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All so loud yet so quiet.
Cole’s ears were ringing like crazy, as he layed on the ground, First Master knows where, as he woke up after passing out for who knows how long.
His lips felt dry as his mouth was clotted by thick, semi-coagulated blood, covering his tongue, staining his teeth, making the ninja scrunch his face up, and with a disgusted sound, spit it all out on the floor without thinking twice.
The sickening taste of metal, just the thought of it, made him want to puke, he truly hated it.
Still disoriented, the ninja tried to hold himself upwards. Failing miserably, the master of earth let out a painful grunt, realizing how, at the moment, he felt like every single bone in his body was shattered, a burning feeling all over his back and limbs.
Cole tried looking at his surroundings, and for a moment, the ninja couldn’t understand if his eyes were open or not.
Multiple, but futile attempts of furiously blinking to make his vision return were made.
His body ached as blurry memories of his last moments before fainting bubbled up, like a teapot filled with still boiling water, burning the leaves, turning the beverage bitter, unpleasant.
Cole remembered the split skies, which were like many unlocked doors into different realms, previously sealed, and stable, until something still unknown kicked them open, making it almost seem like worlds were melting into each other at an alarming rate.
The bleeding wounds in the reddish sunset seemed to be stitching themselves closed as the bounty approached their direction, a sudden feeling of dread washed all over him, giving the ninja a painful shiver down his spine. Cole’s blood was sizzling as his anxiety grew stronger. Still, he didn’t say a word about it. His feet stuck to the deck and his voice died in his throat.
A loud, booming explosion, so many colors, and so much fear, confusion, too little time for the master of earth to understand what was happening.
Cole screamed for his friends as the colors quickly melted away and everything went black.
Frowning, he couldn't help but wonder where they were right now. if only he had said something, at the agonizing, anticipating fear he felt as they approached the terrifying whirlpool of distant, yet so close lands, maybe, just maybe they still would have been together.
Perhaps, if he tried to stop the vessel from getting so close to the center of that gateway to madness…
His chest clenched painfully as guilt struck him, somehow making the aching in his bones much worse than before.
Now he wasn’t even sure if they were alive.
He could’ve stopped them.
and still, he didn’t.
The ringing in his ears slowly ceased, making it a bit easier to look around. He couldn't say the same for his insufferable headache though. The ninja managed to sit up.
The master of earth raised his hand to his forehead as he felt a particularly painful spike strike, and immediately retrieved it as he felt a sticky substance stain his fingers. Another pained sound escaped him. The ninja’s mind felt like molasses as every small movement made his head spin, feeling so heavy, almost driving him back onto the floor once more.
He found it hard to focus, and the ninja stopped moving altogether to avoid passing out once again. Cole put his hands on the gluey floor, trying to ground himself, closing his eyes, breathing slowly, steady, he was fine, he tried to convince himself, as he felt his eyes watering, everything was going to be ok.
The darkness seemed to slowly retreat as he tried to squint and look up where the sky was supposed to be.
The way very faint strings of light were seeping through the dark reminded him of storm clouds. Or almost like being under the packed trees of a thick, luscious forest.
Just, way, way darker. And definitely more terrifying. The scarce light didn’t do much against the rising, greenish smog.
The ninja decided to finally stand up, as he could barely look at his surroundings.
The dense mist made it hard to see anything beyond his nose. Airy whispers were starting to be heard from all around, some screaming, some pleading, some crying.
No one was in sight. Only what looked like faint spheres of light dancing in the smoke far, far away.
"Wha-" Cole spoke in a whisper. His voice interrupted by its own echoing.
The master of earth looked down at his hands once again, now seeing them being covered with what he previously assumed was blood. The assumption turned out to be correct, and he sighed, exasperated.
Great! He thought, hopefully, he didn't crack his head open and it was just a small cut.
Whatever the case might've been, he decided not to risk it.
Cole traced his fingers on the hem of one of his sleeves, before giving it a neat pull, ripping it off his gi with ease. he frowned lightly, he just got this suit, and he was just starting to really like it.
Though he decided that now definitely wasn't the right time to be upset over something like this. At the moment it was either ripping the gi or him probably bleeding out until he fainted once again. First Master knows where he was right now.
Too bad, he knew exactly where he was. The ninja has seen this place before, on the rooftop of a certain temple, on the other side of a swirling portal, while he could feel the freezing, autumn wind pass right through his ghostly figure.
A shiver went down his spine as he suddenly felt cold. So, so cold. The feeling of his fingertips falling off was distracting, so excruciating.
Painful memories flooded his mind as he tried not to break down.
A choked gasp left his stained lips as Cole looked down at his trembling hands, fingertips starting to glow with a familiar greenish hue, transparent almost all the way through, showing dark, almost charred-like bone. Wide-eyed, the ninja knew that look way too well.
No no no no no no no no NO.
He just didn't want to believe it.
Not after all he’s been through, after stepping out of that fucking temple a moment too late.
Not again.
The master of earth clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white and his fading fingernails dug deep in his skin. Anger, so much anger. The anguish in his chest was insufferable. The knot in his throat made it hard to breathe, the stale, almost dusty air of his surroundings not helping at all.
A voice, at the back of his mind, one he was very familiar with. Way too familiar.
“Run boy, run to the mountains…”
Even older memories infested his mind like a spreading disease, his heart cluthing harder, making his eyes water, more and more difficult to hold back the tears.
Suddenly he was sixteen again, sitting alone at the kitchen table of his and his father’s home, crying his eyes out. It had been a while, but he still missed his mother so much, so so much.
Head leaned between his arms, he recalls looking out the window, tall mountains in the distance, the wind blew so gently that day.
And that’s the first time he heard it. Felt it.
The urge to run, to run away, as the voice kept insisting, climb to the top of the tallest mountain and just, scream, or cry, or get out of that stupid kitchen. Longed to be alone, longed to be at peace.
That day the boy left the house, not leaving a note, nor texting his father, warning he was going outside. Lou wa probably going to come back later tonight, another show for the Royal Blacksmiths to attend.
And Cole ran, ran until he was out of breath, reached those damn mountains, and he climbed, climbed so high he could see the city where he lived, so small, so far away.
His hands raw, filled with cuts and blisters, but nothing mattered, not now.
He never found the answers he was looking for, but at least for once he was calm. His bones ached as he looked at the bright afternoon skies, laying on his back, steadying his breathing, listening to the wind.
The ninja came back to his senses, frowning slightly. Cole wished, he wished to rush away as far he possibly could, if only there was a place for him to go-
He was suddenly aware of the ripped sleeve still in his hands, as a strong dizziness started to flood back. it hurt, his head hurt.
He tied the cloth around his temples with shaky hands, trying to cover the wound as better as he could, since he wasn’t exactly able to see it. Cole winced at the sudden pressure, his legs felt weak for just a moment.
So, so cold.
Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, the ninja saw a string of light, way closer than all the others.
The mist shifted with the motion, and the ninja's head snapped in its direction, but when he looked, the light was already gone. The feeling of falling, so, so woozy, made him stumble as he almost fell down.
"Cole…"
The master of earth quickly put up his fists in a fighting stance as he heard an echo in the sinister setting, still seeing no one with him in the dingy, liminal space. Low and dark fog shifting beneath his feet. The tacky ground gluing him in place.
"Uh?" Cole kept looking impatiently, whisper so low, he almost couldn't make out what just resounded in the room.
It felt strangely familiar, like someone he knew, a voice he's heard before.
It sounded worried, like someone who's been looking for him for a long time. A touch of disbelief, as it felt surreal to see the man after years and years of searching.
At the same time though, it also felt confused, as this wasn’t his place to be. As he wasn’t supposed to be there. Not at the right time at least.
It was quickly lost in all the other cries, and Cole furrowed his brow, as he couldn't pinpoint whose voice it just was. The feeling was so strange.
The ninja almost tripped on his own foot as he took a step back and frantically looked around.
Then he suddenly realized. It was his name that just echoed in the darkness of the realm. he felt some sort of hope as well as, panic.
Was it someone he knew? Was it a ghost? Maybe one of his friends got stuck somewhere around here too?
Without thinking, he called for his friends."Kai? Nya, is that you?" A nervous laugh left his quivering lips as he tried not to freak out completely. "Damn, I'd be happy to see even Jay right now!"
The little ball of light seemed to briefly reappear, as it danced in the air, leaving a trail of faint light behind it. some of the whispers became louder, but still so layered one couldn't make out the words.
Cole's hands began to shake, hard.
"Ha.Ha. Very uh- Very funny guys, but you know I'm not scared of ghosts anymore!" he swallowed dryly as he continued, this time quieter. "I used to be one, for The Master's sake…" That last bit was more to reassure himself. He swallowed dryly.
"Cole?"
The voice echoed through the dim, liminal space. his fists tightened. So, so cold.
"Morro is that you? This isn't funny!" Anger and frustration seeping through his words, his head hurt, and he hated the metal taste in his mouth, why was it so fucking cold all the sudden?
His thoughts fast and fragmented, spinning, not making any sense, goosebumps all over his arms and legs, the ninja felt the the hair at the back of his neck rising. His eyes widening as his stomach churned and his throat felt dry and, and- panic panic panic- suddenly it was so much it was all too much he felt like throwing up and his knees felt weak and why couldn’t he breathe why why wouldn’t he-
"Cole!"
The ninja heard the echoes of his name one last time before the mist slowly cleared out, revealing the silhouette of a tall, shadowy figure.
A ghost a ghost a ghost- Cole’s mind kept repeating like a broken record, he finally admitted to himself, he couldn’t handle this, he just couldn’t- a ghost, like he was a ghost, like he’s about to become a ghost, his mind not listening, a spiral so deep, and he was falling right into the middle of it.
The ninja’s eyes widened even more as he almost tripped backward by taking another jittery step back. He chocked on his own spit, and his head hurt, his scar glowing green opposed to warm orange, his face, it felt so cold, why was it all so fucking cold- His vision was blurry and he could see the pitch black bones of his hands through the greenish flesh- It was sickening- He- He felt sickening- He-
Dark empty eyes looked at the man, a sad smile, placed on the face of the older woman in a long, white dress, just a few meters in front of him. Cole’s eyes watered as he could recognize himself in some of her features.
Everything stopped.
No.
No.
NO.
This couldn’t be real.
They couldn’t do this to him.
They couldn’t.
Please.
Please no.
Don’t do this.
Please.
Please-
PLEASE-
The master of earth felt his feet sink into the floor, as if it was quicksand. He didn’t move as the ground grew more and more uneven. He couldn’t- He couldn’t do this-
The ninja felt tears pouring down his cheeks before he could realize he was crying.
"My boy…"
Hearing the voice of the woman, his mother, his own dead mother, his mind was breaking, this was torture, why here why now why did he have to meet her as his head was bleeding out as his flesh was fading away as he was about to turn into a ghost as he was about to be left behind by his family AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN-
This was a nightmare.
Cole broke down with a choked sob, his head spinning as his knees gave out, he sat on the floor, not giving a shit at the way the ground felt less and less solid under him by the second.
Crying crying crying why was he crying he wasn’t supposed to be crying he was supposed to be strong stand up to the cruel and unjust to never break down.
Why couldn’t he just be at peace with himself for once,
when will he get a break from all this?
When will he stop beating himself up, over every. Single. Little. Thing-
It really seemed every time he was healing, something, somehow, gripped at the slowly closing wound and ripped it open, bleeding, releasing all the past memories and all the pent up feelings he tended to lock up in a crystal box. So fragile, slowly cracking. Like a ticking time bomb, he really couldn’t ignore it this time.
Cole’s mind screamed like it never did before, his ears ringing and his vision black at the corners, his throat felt raw as he sobbed and sobbed, his hands covering his face he didn’t want to look he didn’t have the guts to- His mind kept screaming it was all too much too much too fucking much-
Lilly’s undead heart ached, seeing her boy, her son, in such agony upon meeting her for the first time, in so, so long.
One single step she took, echoing so loudly, the ninja could swear the sound made his chest rumble.
Another strangled sob, as he pulled at his dirty bangs, as he refused to look. he faced the other way as the whispers all around became overwhelming, and one step after the other he thought he was going deaf by how incredibly loud it all felt.
Why was he feeling this way- he missed her for so long and it hurt so much and now she was in front of him why couldn’t he be happy why was he sobbing like a child why did it have to be so complicated- why why why-
She stopped, and everything seemed to follow her lead, falling quiet, falling still.
Slowly, Lilly sat down in front of her son. Don’t look at him don’t look don’t look dont-
Her long, familiar dress briefly brushed against his knee, as it gently fell on the ground, spreading all over the melting floor, almost merging with it. It was longer then Cole had remembered. He shivered and shivered, crying like he never did before.
“Cole…” Gentle, so caring… So pained…
The master of earth felt so small, so so small as his name echoed once again in the dusk. That voice… hearing her voice made him feel like he was a kid once more, sitting on the ground, covered in dirt, as his knees bled out. Crying, crying so hard as his mother reassured him everything was going to be ok.
But it wasn’t, no, not this time.
A cold breeze blowing all around, cold, so so cold…
Eyes shut, shut so hard it hurt, disorienting, all the incoherent shapes and colors swirling around, patterns so intricate yet chaotic. His mind felt like a fucked up kaleidoscope.
The ninja felt her hand brush against his own, cold cold cold. He flinched. He flinched hard.
It was too real. Too real to ignore. Too real to run away from it.
He looked, and his breath itched. A ghost. A ghost, A GHOST-
She did not change at all.
The same as all those years ago.
The same as the last time he saw her.
She looked sad now.
What- Wait- Why was she sad? Was she upset with him? Was she disappointed?
She probably was, just look at him. He’s such a mess.
No wonder his friends left him behind, that haunting october.
No wonder nobody cared.
Such a mess, such a mess.
He cried. And cried and cried and cried.
His stomach churned and his head pounded, loud. it was too much, he couldn’t look anymore-
Without a word, his mother pulled him into an embrace. She couldn’t see him like this, hurting, it broke her heart.
It was cold, so so cold.
Somehow, comforting nonetheless.
Maybe that’s what he needed now, some comfort, yes, some comfort didn’t sound so bad…
He relaxed, let himself breathe, just for a moment.
Breathe in, breathe out,
Steady.
Safe.
A sniffle, “miss- missed you…” It hurt to talk.
She smiled, bitter. "I did so too." Lilly placed a hand on top of his head, gentle, so gentle, as she let him cry on her shoulder. "i love you Cole."
"Love you…" He tried to speak, his head weighty, words starting to slur.
"You've grown so much. You've been good haven't you?"
"I promised I would." Cole attempted a chuckle, but miserably failed. A weep echoed instead. "At least i try to…" Another sniffle, loud.
The ninja’s gaze saddened as he closed his eyes.
"My friends, I- I let them down, and I could’ve warned them, if I- maybe if I just said something then, they could have been with me, still." Cole squinted harder as he tightened the hug just a tiny bit. His mother slowly ran circles on his back. “And- But I didn’t. And now they’re gone.” how, how he wondered, how did he always manage to fuck everything up.
“All those people we were trying to save, all those people who we couldn’t save- That I couldn’t save- ” He let out a shaky breath.
"I'm so sorry." The ninja felt so ashamed.
He hid his face deeper in his mother's shoulder. "I failed you, Mom." The master of earth felt drowsy. so tired. so restless.
His limbs grew colder, Cold. Cold. Cold. It was so distracting, the freezing made it hard to move, he was shivering, when did he start shivering?
"I failed everyone." The chill slowly seeped through his bones, making him cry harder, bringing back sensations and past memories he quickly tried to fight and shove at the back of his mind. He couldn't avoid thinking of all the times he let his friends down. Every attempt of reassuring him all was fine, but still, it was all futile in his eyes.
The headache was getting worse, his fading skin tingling and burning, freezing.
Lilly carefully took her son's face in her hands, and he flinched. It was cold she was cold why was she so cold why was it all so fucking cold-
“You haven’t failed me Cole.” So serious, “You could never.” yet so gentle…
“How long has it been? Time is fuzzy down here, tell me, how old are you now?” She caressed his cheeks gently. So soft, but still so cold, so so cold.
Cole could barely talk anymore. “Twenty-seven…” the ninja mentally scoffed at himself, what a number.
She frowned. So sad, so heartbroken.
"My baby, my son” Once again, he felt small, as his mother tried to comfort him.
“You’re still young, you still have so much to live for…" Lilly looked at him, a lonely, black tear tracing her cheek. the attempt of a smile.
Cole couldn’t help but think, what a cliche line…
But it was serious, so so serious. “I can’t let you stay here…”
The ninja’s crying stained his mother’s ghostly hands, slowly sizzling the skin away. Cole gasped, as the sickening sound made itself more and more apparent to his ringing ears. He tried to pull away, but the phantom didn't let him.
She didn't even flinch.
Lilly dried the spare tears away with her thumbs, her fingers were starting to melt away, leaving the charred bone exposed. He tried to stop, stop crying so much, how could she be so calm, he could feel his own hands ache, it hurt it hurt- why couldn’t he stop he was hurting his mother that’s not what he was supposed to do he was supposed to save people not hurt them why couldn’t he stop-
The master of earth put his hands on top of hers. Transparent, the sight of charred bones making this so much worse. Shaking, so much shaking.
He chocked on his tears. “Please I… I- I don't- Your- Your hands… ” Why couldn’t he do anything right-
Cole let his hands fall, and his mother’s followed. So much distress, his heart clenched tight.
“Hey, don’t worry about me, it’s ok, look, I’m fine. You’re fine.” She showed him her hands, already healing, green matter regenerating itself at a quick rate.
Pretty gross, but somehow reassuring, Cole thought. Nothing he wasn't unfamiliar with.
A smile. “As long as it’s just a couple tears, I’m sure I’ll handle it just fine.”
A pained expression across his face, not satisfied with the answer. “Just because you can handle it, it doesn’t mean you should go through that.”
What a hypocrite he was.
And Cole knew. He knew he was.
The amount of times the others said the same, exact thing to him…
He just never listens.
They probably hated that about him.
A frown. He tried not to think about it.
His mother ignored the comment, she knew, self destucting, if it meant they could save, comfort another troubled soul, her son just like her, putting others before himself.
Sudden, she tilted her head to the side, serious.
Cole followed, startled. What? What happened? There’s nothing there, why did she look there?
Eyes wide for just a second, she tilted her head back, facing her boy once more.
Lilly took her son’s hands in hers. “I have to go now” She gave them a reassuring squeeze.
Panic, no, she couldn’t leave, she couldn’t leave him there, alone-
Almost ashamed, he admitted, aloud. “Please stay. I- I don’t want to be alone”
̶F̶o̶r̶g̶o̶t̶t̶e̶n̶,̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶g̶o̶t̶t̶e̶n̶.
"You’re not alone, you have your friends. Wherever they are, I'm sure they're looking for you" She smiled, a hint of sadness in her dark eyes. “They will find you.”
Cole looked away. His mother sighed.
“Hey, look at me.” So caring…
He tilted his head back, so tired, so sad, so empty.
“They haven’t forgotten you.”
The ninja’s eyes went wide again. He furrowed his brow, confused, surprised.
“How- How do you-” The words died in his mouth. He didn’t know what to say.
A frigid breeze blew, sudden, harsh. Lilly looked at her son and gave his fading hands one last, reassuring squeeze.
"Goodbye Cole, I love you." An attempt at a smile was made, but a single black tear soon marked the cheek of the woman.
Cole could barely hold it together. If only they had more time. Maybe it could’ve been different.
The ninja choked out a response, as he really took in what was happening for the first time from when he woke up.
"Goodbye…" A whisper. He just couldn't stop crying.
With the bat of an eye she turned to stardust. Following the wind, a trail of light.
His heart died in his chest.
The mist returning, growing thicker and thicker, until his vision went blurry. It could've been from all the crying, but Cole couldn't tell, nor did care.
Sudden anger roared through his veins, making his blood boil. The voice in his mind, it echoed once again. He clasped his fists so tight, shaking with rage, knuckles white.
“Run… run to the mountains…”
And that’s what he did, as fast as he could.
The ninja struggled to get up, as his legs sank into the ground, almost falling on his face as he harshly pulled himself free. He got up, freezing in place, as he could feel the stiff air passing through him like he wasn’t even there.
He started running. And didn’t look back.
He didn't know where, but he ran and ran, every step growing louder, making his head ache hard with every heavy stomp. The whispers, coming back from before, growing loud, swirling together, mixing with his thoughts.
As the wind blew stronger and stronger, he shut his eyes and sprinted faster, his heart in his throat, bitter with feeling, restless from the previous encounter. He was dizzy, everything spinning around him as he couldn’t see in front of him. How he didn’t drop, stumble, that he didn’t know.
The tears kept flooding his face, hitting the ground faster than he could run. A loud cry escaped him, but he didn't care, it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered at the moment.
Cole ran and ran, the ground shifting, from sticky to dusty, then all around him, from empty to grassy.
The wind was gone, as he felt heavy, falling to the ground, losing his balance.
The echoing was gone, and the screaming vanished altogether.
The ninja sat up as his bones felt sore, and opened his eyes.
“Wha-” So dizzy, he went speechless. How did he get here?
Flowers, glittering white petals all around. A flower field.
A lily flower field.
The earth ninja gently brushed a spare hand on the tall grass, flowers so pretty he couldn’t help but want one for himself to keep.
He managed to pick a blossom with a satisfying snap.
Cole looked at the spare flower in his hands, so pretty and light, now stained a deep red. How was the blood on his hands not dry yet? It felt like days passed since he last woke up.
His hands, they felt sticky from all the coagulated crimson, and dirty, from the previous fall in the dirt.
He sighed in relief as he couldn’t see bone, his skin no longer see-through. The tip of his fingertips hurt, Turned a reddish-black color. Looking waxy and full of blisters, they ached.
Frostbite, he thought, immediately.
Well, anything better than not being alive at the moment. He decided he’ll take it.
The ninja clumsy placed the flower in his messy hair. Wiping his face with the back of his hand, his eyes felt so tired, almost dry.
The master of earth let out a shaky sigh as he looked at the skies above him. Swirling colors mixed together, shades of pinks and greens, surrounding multiple moons, planets so near it was almost overwhelming. What seemed like a blanket of faltering stars floating above it all, tied it all together like a beautiful, surrealist painting.
Cole wondered, if he could remember this moment long enough, imagining himself standing in his room, at the monastery, or on the deck of the bounty, if it was still intact. A fresh canvas on his favorite easel, paint brushes and tempera tubes all over the floor around him.
A single, spilled cup of paint water by his feet, tipped over by accident, staining the old wooden floor with dark liquid made by swirling too many colors together.
As he closed his eyes he could almost feel the warm, morning sunlight, gently brushing on his tan skin, as he painted the day away, roughly outlining the stunning night skies, and bright white petals all around, clinging to the slowly fading memory which is this flower field, the skies he was sitting beneath of this exact moment.
So pretty, he thought to himself,
He took a moment to breathe. To just, be.
Everything was going to be ok.
And this time he truly believed it.
Light-headed from the running and most likely by the bloody head, he lazily stared into the distance.
The wind blew so gently, light pollen floating in the air, making him scrunch his nose, an attempt not to sneeze. It was warm. So warm and comforting…
The ninja closed his eyes, listening to the song of birds, far, far away. it was all so quiet, so warm.
Thinking, if only he had the energy, if his fingers didn't ache, dark and stiff, he could've made a flower crown, a pretty flower crown, of flowers so white…
Flowers, flowers, flowers, it maybe didn't look like it, but Jay liked flowers, Nya always brought him flowers, he's always so happy to get flowers. She also likes flowers, they always exchange oh-so-colorful bouquets, flowers, blossoms always sitting on the windowsill of their rooms.
Flowers, flowers, flowers, would it be weird to bring them some of these flowers? Flowers were their thing after all. No, maybe not, they were his friends, friends bring gifts to each other, flowers are commonly a romantic gift, but, they could be a friend's gift too, right? His friends would like these flowers, yes, yes, yes. They would love them, he was sure of that.
And Kai! Did Kai like flowers?
No, no he didn't like flowers, they made him sneeze, he remembers the way he loudly sniffles, the spring air as they fly past a flower field, the pollen, so much pollen the fire ninja would complain about. No flowers, no flowers for Kai.
For Lloyd? Did lloyd like flowers? He liked flower crowns...
Oh yes! Flower crowns! He almost forgot about the flower crowns...
One for Lloyd, as he liked them so much when he was a kid, one of his friends, what was his name, Bradley? Or was it just Brad? Yeah no it was definitely just Brad- Him, that guy taught him how to make them. Were those two still friends?
Flower crowns, of flowers so white, Zane's gi is white, as well as his hair, Zane! Zane likes flowers right? He used to press them between the heavy pages of his books, books about birds and plants and such. He liked to make complex, pretty compositions. To incase in thin resin, to frame to the walls, the colors always matched so nicely. Cole's favorite was the one with the sunflowers.
Once Zane asked him to make a composition, together, curious, if they could successfully mix it with some sort of painting technique, some color at last. some flowers, colorless, white, as candid as snow, needing a contrast, some dry pigment, perhaps some acrylic? It took them a while to figure it out, but they managed in the end.
Maybe if he brought him more pearly white flowers, just maybe, they could do it again. It had been fun.
They've been so busy these days, he wonders, when was the last time he saw Zane press some flowers?
He wonders, when was the last time he saw flowers on windowsills?
He wonders, when was the last time he got scared by one of Kai's loud, abrupt sneezes?
He wonders, when was the last time he saw Lloyd with a smile on his face, hair messy, full of pollen and spare petals?
He wonders… it felt like so long ago, so so long…
His friends- No, his family, he misses his family, so, so dearly... where are they...
There was a voice, at the very back of his mind. Louder than it’s ever been. The desire stronger than he’s ever felt.
"Run boy… run to the mountains…”
Make it stop make it stop make it stop-
But it wouldn’t. It wouldn’t stop.
“...Keep on running, for the mountains you must reach… Climb, climb so high you'll struggle to breathe, and when you're at the top, screaming your lungs out, as your throat feels raw and your voice slowly fades, your loss will fade with it, through the wind it must travel, away, and your heart will rest, alone, as it feels lighter, at peace." It echoes and echoes, until he can’t understand what it says no more, he knew it was a lie, a lie a stupid lie-
Cole didn’t want to be alone, to forget, to be forgotten.
And still, it was so, so tempting, He thought. The clenching of his heart, so, so familiar.
His eyes felt watery again, but this time, this time he didn’t try to stop it. He let the spare tears run down his cheeks, and his vision went blurry.
For the first time, he wasn’t going to listen. He was tired, tired of running away.
He'd lost so much. But he still had hope.
They won't forget him. Just like he hasn't forgotten his mother.
They were out there, they were going to find him.
They wouldn’t forget him.
The earth ninja plopped on his back, fully into the field. If it had been another moment, he would’ve been more careful not to squish the gorgeous flowers all around him. But now, he felt so tired, so drained. He couldn't think twice before letting himself lay down, just a minute, he thought to himself, just a minute wouldn’t hurt.
He stared, counting the stars as a way to calm himself down.
Cole tried to rub the dry blood off his face with the back of his hand, and with another sigh, he couldnt help but close his eyes one last time. He let his hand fall on his forehead, flnching hard as a sharp pain hit his temples immediately after. Right, he previously busted his head open, somehow.
The ninja felt so safe, so relaxed. he still wasn’t sure where the dark mist of the departed realm brought him, but this place, somehow it felt like he was supposed to be there. the feeling of belonging was so intense, so soothing.
For once he felt safe, and his mind felt empty, all anxiety and worry vanished like they’d never been there before. His heart still felt tight, the pain of the previous encounter still fresh and raw, His mind felt hazy, how long has it been since he stepped in this corner of heaven, as opposed to the dark and gloomy surroundings of the departed realm? It felt so long ago.
If hours, or mere minutes had passed, he couldn’t tell.
Cole couldn’t help thinking, maybe his mother brought him here. Where she knew her son would feel safe. He was suddenly aware, reminded of how tired he was, so so tired.
The ninja felt reality slowly slipping from him, like golden sand falling through fingers. Just one minute, he thought to himself. Just a minute wouldn’t hurt.
He listened to the wind blowing gently as he let the stars watch over him as he fell asleep, as he whispered, one last time.
“They won’t forget me.”