Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The arrival of ghosts was not something any of the Ninja expected, and certainly not something Cole had thought would happen to them. No, he hadn't expected anything like what had happened; what's more, he really didn't like being stuck as a ghost.

Of course, it wasn't as if he could change the fact that he was a ghost. It was… irreversible.

Days, weeks later– how long had it been?– he was stuck in an underwater ship, going to Lloyd's grandfather's tomb. It was a wild goose chase, but they were there to hunt down a magic crystal and hope that Morro hadn't killed the youngest of his brothers. It was a dire thought, but there was at least a little levity; the irony of it all made it at least a little bearable.

The seawater crashed against R.E.X.'s walls as they descended, and Cole tried to ignore it by cataloguing the events since Morro's return. As he thought back to the beginning of this mess, it was a bit of a blur in his memory. One moment they'd been trying to advertise the tea shop, the next they were fighting for their lives and Lloyd's freedom; it was all just too fast to keep straight.

He was too tired to remember.

No, he couldn't say that anymore. Of course. Cole couldn't blame tiredness, or hunger, or thirst, or anything he felt, for how messy the whole deal was. Now that he was a First-Master-forsaken ghost, he couldn't feel anything but cold and emptiness… how fitting.

It was almost a relief when conversation resumed and they were attacked by a giant squid. Then they were at the tomb, with R.E.X. gone… and everyone else felt just as cold as he did.

When they reached the ice maze, they knew Morro was ahead of them, but it was hard to ignore the grandeur of the place despite him. Around them, great walls of ice reached up, dwarfing the Ninja as they regained their breath from the slides that went down to it from the chamber with the golden staff. Ice coated every surface but the rocky floor, making for traction but not the same amount of reflection. There was a source of light somewhere unknown, filtering through the ice in its watery way, and it made the area almost feel sleepy.

As he took in the surroundings, Cole couldn't help but look up, up, up at the walls and wonder what the caves were for. Were they always there? Did the First Master make them? It was a curious thought– had the creator of the realm made something without the Golden Weapons, too?

The four didn't take very long to stop and marvel, resolving to continue in and follow Morro. After all, they had to beat him to the Realm Crystal. However, they stopped again when they reacted the first of the ice walls.

When they reached it, Zane approached the wall alone, curiosity written on his mechanical features. "My reflection… is that me?" He paused, examining it and turning his head this way and that. "I look older, but my attire is… different. This is not what I look like right now at all."

"Really?" Kai followed him. Then he stared at himself, taking a moment to redo the spikes in his hair a little. "Well… mine looks like me, but older. There's a bunch of magic junk in this tomb; makes sense that the ice walls are magic too." He grinned. "By the way, I aged super well."

"Wait, really?" Jay ran up to his own with a beaming grin. "Let's see!" He looked himself over in glee. "Woah ho ho! I get an awesome eyepatch!" he yelled, voice echoing through the caverns.

"Shh!" Kai hissed. "Jay! Morro's in here!"

"I know, I know, give me a break!" Jay laughed. "Magic ice is telling me I'm gonna be a pirate, and he knows already." He touched the ice. "There's just a thing next to me– a blur. What is that…" Jay stopped talking and watched as the blur shifted, and then sighed, sounding completely smitten. Now he whispered. "...I end up with Nya."

Cole tried to hear what Jay said, but for once, he was too quiet. Cole only shrugged to himself– it was probably nothing. No, he walked up to the ice wall as well, taking a moment to look at the others before his reflection. "I wonder what mine is."

"Well, look at it!" Kai called. "We don't have forever!"

"Fine." After a moment of trepidation, Cole looked to the ice.

As soon as Cole caught sight of his reflection, Cole couldn't help but stare. Looking back at him in the ice was himself. He didn't smile or move if Cole didn't, but it was no vision of his current self… it really was the future.

In the ice, Future Cole's hair was longer. He wore white and blue, not black– a sort of robe that tied at the waist, with a belt that had his dragon symbol for the clasp. However, two things were most surprising: a yin-yang pin on his chest, and an orange scar on his very much not ghostly temple, reaching halfway down his face. He was everything that Cole was not right now.

As Cole took in the image, he couldn't help but grin. Future Cole grinned too, and laughter lines appeared by his eyes. He stared, taking in the sight of himself, until he heard the sound of Kai's impatient footsteps behind him. "Well? What do you see? You got all quiet."

Cole turned to him, still grinning wildly, and couldn't help a little laugh. "I'm human again!"

"What? That's impossible!" Kai cried. "I mean, it's good, but it's still impossible!"

"Apparently not!"

"Kai, you forget that we believed ghosts were impossible before recently," Zane interrupted, coming over to look as well. "Cole, what do you see?"

"I… well, I'm human." He examined it again in awe. "There's… there's a weird scar on my temple, but otherwise it's like nothing ever happened."

Jay laughed. "That's awesome! You don't stay a ghost!" He tore his eyes away from his reflection and came up to Cole's, looking at it curiously. "That's weird... You're dressed differently than I am."

Cole tore his eyes away and looked at Jay. "Really? What do you mean?"

Jay shrugged. "I'm wearing something like, I don't know, a sensei's robe. You're wearing a dress!"

"It's not a dress! Those are formal robes!" He looked back at it, frowning. "Though… white and blue isn't like the Ninjagian royal family, so that can't be it. Plus, a yang pin…"

Kai gaped. "You've got a yang?!" The sound of his shout echoed through the ice maze, shrill and bouncing off the ice.

"Quiet!" Zane hissed, covering Kai's mouth with one freezing cold hand. "Remember, Morro is here. We must stay focused!"

Cole grimaced as Kai recoiled from Zane's touch. "Crud– okay, yeah. Having a yang is not so great, but let's talk later!" He glanced back at the ice one last time. "We'd better find Morro." Still, that was his future self...

He frowned again. Was his reflection glowing green, like a ghost? Why would it glow like that if he was human?

Realization crashed down with even more ghostly coldness as the glow darkened and grew. It wasn't his reflection, or anything like it.

The words ripped from his throat before he could think. "Morro's here! LOOK OUT!"

For years, the memory of the First Spinjitzu Master's tomb was one that stuck with Cole more closely than he would admit to anyone.

Long after Morro and the Preeminent had been defeated, he still found himself sometimes thinking about what he'd seen. Some days he'd ignore it, knowing he'd recognize his path when he saw it. Other days it would weigh on him, much more than it ever did on the others. After all, he had a different fate than them, and apparently a yang to go with it. What did that leave for him to decide?

Nevertheless, and despite Cole's worries, it didn't seem to come. Years passed with no sign of any of his brothers' futures coming to pass– the only exception was Jay, whose relationship with Nya was rebuilt stronger than ever. Even so, the rest (including the eyepatch) didn't seem to happen, and Cole wondered if it ever would. Maybe it was a trick, or a test from the First Master. What if it wasn't real at all?

Whatever the truth was, the vision slowly faded from his mind, and he eventually conceded to let it come to pass when it would. There was too much to do and think about, anyway; a biker gang, being stranded in another realm (or three), and evil emperors were just a few of them. There was never a rest, never a break, until after they'd liberated the prisoners of Prime Empire. It was only then that he remembered the vision… and promptly tried to ignore it again.

Despite Cole's desire to avoid his memories, another adventure came too quickly for his liking. It was an invitation to a place he'd only heard stories of, mostly from his mother as a child. It was to the mythical city of Shintaro, deep in the mountains in central Ninjago. On the surface, it looked like a vacation, but Cole knew better; it was bound to become yet another mess to clean up.

When they at last arrived, the Ninja looked in awe upon the ivory city. There were spires and minarets on every building, and especially the palace. The city's flagstone streets were perfectly clean, the roofs were gilt, the people were the fairest-skinned people Cole had ever seen– all in all, it was a true wonder to see.

The city's force of winged guards escorted them to the palace as honored guests, having saved them from horrid direbats as they entered. As they went into the palace, their eyes caught on the vaulted and painted ceilings, buttresses, and columns everywhere. Every wall seemed to be inlaid with gold and carvings, or painted beautifully enough that they would stop looking where they were going. That was what happened when Kai walked into Lloyd, who had stopped to stare– they'd hit their heads, and rubbed them ruefully as Nya rolled her eyes.

Despite their distraction and awe, the Ninja eventually reached the throne room, and without injury. When they reached it, two Shintaran guards opened the doors. The captain of the guard–a man named Hailmar, if Cole had heard him correctly– led them in, gesturing to them and bowing to the throne.

"It is with great honor, King Vangelis," he cried, "that I present the famed Ninja of Ninjago!"

At his announcement, the king stood from where he'd been sitting on his throne to greet them. He wore white and blue robes that struck Cole as being very familiar, but he struggled to place the familiarity. The king didn't seem to notice his confusion, as he smiled at them and spread his hands.

"Welcome, welcome! I'm most pleased that you were able to accept our invitation." The king bowed in greeting. "It is an honor."

"The honor is ours," Sensei Wu responded with a matching bow. "Shintaro is beyond anything we imagined."

The king smiled benevolently. "I'm only a figurehead. The citizens of our proud city are the heart of Shintaro."

"Oh!" A cheerful voice came from the side of the throne room. "They're here!"

Cole looked over to its source. The voice belonged to a lovely young woman, dressed in white and blue robes to match the king's. She was grinning excitedly, and bowed in greeting hastily. Cole's eyes caught on her– she was beautiful, in a young sort of way, and he immediately knew she was the princess. The colors were still so strangely familiar...

The king beamed at his daughter as she entered. "Ah! Please, meet my heart– her royal Princess Vania."

Vania happily approached them, coming to stand in front of the Ninja with barely-contained excitement. "I am such a fan of yours. I've read all about your adventures! It was my idea to invite you to my birthday."

Cole couldn't help but smile at her. Her enthusiasm was infectious! He hadn't realized it, but she was at least half a head shorter than him– not that her small stature contained her enthusiasm. "Well, it's an honor to be here, Princess."

She smiled back, cheerful and bright, and looked among them. "So, is it true that you've been to Hiroshi's Labyrinth?"

"Affirmative," Zane noted cheerfully.

"Competed in the Tournament of Elements?"

"Oh, do we have stories for you," Kai added with a grin.

She gasped. "I need to hear them all!"

"Where shall we begin?" Cole was about to tell her a story, but he stopped, for Hailmar had descended between them. He was frowning, clearly protective and watching Cole distrustfully. However, he stepped aside for the king, who set a hand on Cole's shoulder.

"You can begin by following me!" the king interjected with a smile. "Tomorrow will be a very busy day for all of us; I will show you to your rooms here." He led them to hallway, and the whole group began walking together.

"Cole, the Earth elemental," Vania began, coming up alongside him with no sign of losing her excited smile. "What is it like to command the very earth? Is it as fun as it sounds?"

He grinned back at her– it wasn't hard. "Yeah, pretty much."

"That's what I thought. Personally, it sounds amazing! Imagine what you could do with the mountains!"

"Oh yeah, just about anything you can think of! It's pretty cool."

King Vangelis hummed in interest. "Are you quite strong, Cole?"

Cole looked to him, then shrugged sheepishly. "Well, uh, I guess. Not the strongest person– that's probably Karloff– but I can move a lot."

Vania flushed a light pink. "Come on, Father! He's the Master of Earth. I'm sure he's very strong."

"But of course," the king said indulgently, though not with the same enthusiasm. "I'm sure the Master of Earth is more than a match for our mountains."

Cole grinned self-consciously. "That's really nice of you to say, your Majesty."

"Think nothing of it," the king dismissed. "I simply hope you find Shintaro as lovely as we do during your visit. I have personally seen to it that you will want for nothing while in our borders."

Cole smiled properly at the king. "That's really nice of you, your Majesty. Thank you."

"Consider it thanks for all you've done for us." Vangelis smiled flatteringly. "After all, Ninjago's business is our business. We're at your service."

"Yes, we are!" Vania repeated. "I'd be happy to show you around the palace, actually."

"Well, we'd love a tour," Cole responded hesitantly. "All of us are super excited to see Shintaro."

"Of course." A little wind seemed to be taken out of her sails, but she quickly bounced back. "I'd love to show you all around! I think there's a spot in the garden you'll love…"

From there, conversation flowed easily. Cole was completely engrossed in it, even as the king fell behind to talk to the others more, mostly with Master Wu. Behind the group, Jay stopped to whisper with Lloyd and Nya, watching Cole from behind.

"The princess seems to like Cole!" he remarked. "I mean, he's my best friend and all, but… Cole?"

Lloyd glared at Vania's back. "Yeah… weird."

Nya elbowed Lloyd harshly. "Not every princess is like Harumi! Plus, Jay... you're not subtle."

"Nya, my darling, my yang, love of my life–"

"Jay."

"–all I'm saying is that she has a thing for him! When has that happened?"

Nya was about to retort back, but paused, considering what he said. "...You know what? It's been a while for him." She pointed at Jay. "That's really cool, but don't tease him!"

Jay frowned, muttering. "I have to, he's my best friend."

Nya reached over and smacked him.

"Ow!"

"We're in the presence of royalty!" she hissed.

"Fine," he whined. "I won't tease him in the presence of royalty."

Lloyd gave him a curious look. "Is that code for 'I'm just going to bug him later?'"

"Yes. Yes it is."

Lloyd snickered. "Do it."

Chapter Text

The first day the Ninja spent in Shintaro was like a day spent in heaven. The city was gorgeous, and the palace more so. Princess Vania gave them the guided tour, personally showing off her favorite places, plus their personal rooms. Eventually they all split up to explore (Princess Vania had to leave and go about her duties), so Cole spent a lot of time exploring on his own and getting lost. Nevertheless, everyone made it back to the palace safe and sound for a delicious supper, and then relaxed in a common room on one of the palace's higher floors.

As everyone relaxed and chatted, they all remarked upon how lovely the city was. Cole, for the most part, was pretty enthusiastic.

There was just one problem…

Cole had remembered what he'd seen. He didn't tell anyone, instead laughing and joking with the others, but he couldn't put it out of his mind. He knew exactly what his reflection had been, and suddenly all the beauty of Shintaro was not enough to distract him. Even the beauty of the princess wasn't enough, and she was extremely so, inside and out. If anything, she only made him more confused. He hated the confusion more than he even felt confused; it was strange, and unpleasant at best.

As they tired that night, everyone slowly left and went to bed. Eventually it was only Cole and Jay. Cole was yawning, but he didn't want to go to bed just yet. Jay seemed happy to sleep on the couch, but was still too hyper. It was so like him… would he have to leave this behind if he was right about his vision?

Jay stretched like a cat and groaned, jostling Cole out of his thoughts. "So– uh– Cole."

Cole looked over, coming back to reality again. "Yeah? What is it?"

Jay grinned at him, wiggling his eyebrows. "Princess Vania, huh?"

"...Yeah? What about her?" A little heat came to Cole's cheeks, but not enough to be seen. "She's pretty nice."

"Pretty nice?" Jay winked. "That all you have to say about her?"

"Yeah? Nothing's going on there."

"Oh, come on!" Jay flopped back on the couch. "Don't tell me you missed the extremely obvious crush she has on you!"

"B– wh– she does not have a crush on me!" Cole protested, the heat increasing.

"What, do you want a demonstration so you can see it for yourself?" Jay asked incredulously.

Cole laughed. "What are you even talking about?"

"It's like this!" Jay got up from the couch, grabbing a gold pillow and putting it on his head. He grinned, tucking a tuft of his hair behind his ear and pitching his voice up into falsetto. "Oh, Cole! The earth elemental! It must be so much fun to command the very earth, what does it feel like?"

Cole's jaw dropped, and as soon as he picked it up off the floor, he shoved Jay. "Shut up, Jay! It's not like that!"

Jay snickered loudly. "Yeah, sure it isn't! You'd say that no matter what girl was crushing on you and that's a fact."

"I would not!"

"You would! It's so painfully obvious!"

"It is not!"

"Just accept the truth!" Jay sing-songed. "She's got a crush on you, and you don't seem to mind."

"I don't– er, I do! I do mind, and she doesn't! Besides, I– well–" Cole groaned heavily. "I'm focused on other things right now."

Jay tilted his head to the side, still holding the pillow to it. "You're 'focused?'"

"Yeah. Focused."

"Focused is a code word for 'worried.' What's wrong? You do look like something's actually bothering you."

Cole opened his mouth to speak, but as he looked at Jay, he couldn't help snickering. "Alright, I can't take you seriously with a pillow on your head, Jay."

The blue ninja gasped in shock. "Hey! I need my props!" He smacked Cole with the pillow as he said it.

Cole laughed. "Sure you do!" He pulled the pillow from Jay's hands and tossed it aside onto the floor, far from his reach. "You definitely need help to tell a story."

"Well that's just rude. Never tease a talented actor, Cole."

"Ha, as if. That game show of yours wasn't much acting!"

"We agreed never to talk about that!"

Cole laughed more. "I never signed a contract! You, on the other hand…"

"I made a good bit from that gig, you can't deny that!" Jay fell back on the couch, just gently enough not to do any damage, and sprawled out across it. "And anyway, that's not the point. The point is whatever's got you down in the dumps."

At that, Cole sighed, and he leaned back into the couch. Absently, he grabbed a pillow and clutched it to his stomach comfortingly. What was he supposed to say? What would Jay think if he told him? Across the couch from him, Jay watched in uncharacteristic quiet. It was welcome, considering how much he had to sort out his thoughts.

"...I think my vision from the tomb is coming true."

Jay looked confused, but realization dawned quickly. "Wait, your vision from the FSM's tomb those years ago? The one of the future with you in the funny dress?"

Cole nodded, not taking the bait. "Yeah. I know you didn't see the details, but…"

"You see the connection?" Jay asked, frowning sympathetically.

"Yeah." He held the pillow just a little tighter, coming to grips– ha, grips– with his thoughts. "The colors, the clothes, the freaking hair– everything lines up. I end up here."

Jay's frown deepened. "You didn't see yourself in a sensei's gi? Just some robes that might be from Shintaro? You're sure it comes from here?"

Cole nodded. "It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Wow."

"...Yeah."

Jay sighed. "Those visions– are you sure they'll come true, and aren't just from some random possible timeline? They're definitely happening?"

"I don't see why they wouldn't. It's not like the FSM lied, just hid things," Cole grumbled. "He hid a lot of junk from everyone."

"Hm…" Jay frowned, grabbing a pillow of his own and playing with a tassel on it absently. "By that logic I definitely become a pirate, then."

"Ha! Fat chance. You'll just get that eyepatch, no pirates involved."

Jay snickered. "I kind of hope so. I don't like pirates."

"Oh believe me, I know."

Jay's head whipped to the side, seemingly painfully, and he stared at Cole. "You know?!" His eyes were wide and frantic.

Cole gave him a look, concerned. "...I know that you hate pirates, yeah? It's not like you complain about them all the time or anything."

"Oh! Phew. Yeah." Jay sighed, lacking his usual drama. "That's what I meant."

"Yeah, okay." Cole rolled his eyes with a smile. "Weren't you needling me about how I'm supposedly going to be stuck wearing a dress all the time, Mr. I Hate Pirates?"

"Yes, yes I was." Jay perked back up. "I do have to ask, though; didn't your reflection have a yang pin?"

There it was– the part that stuck the most. "Yeah. I don't know what to think of it."

"Me neither. You've been low-key– or maybe high-key, honestly– against getting into any kind of relationship, but marriage? Really?" Jay scoffed.

Cole laughed, but he didn't know whether it was amused or incredulous.. "Yeah. That's my dilemma." He leaned his chin on the pillow in his arms. "Someone's waiting for me here, but I don't know who. Do I even want to know?"

Jay paused, but then snickered, muffling it with his hand. "Okay, out of context, that sounds really creepy."

That triggered more laughter from Cole. "Jay, come on! This is serious stuff!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I can only be serious for a few minutes at a time, you know me! Very dependent on the circumstances!"

Cole rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I do know you, you pill!"

"Hey, rude!"

"Am I wrong?"

"No…"

"See? There we go." Cole rolled his eyes. "I know you, and I know that I don't want romance. Not on my bucket list."

Jay scoffed, managing to calm down. "So what if you don't want it?"

"What do you mean?" He looked over at Jay. "It's my life. What if I don't want to share it?"

"I mean, so what?" Jay rolled his eyes. "Sometimes fate gets in the way. Not like we really control our futures anyway."

It was Cole's turn to scoff. "Uh, yeah. Okay. Last I checked, if fate was real, it killed me and then brought me back to life, which was definitely part of my vision. I don't exactly trust the future not to ruin all my plans."

Jay rolled his eyes. "Come on, stop being so pessimistic! Being a ghost wasn't great, but it isn't like it was that terrible. You needed those abilities a lot."

"Sure, but I hated it."

"You didn't hate being able to pass through walls and scare me."

Cole paused. "...That part was pretty good, actually."

"See? Not all that bad!" Jay crossed his arms, smiling smugly. "Can't lie to me."

"Jay, just get back on topic or go to bed."

"Fine." Jay sighed, leaning back against the arm of the couch. "As I was saying. Would it be so bad if you fell for some girl here? It'd be easier than what me and Nya had to go through, and this place is amazing! You'd be able to just relax for the rest of your life."

Cole sighed too. "Well, I don't know. Shintaro's great, but I can't just relax and chill for the rest of my life." He shrugged. "Besides, I don't think I'm going to find some sort of soulmate like you and Nya did– we already saw what happened when I tried."

"Ha, that's just because you tried with Nya."

"What about Seliel? She flat-out hated me for ages, and still, nothing came of it."

"That's different, Cole. She was very interested in being a 'strong, independent woman who don't need no man.' You don't fit the bill there." Jay rolled his eyes. "Seriously, just you wait; you're gonna fall for someone, and you're gonna fall hard. Mark my words."

"I hope you're either very right or very wrong."

"Rude! I'm always right."

"I'm not telling any comfortable lies tonight. Too tired."

"Fair." Jay grinned. "I'm gonna love watching it, whoever it is. Maybe it's Princess Vania."

Cole growled, gripping the pillow tighter, as if it could stop the sudden frustration that was roiling in his stomach. "Jay, I will smother you with this pillow and make it look like an accident."

"You're gonna kill me just because I'm telling the truth?"

"I'm gonna kill you because you're being a pain!" He couldn't help but grin, begging to be challenged. "Just wait. We're gonna leave Shintaro and the princess isn't gonna do one little thing. Absolutely nothing will happen between us."

"Keep telling yourself that!" Jay threw his pillow at Cole.

Cole rolled his eyes and got up, throwing his own pillow back at Jay. "I will. Good night!"

"Goodnight! Sweet dreams!" Jay's grin only grew. "Hope you dream of princesses!"

Cole flushed– was it from anger or embarrassment? He couldn't tell. "My threat of suffocation still stands!"

"Sure," Jay said with a smug snicker. "Just go to bed before you give me more cannon fodder; I can go on all night."

"You're the absolute worst. You do know that, right?"

Jay sniffed. "Now I do."

"Whatever." Cole turned and left, mind at war with himself. What was he supposed to do? What if he could just leave Shintaro? Would that make it easier…?

Chapter Text

The following days, or perhaps weeks, after the Ninja's arrival in Shintaro were a blur. It was just as much of an adventure as Cole has expected– rarely were their travels anything but adventure– and it ended up being rather exciting… in that stomach-turning way that made him anxious for his family's well-being and proud of how well they fought.

Their Shintaran adventure was better than most, when Cole thought about it afterward, already getting ready to go back to the Monastery of Spinjitzu. For once, no one was dead, or half-dead. No one was possessed, or scarred. No one was sent to another realm, or dimension, or anything! Everyone was… okay. They could leave in peace. There was no lasting damage, there were no painful memories... it was all just something good, for once, with new friends and new lands and new hopes.

Of course, the Ninja weren't the only people involved, and Cole wasn't selfish enough to ignore those who were arguably much more affected than they were. The Upply, the Geckles, the Munce, the Shintarans themselves… all of them were affected in that deeply intrinsic way one is changed by one's first adventure. The Upply were brave, the Geckles and Munce got along– the Shintarans were even considering ending their isolation! Their whole world had turned on its axis in a short week or so, and the Ninja were the cause.

Though the Ninja had changed Shintaro, the Shintarans had changed the Ninja's world, too. Ninjago itself was different. Each of their citizens was different and interesting, although they had barely met any of them, and it was fascinating getting to know them. With that said, if there was one Shintaran out of the rest who was most affected in Cole's mind, it had to be Princess Vania. She wasn't even Princess anymore; she was Queen Vania, sole ruler of the entire kingdom. Her deposed father had his title stripped immediately, and she had taken it up with comfortable ease, just as she was always meant to have it.

When Cole thought about Vania, he had to smile. She was the sort of girl that he thought more people should be like– strong, brave, and independent. She'd been more girlish at the start of their journey under the mountain, but by the time it had ended, she'd grown; she wielded her glaive and royal authority with adept swiftness that he couldn't help but admire. She was a fellow leader.

In fact, she was a really good fit for royalty… Lloyd could probably have taken lessons from her on how to assume power, back in the day.

Power… that was another thing to think about, wasn't it? Cole had received a lot of power during this trip. Now, he looked down at his hands and saw a faint, pulsing of orange right under the skin, just next to where his veins were. It brightened and dimmed with his heart's pulse, and he could feel its buzzing strength if he touched his wrist, or his neck at the jugular artery. It was the pulse of his power, passed down from his mother just like his life and breath were, and stronger than ever.

Now divorced from the events of the trip below the mountain, Cole could smile again at what he'd found. He hadn't imagined he'd find a temple, much less to his mother and ancestors! A sacred place for the Masters of Earth, where incredible power was housed for those who would seek it. A home for the history that was long since forgotten. It was almost too good to be true. He would say he didn't believe it, but he did; he believed it only because he had harnessed the Spinjitzu Burst and defeated the ancient evil his mother had defeated before him. With Vangelis locked up and the power of Earth more securely within his grasp, Cole could smile in peace– he was more connected to his mother than ever before. Earth was his link to the past…

What of a link to the future, though? His vision? What he'd seen in the First Master's tomb? He still remembered it, but the details had faded from his mind. He couldn't remember the details of it, let alone what he'd worn; just that it was some tunic, in white and blue.

Colors he never wore.

Garments he'd never seen before.

It was too similar to Shintaro to ignore, and he simply had to hope that maybe, just maybe… it would be okay. Maybe it wasn't here.

Despite all that, he didn't see it happening. Maybe it wasn't coming yet. Maybe he could still avoid it a little longer… and in the meantime, he couldn't stay in Shintaro forever.

When it was finally time to leave Shintaro, it was the evening after Vania's coronation. The sun was setting when they made to leave in the Bounty, embracing the wind and sun on their faces. They still wore the armor given to them by the Geckles and Munce; they hadn't wanted them back, and they gave a semblance of purpose at the coronation, with all its pomp and circumstance. Cole's was particularly comfortable; he wondered if he should keep it as a usual part of his gi. It didn't hurt that it was gold, like his mother's favorite things... his mind was often on her now.

When they at last made ready to leave, the group exited the palace. They were joined by the many from the audience, led by Queen Vania in the very front. She smiled benevolently, like a proper queen, but just as sweetly as he'd come to expect. As the group split to say their goodbyes, she stuck close to Lloyd, talking quietly… Cole couldn't help but notice as he went to the Upply for his goodbyes.

"So long, fellas." He grinned at them. "This is goodbye."

"Good luck to you, Sir Ninja," Fungus said, bowing.

"And there will be hot bowl of soup waiting for you in Metalonia!" Korgran added, sniffling. "...Korgran will miss Cole."

"I'll miss you too, Korgran." He looked to Plundar, who had finally removed his hood to reveal his black hair. "Stay out of trouble, Plundar! You too, Adam."

Adam chirred, and Plundar smirked. "Where's the fun in that? We've got to do something now that we don't get a real eyeful of you and Vania dancing around."

"I– dancing around? What do you mean?"

"What Plundar means is that you and Vania have quite the connection," Fungus commented. "It's intriguing; we will miss seeing you both."

He shrugged. "Well, I'll miss her too, and all of you, so… yeah. That makes sense."

"Oh!" A familiar, feminine voice called out. "Cole!"

Cole turned back to the proper end of the pier. Lit in the sunset, Vania stood there, wearing her new crown. She was watching him with a little smile and a faint pink blush that seemed to be somewhat permanent, but wasn't an unpleasant sight. Far from it, it countered her pale complexion in rather pretty way. Cole couldn't help but smile at her and come up to the pier, so they were facing each other.

"I wish you could stay," Vania admitted to him, hands fidgeting. "I could use your help."

"You don't need me!" Cole grinned, grabbing one of her hands and clasping it tightly in his hand and raising the two between them. "You're one of the strongest and bravest people I've ever met."

She seemed to light up at his compliment, smiling even more than she had been. "Well, in that case… if you ever need my help, all you have to do is ask and I will bring the entire army of Shintaro to your aid."

"Thanks, Vania." He squeezed her hand gently. "Still feel like you want me to stay?"

"Well, I'd still like to have you here longer." She giggled a little. "Are you sure you can't? I'm really going to miss you."

"Yeah... I'm sure." He squeezed her hand. "I'll come back to visit, okay? Sooner rather than later."

"Okay. I'll look forward to it." She let go of his hand with that same sweet smile. "Have a safe trip home, Cole!"

"Thanks!"

That was all they said to each other before they parted. After a few more warm goodbyes, they boarded the Destiny's Bounty, and took off. As their journey back to Ninjago and the Monastery began, he couldn't help smiling; whatever came next, he hoped it would be as nice as Shintaro, with all its whites and blues.

Cole sighed as he looked out over the mountains. Shintaro was definitely where his vision was set, but… would it really be so bad if his future came to visit him there? Especially with such a good friend in Shintaro?

Chapter Text

When the Ninja at last returned home from Shintaro, it was very late in the evening.

That night, everyone went to bed quickly, content with sleeping off their accumulated exhaustion. Their time under the mountain had worn them down, breaking their defenses and walls of fortitude with a quick strength that was rarely found elsewhere. Now they were tired beyond belief– most of them were too tired to think.

When they arrived at the Monastery, Cole tried to rest as well. He went to bed and readied himself for it... but quickly found he couldn't sleep. He was tired, but his mind wouldn't rest.

In his defense, Cole had a lot to think about. His mother, the temple of the Masters of Earth, the Geckles and Munce, the Sorcerer… Vania… his future. There was so much to wonder about, so much to ponder and process. It was certainly too much for a sleeping Cole to process, clearly... so he didn't manage to rest at all.

Some time around two in the morning, Cole eventually roused himself from bed. It was defeatist to try to sleep now, so why try any more? He wandered around the Monastery, looking for rest, but found none. Even a glass of water and a slice of ice cream cake from the freezer didn't help, although it did wake him up, so he went back to wandering.

As he wandered, Cole eventually spotted a dim light in the living room. He headed to the doorway to see who it was.

When he poked his head in, Cole spotted Jay, lying on the couch with a comic book and a reading light that was entirely too big for what he was reading. Jay's face was the picture of focus, and he read with intense ferocity, completely engrossed. Cole stifled a snicker. That was his brother, all right, completely stuck in his own world. This was the perfect chance to get his revenge for that night in the palace!

Silently, with all the stealth a master ninja should muster, Cole snuck up behind Jay. He was thankful for the low amount of light, because he didn't cast a shadow that night. Jay didn't notice his presence at all, only turning another page in blissful ignorance... he was the perfect prey.

For a moment, Cole primed himself. After he was sure in his footing, he grinned and took a breath. Then he tackled Jay.

"EEK!" Jay screeched, landing on the floor with a hard thump as Cole landed on top of him, the comic book and light falling face-down on the floor. Jay immediately started to struggle against Cole's grip. "WHAT IN THE FSM!"

Cole burst into laughter and grabbed a pillow, whisper-shouting in Jay's face. "For Shintaro!" After saying so, he immediately whapped Jay in the face with it.

"Oh my word– COLE!" Jay grabbed the pillow, using it as a shield. "Let me up!"

Cole only laughed more, having pinned him. He would've kept laughing if Jay hadn't smacked him in the face with the pillow, knocking him to the side enough that he could get up. "Cole! How dare you!"

"Easily!" he retorted, still laughing a little.

"Okay, for one, that was completely unfair," Jay pouted, throwing the pillow back on the couch and grabbing his book to point the light at Cole. "For two, I'm gonna get you back for that. Way to scare a guy!"

"Yeah, I know." Cole grinned shamelessly, adrenaline settling already. "That's why I did it."

"Seriously! Thanks a lot," Jay pouted.

"Sorry." He got to his feet, not feeling that sorry. "I just saw the opportunity and took it."

"It's fine," Jay drawled, ruffling his already-messy hair. "I should've been paying more attention. Then I could have gotten you into a grip hold and made you yield!"

Cole snickered more. "Like you could've heard me! I'm the quietest of all of us."

"I don't agree, but whatev's." He rolled his eyes. "Is there any reason for you being up this early besides to scare me?"

Cole sighed, his thoughts coming back around to the forefront of his mind. His coherency dried up as he struggled to put them to words. "I, uh… I never went to bed, actually."

Jay's jaw dropped. "Seriously? Why not? You're exhausted!"

Cole nodded dumbly, feeling dumb. "Yeah, uh…" He gesticulated wildly. "You know. Future stuff. Shintaro. The thing with the tomb. Couldn't sleep."

Shock gone immediately, Jay instead raised an eyebrow, gleeful. "Oh, I see. Do you mean your crush on Vania, or hers on you?"

"Jay!" Cole groaned. "I do not have a crush on Vania, okay? Stop saying it!"

"Sure, sure you don't. I believe you."

"It's true!"

Jay nodded, clearly disbelieving. "Mhm. It's totally true. One hundred percent."

"Come on!" Cole felt like he was pleading with him. "I'm telling the truth."

"What, do you expect me to actually believe you? It's obvious!"

"Wh– yes, I expect you to actually believe me! Why would I lie?!"

"Oh, I dunno. Maybe because you don't want it to be true!" Jay laughed. "You're the one literally losing sleep over it."

Cole hesitated. "...You got me there."

"I got you with all of it. Don't lie to me."

"You're the one accusing me of lying about how I feel? That's rich."

"Not the point!" Jay crossed his arms. "Just out with it. What's really wrong here? Otherwise, I'm going to assume it's because you didn't get Vania's phone number before we left."

Cole glared at the floor, silently retorting that yes, he actually did get her number. It wouldn't help his case to say so, though...

"Fine." He looked up at Jay, feeling exposed. "I just– you know I don't want this, Jay. I just want to know what it meant and to get past it so I don't have to deal with the future hanging over me. I can't stop thinking about what will happen."

Jay sighed and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Cole, just because you don't want it, doesn't mean you can avoid it. The future comes no matter what we think, after all..."

"I barely even remember it, though."

"The vision?"

"Yeah. It's been years, after all."

"Hm… well, that could be a problem," Jay mused.

"You're telling me."

The two lapsed into comfortable silence, but Jay broke it a minute later by clapping, startling Cole. "I know! Let's just go back to the tomb and get a second look!"

Cole looked at him, wide-eyed. "What? Can we do that?"

"Sure, why not? We just have to borrow R.E.X. again. It could be fun!"

"Well… it could," he conceded, starting to plan. "Helpful, too. Would we bring the others? Nya and Lloyd never got to see it."

"We could ask." Jay shrugged. "Lloyd probably won't want to– he's seen the future enough, why would he want more prophecy?– but I'm sure Nya would. She always wants to be involved with that kind of stuff."

"I guess it couldn't hurt..." Cole sighed heavily. "Anything to figure out what the heck I actually saw is good."

Jay nodded, but as always, had to say more. "What'll you do if it's what you think it is?"

"I guess I'll go back. Maybe Vania can help me figure it out from there." He shrugged. "I can draw it so she can see, actually."

Jay shrugged. "Either that or show her yourself. Maybe she'd want to see her future?"

Cole shook his head immediately, the idea completely unwelcome. "No way. I don't want to make her have to see that. She already knows what she's stuck doing, being the queen and all that. She doesn't need one more thing telling her what to do."

"I doubt she sees herself as being stuck doing it, but okay." Jay fell back onto the couch. "Suit yourself, don't show her."

Cole shrugged, sitting next to Jay a lot more gently while wrestling with his thoughts. How could he convince Jay? "I mean… Well, y'know. It's not exactly fun wondering about the future, much less not knowing if you even want the future you'll have. It doesn't leave you a choice."

Jay scoffed. "Well, here's the thing." He turned and gave Cole an uncharacteristically serious look. "Think about this, Cole. If your future is to live in Shintaro– which is really awesome, honestly– with someone you love enough to spend your life with, would you accept it? It's practically a dream come true."

Cole paused, thinking about it, and hating how his thoughts always seemed to settle on one person. Internally, he blamed the fact that Vania was the only girl in Shintaro he really knew, but he still didn't like the fact that his mind always went back to her... It was always her, with her intelligent eyes and cheerful smile. What was it that had made her stick in his head so much since they'd left?

Eventually, he sighed. "I guess. It couldn't be that bad."

"You… guess?" Jay stared. "Wow, you really are against this."

Cole threw his hands up in exasperation. "Is it so bad that I don't want to leave Ninjago? We've protected this place for years. It's my home– pretty much everyone I know and love is here."

"I guess not, but…" Jay trailed off. "If there's a girl you'd die for, just to keep her safe, wouldn't you want to be there with her? Wouldn't you want to keep her safe?"

More silence fell between them, still enough to hear a pin drop. Cole struggled to sort through his emotions, and for once, Jay was quiet.

"Yeah. I guess I would."

"Then there you go." Jay leaned back against the arm of the couch. "Most of the time you can't control who you love, Cole. If there's a girl who makes you feel everything at once when you're with her, you'd want to stay. I know you'd choose her over Ninjago, and that's okay."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. It's better than just thinking."

Cole snickered. "Yeah, okay. I'll take it from you." He elbowed Jay good-naturedly. "Seeing as you know all about that."

Jay elbowed him back, grinning. "Oh yeah. I've had tons of experience with this."

"Lots of it with that one girl. So much."

"Oh, shut up! I think I can count my almost-messed-it-up-so-many-times romance as 'lots of experience.'"

"Yeah, okay," Cole laughed. "You and your fairytale romance."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Jay rolled his eyes. "We're talking about your love life, not mine. Don't change the subject."

"I'm not changing the subject!"

"You just did, like, two minutes ago." Jay grinned. "Anyway. I'll ask Lloyd and Nya in the morning, you talk to Ronin about R.E.X, and we'll all get going as soon as we can before you chicken out."

Cole rolled his eyes and stood up. "Okay. Sounds good to me. For now I'm going to go to bed."

"Yes you should. Go to bed, child; it's good for you."

"I'm older than you, Jay."

"Shush! Bedtime." Jay shooed him out the door. "Go!"

"Ha! Go back to your comics, child."

"I will, thank you."

Cole rolled his eyes. "I'll see you in the morning, Jay. Thanks for the pep talk."

"No problem." Jay pointed at him meaningfully. "Oh, and Cole? FYI, I'm going to get you back for tackling me. Not tonight, but I will."

"Sure you will. Tomorrow." Cole snickered. "See you in the morning."

"Yes, see you in the morning!"

Cole chuckled as he left, not looking back as he went back to bed. He wondered... was Jay right? Maybe seeing the ice caves really was how he'd get closure.

Chapter Text

A couple days later, Cole, Jay, and Nya were on board R.E.X. to the tomb. Lloyd had been vehemently opposed ("No way! I am not about to see another prophecy for my future, you can count me out"), so it was just the three of them. Cole didn't say so, but he preferred it that way, just going with his two closest friends. He knew he could trust them, no matter what he saw. Not that he couldn't trust Lloyd, but this was especially close to home. He didn't want to share it with everyone.

When the three finally reached the maze and had dusted themselves off from the sliding fall, Nya looked around with an excited grin on her face. "Wow… this place is amazing!"

"Yeah, it's really pretty," Cole said with a smile, admiring the faraway ice. "Kinda forgot how nice, honestly."

"How could you forget?! Look at it!"

"I don't know? I just did!" He chuckled. "We came here once, and I had other things to think about."

Jay laughed. "Okay, well, I have to try something now. I've been wanting to for years."

Cole looked over at him. "Yeah? What?"

Jay grinned obnoxiously, before shouting at the top of his lungs. "ECHO!"

The sound bounced off the ice, echoing through the cave. It faded slowly, almost turning into a sort of ringing, but eventually subsided.

Cole snickered. "Really? You come back here after years and the first thing you do is shout 'echo?'"

"Oh, shut up!" Jay laughed. "Okay, you know what's better?"

"Well–"

"Rhetorical question!" He turned back toward the maze. "NINJA-GO!"

Nya rolled her eyes, smiling. "You are so nutty, Jay."

"You love me, though."

"I do."

Cole grinned at their interaction. "We're almost to where we saw the visions. You ready, Nya?"

"Uh… yes?" She raised an eyebrow, but her demeanor was still cheerful.

Jay rolled his eyes. "That's not really an answer, Nya. Just saying."

"Well, it's kind of an answer," Cole defended.

"No it isn't! I mean, her answer should be an answer, not a question, if you asked a question." He paused. "...Wait, that made no sense."

Nya took his hand, cutting him off. "What did you see in here, Jay?"

Jay nodded. "Okay, it's been a while, but basically I wear an eye patch and look awesome."

Cole grinned at him. "Hold on, Jay. Didn't you say there was something else, too?"

"Whaaat? No."

"Uh-huh. Something about another person?" He winked at Nya.

"I thought you couldn't hear me saying that!" Jay exclaimed.

"Not my fault you talk in your sleep."

Nya laughed. "Sleeptalking, really?"

Jay looked between the two of them and blanched, blinking a few times. "I– you– You listen to me talk in my sleep?!"

Cole couldn't help laughing loudly. "You were talking really loudly, and I was awake drawing! It was only once, anyway."

"Stupid shared dorm room," his best friend grumbled.

"Not like we use it any more. Come on."

Still bickering, the three approached the ice wall. It shone in the light, reflecting the little bit of light there was and casting a glare at the same time. Its ice was the palest blue, with the shadows and illusions of many more walls behind it, all fractures and fractals and fragments that no mind could really come to know.

Cole looked up at its towering heights. Once again, it reminded him of how small he truly was... even the Master of Earth was small in comparison to the rest of the world. In history's opinion, his troubles might seem small. He would seem small.

Still, Cole eventually looked to his companions too, and they all gazed up in their awe.

Nya's voice was low. "FSM…"

"Pretty cool, huh?" Jay nudged her with his elbow.

She grinned at him. "This is amazing! No wonder you guys got lost!"

"Well, it is a maze," Cole noted, trying to shake off his thoughts. "We don't have to go in to see the reflections, just down to get out. It's easy enough."

"Then let's not waste any time!"

The three approached the ice, and Jay grinned as he caught sight of his. "Whaddaya know? I still have the eyepatch."

Nya laughed, speaking under her breath. "That brings up some interesting memories..." Then she looked at herself and smiled, pausing. "...Wow… I look really happy. I'm all dressed up for some reason."

Jay grinned and put an arm around her. "Yeah, you do. Just look at that hair! You're gorgeous."

She giggled. "Jay! Come on!"

"What? It's true! You look amazing in the future!" He kissed her cheek. "Just like your mom– not that I like your mom, but y'know–"

"Jay. I get it." She laughed. "You're so sweet."

Cole rolled his eyes at them and approached the ice, tuning out their lovey-dovey conversation in favor of focusing. He had to know his own future, just once more, to be satisfied. Would it be what he saw before? What was he going to see?

He reached the ice and focused, looking intently, and there it was. Future Cole looked him in the eyes, and was familiar.

The man in the mirror was almost just like him. His hair was only the slightest bit longer that Cole's current hair– he must have grown it out since he last saw the reflection, because the difference was small, but it was identical to last time. His eyes in the future were the same as the present, which now had that orange glint they always seemed to carry. There was the orange scar on his temple, too, and its easy understanding with the Day of the Departed come to pass. Physically, Future Cole was identical to Present Cole.

The clothing, of course that stupid clothing; it was the same as what he'd seen before, too. His reflection wore white robes with blue accents, with a woven pattern reminiscent of clouds and a belt that clasped with his dragon emblem. Future Cole's clothing was a dead ringer– this thing he wore was Shintaran, not Ninjagian. Add half of a yin-yang pin set, pinned to his chest just above his heart, and it was clear to see... nothing had changed.

Cole sighed heavily. "My reflection's the same."

Jay turned, then moved over to look, leaving his own reflection where it sat. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah." He nodded at Jay, and the two came over to look. "Identical. My future hasn't changed." He looked back at Future Cole, who looked at him in equal disappointment and hope. "Most of it's already come true."

Nya hummed. "Guess so, if you mean the scar. Those really are Shintaran robes."

Jay grinned. "So it's just like what you thought!"

Cole sighed again, avoiding their gaze. "...Yeah. It's exactly what I thought." He looked back at the reflection, then paused as he spotted something. "Actually, I take that back. I don't remember a gold and white smudge next to me..."

Nya squinted at it. "I think it's part of it, Cole."

"Well, why would there be a smudge? All of me is right there."

"Maybe it's another person. You said that two people can show up in these sometimes."

"If there was going to be another person, wouldn't it just show her like it did for Jay?" He looked behind himself, but there wasn't anything there. "Maybe it's just dirty."

"Nah, it's got to be a person." Jay scrubbed the ice with his sleeve. "That's got to be intentional, Cole."

"Come on, all this detail and they leave that part out?" He gestured at it. "That's the part I'm stuck on!"

Nya put an arm around his shoulders. "Well, hey. Do you really want to see that part?" He looked at her oddly, and she continued. "You have to figure that part out the slow way. The journey is the best part, and maybe the ice only shows people that you're certain will be in your future."

He sighed. "Well… I guess, you're right, but–"

"No buts!" Jay interjected. "You know where to look, start looking! You have to let go of wanting to control what happens and let it happen!"

"But–"

"No buts!"

Cole groaned, giving Jay a dark look. "Fine! Fine, I'll let it go!"

"Good man!"

"You stink."

Nya rolled her eyes. "Hey. Chin up, Cole. I bet you already kind of know who she is. Take the clues it's giving you and use them. Maybe Vania can help?"

"Yeah!" Jay added. "You can describe it to her, get her help."

Cole paused, thinking about it. "Well… I guess it's not a bad idea. I brought a sketchbook and pencils."

"There you go! We can stay all day while you draw. I've got stuff to try here!"

Nya shook her head, stepping back as Jay began to mill about. "That makes me incredibly nervous."

Cole laughed. "Same here, but I'm not gonna question it." He grabbed the bag he'd brought and dug around, pulling out a sketchbook and some pencils. "I won't take too long."

"You've got time." Nya smiled at him. "Just have fun with it."

"Yeah." He smiled back. "Okay. I guess I'll get started."

Without any more ado, Jay and Nya wandered off into the ice maze together, hand in hand. Cole tuned out the echoing sounds of their voices for the millionth time, instead picking the pencil he'd use to start the base of his sketch. It was light in his hand, and he spun it between his fingers a few times, watching it turn.

When he finally looked up again, he stared at the reflection, trying to make it out. The gold smudge seemed almost more defined, or clear, or something. As he looked at it, he slowly came to understand what it was... gold and white. Someone's golden hair and pale complexion, and white clothes. It hadn't looked like a person before, but that had to be because the person's skin was a very light tone; whoever she was, she was a Shintaran. What a surprise.

He sighed heavily. "Just get started, Cole," he muttered to himself, beginning to sketch. "Get it over with and get out of here, then you can be done with this stupid tomb. You never have to come back here, you never have to think about this again, you can just get the future over with and stop worrying about what's going to happen there and with Vania and with everything."

"What?" Jay called from somewhere indistinct, voice echoing eerily as he responded. "Did you say something, Cole?"

"Nope!" Cole called back, immediately resolving not to talk to himself more. "I didn't say anything!"

"You sure?"

"I'm sure! Don't mind me!" He turned back to his reflection, muttering more quietly. "Just got to start drawing the stupid thing…" He put pencil to paper, consigning himself to sitting there for a while.

Slowly, under his hand, the sketch came together. The light pencil lines slowly darkened, the pose sharpening into something he understood, the frame becoming secure and solid. It was a man, standing tall and broad, and slowly the details filtered in; the robes, the face, the hair. He sighed, letting his pencils shade as his mind wandered. This was him… this was what he was going to become. Was he ready?

Whether he was ready or not, Cole knew he had to face the future sometime. Might as well be with a reference drawing, to keep in a book or put on the wall.

When Cole colored it, Cole made sure to add in the golden smudge person. Hopefully it would help him later.

Chapter Text

With the drawing from the First Master's tomb in tow, Cole hadn't wasted much time in going back to Shintaro, and had left a couple of days later. If he had any luck– assuming luck was real, like destiny apparently was– it would be enough to help him find whoever he was meant to find. Then it was just a matter of dealing with whatever that was.

When he at last arrived back in Shintaro, Vania greeted Cole with an enthusiastic hug, almost knocking him over. "Cole! It's good to see you!"

Cole laughed and hugged back, grinning. "Good to see you too, Queenie! I missed you!"

She beamed at him just as widely, almost vibrating in her excitement. "What's going on? I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon!"

He nodded, brushing his hair back. "I had something I needed to talk to you about, and I figured in-person was better than a letter."

Immediately, her brow creased with worry. "Something to talk about? Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all!" He put up his hands defensively. "It's okay– everything's completely okay. I just wanted to talk to you about something that happened, and maybe get your opinions on it? If it's not a problem, that is."

"Oh! No, it's not a problem! I love talking to you." She turned her head questioning. "Did you want to talk somewhere private, or just anywhere?"

"Somewhere private, I think." He smiled awkwardly. "It's kind of... personal."

"I can do that!" She clapped her hands. "Follow me!"

Cole did as she asked, and she led him into the palace. They followed a few hallways, going deep into the palace, until they at last stopped in a private room with a fireplace. She shut the doors behind them, and together they sat on a couch before the fireplace.

When they were at last comfortable, she smiled at him. "So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

He sighed. "Okay, so I have to explain a little bit before I can get to it, but I'm kind of wondering if you can help me figure something out. It has to do with Shintaro."

"Okay." She nodded. "What do you need to know?"

"Well…" He shrugged. "I guess I kind of need to know about Shintaro customs, and stuff. There's a bit of a backstory to why I need to know."

"Go ahead and tell it," she urged him enthusiastically. "I have plenty of time, don't skimp on the details."

"Okay." He sighed, relaxing a little and managing a smile. He was just talking to Vania. There was nothing scary about that: she wouldn't judge him. "So, you probably heard about what happened a few years ago in Stiix, right?"

"Of course. All those ghosts!" She laughed. "That's one of the stories we heard about the soonest, I think."

"Probably, it was a big deal." He found himself talking with his hands as well as his voice, waving them around a bit. "Anyway, right before that, we were dealing with Morro. He wanted to get the Realm Crystal to summon the Preeminent. Still sound familiar?"

"Yeah, completely!" She leaned forward, invested. "What about it? Did you stop him?"

"We had to find it before he did– not that we succeeded, but it was okay." He thought back to the events. "It was hidden in the First Spinjitzu Master's tomb, and he made it only accessible to Spinjitzu Masters like him. Morro had possessed Lloyd so he could get in."

"That's terrible!" She frowned. "Is he okay after that?"

"He's okay." Cole smiled at her concern. "This was years ago, remember?"

"If you say so. I just wanted to make sure." She smiled back.

Cole chuckled. "Well, that's sweet of you."

She smiled a little more. "I try."

He grinned back. "Okay. When we got there, we found a bunch of traps that only Spinjitzu Masters could survive. One was this huge maze of ice– and when I say huge, I mean huge. Gigantic."

"A maze of ice? Wouldn't that melt?" She frowned in confusion. "Unless it was enchanted…"

"Maybe, I don't know. Whatever it was, it wasn't just normal ice." He paused, attempting to describe it. "When you look at your reflection in the ice wall, it shows you a reflection of your future self, and when we made our way through, I saw mine."

She gasped, staring at him in rapt attention. "You're kidding. It shows the future?"

"Yup."

That's– that's incredible! It must have been fascinating!" She grinned brightly. "Future vision sounds incredible!"

"It's really cool- no pun intended. It kind of showed me that I was going to be human again, which was really nice. Made it easier to deal with being a ghost."

"I can imagine." She leaned in a little closer. "Speaking of which, what was it like being a ghost?"

He chuckled. "Numb, really. You don't feel anything, just kind of cold. Not on my list of top ten recommended experiences."

"Probably not." She sat back, trying to control her excitement, but still clearly enamored with the story. "So… did you just see yourself as human? How does that connect to Shintaro?"

"I'm getting there." He pulled out his sketchbook as he spoke. "When we saw our reflections, Kai, Zane, and Jay saw themselves dressed like senseis. Jay even saw Nya with him, which was just proof that they've always been meant to be. Thing is, I didn't see the same thing." He flipped to the right page and handed it over. "Jay, Nya and I went back last week to take another look, and I drew what mine looked like."

She took the sketchbook gently and examined the drawing, tracing the lines with a light touch. A soft smile bloomed on her face. "You're an incredible artist," she commented.

"Thanks. I'm okay." He smiled, watching her look at it with that sweet look on her face. "So… what do you think?"

She hummed. "Well, it looks like Shintaran robes, obviously."

"Yeah, it does." He shrugged. "I don't know what the heck I saw, but I've kind of been on edge about it since we first visited. Do you know anything about what it means?"

"Hm…" She looked at him, and then back at the drawing, and held it up to compare. "Well… I can kind of tell some things." She examined it a little more closely. "In this, you're wearing white and blue. That's something not many Shintarans wear, because it's the royal colors, but it's not unheard of for non-royals if they want to emulate the royals. Plus, you're wearing your own crest, not the royal one."

"Wait, there's a royal crest?" He looked at her quizzically. "I've never seen it."

"Oh, absolutely!" She smiled at him, brushing her bangs out of the way. "It's a spear and some clouds. You might've seen it around the palace somewhere if you looked close enough."

"I don't know." He laughed. "Last time I was here, I spent most of my time underground."

"That's fair." She laughed too and looked back down, pointing at the sketch to direct him. "See your belt? That's where you might wear your crest in Shintaran formal wear."

"Huh! It's still my dragon..."

"Yep. Either that's the crest you stuck with for just yourself if you came here, or that's the crest your family would take on. Either way, it's not unheard of either." Her brow furrowed. "That said, the style of robes is pretty impractical for everyday wear. This is formal clothing, like I said, so I think it's probably likely that it's royal clothing. That explains the colors better."

His heart caught in his chest. "Royal clothing? Are you saying I become part of the royal family?"

"If you got married and your yin was a Shintaran royal, yes." She smiled up at him again. "Sounds like you'll be moving up in the world."

"Huh." He smiled faintly, head spinning with the possible meanings and making him feel a little dizzy. He had thoughts about how little he knew of Shintaro, yet it was clear how much this meant here… was there extended royalty in the Shintaran royal family?

Eventually, he found his voice. "That's… that's a thought."

"I bet it is." Her smile formed into yet another infectious grin. "That said, it would be awesome!"

That threw him for a loop. "Huh? How come?"

"Because then you'd live here! Then we could see each other all the time!" she chirped. "I mean, it's obviously not great to leave Ninjago, because that's your home and you love it and you've always protected it, but it would be amazing to have you around! You'd love to live here in Shintaro, I guarantee it."

He shrugged. "Oh, I wouldn't know... I haven't put much thought into that part of it."

"Maybe you should."

"Maybe…" He reached over and pointed at a gold smudge on the paper next to the sketch of himself. "Okay, see that?"

"Yeah. Is that supposed to be there?"

"Yep. The ice walls sometimes show other people, too, but all I saw was a blur. It's my one clue to whoever my yin is supposed to be. She's got really bright blonde hair– just like yours, actually." He shrugged. "I don't know how common that color of hair is here, but either way it narrows it down."

"It's not that common," she noted. "I haven't met many other people with the same color. Most people here are brunette."

"Then it's even easier."

The conversation fell quiet, and a familiar anxiety crept back into his mind. His mind spun tales of the possibilities, some of which he dared not even think... but he was snapped from his thoughts when he felt Vania's hand on his arm. "Cole? Are you okay?"

He laughed humorlessly and nodded, shaking himself. "Uh, yeah. Sorry. I'm just– it's a lot to think about."

"I can imagine." She smiled compassionately. "I know you haven't really liked the idea of a relationship– just about everyone knows that. It must be pretty hard, knowing in the future you've got that, despite how much you don't want it yet."

He nodded. "Yeah, uh, you hit the nail on the head." He brushed his hair back anxiously. "I don't do relationships; never have, actually. Now the creator of entire realms has given me cosmic spoilers and told me I'm marrying someone from another country. It's hard to process."

"I'd bet it is." She nodded along with his story. "Having your future set for you before you get to it isn't fun."

"You must know about that, right?"

She let her hand rest on his arm comfortingly. "I do. I didn't really ever get told I could be anything but the queen in the future. It made some things easier, but others harder." She laughed quietly. "I can't imagine what it must be like to be told that, but about whoever you're going to end up marrying."

"Yeah, that's it. I don't know what to do, if I'm honest."

"Well, you could do a couple things." She shrugged, letting go of his arm.

"What do you mean?" He leaned in, listening intently.

Vania giggled at his blatant interest, and then began counting on her fingers. "One: you ignore it. Not the best idea, in my opinion, but it would work for a little bit. The future comes to pass whether we want it to or not."

"Yeah, definitely can't just expect it not to happen. Already tried that." He smiled.

"Yeah, exactly." She smiled back. "Two: you wait. You can let it happen in its own due time and do other things now, instead. Instead of pushing it and trying to find her, you can let her find you."

"But that'd leave it hanging over my head," he dismissed. "That's happened for long enough already, too."

"I figured you'd say that." She laughed quietly. "Three: you start looking for her now with what you know. She's got to be a noble or royal, and since she's blonde, you've got plenty of clues." She shrugged absently. "Of course, you could be wrong about part of it, and get mixed up, but you could try at least."

He nodded, thinking it over. Would it be worth it to look for her? Of course, there was always the possibility that he, Jay and Nya had been wrong. What if he was wrong? Or… what if she was right under his nose? What if they were right?

He sighed. "I guess I should figure out who it is, but I'm starting to wonder if I'm right about what I actually saw."

"Well…" She paused. "You drew it while looking at it, didn't you?"

"I did." He shook his head. "I just– my mind's playing tricks on me. I kind of wish I could see it again, but a third visit, and going alone at that, doesn't sound like much fun."

She hummed. "You have a point… I must admit, I'm extremely curious. It sounds fascinating to see the future!"

"It really is." Would it be worth it to go alone?...

She closed the sketchbook and handed it back. "Well… what if I come with you? We can look at it together and figure out what we're doing to find your yin."

"Really?" He took the book back. "You'd want to see it? I thought you wouldn't want to."

"Sure! It sounds fascinating, and I'd love to know a little more about my future, even though it's already mostly laid out for me. It would be another adventure!" She grinned. "That is, if you don't mind me coming along?"

"No, I'd be happy to bring you!" He grinned back. "That place is a little creepy when you're alone, seeing as it's a tomb."

"Well then, let's make it not creepy!" She got to her feet gracefully, seemingly energetic. "Let me just change and talk to Hailmar, and then I'm ready to go. We can make a day of it."

"Okay. It's a bit of a trip, dress warmly." He pocketed the sketchbook.

"Will do!" she chirped. "Make yourself at home! I'll come find you when I'm ready."

"Okay." Instinctively he wanted to come with her, but he kept himself back. There wasn't a reason to follow her, just that... well, she was the one he came to visit, but it would only be a little wait. There wasn't a need to miss her already.

Having gotten his thoughts in order, Cole stayed in the room and took the book out. As he looked at the sketch, his thoughts swirled in confusion. Who was this blonde royal he was supposed to be marrying? His suspicions fit too perfectly… but was it what he suspected?

Chapter Text

Thanks to Ronin's 'infinite generosity' and absolutely zero threats of reporting him to the Ninjago City Police, R.E.X. was for the third time en route to the tomb of the First Master. Each successive time felt a little more natural to Cole, especially since water wasn't a death sentence anymore, but today was special. While it was awkward to think about it, Cole knew there was a word for it. This time, the trip was more intimate...

Cole shook himself as he thought of it, slight heat coming to his cheeks as his mind wandered, all the while Vania relaxed in the back of the ship. "Intimate" was definitely not the right word to use, especially when around Vania! Doubly so when he was hoping to see who this stranger was supposed to be, instead of just a golden smudge, and triply when he had uncomfortable suspicions about that person's identity. In the back of his mind, he wondered if this was what the First Spinjitzu Master really intended his resting place to be used for... did he mind it being used as a glorified crystal ball?

It was a question for another time. Cole found the ship nearing the caves, and R.E.X. automatically landed at the tomb before he could think about it too much. Then it was time for Cole to lead Vania down and in, careful not to hurt her, and to guide her safely. Together, they passed through the Spinjitzu zoetrope, then descended below the room with the golden staff and its chutes and slides; they at last came to the maze of ice.

"Here we are!" Cole announced as they approached, gesturing up at the cavern. "Welcome to the ice caves."

"Oh my…" Vania turned around, marveling at the enormous cavern with a whisper. "This is beautiful!" She beamed at him. "It's the maze that does the reflections?"

"Yep. As far as I know, anyway. Maybe the other ice does, but we didn't look." He shrugged a little awkwardly. "Anyway, it's right over there if you want to take a peek at your own."

"I will!" She grinned at him. "I want to know!" The picture of excitement, Vania spun on her heel and ran up to the ice.

For a few moments, Vania was still, looking up at it. Her jaw seemed to drop, but she closed it quickly, crying out in good cheer. "Oh my goodness, it's– it's–"

Cole laughed. "It's what?"

"It's... perfect!" Vania laughed brightly, the sound infectious. "It's everything I hoped it would be!"

"What, what is it? What do you see?" He smiled as she looked at it a little ways away, unable to stop his curiosity. "You gotta tell me more than that, Queenie."

She laughed a bit more. "Cole, it's me– well, obviously, but with my yang! My future yang, I mean!" She put her hand up to the ice. "Well, I'm pretty sure it is, anyway. The pins match, and... well, that's not all."

"Wait, really?" He came up behind her to try and look over her shoulder, but it took him a few moments to get there on the slippery floor. He couldn't help his overwhelming, overspilling curiosity. "Your yang is there? Who is it?"

"He's the guy I've had a crush on for years." She turned and looked up at him when he got there, all the while grinning excitedly. "I've had feelings for him for a really, really long time! I guess eventually he feels the same..."

Cole grinned back. "I guess so!" He looked up at the ice, but...

There was no other person's reflection there in the ice. Instead, it was just his reflection and hers. Even so, it was still a fascinating sight. In the ice, Future Vania looked older and wiser– maybe even a little taller– but no less happy than she did in the present. Her eyes still sparkled, her smile was still wide. She wore her hair down instead of up, straight instead of braided, except for tiny ones by her ears that had ribbons threaded in. She was in no uncertain terms gorgeous, and the laughter lines by her eyes made her look like she'd never lost her internal child's spirit.

When Cole looked at it, it made him smile. "You look really happy," he commented.

"No wonder." She laughed quietly, glancing between him and the ice with a soft smile. "It's everything I could've wanted. He's… everything I want. Maybe always has been."

He couldn't help but ask. "Well, uh, Vania. I don't think I see him. You're gonna have to tell me, who is he? Since you recognize him so easily, he must be someone I know."

At Cole's words, Vania's smile fell, being replaced with confusion that tugged at his heart. "...What? Don't you see the reflection?"

"No?" He looked back at the ice in matching confusion. "Sorry, Vania. I just see your reflection and mine. Whoever your yang is, I can't see him."

She laughed quietly. "What? No, Cole. Look again!"

"I am looking again!" He looked at it and then back at her. "It's just the two of us– well, future us. Cole and Vania, that's it."

"No, look closer!"

"I said I'm looking!"

"No, Cole. Look." She grabbed his hand and placed it against the cold ice, right against his reflection and Future Cole's chest, where his yang's pin was placed– her hand was cool to the touch. "Don't you see it?"

He blinked a few times, trying to make sense of her words, and to see what she meant for him to see. Her words were confusing, but he tried to make sense of them, hoping to keep it straight. What he could see... there was so little there...

Except... that had to be it.

The reflection was empty, save for them. Two people. Both had pins, and... the pins matched.

Cole's heart rose into his throat. "You– you don't mean..." He stopped himself, glancing down at her in disbelief. "No way. That's not right."

She looked right back up at him, unwavering in her doe-eyed gaze. "Yes, it is right. He's right there, Cole. You can see him."

He blinked a few times, jaw dropping a little as he tried to come to grips. 'He' was in the reflection; he was Future Cole. "There's no way it's actually true."

At Cole's repeated refutation, Vania's vulnerable gaze shifted, and she smiled hesitantly. "Um… yeah. It is true- at least, what I said is. Doesn't seem like the ice lies, either. I believe it."

He laughed faintly, more of a huff than a true laugh, trying to come to grips. "And you're sure this isn't some cosmic joke?"

"It looks sincere." She smiled a little more, if nervously. "Hooray for cosmic spoilers, as you called it…"

He couldn't help a little smile in return, but hesitated.

If this was true, it meant something. If this was real, or would be real, then it meant something too. There was so little way to know with things like destiny, and even less after learning about Cloud Kingdom, but... was there any way of double-checking?

He shook his head, drawing in a breath. "Sorry, I– I need to try something, sorry." He stepped away from her, hoping to find it easier to breathe. Then he went around a corner nearby, where he couldn't see her and she couldn't see him, far enough that he could breathe again. Far enough to test the ice's powers, and to see if things were going to change; maybe this would work as a test. "Okay, Vania, I have a question. Do you still see him– er, see me? Do you see your future yang?"

A tense moment passed, just enough to make him doubt. Maybe the ice was wrong, or lying. Maybe the ice wasn't accurate. Maybe– maybe he was never supposed to end up in Shintaro, or get married, or–

His thoughts were cut off when the faint sound of her voice came around the corner. "Yeah, Cole. I still see him." She paused. "Do you see your yin now?"

He sighed heavily, knowing there was no other way. "Let's find out."

Steeling himself, Cole closed his eyes. Upon opening them, he wrenched his gaze toward the ice in front of himself, intent to see who was there–

He laughed.

There, in the ice, was a vision of two people instead of one. There was himself, just as he'd seen before. Now, however, there was a woman of roughly the same age, which he stopped to examine more. She had long blonde hair, partially braided with ribbons, and pale skin highlighting her sparkling blue eyes. She stood next to him, hand on his arm and head resting gently against his shoulder, smiling softly even as her yin's pin was hidden by his arm. There was no question of her identity, and neither would there be if she was not wearing white and blue like him; she was Vania, older and wiser, and age had treated her well. The same Future Vania he'd seen just moments before.

Cole took a deep breath, grounding himself, searching for his element's calming warmth. "...Yeah, Vania. I see you– you're right there next to me, clear as day."

A moment passed, and then Vania laughed giddily, clearly excited. "Really? I– I can't believe it!"

"Me neither..." He touched the ice hesitantly– the vision did not fade one bit, with only Future Cole reaching out to mirror him somewhat. "This is crazy. It's real. It's actually real... Are we sure this isn't some weird dream?"

"I'm pretty sure it's not." Vania came closer to the corner, just barely visible through the ice, just like when he'd seen the gold the second time he'd come. A dead-on match. "I can't believe it's you, Cole!"

He smiled at her refracted image, then came around the corner to her, in order to see her face. The beautiful face of his friend– was that still a word he could use?– in all her glory and short stature.

Upon turning to the ice in front of her, Cole's stomach churned in uncertainty. There they were together, just the two reflections; no visions, just light, or whatever Zane had said. He didn't remember it, and it didn't matter. What mattered was that this was him and Vania, apparent yin and yang.

He swallowed, glancing at her. "I finally figured it out, I guess. I found you."

"Yeah." She smiled at him. However, after only moments, her eyes grew wide and her smile vanished. "I– oh gosh, I just told you how I felt about you, to your face!" She hid her face, blushing red and turning away. "I don't know why I said all that, I'm so sorry Cole! That was terrible of me!"

He faltered, but then laughed, mostly to relieve the tension. Little about this was funny... except Vania's reaction. That was. "Hey, it's okay! I'm not gonna judge you."

"I'm judging me!" She laughed too, sounding like she was somewhat relieved. "I just threw it all at you like that. How could I do that?"

"Well, yeah you did, but it's fine." He chuckled a little more. "I'm not mad at you."

It took her moment, but Vania eventually looked at him again through her fingers, still red in the face. "Promise?"

"I promise." He smiled, but then uncertainty came creeping back. Discomfort, too. The creator of the realm just spoiled their whole lives… and he'd not only roped her into it, but let it happen. Guilt tried to keep him from speaking, but in futility. "Actually, Vania, I'm really sorry for dumping all of this on you. The future, and this mess, and everything."

"Wait, what?" What he'd said shocked her out of her embarrassment, and she stared at him incredulously.

"Uh…" He looked away from her, discomfort growing. "I'm sorry. It's really hard to have someone else determine your life for you, especially with stuff like… that."

She kept staring, and when he eventually met her eyes, she looked at him like he'd grown a second head, embarrassment forgotten. "What are you talking about, Cole? I was so excited about this trip. Besides, this is the greatest news of my life!"

He stopped in his tracks. It was... what?

"Wait, really?"

She laughed, gesticulating wildly. "Of course it is! Didn't you hear me?" She blushed again, even redder than before, but she still looked him in the eyes. "I've had a crush on you for forever, Cole. At least now I've said it..."

"What? Me?" He stared, unable to comprehend what she was saying. "Forever? ...Why?"

"Why?" She laughed nervously, still red. "Do you have to ask?"

"Uh... well, I don't want to assume. I'm not Kai."

She laughed more, stumbling over her words. "Okay, well it's because... it's because you're amazing! I mean, I heard so many stories, and at first it was kind of a celebrity thing. Then I got to meet you, and you were so nice. It was the best time of my life– except, obviously, it wasn't perfect, with the Geckles and Munce and them needing freedom, obviously– but it was a dream come true!" She grabbed his hand in hers. "I've had feelings for you for absolutely ages!"

He had to smile at that, and how little her hand was, despite the moment. He could crush hers, but he would never dare. "Seriously? You just had feelings for me, even though you'd never even met me? How does that even work...?"

"Uh, yeah, I did. That's what I just said!" She laughed again, nerves taking over as she gripped his hand. "Like I said, it wasn't until I actually got to meet you that I really developed strong ones."

"Then why didn't you tell me sooner instead of keeping it secret?"

"I tried to give you hints! You didn't really seem to get it."

"I'm a guy, we don't do hints."

"I can tell," she snickered.

He snickered with her. "That's a little rude, Vania."

"Well it's true! I thought I was being so clear about it!"

He laughed more. "Okay, yeah, maybe. In hindsight, it's really obvious."

"I'd hope so." She let her hand fall from his and nervously fiddled with her nails, and the feeling of cool air instead of another hand was striking to Cole- unwelcome, even. "I guess– I don't know, honestly. I'm happy about this, but are you? Are you okay with this?"

He shrugged helplessly. "I don't know, Vania. I've had years to figure out what I think about this whole thing; I saw it years ago." He gestured at the ice, and at their reflections, clad in Shintaran colors. "For a while it was just knowing that I'd be human and get married, and now– now I know the whole thing. Now it's kind of new, and it's not what I'm used to worrying about anymore. It's new. That doesn't mean it's bad news, but it's new."

"It sounds like it's not the news you want, though." She frowned.

"Well– well, no? Yes? I don't know, Queenie." He brushed his hair back again, distracting himself. "I'm sure about one thing. I'm glad it's you and not some random person I've never met."

"Me too." She nodded at him. "Plus, we have lots of time to figure it out."

"Yeah. I'm happy about that." He smiled at her again. "I don't know how this is supposed to work, honestly. I'm sorry."

She laughed, shrugging. "It's okay. It's not like we have to keep that in mind all the time, after all. Maybe we can think of it kind of like an opportunity? Something to work towards. If we don't like it, we could just defy fate and change paths, and it wouldn't be hard." She hesitated. "I'm a lot more interested in it than you right now, but I'm not more important than how you feel."

"That's true, I guess." Cole thought for a moment, trying to understand. What was one supposed to do in a situation like this one, especially when both people knew it wasn't equally desired? Practically an arranged marriage, but by fate itself. They could try it and dive in, and Cole could try to grow feelings for her, or maybe use distance to break it?

As he thought, Cole took a good and long look at Vania. She was a dear friend, and objectively lovely to look at, but… there weren't enough feelings there to justify artificially building a relationship at the moment. If he was brutally honest, he knew it would die before it lived enough to be worthwhile. Still, the idea of not giving love a chance seemed unwise, and with Vania the last thing he wanted was to hurt her with something foolish.

Eventually, Cole knew what he wanted. He wanted the most valuable thing in the world. The most precious treasure, that which everyone wanted and no one had: time.

He smiled at Vania, finally. "I think I know what I want to do about this, Vania."

"What is it?" She looked at him, curious. "Do you want to try something?"

"Yes and no: I say we wait. Act as friends, and if we get comfortable, do more. If we like it, we try more." He shrugged. "Like a trial run of a relationship, just to see if it actually works."

She nodded, considering his ideas. "So you're saying we'd let it have time, and then see how we both feel after a while?"

"Yeah." He hesitated, grappling for words. "Not that I want to push you into it, or anything, I promise. I just don't know what else we could do."

She smiled again. "No, you're not pushing me into anything. In fact, I think that's a great idea!" She tucked some stray hair behind her ear. "May as well see if we like it before we do anything, right?"

"Yeah." He paused, then sighed, stepping away and beginning to pace, hoping to clear his head. "Here's what I'm thinking, really. We're friends right now. I like that, you like that–" he took a glance at her, and when she nodded, he nodded back. "Yeah. So if we eventually feel like we want to go further than that, we can. If we don't, the FSM can deal with it."

She laughed at that. "Are you sure it's a good idea to talk about the First Spinjitzu Master that way?"

He snickered. "He's dead. What's he gonna do, smite me?"

"You never know. He might."

"Maybe, or he might do nothing. Because he's dead."

"What if he's not, though?" Vania grinned. "This may be his tomb, but it might not be his skeleton."

Cole froze, then looked at her. "That sounds like a conspiracy theory."

"It is. It also sounds like it could be true, doesn't it?"

"No way."

"C'mon, sure it is!" She laughed mischievously. "Someone had better DNA test the body of the FSM to make sure it's really him."

"I– Vania. We don't know the FSM's DNA records." He laughed too. "We can't test to see if it's him! We don't know what his DNA was!"

"Sure we do! Just test some of Lloyd's and figure it out." She crossed her arms. "Easy."

"Wh– Vania. That's still not how it works!"

"Okay, well do you know how it works?"

"No, but I know that that's not how!" He snickered.

Vania laughed again. "Come on, Cole! You're telling me you don't know how DNA testing works, but that I'm wrong about how it works? You don't have a leg to stand on!"

"Hey! I'm using logic!"

"Or you're using doubt..."

"No way!" He snickered, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "You just don't believe me, but good news: we have all of our walk back to the surface for me to convince you."

"Oh, yeah. Sure." She grinned. "Convince me."

"I will!..."

As they walked, their voices echoed around the cavern. They didn't mind, conversation having devolved into their little argument, all the while ignoring the ice. Despite what they'd discovered, they had a solid plan, and they would stick with it; it was only a matter of time until they could figure it out for certain. Cole knew that it was going to be weird, and they weren't necessarily going to like it all the time, but it was worth it to give it a shot. After all, a future with Vania might not actually be as scary as he feared, considering she was such a dear friend...

If there was going to be anything between them, Cole knew one thing: he would not let it be because some fancy-schmancy ice wall told him so. Destiny wasn't the boss of him or Vania. Destiny, if it was real, was just an annoyance... but Vania wasn't.

Chapter Text

As it turned out, Cole's life stayed mostly the same for a long time after he came to understand the visions. Mostly the same, and yet...

Now that all had been revealed, everything was different. Now that Cole knew what the visions meant– and what Vania saw, what she wanted, what she wished for– everything had changed. Now that he had to face the very real possibilities, he felt even more unsure of what he was doing. It was strange, and not what he expected. With completed future knowledge, and without as much dread for it, he felt adrift. However, there were some things he had expected.

Things with Vania were different now. Now that Cole knew, there was a certain something in the air when he was around her, and something was odd about how he thought about her. It was strange too, but it wasn't necessarily bad, considering how it didn't seem to hurt.

No, the changes were rather small. He noticed his eyes tracked to her when they were in the same room, and he thought about her a little more with more detail. He spent more time visiting Shintaro when he could spare it and be away from Ninjago, just so he could see her. He texted and called her more often, keeping contact in a way he didn't manage with most of his far-away friends. It wasn't so bad to know that there was a possibility there, but it still felt far-off to him... yet he didn't stray away from it at all.

After a while, Cole fell into a neat pattern, and it was hard to shake. He'd spend his days training and with his family, doing whatever they felt like doing and taking care of Ninjago as needed. In the evenings, he'd read Vania's most recent letters, and write responses to be mailed whenever possible– the mailman made a lot more trips up the mountain these days. Then, on weekends, he'd stop by Shintaro and visit, or she'd visit Ninjago to see him when queenly duty allowed. It was a nice pattern, and he found it relaxing as a general matter. However, it shifted when he got a letter from his father– not very long, but asking him to come visit for a week or so, simply because he missed his son.

When Cole received his father's letter, at first he didn't know how to react at all. He had a good relationship with his father these days, so spending time with him wasn't that bad… but a whole week? It was a bit much, and it meant he would miss two visits with Vania. He loved his father, but he didn't really want to give up those visits. Still, it did sound nice…

Eventually, Cole set aside his worries, and agreed to the visit as his dad requested. All necessary preparations were made, and he warned Vania of his absence before she could worry. Then, when all was said and done, he went home.

"Cole, my boy! Let yourself in!" Lou's voice echoed through the tinny speaker of his new BorgBell, hung at the door perfectly straight as everything about his house was. Cole had never known his father to be a tech lover, but things had changed since he'd lived there. If he'd gotten rid of his old musical doorbell, what else was he willing to change? This was an unexpected one...

When he entered the house, he found his father sitting at his piano in the living room, playing a soft tune. At the sound of his entrance, he stopped. Lou had a beaming grin on his face as he stood, using his cane to lift himself up and come to hug Cole.

"It's good to see you, son! I'm glad you're home."

"Good to see you too, Dad." Cole grinned back, holding tight to his father. "How's the hip?"

"Better now that the doctor's seen it. He says I'll be back to dancing before the end of the year," his father noted proudly. "The quartet will be back in business very soon."

"That's great!" Cole patted his father's shoulder. "I'm glad you're doing better- hearing about that fall wasn't good news. Jay was really worried about you, but I was hoping you'd be okay."

"As was I; it hurt a good bit, after all. No matter, though: you must thank Jay for me. Now come." Lou made his way to the couch and sat, and Cole followed at his heels. "It's been too long since you've been here."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that." He brushed his hair back instinctually, not knowing what to say. "I've been really busy."

"Ah, yes. Busy protecting…" Lou smiled, looking at a picture on the wall. "It would make your mother proud."

Cole followed his gaze, but didn't look at the picture for long, having long since memorized the image of Lilly within it. "Yeah… I hope so."

"I know so." His father turned back to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "She would be so proud of who and what you've become, my son. An honest man."

Cole smiled. "Took me a while, huh?"

"You got there eventually, just as we all do. Please, excuse the ramblings of a sentimental man."

"Hey, I like hearing you talk about Mom." Cole grinned, remembering something special. "Especially with what I learned about her recently. You're never gonna believe it!"

"Don't tell me what I will and won't believe, Cole." Lou sat a little taller. "Tell me what you found about her. What was it?"

"Right. right." Cole sat back, still grinning.. "So we got an invitation to Shintaro a while back– the mythological city. It's real. When we got there, there was a whole mess about the mountains and a sorcerer keeping some people called the Geckles and Munce captive in the caves."

"That sounds terrible," Lou remarked. "They are free now, I hope."

"Yeah, they are." Cole smiled again. "They told us a lot about some hero who had saved them before. They called her Milly, or Gilly. It switched depending on who you talked to." He chuckled, thinking about the Geckles again. "One had a picture of her in a locket. It was definitely Mom."

Lou smiled softly, seemingly teary-eyed. "Lilly, their hero? That seems fitting."

"Oh yeah, but there's still more." He ruffled his hair again. "There was a temple below those caverns with a statue of her. A temple for Masters of Earth, I think. There's a statue of her in it. When I was there, I got a power boost, and it's the closest I've felt to her in years... Mom's here." He glanced down at his wrist, seeing the pulsing orange of his earthly powers. "I've got the orange pulse like she did."

"Really? That is wonderful, son." Lou reached out and hugged his son again, smiling sentimentally. "This is more proof that Lilly would be so proud of you. She was a great hero in her own right, but you carried on her legacy in a way none else could. If only I could match what you've done."

"You don't need to match me, Dad. You're doing something important too: you make people smile." Cole hugged his father tightly. "I'm just happy to know I'm like her, y'know."

Lou smiled, hugging back with the weaker strength of an aged man. "I do know. However, if you're truly just like her, then there is only one thing left for you..." He smiled mischievously. "Just like your mother went to find me, you should think about finding a girl and settling down."

"Well, yeah… but I'm not her clone." Cole let Lou go, his smile now bashful as he pushed down a little blush. His hands were twitching, searching for something to fiddle with. "I'm not ready for that, Dad. You know that, I know that."

"You always say so." Lou smiled wider, probing. "Still, you aren't getting younger, and neither am I. I want to meet my grandchildren and teach them piano, you know."

"I know, I know!" He laughed a little. "It's just… I told you about the tomb, right? With the vision?"

"Of course. Has it come true?"

"Almost. I finally figured it out." Cole folded his hands, still fidgeting. The truth was hard to admit. "... Future me lives in Shintaro, Dad. In the future, I'm married– I even know who my yang will supposedly be."

Lou's face broke into a beaming grin at that, and Cole could see no emotion but excitement in him. "Why, that's wonderful! Shintaro is a lovely place, if the stories are true as you say they are. I need to know, who is this young lady?"

"It is!" Cole hesitated, and then flushed a little as he struggled with the words. "She's, uh… Dad, she's Princess- er, sorry. She's Queen Vania."

For a second, there was no reaction. Then Lou's eyes widened. "Queen Vania, you say? Queen of Shintaro, yes?"

"Yeah." He drew in a breath, suddenly feeling strangely nervous. "I said what I meant. That's her."

Lou breathed deeply. "Imagine that. My son, marrying into royalty," Lou marveled. "That's quite a wonder."

"Yeah? I-" Cole stuttered. "I don't know about that."

"What?" Lou gave him a look of utter confusion, seemingly lost. "Why not?"

He sighed. "Vania's great! She's really nice and sweet and all, and a good friend, and I trust her. Destiny said she's gonna be my wife whether I like it or not. All the same…"

Nodding along with his words, Lou cut in sharply. "...You still don't know."

Cole grimaced. "Yeah. Pretty much."

"Well of course you don't know." Lou gave him a light glare. "I still didn't know when I gave your mother that ring of hers, but I did it anyway and couldn't have been happier. I couldn't have possibly known!"

"Yeah, but you and Mom were a match made in heaven!" Cole sighed, lost. "I'm not finding it so easy, even though I know it's supposed to happen. It's not that way for me."

Lou glared at him a little more as he turned to face him a slight bit more. "...Cole, where did you see this reflection again?"

He frowned. "The tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master. Why?"

His father raised an eyebrow. "What did he do, son?"

Cole paused, hesitating for a moment as he tried to answer what seemed like a trick question. "Well, he created lots of stuff. He's Lloyd's grandfather. He even created Ninjago..." He paused, realizing. "Oh."

"Oh is right, son." Lou tapped Cole's shins lightly with his cane. "If that isn't the definition of that phrase, then there is none. It must be bound to happen."

"Well, sure, but…" Cole frowned. "I don't know. It's just that I don't see it. I don't see myself wanting it."

"Well, what's she like?" His father sat back. "Tell me everything."

Cole pursed his lips, thinking back to the times he'd seen Vania recently. "Well… she's really nice, for one. Not some sort of damsel in distress– she can take care of herself. She's good with a glaive and spear." He smiled, thinking about the moments he'd seen her fight, and all the times she'd taken care of the fallen. "She takes care of her people, and treats everyone well. And when she laughs, it kinda sounds like chimes? It's a weird comparison, but it's true." As he said it, he could practically hear it in his head.

Lou smiled, motioning for him to keep talking. "Well, what else? You look like you have more to say."

Cole chuckled a little. "Okay, okay, fine. A little more. She's… solid, y'know?"

"What do you mean, she's solid?" Lou squinted at him. "Use simpler phrases, Cole. I don't know your young people's talk anymore."

Cole laughed awkwardly. "Oh, uh... sorry. I guess… I mean that Vania knows what she wants and what she has to do to get it, and she always thinks twice about whether it's worth it. If it isn't, then she doesn't do it, but if it is, nothing stops her. She's rock-solid in her adherence to her personal rules."

"She would do anything?"

"Uh, no, not anything. Nothing wrong," he added. "It's the best thing about her; she's not like her dad."

"What do you mean? What did her father do?" Lou frowned contemplatively.

"Well…" Cole grimaced. "He was the Skull Sorcerer. The guy who… enslaved the Geckles and Munce to mine Vengestone... not a great guy."

Lou's eyes widened. "I see."

"Yeah."

"She is not like him?"

"No! Not at all!" Cole grinned. "Vania's way better. She's so sweet, and she double-checks to make sure things are okay. Even little things. It's kinda cute– she does this thing where she does a double-take, and her hair goes everywhere, and then she grins like she's just gotten the best news of her life. She does it about everything."

Lou watched Cole ramble with a smile, and chuckled at the end. "She sounds quite lovely."

"She is. She's great." Cole looked down at his lap, where his hands were resting. "A good friend."

"Are you sure she's just a friend now?" Lou raised an eyebrow, smiling.

"Yeah?" Cole looked up at him. "Didn't I say that earlier?"

"Yes, but it seems like you're not fully thinking this through." Lou put a hand on his shoulder. "Every word you say about her is positive, and flattering to her. You must forgive me if I think there is more than friendship between you."

"Well, yeah." He shrugged. "I don't want to talk about the bad stuff, that's rude! Even so, it's not like there's much– she's just kinda stubborn, and doesn't like to have people 'protect' her. She takes on too much work, but it's all for her people. She spends a lot time in the gardens with Chompy– her pet dragon– but it's just so sweet seeing her out there with him. She's awesome..."

After a moment of quiet after his ramble trailed off, Cole stopped himself, looking at his dad again. "...Wait."

Lou laughed, doing so. "I'm waiting, son."

"...Did I just do exactly what you said I was doing?"

"Yes, you did."

"No way."

"Yes, way." Lou cleared his throat, reaching for a glass of water on the table and sipping at it slowly and watching Cole's conflicted face, before speaking. "Son, you talk about Vania like I used to talk about your mother, before you came along. Compliments and flattery, good stories, kindness. I can't help but see it all in you, and this girl. She's clearly good for you."

"But– but I don't like her that way," he blurted out.

"Are you sure about that?" Lou raised an eyebrow again.

"I'm pretty sure…"

"Then let me tell you what I am sure of." Lou put down the glass, turning to look Cole dead in the eyes. "I'm sure that you don't want to admit how much she means to you, precisely because you know it's bound to happen. You want your freedom more than you want to tell the truth, just like when you were a teenager."

"This isn't like when I ran away from Marty Oppenheimer, though!" Cole frowned. "This is my future we're talking about!"

"Was that not also your future? When you embraced the truth, you became stronger, in the most literal way possible. You saved me from certain death."

Cole scoffed. "You wouldn't have died, Dad. You would've just needed some help. It wasn't that bad of a crushing."

"I know how heavy that stage equipment is, Cole." Lou grinned warmly. "Thankfully, I also know that my son is strong enough to move mountains when he must. Therefore, I didn't have to worry."

Cole flushed, smiling a little. "Can we get back on topic?"

"Fine, fine." Lou stood up with a grunt. "Son, here's the thing about what you keep saying." He crossed the room and pointed at a picture of Lilly from years before, where she smiled at the camera warmly– it was a different picture than the one Cole had looked at earlier. "When I fell in love with your mother, I didn't think I did. For months, I denied it, not even considering that it might be alright. It wasn't until she admitted her feelings to me that I accepted my own, and it still took me a while." He looked at Cole. "We may have our differences, Cole, but you are my son. You are just like me in this way, so I understand you."

"But– but she…" He looked down. "...I'm not just like you. She's already said something, and… I said I wasn't ready. I already know."

"Of course. It must have been a rude shock." Lou chuckled. "Yet you see the possibilities, do you not?"

Cole flushed, mind racing. His thoughts were going in every direction, but mostly… Vania. Spending every day with her, living in Shintaro like during visits, being permanently part of her life and having her as part of his own... they would share everything. Frankly, it sounded wonderful: the possibilities alone sounded nice.

He swallowed, and with it went his pride. "...Yeah. Okay. I see them."

Lou nodded, smiling proudly. "Good. Now why aren't you acting on them?"

"I…" Cole sighed heavily. "I don't know, Dad. There's a lot... I'm scared of doing it, I guess."

"Why? Do you think she would reject you?"

"What? No!" Cole yanked his head away, now looking at his dad's smiling face. "No, it's not that, it's– what if it's not what I think? What if knowing about it beforehand made me feel for her when I wouldn't have otherwise?"

"Well, so what if it did?" Lou shrugged. "Is that bad?"

"Then what if it isn't real? I could not love her at all."

"It's only fake if you let it be fake, son. I didn't raise you to play with women's emotions like that, so I should surely hope your worries are wrong." Lou leaned on his cane, letting it support him as he talked, and smiling all the while. "Have you even considered it? You might be very happy with her if you let yourself try."

Cole hesitated. "What if I'm not, though? What if… what if it's not that good?"

"Then so be it, and you at least tried. Is that not better than not giving it a chance?"

"I guess…"

Lou pounded his cane on the floor. "No guessing, Cole. Give me a straight answer. Would it, or would it not, be better between yourselves because you tried?"

Cole sighed, covering his face with a hand. "...Fine. Yes."

"Just why would it be better?"

"Because… if I try, and I end up liking it– liking being with her– then I get to… but if I don't, it doesn't have to be permanent?"

"Exactly." Lou finally smiled again. "You're getting places, and now you must talk to yourselves."

Cole sighed, wishing desperately to change the topic of conversation. "Okay. Fine. I'll talk to her and get it straightened out, Dad– I'll figure all out."

"That's the way to do it." Lou clapped. "Now, tell me. What else have you been doing recently? Or should I tell you about how my quartet is?"

"Uh…" Cole was loss for words. "How about your quartet. What are they up to?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked." Lou chuckled, sitting against the back of the sofa. "I suppose I do. I have quite a tale to tell you!..."

Chapter Text

After a few days of visiting with Lou, it was time for Cole to pack up his things, readying to head back to the Monastery and go back to his normal life. He smiled at his bag; even now, he still knew how to pack lightly, just like a proper ninja should. If there was one benefit from that, it was that it made packing easy.

When he was ready and everything was bundled tidily, Cole took his bag to the front door and called out, waiting for his father. "Hey, Dad! It's time for me to go!"

"Oh, wait a moment Cole." It took a minute or two, but Lou came into the entryway eventually, smiling indulgently. "I suppose your departure would happen eventually. Your brothers need you back..."

"Yeah, but I still love you, too." Cole hugged his father tightly. "I really missed you, Dad. Thanks for inviting me to stay for a few days."

"I missed you too, Cole." Lou smiled at him, holding tight before they separated. "It's good to know my son isn't above staying a night or two with his father once in a while, so the pleasure is all mine."

"Hey, I don't think that!" Cole laughed. "After all, I didn't say no at all."

"I know, I know." Lou patted his shoulder. "I'm just very proud of you. Make sure to bring Vania around sometime, alright?"

"Dad…" Ever-hesitant, Cole frowned. "I already told you there isn't anything going on."

"Yet, Cole. Nothing yet." Lou smiled. "Remember, you promised to talk to her about it. You'd better uphold your word like a proper Brookstone."

"Right..." Cole sighed. "I will." A moment later, he nodded, mostly to himself. "Yeah. I'll… do that."

Lou nodded approvingly. "Good. Then, if there is, bring her to visit. Does that sound alright to you?"

Cole chuckled faintly. "Alright. I will, but only if there is something like that."

"There we go." Lou finally smiled. "Now, you'd better head back to that Monastery of yours before someone invades Ninjago again."

"Yeah," Cole snickered, mind going back to every one of their past enemies. "I'll text you when I'm home."

"Good." Lou hugged him one last time, holding as tight as an aging man could. "Be safe."

"When am I not?" Cole grinned, returning the affection. "Take care of your leg, Dad; you only have two of them." It was with those words that he let go. Then, with a wave, he was off to where he'd left his car for the return trip.

After finding his car and slinging his bag in the back, it was time to go, and Cole just sighed. He got in the driver's seat, tired and ready to go home. For once, his trip back to the Monastery was quiet and not blasting music, with only a little soft rock coming through the radio on the way... he was just a little too tired and lonely to want more.

Idly, he wondered what Vania was doing.

When Cole reached the Monastery at last and greeted everyone, he first went to drop off his bag in his bedroom. The afternoon sun was streaming through his window, illuminating the dust motes with a cheerful vigor at which he couldn't help smiling, already comforting his weary soul. When he at last got to his bed and heaved his bag onto it, he paused, looking down. What was that...

Oh! There was a light-colored envelope on his pillow, tossed haphazardly and at an angle– so much so that Cole barely recognized it. He frowned, and then called into the hallway, trying to put the pieces together. "Hey, Jay! What's this letter on my pillow?"

"Didn't you read the envelope? It's another letter from Vania," Jay yelled back from down the hall. "Ya know, the kind she sends every few days?"

"Oh, great!" Cole grinned, spotting Jay poking his head out a doorway and completely ignoring Jay's sardonicism. "Thanks!"

"No problem," Jay responded with an eye roll, but he was grinning. "Enjoy it, lover boy."

Cole flushed, not knowing if it was from annoyance or embarrassment. "Shut it, Jay. It's just a letter."

"Yes sir!" His best friend snickered, going back to whatever he was doing and clearly unconvinced.

"Geez, Jay..." Cole sighed heavily and turned back to the envelope. He picked it up, taking a moment to look at it carefully. The letter was simple and pure ivory, just as all of hers were, but clearly made of quality paper. They weren't very marked, either: it was usually just his name in her pretty looping cursive over an imprint of the Shintaran crest. It was simple and pretty, just like Vania... stationary fit its user, he supposed.

Cole smiled at the envelope as he read his decorated name, then flipped it over. He carefully lifted the flap and took out the letter inside, unfolding the pretty gold-trimmed stationary, and began to read its looping cursive.

My dearest Cole,

It's too bad you can't come to Shintaro this weekend! I've missed you a lot recently, but it'll have to be okay in the mean time. When you're home, tell me; I'll make time for you to visit sooner than two weeks from this one. :) I don't want to wait until the weekend, you know!

Speaking of which, I hope your trip is/was really good! (Will this arrive before you leave? I don't know… it could be either, now that I think about it.) You said you've been closer with your dad recently, which is wonderful! I hope this trip is nice for both of you. If I had the chance to mend things with my father, I know I would, so I'm very happy you do.

There hasn't been much happening in Shintaro lately, I'm afraid– nothing worth putting in a letter. I was looking forward to your visit a little more than normal thanks to the quiet; I've just been so bored! Chompy's getting restless too, because he misses you even more than I do, I think. That might just be for all the scritches you give him, though, because he never likes mine so well. How do you do it? Teach me your dragon whispering ways, Cole!

(Dragonwhispering? Dragon-whispering? Whispering to dragon ways? Whispering ways to dragons? Hm...)

Oh! There is one thing I can tell you about, actually. Hailmar's reorganized the guards! He's decided it's time to make more positions, so there's more ability to manage things. He didn't really tell me why he thinks it's necessary to have more manpower, but if it's no threat, then I don't think it's an issue… he just commented about how he'll have to have them protect "more." Whatever that means, I don't know, but he seemed to be rather cheerful about "knowing" something which I did not. He wouldn't tell me a thing about why he'd need to protect more; maybe another person? Shintaro's not expanding anytime soon... it's food for thought.

I don't think I have much more to tell you, honestly. I would if I could! Unfortunately, there's never much world-shaking business that goes on around here; not within a week, at least. Murtessa, Gleck, Gulch, and all the rest send their love! (Maybe a little moss milk, too… but I don't think you want that part. So they send their love, and only that.)

Write me back, and come visit as soon as you can, okay? I miss you already– I miss you a lot.

With love,

Vania

When Cole was done reading it, he folded up the letter with a smile and tucked it back into the envelope, careful with the paper. He put the envelope back on his pillow, murmuring to himself. "She's so sweet… I need to write her back asap. The mailman's already been here today, though…" He sighed. "Tomorrow." Still, he missed her so much; it had been too long already since he'd seen her.

With thoughts of Vania on his mind, thoughts of his conversation with his father the few days prior returned as well, in all their bashful glory. He groaned as he thought about doing it– about admitting to Vania that he might possibly want more after all, and how embarrassing that was going to be– but he tried not to let it trample his good mood. After all, what could go wrong? What was the worst that could really happen? After all, she'd said she had feelings for him… it wasn't like that faded so quickly. She might still like him, and want to try it. Except, she might not! She might be sick of him waiting. She might be sick of waiting for him. She might be upset at him! Or she might be happy because she still felt the same...

He sighed heavily, and hoped she still did have feelings for him. If not… that was going to be a very awkward conversation. A very awkward conversation that he was already dreading.

A knock came at the door to interrupt his thoughts, and he turned, feeling relieved at the shaking from his mindset. "Come in!"

The door swung open to reveal Zane, who was smiling and wearing his old pink apron. He did not waste a moment. "Supper is ready, Cole. Can you come to the dining room?"

"Oh, sure!" He grinned. "Thanks, tin can."

"I am titanium," Zane responded cheerfully. "Please be quick; unpacking can wait for later, but I would prefer not having to ask Kai to warm our food again."

"Yeah, let's not do that." Cole snickered at the memory of the last time they'd tried it, when Kai had accidentally set the whole meal on fire, just a little bit. "I'm not in the mood for eating charcoal."

"Strange– you usually are," Zane commented wryly.

"No, I'm not!" He grinned. "Unless that was a joke?"

"Perhaps it was." Zane grinned. "Be quick, Cole." He didn't wait for a response, off to gather the rest of the family for supper.

Cole laughed as Zane went, and then turned back to look at the letter on his pillow. He couldn't help smiling at it; Vania's cheer was so strong he could feel it on the other side of her letters. It was a wonderful way to stay in contact… and a good way to build feelings, he supposed. He hoped it wasn't going to go terribly... but dread never helped anything, so he put the dread away and went to dinner instead. Everything was going to be okay.

Chapter Text

Entering Shintaro was simultaneously one of the best and worst experiences Cole had the pleasure of repeating. For one, it was wonderful; he was visiting the City of Shintaro, after all, and visiting one of his dearest friends– that is, if he could call her that still, considering what he was about to tell her. She was a 'dear friend' who mattered much more than he would admit to anyone but her... However, returning to Shintaro could also be terrifying. Direbats, rugged terrain with no proper roads, and the stern-faced Shintaran guards all made it quite unpleasant at times, and Cole had never been one to enjoy traveling all that much. Still, he didn't mind it– it was worth it.

When Cole arrived in the ivory city, Vania was already waiting for him with a guard or two, watching him pull up. She ran up to his car as soon as he was stopped, beaming. He gave her a hug as soon as he got out, and she hugged back as tightly as she could, almost squeezing the air out of his lungs with her enthusiasm.

He grinned at her as soon as she let go. "Hey, Queenie. Long time no see."

She grinned back. "Hi, rockhead!"

He snickered. "Rockhead? Who're you calling rockhead, huh?"

"You, you big rockhead!" She smacked him on the shoulder, but it was light as a feather, making him laugh. "I missed you, Cole!"

"Sorry! I was visiting my dad– I told you this already!"

"I know, I know." She smiled sweetly, annoyance already forgotten. "I just missed seeing you last weekend. It's always boring when you aren't here."

"Aww, that's sweet." He smiled back at her. "I'm here now, though. Your own personal entertainment."

She giggled and grabbed his hand. "Yes, you are! Now come on, it's getting colder outside these days. Let's go back inside."

"Sounds good to me." He let their hands knit together, the perfect way they always did. It was second nature. "Lead the way."

Unlike the trip to get there, a full day spent in Shintaro felt much shorter than a day spent anywhere else. Time flies when you're having fun, and it was always fun being around Vania, even when they spent hours just relaxing and watching movies that Vania had never seen before. In fact, that day they were watching War of Stars, and some other random sci-fi movies Cole liked. She'd been eager to watch them, and for the most part had been riveted to the action. She was more than willing to copy the characters' laser sword fights, despite being lounged against Cole on one of the palace's obscenely large couches, and Cole humored her with a grin. It really was adorable seeing her get invested– so adorable that he almost forgot about what he'd promised his father he'd do.

Of course, movies didn't last forever, and neither did their distraction. When they'd finally finished all the movies Cole had brought with him, neither of the two bothered to get up or do anything else. Instead, they stayed where they were; Vania lying on top of Cole, Cole propped up by several pillows, and both of them completely comfortable. Cole was playing with her hair, she had her eyes closed in contentment as she rested her head on his chest… it was a perfect moment.

As they were laying there, Vania smiled. "You know, Cole… I really like this."

He looked down at her, hand stilling as it combed through her lovely golden hair. "Really like what?"

"Being here with you." She opened her eyes to look at him. Their color was bluer than the ocean, and he couldn't look away. "Or, I guess, having you here with me. I really like it."

He smiled back, heart beat speeding up. "I like it too." He wondered if she could hear his heart beating with her head resting on his chest, and hoped she couldn't. "I think these movie marathons are pretty awesome."

"I couldn't agree more." She closed her eyes again, laying her head down again. This time, he was sure she could hear his heart racing, and traitorously his pulse rose even higher.

Despite the faster pulse, Vania didn't say anything, tightening her hold on Cole. She looked like she could fall asleep, and Cole could see why she would. She was so small and sweet, absolutely adorably tiny...

Cole put an arm around her waist, and Vania opened her eyes again, but only to smile at him. He smiled back. "You're so small."

She snickered. "No I'm not! You're so big, like a mountain."

"Well, that fits. I am the Master of Earth."

"Yes, you are. You match your element so well." She reached up and messed with his hair a little. "Black hair, tall and strong… even your name."

"My mom had a sense of humor," Cole remarked.

"She did. I wish I'd met her."

"Me too. You would've loved her." He smiled at her. "Though you can still meet my dad. He wants to meet you."

"Why?" She tilted her head in curiosity, and for all intents and purposes, kind of looked like a curious kitten. "Did you tell him about me?"

"Yeah, just a bit. Had to brag, y'know."

She flushed. "You don't have to brag about me!"

"I know, but that won't stop me!" He grinned at her. "Really, though. My dad would love to meet you."

"Well, I'd love to meet him." She grinned back. "I'd love to meet anyone who's close to you."

It was his turn to blush, and he knew it was a very dark red. "Really? Anyone?"

"Anyone," she affirmed. "You're really special to me, and I care a lot about you. I love being around you."

He hesitated at the phrasing, but smiled, determined not to get scared at the idea of her loving him, or something like it. "...Yeah. You're really special to me, too. That's why I told him about you."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him about… well, just you. What you're like. He was really interested."

"Of course he was." She laughed. "He sounds like a wonderful father."

The sound of her laugh made his heart pick up speed again, but it felt good. This was exciting. "He really is." He wondered just how bad it would be if he just told her outright, and blurted it all out… he wondered if she'd want him to. Would she hate him?

"I wish I had a father like yours," Vania admitted at last, laying her head down against his chest once more. "Mine isn't exactly wonderful."

"Eh, I bet he's not so bad. Even if you did throw him in prison."

"I threw him in prison because he enslaved two whole populations! That's not something a good father does," she pointed out.

"Well, besides that! He must've been a good man for your mother to want to be around him."

She shrugged. "I wouldn't know about that part. I didn't exist back then."

"True…" He snickered. "I'm glad you exist."

She smiled. "I'm glad you exist, too. You can be my pillow."

"You can be the cuddle bug that's definitely going to fall off the couch, then."

"I am not," she protested, opening her eyes and pushing herself up from the couch by her arms. "I'm fine!"

"Nah, you're gonna fall off." He smiled at her, then nodded at how close she was to the edge. "Look."

She looked behind herself, fringe hanging down in front of her face, and then back at him. "I guess so."

"Yeah, exactly." He grinned. "Better fix that."

She grinned back. "Fine." She scooted up, her face a little closer to his as she got farther from the edge, and closer into a position that probably wouldn't look the best if someone walked into the room. "That better?"

He paused to consider it. "Nah, a little farther." What harm was there in a little more closeness?

She smiled and scooted a little closer, now only a little ways apart from him– he could feel her breath on his face. "How about now?"

He chuckled a little. "That's probably good." She was so close… he wondered what it would be like if he pulled her closer, just the rest of the way. "I think you're good now."

"Good." She laid down on top of him again, having to lay her head on top of his shoulder now. "I'm tired. Don't make me get up again."

"I won't, I won't. You're fine right there." He put his arms around her waist again.

"I'd better be," she huffed, adjusting a little to get comfortable. In the process, she turned her head to face his, right next to his neck. Her breath tickled the hair there, and he stifled a shiver. "This is nice."

"Yeah, it is." He closed his eyes, sighing and trying to stifle the shaking he knew would present itself in his voice. "...I really like this."

"I do too." She snuggled closer, nose brushing against his hair.

"Yeah." He held her a little more tightly. Was it so bad to tell her? He had no reason to lie to her, or keep it secret… he could just tell her. It could be fine…

...It would be fine, right? It had to be fine, and she wouldn't hate him if he said it.

He smiled, letting his grip on her loosen a little as he garnered the nerve to speak. "I mean, I really do like this, Vania. Just like I really like you."

She drew in a breath, but didn't seem to move– at the very least, she didn't move away from him. "...What do you mean?"

He hesitated, but knew he had to say it now, already past the point of no return. "I mean that I like holding you, and being around you. I like being here with you. I like all of this, and our weekly visits, because they're awesome."

"Oh." She held him a little tighter after a moment, holding on dearly as she considered his words. "Me too. It's so nice to stay close, especially after... you know."

"Mhm. I know." He smiled. "See, I really, really like it, and you. I wish I could be right here forever."

She finally pushed herself up again, and their eyes met. She was blushing a little bit. "You want to be here… forever? Does that mean what I think it means?"

"Yeah. I think so." He smiled at her, brushing back a fallen bit of hair. "I would love to be here with you, forever."

"I would love it if you were here forever!" She beamed at him. "You really mean it?"

"Yes, I mean it! Do I say stuff I don't mean?" He laughed.

"Well last time you were here, you said Chompy was a pest, and then said you didn't mean it, so…"

"Okay, that was a special case. Chompy is not a pest, usually."

"True, but you should mean what you say!" She laughed brightly.

"Well, I do mean what I'm saying!" He grinned at her. "I mean it all."

She grinned back. "Okay."

For a moment, they were at a stalemate, looking each other in the eyes. Then Vania broke it by bending down and kissing Cole's cheek, and in the same fluid motion, lying back down on top of him. As his heart seized, she hugged him, hiding her face in his hair. "If you mean it, then I mean it when I say that I would love it for you to really want to stay here forever. With me."

Cole could feel her pulse quickening– or was it his own?– but he held her a little closer. "Okay. Then one day it'll happen."

"Okay." She let one hand start playing with his hair, just enjoying the soft feeling, and it sent shivers down Cole's spine. "...The First Spinjitzu Master was right, wasn't he?"

Cole chuckled. "Yeah. Maybe he was. I don't want him telling me what to do, though."

"He's not, though!" she protested. "He just told us what to expect."

"Maybe." He nuzzled her a little. "Still... three guesses on what's making it hard for me to admit that I like you, Queenie."

"Hm… your dad?"

"Ha. No. He told me to man up and do it, so if anything that made it easier." He chuckled. "Next guess."

She paused, hand stilling in his hair for a moment. "Jay and Hailmar, being pains in the neck?"

"No, Jay's fine." He tried to look her in the eyes, but she was still hiding her face. "Has Hailmar been bugging you?"

"Maybe a little." She finally moved enough to look at him. "He keeps telling me…"

"Telling you what?"

"Telling me I need to just get it over with," she eventually said, looking away guiltily.

"But… you did already. I just didn't… unless he meant something else, but I don't know about that." He trailed off, perplexed by the look on her face.

She laughed quietly, still not looking at him. "He might've said I should do something else, actually."

Cole raised an eyebrow. "Well? What did he tell you to do?"

Vania blushed a deep pink. "I don't think I should say."

"You might as well. It's not like you're gonna offend me."

"No, I might! I'm not going to say what it was."

"Then do it instead!" He smirked, amused at the pinkness still present on her face. "Do whatever that crazy guard told you to do."

She frowned, looking back at him with that same blush. "Do you really want me to?"

"Yeah, go for it." He bit back a snicker. "Where's the harm?"

"Offending you and ending our visits?"

"Nope. Not gonna happen." He smiled at her, suddenly feeling very nervous.

She hesitated. "What if it makes you uncomfortable?"

Now he laughed a little. "Queenie, I've had some really weird stuff happen in my life. I'm pretty sure it's impossible for you to make me uncomfortable."

"Well... I..." She still hesitated. "I'm nervous, okay? Maybe I don't want to do it."

"Then why are you considering it?" He reached up and messed with her hair a little bit. "Are you really sure you don't want to do it?"

She frowned. "I... no. I'm not sure, because I want to..." She looked him in the eyes, as if swallowing her pride. "You're sure?"

His stomach flipped with the anticipation. He felt like he was on pins and needles. "Yeah." She was watching him, glancing up and down his face, as if searching for something. Waiting for something, wanting to do whatever it was Hailmar had urged her to do... something regarding him.

The realization came when she cupped his cheeks, bending down the slight bit between them and kissing him softly. It was barely a kiss, barely a touch... but when she pulled away, he felt frozen.

Vania watched his unmoving expression, then laughed nervously. "I... I, uh... yeah. I'm sorry, I should've said what it was and warned you–"

"No..." He still felt stunned, but knew he had to wipe away that look on her face. "No, it's okay."

"Is it?" She broke eye contact, looking away. "I– I–"

"Yeah, it is." He reached up and turned her face back to him, looking her in the eyes– those beautiful eyes. "I just... man. Kinda surprised me, that's all."

"Surprised you?" She frowned. "That's not what I meant to do! Oh, FSM, I've ruined everything, haven't I?"

"What? No!" His heart dropped. "No, Vania, no, you didn't ruin anything! I– I liked it!"

"What?"

"Yeah!" He laughed nervously, but the words came spilling out. "Vania, I talked to my dad when I visited him and he told me it was time to tell you that I have feelings for you– I'm just really bad at this! You're amazing, of course I liked it– heck, I want to kiss you again!"

Now Vania looked stunned. "Then– if you want to kiss me again, why aren't you doing it?"

He laughed. "Because you're pinning me, Queenie! I can't!"

She blushed. "I'm not–" She moved her arms, so she wasn't leaning on him anymore. "Okay, now I'm not pinning you."

"Finally." He reached up to cup her cheek with his other hand, fingers threading into her hair. "C'mere, let me prove it to you."

She smiled, doing as he bid. "Are you sure?"

He snickered. "Yes. Stop asking." Saying that, he pulled her in the rest of the way and kissed her a second time. This time, he was prepared, and managed to actually do something. He didn't know how he knew what to do, but he did, and she responded in kind. After only a moment, she was enthusiastic, and the kiss deepened a little more. He didn't understand, and that was okay. All he knew was that she tasted faintly like strawberries, and that this had to be what love felt like.

After parting, it took him a minute to find his voice. "...You're really something, Vania."

She smiled. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." He laughed, pulling her back into his arms, holding her tight by the waist. "You're beautiful. Amazing. Absolutely tiny and adorable... and I love you."

She laughed. "You mean it?"

"Of course I mean it." He kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry it's taken me so long."

"Don't apologize for needing time!" She smiled, looking him in the eyes, the picture of content and happiness. "I'm just... happy I waited and didn't give up, I guess."

He grinned at her in response. "Me too. Thanks for waiting for me."

"Of course." She kissed his cheek. "Something tells me I'll spend a lot of my life waiting for you... but that's okay."

"Yeah... I'll make it worth your wait."

"You'd better."

Prescience was a gift that Cole had hated for years. Knowing his future had rarely helped him, and the pain of waiting for it was heavy. He didn't like the idea of waiting for something he didn't understand, whether it was regaining his humanity, or going to Shintaro, or getting married... but now he finally understood, and it was finally something he enjoyed.

These days, the future wasn't scary, because Cole knew two things. One was that he loved Vania, more and more by the day. The other was that, no matter what happened in the future, it was something he was going to look forward to. He wouldn't dread it.

These days, Cole thought about Vania all the time. He made sure to call her as often as possible: Shintaro's technology was improving rapidly, and Vania was making sure to keep up to date with the things she needed to stay connected to him. He wasn't afraid of thinking about what he wanted from life, or talking to her about it, or sharing it with his family; they were happy for him.

These days, Cole thought about what kind of yin and yang pins he'd one day buy, and smiled at the thought. One day, he'd wear one of them, after all. That sounded pretty good to him... The First Spinjitzu Master might've known a thing or two after all. He'd had no reason to lie.

As Cole thought about all these, things, he smiled. However, he was yanked from his reverie by the sound of his ringtone. A quick glance at it told him that Vania was calling, and he grinned, answering immediately.

"Brookstone speaking."

"Cole! Good morning!"

"Hey, Queenie!" He grinned. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing…"

As he listened to Vania talk about everything and nothing, he smiled, thoughts still wandering a little. The future was coming, and he didn't dread it anymore, because the future was bright.

Chapter Text

Cole Brookstone looked in the mirror as he tied up his hair, being careful to get it nice and tidy. Only half of it was trapped in the hairband, but it was enough, so he twisted it into a little bun and let it be. When he was finally satisfied with his hair, he smiled at his reflection. Yes, today was going to be a good day.

With a gentle sigh, he took off his robe and dressed himself for the day, going about routine. Today was a normal day, so normal clothes it was; from a shelf in the corner, he withdrew a white and blue garment from a stack of several like it. He wrapped it around himself, then tied it at the waist. Next was the belt which he wore every day, with a custom buckle at the clasp in the image of his draconic symbol. After that, a pair of simple shoes, for wearing all day. Finally, and most importantly, he picked up a yang's pin from the counter; this he affixed to a place right above his heart, piercing his shirt through two reinforced holes.

When he was at last done, Cole glanced back up at the mirror, smiling again as he spoke to it. "Good morning."

"Did you say something?" a feminine voice called from outside the bathroom.

At the voice's call, Cole turned to the door, reaching for the door handle with a growing smile. "No, love. Just... good morning."

"Oh!" The door swung open to reveal Vania. She was dressed in a very similar wrap dress, but with a notable change; below her dress' ties, which she did not belt, was a very obvious baby bump. To any discerning eye, she was about five months along. "Good morning, then!"

Cole grinned. "Yep. It is a good morning."

She chuckled, grinning back. "It certainly seems that way. You look happy this morning."

"I am happy!" Cole came over and leaned down to give her a brief kiss, as sweet as it was short. "It's a good morning in Shintaro, and I have a beautiful wife to spend it with. What more could I want?"

She smiled sweetly, resting her hands on her stomach. "Don't forget our little daughter, too!"

"Of course I wouldn't forget her, how could I?" He knelt and touched her stomach gently, smiling still. "Good morning, little Lilly. Today is going to be a good day! Your mother and I love you very much, so remember that."

Vania laughed. "You know, I don't think she can hear you, Cole."

"Of course she can!" He stood again, beaming at his wife. "Lilly's smart."

"I don't think intelligence was ever the question," Vania commented.

"Maybe not, but it's still true."

"Yes, it is." Vania took Cole's hand, lacing her fingers through her husband's with practiced ease. "Shall we go have our breakfast? Today will be busy."

"That sounds great. Maybe some coffee cake?"

"You and your cake!" She rolled her eyes as they made their way to their bedroom's double doors.

"You can't fault me for loving it!"

"Not unless you love it more than me."

"What? Never!" Cole exclaimed, comically aghast. He leaned over and kissed Vania's cheek. "I love you the most, my queen."

"I love you too, my king." She kissed his cheek in return. "Now, come on; breakfast is waiting, and Lilly's hungry."

He smiled broadly. "Then let's go fix that fact." He reached out to push open the doors, and light from the rest of the palace flooded in. It came down from the skylights and through the open hallways, lighting their way under buttresses and arches. "Shall we?"

"We shall." Vania beamed up at him, and he beamed back. Then they went together, into a bright present and a bright future. There was no ice now, there was no worry. There was only light.