Nutcracker there and now. Block, block, stab. Another chunk was removed from his chest, still couldn’t feel a thing. Block, step back, step back, block, swing; Morro cut his right cheek. Back, back, duck, uppercut; his teeth clattered together, sending an uncomfortable feeling down his spine. Stab, slash, stab; three new cuts on his arms and chest. The heat from the fire was bearing down on him, he was getting too close. He could see the reflection of the flames in Morro’s eyes.

The Nutcracker reared back and slammed his head against Morro’s, a loud crack echoed across the courtyard, soon followed by a series of loud screams.

“Fuck! Fuck!” Morro shrieked, stumbling back several feet as blood trickled down from a large cut on his forehead and into his eyes. He frantically wiped at the blood as the Nutcracker charged once again.

Slash, stab, duck; the Nutcracker got a few hits on the King’s arms, but nothing that would make him surrender. Kick, roundhouse, stumble; the Nutcracker tried to strike the side of Morro’s head, but he had ducked underneath and rolled behind him. He felt a massive weight collide against his back, he crashed onto the ground with a heavy bang and quickly rolled out of the way just seconds before the sword struck the ground where his head previously was.

Morro snarled and stalked the Nutcracker in a circular motion, the blade of the sword dragged behind him as sparks flew from the metal and stone colliding. “One of us is going to die today,” he growled. “Whether by blade or fire, I promise that it will be you.”

“That won’t be the first time you’ve gone back on your word,” the Nutcracker spat. Then, in the blink of an eye, he charged across the yard and lunged, blade first, at the King’s chest.

Swing at his head, stab at his chest, roundhouse kick at the back of his knees. Blocked, blocked, blocked. If the Nutcracker had been human, his arms would’ve been burning, his heart would’ve been pounding out of his chest, his blood would’ve been roaring in his ears, sweat would’ve been blinding in his eyes, but he wasn’t human. If he was human, he would’ve bled out by now.

Morro struck his chest once again, this time slashing across from his upper left shoulder to the bottom right side. The Nutcracker fell to one knee. Morro raised the sword and slashed downward on his face, he howled and covered his right side of his face. He could feel underneath his fingers a large cut from the middle of his forehead through his eye to his jawline. He was blind! How could he fight if he was blind?!

The King changed the sword into a thick baton and struck the ex-prince across the right side of his head with a resonating crack. The Nutcracker saw a rainbow of stars dance before his remaining eye; his head felt like it was spinning like a spinning wheel as his eyes shook in his wooden skull. He couldn’t stand; the world was moving too fast for him to find his bearings. Another hit struck the left side of his head, he fell onto one hand as he swayed from side to side. With one final hit square on his chest, the Nutcracker soared through the air and cracked his head against the base of the fountain, succumbing to darkness.

***

Zane gripped the corner of the wall as the battle raged in front of his eyes, if he gripped the stone any harder he would leave bloody handprints behind. He didn’t want to watch the Nutcracker fight, but he couldn’t turn away. He had to make sure the Nutcracker made it out of this alive. He bit his bottom lip until he tasted blood on his tongue, his eyes stayed locked on the red and blue wooden man as their swords clashed and slashed and stabbed at one another. With every nick and cut that the Nutcracker gained, Zane felt his heart skip a beat until he feared that it would stop from the anxiety and anticipation of the battle.

Whenever it seemed that the Nutcracker had gained the upper-hand over Morro, the King would strike with even more vigor and hatred. Knicking away at his arms, his chest, anywhere he could hit. Then, the unthinkable happened; the Nutcracker had fallen onto one of his knees from being struck on the side of the head, then was struck on the opposite side, he looked ready to collapse at the softest breeze, and with one final strike to the chest he was sent flying through the air and rammed into the base of the fountain, less than two feet away from the raging fire above his wooden body. The Nutcracker’s head rolled to the side as he lay unmoving.

Every fiber of Zane’s being was screaming, but they were screaming for two separate reasons; half told him to stay hidden, that it wasn’t his battle to fight, while the other half told him to defend the Nutcracker in his time of need. He had to act fast for Morro was stalking towards the bonfire like a predator to a piece of meat. Stay hidden, or stand up for the Nutcracker?

Next thing Zane knew, he was sprinting across the stone yard faster than he had ever run before. He burst through the wall of heat from the inferno and fell to his knees at the Nutcracker’s side, frantically shaking him. “Nutcracker! Nutcracker! Wake up, wake up!” he cried, cradling his head in his hands. Behind him, he could feel Morro’s presence as the baton shifted back into the sword.

“I’ll give you two a choice; dismemberment or barbecue?” Morro sneered, aiming the sword at the pair.

Zane ground his teeth together; he had had enough of this bully terrorizing this kingdom, it’s people, and the Nutcracker. He rose to his feet, tightened his grip into white-knuckled fists, and shouted, “No! I won’t let you kill him! You don’t deserve to be King, you don’t deserve that scepter, and you don’t deserve to be judge, jury, and executioner!”

Morro reared his head back and gave a bark of a laugh, “Such a stupid, naive boy! You don’t know what you’re dealing with! If you stand aside I might spare you, even send you back to your precious family. Otherwise, you’ll join your beloved Nutcracker six feet under!”

“I will never stand aside!” Zane cried. “If you want him, you’ll have to kill me!”

Unknown to either man, the Nutcracker was regaining consciousness, but the sounds of him moving and groaning were muffled by the flames and crackling of logs and embers. He looked up with his one good eye, noticed the blond standing above him with his arms held out protectively, and murmured, “Zane?” But it went unnoticed.

Morro’s eyes glinted dangerously. “So be it.” He raised his sword, gave a final vicious sneer, and thrust forward. The blade sunk into it’s desired target’s chest, but it wasn’t the intended target.

The Nutcracker stumbled back as the sword sunk deep into the center of his chest, collapsing into Zane’s arms as Morro took a step back in surprise. He hadn’t expected the Nutcracker to leap up and take the fatal blow instead of the blond. Jay and Rowen, finally shaken from their stupor, ran across the yard and forced Morro to his knees, holding him down with all of their combined strength. But, even then, they were helpless as the scene unfolded in front of them.

Zane and the Nutcracker fell to the ground as the courtyard fell silent, even the roar of the fire seemed to quiet quite a bit. “No, no, no, please no!” Zane cried, frantically. “Please, Nutcracker!”

The Nutcracker’s left eye began to droop as his gaze started to turn glassy. He rested his head on Zane’s shoulder and gave a weak smile, “Don’t worry about me,” he murmured. “I’m just wood, remember?”

“You’re more than that! You’re so much more than that! Please, Nutcracker! You can’t die!” Zane’s vision started to blur, his throat tightened uncomfortably as tears poured down his cheeks, dripping onto the Nutcracker’s in small droplets. He couldn’t breathe. His body shook as if an earthquake was underneath his knees. This couldn’t be happening, this couldn’t possibly be happening!

“Don’t cry for me. It’s better this way,” he whispered. He raised his left hand up to Zane’s face and gently wiped away one of the trails of tears streaking down. The Nutcracker gave one final smile, and with his final breath, murmured, “Zane… I… I love-…“

His hand fell from Zane’s cheek.

Chapter Text

“Nutcracker! Nutcracker!! Wake up, please!” Zane wailed, shaking the Nutcracker’s shoulders desperately. Maybe if he shook him hard enough and cried loud enough, his beloved friend would awaken and give him a smile. He gave another wail of grief that echoed across the hillside as his face become soaked with salty tears. How strange; he only knew the Nutcracker for three days, traveling across the country that felt like it was in another realm, and yet, he felt as if he lost his father once again. The grief and sorrow were overwhelming, as if the world around him was crumbling, shattering like a piece of glass. How could he be in such agony for someone he barely knew?

It couldn’t be what he thought, the only answer that made sense; the heartache, the trust, the devastation, it led to one point. It couldn’t be. Did he… had he developed feelings towards the Nutcracker? The feeling of warmth that flowed through his veins at the thought with the mixture of butterflies raging in his stomach gave him a solid answer.

Zane rested his forehead on the Nutcracker’s and gave one final sob. “Please, please come back to me,” he whimpered, pressing a soft kiss onto his forehead. “Please Cole, I love you.” Zane tightened his grip on the wooden body underneath him as a few stray tears squeezed past his closed eyes. But, within the darkness, he noticed a soft yellow light start to grow brighter until it became too harsh to ignore.

The teen opened his eyes and gasped, along with a chorus of exclamations from the mice, Captain, Major, and even Morro. The Nutcracker was glowing a soft yellow and white as vein-like streams flowed across his body, coiling and wrapping around his arms, legs, neck, and waist. Zane’s eyes followed the streams to their source; the sword embedded in the Nutcracker’s chest.

The ruby on the sword’s hilt was glowing brighter than it had ever glowed before, as if it was mimicking the sun. The blade was developing thin white cracks that glowed and crackled, popped and snapped, which caused the entirety of the sword to shudder and quake. A whisper echoed across the courtyard, murmuring, "A Prince no more, my time has come; a toy you are, till life undone.”

“No! No!!” Morro cried, struggling against Jay and Rowen’s grip. “It can’t be!”

The Nutcracker was slowly enveloped in a rainbow of colors, flickering and shifting like a fog on a spring morning, and within the fog, he started to shift and change form. His white hair started to loosen, curl, wave, and change into a deep obsidian. Part of his hair flopped forward and covered his forehead, hiding the thin scar across his eye to his rounder jawline. The lines from the corner of his mouth had faded away, revealing cracked, dry lips parted subtly. The Nutcracker’s soldier’s cap wavered and changed into a golden tiara, embedded within were emeralds of all shapes and sizes. His body trembled and shuddered as his arms, chest, waist, and legs returned to their normal sizes.

The sword was cracked, glowing within the blinding light and quaked with the intensity of an avalanche. Then, it shattered into hundreds of pieces before the shards dissipated into the cracks of the stone courtyard. A shockwave blasted across the castle, enveloping Zane in a wave of warmth, as if he was laying in a field underneath the sun.

The shockwave struck the frozen villagers across the yard, shattering the stone as they flew backward several feet, tumbling and rolling over one another in a flurry of cries and exclamations.

Morro continued to struggle against Jay and Rowen’s grip, “It’s not fair! I’ll make you pay for this!”

Jay gasped, “Is that… Cole?!”

Zane ignored Morro’s cries of fury. He was too focused on the young prince laying on his lap. He cupped Cole’s face and gently ran his thumb over his cheek and scar. “Cole, wake up,” he whispered.

Cole’s eyes suddenly shot open. He arched his back as he took in a heavy deep breath, his hands scrambled for a grasp on anything as his eyes searched everywhere, looking for something or someone. Then, his hazel-green eyes locked onto Zane’s icy blues and he relaxed. Cole gave a breathy smile and nestled his head into the crook of his arm as he continued to quietly gasp for air.

“It’s the Prince!”

“Is that Prince Cole?”

“The Prince was the Nutcracker?”

Zane looked up and saw the villagers murmuring amongst one another, but he didn’t care about what they were saying. His attention was on Cole and Cole alone.

The Prince, tucked in his arms, murmured, “I’m glad to see that you’re okay.” He ran his hand over his chest, digging his finger into a hidden indent underneath his clothes, a permanent reminder of this day.

“I’m glad to see you’re alive,” Zane replied, wiping away at any remnants of his tears on his sleeve. “Are you okay to stand?”

With a nod of confirmation, he helped the Prince to his feet. Cole swayed softly, stumbled until he found his balance, and kept a strong grip on Zane’s shoulder. But the Prince’s eyes widened as a soft breeze swirled around the teen, he started to emit a soft blue glow as the breeze picked up. Zane’s clothes started to change and shift; his pants turned into a black pair of dress pants with thin, silver designs of snowflakes and swirls that curled downward. His thin nightshirt shimmered and shifted into not only a navy blue, long-sleeved shirt, but it had silver decorations, silver snowflakes, and a white collar with white trim on the sleeves and hem. The breeze quickened around the top of his head, blowing and rustling his hair like a tornado until it went absolutely still. Zane felt something on top of his head, colder than a winter’s snowstorm but as light as a leaf, he reached up and removed a silver tiara with blue gemstones embedded within the metal.

“Zane; you’re the Sugarplum Prince!” Cole said, his eyes glistened with awe. “Everything makes sense! You’ve shown kindness, bravery, loyalty, and love throughout this journey. You saved me back in the parlor, you didn’t abandon us in our time of need, you showed kindness to everyone you met, and—“

“—I love you,” Zane finished.

The Prince’s eyes glittered with unshed tears. He struggled to think of a response, but all that came out was nonsensical stuttering. He was silenced when he felt Zane’s soft hand gently caress his cheek, his head was tilted upwards as the slightly taller teen’s forehead rested against his.

“May I?” Zane whispered, biting his lip.

Cole reached his arms up, wrapped them around the blond’s neck, and pulled him into a gentle kiss. Zane’s lips were ice-cold, soft like silk, but his breath was hot as it clashed together with Cole’s cracked lips. He felt a shockwave erupt from their hearts, what it was and what it did didn’t matter to the Prince at the moment. For the first time in four years, Cole felt. He felt excitement, warmth, joy bubbling inside his chest. Laughter bubbled in his throat as he pulled Zane closer. He felt love for the first time since his father passed, he refused to let it slip through his fingers (which were now running through Zane’s hair). He could feel Zane’s silky hair underneath his bare fingertips, his soft skin underneath his right hand, even the cloth of his new royal garb. He felt truly alive as they parted for air, his heart pounded like a hammer in a forge as he opened his eyes once again. The pair couldn’t help but smile at one another until they remembered that they had an audience watching them. The world around them had disappeared for a short time, it could be forgiven that they forgot that they weren’t alone.

“It’s the Prince! He’s alive!” the crowd of villagers cheered. “We’re saved!”

Cole gave a sheepish smile before the pair took a step back, still holding hands. As they faced the crowd (including a shocked Jay, a stone-faced Rowen, and a still pissed off Morro), he closed his eyes for a brief second, took in a deep breath, and cleared his throat. “Thank you, my friends. You welcomed us with open arms in our time of need and I will do what I can to aid you. I will use the leadership and guidance of my mother and father to return Ninjago to a time of prosperity and joy.”

As the crowd cheered and clapped, Cole faced Zane as a soft blush dusted his face, he said, “None of this would’ve been possible without you; I believe that destiny brought us together, and even though we’ve only known each other for a few days, I hope that you can stay with me here.”

Zane felt his heart skip three full beats. He couldn’t stop the grin that grew on his lips, nor the bubble of laughter that escaped him. He reached up and ran one of his fingers over the silver locket that hung from his neck. “This locket was supposed to take me home, but I feel like I belong here. This is my new home, the place I need to be.”

Within the roar of the crowd, Cole could barely hear Rowen calling out something unintelligible. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Major and Captain stumble backward while Morro broke free. The Prince didn’t have time to understand what was happening; one second everything was fine, the next Zane had been shoved to the side as his locket was ripped off of his neck.

“Stop him!” someone cried. Cole couldn’t tell who.

Jay sprinted past them, streaking into a blue blur as Morro neared the front gate. The former King held his right hand in the air, the silver locket gleamed in the sunlight, and with a flick of his thumb, the metal heart was opened. Jay leaped forward and tackled him to the ground, but it was too late. Morro’s cackling could be heard across the hillside as Cole’s heart shattered.

Zane was disappearing. His body was becoming translucent and there was nothing that he could do. He stared at his hands as they trembled uncontrollably. The words of the owl from the parlor echoed in their minds, “Once you find the Sugarplum Prince, open it and you will return home safe and sound.”

“Zane!” Cole cried, reaching his hand forward, but it went through his arm. It was like he was touching mist. He started to panic, there was no time to say everything he wanted to say.

“Cole!” Zane’s voice was growing faint. He reached out one last time, fading faster than before until he had completely vanished. Vanished like a summer breeze, as if he had never existed in the first place.

Cole fell to his knees, his body numb and cold. The only joy he had was ripped away like a dream fading from his mind, but he refused to forget. Even as Morro continued to mock him as he was dragged away, shouting about his revenge of finally breaking the Prince, Cole refused to give up. He still had Zane's locket, he knew where Zane was, he knew that he was safe, he just needed to find a way to return to him.

Chapter Text

Cole and Jay sat on the fountain’s edge, watching the reunion of the villagers, soldiers, and old friends from a distance. The Captain had told him that the shockwave he had felt had removed all effects that Morro had on the country and castle. The cream-colored walls were back to their vibrancy, all cracks and shattered windows were repaired, the years of dust were blown away, and the castle was reverted into a state of pureness. The statues of the servants, soldiers, and maids had been freed from their stone prisons, mingling with the villagers from the treetop town. The Captain and Prince watched with warm hearts as Major Rowen was reunited with his dear spouse, spinning him around in the air before showering him with kisses and words of love.

Across Ninjago, the wave crashed, rolled, shifted, and flowed, spreading shimmering colors and summer breezes to the far corners of the land. Broken bridges were fixed, valleys and forests bloomed with new life, villages that had been destroyed were repaired without a single brick out of place. Everything seemed to be back in order, but the thought of the casualties suffered under Morro’s reign stayed in the back of Cole’s mind. He knew he could never bring them back, even with the scepter it would’ve been impossible to resurrect the dead.

Jay turned to Cole, studied his face for several seconds, then murmured, “I can’t believe that you’re here, that you’re alive, that Morro’s siege is finally over, and that everything is as it should be. It feels like a dream. But I have to know; why didn’t you tell me? You told me that Morro destroyed you, so what happened?”

Cole sighed, “I wanted to tell you from the moment I first saw you back in the forest. I wanted to tell you every moment from there to the Sea of Storms. I wanted to tell you so much; the words were always on the tip of my tongue but I couldn’t bring myself to tell you. I thought that it would’ve been better to believe that I was dead until after the battle, so if I did die you wouldn’t have to grieve for me. I would just be an anonymous Nutcracker that had a grievance with the King. I couldn’t bear hurting you once again.”

“You were gone for four years!” Jay cried. “Every day I thought about you, every day I cursed Morro and that damned scepter, and every day I thought about the last time I saw you. I thought about everything that could’ve happened when you challenged him, I just never thought that you would’ve been turned into a Nutcracker of all things!” He fell silent for a minute or two, he hung his head before looking at him from the side. His voice softened, “Where did you go?”

“Remember that old lady from long ago? The one who told us about the Sugarplum Prince?”

Jay nodded.

“I wandered across Ninjago, searching for anyone who could help me find him. I went from village to village, from the Sea of Storms to the Ice Caverns in the South. Morro and his soldiers had followed me there, but the Snow Fairies showed me a path to another world, the world that Zane is from. After that, I was unconscious for a long time. I woke up in his parlor, only to find that Morro had tracked me down. We found another portal back to the Ice Caverns and continued our journey from there.”

“Things went south so fast after you disappeared. People were turned to stone in cartfuls, there wasn’t a thing we could do to stop it. I was able to get Seliel out of the castle as the servants were turned, but as you saw, we couldn’t get Darreth out in time. Rowen was so distraught, I had never seen him like that before. He was quiet, it was… eerie. It was like he was a whole new person. We traveled from town to town, saving those that we could, but we couldn’t get everyone. We lost a lot of people along the way, but now we can make things right. We can rebuild Ninjago, we can make it better!”

Cole couldn’t help but chuckle at Jay’s enthusiasm for the future. Sure, on the inside he was still terrified to lead a country at only sixteen, but he was also calm. Somehow, he knew that he would be okay, but it would take everyone’s help in making sure the rebuilding process goes well. There was just one person that he needed by his side for the best future possible.

***

Zane awoke to the sound of the grandfather clock chiming for the ninth time. He lifted his head from the crook of his elbow and yawned, covering his mouth with his other hand. Where was he? The teen blinked several times as his eyes adjusted to the sun filtering in from the open windows, he was back in the parlor room; the Christmas tree still stood in the corner of the room, decorated with the ornaments and ribbons, the presents were still untouched and in pristine condition, and the owl was still perched on top of the clock, unmoved and guarded as usual. But the room wasn’t in its pristine condition; the garland had been knocked down and at the base of the fireplace there were shards of a broken ornament. Zane sat up and felt the top of his chest, his necklace was gone. He looked at his clothes, he was back in his pajamas. He looked around the couch, under the pillows, but he couldn’t find his locket or his beloved Nutcracker. As he stood up, he heard footsteps enter the parlor behind him.

“You’ve finally woken up,” Garmadon chuckled. “I was worried that I would’ve had to send in Lloyd to wake you.” As his uncle looked around the room, he said, “It looks like the mice had a party of their own last night.”

“It wasn’t a party!” Zane said. “There was a war between the mice and the Nutcracker! The King of the Mice had magic—“

“What on Earth are you talking about? Are you ill?” Garmadon placed the back of his hand against Zane’s forehead and murmured that he wasn’t feverish.

Then Lloyd sprinted into the room, cheering about the presents that were about to be opened. Zane grabbed him by his shoulders and asked, “Lloyd, did you take my Nutcracker?”

“Why would I want it?” his cousin replied. “It’s just a hunk of wood.”

“No, he’s not! He’s really a Prince!” the teen exclaimed, but only received looks of worry and slight annoyance in return. “He was cursed by the King, turned into a Nutcracker! The King turned me small too! Then we went through the mouse hole in search of the Sugarplum Prince, fought the King, and then I was sent back here!”

Garmadon grew concerned. “I’ve never heard you spout such imaginative stories. Perhaps you had too much to drink last night?”

“I didn’t drink anything, I swear!” he cried, but it couldn’t convince his uncle. One of the maids was ordered to escort Zane to his bedroom as a doctor was called. While Lloyd brought all of the presents to Zane’s bedroom, so they could open them together, he couldn’t stop thinking about his adventures in Ninjago and with the Nutcracker, his beloved Prince Cole. Maybe it was all a dream after all? It would explain why he didn’t have his locket, but something inside him wouldn’t let him believe it. His adventure really happened, he just couldn’t prove it.

After the doctor had visited, coming to the conclusion that he had had a wildly realistic dream and that there was no need for concern, Zane decided to remain quiet about the Nutcracker and Ninjago. He tried to return to his normal routine, but he missed the smell of peppermint in the air. He would stare out of the window at the snowy skies, but he missed the sapphire blue and cotton candy-like clouds. He would watch Lloyd play with his new toys, but he missed his Nutcracker.

A week after Christmas, Zane was sitting in the parlor with his uncle and cousin. Lloyd was sketching in one of his books while his uncle was sitting at one of the tables, reading the morning paper. Zane was curled up on the couch, staring blankly at the same paragraph he had tried to read a half hour ago. Then, the doorbell rang. Zane and his uncle exchanged glances; they weren’t expecting any visitors. His aunt called out that she was answering the door. Zane turned his attention back to his book, not that he cared. He heard her heels clicking against the wooden floor approaching the parlor, but there was a second pair of footsteps with her. Heavy steps. Zane could hear her talking to the person, but he couldn’t hear any responses from them.

Misako cleared her throat, catching everyone’s attention. “Montgomery, Lloyd, Zane; I would like you to meet Cole Brookstone, son of Lou and Christine, two dear friends of mine,” she introduced. Zane spun around as a young man in black stepped into the room. Zane’s breath had caught in his throat; it couldn’t be true, there was no possible way he was standing in front of him.

Cole was dressed in a black suit with a white undershirt, a black tie made of silk, black pressed trousers, black dress shoes that were polished beyond belief. His hair was still uncontrollably wavy, his hazel-green eyes still glinted with unending love as the faint scar could be seen in the morning light, while a barely reigned in smile grew on his now soft lips. Zane stood up and hesitantly approached him, fearing that it was all a dream or hallucination.

“I’m very happy to meet you,” Cole murmured, taking Zane’s right hand. He pressed it to his lips and gave it a tender kiss, never taking his eyes away from the blond’s. Zane couldn’t speak. This had to be a dream, right? If this was a dream, he better stay asleep.

“Lou and Christine Brookstone? I don’t recall hearing those names before,” Garmadon muttered as he approached them. “May I ask where your family is from?”

“We’re from Europe, well, I am,” Cole replied. “My parents passed away several years ago.”

Before Garmadon could interrogate further, Misako spoke up, “I’ve already asked if Cole would like to stay for dinner, I have even offered a room in which he could sleep.”

“That sounds—“

“Like a wonderful idea!” Zane chirped. His heart pounded against his ribs as he waited for a response.

He could see Garmadon thinking over his decision. He gave a curt nod and said, “Alright, I guess spending a night or two can’t harm anyone. I’ll go make sure the spare room is cleaned and prepped for tonight.” He nodded once at Cole, then walked out of the room.

Misako turned to Lloyd and asked if he could help her make breakfast for everyone. Without waiting for a response, she held his hand and led him out of the room. Zane and Cole were now alone.

Cole reached into his pocket, held out Zane’s hand, and placed his silver locket on his open palm. The teen gave a silent gasp and looked up, he couldn’t believe what was happening in front of him. As he placed the locket around his neck once again, feeling the cold metal against his skin, he had a flurry of questions storm his mind. How did Cole get here? How did he know his address? How did his Aunt know Cole's parents? How much time had passed in Ninjago? Are Kai, Nya, and Jay alright? What had happened to Morro? Had Cole been crowned King?

Before Zane could ask any of his questions, Cole spoke up, “Time has passed in Ninjago, as I have assumed it has here. How long has it been?”

“It’s been a week,” Zane said. “I thought it was all a dream.”

Cole sighed, “It’s been two months since you left. We’ve been making great improvements on rebuilding, but it hasn’t been the same without you. We’ve been pushing the mice back into their home country, rebuilding communities around Ninjago, and reuniting families that had been separated under Morro’s reign.”

“What happened to him?”

“Jay, Rowen, and I had a meeting to decide what to do with him. Rowen wanted him executed. Jay wanted him imprisoned. I decided on exile; we sent him to the island across the Sea of Storms. What he does there is of no concern anymore.” Cole shuffled on his feet, staring down at the floor, he was unsure of what to say next.

Zane led him to the couch, setting his book aside. Now that they were sitting, the two felt a little more comfortable. The Prince finally found his words.

“Zane, back in Ninjago, I asked if you wanted to stay with me, and the offer still stands. I know you said yes then, but that was also a very emotional moment for everyone. I wanted to offer it again. You can bring your family as well, there’s plenty of room in the castle and I’m sure Kai and Nya would love to have another playmate. If you say no, then that is your decision and I will respect that. I’m sorry if I put you on the spot, it’s just that I couldn’t stop thinking about you and I needed to see you again—”

Zane leaned forward and silenced Cole with a gentle kiss. The smell of peppermint overwhelmed his sense of smell and taste, and he couldn’t get enough. He rested his hand against Cole’s neck and locked their lips together, feeling sparks fly between them as the world seemed to disappear once more. He didn’t care where he would be as long as he was with Cole. Everything seemed right with him. Everything seemed better with him. The future looked brighter with him, and that’s all that mattered.

Chapter Text

This was it. This was the day that Zane had been waiting for. Stay calm, deep breaths, don’t panic. Even telling himself to calm down wasn’t helping the bundle of nerves tightening in his stomach. He shouldn’t have had that blueberry turnover for breakfast, fearing that it would make an encore appearance in the nearby wastebasket. As he fidgeted with the sleeve of his light blue suit, he couldn’t help but bite his bottom lip. Stop fretting! he scolded, silently. You’ve rehearsed this, going over every detail with Cole twenty-six times in the past two months alone.

“It’s going to be fine.”

Zane looked at the doorway to the bedroom, sighing with quiet relief. “Oh. Sorry, Uncle, I didn’t realize you were there.”

Garmadon leaned against the white doorframe with his arms crossed, dressed in a black and purple suit. “I could tell. You had that deep thought gaze, something I haven’t seen in quite a while.” He stepped inside the room and sat down on the king-sized four-poster bed, decorated with white and black comforters and white downy pillows placed perfectly against the wooden headboard. “What’s on your mind that’s causing the trouble?”

Zane sighed, then sat down beside his uncle. “I know this day is going to be fine, but I can’t help but think about the possibilities of things going wrong. What if the cake topples over? Or what if we can’t find the rings? What if Cole isn’t there? What if I can’t go through with this?”

“Well, let’s take it one step at a time, alright?” his uncle soothed. “If the cake topples, there’s always a spare. If they can’t find the rings, you’ll just have to skip that part. If Cole isn’t waiting for you, your Aunt and I will personally hunt him down and drag him to the altar.”

Zane couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought.

“And if you can’t go through with this, then you would have to tell Cole yourself. But, I see how you look at him. You two have spent the last three years together, learning everything you can about one another. You moved to another world to be with him! If that isn’t commitment, then I don’t know what is!” Garmadon placed his hand on Zane’s shoulder, giving him an encouraging smile. “You two have been through hell and back and still trust each other. You support him and he supports you. Anything that may go wrong is out of your control, just take the day with one step at a time.”

The knot of nervousness lessened just by a hair, but it was enough to settle some of the almost twenty-year-old’s nerves. He grinned and said, “Thank you, Uncle. I’m glad you, Aunt Misako, and Lloyd were able to come.”

“Like we would miss our nephew’s wedding and coronation!” he laughed. The pair stood up and smoothed the wrinkles out of their suits. Garmadon checked his watch and said, “Looks like we’ve got about twenty minutes to spare. Do you want to do a quick check on everything?”

“If that’s alright with you.” With a nod of confirmation, the two exited the bedroom and started to wander the hallways. They passed maids carrying flowers and bouquets (white roses and blue hydrangeas tied together with black ribbon and bows), soldiers patrolling the hallways with spears and bows, and citizens meandering and gawking at the portraits, tapestries, and stained glass windows. Each one bowed or nodded their heads in respect at the soon to be Prince. Zane was still getting used to people treating him like royalty, it was a strange thing to get used to. Some days, such as during dinner or getting ready in the morning, he would forget that the servants were there to help him.

They arrived at the ballroom in the far back of the castle, decorated to the brim with balloons and streamers of all colors and sizes. As sunlight poured in through the floor to ceiling windows, it filled the room with a kind warmth like a hug. Some of the rainbow balloons floated around lazily, bumping into one another with soft squeaks, while others seemed to wander in small circles, disturbed by maids and servants finishing preparations. Tables filled half of the ballroom, decorated with white plates, silver silverware, rainbow flower centerpieces that sat in the center, white tablecloths that fluttered from the manmade breezes, and white chairs tucked underneath. The other half of the ballroom was prepped, waiting for nightfall, waiting for the festivities to commence. The wooden floor was cleaned, glistening in the sunlight, and cleared, with an open section for the orchestra that would arrive later in the day. The banquet table was off to the right side of the room, filled with empty glasses, waiting for silverware and empty plates. Above them, the glass chandelier sparkled like stars, waiting for its moment to shine.

The knot of anxiousness lessened again. Everything in the ballroom was ready for the reception. Maybe he could take a peek at the grand hall. That’s where the main event was taking place, where his entire life was about to change. He wanted to look, but Cole had made him promise that he wouldn’t look until it was time. Zane got the ballroom, Cole got the main hall. It made sense, given that the decorations had to meet the royal standard that his ancestors had set. The color scheme had to be right, the tapestries had to be perfect, the clothing had to be pressed and wrinkle-free, and the crowns polished to perfection.

“Everything looks fine to me,” Garmadon said. “Is there anywhere else you’d like to check?”

Zane shook his head, “No, this was enough. Thank you, Uncle.”

Garmadon gave him a bright smile, ruffled his blond hair, and replied, “Great. I think the show is about to start. We should head down to the grand hall, huh?”

The two took one final glance around the room, then started on their way back to the front of the castle. With every step closer, the knot lessened as butterflies started to flutter. This was it. Zane was about to get married to his best friend. He felt himself speed walk towards the main doors, ready to get the event started.

Waiting outside the doors was his Aunt Misako, wearing her deep green gown with her hair pulled back in a braid, Lloyd, wearing a black and green suit, and Cole. The soon-to-be-King was wearing a black and white royal suit with a black tie (that was being fretted over by Misako), and black shoes that shone in the light. He hadn’t noticed them yet. Lloyd was playing around with the silver and gold rings, placing them on his fingers before admiring them in the sunlight entering from the windows behind them.

Zane’s smile was starting to hurt his face. He was filled with overflowing amounts of love, excitement, and energy. As they approached, he quipped, “Don’t lose those rings, Lloyd!”

The thirteen-year-old looked up from his hands and chirped, “Zane!” He rushed over and tackled him in a tight hug. “You ready? You excited?”

“More than excited,” he replied. “I feel as if I might burst at the seams from joy.”

Cole walked up to his fiancé and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek, “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

Misako chuckled, “Save it for the altar, boys.” As the usher cracked open the door, she fretted over Zane’s hair and smoothed out the last of the stubborn wrinkles. Once she deemed that he was ready, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and murmured, “Your mother and father are so proud of the man you’ve become. I wish they were here to celebrate with us, but we know that they’re here in spirit.” She turned to Cole and gave him a kiss on his cheek, “I know your mother and father are proud of the man you’ve become, Cole. You will be a wonderful leader with many friends to rely on.”

Garmadon patted Cole’s shoulder, then drew him into a tight hug. “Welcome to the family,” he murmured.

“Thank you, sir,” Cole whispered, his voice cracked ever so slightly from the emotion building in the hallway.

Garmadon and Misako bowed in silence, then entered the great hall. Lloyd looked at the two, embraced them, and said, “Love ya.” He slipped through the doors as a rustling of clothing, murmurs, and the sounds of people standing were heard.

Cole and Zane stood side by side, holding hands as they waited with bated breath. The soon-to-be-King turned to the soon-to-be-Prince and asked, “Are you ready?”

“Nothing can stop us,” Zane replied.

The double oak doors opened with a thunderous roar, revealing hundreds of citizens dressed in their best outfits watching and waiting. Several men and women were already dabbing at their eyes with handkerchiefs. The great hall was decorated with tapestries telling the story of Ninjago’s ancestors, of battles won and land gained, of Kings and Queens ruling over the villagers with iron fists and loving embraces. Portraits of former rulers hung on the walls, with the last portrait of Cole’s mother and father smiling down on them. There was, though, an empty space on the opposite wall, parallel to the former King and Queen, where Zane and Cole’s future portrait was to be hung. Bouquets and ribbons hung on the ends of the wooden pews brought in from the local church, each decorated with either black and white or white and blue flowers. The center aisle was led by a red carpet leading to the gold and silver thrones, the awaiting Priest, and best men.

Jay was wearing a blue and black suit, with his auburn hair brushed neatly into place. He had one of the brightest grins in the entire room, matched only by Cole and Zane themselves. Lloyd stood on the other side, holding the pillow that the rings sat on. Kai stood beside him, holding the royal scepter, a new one that held no magical abilities. On the thrones behind them, resting on the center of the seats, sat the crowns. Zane’s matched the one he received during his reveal as the Sugarplum Prince, while Cole’s was a bit more elegant. Not a full-on crown, similar more to a tiara, his was decorated with a rainbow of jewels within the curves of the metal. Soldiers were posted alongside the outer walls, armed with spears, ready to protect the royals at a moment’s notice.

Cole and Zane walked down the aisle as the orchestra played a mix of the Ninjago Anthem and the Bridal March, each step matched the beat that the musicians played. Their feet shuffled the flower petals that had been placed by Nya earlier, creating a faint aroma that swirled around them. They passed villagers from their journey, from the gingerbread village to the treetops to the town at the base of the hill. They passed the fairies from the Apple Blossom Valley and from the Ice Caverns, they chirped and fluttered above them, excitedly. They passed Rowen and Darreth in the second pew, nodding their heads in respect. They passed Seliel in the opposite pew as she gave them a curtsy in her deep blue dress. In the first pew sat Garmadon and Misako, next to them sat two black roses, evenly spaced out. On the opposite side sat two more black roses, also spaced out evenly.

Cole had chosen Jay as his best man, he knew that there was no one else he could’ve chosen other than his best friend. Jay was more than elated when he was asked, in fact, he couldn’t stop crying for a half hour after he said yes. Even as he stood by the thrones, his blue eyes were already welling with merry tears.

The Priest, as Cole and Zane arrived, gave them kindhearted smiles. “My Prince,” he said, bowing his head with a slight dip. “You have grown like a healthy evergreen, thriving even in the harshest of times. It warms my heart to see you so joyful.” He faced Zane and gave him a bow, “My Sugarplum Prince. We can’t thank you enough for how you’ve helped our county in the past several years; from saving our beloved Prince to aiding the helpless to bringing love back, we owe you much.”

With that, he faced the crowd and called out, “Today is a glorious day for all of Ninjago! Not only do we celebrate in gaining a new King, but we gain a Prince. Not only do we celebrate the coronation of our dear Colton Brookstone, but we welcome Zane Julien-Garmadon into our families and into our hearts!” As the crowd sat down, the Priest asked the two to share their vows.

Cole faced Zane, held his hands, and said, “Zane; never in my life would I have dreamed that I would be standing here with my soulmate. Never would I have thought that after being cursed into a Nutcracker, unable to feel anything, that I would be bursting with love and happiness just by seeing your face. You’ve helped me through harsh times, supported me, and helped me lead the kingdom. I promise to give you my whole heart and soul, my days and my nights, my seconds and my years, until the day I die.”

Zane wiped at his eyes. He feared that he wouldn’t be able to talk, due to the emotions that were strangling his throat, but he had to do it. He could do it. He cleared his throat and said, “Cole; when I first arrived in Ninjago, I thought that being in a whole new world was the craziest thing that could happen to me, never would I have thought that I would meet my beloved. I can’t believe how blessed I am to have met you, to have spent the last three years by your side. I promise to trust you with every fiber of my being, to love you through eternity, to be with you like the stars in the sky.”

The Priest turned to Lloyd and asked for him to bring the rings. The teen stepped forward and handed the two the rings, Cole received the silver one while Zane received the gold. As he stepped back, he gave Zane a quick hug and murmured, “Congrats, cousin.”

As Cole placed the ring on Zane’s outstretched hand, he repeated the vows given to him by the Priest, “I, Colton Anthony Brookstone, take you, Zane Nicholas Julien-Garmadon, to be my lawfully wedded husband; to have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, in poverty and wealth, in the best of times and the worst of times, until death do us part. This I vow with my heart and soul.”

Zane’s hand trembled lightly as he cleared his throat, he repeated, “I, Zane Nicholas Julien-Garmadon, take you, Colton Anthony Brookstone, to be my lawfully wedded husband; to have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, in poverty and wealth, in the best of times and the worst of times, until death do us part. This I vow with my heart and soul.”

The Priest turned to Cole and asked, “Colton, do you take Zane to be your husband? To love and trust, to protect and defend, to become one until the end of your days?”

“I do.”

“Zane, do you take Colton to be your husband? To love and trust, to protect and defend, to become one until the end of your days?”

“I do.”

The Priest, with his voice full of life, said, “Then with the blessings of the ancestors, former Kings and Queens looking down upon us, and the family and friends gathered here, I now pronounce you two husbands. You may now kiss.”

Zane’s heart couldn’t stop fluttering. This was it. He closed the space between his body and Cole’s, wrapped his arms around the back of his neck, and pulled him closer. Their lips brushed together, their breaths mingling until they met in a deep kiss. Zane felt the world around them melt away, like raindrops on a window, until it was just them. Nothing mattered at that moment; not the air that they breathed, not the blood rushing through their bodies, not even the seconds ticking by. All that mattered were their spirits becoming one. His hands ran through Cole’s wavy black hair, feeling the silkiness underneath and between his fingers. The scent of peppermint surrounded him, seeped into his skin, infused into the very essence of his being.

Cole couldn’t be any happier; here, standing before him, with his body pressed against his, was his new husband. The scent of lilies and roses surrounded him like a heavenly cloud. His hands wandered around Zane’s back, feeling the silkiness of his suit underneath his palms. Never would he have thought that this day would come. Never would he have thought that he would be married to his soulmate, then they would be crowned King and Prince in the same day. He wished that his mother and father could’ve been there to witness it, to celebrate with them, but he knew that they were watching over them. Cole started to get light-headed; they finally broke apart as the world around them returned.

“Need to catch your breath?” Jay murmured, giving Cole a smirk.

“Are you ready, my Prince?” the Priest asked.

Cole and Zane nodded. He took in a deep breath, thought of his parents one final time, and smiled. “I’m ready.”

Chapter Text

Cole couldn’t be any happier; here, standing before him, with his body pressed against his, was his new husband. The scent of lilies and roses surrounded him like a heavenly cloud. His hands wandered around Zane’s back, feeling the silkiness of his suit underneath his palms. Never would he have thought that this day would come. Never would he have thought that he would be married to his soulmate, then they would be crowned King and Prince in the same day. He wished that his mother and father could’ve been there to witness it, to celebrate with them, but he knew that they were watching over them. Cole started to get light-headed; they finally broke apart as the world around them returned.

“Need to catch your breath?” Jay murmured, giving Cole a smirk.

“Are you ready, my Prince?” the Priest asked.

Cole and Zane nodded. He took in a deep breath, thought of his parents one final time, and smiled. “I’m ready.”

The Priest gestured for Kai to approach with the scepter. He thanked him, took the scepter in his right hand while Cole and Zane knelt down on one knee, and cleared his throat. “Colton Brookstone; son of Lou and Christine, the rightful heir to the throne, and newly-wed husband to Zane Brookstone. Do you promise to give your life to Ninjago?" 

"I do," he said. 

"Do you promise to give everything to Ninjago?" 

"I do." 

"Do you promise to put the lives of the citizens in front of yours?" 

"I do." 

"Do you promise to put the welfare and future of Ninjago in every decision you make?" 

"I do." 

The Priest looked at the audience and called out, "Do you, citizens of Ninjago, accept Colton as your next King?" 

The audience called back, "We do!" 

The Priest turned to Zane and asked, "Will you, Prince Zane Brookstone, rule beside your husband with grace, love, kindness, and patience?” 

Zane said, "I do." 

The Priest nodded and turned back to Cole, who lifted his head up. The golden crown was placed on his head, then the scepter was tapped on each of his shoulders. The silver crown was placed on Zane’s head as the scepter was tapped on his shoulders. ”In the hearts of the citizens, the legacies of the past kings and queens, and with our blessings, I crown our new King! Here, in the grace and presence of our eyes and hearts, is King Colton Anthony Brookstone of Ninjago!" Cole and Zane stood in unison then faced the crowd; the newly crowned King held the scepter in one hand while he held Zane’s in the other; he grinned as the audience cheered and praised them.  

"Long live the King and Prince!”  

"Long live the King and Prince!” 

"Long live the King and Prince!” 

***

The ballroom was filled with rambunctious laughter, muffled chatter, and songs that wafted through the air. Families meandered about, some were talking with other citizens, others were at the tables to find something to nibble on, but the dancing area was empty. It was waiting for the guests of honor to arrive.

King Cole and Prince Zane had decided to take a few moments to themselves after the coronation; they promised to meet with their family after a minute or two break. Lloyd, Kai, and Nya were raiding the sweets section of the dining table while Misako and Garmadon were talking with Rowen, Darreth, Seliel, and Jay. The orchestra was playing a soft tune but it was mostly covered up by the chatter of the villagers and family.

Then, one of the servants standing by the grand doors called out, “Attention, attention! Introducing the royals of Ninjago; King Colton Anthony Brookstone and his husband, Prince Zane Nicholas Brookstone!” The crowd stood and clapped as the doors opened, revealing the two joined at the hip. Zane and Cole waved at their friends and family as they entered the room, both had grins that lit up the room like the dawn.

“Thank you, everyone, for the kind wishes, blessings, and gifts you have given us,” Cole called out. “We are blessed to know such wonderful people and hope that you have a fun time tonight!”

“Please enjoy yourselves,” Zane finished. The crowd settled back down as the music picked up once again, the sounds of chairs scooting against the wooden floors deafened the music for a few seconds before the orchestra’s sound returned to normal.

As Zane and Cole made their way to their family’s table, they thanked their guests for the well-wishes and gifts, shook hands, and joked briefly with long-lost friends. Eventually, they collapsed into the white chairs with heavy grunts.

“Heads up, boys, this is going to be the whole night for the two of you,” Misako chuckled.

“Chatting, endless thanking, struggling to get a bite to eat, dancing, and laughter until the moon is high in the nighttime sky,” Garmadon said. “Then, once the party has finally finished and you two are all alone in your bedchamber—"

“Montgomery!” Misako cried, lightly slapping his arm.

He held his hands up and chuckled, “I was going to say that they’ll be so exhausted that they’ll fall asleep in an instant.”

Zane and Cole snickered as their mother-in-law covered her blushing face with her handheld fan. Then, the trio of teens rushed over with plates overflowing with pastries, cake slices, and candy. Lloyd slid into the chair beside Zane and grinned at his bounty.

“This has to be the best night ever!” he chirped, already buzzing from an early sugar-high. “I’ve never heard of these kinds of candies! And this cake! Oh, it’s so delicious!”

“We hired the best baker in all of Ninjago for our event,” Cole said with a hint of pride hidden in his voice.

“Well, we knew we couldn’t have our big celebration without Cole’s favorite dessert,” Zane teased.

Then, the music was silenced, allowing the drone of chatter to fade away. One of the servants stepped in front of the orchestra and called out, “For the first dance of the night, the honorary King’s Dance. To the tune of the Pas de Deux, the King and his new husband shall share their first dance as a married couple, as well as the new royal couple of Ninjago.”

Cole and Zane stood up from their table to the sound of applause filling the ballroom, giddiness rolling off of them, contagious to those around them. Hand in hand, they glided onto the wooden dance floor with hundreds of eyes locked onto them. To Cole and Zane, though, it felt as if they were alone, lost in each other’s presences. They stood in the center of the floor, surrounded by the balloons and streamers floating lazily around them. Cole placed his left hand on Zane’s shoulder while his right hand rested on his waist, Zane mimicked his hand placement.

The orchestra started to play; the quiet tune danced through the air, twirling around the crowd, and sang in their ears. The King and Prince started to sway, tapping their feet to the beat as their eyes wandered around the room. They could see Kai and Lloyd laughing, lost to their sugar high, while Nya snuck a few pastries from her brother’s plate. They could see Misako and Garmadon beaming with pride, nestled in each other’s arms. Seliel was murmuring something to Rowen and Darreth, giggling at their replies.

Cole faced Zane once again, feeling the world fade away around them. His whole world was tucked between his hands, spinning around in slow circles as the sun set to the West, filling the ballroom with its fiery red light. The chandelier glistened above them, reflecting hundreds of rainbows across the dance floor. Zane’s eyes glistened like the stars at midnight, his heart skipped uncontrollably at the sight. Cole grinned, placing both hands upon his waist, lifting his Prince into the air with ease, twirling him around.

A laugh escaped Zane’s lips as his cheeks blushed a light pink, slowly he was eased back into the ground as Cole sped up their dance. Their hands locked together, spreading an arm’s length apart, as they twirled faster and faster. The room started to blur as the balloons were kicked out of the way, streamers trampled under their wildly kicking feet. Zane thought he heard Lloyd, Kai, and Nya cheering them on, whooping and hollering at their speed. A wild grin grew on the pair’s lips, helpless to stop the joyful laughter bubbling out.

The pair started to slow their spin, growing closer to one another with each step until they were chest to chest, their faces only inches apart. Zane knew the song was just about over, but he had one final trick up his sleeve; with the final notes of the Pas de Deux being played, Zane placed his right hand near the top of Cole’s back while his left rested on his lower back. In one swift motion, he dipped the King and gave him a soft kiss on the tip of his nose.

Cole raised an eyebrow, wrapped his arms around Zane’s neck, and pulled him into a deep kiss. The audience cheered, standing from their chairs as they clapped and whistled in excitement. The pair broke apart and stood tall once again, bowing alongside the orchestra and maestro. As the announcer called out the next dance, this time letting the audience dance to the next song, Cole led Zane off of the floor. The King led his Prince to the wall of windows, opened the double-doors, and guided him onto the balcony.

The Sun had sunk halfway below the horizon, glistening off of the Sea of Storms in a dazzling array of oranges, reds, and yellows. The Sea itself appeared to be made of fire, while the sky above ranged from pink to orange to blues and eventually violets and blacks. Off to the right, drifting on the Sea, the boats filled with the fireworks waited for the Sun to completely set.

Cole rested his arms against the stone railing, taking in a deep breath. After a moment, he murmured, “When I was younger, I never would have thought that I would be King. Every day I was terrified at the idea of running my father’s kingdom by myself, I was so scared I passed the throne to Morro.” He gave a harsh scoff, then softened his voice, “Though I would never say this to his face, but I feel like I owe him a thank you for turning me into a Nutcracker. Without that, I never would have met you or your wonderful family, and the castle would be so empty, devoid of any joy. Destiny works in strange ways.”

Zane leaned against his new husband, resting his head on his shoulder. “Though I wish you never had to suffer under that curse, I am thankful that it led us together. I will love you through eternity, I will be by your side through thick and thin. When things get rough, I will support you, giving you the strength you need.” He laced his fingers with Cole’s, then pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. With a gentle murmur, he said, “I love you.”

Cole, with adoration in his eyes, replied, “I love you, too.” He lifted Zane’s chin, gave him one last smile, and fell into another kiss. The Sun sank below the horizon, it’s fiery rays faded from existence. With shrill shrieks and thundering booms, the fireworks burst in the sky, exploding like flowers in bloom. Reds, blues, yellows, and whites shimmered in the sky, illuminating the couple lost in each other’s arms. The crowd stepped onto the balcony, oohing and ahhing at the display in the sky. Misako, Garmadon, and Lloyd stood beside Zane, while Kai and Nya stood next to Cole. Surrounded by family and friends, Cole and Zane nestled deeper into each other’s arms and hummed in content.

Cole murmured, “Together forever.”

Zane replied, “Until the end of time.”