Archive of Our Own ^beta

“-and then I dug up through the mountain to meet you guys. You know the rest from there.”

They were having one of their impromptu therapy sessions in the ninja’s main bedroom, face to face sitting cross-legged on Cole’s nook-bed in the ninja’s shared cabin, hands loose on the sheets or bundled in a lap. Sure, the rest of the ninja did this as well, gathering in a common area with blankets and hot chocolate to provide comfort and reassurance as they sorted through their experiences. They had gotten Jay and Nya to open up about the alternate timeline, and they addressed Kai’s fears of water and inferiority. It was cathartic to be hugged from all sides while spilling your tears and laying out your pain for all to see.

But sometimes, he needed something more personal. He needed the comfort of someone who knew more of what he was going through. Someone who had lost a mother, be it death or absence. Someone who carried the burden as a leader for their team be it now or long passed. He needed someone he could rely on to hold him steady as much as the others turned to him to be their rock. 

“That sucks.” Cole liked that about Lloyd, how he didn’t offer him apologies and overwhelming sympathy that he didn’t need, and just said it like it was, “I’ve been wondering, though-“

“A dangerous thing, really.”

Lloyd snorted and flicked his forehead while Cole giggled, “Shut up. I’ve been wanting to ask how you survived in the gas-darkness thing.” Cole went quiet at that, “My dad told us that when someone’s inside of it, they freeze, but you didn’t.”

He took a moment to think before shrugging, “Dunno. It was more…” he waved his hand as he tried to think of a word, “suffocating than anything. It was like breathing pure carbon dioxide.” 

Lloyd nodded, “Yeah, I felt that when I first went in, too.” Right. Lloyd went into the dark with Garmadon (Lord Garmadon. Not the Sensei he had grown to love.) to destroy the Realm Crystal, “But I was lucky. My heritage kept me from freezing.” Lloyd’s ancestry as part Oni and part Dragon was evident in the pale blond horns on his head that split like tree branches as they pointed back, as well as his sharp canines, pointed ears, slit eyes, sharp talons, and long, pale Oni tail that swished behind him. His appearance was mostly Oni-like, so his Dragon side made itself known in his cat-like behavior and the sections of his cheekbones, collarbones, joints, and hands that were covered in green and gold scales like freckles. He was able to conceal most of these features with Oni shapeshifting he learned from Wu, bar the eyes and teeth, but found it most comfortable to keep his features in the open when he was cooped up in the monastery or the bounty. He said they got itchy if he didn’t let them breathe, whatever that meant.

When he spoke, Lloyd’s voice held some sort of implication that Cole knew he should have picked up on, but for the life of him could not recognize. Instead, he huffed out a laugh, “Thank the master for that.”

A sigh, “…Cole,” Lloyd picked at his claws like he would do with his cuticles before he had found out about his less-than-human side, “I just-“ looked down with tight lips, searching for a way to phrase what he was about to say, which caused a sinking feeling in Cole’s stomach.

“Just spit it out, greenie.” 

Lloyd’s eyes were a shining green-gold when he met Cole’s gaze, “I think you may have some sort of Oni heritage, like me.” Whatever Lloyd was going to say, that had certainly not been what Cole was bracing for. He was expecting questions on leadership, for getting through a tough situation, or maybe just badgering and general concern for his well-being, though that would be unlike Lloyd in this situation. Hearing that Lloyd thought Cole was part Oni was like a slap to the face by an Anacondrai tail.

When Cole didn’t respond, Lloyd started tapping his claws against his thighs. Th-Th-Th-Thump Th-Th-Th-Thump, “Only Oni can survive that cloud without being frozen, and with you, well, not freezing-“ 

Cole dumbly nodded his head, “Uh-huh?” What was he supposed to say? “That’s-“ he swallowed awkwardly, “That’s interesting.” His voice was light, but his eyes were focused on the plain gray comforter below him, almost zoned out. 

“Sorry.” Lloyd apologized, but Cole waved him off. He didn’t blame him for being straightforward and honest. It was how he best worked through things, though he supposed something like that would take a minute to digest no matter how it was dropped. Lloyd spoke again, “If you want, I can ask Sensei and Pix to look up any sort of family records you have?” he paused, “Only if it’s okay with you, of course-“ Cole snorted at Lloyd’s panic over this as if he wouldn’t place both his life and his heart in Lloyd’s hands, “That way we can try to see if there’s any record of Oni blood. Mystaké can’t have been the only peaceful Oni to call Ninjago home.”

Well, it wasn’t like the crew of the Bounty had any world-threatening, prophecy-bearing, death-defying quests to get out of the way. Things had been pretty peaceful for a few months, with their time spent flying above the clouds to help with the occasional distress signal. He wouldn’t be taking away anyone's valuable time. 

Cole shrugged, “Fuck it, sure.” He looked back up with a small smile, a little bit excited to see what they could find, “I wanna know who my great-grandparents were, anyways.”

The conversation ended soon after. Lloyd left with a flick of his tail to talk to Wu and Pixal about their new research project, allowing Cole to stew in his thoughts in peace- or whatever peace could be found after the bombshell that had been dropped on him.

Cole wondered which side of his family might have associated with the Oni, that is if Wu and Pixal even found any evidence for Lloyd’s theory. Maybe elemental masters were just resistant to forces of destruction. Earth, being one of the four elements of creation, was probably even more so, with the whole balance thing Wu was always preaching about. However, if the other’s research yielded results proving Lloyd right, he imagined the genes would have come from his mom.

There had always been a distinction between the common people and those who danced with the supernatural. Hell, the unnatural didn’t feel all that super to him, after all these years of dealing with Dragons and skeletons and ghosts and serpentine and magic staffs and- well, he had faced a lot. Weird and dangerous was his bread and butter, his chocolate and pretzels, his cake and frosting- great, now he’s hungry. 

The mattress squeaked as he flopped back onto his pillow, making the small, lumpy rock dragon plush bounce next to his head. Lloyd had made it for him when he was still little, before his magical growth spurt. It was really good for an eleven-year-old and looked really similar to his old dragon, rocky. The sight of the plush, which somehow had survived every crash, flooding, and fire the Bounty had been through, brought a smile to his face.

Cole racked his mind for any time he had met his grandparents or even just signs from his parents of something weird, but he came up empty. He was sure it wasn’t his dad. The mythical didn’t typically mix with regular humans, apart from the elemental masters. Besides, his dad’s family was all accounted for; all completely human up until his great-great-grandparents. His father had a very old album that he showed off every Christmas. 

His mother, on the other hand, never mentioned much past her parents. She told him that her family was not in those long gone, but in the friends she had now, and in him, her son. It was a sweet sentiment, especially with how that conversation always ended up in some goofy tickle fight or raspberry blown into his cheek, but it did nothing for his current predicament. 

Cole sighed and turned over, facing the small plush who looked at him with its tiny button eyes, “Oh, Rocky Junior, we’re really in it now.”

In hindsight, he should have noticed the signs sooner.

Pixal took blood samples from him the next day while Wu dove into his onboard library and meditated. Cole didn’t know how the second method would help him figure out his lineage, but he knew better than to question his master.

He assumed he had mastered his strength years ago. It came hand-in-hand with his elemental powers, with his most recent lava-arm ability being an add-on for an extra kick. He wasn’t supposed to knock Jay halfway across the deck during a sparring match, sending him flying into the mast and scaring the crew half to death. Kai, who had been spectating the match, rushed past to check up on Jay. Cole heard him ask if Jay was okay, but Jay just shook him off and sat up with a wince.

Cole stayed where he was, a plant with roots buried deep, staring at his hands. He hadn’t meant to hit him that hard. He would never use that much strength against his friends, bar Zane or Lloyd, who could take the hits without issue. Usually, he could feel it when he used his strength. It was like tapping into his power. 

Kai had described his powers as a bonfire in his heart, while Jay compared it to a live wire that reached every nerve in his body. Cole’s felt like sand or fine clay. It had no solid presence in his body like the other’s, but he could feel it like dust covering his skin, almost like a weighted blanket that grew heavier the lower it was on his body. It weighed the most on his feet, where he connected with the earth. He would pull it up and launch it out, taking from the ground and then it giving back when the dust settled. It was an equal give-and-take relationship. 

His punch didn’t feel like that. It felt uncontrolled. It felt like a pulse from his rib cage that ran down his arm and out through the heel of his palm, which he used to strike his opponent’s sternum. It wasn’t as strong as his normal abilities, by far, but it startled him all the same.

“When I said not to go easy on me,” Jay’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. He looked up to see his partner right in front of him with his signature crooked smile stretched across his face, “I didn’t mean it like that!” his tone was joking, but Cole picked up on the concerned undertones. Jay was his best friend. He knew Cole too well to not see his internal turmoil, “You good there, buddy? You don’t usually hit like that.”

Cole plastered on a smile, “Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?”

Jay made a pssh sound and waved him off, rocking back and forth on his heels, “Yeah, right. It takes more than a good punch to take me out. I’ll be fine.”

Relief washed over him. Cole would never forgive himself if he hurt his best friend, “That’s good.”

“You never answered me, though.” Jay’s smile turned into a pouty frown, and Cole suddenly remembered where Lloyd had gotten his puppy eyes from, “Are you okay? You seemed kinda out of it.”

Cole nodded, “Yeah, I’m probably just tired. Couldn’t sleep.” It was true, he hadn't slept much with everything on his mind, coupled with regular nightmares and the uneasy feeling of being in the air, away from the ground, “I should probably just go take a nap or something.”

Jay nodded, “I’ll try to keep the guys from bothering you.” He moved to walk past Cole to where Kai was approaching, bumping his shoulder affectionately against the other’s, “Get some sleep, buddy. I’ll wake you up for lunch.”

Jay met Kai in the middle of the deck and started up a conversation, all while Cole let the smile fall from his face. Maybe he really was just tired, but that punch didn't feel natural. It felt anything but natural. Was his strength failing him? Or rather, was it growing out of his control?

The second incident was less of an incident and more of a realization. 

Cole had hazel eyes. He used to laugh at how they reminded him of his element with brown and deep green tones like a forest, and his mom would squish his cheeks (What was her thing with his cheeks as a kid?) and tell him he looked just like his dad. He saw the similarities more and more as he grew older, through the stress lines by his brow and the crow’s feet that had started making an appearance when he smiled.

There hadn’t been anything different enough happening in his life to have triggered the change, apart from a familiar lack of a consistent sleeping schedule. The most exciting thing that had happened between then and the last time he had looked in the mirror was a minor riot at Kryptarium prison that the guards needed help controlling. 

Now, with his face half-covered in shaving cream and a razor in his hand, Cole almost screamed at the deep gaze that stared back at him in the mirror. Logically, he knew it to be his own, but the sight was startling nonetheless. Where there had once been warm green and amber brown, there was now sunset orange and stone gray taking up the same space as that forest of color once did. Cole dropped his razor and leaned across the sink to get a closer look. 

They looked like a precious stone, or maybe a cloudy day. He couldn't decide. Small red and white specks scattered around the edge of his pupil, and Cole stupidly started glancing around to see if they were just paint flakes in his eye. Fortunately, there weren’t. They looked almost… familiar. He had seen them before. The question was where.

Someone pounded on the door “Cole, hurry up!” 

He jumped, almost falling back into the towel rack, “Y-Yeah, one sec.” 

Kai groaned, though it was more of a growl, “I wanna take a shower! I’m aching all over!”

“I said one sec!” Cole listened as Kai’s frustrated grumbles disappeared down the hall with his footsteps before taking a breath to clear his agitation. He turned back to the mirror and picked his razor back up.

Later that night, laying with his arms behind his head and staring at the wooden paneling above his bed, he realized why his eyes were so familiar. He saw them every time he remembered the good days before she got sick, when she smiled more and took him mountain climbing, and when she whooped when she reached the top. They were his mother’s eyes.

He didn’t know what to think of that, but he smiled nonetheless.

Weird things just kept happening. His nails grew in sharp and black while his fingers took on an ashy-textured charcoal gray and deep brown color that trailed up to the palm of his hand, darker around his nails. The same thing happened to his feet as well, though that was easier to hide. His eyes could be explained away by his contacts, which the team already knew he wore, but he had to tell his friends that he had been painting his nails and drawing with charcoal. He knew they were growing suspicious, especially when the ‘polish’ never chipped when he threw a punch and the ‘charcoal’ wouldn’t come off when he washed his hands. He grew moody from lack of sleep and an itch at the front of his scalp and the sides of his face that didn't disappear no matter how hard he scratched. His skin grew red and irritated as a result, which only served to make him more cranky when the hot water of the shower pressed against it.

It came to a point a week later. Zane had reached for his plate at dinner, intent on washing it since it appeared he had finished with his meal, but Cole beat him to the punch.

“Mine.” his voice came out in a deep growl, and his ashen fingers closed around the edges of his plate and pulled it to the side. It knocked over Lloyd’s water cup and sent it rolling to the edge of the table only to be saved by Lloyd’s quick reflexes. Zane jerked his hand back in surprise. What business did he have in taking what was Cole’s-

All conversation stopped. The only sound was the continued growl from Cole’s chest like the rumble of his dirt bike’s engine when he revved it.

Kai whistled, “Damn, what’s got your panties in a twist?”

It brought Cole back to himself. The rumble stopped and his sneer turned to a shocked look directed to where he held his plate with a white-knuckled grip- or, had held. The ceramic had cracked under Cole’s fingers, spider-webbing under the near-finished plate of food. He could feel shards digging into the meat of his palm and the warm, wet, and sticky texture of blood from new cuts. His blood wasn’t supposed to be that dark. Water from Lloyd’s cup spilled onto his thigh, “...I-” what was that? “I’m sorry, I… I don’t know what came over me.”

Master Wu rose an eyebrow, “Cole-”

Lloyd interrupted him, “Sorry, it‘s my fault.” He placed a clawed hand on Cole’s shoulder and his tail wrapped around his wet leg. Cole hadn’t realized he was still so tense. It was almost like he had been ready to pounce. He tried to relax while Lloyd kept talking, “I asked him to help me with my control over earth last night since it’s the least like my own element. We stayed up a bit later than I expected.” The table let out a collective Ah. There were two things they all knew not to stop Cole from attaining: cake, and a healthy six to eight hours of sleep.

Zane nodded, “Understandable, but I have to ask: how did you make that noise? I was not aware that was something you could do.”

“Yeah,” Jay piped up, “Teach me how to do that! Imagine the look on the bad guy’s faces when I growl at them like I’ve gone feral.” he made claws with his fingers while Nya rolled her eyes at his antics.

Feral. That’s how he felt. When he threw that first punch, when he snapped at minor inconveniences and growled at his brother over an unfinished plate. Cole stared blankly at his hands, loosely clenched around what remained of the plate after his outburst, “...I don’t know.” his friends quieted to match his small voice, “I’m sorry, it just happened.” What was happening to him?

Cole had a sinking suspicion that he already knew. He just didn’t want to accept it.

Lloyd took it upon himself to pull Cole away after dinner to the bridge and started bandaging his hands. Cole could see his tail flick back and forth and brush the wall behind him, “Are you okay?” 

Cole answered honestly, “No. So much shit has been happening and I’m starting to think you were right about the Oni thing and-“ 

“Woah, calm down, Cole.” He set down the roll of gauze and pulled out the medical tape, “How about you explain from the beginning.” Cole had a hard time believing that Lloyd was the same person as that little kid who marched through a village with cans of rubber snakes and a hunger for candy. Or the child who threw two gis in the wash so that one would come out pink. Now he could only see a kind and supportive leader. Someone who he could confide in and trust to make the right decision. Sure, he might be a bit awkward and too trusting for his own good, but Cole knew he had made the right choice in stepping down as leader all those years ago.

So Cold told him everything. He talked about the mishap on the deck and the changes to his eyes. He told Lloyd about the claws, the charcoal hands and the constant itch that followed him everywhere, no matter how many creams or other treatments he tried. Lloyd listened patiently the whole time, and finished bandaging Cole’s hands by the time he was done explaining.

He took a deep breath in and let it out in a huff, “Well, now I definitely think my theory is true.”

Cole rolled his eyes, “No shit, Sherlock.”

Lloyd playfully flicked his forehead, “I’ll bring it up to Pixal, since she’s handling the biological part of the investigation. She had mentioned that she was almost done. Tomorrow morning, at the latest.”

He liked the sound of that. After a week or so of waiting, he could finally get answers, “Let’s hope they tell me something I wanna hear.”

Cole couldn’t control the heavy pit of anxiety and curious excitement that had gathered in his stomach. In the short time between dinner the previous night and their meeting, the ashy quality of his hands had spread to his wrists and the itching grew in intensity, to the point of irritation since he couldn’t scratch it quite right while his fingers were still bandaged from the cuts the previous night. He was just a little too sensitive to everything around him, like all of his senses had been turned up as if they were knobs in Zane’s chest. He had a headache from the lights, and he was pretty sure he could smell Kai’s morning breath from across the room, earlier.

“We three have noticed the symptoms you are experiencing,” Cole, Lloyd, Pixal and Wu, were gathered in the bridge while the rest of the ninja went into the city to sort something out with the police commissioner. Pixal fiddled with her metal fingers as she spoke. It was an idle habit she inherited from her creator, “I have analyzed the blood sample I took from you a week ago and compared it to a sample of Lloyd’s. You show clear similarities to both a control sample I took from Nya and Lloyd’s sample, proving the theory that you have Oni blood, though I was not able to figure out the exact amount.” She turned to Wu, “Wu, however, had a more fruitful search in that account.”

Wu nodded, “I have found records of Lilly’s, Cole’s mother, that is, family history and was able to trace it back to his great-grandparents.” From his sleeve, he pulled out a piece of paper that had seen better days and handed it to Cole. Lloyd leaned in close so that he could read along with Cole. It was a birth certificate without a date of birth. The place where the numbers would have gone simply blurred like diluted ink. It warped and shifted as Cole tried to see the writing behind. Wu continued his explanation as Cole stared at the paper in shock, “Gertrude Finch, married to one of the earliest masters of earth, and a full-blooded Oni in disguise. I had almost forgotten about her until I stumbled across an old photo.” 

You couldn’t have Jay as a best friend without becoming proficient in the math skills he had missed after running away from home, so Cole did the math. An eighth. One over eight. Point one two five. One hundred twenty-five thousandths. 12.5% of his blood belonged to the Oni people, their culture, and he might have never known if it weren’t for the attack on Ninjago.

It hit him all at once. His eyes didn’t look like his father’s anymore. He had claws, his fingers were stained like ash. He was an eighth Oni and he never knew. He put a hand to his temple (next to a spot rubbed red from itching) while his shoulders started to shake. Cole snorted, pulling all attention to him. His face screwed up in a wobbly smile and he burst into laughter. His (clawed, ashen) hand flew to Lloyd’s shoulder to keep himself upright as his cackles (like the growl from his chest) filled the room.

“Um,” Lloyd put a hand over Cole’s.

“Cole,” Pixal and Wu moved closer, “Are you alright?”

Cole looked up (with dark, amber-colored eyes) and snorted again, “I-I told Lloyd-” he snickered again, but it took on a somber quality. By the end of his sentence he was breaking down, “I told him th-that I want…I wanted to know who my g-great-grandparents were.” Cole didn’t cry, but it was close. He had to keep himself together. He was the rock of the team. He put on a smile. He probably looked a little crazy because of it. “Why now?” 

At his words, Lloyd tensed before moving in to properly hug Cole. He sighed, “It’s my fault, I’m sorry-”

“This wasn’t your fault, Lloyd,” Wu tried to reassure his nephew, only to be cut off.

“It is, though. Technically.” Looking up, Cole saw his brother’s head was bent down, “My changes started happening not too long after I figured out I’m part Oni. I didn’t think much about why it happened but-” he paused, “I think it's because I told you my theory. I think it happens because we realize that this part of ourselves exists.” Lloyd finally looked up at him. Cole never noticed it before, but his eyes were much darker than the green he had become familiar with. They were like his own, dark and gray but with red undertones instead of orange. 

“I’m so sorry, Cole.” Lloyd had always been very empathetic and became emotional easily, so Cole wasn’t shocked when his brother’s lip started to quiver and his eyes took on a glassy quality.

Cole shook his head, “It’s not your fault, greenie.” He was still processing, but Cole found comforting others to be familiar territory. He was the family’s foundation, after all, “That’s just how the cookie crumbles.”

“You-” Lloyd laughed and wiped away a tear at the corner of his eye with his sleeve, “You’ve said that so much that I can’t take it seriously anymore.”

Wu finally placed a hand on his nephew’s shoulder, “Cole is right. This would have happened eventually.”

Lloyd sniffled, but nodded, “Yeah,” he leaned forward and Cole scooped him into a hug that they both desperately needed, “Yeah, okay.”

The others took the news with grace. That is if grace involved loud questions thrown at him one after the other, numerous hugs, and one confused nindroid watching the chaos in trepidation. 

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Zane said from the couch, looking down to the beanbag where Nya, Jay, and Kai all but suffocated Cole in their collective embrace. Lloyd sat at the other end of the couch with a Starfarer comic in his hands and a pillow on his lap, “You did not act like this when you found out I was a nindroid. Why is Cole’s reveal as part Oni any different?”

“Because!” Jay said, “You’d had all your gears and bolts since the beginning, so nothing really changed. We’re watching Cole go through puberty again! It’s a very stressful time for a young Oni.”

“Would you stop calling it that?” Cole’s face burned with the comparison, “It’s not puberty! How come you didn’t act like this when it happened to Lloyd?”

Nya flicked his forehead, “‘Cus, dummy. I knew he was part Oni before this shit started happening, and you boys were too busy dealing with Garmadon to really freak out about it. You, on the other hand, dropped a complete bombshell on us that we could have helped you with if you didn’t hide it from us.” Cole smiled sheepishly at her accusing tone, “You have black hands, for Master’s sake. How did we not see this coming?”

“Maybe you’re just losing your touch,” Nya flicked him again, this time on the cheek.

He hissed at the jab at the hit against the raw skin of his cheekbone, and out of nowhere, a dull pain shot through his jaw, making Cole groan and cover his cheek with a hand. Was it his hand? He wasn’t sure. With everyone on top of him, it could have been Misako’s for all he knew.

“You good, bro?” Kai’s voice was much too loud in his ear. How could that be when he was several inches away?

Cole nodded, “Just a toothache. Nothin’ to worry about.” Maybe he should go see a dentist. Zane looked like he was about to voice the same thought, that is until Lloyd started to ominously snicker from the other end of the couch.

Cole huffed, “What’s so funny?”

“Yeah,” Jay sat up, relieving some of the pressure from Cole’s chest and knocking Nya slightly off-balance, “I thought we broke your ‘evil laughing’ habit years ago!”

He snickered again before uttering, “Here we go again.” in a tone that sent a shiver down Cole’s spine, “Get ready. It’s gonna hurt.”

They all blanched, apart from Zane, whose eyes shone a bit less bright, “...what do you mean again? And what is going to hurt Cole?” Asked the nindroid.

Lloyd didn’t respond. Rather, he flashed them a bright, sharp-toothed grin before turning back to his comic. Cole decided he did not want to know.

Sadly, the writers up in the Cloud Kingdom were sons of bitches and despised Cole with a fiery passion.

Cole was made aware of this not long after Lloyd had mentioned something hurting. Oh, how he knew. How could he not when it was so painful. How could Lloyd go through this and manage the resistance at once? He knew the kid had more pain tolerance than most of them, but Cole felt like he was going to go insane. It was the kind of pain that wasn’t sharp, but came in unrelenting waves that lasted forever.

Kai walked into their shared bedroom and sat down on the edge of Cole’s bed, where said ninja was curled up in his blankets and focused on distracting himself from the pain with his sad, melted ice pack, a 3DS loaded up with his favorite Pokémon game (Pokémon X. How could he not pick the ninja starter?), and a bottle of Advil. Kai placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder, “Toothache again?”

Cole nodded pitifully. Toothache had been a gross simplification. Try mouth ache, because his entire jaw and lower face hurt from the pain in his gums. The waves had been coming on and off for the past day or so, with long, dull throbs of pain radiating from his jaw for two hours before fading to a more manageable level. Cole could only guess that he was going through something similar to Lloyd when he grew sharper teeth. The only thing holding him together was Nya’s super-ultra-strong pain meds. Oni genes must be much stronger than human’s if his small percentage of it caused so many changes in his physiology.

Still, he found it odd that he didn’t experience it the same way as Lloyd did. While Cole had growled deep like an earthquake, Lloyd tended to chirp when he was happy or engaged in something like a cat would. Lloyd had gotten quicker and much lighter on his feet after his transformation, while Cole only felt himself getting stronger.

Scratch that. His mouth hurt too much to be strong right then.

“‘m head hurts, too.” He muttered after a moment. The rest of the crew had all but forced him to rest when he started showing signs of pain. If Nya and Jay felt like this every month, Cole was going to start doing the same to them, “‘s itchy.” Like his teeth, the crown of his head had grown itchy to the point of pain. He wanted to scratch open his scalp and cut it away if only to make it stop. The skin was red and crusted over with old scabs from his attempts to do so. Luckily his hands were still bandaged, or he would have done some serious damage. 

Kai hummed, “Lemme take a look.” With Cole’s grunt of approval, Kai started to gingerly part his hair away from his crown. He moved from his hairline upwards in a methodic motion while Cole relaxed into his touch. He hissed when Kai’s fingers brushed the raw skin, while Kai muttered a small “Sorry.” before moving on. After a moment, he seemed to stop at a certain point. 

“You have to stop scratching, Tonto,” the endearing insult made Cole smile, “You could get an infection, and-“ he paused, both in speech and the hands that had been poking through his hair. Cole made an inquisitive noise, hoping for an explanation.

“…I think you might be growing horns, dude.” Kai’s fingers brushed against two raised points on his skull, “You’ve got some little bumps here, and they’re too symmetrical to be much else.” Cole groaned and buried his face in his pillow. The movement jostled something in his mouth, and Cole recoiled at the feeling of something small landing on his tongue. 

Kai must have noticed his reaction. He continued to run his fingers through Cole’s hair, “You okay there?” 

With a nod of his head, Cole proceeded to sit up, spit the item into his hand with a glob of purple-tinged blood, and present it to his brother, “Jus’ lost a tooth.”

Kai blinked, “...I can see that, thanks.” Cole could see his experience with gross sibling-related things in the way he gingerly took the tooth between two fingers and placed it on a nearby table. Kai returned with a tissue to wipe off Cole’s hand, “I’m sorry you’re going through this. I’ll get Zane to refreeze this,” he took the melted ice pack by Cole’s pillow and stood up to throw away the tissue, “I’ll talk to him about your head, too. Be back in a sec.” 

Kai started moving towards the door, but Cole reached out to stop him by tugging on his sleeve, “You don’t have to do that for me.” 

His brother looked back at him in what Cole could only guess was some combination of confusion, affection, and amusement, “Why not? You’re my brother. Let me take care of you.” he gently pried Cole’s clawed fingers off his sleeve so that it didn’t get ripped and made his way to the door, leaving a very touched Cole in the bedroom to deal with his toothaches once more. 

The tooth loss continued over the next few days, with his two front ones being the next to go. He had given the table quite a shock when they stuck into his pork rib when he pulled away from his bite. Jay’s face went pale at the sight of his friend’s blood, while Cole just looked down at his food with an expression that could be described as either blank or morbid curiosity. 

Cole gazed up and smiled sheepishly, which felt very weird without three of his front teeth. He felt like he was six again, “…teeth?” Cole was horrified to discover he now had a significant lisp, which made teeth sound more like teef. 

Before Jay could run off to get away from the sight of blood and spit, Kai silently reached over and took Cole’s rib from his hands. Cole whined at the loss of his food but was only met with a solemn pat on the shoulder in response as Kai went to go dispose of the evidence, or whatever he did with teeth. Were you supposed to throw teeth in the garbage, or save them as parents did for their children? Maybe Kai could auction them off to some of their creepier fans for cash. 

The table was silent for a moment more, save for the sound of Kai’s chair being pushed in before Lloyd spoke up. 

“Yeah, teeth tend to do that sometimes.” He shrugged, “I just feel lucky that most of mine got knocked out all at once with a solid punch. I still haven’t found the ones I lost. Maybe they’ll turn up when you least expect it.” His voice turned mischievous towards the end of his statement.

The horrified look on everyone’s faces sent Cole into a fit of laughter, which only served to terrify them more. Jay all but passed out on his girlfriend’s shoulder and she didn’t complain about his squeamishness.

Time passed and his teeth continued to fall out until he was eventually left with a sore mouth and bore a shocking new resemblance to Toothless the dragon: no teeth at the moment, but with very sharp implements hiding right under their gums. Though, his teeth were taking a hell of a lot longer to grow in than the dragon’s had in the movie. A few of the others teased him for it, but after seeing how stressed all of this was making him, they laid off.

He groaned as another, sharper throb of pain went through his mouth. His words couldn’t come out quite right due to his lack of proper teeth so he was rendered effectively mute as sharp new canines began growing in place of his old ones. So far, only the tips had managed to poke through his gums, which caused Cole to frequently have to spit out blood into a tissue. He used this to mess with Jay by holding it in his mouth, walking up to him with a piece of parchment he stole from Wu that read You will die in seven days, and letting the blood spill from his mouth with dead eyes. Jay’s scream was so worth the reflexive punch to the gut.

Speaking of Jay, he paused his video game and turned to the beanbag where Cole laid on his stomach, head buried in the fabric, “You okay? Do you want me to go get you some applesauce?” 

Cole ignored the unintentional grimace Jay sent him as he grumbled, knowing it was just a tic. As much as he was starting to grow tired of being treated like glass, Cole could go for some cold, soft food. He couldn’t exactly shove an ice pack in his mouth, and he had been forced onto a diet of liquids and non-solids. This was worse than when he got his tonsils taken out as a kid. At least then he had gotten to skip school. Now he was excluded from missions by his overprotective teammates. 

Cole hummed and looked up as he waved off Jay’s concern. He could get some himself, and he was pretty sure one of them had another pudding cup in the fridge that had Cole's name written all over it. Unfortunately, when Cole went to stand up, Jay protested with a noise strangely reminiscent of a squawk and scrambled to his feet to push him back into the bean bag. Cole flopped onto his butt while Jay shook his head, “Ah-ba-bap-ba-ba,” Cole would never grow tired of Jay’s weird eloquisms, “If you get to lose sleep caring for me whenever I get sick, I’m allowed to pause my game for five minutes and get you food. Now, do you want applesauce or rocky road?”

Cole sighed and held up a finger for the first option. Applesauce was one thing, but anything as cold as ice cream made his mouth hurt more. The tips of his new teeth were sensitive as hell. He felt lucky he at least got to keep his molars.

Jay beamed and bounced out of the room. Cole had wondered for a long time if Jay’s element was what made him so energetic or if he was just like that. Cole snickered before stuffing the sleeve of his hoodie in his mouth. Chewing on something soft helped a bit, so Cole had found himself biting his sleeves, hood, hoodie strings, and even his shirt collar like a teething baby. It just felt right. Perhaps it was just a new stim that had emerged as a result of all his recent stress. 

He should ask Lloyd or Zane to get him some teething rings or those chewy stim toys next time they were out. He knew they wouldn’t tease him or ask questions as others might. 

Jay had been gone longer than Cole expected and he had started to grow bored. With a grumble he slumped further into the beanbag and threw his head back. Unfortunately the action made the irritated portion of his skull bounce against the fabric and Cole yelped. The itch around his shoulders and hips felt minute in comparison to the pain on his head- the crawling sensation under his scalp.

Cole sat forward, growled and reached up clawed hands to the two red and raw bumps hidden in his hair. Something wanted out, and it itched and it hurt. His claws only helped so much. He wanted it out. Why wasn’t it out?

A significant shift of his skin made him wince and pull his hands away reflexively. His fingers were covered in blood- not a lot, and certainly not enough to be concerned, especially because Cole finally found relief. The pressure and constant itch faded to a more manageable level. The thing had gotten out, raw and sensitive against his coarse hair, but it was out.

He sank into the bean bag as he focused the rest of his attention to the other bump and the ones in front of his ears that had steadily grown in irritation. A bead of blood trailed down his forehead, leaving warmth in its wake. He had to squint as it dripped towards his eye and grimaced at the still unsettling sight of his blood, now with purple undertones unlike the previous crimson red. 

The door to the game room opened and Cole’s relief vanished. Jay strode into the room with an ice pack in one hand and a bowl of applesauce in the other, “This is the last of it until Kai finally makes a grocery run. I swear, he puts it off way too long-“ Jay stopped short, and Cole could only assume that he had noticed the blood on his forehead and the claws that gripped his hair to keep himself from scratching once more.

“Oh, First Master give me strength- what happened to you?” Jay rushed forward and somehow managed not to spill the bowl he had dropped haphazardly on the floor. He reached forward and took Cole’s face in his hands and tilted his head side to side, “I was gone for five minutes! What did you do-“ 

“‘ay.” J sounds were hard to make without teeth, but it got Jay’s attention all the same, going by how he locked eyes with Cole with an open-mouthed expression of concern and fear. 

“You’re bleeding.” Said Jay, as if it wasn’t obvious, “That’s not good.” His hands went from his jaw to his hairline to trace where the blood had trailed down. His fingers trailed up, up, up until they brushed something new. Something strange. Cole worried that Jay had accidentally zapped him, because the sensation was nothing short of electrifying. It felt like a fuzzy jolt that trailed down his neck and into his spine until it fizzled out at the ends of his fingers and toes, and Cole couldn’t keep back his sharp gasp if he tried.

Jay pulled back, “What? Did I hurt you?” 

Cole immediately shook his head. He pointed to the spot Jay had been touching, “Again.” He needed to make sure he hadn’t been imagining that, or that Jay hadn’t just shocked his sensitive skin.

Jay raised an eyebrow but complied easily. He parted Cole’s hair and looked intensely as he poked around for that same spot until Cole shivered as he brushed it again, this time more firmly.

“Dude, you’ve got a horn. When did this happen?” He pulled down the sleeve of his hoodie from where it was bunched around his elbow and wiped up the blood that trailed down Cole’s face. He seemed to be expecting a response for a moment, “Right. Words don’t work right now.” He cupped his chin in thought in a way that was so endearingly Jay, like he could solve all the world’s problems if he pondered long enough, “It’s an Oni thing, right? We should bring you to Zane and Lloyd. They’ve gotta know something. Pix too.” Cole nodded, yelping as Jay quickly dragged him to his feet. The applesauce laid abandoned on the floor.

“Well, It’s certainly a horn, though it appears different from Lloyd’s. Perhaps that is a part of Lloyd’s Dragon heritage, rather than Oni.” 

Zane had finished poking around his head and cleaning away the blood and damaged skin, as well as coax the other horn out of his head with a careful incision all while Cole chewed on his sleeve. The bottoms of his horns, which stretched up about an inch now that they were unbound by his skin, were wrapped in gauze that felt slightly uncomfortable against the new nerves. Hell, he wasn’t even used to having nerves there! 

They didn’t have an official medical bay on the Bounty, but the bridge was the next best thing. Zane had slipped into some sort of doctor persona that spoke a lot like how he already did, but with a tone that fluctuated between serious and more lighthearted.

“You’re lucky I was here. Lord knows you can’t trust any of the other surgeons.” Zane said this as if it made any sense whatsoever, “Barbara can’t even hold a scalpel right.”

Pixal sighed, “You downloaded megabytes of data from medical textbooks and TV hospital sitcoms, didn’t you.”

Zane flashed her a bright smile, “Yes! Thank you for noticing.” 

Cole could faintly hear her mumbling something along the lines of Why am I not surprised? All in all, a perfectly standard interaction. 

“They’re more like typical Oni horns, I think.” Lloyd had ushered Jay out of the room to give the ‘doctors’ room to work. Lloyd was allowed to stay because of his experience in Oni-related biology and sat beside Cole on the raised metal bench towards the back of the room.

He continued, “Mine weren’t nearly as sensitive when they came out. I think the texture’s different, too. Mine are smoother and have grooves, so they’ve probably got less nerve endings. Yours look kinda grainy.”

From what they had described, his horns were an obsidian black and brown mix that lightened to orange at the tips. They were thin, though he guessed that could change if they continued to grow. They told him that his new additions seemed to be made of chitin; pointed back and asymmetric with the leftmost having another small point that branched out similarly to Lloyd’s. Once Cole had mustered up the courage to touch them himself, he found them to be soft in the way high grit sandpaper was soft, and his reflection in the metal of the table showed how they sparkled like crushed gemstones whenever he moved his head.

Zane hummed, “I believe the sensitivity should lessen over time as you get used to feeling with them, though they will probably still be a very touch-perceptive organ.” 

That was good. Cole didn’t think he could manage if every brush of his hair against his new horns felt like someone breathing down the back of his neck. At least they weren’t itchy anymore. Speaking of itchy, though, the sides of his face had been feeling much the same as his horns did before they broke skin. Now would be a good time to mention that.

Zane continued as he pulled off the simple rubber gloves he had adorned, impervious to his thoughts, “If that’s all of the new developments you’ve noticed-“ 

“Wai’.” His pronunciation was still a bit off, but Zane paused all the same. Wordlessly, Cole started to point to other spots on his face and torso that had suffered the same affliction as the ones on the crown of his head.

Pixal and Zane looked at him in confusion, “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I cannot understand you.” She fiddled with her fingers, “May you write it down?”

“He’s saying that there’s more spots like that, too.” All heads swiveled to Lloyd, who shrugged, “What? You forget I’ve done this before- the whole not being able to talk thing.”

“…well then,” Zane clearly wasn’t prepared for a sudden translation, “Cole, can you please remove your hoodie and shirt and point to the irritated areas?” Cole wouldn’t even have to point him to the red and irritated skin, but he complied anyway, wincing as his shirt dragged over his elbows. 

The surrounding company winced at the red skin that was revealed as he undressed and pulled his hair back so they could get a good look at his face. The skin in front of his ear where his sideburns met his upper jaw looked as if it had been torn open and scabbed over multiple times by repeated scratching, which it had. Ignoring the gaping shock of his teammates, Cole started to point to other, less visible spots that had suffered a lesser fate of slight rawness. He showed them his collar, elbows, cheek bones, hip bones, the back of his neck, and his shoulder blades, where it spread until it curved around his shoulders and connected with his collarbones.

“…oh dear.” 

After that concerning revelation, the team was able to deduce that more things were trying to escape his skin, which was evidenced further by the slightly raised texture of the afflicted areas. The protrusions on his face itched the most, and seemed similar to his horns when they were still trapped so Zane was forced to administer more pain meds and repeat what he had done to free Cole’s other horn while Cole gripped Lloyd’s hand hard enough to bruise. It was a necessary procedure, said Zane, as to not cause irreparable trauma to the epidermis. He did not touch the other pieces of raw skin except to apply a cooling salve that made everything feel so much better. Cole made a mental note to pick up more of those cool rocks that he liked and give them to him.

After it all was said and done and Zane switched out his gloves to tend to Lloyd’s crushed hand, Cole was left with a grand total of six new grainy chitin horn-things. Three small ones, half the size of the horns on his head, curved backward towards his ear on each side of his face. They were patterned the same as those on his head, and of course they were just as sensitive as the originals.

Cole wept for his sanity.

“Kai. Kai, can I bite you?”

To his credit, Kai only looked slightly horrified when he looked up from his phone and wiped the extra milkshake away from his mouth, “I’m sorry. What?”

“You heard me, I asked if-“ the smell of smoke assaulted him like a criminal in an alleyway that wanted his purse, “Dude, what did you burn in here?”

Kai looked at Cole like he had lost his mind, “…nothing? I haven’t done any fire stuff since yesterday’s mission.”

“It smells like smoke- woodsmoke?” Cole started frantically looking around the room for burning planks or a lantern that had fallen over before Kai placed a hand on his shoulder and all but dragged him into the bar stool to his right.

“Cole, joya, calm down. If anyone were to be able to sense a fire, it’d be me.” Kai gave his shoulder a squeeze, which made Cole flinch from the sensitivity, “Oh, right. Skin stuff.” 

Since he sat down, the scent had only gotten stronger and mixed with something distinctly metal, and Cole had a revelation.

It was Kai. The smell was coming from Kai, as if he had doused his letterman in pencil shavings and slept next to a campfire for a week. It felt like Kai.

Cole shook his head. He could think about the implications of his sense of smell when he inevitably wouldn’t be able to sleep.  

Kai removed his hand from Cole’s shoulder and leaned back into his chair, “Now, do you mind explaining why, in the name of the first spinjitzu master himself, you want to bite me?”

Right. He had gotten off track. Cole groaned and dragged a hand down his face, which was a bad idea with his sensitive skin. He winced before continuing, “I’m fuckin’ teething and Lloyd won’t let me wear my hoodie ‘cus my skin’s still healing ‘n aparently too much fabric is bad for my gums and my teeth are too sharp for the stim toys Pix got me and I need’a bite something or I’m gonna die.”

Apparently he had adopted Vania’s tendency to ramble at an almost incomprehensible speed. His teeth were blunter than Lloyd’s or the actual Oni’s had been, thank the master, but the slight point added to every tooth and the serious sharpening of his canines had him feeling like a vampire. His gums were still sore and his teeth were only half in, which was fortunate, since it took months for his adult teeth to come in when he was a kid.

Kai stared at him for a long time. His straw made obnoxious noises as he sucked out the last drops at the bottom of his shake, before he finally let go and sighed, “I’m sorry, Cole. I love you like a brother, but even if I didn’t, your choppers are a bit too kinky for me.” 

Cole blushed furiously, “That’s not- I meant like your arm or something, holy shit.”

Kai cackled, “I know, dude, but you can’t just ask if you can bite someone and expect them not to take it the wrong way!” Cole glared at him half-heartedly as Kai took a moment to finish his laughing fit.

Kai sighed before speaking again, “Listen, I think we’ve got more of those ribs from the first teeth fiasco. I can heat some up for you to gnaw on.” 

Cole felt like he had ascended to the astral plane at just the thought of it, “Kai. You know I love you, right?”

A snort, “Yeah. I do.”

Cole felt more and more like a vampire every day. A very earthy, sparkly vampire. 

He still hadn’t been cleared to go back onto the field, despite his teeth being almost all the way in. The raw patches of his skin started to grow back as grey, grainy splotches with the same texture and sensitivity of his horns. They darkened in some areas, like the ones on his cheekbones which grew into a darker grey as it approached his ear-horns. They would probably continue to darken until they looked similar to his horns.

With everything going on, he wouldn’t be surprised if his ears were slightly pointed with the same gritty surface covering the tips, now. Lloyd’s definitely looked like those of high-fantasy elves, so why not Cole’s too? Why not give him more changes and make him feel like he was becoming less human with every day that passed? (Note the sarcasm).

So yes, he felt like a sparkly vampire from those Twilight movies that Jay kept trying to show him.

What was the point of his horns and skin being so sensitive? Were they supposed to act like whiskers on a cat and alert him to his surroundings? Or was it simply that he had the touch resistance of a newborn and hadn’t gotten used to everything.

It wasn’t just his horns, either. All of his senses grew sharper as time passed. The lights, which used to simply serve as a way to navigate the halls of the Bounty at night, buzzed annoyingly when turned on, making it hard for him to sleep with the small night light the ninja kept in their shared bedroom. It was hard to take in everything he could see, now. His eyes tracked every movement in his surroundings, which was dizzying when you lived with up to nine others. He felt like Zane’s falcon- just way less metal and more chitin and flesh.

He would become sick to his stomach when he was assaulted by conflicting scents in the kitchen or when the boat rocked even slightly from side to side on the water, though he guessed it was cool how he could now identify someone by the sound of their gait or their individual scent. He figured that out after his interaction with Kai earlier that day. That explained how Lloyd had grown even more proficient in battle after his own metamorphosis if he also had similar senses. It might also be the source of his frequent migraines.

Cole appreciated how much better cake tasted now, though. He could always rely on cake.

Though, he also supposed he could rely on his teammates, too.

After seeing Cole bump his elbow into a counter and subsequently start crying at the feeling of his ulnar nerve being crushed like a grape, Nya had the bright idea to help him get used to the sensitivity by providing constant and controlled stimulation to his new nerves: AKA she would play with his hair but his hair now included horns and sandpaper skin, which led to Cold being draped across her lap without a shirt so that she could have full access to the grit on his shoulders and his horns. It was almost like a massage. 

From where he was pressed against her, he could get a feel of her own signature scent. Nya smelled like the air after it rained. Paloverde, if he remembered correctly. He could pick up traces of Kai’s graphite and woodsmoke and Jay’s copper and electrical fire. He wondered if their scents came from their hobbies or the environments and objects they hung around the most, or if it was just innate to the person. Then he wondered if it was weird that he was smelling his friends. 

“Cole, I can practically hear you thinking.” Nya’s fingers trailed up his right horn, recently freed from its bandages and a solid two inches longer than it had been when Zane first applied the gauze. They started branching off similarly to Lloyd’s, but only pointed backwards unlike the other’s. A shiver trailed down his spine, though less intense than it had originally been. Was this what ASMR felt like? Wack. 

Nya continued, “What’s on your mind?”

Cole sighed and propped his cheek up against his crossed arms, which felt a little uncomfortable with how the hair on his forearm brushed against his cheek. He finally deigned to give her a response, “My senses are so sharp now- it’s so weird. Did you know you smell like paloverde and the ground after it rains?” 

Her smile was evident in her voice, “No, I didn’t. It’s fitting, though.” 

“Yeah-“ he paused, letting out a deep breath as she pushed her fingers against his cheek, “-and that’s just of the things that’s been…” his words grew slow as he approached the last one, like he had been hit by a realization, “…changing.” 

Nya clearly picked up on this, “You can talk to me, y’know. I’m not unfamiliar with this kind of frustration.” Right, she had been forced into her role as the water ninja after she had established her identity as a samurai, and then into being the girl ninja and an object to be pushed around by the media. Her experiences were more societal than physical, but if anyone were to understand, it would be her. 

“Just…” it was hard to put his thoughts into words, “When’s it gonna stop? I’m only an eighth Oni.” His claws dug into his arms as she moved her hand down to press softly on the horns to the side of his head and pull some of his hair behind his ear, “I’m worried that people are gonna start looking at me like I’m one of them.” He spat out the last word like poison, “At least Lloyd would get slack if they knew because he’s the Green Ninja and makes up for his Oni blood with Dragon. And here I thought I was done being something other than human.”

Cole’s time as a ghost had left its mark on him, both physical and mental. The jagged scar that ran dangerously close to his eye screamed with phantom pain when it got wet. He woke up convinced that he was falling through the mattress and out of the ship’s hull before his mind reconnected with his body. He was worried about being forgotten again. He had been forgotten even after the Day of the Departed, over and over.

Nya hummed and then proceeded to flick the tip of his horn. It felt like a bee sting, or a jab from Jay’s lightning when he was fooling around.

“Hey!”

She huffed, “You’re being an idiot. We all love you, and no horns or claws could ever change that,” Cole smiled at the defiance in her tone. She spoke as if she was daring someone to prove her wrong, “You’re still you, no matter what you look like. If people don’t see you for your strength and your kindness, then they’re missing the whole point of the big picture.”

His heart warmed at the flood of compliments directed at him. He turned over on his side so that he could see her face, which was caught in some battle between fondness and righteous frustration. “Thanks, sis, but was that really necessary?” He wanted to cradle his horn like he would have if she had flicked him anywhere else, but he knew it would only make matters worse by touching that area.

She rolled her eyes before burying her hands in Cole’s mop of hair once again, “You wouldn’t have listened otherwise.” Rather than slowly brushing her hands against his horns, she started to gently pet them like she would a cat’s tail. Cole responded with a visible full-body shudder and a shaky sigh. It wasn’t that the feeling was painful- it was kinda pleasant, actually, but Cole found it difficult to process everything at once, especially when it involved his new nerves. Surely his brain must have made room somewhere in order to accommodate the developmental changes in his physiology, or something like that. He wasn’t Zane, so he couldn’t be sure of the specifics.

Now, though, that part of his brain was sending constant signals down his spine to his muscles, which told them to relax and sink into the nice, gentle feeling of Nya’s hands. It was quite different from the oversensitivity he had felt not too long ago, from when his hair would brush against his horns or his shirt against his gritted skin. He found himself pressing his head up into her touch and flexing his hands open and closed when she reached to cup the back of his neck. Something warm built up in his chest, but he didn’t have the brainpower nor the heart to try identifying it right then, so he simply let it simmer.

She breathed out a laugh at his immediate response, “Just relax, Cole. You’ve been so stressed lately. We can talk about how everyone does not see you differently later.”

Cole didn’t protest. He could already feel his eyes slipping shut for a well-needed nap when her fingers poked around where the horns on the sides of his face met his skin. He reached to wrap his hands around her midsection and bury his face into her stomach just as the warmth from earlier started to boil over. Cole vaguely felt something vibrating around him, but he was already gone before he could question it. The last thing he heard was Nya’s breathless gasp, “Holy shit- he purrs.”

“Breathe, Cole.” 

Master Wu’s voice should have grated on his ears, with how raspy and old it sounded, but it wrapped around him like a warm hug against his shoulders in a way that didn’t set off his sensitivities. He was relieved like the first time he had gotten a warm hug after being revived at Yang’s temple. Wu smelled like jasmine and clay like a nice, potted plant. Wu was safe. 

Without his noticing, his shoulders had relaxed and his breathing deepened and slowed. Such was the effect of meditating with Wu, he supposed.

The smell of incense tickled his nose as Wu continued, “Things have been changing, but we must strive to flow with the river, rather than swim upstream.” Inhale, exhale, “You have uncovered abilities and strengths within yourself even when faced with less than ideal circumstances, such as when you discovered the ability to turn invisible as a ghost.” He had discovered that ability doing the same thing with Wu. Now, his goal was to learn how to shape shift like the Oni could, so that he might be able to disguise his new features like Lloyd. 

Inhale, exhale, “Let yourself relax. Imagine the you that you wish to become. Visualize the shell that holds all of what makes you, you. The body is nothing but a vessel for the soul, and as an Oni, you are not bound by the limitations of the physical form. You can change your body to match your mind if you focus.” Inhale, exhale.

As encouraging as Wu’s little speech had been, a long time passed without any result. He could still feel the wind from the fan on his horns and the too-sharp scent of incense in front of him. The other’s footsteps on the other side of the ship did nothing to put him at ease. He ran his tongue over his teeth and found them still sharp.

He sighed and opened his eyes, slumping forward, “Nothing’s happening. I don’t think the ability was included in whatever genes I got.” It was the oddest sensation, growing frustrated so easily. He found himself angry at the Oni for attacking and making him fall into that abyss, as well as himself for his lack of progress in any area. Cole was only less sensitive to touch because of his brothers and sisters’ careful help. He had made no progress with his other senses, and his mind ran like a tiger in a cage. His skull was the bars, and eventually the beast was going to break free. 

It was as Jay had oh-so helpfully put it during that dinner a few weeks ago. He felt feral, and Cole had no clue as to why.

Wu keyed in on his inner turmoil, “That may be so. However, I am also half Oni, yet never inherited the ability to shift, either.” He stroked his long beard, “That was my brother’s domain. I took on our father’s more Dragon side. All things must come with a balance, I- creation, my brother- destruction. Perhaps you are simply a counterpart to another. Lloyd, perhaps. You are both part Oni, though he also has Dragon blood.” He looked a bit puzzled, though Cole would have to think that anyone would be a bit puzzled in this situation, “We should table this matter for today. You look troubled, which will not help your cause.” 

“What-“ he couldn’t give up now. What happened to ninja never quit? “Sensei, let me try again-“ 

Wu shook his head, “Progress will only come with a clear mind. Talk to Kai. He will have some insight on this issue.” He paused for a moment, “Actually, I need to speak with him, so I will ask him to come to you when I am done. Wait here.” 

Wait? Sensei just wanted him to wait when he still had to figure out how to do the damn thing? Cole was about to talk back, or say something he didn’t mean, but Wu was already out the sliding door and in the hall. It only served to make him more agitated. 

He was frustrated and mad because he couldn’t do the thing that would allow him to feel useful again. He was beginning to tire of the same wood walls of the Bounty looping over and over across his vision. He wanted to have the feeling of earth under his feet again. He wanted to be connected with his element and climb another mountain. 

In a move that did not seem to be completely his own, Cole growled and smashed his fist into the incense and its container. The porcelain and flimsy wood crumpled like paper under his strength. The shards did not even hurt him. He felt empowered by the crunch of the wood flooring under his hand, by the extinguished remains of a fire no longer burning. He had caused that. It stated some of the rotten feelings in his chest, but there was still a pull- a want.

Cole found himself being pulled back to reality by the sharp sting of a piece of porcelain- the second time in only a short while, he idly noted. Anger and frustration made way for confusion, then concern, then shock, and finally realization.

It was rare for Cole to get angry at something like this. He was normally able to diffuse his negative emotions before they bottled up and exploded as they just did.

Cole yelped and dropped the shards like they were on fire before shimming in a panic to the corner of the room. The claws on his horns and the pain that they brought did nothing to block out the racing thoughts in his head. What was going on? Were his emotions even his own? What compelled him to do that? Was Cole dangerous now?

“Cole?” 

Orange eyes met red-gray just as time came to a standstill. People still traversed down the hall and across the deck with a rhythmic thump thump thump that was so loud against his ears. Kai had to go away. He had already smashed something in his fit of irritation, Cole didn’t want to lose himself in that spiral again when Kai was in the room. He didn’t want to do any harm.

There was an exhale, “Cole-“

Kai started to move closer, but Cole curled into himself more, “I-I don’t wanna hurt you. I just got so angry and it just- I’m okay. I’m okay-“

He was shushed and suddenly Kai was on his knees in front of him, “You won’t hurt me, Tonto. I’ve got you.” There were hands pulling Cole’s hands from his horns and rubbing over his knuckles, then a warm presence to his right, “You’ll be alright. Breathe with me.” Kai placed one of Cole’s hands against his chest and took in an exaggerated breath.

Cole wasn’t panicking. At least, he thought he wasn’t, but letting his lungs move in time with another’s was soothing all the same. It wasn’t long until his heart rate calmed down to an acceptable BPM and Cole leaned his head against Kai’s shoulder while the stutters in his breath faded away.

His brother didn’t say anything, and instead opted to reach an arm around Cole’s shoulder and start messing with his curls. He purposefully avoided his horns, which Cole didn’t know how to feel about. Kai’s hoodie was soft against the rough skin on Cole’s neck and cheek, and he couldn’t help but grip its front and rub his face against it more and press into that graphite and woodsmoke that reminded him of their first nights together as ninja, when they camped each night on their journey for the golden weapons. Kai seemed stunned for a moment before he returned to combing through Cole’s hair and playing an idle game on his phone. 

Cole was satisfied to sit in silence. He never got a lot of alone time with Kai, after all. They were always so busy with missions and chores, and Kai spent a lot of time with his sister working on projects or even just teasing each other in the Spanish they spoke in Ignacia. Cole often missed the warmth he radiated. 

Kai’s hands never came close to the horns poking out of his head. Cole was grateful for his consideration, but he thought about it and found that he wouldn’t mind. Nya was gentle with him and gave him time to learn how to handle the nerves, and Cole knew that Kai would never hurt him.

“You can touch ‘em, yknow.” He muttered softly.

“Hm?” Kai paused the game he was playing.

Cole resisted the urge to roll his eyes, “My horns. You can touch them.”

Kai stared at him blankly, “Aren’t they really sensitive or something?”

He nodded and pulled himself off Kai’s shoulder a bit to maneuver the other’s hand to rest on his horn. He hummed, “‘s not uncomfortable when I’m ready for it or it’s one of you guys. First Master, your hands are warm.” It was like he had been swaddled in a blanket and handed a cup of hot coco in front of the fire while his mother read him a bedtime story and while his father made desserts for them all. It was a sleepy and relaxing kind of warmth. He could almost forget about the broken incense and the other stressors in his life.

With only a moment of hesitation, Kai started rubbing his thumb across the sandpaper-like surface and was met with a content sigh. After that he had no qualms pressing closer to his scalp and pulling away to the tips, which now stretched a good three or four inches and curved backwards with two or three sections branching off like a tree. He searched for the spots that made Cole melt into his shoulder, and said Oni could feel that warm rumble start to build in his chest.

“You’re good at this.” Said with a humm.

Kai exhaled a laugh, “Nya used to get migraines. Same thing with Lloyd. Said my hands help the tension, since I can make ‘em hot.” 

He pressed into a spot on the backside of where his horn emerged from his skull and Cole had to repress a full-body shudder, “They would be right- shit.” 

He could tell Kai was trying not to laugh at his reaction to his touch, “What’s it feel like? I never thought to ask.”

“Right now?” He asked redundantly, “Take the best massage you’ve ever gotten, turn up the temperature a few degrees and add some ASMR tingles, then put it all on top of your head.” He couldn’t think of any other way to describe it. Nya’s time spent running her hands over his horns and skin had paid off. It wasn’t sensitive to the point of overstimulation anymore, but to the point where he could still feel with them and be receptive to good-natured and soft touches, like now.

Kai nodded, “That’s nice.” There was something soft in his voice that Cole couldn’t make out, but he ignored it in favor of Kai’s next question, “Do you wanna talk about what happened before I came in?” 

“…I’m okay now, but,” it was hard to force the words out, but Cole managed eventually, “I was just frustrated that I can’t do the shape-shifting thing Lloyd can. Sensei said I couldn’t make any progress when I was mad and left to get you, and it just made me more frustrated and-“ he took a deep breath and leaned further into Kai’s side. Kai had to readjust himself to support his weight, but continued to run his fingers through Cole’s hair, “It’s like I just got wrapped up in this spiral of agitation and when I pulled myself out I’d done that!” He threw a hand out towards the broken incense burner and dented flooring.

Kai didn’t say anything for a few moments, which Cole took to work himself back down from his rant.

Eventually, Kai hummed, “Oni puberty.”

Of all the things for him to say, that was the one he was least expecting. Cole rocketed off Kai’s shoulder and shot him a glare, “Oh not you, too. Jay makes that joke at least once every few days-“ 

“No, no- hear me out.” He tugged the back of Cole’s shirt to drag him back to his side, “You’re stressed over all this, right? And your body’s going through some fucked-up changes.”

“…and?” Where was Kai going with this?

“So, it makes sense if your brain’s doing a bunch’a the stuff a teenager’s would, but this time with weird magic Oni hormones or whatever. That, coupled with the Oni’s natural penchant for destruction, well…”

Oh.

“First Spinjitzu Master,” Not even Kai’s diligent massage could keep the horror from seeping into his very bones, “I’m going through Oni puberty.”

Kai actually handled Cole’s ensuing crisis very well. He didn’t tease, and offered advice for when he got too angry, such as breathing exercises or alternatives to take out his anger on. Kai had clearly come a long way from the hot-headed teen that would blow up and not be able to cool back down. Now, he tried to focus his anger towards a good cause and will himself back down from his high. Cole took his advice to heart.

(And if anyone were to ask where they went the next time they stopped by Jay’s parent’s place, they would shrug and redirect the conversation. No one needed to know about the smoldering and beaten piles of scrap metal a half-mile away. Destruction was more therapeutic than any meditation Wu could sit him through, though maybe that was just the Oni in him talking.)

“So let me get this straight-“

“Unlike me.”

“Shut up, Cole.”

“Sorry, sorry.” He couldn’t help but tease her. Cole was still a bit awestruck that one of his closest friends was the Queen of the Ivory City herself.

Vania huffed and cleared her throat, “Anyways. You’re telling me that you are an eighth Oni, never knew, and are now undergoing some painful process of physical metamorphosis that only started because you learned about your ancestry, and never once until now did you think to tell me?”

“To be fair, there’s been a lot on my plate.”

“All of Ninjago thinks you’re dead! You’ve been missing for a month and a half! Have you been cooped up in the monestary this whole time?”

“The Bounty, actually.”

There was a groan “By the Mountain, the Upply are going to throw a fit! Not in a bad way, of course, but they’re going to want to see you in person and Korgran’s gonna want to spar with you. Fungus is going to be all over your new features. He’s going to be insufferable. I don’t know what Plundar will do. He’s a wild card like that. He’ll probably try to sneak up on you and poke your bits.” She paused for a moment, “Scratch the Upply, I want to see what’s happening to you-“ his connection started to get a bit spotty, but Cole was pretty sure he heard something along the lines of miss you and doofus.

“Vania. Slow down, my internet isn't the best this far above the cell towers.”

“You’re just jealous you don’t have super-ultra-fast Ivory City WiFi.” She sounded smug, which Cole rolled his eyes at before he realized she couldn’t see him, seeing as they were thousands of miles apart.

“Maybe, but that’s besides the point.” 

“Whatever you say, Dangerbuff. So, how did the ninja take the news? What did your dad say? You said he’s into that performing arts stuff, so maybe you can help him in some sort of themed show-“

Cole hadn’t spoken for a long time. Vania caught on. 

“…Cole?”

“…”

“…you did tell your father that all this is happening, right?”

His silence was enough of an answer.

“Cole-“

“I’ve gotta go defeat another snake or something so- uh-  nicetalkingtoyougiveChompyasmoochformekaythanksbye.”

“Co-“

Cole pressed the end call button with a speed Jay would have envied and flopped back against the bed. Rocky Jr. bounced cheerfully beside his head, almost as if it were mocking him.

His phone pinged.

Private messages: Queenie, Men in Black.

[11:37] Queenie: Go, homestuck troll, go.

[11:38] Queenie: Chompy returns the smooch, by the way.

[11:38] Men in Black: IM NOT A TROLL FUCK OFF MY HORNS JUST HAPPEN TO BE A LITTLE ORNAGE

[11:38] Men in Black: Tell chompy that I love him

[11:38] Queenie: Sure thing, trollboy.

[11:39] Men in Black: S TOP

[11:39] Queenie: “Ornage”

Cole walked into the kitchen in the dead of night for some water. He hadn’t noticed someone else walk in until he heard a yawn and the lights flicked on. They didn’t seem to notice him either.

That is, until he spoke, “Hey.”

“First Fucking Master on a stick-“ Nya’s voice raised three octaves and Cole worried her eyes were going to pop out of her head, “What the fuck are you doing in the fucking dark, you mother fucker-“ 

“I just wanted a drink.” 

“Turn the fucking lights on next time!” She kept her voice down, but her whisper-shouts held as much hostility as her regular ones, “Not all of us have night vision!” She turned the lights back off with a huff and stormed off without even getting what she came out for.

He could still see, though. Granted, it was muted and grainy with minimal color, but he could see. 

“…huh.” Now he had night vision. Cool.

Zane found him curled up on his bed with a pair of headphones on, though no music played. The lights were off and upon turning them on, Zane was met with a rather violent hiss and a yell.

“Turn it off, turn it off-“ 

Zane did as asked, and Cole quieted once more, though now his head was tucked under the blanket with him. 

Cole could hear Zane’s heavy footsteps approach his bed through his headphones and winced with each step. It was like someone was driving nails through his skull. Over and over and over and over-

“Are you quite alright?” Zane’s voice was softer than he had heard since Lloyd was still a child. Cole had a hard time even realizing he was talking to him. 

He was reluctant to reply. The team needed a solid foundation, but the slight shuffle of someone’s footsteps upstairs made him cringe. He couldn’t keep going like this. “…’s loud. Too much.” Someone was playing music above deck while they trained. The engine clinked and clanged and spurted smoke that he could almost taste. Lloyd ran up and down the halls in what he assumed to be some cat-like burst of energy, even though it wasn’t three AM. The streets below the bounty were filled with honking cars and police sirens and it was too much.

There was a metallic humm, almost like the buzz of a lightbulb, “Overstimulation, I suppose?” It was a rhetorical question, but Cole nodded anyway, “I have a set of noise canceling headphones with my things, as I too tend to suffer from sensitive hearing. They are also Bluetooth if you wish to play music that is familiar to you.” 

It all sounded too good to be true, “Please.”

A few more footsteps and the sound of a drawer opening accompanied Zane’s soft speech, “I have turned my volume down, but I believe there may be a similarity in our shared hearing abilities, if you wish for me to teach you before you ‘tune out’, as you would say.” The footsteps came back and the bed dipped with the weight of another person. 

“…okay.” He could last a bit longer with the noise.

Zane hummed, “Well, not too long ago I decided to copy your method of ‘tuning out’.” Cole had a tendency to place headphones over his ears and play music whenever he was stressed, overwhelmed or just needed a moment to himself, “Though instead of using music to cope, I figuratively ‘tuned out’ the noise by refocusing on something else. Not paying the noises any mind makes them fade into the background.” 

It sounded plausible in theory, “…how?” 

A hand fell onto his shoulder, cold even through the blanket, “Focus on my voice. I will speak quietly so as to not hurt your ears. Let me be like the music you listen to.” That sounded good, though Cole had a different idea.

“Can you hum?” His whole childhood, and a good portion of his life now was based around music, though he used to detest it with a passion due to his father’s pressure. It calmed him when used right, and Zane was the calmest person Cole had ever met.

Zane didn’t seem to be anticipating this request, but wordlessly complied. His voice had a metallic tang to it, though not an unpleasant one. He smelled like sharp iron and butterscotch like a pot over a stove, and Cole delighted in the comforting and sweet scent of his friend as Zane began his tune. It was a repetitive melody with occasional downfalls of complimentary notes. It was almost as if Zane could harmonize with himself. 

“Il me dit des mots d'amour-“ Zane didn’t falter when Cole joined on the second verse, though he did raise an eyebrow as Cole poked a head out from beneath the covers so that he could get enough air to do so. His melody switched to an accompaniment and his harmony to a steady bass to support Cole’s voice. It was rare that he sang so openly, after all, and in French at that. The noise of the ship slowly faded into the background as Cole tried to remember the lyrics. 

The song ended all too soon and Cole let go of the last note with a sigh. Everything was so much… quieter. Quiet in a way he hadn’t been able to experience since this whole ordeal started. The only sounds he could hear were the whir of Zane’s internal fans and his own breathing. 

Zane smiled, “Better?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Zane.”

Zane shook his head, “It’s no problem. You would have done the same for me.”

Night vision made training in the dead of night much easier. No more sneaking down below the deck with only a punching bag while everyone acted like he would shatter if he took a hit. He was tired of feeling like glass. He was the master of earth, and though sand could be melted into something brittle, Prince Rupert’s drops could withstand blows harder than his teammates could deal. Sure, they had a fragile tail, but he believed his strengths more than made up it. 

Cole grunted as one of the training dummy’s fake arms whirred towards him. He blocked it easily and took a swing at the padding as well. Dodge, swipe, punch- a dance he was more than comfortable performing. He hissed as a hit from an opponent hit his torso and retaliated with a yell and a high kick to its top, courtesy of the flexibility he retained from years old dance lessons. The bot listed to the side before tipping over and breaking apart at the joints. Its lights flickered like a last attempt to hold onto life, but it succumbed to the darkness with a robotic groan. 

Cole huffed with the exertion. This wasn’t the first one he had destroyed tonight, after all. Sweat beaded on his forehead and made his curls stick uncomfortably to his face. 

He sat down against the broken remains of the training bot and allowed himself a moment to breathe. The night was a comfortable sort of temperature. A light breeze fluttered past, and they would occasionally pass through a cloud that cooled his overheated skin. He could have passed out then and there.

“Jay’s not going to be happy about this, you know.” 

Pixal’s presence had gone unnoticed until then. He opened his eyes to see her hovering by the door to the bowels of the ship with a water bottle in hand. How long had she been there? 

She approached him and silently handed him the water before sitting to his left. Cole gratefully unscrewed the lid and all but chugged the whole thing. Pixal didn’t say anything, but he could feel his eyes on him. 

He took a breath, “Thanks.” 

“Don’t mention it.” Pixal finally turned away from him to look up, “The stars are awfully bright tonight.” They were. The uninhabited desert below them offered no light pollution, and Cole felt as if he could see the entire galaxy. 

He chuckled, “Really makes you feel small, huh?”

Her metal hair clanked against the beaten training bot as she nodded, “Immensely so. It’s a wonderful feeling.” Her voice was as soft as the breeze that ruffled his hair. It ringed in his ears pleasantly like an old recording of birdsong. With such close proximity, he could finally smell the sharp steel and honeysuckle coming from her chassis. It was as if there were plants growing inside her.

Pixal continued, “Why were you training at such a late hour?” 

Cole wiped the sweat from his brow with the bottom of his tank top and sighed, “I haven’t gotten to train in a while, with everyone acting like I’m sick and not just growing a few new parts,” he flicked the point of his horn, which had turned out to be the least sensitive point, “I’m going stir-crazy.” From the timeline Zane had given him for when he would be fully healed, he had about a week and a half to go. It would be just enough time to learn how to fight with his new claws, senses and strength. 

A hum, “A reasonable reaction. I must request that you do not overdo it, though. Staying up so late like this will negatively impact your wellbeing during waking life.”

Cole snorted at that, to Pixal’s confusion, “Waking life? I’m still half convinced I’m stuck in a dream.” One that he couldn’t wake up from. Maybe he was a sleeping beauty and his true love needed to kiss him and free him from his curse. Sometimes he felt more like his story was more akin to that of Beauty and the Beast, though he didn’t know what his rose would be counting down to. 

“Hm.” Pixal didn’t say anything after that. Cole had always known her to be a being of action, after all. This was all the more evident by how she grabbed his hand and hauled him to his feet, “I will indulge you. Spar with me, then bed.” The light of the stars glinted off her metal chassis, giving her a spotted glow. She looked as if she was right at home, like she was built to shine as a light to guide others. 

Naturally he knew he was about to get his ass kicked, but he wouldn’t be going down without a fight. Cole grinned and shook out his hands. They warmed to a red-hot glow that danced through the cracks of his blackened skin. It flowed around flakes of flesh like magma under the earth’s crust. Cole found he didn’t mind the new look. 

He turned his attention to Pixal once more, “You’re on.” 

Cole gripped his gi, the one he hadn’t worn in what felt like a lifetime, but was only a period of two months or so. 

He had come so far in such a short amount of time, physically and mentally. It was hard to distinguish what was purely old Cole, and what was part of the new version of himself. Colors and senses he’d never imagined before now flooded his mind. Yes, they could be a hindrance. He startled at firm presses to his shoulder or a pat on the back, and after failing to access whatever shape shifting magic the Oni wielded, he would not be able to hide his features from the public. But even then…

The ship listed back and forth with the rock of the tide, and he could faintly hear Kai groaning from inside the bathroom from seasickness that Cole could relate to. Earth and fire were not supposed to be on water. There was the sharp tap tap tap of the heavy rain that hit the deck above. Nya whooped from the front of the ship and Cole could imagine her gripping the jibboom with her legs and opening her arms to the downpour for an embrace. Zane’s inner mechanisms clicked and whirred from the kitchen where he prepared dinner. Jay and Pixal made the bridge clink and clank with the sound of repairs. A piece of metal thumped against something soft, and going by Jay’s loud cursing and the rhythmic thumps of someone jumping up and down, Cole could assume he dropped a wrench on his foot. Master Wu was harder to trace, but Cole had been working with his senses for a while now, and was able to hone in on him after a moment. He could faintly hear the old master’s breathing as he meditated. The ship itself breathed in and out with every creak of wood against wood and swing of lanterns back and forth. 

He was surrounded by the sounds and sensations of home that he never knew he could experience before.

There was a shuffling from behind the door he stood in front of. Soft pop music mixed with Lloyd’s humming to create a comfortable environment. From what he could guess, Lloyd was probably cleaning. 

He tuned out the noises of his enhanced hearing and without any more hesitance, Cole knocked on the door.

The music shut off, “Come on in!”

Cole had been right, Lloyd was in the process of rearranging some items he took from Yang’s temple and the improved monastery. It was things like photos tacked to a corkboard on the wall and some new blankets on his nook-bed. His area was one of the few that looked in some semblance of order, “Hey, Cole. Need something?” Cole could smell the 

“As a matter of fact, yeah.” He fiddled with the ends of his hoodie sleeve, which were now ragged and torn from how much he had bitten them, “My gi’s hood doesn’t fit anymore. You’re the only one here who can sew.” He hadn’t yet figured out how to shapeshift his features away like Lloyd could. The next best thing would be to fix it to accommodate his horns.

“Oh, you want me to fix it up for you?” Lloyd went to sit down on his bed. He patted the spot next to him for Cole to come over and sit down.

Cole obeyed and handed over his gi when Lloyd reached for it, “Yeah, that’d be great if you could. I’d prefer not to just cut holes in it. 

Lloyd hummed and reached into a drawer beside his bed which held a small collection of needles and thread. He selected a thin needle, some black thread and some scissors and got to work.

It was a companionable sort of silence, permeated only by the rain and the snip of scissors on black fabric. Lloyd was a fast worker, which must have been how he managed to make all of those fake gi for the Darkly’s kids when those alternate-evil versions of the ninja attacked. He was resourceful even as a kid. 

“Y’know,” Lloyd’s voice cut through the quiet like his scissors, “This means the public’s gonna know about the Oni thing. You sure you still want to do this?.” 

It was true. There would be no hiding his horns or the rough skin around his eyes and elbows, nor even his eyes themselves or the black that creeped up his arms. He had a sleeveless gi for ease of use and breathability so that he did not rip it every time he punched something. There was no hiding who he was this time; no school that he pretended to go to so that his dad would be pleased. No disguises or metal dragons to trick the people of the first realm. There was no barrier to hide behind, and if there was it was now made of clear stone: unable to be broken but transparent all the same. This was something he could not turn back from, no matter how hard he tried. 

But Cole was tired of hiding in closets, be they figurative or physical. He would not allow himself to be ashamed of who he was. He had danced that dance with his father for years before he came out into the light in regards to his sexuality and his career as a ninja. His identity had been in flux for years- he was a dancer, a student, the black ninja, the master of earth, the leader of the team, a steady foundation, a brother, one of the protectors of the green ninja. He was a child, a teen turned adult, a spinjitzu master, a ghost, then human once again. Then he was a father figure, a rebellion soldier, one of the fallen, and a survivor. He was a savior, a hero, a protector, one of the Upply, the Master of the Mountain, the son of Lilly.

Cole.

He grinned. It was small and filled with more emotion than he would care to admit, but Lloyd didn’t comment, “I’m done being pushed into boxes.” He was simply Cole, the son of Lilly and elemental master. He was a brother and a friend, and that was all he needed to be, “They accepted me when I came out as pan, and when I showed up as a ghost.” He leaned his head back against the wooden wall surrounding Lloyd’s bed, “And…I’m coming to accept myself like this,” he lifted a black, clawed hand in front of his face almost lazily, and smiled, “I think I can let myself hope that the people will, too.” 

He would push outside of his box. He might change and morph against his will. He could grow horns and fangs and wild senses and instincts he could barely reign in, but he would not let that define him. He was just Cole, and any other titles he held after that didn’t matter as much as he did.

Lloyd looked stunned for a moment, as if Cole had shattered his worldview. Then he closed his gaping mouth and looked down at the gi on his lap for a moment. He seemed to be thinking, so Cole didn’t disturb his peace. 

He suddenly did something that Cole had not been expecting. Cole couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Lloyd lean over to one of his drawers and pull out the hood of his own gi, and take scissors to the crown and sides. He did so with less care than he had Cole’s but the look on his face was so filled with relief that Cole couldn’t do anything other than laugh. 

“You don’t have to put yourself out there like that, greenie-“

“Shut up.” He put down his scissors and held the hood out in front of himself to inspect. His smile was bright enough to blind the sun. Then, as if remembering something, he reached back into the drawer and pulled out his gi’s pants and snipped a hole into the back, which Cole assumed was for his tail, “If you’re showing yourself to the world, I am too.”

Cole smiled. He wasn’t going to be doing this alone. He would never be alone again.

Lloyd had taken a few days to give him back his gi, but the final result was worth the wait. When they stood in front of the mirror side by side, wearing their new, similar uniforms, Cole felt more alive than he had ever felt since the metamorphosis started. His horns fit comfortably through the neat holes in his hood, now a solid seven inches long and wavy in the way a branch would be, with an offshoot or two on each side. The ones on the sides of his face extended three, maybe four inches and almost completely covered his ears like a shield. The bit of chest that was exposed by the deep V of his neckline now was covered by a grey, tight-fitting, sleeveless shirt that extended to cover his neck. The pattern on his arms had morphed into a beautiful mixture of brown, grey, orange and black which now extended just above his elbows. His whole ensemble was covered in decals and accents of the same colors to keep him from looking a solid black mass, especially with his dark skin tone. Dark grey armor padded his knees to protect him from the harsh terrain he worked with. Lloyd had given him a dark green, marble patterned bandanna to tie around his upper arm, and pointed to the matching orange one that rested on his own, though Lloyd’s gi had sleeves under it, which Cole’s lacked. It clashed horribly with his green outfit. He loved it. 

Lloyd grinned, “Look out, Ninjago!” He looped his arm around Cole’s shoulders, making him bend down a bit as he pumped his fist in the air and laughed, “Here comes the new and improved Oni squad!”

Cole matched Lloyd’s smile with one just as bright, “They won’t know what hit ‘em.”