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Lightning. A harsh, gleaming bolt of lightning flashed the night sky and surfaced its light on a quiet, sleeping monastery and two figures out and about. They sparred each other underneath the pouring rain, each droplet being absorbed by their martial arts gi. One wore blue, while the other wore black.
The blue figure ran his fingers through his curly, reddish-brown hair, sweaty from the heat of the fight. A few weak electric sparks ran through his fingertips as a light in his dark eyes swirled, pulsing.
"Come on! You're so close to getting it back, Jay! I know you can do it," The black one spoke. He snapped back into a fighting stance, a shrivel of the ground rising around him, rock by rock. His thick black hair waved in the wind, revealing a huge, glowing scar that shined a lime-ish color as he powered up. It caused a yellow streak to appear in his arms, power coursing through him. He taunted the blue ninja, Jay, and soon, they charged.
Punches were thrown. Many of them were missed. The black ninja was swift for the blue one, Jay, who was too foolish to focus in such a heated moment. He had the potential, the energy to take a step toward his goal, yet the degrading thoughts in his mind pinned him down. With every shot he missed, his faith in himself shrank smaller, and smaller, and smaller. Jay grunted as he felt the element of lightning slowly fade away from his body, only causing his movements to grow slower. Each heavy breath was drowned out by the trickling rain, water creating a horrible tapping noise from the monastery's tin roof.
He suddenly stopped, his shoulders drooping downwards. The tiny bolts in his body soon left. "This isn't going to work, Cole. Don't you think we should've stopped trying by now?"
The brunette walked away from his partner, took a small towel from a rack, and patted his face dry with it.
Cole sighed. He rubbed the sweat off his forehead as the yellow streaks on his body deactivated. "That mindset won't get you any closer to getting your powers back. We have to keep on trying. Look around us,"
Jay ignored Cole's remark. In response, he took Jay by the wrist to grab his attention, but the blue ninja bolted back in frustration.
"I told you, I can't do it!"
His voice grew hostile. Cole's heart dropped at his friend's tone, his head perking down.
Lightning came. Then thunder.
Jay didn't think rationally for a single second in anger. He quickly stormed off up the wooden stairs into the red monastery, leaving Cole out in the rain.
…
Thunder roared louder than it ever did before. Every second of it reminded Jay of his failures. Everyone else got their elemental powers back, so why couldn't he? That question spun over and over again in his mind. It came back into his thoughts like it was waving a red flag, making sure it was the only thing he thought about.
Despite begging to know the answer, Jay unconsciously knew it well: he just wasn't good enough.
Nya, Kai, Zane, Lloyd…even Cole. They all got their powers back. It was clear that multiple times life has proven that true power is never really gone, yet Jay's always took the longest. He thought of himself as pathetic---he knew he was weak, yet he still pushed against the wet and grimy fences of life. The struggle of his trying was just an inconvenience to the others---whether he got his powers back or not wasn't the team's biggest issue. He was useless to them.
Jay stood stationary in a dark gray corridor, lost in his thoughts. His grip on his bedroom door handle tightened, fingernails digging into the wood until his veins pulsed.
A shock of lightning slashed through the dark sky.
A single tear dripped down. Nothing more, nothing less. The sound was drowned out by the following thunder.
With a deep sigh, he turned around and slouched on his bedroom door behind him. The door creaked as it tried to support his weight. He wanted to break down and sob, but no tears or sound came out. That was for the better, anyway. Cole could come up any moment and would see him.
Oh, that was right. Cole. The thought of his friend suddenly tensed his shoulders. The blue ninja's expression went from tired to furrowed as his anger seeped in. At that moment he despised Cole. The noirette was perpetually weak just like him, but he always acted like he could be stronger. He grew jealous that his friend could live in this monastery without feeling like an embarrassment. He grew tired of hearing those same sighs from the others over and over again. He envied that Cole was considered helpful only because of one attribute: his super strength---not like Jay at all. Maybe turning the electricity back on if there was a shortage once in a while was helpful. But now he wasn't the master of lightning anymore. He was just Jay. Nothing at all. All he had was a punching arm and a blabbering mouth that wouldn't ever stop talking, even to catch a breath.
Great. Now his mind was blabbering too. He kicked dust on the floor, letting out a huge groan.
Another question popped up in his mind. Nya and the others were out celebrating their current victory and the comeback of their powers for a week, but not Cole. He stayed along with Jay to train. Why?
Whatever. It didn't matter.
Just moments after, Jay instinctively left the corridor and crossed the living room to the kitchen for some comfort food. All of this sudden stress made his head spin, but half of it was because he hadn't eaten yet. As a solution, he went to open the fridge, the cold air blowing in his damp face as it unfolded.
Unsurprisingly, right in his line of sight was a huge plate of chocolate ganache cake. Cole always wanted his cake to be in front of the fridge, as it was easy to put in and take out. The others never listened to his request, but Jay always respected it. It even had a sticky note next to it that said 'do not move OR eat'. Cute.
What Jay didn't expect was another tiny plate next to it holding a single slice of the exact cake. The hastily written note next to it read 'for Jay'.
The blue ninja's face suddenly dropped to a frown. He gently picked up the slice of cake and stared at it with deep thoughts. What was he doing? Cole only wanted to help him. But Jay couldn't stop putting himself down if he tried. He was mad and felt pathetic that he couldn't stop these negative thoughts from chaining him down. And amid anger, he took it out on his friend. He didn't mean to yell at him---he didn't mean anything he said from his outburst.
A bolt of lightning flashed in front of the kitchen's window above the sink, like the weather itself was replying.
Jay stood like that in guilt until a presence appeared. It was quick to enter and leave while thunder clashed, the sound of doors sliding open and closing. He presumed it was Cole. Judging from the slam of his door, his friend must've been angry with him. Jay couldn't blame him, anyway.
He fumbled with the plate one last time before delicately putting it back. He decided it was best to apologize. It wasn't right that he yelled at Cole like that. His black-clad friend was understanding and tried to lift him at the worst interval of his life, but Jay took him for granted…
…
When the brunette knocked and quietly slid open the door to Cole's room, a strong gust of wind flew through the hallway. The window was open, heavy rain flying in from the room and soaking the interior. Right beneath this window was Cole, gazing hopelessly at the moon. He was sitting on a wooden chair parked next to a desk table under the moonlight. Jay blushed at the picturesque scene; his photogenic friend glowing radiantly. Cole's skin was caressed by drizzling droplets of rain, but he paid it no mind. After a quick second, Jay rid himself of this thought. He was here for something else, not to gawk at Cole's beauty.
"Hey, um…Cole? I'm really sorry about earlier. I just…" He jumbled letters in his voice, trying to find the right words.
Cole didn't look at him. "It's okay. Just go get some rest, I'll find some way to explain to the others that you tried."
Jay slowly crept towards him, feeling remorse. When he got close enough, he ran his palm along Cole's arm, slightly opening his mouth to say something, but then closing in hesitation. The black ninja didn't flinch at this gesture---they were usually touchy like that. Additionally, he liked the warmth that his blue friend shared.
"I just hope you know I really appreciate you staying here to help me get my powers back. Everyone's out having fun, but us…you should be out there, yet you chose to be with me…"
Promptly after he spoke, Cole stood up from his chair and met Jay face-to-face. The brunette backed up a few steps.
Cole said: "Jay, I need to confess something. Helping you get your powers back wasn't the only reason I stayed behind. It's because…"
Jay tilted his head. He waited patiently while Cole bit his lip.
The master of earth took both of his friend's hands and gently held them together. Cole found it hard to express his complicated emotions easily. This was going to be difficult. He looked up at Jay and back down, his eyelids flickering.
"I like you, Jay." There was a pause. He didn't know what else to say to make it clear.
Jay blinked. With realization, the noirette blushed and silently gulped.
"N-Not the normal type of 'like'. I don't know, but I just want to be with you all the time. You make me feel so happy. You're just…amazing, you know?"
Jay didn't answer. Cole couldn't see his friend's reaction, anyway. He was already staring at the floor at this point, ready for Jay to never see him normally again.
"I love you, okay?" He stated once again.
…
"Cole…" Jay's hand tensed in the clasp of Cole's. He spoke softly to restrain something, but it bore no fruit. A quiet sob echoed through the room. In response, the noirette's head snapped back up. His hands jumped to Jay's cheek, the right cupping his face while the left parted his hair behind his ear.
Once he got a good look at Jay, he noticed that he was crying.
Cole's eyes shot up. His eyes started welling up too. "H-Hey, don't cry. I'm sorry, that was dumb…I shouldn't have said anything…"
Jay's voice cracked. He hadn't cried in front of anyone before. "N-No, that isn't it." He hiccuped between sentences. "You…really think of me like that?"
"Of course…! You're everything to me. Whenever I'm with you, I'm always inspired to do my best…." Cole was quick to answer.
Rain poured harder. That same pattern of thunder and lightning danced in a chorus.
Jay pulled Cole in for a tight hug, a weight on his shoulders finally flying away. His arms wrapped around the noirette's neck while his face dug into his warmth, tears flowing onto Cole's gi. He promptly hugged back, returning the hug with his arms around Jay's waist. One of his hands patted his lover's back as loud sobs cried out.
A few moments into the hug, Jay whispered under his breath, but just loud enough for Cole to hear. "I love you too."
At that moment in time, Jay felt his worries wash away, a sense of belonging in his heart that hadn't been felt in months. His crying died down, his heart feeling comfort.
…
As a flash of lightning struck, his eyes suddenly flashed blue. In an instant, he felt a streak of electricity reach and enter his body once again. Although the sudden power that came to him stung badly, the brunette only flinched, wanting to stay in Cole's embrace longer.
Contrary to Jay's favor, Cole suddenly pulled away when he saw a shine of blue. Cole looked at Jay up and down, noticing the specks of lightning coursing through him. "W-Wait, bluebell…your elemental powers---they're…!"
The master of lightning turned his head to look at his right hand, then left. Cole was right---there were surges of strong electricity jumping around in his fingertips.
Jay laughed while his tears dried on his cheeks. There couldn't be a more ironic time for his powers to come back. A few cusses came from him as he was getting used to the feeling of lightning in his body. Cole shook his head, concerned. But this was interrupted when Jay tackled him, a laugh spewing from the both of them when their warmth clashed together again, a beautiful art of black meeting blue. Jay smiled as he spun Cole around in joy, glad to finally be of use---no, his powers weren't what made him whole. He was always going to be needed. If not by the others, by Cole.
As the last bolt of lightning struck, the rain died down, and the two figures play-fighting happily under the moon.