Archive of Our Own ^beta

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‘Jay seems ecstatic that his reflection has an eye patch. He thinks it is cool. Then there is a change in his mood and he seems to be hiding something. We haven’t been the best of friends lately. I try not to think too much about it.’

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

Ghosts had reflections, didn’t they? They usually casted them. There were countless stories, tales, movies, documentaries of creepy ghost figures in mirrors and on camera. The evidence was right there - fake or not. He wasn’t lost to the world, not yet.

But as he continued to stare deeply into the ice in front of him, he saw nothing. No ominous green glow that kept him awake at night, no outline of his choppy black hair, no awkward stance… It was empty. 

“You’re probably just looking in the wrong place,” Zane’s robotic voice rung in his ear.

To his right was the nindroid, his hand firmly on Cole’s shoulder, though he couldn’t feel it. Kai was to his left, staring blankly at his own reflection, casting a much older version of himself. Both Kai and Zane were aged, wearing white ninja gis - something similar to what Wu wore - but there was a gap between them. A gap where the earth ninja should’ve been.

“I’m looking at the same place you are,” earth’s voice was more strained than intended. 

He shouldn’t be panicked. He should’ve seen it coming. There were so many possible answers, weren’t there? 

But… did it mean something bad was going to happen? Did it mean he didn’t live as long as the others? Was he even living right now ? 

Or perhaps the ice didn’t know. After all, the cloud kingdom had never meant for Cole to become a ghost. Perhaps his future had changed, maybe it was being rewritten. 

It just needed time to work… Cole was sure of it. It didn’t mean he was doomed. 

Cole sucked in a sharp breath, though he couldn’t even feel it enter him, and let himself relax a little. Zane’s grip on his shoulder loosened. He watched as Kai and Zane’s reflections moved around, both looking happy. At least he knew his brothers were okay.

“Hey guys,” Jay cheered from across the cave, his voice echoing, “guess what! I get an awesome eye-patch!”

Cole closed his eyes and sighed. Zane’s hand officially left him, the nindroid’s presence soon leaving the ghost’s right. Cole didn’t care to look where he went. 

Jay let out another excited giggle from behind them somewhere but Cole didn’t care to look. Perhaps he should’ve been happy for his friend, happy for someone he considered his best friend, but when he was unsure of his own future, how could he be happy for anyone who got to know theirs? 

But, sure, a cool eye-patch. 

It didn’t take long for Kai to leave his side too. The masters of fire and ice headed over to a different part of the cave to see if there was anything more their reflection could tell them. 

Cole felt a cold chill wave through him.

“There’s something else…” he heard Jay mutter across the cave. He shortly let out a small gasp, though Cole wasn’t sure if it was positive or negative.

“What? What do you see that I clearly cannot?” Cole’s response was a lot more annoyed than intended but he couldn’t really help it. Besides, Jay hadn’t shown any sort of care towards Cole not being able to see his own reflection. He expected at least a little compassion.

Though, the earth ninja half expected Jay to snap back with something cocky, or perhaps rub it in Cole’s face some more about how utterly awesome his future was. To his surprise, Jay didn’t respond. All he was met with was silence.

For someone who was usually quick to talk, for someone who was usually quick to quip back, he was pretty quiet.

Cole frowned and finally turned to look in the lightning ninja’s direction. Though, all he could see was Jay. He looked somewhat surprised, a little shocked and confused. He was staring at his reflection, something Cole couldn’t see from this angle, with his back slightly slouched, his hands tense.

“Jay?”

Jay blinked, snapping him out of whatever world he was trapped in. His head whipped to look at Cole, who just frowned at him. It didn’t take long for Jay’s expression to change to one of happiness, joy even, and pretend as if everything Cole had just noticed was fake. That or he thought if he pretended everything was fine, maybe nobody else would notice.

Cole noticed.

“Just an eye-patch,” he grinned, though it was tense and wavering.

The lightning ninja turned on his heel and headed in the opposite direction, his footsteps sloppy and clumsy. He ruffled his hair, and Cole knew well that he usually did that out of awkwardness, nervousness, something similar… 

Except the earth ninja didn’t say anything else. He just watched Jay walk away, watched as he took whatever was bothering him with him, and there was no doubt he’d just pretend nothing happened. Whatever was in that reflection certainly wasn’t just an ‘awesome eye-patch’. No reaction like that out of Jay would come from that alone. He seemed so excited about the eye-patch at first, but the silence that followed, the tense body posture..? Something was off.

What could possibly garner such an odd reaction from Jay ?

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

The ninja loved the few weeks after particularly big battles. Wu always gave them some time off from training and bigger missions. That meant the team could sleep in, lounge around in their pjs all day, and do normal teenager things. That usually meant video games..

Cole, however, often spent a lot of time catching up with himself in his own space. He was glad the ninja were all given their own rooms on the Destiny’s Bounty not too long ago. They had all teamed up to persuade Wu that they needed their own spaces and since Lloyd and Nya already had their own rooms, it only seemed fair that they all did. With a little work on the ship, they finally all had their own spaces. Cole was the most grateful for it. As much as he loved sharing with his family, he missed having time to himself. 

That time to himself was usually spent thinking. He’d sit at his desk, doodling something (usually someone or something he was particularly thinking about), while overthinking everything that’d recently happened. He found it calming, a simple alternative to meditating. It kept both his hands and mind busy while still doing something he enjoyed.

He often found himself drawing his mother, or at least what he remembered of her. He had a few pictures as a reference but since he was so young when she passed, he didn’t have much memory to base her off of. He wished he had something more. The picture of him and his parents upon his nightstand was his usual go-to to truly capture her features properly.

Though, even if he was drawing her right now, she wasn’t the person on his mind. 

After the battle with Morro, Cole had spent a few days tucked away, trying to wrap his head around everything that’d happened. He turned into a ghost, lost his being and struggled to become something he wasn’t used to. It was getting easier with Wu’s teachings but he still found himself accidentally phasing in and out of things. He’d dropped his pencil numerous times already while doodling. But as he slowly recalled everything in his mind, repeating small interactions and big fights, he found his mind lingering on one thing in particular. One thing that hadn’t seemed to change since Morro was defeated.

The future reflections. Sure, he was still worried about his own but he’d mostly moved past it now. Even if he was doomed, it’s not like he could do anything to change it. But he’d come to terms with the fact that if something horrible were to truly happen to him, it’d still show something , wouldn’t it? A tombstone or an urn. A lifeless body would even be enough - not that anybody wanted to see that. The fact he casted no reflection at all just meant he wasn’t seen. It just meant his future wasn’t decided, right?

But Jay’s future was decided and he didn’t seem all that happy about the result. He was ecstatic at first, giddy about the fact he had some dumb eye-patch - which Cole hadn’t bothered thinking too much about - but it was the way Jay’s expression and presence dulled when he mentioned that ‘something else’. What was it? What could it have possibly been to get Jay to react so tensely? 

He hadn’t mentioned it to anyone. He hadn’t even talked about his reflection at all, even when the team had discussed it with Wu at the dinner table. Even when Kai and Zane spoke about how cool their futures would be. Cole didn’t have a reason to talk about his, but Jay did. The eye-patch? Surely there was so much he could discuss with that. But instead, when the topic was brought up, Cole find his gaze drifting over to his best friend and finding nothing but a tense expression, almost like he was pondering something. Almost like there was something bothering him.

Perhaps he thought everyone just forgot about it, but Cole certainly hadn’t and it was only starting to confuse him more. If there was something wrong, Jay usually spoke to someone about it - that someone typically being Cole - so for him to be so silent about it was starting to worry him.

Cole sighed, placing his head in his hands as he stared down at his drawing. It wasn’t anywhere near finished but he wasn’t in the mood to continue it anymore. Not tonight, anyway. It was getting late and he was in need of a good nap. He needed to make the most of it before Wu forced them back into their training schedules.

So he got up from his desk, pushing the chair under quietly, and headed towards his bedroom door. The Bounty was quiet - most members of the team asleep by now - but Cole liked to do his rounds of the ship before getting comfy in bed. It was mostly to check everything was in order, that the auto-pilot was working correctly (not that he could fix it if it weren’t), and that all the lights were switched off. It was a habit he’d picked up a few years ago after Pythor had snuck onto the ship when the team were trying to dispose of the four fang blades. Perhaps he should’ve grown out of it by now.

Though, to his surprise, he wasn’t the only one awake. As he stepped onto the Bounty’s main deck, he was met with the lightning ninja, stood at the side of the ship, staring down at the world below them. They were passing over a remote city, quiet and small, but still bright. The city’s glow casted onto Jay’s face, lighting him up. As beautiful as it was, as majestic as he looked, Cole could clearly read his expression and that’s the last thing he needed to see.

He looked somewhat troubled, exhausted, lost in thought… As desperate as Cole was to hope whatever was bothering Jay was just a ruse, he knew better than to just leave him when there was something clearly on his mind. And besides, this was a good excuse to talk to him, right? They’d gotten so close a few months ago but since Cole became a ghost and Jay saw his reflection, they’d barely talked. They’d barely hung out. 

“What’re you doing out here so late?” Cole spoke softly, trying his best not to startle his friend.

Jay glanced over, confused as to who it was at first, but as he noticed the glow of the ghost, his expression seemed to soften. Only a little, though.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Jay’s response was quiet and rough, “and I thought you stopped patrolling the ship ages ago?”

“Hey, I’m not patrolling,” he was, “I was just going to grab a midnight snack.”

Jay raised an eyebrow at him before glancing back down at the city below. It was almost silent, only a few car beeps heard here and there. Cole let in a deep breath, making the most of the fresh air, before heading over to the side of the ship too. It was a beautiful view, something he could never find himself getting used to. 

As captivating as it was though, Cole found himself glancing to his right, his gaze locking on the blue ninja. He hadn’t seemed to notice Cole staring. To be honest, his presence hadn’t seemed to change anything in him at all. He still looked troubled, tense, like there was something on his mind. Cole knew there was something on his mind. 

But their friendship wasn’t the type where they could just talk about these sorts of things. Their friendship wasn’t the comforting type. They argued, they bickered, there wasn’t much comfort about it. Sure, they got along and hung out but it usually ended in some kind of cocky banter that would lead to an argument. They weren’t the type of people to talk to each other about what was bothering them. That’s why it was too awkward to ask.

But if he didn’t ask, if he didn’t at least give the hint, would it stay locked up in Jay’s mind forever gnawing away at him? It seemed to eat away at Cole’s mind too.

Cole let out a small sigh that Jay hadn’t seemed to notice. Taking one last glance at the city, he bit his lip and thought of something to say. 

“You’ve been quiet lately.”

Was that all he could muster up? Maybe it was harder than he initially thought.

“I have?”

“Yeah.”

Great start.

Jay didn’t say anything else. That was the clearest sign that Cole had been right. Typically, Jay would’ve come up with some kind of dumb excuse that was just about good enough to fool someone that he was alright. The fact he didn’t even try was bad enough but the fact he couldn’t even have a good conversation with Cole was worse. Their conversations usually flowed so nicely. What had happened?

“Is it because of the battle or…?” Cole let it trail off awkwardly.

Jay frowned, taking a moment to take in what Cole said. He glanced at him, seemingly confused.

“Against Morro?”

“Oh,” he coughed nervously, “uh- yeah. Hectic, y’know?”

Cole nodded, biting his lip as he did so. 

“And those pesky ghosts,” Jay let out an awkward laugh, “man, they really freak me out.”

“Ghosts freak you out?”

“Kinda.”

“Oh.”

“Not you, though,” Jay added quickly, “you’re cool.”

Cole let himself smile, forcing himself to not let out a light chuckle. 

“You’re not weird and freaky like them,” though it sounded more like Jay regretted saying it.

“Noted.”

God, their conversations had never been this awkward before. Not even when they’d been properly fighting. 

When Cole glanced back to the blue ninja though, he noticed how tense he’d gotten. Sure, maybe he was tense before but it was much more noticeable now. 

Was it… Cole’s presence doing that to him? 

He wasn’t going to get anything out of Jay if they just acted like they couldn’t have a normal conversation. Sure, maybe this wasn’t the usual thing they talked about but if Cole was truly worried then why did it matter? 

Cole let out a rough sigh, ready to bite the bullet. He turned to him fully, catching his attention.

“Are you okay?”

All Jay did was frown.

“You’ve just been acting weird lately. Quieter, y’know? If there’s something on your mind, you can-”

“What?” he seemed a little scared, though maybe it was just because Cole caught him off guard, “Why would I- No, there’s nothing on my mind. I’m fine.”

Cole stared at him in disbelief, “are you sure?” 

“Positive.”

The way his voice wavered didn’t seem to convince Cole at all, but the earth ninja wasn’t very good at pushing. He wasn’t very good at asking people how they were feeling and he certainly wasn’t very good at fighting back if he knew someone was lying. 

Jay turned back to look down at the city, which they were over the suburbs of now. He bit his lip, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. Cole had only seemed to make things worse. He didn’t mean to, of course, but perhaps all Jay needed was to be alone. Perhaps he was still coming to terms with whatever it was. He couldn’t blame him. Cole took a while to wrap his head around a lot of things too.

But even if Jay wasn’t lying - which he was sure he was - maybe Cole just had no reason to be worried. Perhaps he was just reading into things too much. Maybe the future reflection really was nothing but an eye-patch, something just confused Jay, that’s all. Maybe he was thinking about how he got the eye-patch. Cole was overreacting, wasn’t he?

He wanted that to be true.

Just as Cole went to say something though, maybe to ask to hang out because they hadn’t for a while now, Jay cleared his throat and stepped back.

Cole looked at him but his strained expression from before had changed to one of nervousness, wearing a fake smile upon his lips. 

“I should probably head to bed,” he spoke quickly, taking small steps back towards the main part of the ship, “I’ll- uh- see you in the morning? Or the afternoon… depends on when I can be bothered to drag myself out of bed.”

He had been sleeping in rather late recently. 

“Okay,” Cole gave him a warm smile in return, though he wasn’t entirely sure if it was fake or not either, “goodnight.”

Jay shot him another grin before turning around and scurrying towards the door. Cole turned back to look at the world below. He really didn’t like the weird feeling their conversation had left in his stomach. If he even had a stomach anymore…

“Stop patrolling and go to bed, Cole,” Jay called out from behind him before hearing the door shut.

Cole chuckled, closing his eyes for a brief moment. Jay always seemed to understand him well. 

That didn’t mean he was going to stop patrolling though. And it’s not like he ever actually referred to it as patrolling. Jay was the only one that did. 

Maybe he’d just take a few more laps of the ship before heading to bed. He was sure everything was fine but it was just his luck that something would go wrong the one time he hadn’t checked. 

Though, he wasn’t sure how much sleep he’d get tonight after their conversation. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to drift off knowing there was something keeping Jay tense.

He’d open up soon, right? And whatever it was wouldn’t cause a further rift between their friendship, would it?

He hoped not.

Chapter Text

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

‘I am in my room in our home, an old temple floating a three hundred yards above ground. We don’t know why. It just did one day. I suspect Jay and Nya know something about it somehow. They have been really close lately, sometimes playful and clearly in love, but other times they seem bewildered, talk in hushed voices and they seem to be examining the temple grounds. I am happy for them but it’s also disturbing. I know something about the Temple of Airjitzu as well; it is still haunted. I could tell the others but it would freak out Jay, so I’ve kept it to myself.’

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

Cole wasn’t usually the type to question why someone wasn’t doing their typical ninja duties. He wasn’t the usual type to question why someone wasn’t at training. Everyone had rough days, everyone needed a break every once in a while. Wu was pretty lenient with letting them take a day off once in a blue moon, and the team never really questioned when someone didn’t show up one morning for sparring.

But after Jay and Nya had started skipping days upon days of training, Cole started to become suspicious. It wasn’t like it was his business, and it’s not like it was a problem, but the lack of time they spent with the rest of the team since getting back together sent alarm signals in the earth ninja’s mind. Wu didn’t seem all that fussed about them having so much time off, neither did the rest of the team (although they had questioned it a few times, but ultimately brushed it off) so was there just something Cole wasn’t aware of? Or was he reading into things too much again? He’d been doing that a lot lately. 

Could you blame him? So much had changed recently, mostly out of nowhere, and he was struggling to wrap his head around it. The team’s dynamic felt a little lost. 

A few weeks ago, after his conversation with Jay, nothing had changed for the better. Jay distanced himself more, started hanging out with Zane a lot more than he did with Cole. It didn’t seem like he was avoiding the earth ninja, but he kept conversations short and snappy, came up with excuses not to hang out with him, and pretended like everything was fine. Cole still had no idea what the cause was despite spending so long trying to figure it out. There was no way he was going to get an answer out of Jay himself.

Seeing him and Zane spending more time together, watching how comfortable Jay was with him, really hurt Cole but it’s not like there was anything he could do about it. Maybe Jay was just moving on. Maybe he got tired of Cole’s company.

But then, out of literally nowhere, Jay and Nya got back together. On the roof of Ninjago City Hospital after having an argument - which also was out of nowhere. One second Nya was at Jay’s throat, Jay being completely unaware of what he’d done, and the next moment the team were watching Jay and Nya basically making out right in front of the media.

Why?

As happy as Cole was for them, he was so, so confused. Jay hadn’t mentioned Nya in a long time, nor had he even thought those two still liked each other. They barely hung out, barely talked. Though, perhaps that’s why Jay was avoiding Cole? He was getting closer with Nya, talking to her again. He knew something would happen and didn’t want to upset Cole - not that it would’ve upset him at all. The only thing that did upset him was the fact he hadn’t been told about it. The fact Jay had been too worried to mention it to Cole in fear of hurting him. If that was even the reason, of course..

Jay and Nya had gotten so close after that, like there was something the team were missing. Cole had been watching Jay for so long recently, making sure he was okay, and he hadn’t once seen him talk with Nya. Sure, there was the odd glance over at her and the avoidance in the corridors as they almost passed each other, but Cole assumed that was just because they were still awkward with one another. The last time Cole and Jay had spoken about Nya was a long while ago; Jay had mentioned things being awkward between them since they hadn’t actually spoken about their breakup. But here they were now, acting like they’d been friendly for a long time. How had Cole missed something so big?

They didn’t talk to anyone else for a few days. Jay spent most of his time in his bedroom. Cole had wanted to go and speak to him, act all happy and surprised about the two being back together. He wanted to celebrate with him because Cole knew how much he loved Nya, even if they hadn’t spoken about it. He knew how excited Jay must be. Except he didn’t. He didn’t want to go in there in fear of making things worse. Though, after the following few days, perhaps he should’ve checked in on him…

Jay didn’t turn up for training. He stayed in his room. Nobody really saw him. Kai had apparently seen Nya coming in and out of his room, though she looked exhausted and like the ‘life had been sucked out of her’ as he’d put it. Basically, she just didn’t look great. Like she hadn’t slept at all. 

She turned up to training, though it wasn’t for long. She sparred with Kai but her movements were sloppy and she seemed distracted. Wu hadn’t batted an eye, nor at the fact Jay was hiding out in his room. 

It wasn’t until the team questioned their master about what was going on, because he clearly knew something the team didn’t. Wu had simply put it down to them dealing with the media’s reaction to them getting back together. Cole hadn’t really noticed, though he’d been distracted. The newspapers and social media were ripping into the couple, bringing up the love triangle and Cole. The team had agreed to not mention it around the two as they were dealing with a lot.

Cole, however, could read right through all the lies.

A few days after that, Jay had left to go stay with his parents. No one had seen him since the hospital, which only worried Cole more. Nya started skipping training too, spending most of her time in her bedroom. Cole had sent Jay a few texts, asking if he was alright, asking when he’d be back, but there was no response. He was probably just busy with his parents…

When Jay finally came back home a few weeks later, he seemed different. Almost overly happy like he was hiding something. But he stopped hiding out in his room, started training again and eating with the team at mealtimes. He was talkative yet there was something about his tone that didn’t sit right with Cole. There was something about the way Jay and Nya looked at each other, almost like they were constantly checking in with one another, that made Cole’s stomach churn. 

Jay started talking to Cole again. It was gradual but Cole was grateful for it. He didn’t pry, he didn’t ask what was going on in fear of upsetting Jay after he was clearly doing better. But acting like everything was fine and normal was slowly eating at him. He knew there was something going on. 

And then the day of the departed happened.

Something in Jay seemed to click, almost like he lost a part of himself in the rift. The part of him that was making him sad or distressed or … Cole didn’t really know. He just seemed happier, but it was odd. It almost seemed strained, like he was still holding back but in a different manner. 

He became impatient, somewhat short-tempered, and his mood swings were more prominent. And then some days he’d be quieter, more closed off, and would spend more time with Nya. But it didn’t seem like he was necessarily upset. Not anymore. Just strained.

Cole couldn’t quite place his finger on it. 

But one thing he could place a finger on was how clingy Jay had gotten. He clung onto everyone like his life depended on it, barely spent a moment alone anymore. He was always around someone, even Kai and Lloyd, who he barely hung out with before. Even when Cole and Jay were hanging out alone, he’d be a lot more physically affectionate. He’d rest his head on his shoulder when they were watching TV, or grab his arm randomly. It wasn’t like Cole minded, Cole was a pretty physical person anyway so this was good for him, but it was just very out of the ordinary. 

Things were slowly becoming normal again.. Cole was human again. Jay was spending more time with the team. Everything was relatively great.

And then Wu called a meeting to tell the team they were moving into Yang’s Temple.

Cole had been sat next to Jay during the meeting, their arms brushed together. The way Cole had physically felt Jay tense up next to him was worrying, especially with how he’d been recently. But Cole just knew Jay didn’t like ghosts. He remembered their conversation about it. About how Jay found them creepy or whatever.

And then his mind tracked back to the Day of the Departed, when the team were sat around the campfire outside the temple with their families. Jay had seemed tense, like he almost didn’t want to be there. Cole had laughed about how Jay didn’t like ghosts, about how that’s the reason he didn’t want to be there. Jay had glanced to Nya, who hadn’t been laughing like the rest of the team were. Her’s was more of an awkward laugh, like she was just joining in but her heart wasn’t really in it. When she’d seen Jay’s expression, she had immediately stopped and reached a hand out to caress his arm.

Cole hadn’t thought much of it back then. 

Was Jay really all that freaked out over some ghosts? He hadn’t seemed all that bothered when they were fighting Morro or when Cole turned into a ghost. Had something happened for him to suddenly react this way or was he just good at masking all along? 

Cole wasn’t sure…

But what he was sure of was that maybe things weren’t better like he thought they were. Maybe there was still something holding Jay down…

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

“Couldn’t we have gotten the movers to bring all this stuff in? My arms are starting to ache ,” Jay complained, letting out an exasperated sigh for dramatic effect.

Cole raised an eyebrow, “and how would they have gotten the van up here? We’re on a floating island, remember.”

“Why are we even moving into a temple on a floating island? It’s not very practical,” Jay groaned.

“You’re starting to sound like Zane.”

“Actually Zane is all for this, so no.”

Cole dropped the box he was gripping onto the first step of the temple. He took the moment to stretch his back out as Jay dropped his box down too. The lightning ninja was slouched, dragging his feet along with him as he moved. Cole could admit he was exhausted too but that was just because bringing a few heavy boxes up onto a floating island using only airjitzu was pretty tough, even for someone with super strength. Jay had been given the lighter boxes.

“ I think it’s practical, by the way,” Cole chirped up, catching the blue ninja’s attention, “we’re pretty sheltered from any attacks. It’ll be pretty hard for a villain to get up here without being spotted. And besides, what difference does this make from the Destiny’s Bounty? It was a floating ship .”

“A floating ship moves, Cole.”

“You’re acting like we’ve gotten rid of it. We still have the ship.”

“Then why aren’t we using it to move all the boxes,” Jay groaned, stretching as he did so, “it would save us some pain.”

Cole rolled his eyes, “we’ve been through this. We can’t use the Bounty as a carrier. We’ll break it if we just constantly go up and down with it. Besides, airjitzu is quicker. Aren’t you glad we’re getting all our stuff back from storage, anyway? We haven’t seen some of this stuff in years .”

Jay sighed, “yeah, yeah. It’s just such a pain to move it all and unpack.”

“Well, I for one am excited to unpack.”

Jay didn’t say anything else, just making his way back to the edge of the island. Cole happily followed after him, quickening his pace to keep up with him. Jay was always a much faster walker. It was funny considering his name.

When Cole glanced to Jay though, he seemed a little tense. It was the ghosts, wasn’t it? It wasn’t like there were any ghosts still living in the temple. Yang wasn’t around anymore and his students had been set free. Though, when you have a fear of something, you’re still afraid it’ll be there even if you know it won’t be. It’s like having a fear of the dark. You see shadows and although you know there’s nothing scary there, it’s still frightening. Jay was just scared there were still ghosts around. 

Cole, however, knew there was some kind of spirit still lurking. He could feel it. The rift scar upon his head could feel it. Though, it was best he kept quiet. Jay was already pretty freaked out about it, having his worries confirmed was the last thing he needed. Perhaps this would just be something Cole kept between himself and the temple. A sweet little secret, if you will.

The two headed back down to the bottom of the island, grabbing a few more heavy boxes, and airjitzu’d back up to the temple. Jay trudged over to the entrance of the temple, staring at it as if he were reliving some kind of nightmare, and placed the box down on the steps just like before. Cole did the same, though he felt some sort of reminiscence towards the temple unlike Jay. 

Maybe it’d just take a little while for the blue ninja to get used to it, but once he did, he would love it, right? Cole was sure. This was the nicest place they’d lived since the Monastery - no hate to the Bounty, of course.

Once they fixed the temple up a bit more and set up a proper training site, it’d be perfect. Not to mention the size of their new rooms. 

Just as the two went to turn to head back towards the edge of the island, Jay’s phone chimed. He grabbed it out from his pocket, instantly answering. 

“Hey, what’s up?” he asked with a somewhat concerned tone.

Cole knew he shouldn’t listen in, but when Jay was stood right beside him and talking loudly, it wasn’t really his fault. 

“Oh,” Jay’s brows furrowed, “yeah, don’t worry, I’m on my way. Where are you?”

Cole couldn’t quite hear the person on the other end but it didn’t take a genius to figure out who it was.

“Okay, I’ll be there in a few minutes. Don’t forget to drink water, ‘kay?” he sounded a little concerned.

Then as quickly as he answered, he hung up. Cole turned to him with a somewhat worried expression, but Jay avoided eye contact as he began to back up.

“Uh- Nya needs me, but I’ll be back in like.. 10 minutes? Maybe 15,” Jay shrugged, talking at the speed of light.

Cole nodded, “sure.”

He wanted to ask what was wrong but he knew Jay would just lie. Maybe it wasn’t anything, maybe she just needed a hand with something, but the way Jay was quick to answer and told her to make sure to drink water only rung alarm bells in Cole’s mind. What was that for? 

Jay took off inside the temple quickly, disappearing almost immediately. Cole stood in the middle of the grounds for a moment, staring inside the temple with furrowed brows.

Jay and Nya had been acting off again since they’d started moving in. Cole could understand why Jay was acting off because of the whole ghost thing, but Nya? At first Cole just thought she was comforting her boyfriend, but when she started acting off too, Cole started to suspect there was something he wasn’t aware of again. Perhaps it wasn’t tied to what was going on before, not that Cole even knew what that was about either, but he knew it wasn’t his business to get involved. He’d gotten involved in their relationship too many times before and definitely learnt his lesson. If Cole was needed, they’d come to him. 

But there was definitely something going on. The two changed just as quickly as how they got back together.. 

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

It’d been a long day of moving boxes but now that they were getting down to the last few batches from storage, they were starting to let themselves relax a little. Once everything was moved in and unpacked, there was certainly a lot of thinking Cole had to do. There was a lot for him to wrap his head around recently. The team had been so wrapped up in this moving stuff that he’d barely had time to himself. That and the fact Jay was basically clinging to him most hours of the day. 

He didn’t mind it. He enjoyed Jay’s company. He was his best friend after all.

Jay finished up helping Cole with the boxes. He didn’t mention anything with Nya or why he had to rush off. Cole did ask if she was alright but Jay had changed the subject so fast that Cole had forgotten he’d asked in the first place. The conversation flowed nicely, a little too nicely, but it was clear Jay was trying to keep the earth ninja distracted.

After that, Jay had disappeared again to go find Nya. Cole didn’t see him again after that. Then Zane announced at the dinner table that the couple weren’t joining them as they’d gone out for the evening. The team had taken the opportunity to discuss the two’s relationship and how well they were getting along. 

Not a single one of them mentioned how odd they’d been acting. Cole didn’t even think about mentioning it in fear of being accused of getting involved in their relationship or being ‘jealous’. Cole was very much over Nya. Though, the team knew that. If they were going to accuse him of being jealous of anyone, they’d accuse him of being jealous of Nya considering how close he and Jay had gotten. 

Not that he really would’ve argued it, but that was a conversation for a different day.

Cole hadn’t really been all that invested in the conversations at dinner so disappeared off to his room after finishing eating. He began to unpack some of his things, though most of his stuff was still in storage. His bed was the only thing he’d bothered actually setting up as soon as they began moving in. Then he found himself sitting upon it, flicking through an old photo album he forgot he had. 

It’d been his mother’s. It was made for Cole since the moment he came into existence. There were baby scans, baby pictures, even family pictures that Cole didn’t remember having. When she’d passed, it’d been given to him. It was something he cherished most when he moved into the Monastery. Though his relationship with his father had been rough at the time, Cole had found peace while flicking through the photo album, remembering all the happy times with his family. He’d sworn to continue it on, just like his mother would have. Cole included pictures of his most important family and friends, as well as some of the most important moments in his life. He’d bought a small portable printer to print off the pictures he wanted the most. Some of which were of him and the team when they’d only just formed.

He loved his family so much. He hated seeing them hurt.

That’s why it killed him to see something clearly going on with Jay and Nya and he couldn’t do anything about it. He couldn’t do anything to help.

He knew better than to get involved. He knew better than to ask and make things worse. He knew he’d just be lied to if he tried to help. And that’s what killed the most.

All he could do was stand on the sidelines, watch, and pray that things would be alright in the end. Spending as much time with them as possible to make sure they weren’t alone was the only option and basically the only way he could actually provide support.

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

When he’d decided to go for a late stroll to the kitchen - which was still being put together - to grab some water (and perhaps do his nightly patrol), he hadn’t expected to find them sitting outside together.

It was almost midnight. Cole had gotten lost in time trying to unpack everything in his room. It would be a late night for him, he was already aware when he woke up in the morning, but he really hadn’t expected to be wandering the halls at midnight and find the two people he cared for most in this family.

Jay and Nya were sat outside on the steps of the temple, staring out at the yard. They held what looked like hot chocolates, huddled together and talking among themselves. Cole couldn’t tell what they were talking about nor could he see what their expressions read but Cole just knew it was something he couldn’t deal with. He knew it was something personal. 

But maybe talking with them was a better idea than doing his patrol - not that it was a patrol… at all…

He let out a small sigh before opening the temple door, trying not to startle the two. Nya was the first to turn to see who it was, but gave him a warm smile as she spotted him. Jay followed her gaze not long after.

“Hey,” Cole gave a small awkward smile, “can I join you?”

Nya glanced to Jay, who just shrugged. Then the water ninja glanced back to the earth ninja with a small nod.

The air was thick and perhaps Cole should’ve taken that as a hint to leave, but his curiosity got the better of him. He wasn’t going to question anything. He didn’t want to make them uncomfortable, so instead he’d just act like everything was fine - much like they’d been doing for months now.

Cole sat down on the left of Jay. Their shoulders brushed, their knees touching slightly, as Cole got comfortable. Jay felt somewhat tense but Cole tried not to focus on that too much.

The three were silent for a while, just listening to the trees sway and crickets chirp. It was somewhat peaceful but there was something about the air between the couple that made Cole slightly uncomfortable. It wasn’t some kind of tension like they were upset or arguing, but rather like there was just something stopping them from being completely comfortable.

It wasn’t anything to do with Cole. Cole knew that otherwise he would’ve felt it earlier. Besides, the two had been acting weird for a while and it had only started with the temple. Everything was because of this damn temple. 

But why ? The ghosts? Because it was haunted? This seemed a little dramatic for a few ghosts…

Nya took a sip of her hot chocolate. Cole glanced to the right to see Jay just staring down at his half-empty mug. He was tapping at the side of it and watching the ripples in the liquid.

After a while, Nya cleared her throat and turned to look at the earth ninja.

“How are you handling being a human again?” she spoke up awkwardly.

Cole shrugged, “it’s hard but I’m getting used to it slowly. Master Wu is helping me to harness my new abilities or whatever.”

It was similar to how he was learning to control his ghost abilities but having to be taught how to be human again was weird. It was a lot easier than when he was learning to be a ghost but that’s just because he had a lot more experience in being a human..

“Though, it feels weird.”

“How so?” Nya asked.

“I don’t know, I just feel off,” Cole responded a little half-heartedly, “I get tired easily and everything just aches.. I guess I’m still getting used to actually feeling my limbs again. And not to mention how weird eating feels now.”

Nya nodded, “I bet. But I’m sure you’ll be as right as rain soon, right? It’s just gonna take some getting used to.”

Cole shrugged, brushing against Jay’s shoulder slightly, “I guess so. But… I’m not sure I’ll get used to being around water any time soon.”

Jay glanced up with a slight frown, “hm?”

Cole glanced to his best friend, locking eyes with him for a brief moment. He seemed a little concerned, somewhat confused too, but Cole could tell he was trying to care even though he looked exhausted. 

The earth ninja looked away nervously, his eyes landing on the yard.

“I guess I’m still a bit jumpy. It’s like I panic as if water is going to kill me, and then I remember it can’t because I’m not a ghost anymore. I was so used to being terrified of something hitting me, even a drop, that it’s just part of my reflexes now.”

Cole could see Jay looking him up and down with worry but didn’t acknowledge it. Besides, it was odd to open up like this, especially since he hadn’t really spoken to anyone about how he felt about being around water when he was a ghost. But if it was going to be a distraction to whatever the two had going on, he was happy to talk about himself for a moment.

“But I think I’m gonna need you guys to remind me to drink water every now and then,” he tried to laugh it off, “I got so used to not needing to that it just doesn’t cross my mind ever.”

“Yeah, of course,” Jay’s tone was laced with concern.

Cole was half expecting Jay to make some sort of joke, or laugh it off with him like he usually did, but it scared him slightly that Jay was so serious about it. Maybe that was a good thing. Jay needed to take things seriously every once in a while.

Nya just nodded, giving Cole a small supportive smile.

Then the three fell into silence again. Jay went back to staring at his drink while Nya tapped her fingers on the steps. Had Cole brought the mood down - if that was even possible? Perhaps he should’ve tried lightening it instead of mentioning something slightly draining..

“ But I’m grateful to be able to feel again,” Cole spoke a little chirpier, “it’s nice to eat and sleep properly, and actually know what I’m holding. I can actually touch things without having to guess.”

Nya glanced at him with a smile.

“It was kinda stressful when I really needed to grab things and not know if it was going to work or not.”

“Wait, you couldn’t actually feel anything you were touching?” Jay questioned, glancing at his best friend briefly.

Cole shook his head, shooting him an awkward smile.

Jay didn’t say anything else, just turning back to look down at his mug. Nya watched him carefully, her brows slightly furrowed. Cole let out a small sigh and went back to staring out at the yard. 

God, things were so weird recently.

“Not in a weird way, but it’s nice to be able to feel you guys again. I can hug you without phasing through or high five without missing,” Cole chuckled to himself, “you have no idea how hard it was to not feel anything.”

And as if summoned, Jay immediately rested his head on Cole’s shoulder. Cole wasted no time in resting against him, taking in the moment. Nya watched them with a smile before finishing off her drink. 

Jay snaked an arm under Cole’s arm, getting as close as he could to the earth ninja. Cole didn’t object. It didn’t take long for Nya to scoot in closer and lean against Jay, wrapping an arm around him. 

The three just sat together in silence, appreciating the view and stars above them. Cole had really missed this. He’d really missed being able to feel something, even if sometimes it wasn’t that great of a feeling.

At least he could appreciate that, right now, they were all together. That they were all safe in the company of one another. Because as long as they had each other, everything would be fine, right?

Perhaps Cole couldn’t exactly help the two, not in the way he wanted, but he was still there for them and hopefully they knew that now.

Whatever was going on, they weren’t alone. And no matter how spooked Jay was about the ghosts, he’d start to loosen up around the temple. 

After all, that was all that was the problem, right?

Chapter Text

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

‘Master Wu was lost in time, so this is not just a question of where but also when. It could be impossible. Maybe he is not even here yet or has been and no longer is. We all know it. No one has said it out loud, though I have felt Jay bursting to do so several times. Restraint from Jay… imagine that!’

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

“So we can all agree that Lloyd is in charge?” the fire ninja questioned.

Lloyd waved his hands around in a suffering motion, “like I said, we don’t need a leader. We all have input and can decide what we-”

“Okay, but you’re the official unofficial leader,” Jay shrugged, “it’s basically decided.”

“What does that even mean?” the green ninja frowned.

“Can we put that aside for a minute?” Nya asked from across the table, “we kinda have more important things to be thinking about. Like where Wu is.”

Cole nodded. Wu’s disappearance had been so sudden. After Kai and Nya had returned from the Iron Doom, they’d all expected their master to return not long after them. It took a few hours for the truth to finally sink in. He was lost.

The team jumped straight to action - heading back to the temple to start discussing plans. They had no idea what happened to him, it was difficult to come up with anything logical especially under these panicked conditions, but what choice did they have? They were nothing without their teacher. 

Unfortunately for Lloyd, that meant he was now left in charge. He seemed a lot calmer than expected about all of it, though perhaps he was just trying to remain level-headed for the team’s sake. If he was calm, they would be too. 

“Nya’s right, we need to come up with a plan,” Lloyd sat at the head of the table, staring down at a small notebook in front of him. Nothing had been written yet.

“Don’t you think you should all take a rest first?” Misako spoke from behind them, “you’ve been under a lot of stress recently, give it a few days.”

“Not until we find Wu,” Kai cut in, not glancing at her.

She was stood against the kitchen counter, with Ray and Maya to the side of her. They seemed just as confused as the team, if not more. They’d barely known the team a few hours and this was their first impression of them. At least it was a somewhat good one. 

Lloyd placed his head in his hands, trying his best to wrack his memory of anything that could possibly give away Wu’s whereabouts. But that was the thing; he could be literally anywhere in the world. Maybe not even in this realm. It was gonna be basically impossible to find him.

“Would it be a good idea to head back to the swamp to search for clues?” Zane suggested, catching everyone’s attention, “there may be something that would suggest where the Iron Doom has gone.”

“We know where it’s gone, Zane,” Kai groaned, “it’s lost in time. We were travelling through time, we literally saw it, and then we were pushed out and we fell back here .”

“So, it’s more of a question of when is Wu, rather than where?” Jay questioned, “you think he was pushed out by Krux and Acronix?”

Lloyd nodded, cutting in, “it’s likely.”

“But it’s hard to tell,” Nya added, “which is why we need to scope every possible answer.”

“He could be literally anywhere at any time,” Cole sighed, “and we have zero idea.”

Lloyd bit his lip, staring down at the notebook in front of him. He hoped if he stared at it long enough, he’d get some type of idea of what to write down.

The team fell silent, mostly glancing awkwardly at the table between them. It was hard to come up with anything when they were so confused and stressed. Maybe they should've listened to Misako’s idea to rest. They couldn’t do anything if they weren’t in the right frame of mind to think. So much had happened in the last few days.

“You could try searching places that’d have meaning to him, he might’ve landed there,” Misako suggested.

“How would we know he’d land there though? It could be a complete waste of time,” Lloyd sighed.

“It’s still worth a try,” Misako shrugged, “and besides, it’s not like we have anything else to go off of. If he remained on the Iron Doom longer than Kai and Nya did, clearly he wouldn’t land in the same place in exactly the same time.”

“So you’re suggesting we check different places to see if he landed there?” Kai frowned, “but how would we be able to tell? There’s no saying there’ll be clues.”

Misako nodded, “and that’s where the time part comes in. He could turn up at any point. And you know Wu, he’d leave a clue of some sort if he was anywhere.”

The team fell silent again, except this time they were sharing glances. It was hard to tell what they were feeling, but they sure did share a feeling of exhaustion.

Lloyd nodded, “Okay, it’s basically the only thing we have right now. It’s not like we can travel in time or hop on another Iron Doom to go find out, so… mom and I will come up with a list of places important to Master Wu and we’ll discuss, okay?”

The ninja just nodded, though they weren’t entirely happy with this basic plan. But Lloyd was right, they had nothing else and it’s not like they had a proper way of finding out where Wu went. Besides, if Wu remained on the Iron Doom and wasn’t kicked off, it’d be much easier to tell where he ended up. Wherever the Iron Doom landed, Wu would be there too. That was bound to make some noise from the public. 

With that, Lloyd declared the meeting over and told the team to rest. Kai wasn’t happy with the fact Lloyd was making them rest and he wasn’t resting himself but it wasn’t like he argued it. Nothing would change the green ninja’s mind anyway. 

The Smith Siblings headed off to finally spend time with their parents. It was still crazy how they were alive and well. The family had so much catching up to do. 

Zane had decided to patrol the outside grounds of the temple, making sure no vermillion were around - as if they could be. Part of him hoped Wu would turn up too, but they all knew that wouldn’t happen. Cole offered him some company but Zane politely declined and said he had Pixal for company, despite her being in his head. Maybe it made Zane feel less lonely, as odd as it was.

That just left Jay and Cole. Under any other circumstance, they’d waste their time playing video games, but right now, neither of them were really in the mood for it. Neither of them were really in the mood for anything, really. It was best they stayed out of everyone’s way, as much as they wanted to distract themselves. 

Cole sighed, briefly glancing at his best friend, “what are we supposed to do now? Just sit around and wait?”

“I guess so,” was all Jay muttered out before his gaze was ripped away from the person opposite him. 

The earth ninja frowned and slowly followed Jay’s gaze.. Behind him, landing on the Smith Family. They were stood across the other side of the room, talking among themselves. They seemed so happy to see one another, despite the current situation. It was somewhat comforting knowing they were reunited after so long. Cole, however, could tell the look in Jay’s eyes was anything but comforting.

Earth frowned at lightning, watching as he placed his head in his hands and watched the family in discomfort. Maybe he’d be better off not saying anything, but they both knew he was going to anyway.

Cole’s eyes narrowed at the blue ninja, “are you okay?”

“Hm?” he wasn’t really paying attention.

“You’re staring at them. Problem?”

Jay blinked, his gaze falling back on his best friend. He instantly shook his head, a somewhat fake smile appearing on his lips.

“Just observing, that’s all.”

“Uh huh….”

“What?”

“Are you missing your parents or..?”

“Oh,” Jay shrugged, glancing away briefly, “I guess.”

“Hm, no, it’s something else, isn’t it?”

“Why are you interrogating me?”

Cole chuckled, “I’m not, I’m just trying to figure out why you’re staring at them like they’ve killed a puppy in front of you.”

Jay sighed, “it’s not like that. They’re great, I’m glad Kai and Nya have them back but…”

Then it suddenly clicked. Cole couldn’t help but laugh, maybe a little too loud though. It startled Jay, earning a confused yet annoyed look from him. 

“You’re scared of them, aren’t you?” the earth ninja found it amusing.

Jay stared at him blankly, “no?”

Cole leaned in, wearing a small smirk. Jay watched him like a hawk, though tried not to seem too amused by Cole’s accusation.

“They don’t know about you and Nya being together and you’re afraid it’s gonna be awkward,” Cole pointed an accusing finger in his face.

Jay batted his hand away and glared at him, “can you keep your voice down? I don’t want them to hear.”

“C’mon, you know they’re gonna love you, right?”

“Who cares? We have more important things to be worrying ab-”

“You don’t even know them yet, give it some time and they’ll really learn to accept you into their little family,” Cole reassured him with a bright smile.

Jay frowned, “accept them into the family? No.. No, no, let’s not say that.”

“Why not?”

“It’s way too early to be saying things like that.”

“Why? You worried your relationship won’t last or..?”

“No,” Jay chuckled, “trust me, I don’t need to worry about that.. It’s just, I don’t know, it feels weird to say I’m part of the family. Nya and I haven’t been back together for all that long, and besides, Kai’s only barely just accepted the fact we’re together. If Kai was so untrusting, how bad are their parents gonna be?”

“They seem nice to me. I’m sure when Nya tells them-”

“When do you think she’s gonna tell them?” Jay placed his head in his hands, staring down wide at the table.

Cole frowned, watching as Jay combed his fingers through his ginger hair. He hadn’t combed it properly for a few days - and the team knew Jay always straightened it - so it was growing slightly curly. Cole liked that part of particularly long missions though. The fact Jay wasn’t exposed to a hair straightener. He still didn’t understand why he preferred to straighten it. It looked so cute curly. 

He shrugged, “we’re all kinda preoccupied at the moment, so I’m not sure. But I guess that’s something for you two to discuss, right? I wouldn’t worry about it being straight away. They’re probably more worried about catching up.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“You’re seriously worried about it?”

“Their first impression of me was me annoyingly interrogating Samurai X.”

Cole couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, “okay, fair enough.”

Jay groaned, slamming his head on the table. Cole leant forward and patted Jay’s head gently.

“Hey, none of that,” Cole’s voice was stern yet comforting, “it’ll be fine. When they find out, I’m sure they’ll be happy. Let’s just focus on finding Wu, okay?”

Jay nodded, though the groan he let out shortly after gave Cole the true answer he meant. 

Cole could understand why Jay was so nervous. Before, he never had to worry about being accepted as Nya’s partner by anyone besides Kai. Sure, the fire ninja had taken a while to warm up to Jay, he finally accepted them being together and Jay being a good boyfriend to his sister. They were getting along. And now there were two new people that Jay had to get to like him? As much as they all knew it didn’t matter what Ray and Maya thought of Jay, it still seemed to affect the lightning ninja. He always seemed to care what people thought of him. It was just part of his nature. 

The earth ninja knew he’d be okay though. They hadn’t known Ray and Maya for long but he could tell they were nice and accepting - maybe a little less protective than Kai was - and they’d accept Jay in no time. He was sure of it.

Besides, how could you not love Jay?

Maybe the lightning ninja was only so stressed about it because of all the stress with finding Wu, and fighting the time twins. After all, the team were still sure they were out there and the fight wasn’t over. At least they could take a moment to breathe right now. There was a lot they had to wrap their heads around.

Once Jay had calmed down properly, he’d be back to his usual, chatty and confident self. He’d be waffling on about his inventions and numerous other hobbies to the Smith parents in no time.

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

The longer they planned what they were going to do, the more restless the team became. They felt useless, fearful that their master was out there in the world all alone. God forbid he was in some kind of trouble. But they couldn’t do anything until they had a proper plan. Lloyd and Misako were still busy making a list of the places Wu could be - there were a lot - as much as they wanted to spring into action, they needed a full list first and then they could just work through it without interruptions. 

Zane kept himself busy with patrolling, which Cole and Jay helped him with sometimes. Jay spent most of his time in his room. Nobody knew what he was doing - well, besides Nya probably. He claimed he was just resting but the dark circles under his eyes suggested otherwise. Cole kept watch over the temple and everyone within it. Kai and Nya spent most of their time with their parents. Nobody could blame them.

No matter how much the team tried to distract themselves though, nothing seemed to put them at ease. It’s been a few days since their master went missing and they’d been given no clues whatsoever. All they had to do was stand and wait to be told what to do. Maybe they shouldn’t have put Lloyd in charge - no offense to him.

Cole had agreed to help Zane patrol outside for the first part of the afternoon. He loved Pixal’s company but Zane claimed he liked having someone beside him too. Cole opted to straight away. They didn’t talk very much - mostly about Wu and possible plans. They couldn’t really come up with anything, which seemed to aggravate Zane. Cole had never seen Zane so restless. Perhaps that’s why he was spending all his time patrolling. 

After significant persuading, Zane headed inside to rest, take a breather, and perhaps find someone to check on his vitals. All this stress surely wasn’t doing him any good. Cole had a feeling the first person Zane would find would be Nya, so he sought to locate Jay in hopes of him being free to hang out. Jay’s chatting usually helped the earth ninja to remain grounded. It was ironic, being the master of earth.

He expected to find Jay in his room, though as he was passing down the corridor, he heard rummaging coming from Wu’s office, the door being left wide open. Cole peered his head in to see the lightning ninja, his hair still not straightened despite being in possession of his straighteners again, wearing a comfy hoodie instead of his ninja gi. He looked exhausted, although Cole couldn’t see his face properly.

He was searching through some of the filing cabinets. There were a few scrolls and files laid down on the desk, which Wu thankfully kept tidy. Hopefully Jay would tidy up after himself.

Cole frowned, leaning against the doorframe as he watched Jay continue to rummage. 

“What are you up to?”

Jay jumped, his face somewhat guilty as he glanced at his best friend. He quickly shook it off after realising who it was though. He shrugged, continuing to search through the files.

“What are you looking for?” Cole asked with a curious tone.

“Nothing,” Jay responded quickly in a low tone, “just thought I’d find some clues or something.”

“In his files?”

“You never know.”

“Hm..”

Jay glanced over at the earth ninja again, this time a little sceptical. It was stupid, considering Cole should’ve been the one sceptical about Jay . Earth’s presence didn’t seem to bother lightning though. He just went back to searching.

Cole hummed. It’s not like he had anything better to do. He headed in the room, towards Jay, but the closer he got, the more Jay watched him like a hawk. As if he were trespassing or something.

“I thought you were patrolling with Zane,” Jay mentioned.

“I was. Now I’m not.”

“I think I heard Lloyd needed help with the list.”

Cole raised an eyebrow as he appeared beside him, “trying to get rid of me, huh?”

“No, I just think this is pretty boring, y’know? You could be doing something more fun.”

“You think patrolling is more fun?” Cole questioned, “and we finished patrolling, actually. Besides, I came to find you so here I am.”

It was Jay’s turn to raise an eyebrow at Cole, “ you came to find me ? Why? What’ve I done?”

“Nothing. Just wanted to see what you were up to.”

“Looking through Wu’s files to find clues.”

“Clearly,” Cole picked up one of the files from the desk, “and that’s why you need the ‘full list of elemental masters’?”

Cole frowned at it before opening it up. It was pretty neat, no surprise there. Wu’s handwriting had always been some sort of godly writing, something you’d see written in some ancient texts from millions of years ago. It was crazy to think he’d actually written all of these files himself. It’d only been a few days since they’d lost him but in their minds he felt like an ancient being - though, really, he sort of was. He was basically invincible. 

Or, well, clearly not.

Jay didn't seem phased, “you never know what might have clues.”

“Right…”

The lightning ninja kept rummaging through the files, flicking through most of them. He lifted out one about the First Spinjitzu Master and shoved it into Cole’s chest for him to take. He did, and briefly flicked through it.

He wasn’t sure why Jay was even in here looking through this stuff. Wu didn’t tend to write personal things down in writing, especially not professional files. And whatever Jay was doing, he really didn’t seem to want Cole here for it. Though, it wasn’t like he was actually telling him to go away. He would’ve if he really wanted to, right?

Jay threw another file down on the small pile on the desk. Cole jumped at the slap as it hit the table, before glancing back at Jay, who seemed focused on what he was doing. Cole hadn’t seen him this focused for a while. It was nice, to be honest.

But perhaps Cole would’ve appreciated it more if he wasn’t so fixated on Jay’s state. Sure, none of them were doing exactly all that well recently, but Jay seemed to look the worst. He seemed so exhausted and didn’t even seem completely here . His mind was definitely elsewhere. He was usually so chatty.

Cole glanced down at the file he’d just thrown on the desk. It was about the previous elemental master team. The earth ninja frowned. Why would he need that?

Jay clearly had a vision. He knew what he was doing. Cole wasn’t needed here so maybe he’d just get lost and come back and check on him later. The last thing he wanted to do was interrupt Jay’s train of thought. Maybe that was why he wasn’t talking very much.

Cole placed the file he was holding back down on the desk and patted Jay on the shoulder, which seemed to startle him slightly. He didn’t say anything as he left, but he certainly felt Jay’s eyes on him as he disappeared from sight.

How odd.

Except when he returned to check on Jay a few hours later, there was no one in the office. Jay had vanished to who knows where - likely his room - and left the files laying across the desk, some left open. Cole sighed, rolled his eyes, and entered the room to tidy up. He should’ve known Jay would leave it a mess.

Wu would’ve scolded him, and maybe Cole should too, but maybe he just forgot. Everyone seemed to be pretty forgetful and drained lately. He’d let him off for now. 

When he reached the desk though, the file laying on the top was left open on a specific page. It was a file Wu had made about all the elemental powers. 

This page specifically was about lightning.

Of course Jay would be looking at his own power. 

Only, when Cole looked over the page, most of it was still empty. He frowned before flicking through a few other pages. Damn, lightning really was very bare compared to the other elements. Out of curiosity, Cole scanned the page for any information he could take in. To be honest, he didn’t really know much about lightning either. He couldn’t blame Jay for wanting to learn a little more about his power.

‘Elemental masters of lightning can control up to 2.1 Gigawatts.’ 

What the hell? That was so powerful. Perhaps Jay couldn’t control that much, or maybe he was only trained to control a certain amount - Wu had spent a long time helping Jay to harness his powers when they’d first gained them. Either way, that was still a hell of a lot of watts. Did Jay know he could harness that prior to looking at this file?

Cole hummed, frowning at another sentence.

‘Lightning masters need to be careful with power usage. Too much power can result in affecting the nervous system in their body. Can also result in neurological problems. Prone to ADHD.’

That made sense actually. Cole often felt his power in his core. Kai had said a while he’d felt fire in his blood. Nya felt water in her veins sometimes. It made sense that Jay’s powers message with his neurons, not to mention all the electrical impulses in his body and especially his brain. No wonder he spoke so much. No wonder he was so energetic.

That was another thing Cole wondered if Jay knew prior to reading this? Did he know he could have ADHD? 

He didn’t want to think about the problems that would be caused if Jay didn’t use his powers correctly.

He shook it off though and followed his gaze towards the familial section of the page, right at the bottom. Cole frowned, narrowing his eyes at it as if he were reading it wrong.

Jay was the current master of lightning, yes. Everyone knew that. But the space provided for the past two elemental masters was left blank. It was weird. If Wu knew so much about lightning elementals without learning it from Jay, he had to have known the previous masters, right?

To be completely honest, Cole hadn’t ever really thought about who Jay got his powers from. They all knew it wasn’t Ed or Edna, but it hadn’t crossed their minds even once who he actually inherited his powers from. Though, perhaps he didn’t even inherit them… Zane didn’t inherit his, but then again, he was a robot. It was impossible for him to inherit them.. Who did Jay get his powers from? 

Whatever it was, Cole decided to close up the file and stop being nosey. There was a reason Wu didn’t let the ninja look through his files, at least without permission. Jay shouldn’t have even been searching through them earlier. 

However interesting and tempting it was for him to search through the rest of the files, he decided against it and to tidy up instead. Wu would want it left tidy. Hopefully Jay was done with all these..

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

“So, here is the list of places we can search. I know it's long but Wu loves this realm so much so it was hard to only pick out a few places,” Lloyd explained, sliding the notebook across the grass, “it’s better to have more places to look at though, as there’s more chance to finding him.”

Kai picked the notebook up and frowned at it. He was sat against the wall of the steps to the temple. His sister was sat beside him, her boyfriend laying with his head in his lap. She was brushing her fingers through his, still unstraightened, curls. They’d grown a lot more prominent.

Zane, Lloyd and Cole sat opposite them. The team had opted to sit outside instead of at the kitchen table again. A change of scenery was much needed. It hadn’t seemed to up their spirits, however.

In between them laid maps upon maps with red circles drawn on them, pointing out the places Lloyd had listed in the notebook. Jay picked one of them up, humming as he looked over it.

“How do we decide where to look first?” Kai questioned, “there’s gotta be a hundred places here.”

Lloyd sighed, “I know it’s a lot but-”

“It’s okay, Lloyd. We have plenty of time to search. I’m sure Master Wu left us some kind of sign or clue.” Zane gave the green ninja a reassuring smile, which Lloyd was grateful for.

“I suggest we search the places that are highlighted first as they were the ones that seemed to have the most importance to him,” Lloyd pointed at one of the maps, “but I also suggest that-”

“The chance of finding him is already slim enough,” Jay shrugged, catching everyone’s attention as he continued to look over one of the maps, “and it’s been weeks since he got lost in time, so wherever he landed, he’s probably long gone by now. There’s no way of telling that he chose where he landed either. I say we just go down the list as quickly as possible to try locate clues.”

“Are you listening? That’s exactly what we’ve been discussing,” Kai questioned, “and with that logic, it also doesn’t matter where we look first. So what’s the issue with searching some places before others?”

“I just meant that-”

“Arguing isn’t going to help us,” Nya stated in a somewhat stern tone.

“We weren’t arguing,” Kai bit.

“Sure.”

Jay sighed, “There’s nothing to say he’s even here anyway. He could still be on the Iron Doom. He could be literally anywhere in time. Heck, he could be in some stupid alternate ti-”

He instantly stopped. Cole watched as he looked somewhat uncomfortable with what he was going to say. He stared at the map for a minute before awkwardly clearing his throat. Nya went back to combing her fingers through his hair, almost in a somewhat… soothing way?

“What I’m trying to say is..” Jay continued awkwardly, “there’s no way of telling where he is so we shouldn’t keep our minds off other plans or options, y’know? This searching shouldn’t be the only thing we’re doing.”

“What other options do you suggest?” Lloyd questioned, “because searching is the best thing we have right now.”

“I know, and I don’t have any ideas right now, but it’s hard to search when maybe he hasn’t even landed back in Ninjago yet. Or maybe he did and he’s g-” Jay coughed for a second before going completely silent.

The silence that followed within the team was uncomfortable too. Jay seemed to be done with his sentence pretty abruptly. He tensed up, even making Nya physically uncomfortable. Nobody questioned what he was going to say though. Perhaps they’d all been thinking it but were too afraid to actually speak it aloud.

After all, there really was no way of telling if Wu was even… alive. There was no way of them telling anything. 

Lloyd cleared his throat after a minute. Everyone’s attention was elsewhere though. Cole seemed to only be staring at Jay and how awkward he seemed. Restraining himself from what he wanted to say twice ? Odd. Jay was usually the type to instantly speak his mind.

“Jay’s right,” Lloyd nodded, though he didn’t sound too happy, “while we search, we need to keep our minds open to other possibilities or options.”

“How are we gonna search?” Cole questioned, finally ripping his gaze away from his best friend, “it’ll take so long if we do it together.”

“That’s what I discussed with my mom,” Lloyd responded quickly, “we’re gonna split off into pairs in hopes of covering more ground. It’ll take a long time to go through the list so splitting up will both be practical and save time. We just need to make sure we keep in contact, okay? It’s really important, not just because we need to find Wu, but because communication is key. The last thing we want is to isolate ourselves right now.”

The team nodded, though the energy seemed completely drained out of them all. It had been for a while now. 

Lloyd took his notebook back from Kai and flicked to the end of it, revealing a much smaller list.

“Kai and Zane, you’ll work together. Maybe work more south? It’ll be easier to stick to one area rather than run all over Ninjago. If I give you a smaller list of places down there, you can pick wherever you wanna go first,” Lloyd explained, “Nya and I will head down to the midlands. There’s a few hidden places down there. Jay and Cole can stay in the north, and although the options are a lot smaller up here, some of Wu’s most important places were up here, so take extra time searching them, please?”

Cole nodded, “you know it.”

“Just remember, everyone, to take breaks. We aren’t going to be helpful unless we take breaks, as much as it sucks. The temple will remain our HQ for now,” Lloyd said before handing out the maps to their respective pairs.

The earth ninja was pretty glad to be stuck with Jay. If he was to be stuck with anyone, at least it was his best friend. Part of him dreaded Jay and Nya being paired up because they’re together, and as grateful as he is that it wasn’t the case, now he was just dreading having to listen to Jay say how much he missed Nya on a daily basis now. He was sure they’d keep in contact anyway.

He was sure Jay would be excited to spend some time with his best friend too. 

Except when he glanced at the lightning ninja, he was staring up at Nya with defeat. He didn’t look excited at all. Not one bit. Cole tried his best not to take it to heart. He knew the couple were basically inseparable now. Cole had no idea why they’d gotten so close to suddenly, but they’d been back together for a little while now so he couldn’t blame them.

Nya just gave him a reassuring smile before whispering something to him - something Cole couldn’t pick up - before Jay sighed and sat up, leaving his girlfriend’s lap cold. As Jay glanced in Cole’s direction, he was met with a friendly smile.

At least Jay didn’t completely hate the idea.

Though, it did mean Cole was gonna have to put up with his weird behaviour even longer. Since they’d be alone, perhaps he could get some answers out of him finally. That would be one of the goals for this trip, as well as locating Wu.

And with Nya out of the picture for now, if Jay needed help at all, hopefully he’d turn to Cole for once. Well, he’d have to eventually. They were indefinitely stuck with one another for god knows how long.

Cole was going to get to the bottom of all the mysteries within the team, he was sure of it.

Chapter Text

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

‘Jay is good company, if you can endure the constant stream of words coming at you. He keeps jabbering on about the secret identity of Samurai X, claiming that he’s got it all figured out. He must have guessed on everyone in Ninjago by now. Even someone called Ekosan, though he quickly disregarded that theory and then flat out denied having ever said it.’

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

“You’d think there’d be something about going missing in time in these books. Or getting lost or something,” Jay groaned, flicking through a book, “not that it’s really relevant to the First Spinjitzu Master but y’know… Wu is his son so you’d think he’d write at least something about what to do if the ruler of the realm disappeared. Not that he’s… really technically the ruler but… I mean, what else do we call him? The all-mighty being? God?”

He looked up at his companion briefly, who remained silent. 

Jay and Cole had arrived at Domu a few days ago. They’d been sent to search the infamous library for any signs of Wu’s whereabouts or for something that could help them in their search. The pair weren’t sure what they were looking for exactly but knew to find anything that could aid them even slightly. Even if the information didn’t seem important. 

Unfortunately for them, even after 48 hours, nothing of good use had been found. They hadn’t heard anything from the rest of the team about it either so it seemed their search would go on for quite a while longer. It wasn’t like the masters of earth and lightning were waiting for a sign or an order from their new leader - the green ninja - but they hoped they’d be told to move on eventually. Flicking through these books was surprisingly tiring, but also incredibly boring. Considering the two usually were training or playing video games right now on a normal day, this definitely wasn’t the most exciting thing they could be doing. But they had to do anything to find their master. Wu meant a lot to them.

They inhabited a table in the far corner of the library, away from most people so they could remain hidden and able to talk without bothering anyone. Stacks upon stacks of probably useless and irrelevant books were beside them on the table, some on the floor, with barely any of them looked through. When they’d arrived at the library, they’d grabbed whatever books they could and just started reading. That’s all they’d really seemed to do. 

Cole sat with his head in his hand, staring down at a book in front of him. He wasn’t sure what it was truly about, he was mostly scanning through it. All he knew is that it was something to do with the First Spinjitzu Master’s adventures. He hoped it’d give him some clues on Wu, or at least something to work with, but Wu hadn’t even been mentioned once. Not even Garmadon. Jay had stated something similar last night too; The creator of the realm hadn’t mentioned his sons in any of the books the pair had read so far. There weren’t any books on Wu or Garmadon specifically either. Though, the ninja weren’t entirely sure what ever did happen to the First Spinjitzu Master. All they knew is that his final resting place was a tomb -  a tomb they had visited a long time ago. They didn’t know when he passed. They didn’t know how. Wu never talked about it.

Cole felt helpless. Wu was like a father to him - or rather a second father - but even when his relationship with Lou was non-existent (before they had made up), Wu had taken the role in Cole’s life. They had such a strong father-son bond. Cole often had to remind himself they weren’t actually related. The earth ninja didn’t know if the other members of the team felt the same but he assumed they did - or at least maybe Kai and Zane. They were rather close with him too. 

The last thing he wanted to do was talk about it right now though. He wanted to focus as much as possible, even if the constant flicking through books drove him crazy. The exhaustion, boredom, and completely fed-up mood he had wasn’t helping. 

“Or you’d think the First Spinjitzu Master would write something about time travel because I’m sure he must’ve travelled through time or something. He had insane powers, why wouldn’t he use them to travel in time? Or was there really such a thing as time back then? He created Ninjago so- But then again, realms did exist before Ninjago… Huh. I wonder if he made any more realms besides Ninjago…” Jay trailed off, slamming his book shut and sliding it across the table towards his pile. 

Jay looked back at Cole, who still wasn’t paying attention. The past few days had consisted of nervous silence, somehow tense from how stressed the two were, which was then filled with awkward waffling from Jay, which Cole always ignored. Jay mostly believed he was just talking to himself the entire time, though trying his best to keep up a non-existent conversation he had going with his partner. The first few days of travelling up to Domu were full of conversation and chatter between the two but now they’d gotten down to business and were thrown in the deep end of trying to find their master, their dynamic had completely shifted.

The last thing Jay wanted to do was worry that Cole didn’t want to be here, or more specifically be here with Jay, so instead he chose to believe it was just because they were both so tired and busy. Jay tried his best to stay focused on the books, stay focused on reading all this insane lore of their realm’s creator, but he wasn’t used to this. He wasn’t used to sitting in one spot all day and reading through something he wasn’t even interested in. All he wanted was to find Wu, of course, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could sit here and scan these texts. He wanted to go home. He wanted to go back to that stupid temple he despised, go back to hanging out with Nya, or back to playing video games with a Cole that would speak to him, or back to training with his brothers. He wanted to wake up in the morning back at the temple and hear Wu shouting down the corridor for him to get up otherwise he’d be late to early morning training. 

God, he never thought he’d ever be begging to go back to training. 

Or to have Wu shout at him.

But here he was, sitting at a cramped table in the corner of the Library at Domu, with his so-called best friend who probably hated him, reading through these books that didn’t even mention Wu or time travel once. 

Okay maybe that was dramatic. Cole probably didn’t hate him. Maybe he was just ignoring him because he was trying to focus and Jay was talking so much. That and it didn’t look like Jay was even reading at all because of how much he was waffling. He didn’t even really know what he was talking about anymore.

The longer Jay stared at the earth ninja, the more he swore Cole wore an annoyed expression while flicking through yet another page. Jay bit his lip slightly and picked up another book.

He hated the silence. He hated libraries. He hated being away from home. He hated people not talking to him.

“Although,” he let in a sharp breath, “speaking of realms and time, who’s to say he’s even in Ninjago? He could be in any of the realms, I mean there’s like 17 of them. Or- is it 16 now? Or 15? I can’t remember. It’s confusing. But maybe Wu isn’t even… here . Y’know?”

Cole looked up at him almost immediately, his brows being slightly furrowed. Jay instantly looked away. Maybe he should’ve been more careful with what he was saying. He knew how much Wu meant to Cole and how worried he was.

He shrugged awkwardly, “he could be in a time before we even existed, or some time in the far future. It’d be basically impossible to find out without clues or a message from him. Who’s to say he’s even able to send a message? It’s really hard to send messages to people when you’re being held hostage. Or- well, I’m assuming so… Obviously… Because I’ve never been in that position….. Actually, yes I have! Do you remember that time we all got jobs and I got like kidnapped by the serpentine and was almost hit by a train but you guys st-”

“What point are you trying to make?” Cole’s voice was monotone.

Jay instantly stopped, staring somewhat dumbfoundedly at Cole, who just seemed annoyed and tired. As if things couldn’t get any more awkward..

The lightning ninja looked down nervously at the book he was supposed to be reading through.

“I’m just saying that we might not even find anything because he might not even be in Ninjago,” he spoke in a more quiet tone, almost not wanting to speak, “Or in this time. Or… I don’t know… a completely different timeline.

Cole raised an eyebrow, “different timelines don’t exist.”

The earth ninja watched Jay’s expression drop completely. He didn’t say anything else. All he did was stare at Cole with somewhat disbelief. Though, it wasn’t like Cole really cared to question it right now. It was probably something stupid. 

So he looked back down at his book and shrugged.

“Surely if different timelines or worlds existed, there’d be some kind of sign, right? I’m sure Wu would’ve mentioned it or the First Spinjitzu Master would’ve written about it.”

Jay seemed displeased, “Why would Wu tell us? He tells us nothing. Don’t you remember how he never mentioned having other students before us until we were literally being attacked by one? And FYI, the First Spinjitzu Master wouldn’t necessarily know of their existence because he only created Ninjago - and maybe a few other realms, I don’t know - he’s not like… the ultimate God of the entire of the world. Or worlds plural.”

Cole shook his head, “Or maybe the First Spinjitzu Master or Wu just didn’t know they exist because they don’t exist. In every movie or book there’s always some kind of sign. Or in those fake crime stories you see on YouTube where someone tries to get away with a crime because there was this other version of them crossing over into this other dimension.”

“We’re not talking about dimensions, they’re completely different to timelines.”

Cole glanced up with an annoyed frown. It seemed to make Jay uncomfortable, though Cole could already tell he was uncomfortable from the second the two had gotten to Domu. There was something about how tense he was, how he talked to fill the silence… Cole knew why. He understood Jay more than Jay thought he did. He just hadn’t mentioned it because he didn’t want Jay to feel like he wasn’t doing a good job at hiding it. That and Cole hadn’t really had the energy to get into a conversation about it and calm Jay down. He couldn’t calm Jay if he wasn’t calm himself.

This conversation was the most they’d seemed to talk in days though. Even eating dinner, they never talked that much unless it was a few sentences about what little they’d found. Then Jay would waffle on about something Cole didn’t care to respond to.

Jay seemed to be pretty determined about this topic though and Cole could do with some entertainment.

“What’s the difference?” Cole questioned.

Jay sat forward with his hands on the table, a serious expression upon his freckled face, “dimensions are whole other worlds almost completely parallel to ours. They could have the same things like we do, same stories or whatever, but could have different people and we might not even exist. It’s complicated and hard to explain. But alternate timelines are mostly the same as what we have, including people, but a few things could change leading to everything being different.”

All Cole did was raise an eyebrow.

“Like if I woke up this morning and chose to have pancakes for breakfast, but in a different timeline I chose to have waffles instead. Choosing waffles over pancakes could have a completely different outcome to what happens throughout the rest of the day or even the rest of my life.”

“Yeah, I’m sure this other you from this other timeline is struggling to choose something for breakfast, you’re indecisive after all,” though seemingly a joke, Cole seemed pretty serious.

“You don’t believe me, do you?” Jay was fully serious though.

Cole shrugged, “why do you believe there’s different timelines out there? It’s stupid. Them - as well as other dimensions - are all made up by people who wanted to create a cool story, hence why they only exist in fiction.”

Jay narrowed his eyes at his partner.

“I know they exist. I just do.”

“But why?” Cole questioned.

Jay huffed and rolled his eyes, “God, Cole, have you never just believed in something stupid like fairies or mermaids?”

Cole raised an eyebrow again, watching as Jay shoved his head in his hands and went back to flicking through his book. He clearly wasn’t reading anything, he was just doing it out of annoyance, but it did confuse Cole. Jay had never acted this strongly about something ever. Even if he was trying to get Cole to believe something, he usually just shrugged it off and made a joke about how boring Cole was. This time he seemed genuinely bothered by it.

“You’re such a killjoy,” Jay added, mostly muffled by his hand.

“Because I don’t think different timelines exist?”

The lightning ninja looked up at him briefly, “Remember that time we had to go back in time to fix what Garm was fucking up? Otherwise Lloyd wouldn’t be the green ninja or whatever?”

“I do remember that, and from what I remember, all we did was go back in time and change the current timeline. No alternate timelines at all,” Cole responded matter-of-factly.

“Fine, whatever,” Jay looked back down at his book and continued angrily flipping through it, “but you’re wrong. They exist.”

“Prove it to me then.”

He looked up almost immediately, an offended frown upon his face, “how the hell would I prove that?”

“Then why the hell would I believe they exist?”

“You’re insufferable.”

Cole rolled his eyes playfully, “let’s just agree to disagree.”

“Okay,” Jay bit back.

Cole watched Jay for a minute as he sluggishly scanned through his book. It wasn’t out of the blue for Jay to be acting weird, but all things considered, he’d been a lot less weird since the two had left the temple. This behaviour was really out of nowhere. Or maybe Cole just wasn’t paying as much attention as he used to.

All he’d noticed was Jay talking to fill in the silence. He knew silence always made Jay nervous. Cole didn’t blame him, of course not, but he didn’t have much energy in him to entertain Jay’s random rants. Half the time they weren’t relevant or just didn’t make any sense. 

Cole glanced back down at his book but it was hard to focus again. Why did Jay truly, strongly believe in there being alternate timelines? Why was he so upset about it?

It didn’t take long for Jay to give in to the silence again, “well wherever or whenever Wu is, hopefully he did end up leaving a clue or message or something otherwise we’re searching for nothing.”

“Right,” Cole nodded, “but we can’t count on there being something to tell us what to do. After all, Wu didn’t plan on jumping on the Iron Doom and travelling in time. I’m sure he didn’t have a plan when he threw Nya and Kai back to Ninjago either. If he didn’t tell them something specific, all we’ve got is what we have. Nothing.’

Jay slammed his book shut, startling Cole a little, “instead of reading up on his father, why don’t we read up on something that’s actually useful? I know Lloyd wanted us to read through these because there could be something that would suggest what to do or whatever, but I’ve found nothing and I’m assuming you’ve found nothing either. So why don’t we just look at time travel or something?”

“Zane and Kai are already looking into that.”

“And they haven’t contacted to say they’ve found anything yet. It wouldn’t hurt for us to look into it as well.”

Cole shrugged and let out a small sigh, “I guess. It’s getting late though. We could start that tomorrow?”

“Great,” Jay jumped up from his seat, “I could do with a power nap.”

Cole raised an eyebrow and pushed himself up from his seat too, “you mean a good night’s sleep, right?”

“Yeah, yeah of course,” Jay waved a hand.

“Because don’t think I haven’t noticed the dark circles under your eyes..”

“Pfft, as if you don’t have any either.”

“We both could do with a good night’s sleep,” Cole gave in.

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

Cole was starting to get sick of this bar. He was sure the bar staff were getting sick of the masters of earth and lightning turning up there every night too. They couldn’t complain though. Not when they were getting money for it. 

The earth ninja sat at the bar on a stool, scrolling through Chirp on his phone. It was pretty dry lately, nobody really knew anything that was going on with Wu, and the fans didn’t have much to talk about since the team wasn't active recently. Though, Cole wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. He kinda enjoyed the silence. 

He often found himself sat here for a while on his own before Jay showed up. The two were staying at the small, cheap hotel across the street. Since the hotel was pretty booked, the two had only managed to grab two single rooms, meaning they were apart for the night. It was nice to have some privacy, sure, but it got a little lonely after a while of sitting in the silent dark. Cole wasn’t sure how Jay felt about it but he hadn’t complained yet, surprisingly.

Cole wasn’t getting all that much sleep. He was so worried and stressed about Wu’s whereabouts, and the team being split up for god knows how long, it was hard to drift off. Jay hadn’t spoken much about his sleep, besides the casual ‘did you sleep well?’s and ‘yeah’s in the morning. If the deep, dark circles under Jay’s eyes had anything to say though, Cole could guess he wasn’t getting much sleep either. He’d returned to his room a few hours ago for a power nap but Cole hadn’t heard anything since. The last thing Cole wanted to do was sit in this bar all night, drinking away his worries, so instead he opted to wait for Jay to turn up to order food and maybe a glass of alcohol to go with it. Just one though. He wasn’t going to follow in his father’s footsteps of going down the path of heavy drinking whenever things got tough. Not that he shamed his father for it, of course. Everyone had different ways of coping.

The earth ninja checked his phone every minute to see if Jay had texted saying he was on his way. Jay hadn’t been active on Instagram since this morning either so he couldn’t even check to see if he was at least awake. Jay seemed to need the sleep though so he wouldn’t attempt to wake him up. Jay would arise when he eventually got hungry.

Every now and then, a random local would come up and talk to Cole, asking if he was okay, what he was up to… Cole would dance around the truth, saying it was just a simple mission, or that they were researching things. A fan would come up and ask for a selfie or an autograph, to which he accepted. Just because he was feeling down didn’t mean he wanted to disappoint anyone. In fact, it seemed to cheer him up slightly. As the night went on though, his mood seemed to dissipate along with the amount of people that spoke to him. 

It was rather lonely, actually. 

Oh how he wished Jay was here to talk his ears off. 

Speaking of the devil..

“You’re still here?”

Cole almost jumped out of his seat, half asleep with his head in his hands just a moment prior to Jay’s chirpy voice appearing behind him. He turned to see Jay smiling wide at him, stopping beside him to sit down on a stool. His hair was slightly messy, a lot curlier than it usually was, his cheeks rosey and his eyes brighter than they had been before. 

Clearly someone had spoken to their girlfriend and was feeling much happier. That power nap must’ve helped too.

Cole didn’t respond though. He was readjusting to his environment and how quieter it was than he remembered the last time he was aware. He really had been close to drifting off right then and there.

Jay didn’t give him a second look. He sat tall on the stool beside his friend, before leaning across the counter and looking down the bar for a member of staff. He soon caught the attention of a bartender, who headed over to them.

“Hi, hello, could I get a rum and coke, please?”

Cole frowned a little before giving the bartender a firm head shake, “No, he’s underage.”

Jay immediately shot Cole a glare.

“Could I get a glass of cider?” the earth ninja almost yawned.

Jay’s gaze landed on the already empty pint glass beside the earth ninja and pointed at it briefly, “you’ve already drank?”

“It was a coke.”

“Ah.”

The bartender quickly typed the cider into the card reader and glanced at Jay, who seemed confused.

“And for you?” he asked, causing Jay to blink.

“A rum and coke please.”

“Your friend says you’re underage.”

“He’s lying.”

Cole sighed, “he’s underage.”

“I’m 17.”

“Still underage.”

“Okay, then what’s drinking age? 16?”

“18,” the bartender seemed unamused.

“Okay then Cole’s underage.”

“I’m 18.”

“You’re insufferable,” Jay shot before turning back to the bartender, “he’s really lying, trust me, I’m 18.”

Cole couldn’t help but chuckle. Jay really was trying it, despite literally admitting to being 17.

The bartender seemed annoyed, “if your friend is lying about you being underage then I’m sure you wouldn’t mind me seeing your ID.”

Jay slumped down on the stool, glancing away awkwardly, “well, it’s my friend’s lucky day then because I actually left my ID at home..”

“Mhm,” Cole chuckled before turning to the bartender, “he’ll have a coke.”

“Can you at least make it more fun?” Jay complained.

The bartender gave him a mocking smile, “I can add glitter to it?”

“Ooh, blue glitter?”

“Sure.”

“Great, thanks!”

The bartender didn’t bother talking again before offering the two the card machine. Jay instantly reached into his pocket to grab his card.

“Could you add two portions of chips onto that, please?” Cole asked, still half asleep.

The bartender let out a strained smile before adding them to the machine. By the time he was done, Jay had gotten out his card to pay. Cole watched as he did so. Normally he would’ve offered to pay instead but he was just so tired that he couldn’t even be bothered to reach into his pocket to grab his card even if he wanted to. Besides, he’d paid for food last night anyway. He was happy to let Jay take a turn.

Once the bartender had left, Cole let out a big yawn as Jay put his card back in his pocket. He let out a small chuckle before getting comfortable on his stool.

“Damn, sounds like you should’ve taken a power nap too.”

“I’m fine, just been sitting down for a long time.”

“Do you wanna go outside and get some fresh air?” Jay asked, somewhat worriedly.

Cole waved a hand in his face, though he didn’t care to look how close he’d actually gotten to Jay’s face. Jay batted his hand away before letting out an exaggerated groan.

“I’m assuming your power nap was successful then?” Cole asked.

“I feel like I’ve been reborn,” Jay exclaimed happily, causing Cole to wince at the volume, “and I called Nya, so I’m great.”

“Thought so.”

“She and Lloyd haven’t really found anything either, so we’re all on the same page basically,” Jay shrugged, impatiently tapping his fingers on the counter in front of him. 

Cole watched as he did so, resting his head in his hand. Just as he went to say something though, the bartender returned with both of their drinks. Cole’s cider looked delicious - or at least Jay thought so - while Jay’s coke shimmered with blue. Maybe it was just because he was tired but Cole actually liked the look of it. Somewhat whimsical…

The bartender left them alone and Jay immediately leaned towards Cole with a greedy smirk.

“Can I have a sip?”

Cole pushed him away and shook his head, “No. You’re a lightweight, and I’m not getting anyone into trouble.”

“C’mon man, I’m not that much of a lightweight.”

All Cole did was raise an eyebrow at him. Jay huffed and decided to take a sip of his own drink.

“Besides,” Cole eventually spoke up, “I’m the responsible one here and if I let you drink, we’re both gonna drink, and the last thing we need is to get drunk. We’re here for a reason - to find Wu.”

“And you don’t wanna let a little loose in the evenings? The library doesn’t open until 10 on Sundays anyway, we may as well have a little fun tonight and sleep in,” Jay beamed.

“And what would you consider fun?” Cole questioned, “sitting in a bar getting wasted? We don’t need that. We’ll get too attached to feeling ‘better’ and then it’ll happen every night. Not happening.”

Jay frowned, “What? That’s not what I’m saying and I’m not saying we need to get drunk . Look, I know everything has been really tense and stressful lately, all I’m saying is that we need a night to just not worry about anything. To just live in the moment, y’know? Doesn’t mean we have to drink to have fun.”

“Well, you’re certainly not drinking.”

“Okay, dad ,” Jay rolled his eyes playfully, “...Killjoy..”

Cole sighed and placed his head in his hands, “sorry, I don’t mean to be harsh, I just… Ugh, I don’t want to risk anything going wrong, that’s all.”

Jay gave him a reassuring smile before placing a comforting hand on his best friend’s shoulder, “and this is why I say we need a night to loosen up. You’ve been so tense, and you’re taking on too much responsibility. Just don’t think about all the Wu stuff tonight, okay? Let fun Cole make an appearance.”

Cole glanced at him with an amused expression, “ Fun Cole ?”

Jay gave him a sweet smile, which seemed to cheer him up slightly.

“Look, how about we eat and then finally hit up that gay club down the street? I heard it’s super cool in there.”

Cole shrugged Jay’s hand off his shoulder, “It’s surprising how many times in one night you can forget you’re underage.”

“Stop saying I’m underage. Makes me sound like a kid. I’m literally a few months younger than you.”

“And until then, you’re still too young to drink and go clubbing. Besides, we are not the clubbing type.”

“How do you know? Have you ever been clubbing?” Jay questioned.

“Once.”

“What? Since when? With who?” Jay spat.

“It was back when I was at school,” Cole sighed before taking a sip of his refreshing cider, “I was friends with the wrong people and we had these stupid fake IDs and got into this club with help from this dude my friend was dating. He was in college so like… a lot older.”

Jay laughed, startling Cole. The earth ninja watched as he was hysterical from being told basically nothing. It wasn’t like Cole was proud of what happened. Sure, he never got caught, but there was so much he wished he could go back and change. Like not making friends with those people, or lying to his parents about where he went, or having those dumb IDs, or not even telling his friend to break up with their much older boyfriend. Since becoming a ninja, he pledged to himself that he wouldn’t get into any kind of trouble like that again, especially for his father’s sake. That meant protecting those around him too from making bad decisions.

Perhaps Kai would’ve lied about Jay’s age so Jay could get a drink, and perhaps Jay wished it was Kai here with him in that moment because of it, but Cole wasn’t gonna be responsible for his friends getting into trouble. Not anymore.

“You, Cole , were a law-breaker?” Jay continued to laugh, “no wonder you’re being so uptight.”

Cole didn’t say anything. He just stared out at the bar in front of him while taking another sip of his drink. Tonight was going to be a long night.

“Dude, this is nothing like that. I’m literally just 17, only a few months off from being 18, would it really kill you to let us have some fun? I did some digging into that club and apparently the security don’t even check ID’s if they think you look old enough. We could both get in, have some fun, meet some cool people - not to flirt or anything, at least not for me because I love Nya very much - but think of how much fun it would be to just dance and let go ?”

“It’s not happening.”

“Okay, fine,” Jay sat on his stool properly again and nodded, “noted.”

Cole glanced to his best friend with a somewhat amused grin, “and you think they’re gonna let you into a club thinking you’re old enough when you’re literally sat there drinking a glittery coke right now?”

Jay side-eyed him as he took a swig of his whimsical drink.

Cole chuckled slightly, “Look, I get what you mean. I know we need to loosen up or whatever, but it’s hard to when we need to worry about finding our master. And we’re just tired and stressed, I don’t think even letting loose will help. We won’t feel any better in the morning.”

“Who cares about the morning? Like I said, we need to focus in the moment tonight, okay?” Jay shoved his shoulder lightly.

“Okay, fine, but we’re not going to a club.”

“Killjoy.”

Cole’s idea of fun seemed to be a lot different to Jay’s. When they’d finished up at the bar, talking about utter nonsense - surprisingly a lot more than usual - they decided to head out for that ‘living in the moment’ time Jay claimed they needed. Though they headed in the opposite direction to the club, not that they were going to head there anyway, the two stopped at a nearby shop to grab something before heading to their destination.

Now the pair were sat on the local beach in the pitch black, drinking cheap cider together. Cole said Jay could have one , but he was sure that would change anyway. At first, they didn’t talk. They just sat enjoying the moonlight, the stars in the clear night sky, and the sound of the waves gently crashing against the shore. It was relaxing, and sure did help to soothe their worries. Jay didn’t even desperately waffle to fill the silence. They just sat quietly, enjoying the peace. Maybe the darkness provided them both with some kind of solace. 

Though, eventually, they did end up talking. It was quiet and short, only talking about a few things, but it wasn’t once about Wu nor their search. Instead, they discussed things from the past, some things that’d been brought up earlier by Jay like when they went back in time to stop Garmadon destroying everything, or when they’d gotten jobs, or even their fights with Morro. It never once got awkward. And for the first time in a while, the two actually felt relaxed..

If only it lasted longer than the night.

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

A few more days into their reading at the library, Cole became a little more talkative after having some more sleep and that night to relax with his best friend. Jay stayed yapping as usual but Cole didn’t seem to mind it all that much anymore, not that he really minded it before anyway. 

They were still reading up on time travel after deciding to switch over to it. They hadn’t found much of use yet but they certainly had found some things a little more interesting than what they were reading before. Jay seemed to pay better attention too.

The awkward silences returned once again and Jay hated it just as he always did. Cole picked up on it more now though and sometimes opted to start conversations just so Jay wouldn’t feel uncomfortable, but that soon drifted and Jay was left to pick up the talking. Cole returned to his quiet self. 

Jay’s company was nice when he really thought about it. Sure, his constant talking was annoying sometimes but not in the way you’d want him to shut up. Cole wasn’t a fan of silence either, at least not all the time, and it was just lucky that he enjoyed listening to Jay talk. It wasn’t like Jay was expecting him to answer. There was more of this unspoken rule that Jay could talk to ease his nerves about the silence but Cole wouldn’t necessarily be listening or would respond. It was almost like a live podcast just playing in the background while Cole scanned his books for details. If anything, it helped him to focus more.

Not to mention, Jay was just good company anyway. He was fun and chatty and not as annoying as he usually was. Cole never minded that he was annoying, he enjoyed when Jay was, but there was something actually… normal… about Jay’s constant barrage of words. It felt like things were normal and that they weren’t looking for their missing teacher. 

Jay’s presence kept him somewhat sane. If Cole was glad to be stuck with anyone at all, it was definitely his best friend.

“I can’t wait for all of this to be over so we can go back to doing what we usually do. Wu telling us off for being late for training, hanging out with Nya, playing video games…” Jay sighed wistfully, “I miss it all.”

Cole closed his book, put it to the side of him, and grabbed another to read through. It was surprising that they hadn’t found much of value yet.

Jay placed his head in his hand, “God, I miss Nya. Calling and texting is fine but I miss being in her presence, y’know? It’s hard to really sense each other over a phone screen. I could give her the biggest hug right now.”

Jay glanced at his best friend with a bright expression but instantly spotted how bothered Cole seemed to be. Sometimes he found it hard to read Cole’s mood, especially recently, but it really felt like he was bothering him a lot lately. He talked a lot, mostly to fill the silence, and the last thing he wanted to do was annoy him. They’d already been stuck with each other for a few weeks, he didn’t want to wind Cole up enough that he gave up or asked to switch partners.

And although Cole wasn’t annoyed in the slightest, Jay didn’t know that. How could he? 

Truthfully though, Jay was glad he was stuck with Cole out of anyone. Kai would’ve spent the entire time teasing him. Zane was too serious and calculated sometimes. Lloyd and Jay didn’t have as close a bond as they would’ve ended up in silence most of the time anyway. And Nya… well, she would’ve been a great distraction. Jay and Cole got along so well, if you ignored their bickering, and Cole was the perfect company. He just wished Cole would be a little more honest about wanting Jay to shut up. Sure, maybe Cole just wasn’t talking much in general recently, but maybe his constant stress and tiredness was a result of Jay’s constant stream of words.

He watched as Cole carelessly flicked through his book, not really paying attention to Jay.

“Sorry, I know I'm talking a lot. You can tell me to shut up whenever you want.”

He awkwardly laughed but it faded almost as quickly as it started. He returned to his book, pretending to read through it. He couldn’t focus. Even when he was slightly interested in time and time travel, it was still hard to focus when he had so much to worry about. So many people to worry about. Besides, not only was he starting to lose hope on finding Wu, but he felt like he was starting to lose part of himself too. Maybe that’s why he was so adamant on doing something fun the other night. He wanted to gain that excitement he missed so dearly. Things had been difficult recently, especially without Nya around. He spent almost every second of every day thinking about her and wondering how she was doing.

Cole hadn’t even realised, or processed, what Jay had said until the silence between them returned so painfully. This silence was different, it was tense, somewhat dreary. Cole could feel it right in his chest. He glanced up at his best friend, his brows furrowed slightly.

Jay looked so nervous, so obviously tired. He assumed neither of them had great sleep but Cole didn’t really know how bad Jay’s sleeping habits were. It was obvious he was exhausted constantly, but it was hard to ask when he knew Jay would just lie. Maybe it was the constant stress and looking at books. That’s probably why he was talking so much too. He was trying to remain sane. 

He shook it off and gave his best friend a somewhat reassuring smile.

“I don’t mind you talking. Actually, it makes things feel more normal,” he sighed, “I just miss Wu, and I’m just tired and fed up with reading these books, I didn’t mean to make it seem like I don’t like your company.”

Jay looked up, though seemed to avoid eye contact, “seriously, it’s fine, just be honest. I can-”

“I am being serious. Talk away. I don’t really like the silence either.”

All Jay did was give a small smile. Then he looked back down at his book and continued looking through it. Cole tried to do the same thing but the silence that followed was so thick and uncomfortable that he couldn’t even imagine to focus. There was no stupid feeling that Jay was going to start talking any second again, not like usual, which only seemed to agitate Cole. Now he knew how nervous Jay felt when it came to silence. 

He stopped flicking through his book and sighed a little. He wanted Jay to start talking again, as crazy as it sounded. He missed his waffling - as if he hadn’t been talking away literally a minute ago. Cole just craved anything that made things feel like they were normal, like they weren’t actively searching for a missing person that they didn’t even know was still alive, like they were a million miles apart from their friends and family.

“So… Samurai X?” Cole spoke up awkwardly, “have you done any more thinking about who they could be?”

Jay glanced up a little surprised, but somewhat confused. He thought Cole hated hearing about Samurai X, especially with how often Jay talked about them and their identity. But Cole genuinely seemed intrigued, and it left a small smile upon Jay’s lips, which Cole didn’t fail to smile at too. Cole knew he’d be happy about that though. He knew Jay was obsessed with finding out who Samurai X was so it’s the perfect topic to get Jay talking again. Besides, it reminded him of the times before Wu disappeared.

“Ugh, that’s the thing, it could literally be anyone,” Jay groaned, “I mean, my original thought was Skylor because she can absorb any elemental power, like form per-say, and change into someone. Nya told me that Samurai X was changing into people and changing their voice - which Skylor, or I guess the actual master of form, could do. It makes sense, right? But then Nya said she saw Skylor right after she saw Samurai X, which means they couldn’t be the same person.”

Cole smiled, watching as Jay flicked through some more pages in his book, not even reading them as he continued to talk

“And Chamille moved out of the city with Tox, so they’re happily together and occupied somewhere else starting a life together or something, so it can’t be her. Besides, she really doesn’t seem like the kind of person to want to conceal her identity. Which leads me to question, who else can shapeshift? Well- many people actually, or beings. I could look into it, I’m sure there’s plenty of people capable of shapeshifting - maybe even a master of shapeshifti- No, that would be form. Or would they be different? Is there a difference between form and shapeshifting? I don’t know. What I’m trying to say is, whatever or whoever Samurai X is, they have to be capable of changing themself.”

Cole nodded, “there’s other beings that can shapeshift?”

“Plenty. I’m sure of it. I know at least one but I don’t think it’s that one that’s Samurai X. It’s off the table.”

“Which is…?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Jay closed his book and places his heads on the table, leaning closer to the earth ninja a little, “but then it got my thinking, what’s one thing we’re always surrounded by that can easily change their voice and form if they wanted to?”

Jay stopped to let Cole answer, but all Cole did was sit looking puzzled.

“Robots,” Jay answered for him, seemingly excited, “could be a nindroid, could be a normal robot, but it would make sense. Zane can change his voice and his form whenever he wants to, and Samurai X seems pretty robotic to me. The voice, the stature, it just makes sense.”

“So they could be one of Borg’s security bots?”

“Maybe, but there’s plenty of different robots out there. We’ve met quite a few too. Nya and I discussed it a few times and we both agreed it could be someone robotic because of the voice changed, though that could just be to throw us off. Whoever it is, they clearly want their identity hidden. Nya and I thought about Echo Zane but he’d need a lot more training and-”

“Who’s Echo Zane?”

Jay immediately stopped. He stared at Cole with a confused expression, a moment of silence following where they just stared at one another in complete puzzle, but then there was a realisation on Jay’s face that Cole didn’t even know if he wanted to question. Jay coughed quickly and suddenly began avoiding eye contact. His fingers landed on the book in front of him, his gaze seemingly adopted to it.

“Did I say Echo Zane? I meant… Ekosan, the uh- one of the robot security guys at Borg Tower… Yeah, Nya and I have spoken to him a few times so…” 

Jay was awful at lying. He was equally as awful at playing things off. Cole knew he was making it up, and whoever this Echo Zane was, he clearly didn’t want anyone knowing about them. And Nya knew about them too? 

Just when Cole thought Jay wasn’t acting weird anymore because they were finally away from that haunted temple, here they were again. Jay randomly shrugging things off and acting weird…

He knew whatever it was, there was no way he’d get an answer if he questioned it, so instead he chose to believe whatever Jay was saying - or at least make it seem that way. Jay seemed tense, completely uncomfortable, and the last thing Cole wanted to do was make things awkward. They were stuck here for a while, after all. 

Though, now that they were on the topic of Nya, maybe now would be a good time to ask some much needed questions. Jay and Nya had been acting odd for a while, and if it wasn’t about the temple and included whoever this Echo Zane was, he at least wanted to know something . He liked to think Jay would just open up if Cole asked, but he couldn’t count on things going wrong and Jay walking out or them getting into an argument. They’d been doing well the past few days. Cole wouldn’t be able to ask what was going on directly by bringing up their odd behaviour, but he could at least get answers by working around it, right?

He watched Jay like a hawk, “since we’re talking about Nya… Can I ask how you two even got back together in the first place?”

Jay didn’t look up at him but he definitely seemed to freeze. He clearly didn’t like the question.

“It was kinda random considering you were fighting on the hospital roof one second and then making out the next.”

That was dramatic, sure, they’d only kissed a few times, but since the team had just witnessed the biggest switch up of the century, Cole liked to think he was putting it lightly. Jay seemed nervous though and the eventual worried glance up at Cole made a rift open up in Cole’s stomach. 

Asking was the wrong decision, wasn’t it? Was it too early? Was there something deeper? Did it have something to do with this Echo Zane?

“Are you upset?” was all Jay muttered out.

“What?” Cole almost seemed stunned, “No, no , of course not. I’m just curious, that’s all.”

Cole glanced back down at his book in hopes of taking some of the tense weight off Jay’s shoulders. To be honest, the question did come out of nowhere and was really forward. He could feel Jay’s eyes on him and the last thing he wanted to do was make it seem like he was bothered by it - he really wasn’t. They hadn’t discussed those two getting back together at all . He and Jay’s friendship was going so well, although things were awkward for a little while after Jay and Nya got back together because of some, Cole assumed, worries, they eventually got past it. 

He hoped this conversation hadn’t changed things.

After a moment, Cole looked back up to see Jay reluctantly flicking through his book. The silence made the earth ninja uneasy.

“I had no idea you two were hanging out, or even talking, again. Not that it’s a bad thing of course, or that I even had to be told because it’s not my business, but I would’ve thought you’d at least mention it.”

After another awkward moment of silence and Jay staring at Cole with a little nervousness, Cole decided to give him a reassuring smile.

“I’m happy for you two, truly, I’m just confused, that’s all,” Cole added carefully.

Jay stayed silent for a minute before going back to look at his book, clearly thinking of an answer.

“Were you talking for a while or…?”

Jay shrugged, “it’s complicated.”

Cole watched him for a moment. He really didn’t seem okay. He was so talkative a minute ago. As soon as he mentioned Echo Zane and how he and Nya had discussed them, he seemed to shut down completely. Not that he and Nya getting back together was being brought up though, he seemed so uncomfortable, so unhappy..? It only seemed to confuse Cole more.

And it only confirmed his worries about there being something going on with Nya and Jay that he couldn’t comprehend. At first he thought it was just because the Temple of Airjitzu was still haunted, but now they were nowhere near the temple and Jay was still acting weird, especially about how Jaya even got back together, it clearly wasn’t about the temple. Not anymore. 

It had something to do with that hospital rooftop, didn’t it?

“Is something wrong?” Cole asked softly.

“No, it’s just… You wouldn’t understand.”

“What happened?”

Jay stared down at his book with a worried expression for a minute before his face suddenly shifted into a bright beam, which was so obviously fake. He looked up at Cole with this newfound happiness that Cole was sure he wanted to even try to believe or not. 

He saw how bothered Jay was, he observed how weird Jay had been acting for a while, there was no way in hell he was going to believe whatever happy excuse Jay would come up with. 

“There was just this small alternate timeline that only Nya and I remember, but it’s not really important or memorable so you don’t need to worry about it.”

Cole seemed skeptical, “well it must have been memorable if it made the two of you get back together.”

Jay let out an awkward chuckle, though he still seemed uncomfortable.

Though, maybe Jay wasn’t lying. After their conversation a few days ago about alternate realities, Cole had been left feeling weird about it and how Jay reacted. He’d never been so adamant or upset about something, or Cole disagreeing, so maybe… it did make sense. Jay and Nya had been so secretive and acting off and had been whispering between themselves. That day on the hospital roof was so weird, especially considering the switch up the two suddenly had. 

Perhaps Cole didn’t believe the story fully, but even when Jay was saying it just then, pretending to be all happy about it and shrugging it off, there was still something bitter about his reaction, about his expression. There was something sour about his smile and chuckle. It wasn’t real.

But the last thing Cole wanted to do was question him if he was lying or not, especially if it turned out true. He’d feel awful for doubting his best friend on something that clearly really bothered him. 

“So there’s… actually an alternate timeline…?” he asked awkwardly, watching Jay’s every expression.

Jay just nodded. Cole hummed. It was clear Jay didn’t want to talk about it, especially considering how he shrugged it off just now, and didn’t respond to Cole’s question, so perhaps it’d just be best to drop it for now. After all, they had to focus on finding Wu. 

At least Cole knew the root of why they were acting so weird now, though it’d take him a long time to wrap his head around it. If only he could ask more questions.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to push or.. Y’know, for everything I said when we talked about alternate realities and stuff,” Cole spoke up apologetically, his voice soft and quiet.

Jay shrugged, wearing that stupid fake smile again, “It’s fine. I’d think the same if I were you. But, like I said, it wasn’t important so we don’t need to talk about it.”

That was another lie but Cole was happy to drop it. He’d gotten enough out of Jay for today. Clearly the last thing Jay wanted was to be reminded about it.

But that certainly didn’t mean Cole would drop it from his thoughts. If anything, he was just worrying more now. 

Jay and Nya went through something clearly traumatising and nobody but them remembers? It was clearly so deep that they’re both bothered by it and somehow got back together because of what happened? They’re so secretive about it and don’t want anyone to know? Jay won’t even talk to his best friend about it?

Yeah, there was no way in hell Cole was letting this go.

For today, though, he would. Jay would talk when he was ready, he was sure of it. At least he hoped so.

Jay cleared his throat awkwardly and shot his best friend a somewhat genuine smile, easing Cole’s worries a little.

“So about Samurai X…”

Chapter Text

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

‘One day Jay almost assaulted the hapless mailman who was just dropping off yet another flyer from Patty Keys. “Admit it! Reveal your secret,” he shouted at him. The poor guy started stuttering something about the obscure practices on how it is decided who gets their portrait on a stamp and who doesn’t. In a good/bad cop situation, Jay would definitely be the bad cop. Lloyd saved the mailman that day and apologised. We didn’t see him for six weeks after that.’

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

After a few long, tiresome months, Jay and Cole finally returned back to the temple for their first break. They’d discussed returning multiple times but just as they would come up with plans, they’d get another idea of what to research at the library. Maybe Lloyd would be mad if he knew they’d only spent their first few months stuck at the library but they needed to make sure they looked into absolutely everything they could.

It was just a shame they hadn’t found anything of use. 

So, both tired and feeling defeated, they made their slow way back to the Temple. Zane and Kai had taken a break a few weeks ago and headed out to their next location already, but Jay had suspiciously suggested heading back around a certain time, which Cole found out would coincidentally match up with Lloyd and Nya’s first break too.. Considering how determined Jay had been to go home on a specific date, Cole could only assume Jay and Nya had been talking.

As tired and fed up as the two were though, they did manage to find time to just be themselves. Whether it be in the evening or just on Saturday nights, they took moments to reflect and relax. No thanks to Jay, of course. Jay had managed to nag Cole into actually going to that gay club down the street from their hotel, which Jay had successfully managed to sneak in to - well, not really sneak, the security just let him in without any question - and they actually enjoyed their evening. Cole made sure Jay didn’t drink, which ended up being the compromise. They danced and chatted with various people. Actually, they’d made some pretty great friends. It was nice to talk to people besides just the two of them or the team, and it certainly was nice to just let loose and be themselves.

Jay had been very open about his sexuality for a long time, never even had a proper coming out to anyone, and instantly felt like he was in his element. Cole, however, was a little more reserved and nervous. He knew he was queer in some way, though still questioning and much less open about it than Jay was, but he was somewhat glad Jay dragged him along. To be honest, Jay was really helping him come out of his shell. 

But after that night, they didn’t go again. They tried their best to remain focused on finding their master, waking up at the crack of dawn on Sunday mornings to research in their own time rather than at the library. Then, once the library opened, they’d stay there all day. It was a constant cycle and really only led to them not getting anywhere near enough sleep as they should, and their brains becoming somewhat fried. They both became quieter, even Jay, and communicated a lot less. That’s when Jay suggested taking a break. Cole couldn’t decline.

It’d taken three days to get back to the Temple. When they’d finally arrived, they found both Lloyd and Nya sat outside with notebooks, most likely discussing their plans. When they spotted the masters of lightning and earth approaching, they were straight up onto their feet and rushing over. Nya pulled Jay straight into a hug, but it was unlike any of their others… Once Cole and Lloyd hugged, Cole took a moment to look over at theirs. They seemed so unbelievably happy to see one another, as if they’d both fought a war and were surprised they were alive. As soon as they parted though, it was as if it never happened. Nya dragged Jay over to where her and Lloyd had been sitting a moment ago and begun discussing her plans with him. Lloyd and Cole headed straight after them.

It was sweet really. It’d been a few months since they’d last seen each other so they rightfully were excited and relieved but there was just something about their vibe that made Cole feel uneasy. Not because he didn’t like them together, of course not, but because he knew there was something up with them, there had been this entire time, and he still didn’t quite know what.

Sure, Jay had told him about this alternate timeline they’d been in and only they remembered, but Cole still knew nothing about it. It was unbelievable really, not in a sense that he didn’t actually believe what Jay said - because it was clear those two were hiding something - but because alternate timelines actually existing was crazy in itself. Clearly Jay and Nya had been through something and clearly it wasn’t just something ‘forgettable’ or ‘not memorable’ as Jay had put it. Even when the two had been discussing alternate timelines, Jay had been so determined and upset. He’d been so suspicious when talking about Samurai X and whoever Echo Zane was. He seemed so down when telling Cole about what he and Nya had went through, though without even directly saying anything.

Cole knew better than to believe Jay when he says everything is fine. It wasn’t. Cole knew it wasn’t. He’d noticed months ago. 

And even when Jay and Nya had been separated in the search for Wu, Jay had still been acting weird so he knew it was something to do with Jay himself and not just something to do with Nya. Whatever had happened in that alternate timeline didn’t just affect the pair’s relationship but Jay himself too. Cole was going to get to the bottom of it eventually, he was sure of it.

Today wasn’t the day though. This week wasn’t the week. Though, he’d been telling himself that for a while. Maybe he was just too scared to find out the truth, especially knowing what he knew now.

For now though, he’d let Jay and Nya have their moment. He’d let Jay have a break. He looked like he was in need of a proper good night’s sleep. 

The four spent a few days resting, hanging out, and barely discussing plans or what they’d been up to. Then half way into their rest week, they headed outside to sit in the sun while they properly discussed everything they’d found. Which in other words, meant absolutely nothing.

They sat in a somewhat circle. Jay and Nya sat together while Lloyd and Cole sat opposite them. They had notebooks and maps in the middle, sprawled out messily. Cole started with talking about what they’d done at the library and how little they’d found even after months and months of reading basically every book in that place. Jay didn’t add much to the conversation besides the pointless things he remembered. 

“Jay and I stayed up until the library closed every night and then headed in as soon as it opened in the morning,” Cole sighed, “and after all that work and reading, we still found literally nothing of use. It’s stupid because now I have all this knowledge about the First Spinjiztu Master and time travel and alternate realities that I don’t know what to do with.”

“Hold on,” Lloyd frowned, “alternate realities?”

Jay awkwardly laughed, earning a strange look from Nya.

“Yeah, we had some dumb ideas. I guess we were just looking for more things to research. I mean, it was worth trying, right?” he explained.

Lloyd hummed, “I suppose.. Do you really think he’s in some kind of… alternate timeline..?”

Nya watched closely as Jay and Cole exchanged suspicious looks. 

Nya had no idea that Jay had told Cole about the alternate timeline. Jay hadn’t mentioned it at all, though to be fair the two hadn’t talked about it a lot themselves anyway. Jay always seemed to avoid the topic, instantly changing the subject whenever Nya even hinted at it.

Cole wasn’t expecting Jay to bring it up in front of Lloyd. He’d barely even told Cole about it. He wasn’t about to expose him for it.

Cole shrugged lightly, “it’s not impossible but it’s also not likely.”

“Do alternate timelines or realities even exist?” Lloyd questioned, letting out a light chuckle.

Jay instantly stared at Lloyd, though not seemingly annoyed or angry. Rather just… neutral? Cole watched his best friend briefly, trying his best to read his expression. Nya continued to glance between the two before awkwardly clearing her throat and turning to the green ninja.

Cole hated to think what those two were thinking right now, and it was certainly clear Jay didn’t feel like getting into an argument about it again. He’d already had enough of that with Cole a few weeks ago.

“Who knows?” Nya spoke up nervously, though obviously trying to shift the awkward tension between the four, “but nothing is impossible, right?”

“Hm,” Lloyd nodded, “I say, for now, we focus on this timeline though. I’m not sure how he’d cross over into other realities if they even exist. As far as we know, the Iron Doom can only travel in time in our reality.”

“And that’s what we were thinking from the start,” Cole agreed, “hence why we researched time travel too. If the Iron Doom could be anywhere at any time, Wu might not even be here in this time, y’know? He could be sometime in the future. Or sometime in the past. Near or far. It’s nearly impossible to find him, especially when we have no clues.”

“It’s also hard to tell if he’s even still… him,” Jay finally chirped up, snatching everyone’s attention.

“What d’you mean?” Lloyd questioned.

“I don’t know,” Jay shrugged, “what if he’s not old anymore? What if travelling in time changes his age or something? It’s not like it’s impossible. The time blades are capable of altering age or at least the speed of age. What if travelling through time had altered his age altogether rather than just speeding it up or slowing it down?”

Nya raised an eyebrow, “you mean he could literally be walking around as a baby right now?”

“Can babies even walk?” Cole questioned.

Nya shot him a soft glare, “you know what I mean.”

Lloyd groaned as he shoved his head in his hands.

“Jay’s right,” his voice was muffled, “ugh, it’s gonna be impossible to find him.”

Cole reached over to place a reassuring hand on Lloyd’s shoulder, “we’ll find him, you know we will. Even if it’s because he manages to find his way to us . I’m almost certain he’s finding a way to get back to us, okay?”

After a few minutes of collecting themselves, and Jay and Cole finishing off talking about what they’d found, it was finally Lloyd and Nya’s time to discuss what they’d found.

“We hoped he’d end up somewhere important to him, or if he was nearby to something important then he’d just head there,” Lloyd explained, “we were originally just gonna make our way down the list but instead opted to head straight to his father’s final resting place. It just seems like the most likely place for him to go.”

“And especially since Traveler’s Tea works with you imagining where you want to go before going through the portal, we thought maybe he’d be thinking of his father as he fell through time? If time travel even works the same as Traveler’s Tea,” Nya added with a smile.

Jay nodded, before happily tapping Nya’s knee, “Wait, that’s a good point. If it really does work the same way then I’m sure panicked Wu would instantly think of something that’d bring him comfort. Like his parents, per say. Specifically his father!”

Nya smiled sweetly at him, “Exactly. So we headed straight to the First Spinjitzu Master’s tomb as that would be the place Wu would be closest to him, right? We all know there’s many places that Wu went with his father, including the Monastery, but if he was thinking about his father himself rather than the memories of places they’d been together, then surely he’d end up at the final resting place of his father, where he’d get to be as close to him as possible.”

“It’s a good idea,” Cole agreed, “did you find anything?”

Lloyd sighed, “of course not. It’d be too easy if we did. No clues or anything. The place was deserted. It seemed like no one had been there since we were back when we were fighting Morro. But then again, it’s hard to tell.”

“Were all the traps reset?” Cole wondered.

Lloyd shook his head, “everything seemed to be in the exact same place as I remembered before. I’m sure if anyone had been there, they’d be a sign of some sort.”

“That sucks,” Cole sighed.

They all seemed somewhat defeated. Between them, they’d only checked two places in total though, and that wasn’t including wherever Kai and Zane had been, so it’s not like the chances of finding something were necessarily high, but still not being able to find anything at all in the places you expect most is soul crushing. The tomb was a special place too and it must’ve been particularly hard for Lloyd to return there considering the last time he was there was because Morro had possessed him. Besides, it was the final resting place of his grandfather. 

So much had changed since back then. It wasn’t even necessarily that long ago, but it felt like a lifetime ago. Lloyd had been weak and possessed. Jay and Nya hadn’t been together. Nya hadn’t even become the official water ninja yet; she was still in training. Hell, Cole was a ghost . 

Jay seemed to gasp, almost as if he were thinking the same thing Cole was. It startled the three, catching their attention. Jay instantly turned to Nya and Lloyd, a curious expression upon his face.

“Did you see the future reflections?”

Nya instantly smiled. Lloyd seemed to have a completely opposite reaction though.

“We did but I didn’t go anywhere near it,” Lloyd shrugged defeatedly as he stared down at his notebook, “I’d rather protect my peace.”

Jay took the opportunity to look properly at Nya, a somewhat longing in his gaze. He seemed a little excited, a little nervous… Cole couldn’t quite place why.

Though, the fact Jay was so excited to hear about these future reflections was weird in general. Cole had thought a lot about that day. Not just because he didn’t have a reflection of his own, but because he’s spent most of his time wondering about Jay’s . He’d been so excited at first, shouting about an eyepatch. Then almost like he’d been hit by a truck, his mood shifted. Maybe Cole hadn’t seen it directly, he hadn’t seen Jay’s face change or anything, but him as a whole seemed to change entirely after that. Even his friendships had shifted. 

He hadn’t wanted to talk about the reflection at all even after seeming so excited at first.

Now he was excited about someone else’s after completely avoiding the subject?

“I saw mine though,” Nya spoke up, glancing away from Jay briefly.

Cole couldn’t quite tell if Jay was happy or not because he seemed both excited and scared, but as soon as he spotted the smug smirk upon Nya’s lips, he really seemed to loosen up.

“What did you see?” Jay asked curiously, “anything exciting?”

Cole watched Jay and Nya like a hawk. Lloyd didn’t seem to care, not that Cole could blame him. Cole wouldn’t usually care either if it wasn’t for Jay and Nya’s odd behaviour.

Nya smirked and glanced back up at her boyfriend.

“Just the sort of thing you’d expect,” she told him.

Jay seemed to understand exactly what she meant and smiled too, letting out a small chuckle. Cole and Lloyd exchanged confused glances. 

‘Just the sort of thing you’d expect’.. Which meant what ? And how did Jay know what she meant when it was something so ominous? Clearly there was something the green ninja and master of earth didn’t know. Though, to be fair, there was a lot that those two kept to themselves.

But now all Cole could do was overthink it. Maybe he was obsessing over the two and whatever was going on a little too much, perhaps if he brought it up to the rest of the team they’d just tell him to drop it and mind his business, but when there was clearly something up with his best friends, could he really just drop it? Could he really just stop caring? It’s not like they were dealing with it on their own, they had each other after all, but Cole still felt like he needed to care. He still felt like he needed to help. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to ask because the last thing he wanted to do was make them feel uncomfortable. 

Which just left this dumb guessing game. What was up with this future reflection business? Jay hated any mention of his future reflection. He hated any mention of them whatsoever.. But suddenly he’s interested in Nya’s?

Did the future reflections have something to do with… her ? After all, Cole was pretty certain Jay had said ‘and there’s something else’ after mentioning the eyepatch. What was that something else? He’d tried to play it off as soon as Cole asked. He’d refused to talk about any of it. 

And… he’d acted weird around Cole ever since. Sure, they were completely fine now, but for a while Jay had acted awkward and nervous, specifically only around Cole and Nya. Why ? 

‘The sort of thing you’d expect’?? Maybe with some more thought Cole would be able to piece it together. 

Before he could do anymore thinking on the subject though, or really focus on how odd Jay and Nya were acting in front of him and Lloyd, the group seemed to be distracted by someone approaching them. 

The mailman. It was good that he turned up while someone was here. They hated even thought about him or collecting mail. But, maybe it was a good sign. The mailman didn’t come very often, no thanks to the trip to wherever they lived being so difficult, so perhaps he had something important for them? A message from a certain someone perhaps?

“Good afternoon, ninja,” he greeted them with a smile.

Jay instantly shot up and ran over to him, Lloyd following shortly behind.

The mailman seemed exhausted, though still happy to see the ninja. After all, maybe the ninja were hard to reach, but they still had a good friendship with the mailman. They’d helped each other out on countless occasions.

Just as he began to start flicking through his bag to find the ninjas’ mail, Jay stepped a little closer to him in intrigue. He peered into the bag slightly before the mailman glanced up with a raised eyebrow, almost as if he was waiting for Jay to speak.

Somewhat excitedly, Jay beams.

“Do you have anything for me?”

“Hm, let me check.”

Then he started rummaging through his bag, picking out a few things and handing them to the green ninja. 

“Anything that seems handwritten?” Lloyd asked a little impatiently.

“It doesn’t seem like it,” the mailman finished up and handed Lloyd the final few letters. 

Before Lloyd had the chance to look over them, Jay instantly snatched them out of Lloyd’s hand and began searching through the small pile.

Something for Kai. Seemingly a fan letter. Nothing of importance.

A bill for Cole. Jay didn’t care to look at it properly.

Something from Misako, which was instantly handed back to Lloyd. 

Bill.

Another bill.

Another stupid bill.

Cole watched closely from behind, watching as Jay’s stature shifted to one of dishearten. Was he expecting something? A parcel, maybe? An important letter? Or was he just craving something in general, even if it was a bill? 

Jay shoved the letters back into Lloyd’s hands before looking back at the mailman with nervousness.

“Are you sure there’s nothing for me? Can you double check?”

“Uh.. sure… but I doubt I missed anything,” the mailman shrugged before sticking his hand back in his bag. 

He rummaged around for a minute as Jay nervously swayed on his feet and twiddled his thumbs. Nya and Cole both exchanged confused expressions, though Nya seemed a lot more knowing than Cole felt. Great. Just yet another secret being kept.

“Oh! I have this,” the mailman dragged out what seemed to be a flier and handed it straight to Jay with a smile. 

At first, Jay seemed hopeful. As soon as he took it though, his expression instantly fell. Except this time he didn’t just seem disheartening, he seemed somewhat… angry. Upset? It was hard to tell from where Cole and Nya were sat.

“Another Patty Keys flier,” Jay huffed, “when is she gonna take the stupid hint that we don’t want her business here.”

His tone was deep as he immediately scrunched up the flier before chucking it behind him, almost hitting Cole in the head. Before the other three ninja had time to process, Jay moved forward to grab at the mailman’s bag. The mailman gasped and instantly stepped back, grabbing his bag in fear before Jay could get his hands on it.

“Jay, what are you-” Lloyd reached forward to grab him. Jay just seemed to shove him off though.

“Admit it! Reveal your secrets!” Jay shouted, attempting to grab the bag again. 

Lloyd tried to grab Jay’s shoulder again, missing as Jay wriggled from him. The mailman grabbed his bag more, turning it away from the blue ninja as he watched in fear.

“Uh- Secrets? I don’t have any secrets!” his voice shook slightly as he blurted out, “all I know is about stamps! I like stamps, if you need an-”

“No, tell me your secrets! Tell me what you have!” Jay exclaimed.

Lloyd managed to finally grab Jay’s shoulder and pulled him back slightly. Jay didn’t fight it, but he didn’t seem to back down. 

“The only secret I know is about how it’s decided who gets their portrait on a stamp!” the mailman exclaimed nervously, “there’s this competition th-”

“No, I’m so sorry,” Lloyd waved a hand at him to grab his attention, “please ignore Jay.”

Jay went to fight back, opening his mouth to say something but Lloyd pulled him back further before making himself a human barrier between the two.

“I’m so sorry, I’m not sure what’s wrong with him today,” Lloyd chuckled nervously, “thanks for the mail.”

The mailman didn’t say anything. He just watched Jay closely as he began to back up, heading back towards his flying bicycle, something Jay had actually crafted himself so many years ago in hopes of helping the mailman deliver mail so much easier. 

As the mailman got on his bike, he kept glancing over at Jay, who was watching him just as closely as the mailman was watching him. Lloyd just smiled and waved. 

Once he was gone, Lloyd turned to talk to Jay, to question what the hell that was for, but before he could, Jay aggressively shoved Lloyd’s hand off his shoulder and stormed off. Both Cole and Nya were expecting him to just sit back down and act like nothing happened, but to their surprise, he stormed right past them without even looking and headed inside, slamming the door behind him. The three remained in shock, not just because of the loud door slam, but because of Jay in general. 

He’d never acted like that, not in front of the mailman at least. And he never ever got upset over something as stupid as the mail. 

He was blabbering about some kind of secret? Some kind of letter he was clearly waiting for. Jay was never this desperate about mail. He’d never been desperate about anything ever. Not over something that seemed so small. 

When Cole glanced at Nya, expecting her to have an expression that somewhat gave away that she knew what was wrong, all he was met with was surprise and worry… Cole felt uneasy.

If she didn’t know what that was, what his reaction was for… then something had to be seriously wrong.

Chapter Text

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

‘I think of Jay and how cheerful he seems. He was born in a junkyard and has poor parents… So I guess money and happiness aren’t really connected. Lately he has been trying to convince me that with lightning powers also comes lightning foresight. ‘Today a letter will arrive! A letter that will grant me a great fortune! The lightning foresight has sparked the knowledge in my mind!’ he has dramatically proclaimed a number of times. And then he has almost overpowered the mailman to get the mail, yelling “WHY ARE YOU HOLDING OUT ON ME!!! HAND IT OVER ALREADY!!!!” … Poor mailman.’

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

Things went back to normal for a few months. There was no drama, no arguments.. Just rest. Lloyd and Nya soon left the Temple, leaving Jay and Cole alone. Jay spent most of his time in his room or playing video games. Cole tried to perfect his cooking skills - which wasn’t necessarily going well - as well as researching more about Wu’s whereabouts. He searched through Wu’s office, trying to find something that may give some clues. It was near impossible though.

The two were planning on heading back out to search soon. They weren’t sure when yet but possibly in a few days. Jay was making the most of the rest of his time off. They didn’t see much of one another unless it was at meal times. Cole usually had to remind Jay to eat or invite him to get something with him. Jay was just forgetful. Thank God Cole was there to remind him.

They hadn’t decided on their destination yet but Cole hoped tonight would be a good opportunity while eating Cole’s perfected noodles. 

Around lunchtime, Cole had made his way to the kitchen to grab a drink. Jay had been wandering down the corridor and spotted him as he passed, which somehow reminded him to grab something to eat. Their conversation was small while Jay grabbed a pop tart. Cole would usually argue that it wasn’t enough or that he needed something proper but he didn’t feel like starting a petty argument today. Besides, he didn’t like feeling as if he was parenting one of his friends. He’d already done it a lot back when they were at the Library of Domu a little while ago. The last thing he wanted to be known as was the Party Pooper.

They were mid conversation about something to do with Jay’s video game when something caught the blue ninja’s attention outside. 

The mailman. 

It’d been a little while since he last came. Lloyd had said he hoped it was just because they had no mail but deep down they all knew the true reason. 

Jay had lashed out at him randomly during his last visit. It was completely out of nowhere and they still had no idea why he did it. Jay had hid away in his room for the rest of the day to calm down, and when Nya came back from checking in on him, she was just very vague. She’d said he was worried about Wu and hoped there’d just be a letter of some sort, or perhaps a clue, and he got overwhelmed. Lloyd and Cole agreed to not bring it up anymore to not embarrass Jay. It wasn’t like he didn’t make mistakes or accidentally lash out at things often. Besides, Cole knew better than to approach Jay about something when he was clearly riled up and stressed. They’d gotten into plenty of arguments over the previous few months because of it. 

Jay calmed down by the next day though and it was like nothing ever happened. 

Cole would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous about what would happen this time. He was sure Jay learnt from his mistake though.

Jay excitedly gasped before turning to Cole with a grin. It certainly was a different reaction from last time. Though, it still made Cole a little uneasy.

“Today a letter will arrive!”

This could go one of two ways. 

“A letter that’ll grant me great fortune!”

And there it was. Cole sighed slightly, rolling his eyes playfully as he took a sip of his hot coffee. 

Lately, Jay had been non-stop talking about two potential letters. Something from Wu, even a clue, or.. Some letter that’d make him rich. At first, it seemed like a joke. It seemed like he was just trying to distract himself from the drama that happened last time the mailman came,that Jay was trying to distract Cole from remembering it by coming up with something completely ridiculous.. Then after a while, the more Jay spoke about it, the more genuine he seemed. Cole still liked to think he was kidding though. Jay knew better than to just expect to be rich from some mail, right? It’s not like he’d win the lottery. 

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Cole nodded sarcastically.

“No, really, I can feel it this time,” he beamed before closing his eyes and pressing his index fingers to his temples, “The Lightning Foresight has sparked the knowledge in my mind!”

Lightning Foresight. Jay had boasted about it a lot recently. He claimed that his powers helped him to see the future, that he could sense something coming, and in this case it was something to do with great fortune.

It was strange, really. Not the fact that Jay was trying to convince Cole of this epic power he supposedly had, but the fact Jay was even wishing for this fortune. Sure, everyone could do with more money and everyone surely wished they were rich at some point but the way Jay was doing it didn’t seem in character for him. It came out of nowhere and suddenly Jay was so attached to the idea.

He never had been before. Jay grew up in a junkyard with not much money, and not much of anything really. Maybe it wasn’t out of the ordinary for someone who grew up poor to want more money, to be comfortable in their fortune, but Jay never seemed to care until recently. It wasn’t like he was necessarily struggling with money, not for a while anyway. Jay hadn’t been embarrassed about his upbringing for years, and had always seemed grateful for what he had. 

So why had he changed his mind all of a sudden?

That’s why he hoped Jay was just joking around. Besides, it’s not like his Lightning Foresight had been correct yet.

Jay didn’t say anything more. He rushed out the kitchen and down the corridor towards the main entrance of the temple. Cole sighed, glancing out the kitchen window to see the mailman nervously making his way across the yard. 

He probably shouldn’t let Jay hassle him alone.

So with his coffee, Cole followed after Jay. Jay was much further ahead of him. He seemed okay for the most part, and he was clearly in a good mood, so perhaps Cole wouldn’t have to be so much of a bodyguard. He chose to sit on the steps just outside the entrance, drinking his coffee, as he watched Jay approach the mailman properly.

The mailman certainly seemed nervous to see Jay again. 

Cole couldn’t hear the conversation they were having but he could only assume they were discussing mail. Jay was probably nagging about there being anything specific, or something for him. That’s something Cole had been confused about the last time the mailman was here. If Jay was just hoping for something for the ninja from Wu, why was he so desperate for something addressed to him specifically. 

Whatever this stuff was about great fortune and Lightning Foresight must’ve been tied to it somehow. It wasn’t necessarily surprising that Jay was acting weird though. Cole already knew there was something going on relating to some alternate timeline only he and Nya remembered. But then again.. It was weird how even Nya didn’t know what was wrong when he harassed the mailman before. 

The mailman dug through his bag, making sure to glance up at Jay to make sure he was keeping his distance. He pulled out a small stack of letters clumped together with some string. Jay instantly took it and flipped through them all. Cole watched his form falter slightly as he stopped looking through them. 

Now all he hoped was that Jay would just thank the mailman and turn around with disappointment.

But things were never that easy, were they? And Jay certainly wasn’t that simple.

The mailman rummaged through his bag again, once again glancing up to make sure Jay was keeping his distance. When he straightened back up, barely looking Jay in the eye, he just shrugged. Cole read the ‘sorry’ on his lips. 

The next thing he knew, Jay was reaching to grab at the mailman’s bag once again. Cole put his coffee mug down on the step and pushed himself up. He made his way quickly towards the two, reaching to grab Jay’s arm before he could properly try anything.

But before Cole could get there, Jay was shouting.

“Why are you holding out on me?! Hand it over already!!!”

His tone was deep and cracking. If Cole wasn’t desperate to pull him away, to save the mailman from whatever could happen - not that he thought Jay would actually hurt him - maybe Cole would’ve focused more on how genuinely upset Jay was that he wasn’t receiving a letter. Clearly something specific.

Cole grabbing Jay’s arm just seemed to upset him more, and now he was just growing angry. Cole placed himself between the two, attempting to push Jay away as he apologised to the mailman, who was ultimately terrified.

It was safe to assume he wasn’t coming back for a lot longer next time.

As he hurried away, Cole grabbed Jay by the arm and attempted to drag him back towards the Temple entrance. With some struggle, Jay managed to break free. When Cole turned to face him, he expected to see annoyance at himself more than anyone else, but instead he was just met with anger at Cole. 

“What’s gotten into you?” Cole questioned, a little annoyed.

“What’s gotten into me ? What about Wu ? Why hasn’t he written us a letter or something yet, huh?” Jay questioned, his tone laced with anger.

Cole frowned, “You’re really taking this out on Wu? We don’t even know if he’s able to write a letter, Jay, we’ve been through this so many times.”

“Yeah, well, it’d be nice to have a sign,” Jay muttered bitterly before pushing past Cole.

This just seemed to anger Cole now. Jay was acting weird, not in a sense that he was just being off, but now he was taking it out on those that didn’t deserve it. Whatever was going on with him was getting in the way of everything else now. And blaming Wu? That was Cole’s last straw.

Jay wasn’t stupid, he knew it wasn’t Wu’s fault, but the fact he could even blame their missing master over taking accountability for his actions really seemed to rile the earth ninja up.

“What makes you think he’d address a letter directly to you , hm?” Cole spun on his heel to watch Jay storm off, “What makes you think you’re so special? Or is this about that stupid fortune letter you claim is coming?”

“I don’t care about fortune,” Jay snapped back, though it was somewhat muffled.

“Well, clearly you do because you keep harassing the mailman over it.”

“I just thought Wu would’ve sent something by now.”

“And like I said, what makes you think he’d send it to you and not address it to the entire team? Why would he address it to you and not his nephew? Or Misako?” Cole questioned, his tone bitter and coarse. 

“Yeah, how stupid of me to think my master would address a letter to me,” Jay bit back half-heartedly as he stormed inside.

And before Cole had the chance to bite back, the door was slammed in his face. 

The two hadn’t argued like this in a while. Their fights were always petty and never lasted long but this time felt different. 

It was pretty obvious Jay was lying. He wouldn’t act that way over a letter he knew likely wasn’t coming. Cole wasn’t stupid. Jay had mentioned this letter that’d make him rich so much, not to mention his so called foresight powers, so it had to be something to do with that. But then again, if Jay was supposedly happy with his financial stance, why would he be so upset about not being rich? None of it made sense.

And quite frankly, Cole was tired of arguing and Jay’s lying that he didn’t care anymore. Whatever it was, Jay clearly didn’t want to talk about it. He liked to think the two were close enough that Jay would just be honest and open up without any shame, because he should’ve known Cole would be the last person to judge or shame him, but if Jay didn’t want to then there was nothing Cole could do. He was tired of constantly paying attention to the state Jay was in and Jay not opening up. Though, it wasn't entirely Jay’s fault. It’s not like Cole bothered to ask about anything specific yet. 

Perhaps being paired with Jay was a mistake. Jay clearly would’ve been better off being paired with Nya.

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

Maybe he hadn’t perfected his noodles after all. They were too soggy and the broth didn’t taste quite right. It wouldn’t be surprising if he ended up missing a few ingredients. He couldn’t be bothered to start over now though.

He hadn’t done much this afternoon after his fight with Jay. It didn’t even feel like a big fight, they just argued a little, but it just left Cole feeling so empty. Maybe he’d been a bit harsh and Jay probably overreacted, but since he knew Jay was going through something, perhaps he should’ve gone easier on him.

He just wished Jay would open up about what was going on. This entire thing seemed so complex. How were alternate timelines, Jay and Nya getting back together all of a sudden, and letters all related? Cole didn’t even want to try to piece it together. 

It was pretty late in the evening now. Cole put off making food for as long as he could before he was starving. He didn’t even have the energy to be cooking but if he didn’t then the both of them would go hungry, and he knew Jay well enough to know that he wouldn’t eat if he was also feeling like shit.

Speaking of the devil, out of the corner of his eye, Cole watched a figure walk past the room. Unless it was a ghost - which he knew were still lurking around the temple - he was certain it was the one and only blue ninja. 

“Do you want something to eat?” Cole called out, unsure if Jay was already long gone or not.

He waited a moment and just as he thought he was talking to nobody, a figure slowly appeared in the doorway. Cole glanced up to see just who he’d thought, except instead of wearing blue, he himself looked pretty blue. 

He looked exhausted, his eyes red and puffy, wearing a hoodie which Cole only assumed was Nya’s. 

Cole felt awful. It was pretty damn obvious he was suffering, Cole just wished there was something he could do. Asking about it would make Jay likely feel worse, or if Jay was still planning on lying and hiding it, it’d only push him further away from the earth ninja. Cole wanted Jay to open up on his own accord. Today’s argument hadn’t helped that at all.

After a moment, Jay made his way into the room and sat down at the counter opposite to where Cole was working. Considering how they’d argued earlier this afternoon, there wasn’t all that much tension. Maybe that was just a result of being best friends. They could fight but still feel somewhat comfortable with one another. 

For a few minutes, neither of them said anything. Jay watched as Cole stirred the noodles, adding a few spices here and there. Cole glanced at him a few times, taking the opportunity to look over him properly. He was slumped over, the hood over his head, the sleeves completely covering his hands. He looked completely drained.

“I can’t promise they taste good,” Cole spoke quietly, almost startling the hermit across from him, “I’m pretty sure I forgot some ingredients.”

Jay shrugged half-heartedly, “I’m sure it’ll still be good.”

“I hope so.”

They remained in nervous silence for a few more minutes before Cole eventually sighed, glancing up at Jay again. Jay’s gaze seemed locked on Cole’s movements regarding the food, watching how he stirred it and added small things to the cooking pot.

“I’m sorry for all the things I said,” Cole started, his voice quiet.

It seemed to really catch Jay’s attention, though all he did was frown. Cole glanced away awkwardly.

“I shouldn’t have said the stuff about Wu not writing you a letter,” Cole shrugged, “Not that I… really think that’s what you were looking for anyway.”

Jay glanced down at his hands nervously, “No, you were right. It was a poor excuse anyway.”

Cole gave Jay a small reassuring smile before focusing back on the cooking.

“I’m sorry for getting so mad at you,” Jay added.

“What’s all this stuff about a letter that’ll bring you fortune, anyway?” Cole asked curiously.

Jay seemed to tense up, “Can we… not talk about it?”

It was a little disheartening that Jay still didn’t want to talk about it, especially with how close the two were and had gotten recently, but Cole wasn’t about to argue it. Maybe Jay just wasn’t in the mood to explain right now. Cole was just glad he was here and they were okay.

“Only if you promise to not harass the mailman anymore,” Cole spoke lightheartedly, “We don’t want him to get scared off completely because we kinda need our mail..”

Jay chuckled lightly, “I’ll keep my distance.”

It was good the twos arguments never lasted all that long. Not after the whole love triangle fiasco, anyway. Right now, they just needed to focus on resting before setting out on search for their master again. Wu probably wouldn’t send a letter, that’d be too easy.

Maybe once the two had something to eat and discussed proper plans, they’d feel much better.

And for the record, Cole was grateful the two were paired up together. He wouldn’t dream of doing any of this with anyone else. Jay was the perfect person. They kept each other grounded, even if sometimes they weren’t on the same page. Even if Cole had to listen to Jay constantly talk about Nya, he was glad they were together. He wouldn’t change it for the world.

The two had been through so much together already. Who knows what else was ahead of them. At least they knew that once they had their master back, they’d be basically inseparable just like they were before any of this happened.

Except, no matter how happy the two were to work with one another, being basically joined at the hip, there was always something that’d get in the way. Because only a few months later, Cole would leave for an adventure of his own, leaving his partner behind..

Chapter Text

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

‘This morning Cole was nowhere to be found. As Jay entered his room, all he found was Cole’s neatly made bed, and a note carefully placed on his pillow.’

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

The team all arranged to take a break around the same time to give them chance to properly catch up. Once Jay and Cole were done with their next location, they excitedly made their way back to the temple. They hadn’t seen everyone in so long, especially not Kai or Zane. 

When they eventually arrived back, they had a big reunion and of course a meeting about their current findings. It wasn’t all that surprising that nobody had anything of importance. It seemed they still had a while to go until they found anything. 

The team took their break to rest, but also train up together. The last thing they wanted was to break into bad habits or become distant with how little time they were spending as a group. Training seemed the perfect thing to keep their spirits up and make sure they were getting lazy. Lloyd took charge, making sure everyone was on a strict schedule for it. As much as the rest of the ninja were glad someone was taking charge, it sucked that Lloyd was taking everything so seriously.

Jay got closer with the others other than Cole for the first time in a while. It was a nice change of people around him but he sure did miss hanging out with the earth ninja 24/7. Cole seemed to grow a little distant over the few months, keeping more to himself. It wasn’t all that noticeable enough to bring it up though. Plus, Jay thought that if there was something on his mind, he’d mention it anyway. 

It wasn’t until one normal morning that things changed.

The team gathered outside in the morning for training. Lloyd had a plan for sparring, Jay hadn’t cared to listen while the green ninja was explaining because he was distracted. Jay had been the one tasked to go drag Cole out of bed since he seemed to oversleep. It wasn’t out of the ordinary. Sometimes Cole just forgot to set his alarm.

“Cole! Cooole! You’re missing training,” he said, banging on Cole’s bedroom door, “Hurry up or Lloyd will give you one of his speeches on punctuality, dedication, and discipline. I do not wanna listen to one of his speeches on punctuality, dedication, and discipline.”

Cole usually made a noise by now, either a groan or a shout that he was awake. Jay had been knocking, practically banging, for a moment longer than he usually did. Out of curiosity, Jay pushed the door open and stuck his head into the room.

He frowned, his eyes landing on the neatly made bed. Upon the pillow was a piece of paper. Jay froze for a minute, his eyes glued to it. He almost didn’t want to look at it. He didn’t want to know what it said.

Except if he didn’t return to Lloyd any second, he’d also receive a speech about punctuality, dedication, and discipline.

So he slowly made his way over to the bed and picked up the paper. 

It was a letter explaining where Cole was, why he was leaving, why he was doing it alone. Jay couldn’t help but feel confused and bitter. 

Cole hadn’t mentioned anything to do with his rift scar. He hadn’t mentioned anything about ghosts or Yang, but according to this letter it’d been going on for a while now. Why hadn’t he mentioned any of it to Jay?

And why the hell had Cole left for a solo adventure now ? Jay understood that this was something he had to do, it seemed clear with how Cole had disappeared overnight with nothing but a rushed letter left behind, but why hadn’t he mentioned it to Jay beforehand? Why had none of it been mentioned? And why couldn’t Jay have gone with him? Cole was out there all alone doing something he probably wasn’t even sure of. Nobody knew where he’d gone. What if he got in trouble? What if he was in danger? 

Was it wrong to be upset that he left without him? 

What about the search for Wu? What about Jay? He just upped and left for some solo adventure, leaving Jay behind all alone? The others were leaving any day now. What was Jay supposed to do? Lloyd had been strict about staying in pairs because it was practical and safe.

And all that was left was a letter? Just a letter explaining how he needed to find out more about his scar? 

Jay groaned, leaving the room with the letter firmly in his hand.

•──────•°•❀•°•──────•

“Mind if I join you?”

Jay jumped slightly, turning to see Nya stood behind him with two mugs. Jay gave her a small smile and nodded. 

He watched as she sat down on the step beside him, before handing him a mug.

“It’s nothing caffeinated because I know caffeine makes you antsy and that’s the last thing you need right now,” she explained, “besides hot chocolate will keep you warm. You’ve been sat out here for a while.”

It was true. He’d spent basically all day sitting outside on the front steps of the temple. He was cold, sure, but it was much better than pacing his room 24/7. 

It’d been a few days since Cole left for his solo mission. Jay hadn’t done anything but mope around and wait for him. Except now he’d taken to sitting outside in the dead of winter instead. Zane had usually been the one to tell him to go inside but he and Kai had left that morning, leaving Jay in charge of his own decisions again. 

“Thanks,” he spoke quietly, raising the mug to his face to feel the warm steam, “I’m surprised you didn’t encourage me to just go back inside instead.”

“I know how stubborn you are, it’d be pointless.”

Lloyd and Nya were leaving the following morning, which would leave Jay all alone at the temple. He was waiting for a lecture from one of the two about taking care of himself, because they knew all too well he’d happily sit outside all day and all night waiting for Cole to return. 

Jay felt pathetic, really. It was embarrassing that his partner had left with barely a word, leaving Jay on his own to just wait it out. It was still hard to wrap his head around. Cole hadn’t mentioned anything that he said in the letter before, Jay had no clue he was having trouble with his scar. Though Cole was pretty good at hiding things, he always opened up to Jay about basically everything. Seriously, that guy had no filter sometimes. So why wouldn’t he talk to him about something like that? 

Even if Cole didn’t want Jay to go with him, which clearly he didn’t, Jay would’ve much preferred to still ask if he wanted help or company. Realistically, Jay likely wouldn’t be much help at all, but at least Cole wouldn’t be alone. 

Perhaps Cole was just getting sick of Jay.

That was just sleep-deprived Jay talking though. And was it stupid to feel lonely even though he had other people around him?

Ugh, everyone was discussing their plans and getting ready while Jay just sat outside like a loser waiting for his best friend to return. He didn’t even know how long Cole would be gone. He didn’t even know if Cole was okay. 

Jay did happen to notice that a slice of his mother’s crumb cake had magically gone missing the other night. Jay just hoped it had been Cole taking it with him for his little adventure.

God, the things Jay would do to be with the earth ninja right now.

Jay sighed slightly, staring down at his drink. He was grateful, of course he was, but it didn’t seem to be cheering him up.

“Have you heard anything yet?” Nya asked curiously.

Jay shook his head, “I texted him and called a million times but there’s been no response.”

“Maybe his phone died.”

“Or he’s been kidnapped or-”

“Let’s not talk like that,” Nya cut in, “Cole can handle himself, you know that.”

“Okay, but what if he isn’t safe? What if he’s in trouble? He’s all on his own and he didn’t even tell us where he was going. Clearly he had a plan,” Jay groaned with little enthusiasm, “I don’t know why he didn’t just talk to me about it.”

“Maybe he didn’t want to distract you from finding Wu, or resting,” Nya explained, “I’m sure he had a good reason. You can talk it out when he gets back.”

Jay shrugged, “ if he gets back..”

“Jay,” she spoke sternly, though her tone was laced with playfulness.

“And it’s not like I can go searching for Wu when he’s not here anyway,” Jay added pathetically, “We’re supposed to be a team. The dynamic duo or whatever. We’re supposed to discuss things. He’s not supposed to keep secrets, because clearly he’d been planning this little solo adventure, and he-”

“Hey, I’m sure you haven’t exactly told him everything either,” Nya placed a gentle hand on her boyfriend’s shoulder, “Something about secrets?”

Jay stared out at the yard with a slight pout. He knew she was right. Jay had been pretty pathetic at being honest with Cole about things, so could he really be all that mad at Cole keeping things quiet too? Turns out the two were perfect at keeping things to themselves despite thinking the other would happily open up. 

“I’m sure he’ll be back any day now, okay?” She reassured him.

Jay hoped so. He was tired of waiting and hoping everything was fine. What if Cole returned as a ghost again? Jay wasn’t sure he had the current brain power to even think about the results of that. He was getting so used to Cole being human again. It was nice to not have to worry about phasing through him or accidentally killing him with a splash of water. He was sure Cole felt much freer too. 

But saying there was something up with his rift scar could mean anything. What if the rift opened again? There was so much that could go wrong and Cole hadn’t done very well with mentioning context. But then again, he knew Cole and if he thought there was something seriously wrong then he wouldn’t do it alone. He would’ve given a full explanation. 

“How’ve you been sleeping?” She asked, slight worry in her tone.

Jay shrugged, staring down at his hot chocolate again, “my nightmares are getting worse again.”

“You’re overly stressed,” Nya told him before taking a sip of her drink, “You should try meditating.”

“I’m over stressed because Cole walked off into no-man's land without a word,” Jay groaned again, “I don’t think some ‘ohm’ing and breathing is gonna help.”

“Did you get many nightmares when you were at the Library of Domu?”

“Sort of,” Jay shrugged, “I’ve tried everything to get rid of them but they just keep coming back, often worse than the last. It sucks that we’re so far apart all the time so I can’t even talk to you about it properly either.”

Nya hummed, staring out at the yard as she sipped her own hot chocolate. The two had been through a lot, and although they talked roughly about it all the time, it was only vague. Jay never seemed to want to talk about the nightmares very often but since they were getting much worse after Wu’s disappearance because of the stress, he was finally opening up a little more to Nya. She was glad, of course, but wished he wasn’t having to deal with it. Nya often got nightmares too but nowhere near as intense as Jay’s. 

“You could use a distraction by the sound of it,” Nya nodded to herself before turning to look at him with a soft gaze, “Why don’t you join Lloyd and I for a few days? Saves waiting around for Cole.”

He knew what she was trying to say. She didn’t want to leave him here on his own because she didn’t trust he wouldn’t take care of himself. He wasn’t stupid, he knew not to sit outside until he got hypothermia, or to not eat, or whatever, but he couldn’t blame her for thinking it. And besides, it was a nice invitation. 

But he knew better than to walk off and leave his partner.

He shook his head, “Thanks but I should probably wait for him, no matter how much I’d loooove to spend more time with you.”

Nya chuckled lightly, “Okay, well if you change your mind, just give me a call.”

Hopefully things wouldn’t be awkward between Jay and Cole when Cole eventually got back. Though it was hard to tell when a few days after Cole had left, Jay still felt bitter. Not to mention all of this was just stressing him out more.

He hoped all of this was worth it and Cole managed to find out what was up with his scar. He hoped he was safe. He hoped he wouldn’t have to be on his own at the temple for long.

Chapter Text

Warm nights were what Cole despised the most. He loved the winter, the snowy morning walks and frosty grass, there was something so refreshing about it. He’d always take a hot chocolate, sometimes listen to his music or be accompanied by one of the other ninja. He never understood why but he just loved it so much when he was a child. Perhaps it was because of his connection to the earth.

Either way, he hated the warmth and how uncomfortable it made him. He was a pretty muscular guy, everyone told him it was because of that, but Cole just assumed it was due to his element and the ground being warmer. Oftentimes, he wondered if the same happened with the other ninja. If Kai felt more stressed or cold when winter hit. Or if Zane was uncomfortable in the warmth. What if Nya felt dehydrated when there was no humidity? And what about Jay with storms?

There was still so much they didn’t know about their powers, but at least Cole knew that he hated warm nights and how restless they made him. Not even his fan helped.

His room was hot and although he was wearing shorts and no shirt, he was still sweating. The door was open ajar in hope it’d let more cooler air in but nothing seemed to be working. On a normal night, it would take Cole ages to fall asleep but the warmth only made it ten times worse. He hadn’t even gotten into bed that long ago - he’d lost track of time while watching a movie - so he was definitely in for a long night. Thank god training didn’t start until late the next morning.

He was still recovering from his trip to Nom and the battle against Clouse. He was tired, Wu let him take some time off training to recover, but these boiling nights didn’t help him at all. It only made him more restless. 

Just as he was about to doze off though, into the world of the unknown, the very faint noise of a door opening and closing down the corridor brought him back. He sighed. It never typically bothered him, and it wasn’t even loud, yet somehow the little noises tonight seemed to be stopping him from his beauty sleep. Perhaps it was because he had the door open, but it wasn’t like it ever bothered him before. 

He turned onto his right side, trying his best to doze off. The light footsteps dragging down the corridor didn’t help however, and although it was quiet, it didn’t stop him from reopening his eyes and watching as the culprit passed his room. They hadn’t seemed to notice Cole’s door open or Cole for that matter. It was dark out there but Cole could still somewhat make out who it was. He could tell that figure from anywhere. 

They looked dreary and somewhat sluggish. He supposed that was normal for waking up at this hour, or perhaps they were in the same boat as him and couldn’t sleep? Either way, Cole tried his best to ignore it.

He closed his eyes as he heard the bathroom door close (the room next to his). It wasn't the quietest but he couldn’t really blame the naturally loud person who had closed it. 

He tried his best to get his mind to shut off, to go completely blank so he could drift off. His breath was short, the sweat around his temples only bringing him back to think about how unnecessarily hot it was. It didn’t long for his mind to drift to something else again too.

The shower.

For some reason, it’d been switched on. He knew there was someone in there, it wasn’t a ghost or something (although would he really be surprised if it was?) but having a shower at 1am was pretty unusual. His eyes shot open, his head turning to glance at the alarm clock on his nightstand. Why were they taking a shower now ? Cole understood not being able to sleep but the normal thing to do was watch a movie or doodle or something, not shower . 

Although, it didn’t take him long to find out the reason why it’d been switched on.

The next thing he heard was vomiting. Violent and nasty. Was the shower just a cover up, hoping nobody would hear? Either way, it only put Cole off sleeping more, especially now that he was concerned with the amount he could hear. The noise didn’t bother him anymore, instead he was just filled with worry.

Vomiting wasn’t something new to hear in the Monastery, definitely not, but with the amount of times Cole had heard it over the years - perks of having thin walls - he had never heard it quite so violent. It sounded painful. It was best to leave them be for now, especially saving them the embarrassment. Instead, Cole tried his best to not listen. He sat up in his bed, his back to the wall. The vomiting stopped after a while, but the shower remained running for another five minutes. 

Once it had switched off, however, Cole couldn’t really hear anything in the room for a while. It was another half an hour before they eventually left the room though. Once he heard the door open, he forced himself out of bed and towards his door. He expected them to head back to their room, but instead all Cole was met with was the view of the back of their head, going the opposite end of the corridor.

Perhaps he was more worried than he should’ve been but after everything recently and how he’d been concerned about them for a while, he couldn’t exactly leave it. Not after hearing how violently sick they were.

He considered waiting in case they wanted to be alone, or were just getting some medicine, but his growing impatience had become too strong. He quietly headed down the corridor wearing nothing but his shorts, making his way slowly towards the kitchen.

The light was on, the kitchen tap running. He peered around the corner, spotting the ginger he’d known it was all along. His back was to him, hovering over the sink as he attempted to take a swig of water. He wore his blue plaid trousers and a sleeveless top, something Cole didn’t get to see him in often. His hair was slightly damp but it looked fluffy - clearly not brushed yet. Cole’s brows furrowed, his worry calming ever so slightly.

“Jay?”

The ginger jumped out of his skin, turning to see Cole, but it was too late for the glass that had once sat in his hand. It fell to the ground, shattering around Jay’s feet. He flinched at the sound, hoping nobody had heard it and woken up. There was a puddle around him, luckily none of the glass had hit his feet. He stood there for a second, staring at it, his breath heavy. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Cole stated with a hushed tone. 

Jay glanced up at him, his eyes wide, “why did you sneak up on me like that?”

Cole didn’t think he’d been that loud. He’d tried to speak softly on purpose to avoid scaring Jay, but then again, Jay had always been pretty skittish. Besides that, though, he still seemed on edge. A lot more than usual.

“I just wanted to see if you were okay,” Cole told him as Jay stepped over the shards around him.

“Well I’m not now.”

Jay sighed, reaching into a nearby cupboard to pull out a dustpan and brush. Cole watched as Jay cleaned it up, sweeping the shards gently into the dustpan. This happened way more times than they liked to admit so it was a good job they had a glass bin. Cole didn’t say anything else for a minute, just letting Jay clear up and grab another glass of water. 

Cole tried not to seem too worried, “I heard you throwing up.”

Jay’s back was to him, turning off the tap as the earth ninja finished talking. He’d frozen, almost as if he were coming up with something to respond with.

Cole waited for a moment, letting Jay ease from the shock just now. Although it seemed like Jay didn’t really have anything in him.

“It sounded painful,” Cole added.

“Oh, uh,” he turned around with an awkward smile, “just a stomach bug. I feel fine now.”

He nervously glanced away, staring at the kitchen counter while he took a small swig of water. The lightning master’s throat sounded scratchy, probably due to the vomiting, but that didn’t seem like the only issue. He looked exhausted, not that Cole could blame him from all the chaos recently, but he was starting to get worried about Jay’s mental state. After all, like Cole had been thinking about before, Jay had been acting weird for a while.

Cole’s brows furrowed again, “are you sure?”

Jay lifted the glass to his mouth again, “mhm.” He took a small sip. 

Cole didn’t really believe him. He knew Jay well, especially after all the time they’d spent together over the last few years - not so much recently though - and it was easy to tell when there was something wrong. The fact Jay had drifted from him said it all really. At first, Cole just assumed it was because he and Nya got back together recently and he was making the most of their time together before any more chaos happened, and Cole was trying not to think about the possibility of Jay only spending so much time with him before because he didn’t have Nya, but after seeing how secretive the two had been and how Jay was slowly drifting from the team as a whole, Cole thought it was something on a deeper level.

Perhaps Jay didn’t want to talk about it, and perhaps whatever it was that had been bothering him over the last few weeks had nothing to do with what had happened tonight, but that didn’t stop Cole worrying more. After all, Jay had always been so open with him, especially since the tournament. Cole had faith Jay would talk to him about it eventually, but it just seemed like he didn’t want to talk to anyone besides Nya. 

Jay was a nervous person, sure, but there was just something Cole couldn’t quite place his finger on no matter how hard he tried to think about it. Especially tonight with his violent vomiting and unusual jumpiness. When Jay was normally sick, he always made a joke about it, pretending he was fine. He was usually more convincing. That and he’d at least try to convince Cole he was alright, but this time he was barely trying. He didn’t want to push though, and he certainly didn’t want to force Jay into anything.

Jay didn’t say anything else, just staring at the counter and taking small swigs of his water every few seconds. He appeared deep in thought, like Cole wasn’t even there. Perhaps it was just because he didn’t want to have this conversation right after throwing up. Maybe he’d be more open after getting some rest.

Cole sighed and began backing up towards the door to the corridor. Jay didn’t pay attention. 

“I’m gonna head back to bed,” Cole told him, yet blue’s eyes were still glued to the table.

Had Jay even heard him?

“...Jay?”

He didn’t flinch, his eyes just moving to glance up at Cole. He seemed in a different dimension. Cole felt a wave of dread flood his chest. Whatever it was, it sure was bothering Jay if he couldn’t even give at least a slightly lighthearted reply. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Cole spoke more softly.

All Jay did was nod. Cole knew he likely wasn’t going to talk about whatever it was, especially not tonight, so he decided to leave it for now. Jay was never the kind of person to keep everything in for very long anyway. And anyway, perhaps maybe he really was just sick. 

“Let me know if you need anything.”

Jay gave him a weak smile but it looked somewhat painful. At least he was appreciative and Cole hadn’t gotten out of bed for nothing. Either way, it was bound to be a completely restless night for more than just Cole it seemed.

The next few days were fine though. Jay was okay by morning, acting like nothing happened at all. If he really had been sick, it seemed to disappear rapidly. Cole thought it was best to not mention it, but he made sure to keep a close eye on Jay for the next following days. It really had been like nothing happened at all, but perhaps that was more of a good thing rather than a bad thing. It meant he was okay at least. 

It wasn’t until three days later that Cole’s worry piqued again. 

Cole was laying in bed yet again, just like before. It was a lot cooler, seemingly the coldest night of the month. It was much easier for him to drift off, to get comfortable under the covers, and not have to sleep in only shorts. Though, that didn’t mean he hadn’t lost track of time while watching a movie again. By 1:30 he was finally in bed, getting warm under his sheets and nestling his head into his pillow, trying his best to drift off.

It didn’t take long for him to fall into a soft slumber, breathing softly with the covers pulled up to his chest. 

Knock Knock

Good things never seemed to last long.

His eyes opened rapidly while he let out a rough grumble. This was the only night he would’ve been able to get a good long nap and yet it had been ruined. As long as it was important, he wouldn’t be too annoyed. Whatever it was, hopefully it wouldn’t take long so he could climb back into bed. 

Another soft knock at the door dragged him up, shivering as his feet came into contact with the much colder floor. On a warm night he’d appreciate it, but not so much right now. The temptation to tell whoever it was to go away so he could get back to his beauty sleep was strong, although clearly not strong enough.

Expecting to be met with a messy haired Kai or tired looking Lloyd, his eyes only met ginger hair and a slightly worried expression. 

“Jay?” Cole frowned.

The blue ninja looked exhausted, somewhat sweaty, and a little sheepish. Cole just blinked at him.

Jay cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing away from Cole, “sorry, I can come back in the morning or-”

Cole shook his head, his brows furrowing at Jay’s state, “no, it’s okay. What’s up?”

It wasn’t like Jay of all people to be knocking on his door. To be honest, the only time Cole could remember the lightning master knocking at his door at this hour was because of a mission and Jay had been the one tasked with waking Cole up from his deep sleep. This seemed different though, like something personal was bothering him.

It didn’t take long for Cole to figure out that it probably had something to do with the vomiting the other night. He tried his best to be patient with Jay, hoping he’d just come out and be honest, but it was never that easy with him. The earth ninja attempted to not seem too bothered or annoyed that he’d been woken up.

It took a moment for Jay to respond. He avoided eye contact as best he could, oftentimes just staring at Cole’s hand gripped to the door that was barely open - likely to keep whatever warm air was in there, in. 

“Can..” he cleared his throat again, “can I stay with you tonight? Please?”

Cole didn’t say anything, his brows furrowing again. Jay had barely spoken to him for a while and had been acting so weird around everyone, so for him to show up at Cole’s door like this was quite frankly concerning. It wasn’t like him at all. Sure, he and Cole had always been physically affectionate with one another - up until recently - but Jay had never been like this, and he especially had never stood at his door at 1am looking exhausted and asking to sleep in his room. It only made Cole rethink everything over the past few weeks.

They hadn’t spoken much before Cole went to find out more about his scar. Jay had been spending so much time with Nya that seeing him wanting to spend the night in Cole’s room, rather than Nya’s, made him nervous. Not because he didn’t want to share with Jay, it wasn’t that at all, but rather the fact after so much time of not being bothered about spending time with Cole, he suddenly would rather him over his own girlfriend. The fact those two had been so secretive and constantly whispering to one another only made it worse. There was clearly nothing wrong with their relationship, but it was still odd behaviour, especially considering they got back together out of nowhere.

Jay noticed Cole’s silence and became more nervous, glancing down the corridor while Cole just stared at him in confusion. 

“Sorry, I can go find Nya instead-”

And that just confirmed Cole’s worries more.

“No, no,” Cole reached out to him before he could begin to walk off, “come in.”

Hopefully sharing the room for the night meant Jay would open up to whatever was bothering him. Sure, Jay had gone through things before, but he’d never been this closed off about it, especially not with Cole. Though, even if Jay didn’t want to talk about it, Cole at least wanted to show that he cared and wasn’t going to push him. The not pushing part seemed to be difficult though when the concern was getting worse.

Cole stepped aside, giving Jay a warm smile as he opened the door wider. Jay was hesitant at first, glancing down the corridor briefly to where Nya’s room was, but eventually let out a small sigh - something Cole probably wasn’t supposed to notice - and began heading in. Cole closed the door behind him while Jay nervously stopped in the middle of the room and turned to face the earth ninja.

Jay cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to straighten up his posture, “it’s actually pretty cold tonight, y’know, it’s really nice.”

Jay’s usual response to awkward situations, ones where he wasn’t entirely sure what to say or do, was to just waffle and hope everyone listening would believe his waffle and think he was okay. The others had fallen for it multiple times but Cole never seemed to, even if Jay thought he did. Now was one of those times.

“A lot easier to fall asleep, or though I guess not for me because I’m here,” he laughed nervously, glancing away from Cole as he turned around.

Cole’s brows were furrowed, watching as Jay fiddled with the hem of his shirt slightly and awkwardly avoided eye contact. His breath was somewhat heavy and short, like he was trying to stop himself from panicking or saying too much, and that shortness of breath was only making him choke up. But the fake, exhausted smile on his face seemed to be dragging it down slightly. He didn’t seem okay at all.

“Not that that’s the reason I’m here because that would be stupid- but- I don’t know..” he panicked slightly, his nervous smile fading for a millisecond, “I don’t really know why I’m here.”

The cracking in his tone was crushing, the slightly darker tinge to his voice, that rarely ever came out, sounded painful. Cole wasn’t entirely sure what to do to make him feel better, but if he didn’t do something then Jay would likely get panicked more and just leave. And knowing Jay, he’d probably avoid Cole for days after that until he could wrap his head around the fact none of it mattered and that he just overreacted. That was the last thing the earth ninja wanted.

“I’m sorry for waking you up and-”

Cole stepped forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Jay. 

The lightning ninja stopped talking abruptly, seemingly frozen in place. For a minute, he remained in silence, feeling Cole’s warmth around him. He wasn’t entirely sure what to do or what to say, so he just enjoyed it for a moment, letting his mind relax. Cole didn’t say anything either.

Weirdly, this was the first time they’d ever hugged. Sure, they were pretty physically affectionate with one another but a hug had never really crossed their minds. It was nice though and it certainly helped Jay to calm down.

“What’s this for?” he was surprised, his voice quiet and soft.

“Just seems like you need it.”

And he did. Jay’s arms finally wrapped around Cole and let himself sink into the hug, nestling his chin into the gap between Cole’s neck and shoulder. 

It was warm and it was certainly what he needed. Cole’s strong arms provided him with a somewhat safe space where he could just take a moment to breathe, to not have to think about anything besides being in the moment. 

He really liked this. He really did.

He let out a heavy breath, gripping onto the back of Cole’s shirt slightly. Cole held him tightly, hoping his own steady breaths would help to ease Jay’s nerves. 

He cared about Jay so much and the last thing he wanted was for him to suffer in silence. Whatever was going on, he knew Jay would talk about it eventually, but he wished it would be sooner rather than later. Tonight didn’t seem to be that night though.

Jay seemingly didn’t want to talk about it so Cole didn’t push him to. Instead, they talked about complete nonsense until they fell asleep, but by the time Cole had woken up in the morning, Jay had already gone.

And for the following days, it was as if nothing happened at all. Jay went back to barely talking to him, being secretive with Nya, and just looking completely exhausted. It was as if he were getting no sleep at all. Cole didn’t dare question it though, especially if it were something to do with Nya. He’d already put his hand in that crab bucket years ago and it never seemed to end well. As much as he wanted to ask if Jay was alright, he knew either way he’d get some fake response about how he’s okay and that he doesn’t need help and just wants to be left alone, and in the end that’d just make Jay feel worse and want to distance himself more. Letting him talk in his own time seemed to be the better option even if it made Cole antsy. 

Watching and waiting was the worst part.

Jay seemed so much quieter and closed off, he barely spoke to any of the team unless they spoke to him first, and even then, his responses were short and dull. The fact no one else seemed worried made Cole uneasy, although maybe it was just because he knew Jay better than anyone. Recently it didn’t seem that way though, especially not with how distant the blue ninja had been.

Cole tried his best to keep his mind off it, knowing that if something was truly wrong then Nya at least knew and could help him, but sometimes the thought of knowing he could do something to help and not being able to was crushing. And besides, Cole just felt lonely. It wasn’t easy to keep his mind off Jay, not even in the busiest times. 

When on his mission to find out more about his scar, all he seemed to do was think about Jay. Although Jay hadn’t seemed too bad then, just distant and quiet, Cole still had a feeling there was something wrong but was too scared to upset him or say something wrong. That didn’t mean he didn’t worry constantly. Or perhaps back then it wasn’t so much worry, but rather confusion. That was only a few weeks ago and things had changed drastically since then. Jay was so much worse now.

The next few nights were hot, a lot hotter than before, and Cole had done his best to get some sleep. The constant sweating and worry didn’t put him at ease. It was hard to focus on clearing your mind and drifting off when all you could think about was your best friend, who you weren’t even sure was your best friend anymore because they hadn’t been talking to you. His chest was heavy, his palms were clammy, and every few seconds he’d question getting out of bed to go check Jay’s room, to make sure he was safe in there, fast asleep and calm. Maybe that was possessive, that’s why Cole changed his mind after a moment and could never bring himself to actually do it, but his concern had gotten to the point where he didn’t really know what to do besides keep watch over him. After all, he didn’t know what was going on at all. Was Jay worried about being attacked? Did he not like living in the Airjitzu Temple because it was still somewhat haunted? Was it something to do with their recent battles against the Time Twins? Was he worried about Wu? Or was it just something so complicated that nobody else could possibly fathom? None of those options seemed particularly appealing and yet Cole still thought it was none of them. 

He was just being dramatic though. If it were really something as awful as he was imagining, Jay would’ve spoken to him. He knew he would’ve. Jay always spoke to him. The blue ninja was talkative, he could never keep something in, especially not around Cole. 

Or was that the reason he was avoiding him altogether?

Cole groaned, turning over on the bed. Jay was probably fine, he was grown and could take care of himself. There was no reason to be so obsessive. There was probably no reason to be worried. Everyone was tired and worried, trying their best to search for Wu. These warm nights didn’t help. That must’ve been what was bothering Jay. 

Yet he just couldn’t shut out his overthinking.

The earth ninja opened his eyes, his gaze fixing on his alarm clock. 01:49. They had training early in the morning and he wasn’t going to be awake enough if he kept thinking about Jay. 

Perhaps a bathroom break, washing his face, and becoming refreshed would help him relax. So he eventually dragged himself out of bed, the floor a lot warmer than he expected. He made his way out into the corridor, stretching as he did so. 

He trudged to the next room, automatically reaching for the handle. He stopped, however, noticing light coming from underneath the door. He hadn’t noticed anyone go in there before, but perhaps he was just too deep in thought. It was unusual for anyone to be up at this hour though and he couldn’t even hear any noise coming from inside. Perhaps someone just accidentally left the light on? He refused to pull the handle, deciding not to give anyone a fright if there really was someone in there, so instead he waited. And waited. 

For a moment, he thought he could hear something. It was hard to tell and it surely didn’t sound like someone was going to the bathroom - as odd of a thought that was - so he did what any normal person would do. Put his ear to the door.

It was quiet for a moment, complete silence, but then that same noise he’d heard just now happened again. Was it sniffling? Someone was crying? And then silence again.

Cole’s brows furrowed, trying to listen closer, but his heart beginning to pound didn’t make it any easier to focus. 

A few quiet sobs escaped whoever it was behind the door, although it didn’t take a genius for Cole to guess who it was. Even if it wasn’t who he thought, they still sounded like they needed help or at least support. Cole seemed to be the only other person awake, and definitely considered himself to be the most comforting member of the team. He was sure they’d speak to him about whatever was wrong.

He took his ear away from the door and knocked lightly, trying not to startle them. The light cries stopped instantly, no sound coming from the room for a solid ten seconds while Cole waited for a response, or at least for someone to come to the door.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly after a minute.

Perhaps it was a blessing that his bedroom happened to be next to the bathroom. 

He didn’t get a response, just hearing someone shuffle around, followed by some slightly more aggressive sniffs. Whoever it was clearly didn’t want Cole knowing they were crying, although it was a little late for that now. Cole wouldn’t mention it though if they didn’t want him to. Last thing he wanted was for them to feel worse.

After a minute, Cole knocked again and it didn’t take long for the door to open this time. He met familiar sapphire eyes, only now they were red and puffy. Cole froze, not knowing what to do, and it seemed the person opposite him did the same thing. 

This was the third time he’d found Jay at this hour, clearly upset and drained. It was obvious Jay was trying not to make it obvious, trying his best to hide it, and maybe Cole would’ve tried to ignore it if he hadn’t found Jay in worrying situations already over the past week and a half, but it was getting ridiculous now. 

First the vomiting, then the night where Jay asked to sleep in Cole’s room, and now crying in the bathroom at 2am? This was an official code red. Whatever it was, however, Jay didn’t seem to want to talk about it or want anyone to even know there was something wrong. Either way, he was clearly going through something in secret and the fact he wouldn’t even talk to Cole about it only meant it was serious. Really serious. 

They stared at each other awkwardly, although Cole’s stare was more worry than anything else. It was clear Jay didn’t want to be the first to speak but the last thing Cole wanted to do was embarrass him or upset him more, especially not here where someone could overhear. Instead, for now, he went the simpler route.

“Sorry, I just… I was waiting to use the bathroom.”

“Oh,” was all Jay responded with.

His voice was hoarse and he was clearly struggling to talk, but his response was quick and sharp. Almost panicked. Jay tried his best to clear his throat, acting like nothing happened, and then stepped aside to allow Cole to pass. Instead of heading back to his bedroom, however, he headed right towards the kitchen. Cole stood in the bathroom doorway for a second, watching as Jay walked sluggishly down the corridor, his arms crossed up to his chest. Cole didn’t know what was going on but he certainly didn’t like it. He didn’t like it at all.

It was best to leave him for a minute though, and Cole used the bathroom like he’d stated before. Splashing some cold water on his face was refreshing but it certainly didn’t provide him with any relaxation. In fact, he only felt worse now.

Once he’d finished, the kitchen was his next point of call. He hoped Jay would still be awake, although he couldn’t blame him if he just wanted to get some rest. Luckily, the lights in the room were still on and that only provided Cole with some hope. 

Except Jay wasn’t there. There wasn’t even any sign he’d been in there at all. Unless Cole had seen a ghost that’d looked like Jay, he was pretty certain the light wouldn’t be left on unless he was still lurking around somewhere. He took a moment to look around properly, his eyes fixating on a figure outside. The picture wasn’t great, especially not since it was pitch black out there, but there was somewhat of a silhouette he could barely make out, someone sitting on the steps leading out into the main yard. The earth ninja let out a concerned sigh.

He should’ve left him alone to be honest, let him take a breather on his own, but that worried pit in his chest took over. The thought of something really bothering Jay and being alone really wasn’t appealing at all and there was no way in hell Cole would’ve gotten any sleep if he hadn’t at least checked on him. So he headed outside quietly, trying his best not to startle Jay. He opened the temple door slowly, a refreshing breeze hitting his face, although it was obvious Jay knew he was there because he stiffened up. Cole didn’t say anything for a minute, standing in the doorway and looking out into the garden. It was still weird that they were just on a floating piece of land. 

To be completely honest, he wanted Jay to speak first, but after a few minutes of complete silence and Jay sat awkwardly with his back to Cole with his knees up to his chest, it was clear the earth ninja needed to be the first to talk. 

“Do you want company?”

There was silence for a minute and perhaps that was what the hint to Cole was - that he just wanted to be alone - but it was good Cole hadn’t caught onto that because Jay eventually gave in. Cole wouldn’t have left even if Jay had said he didn’t want company. Perhaps having someone to sit with would make him feel better though.

“Sure.”

His quiet, drained tone was enough to send shivers down Cole’s spine, but for now, he tried his best to push his worries aside in hopes he’d get Jay to feel better. He sat down on the step beside him, their shoulders brushing together lightly.

The scenery was beautiful. They never really had a chance to appreciate it enough with everything going on. They liked to think they could decorate it a bit more once they had the time. 

Cole glanced at Jay briefly. He was quiet, his arms resting around his knees, and he looked completely exhausted. He took deep breaths in and out every now and then, Cole tried his best to not stare but Jay was so focused on staring at a specific spot in the middle of the yard, nearby the small bridge that towered a small stream. His eyes were fixed to it and there was almost this sort of longing, this lost stare that Cole couldn’t quite place his finger on. It really seemed like he was in a different world. A different timeline, even.

Cole had no idea what was wrong and he certainly couldn’t pinpoint it either. All he knew was that something had been bothering Jay for a while, ever since that day the ninja were supposed to stop Clouse at Stiix. The day Jay and Nya had miraculously gotten back together mid-argument. Cole had tried not to think about it too much, especially since it wasn’t really his business, but Jay had never mentioned him and Nya being close again or even talking beforehand. It was obvious Nya hadn’t been interested in him, their fight on the hospital rooftop was evident, so it made no sense why they suddenly were embracing. It was odd. 

A few days after it had happened, Jay had wanted to talk to Cole about something. Cole thought he’d finally find out what the hell was going on, the whole team had been questioning it, but instead all Jay wanted was to get his ‘blessing’ to get back together with Nya. Cole found it stupid because why would he need his blessing, but the way Jay was acting, saying he didn’t want to ruin their friendship like before, made the earth ninja realise it was something deeper. They talked about it for a while, but Jay still seemed quite closed off. He’d briefly mentioned something about another timeline, something really complicated, but he seemed so nervous when talking about it. Cole hadn’t asked in fear of upsetting Jay. He wished he did now. Jay insisted that it wasn’t anything important or exciting, just that some things happened and that’s why he and Nya had gotten back together so ‘suddenly’. Perhaps if Cole had been more worried about it back then or intrigued, he might’ve asked more. 

It seemed like Cole was the only person besides Jay and Nya that knew of this alternate reality. Alternate universe? He didn’t really know what it was. Now that Cole really thought about it, perhaps that alternate whatever-it-was was the answer to a lot of his questions lately. Even if it wasn’t that though, he at least wanted Jay to know he cared. 

“You can talk to me, y’know?”

Jay blinked for the first time in minutes, his eyes dragging away from their frozen position. He let out a deep breath, although quiet, but it was loud enough for Cole to notice it. He didn’t say anything and refused eye contact, but instead he found himself staring at different spots in the same vicinity as before. 

Cole was tired of this same silent treatment. He was tired of Jay suffering on his own, or just with Nya, and quite frankly he was tired of watching his best friend be hurt from afar. He refused to give up.

“I know there’s something going on, you’ve been acting off for a while now.”

Cole paused for a moment, giving Jay the chance to respond. Except he didn’t.

He glanced away, looking into the distance briefly, “I’m not gonna judge or tell anyone. I just want to be there for you.”

As Cole glanced at him again, he could see Jay’s breath hitch, his throat becoming tense. It was obvious he was trying to keep his composure, to act cool, but it only made Cole more concerned. Why was Jay trying so hard to hide it? He was usually so open about his feelings, even if he was embarrassed. It wasn’t like Jay to be so quiet, so closed off, especially not around the earth ninja. 

Cole just needed to be patient for Jay’s sake.

“You’ll feel better once you’ve gotten it off your chest,” he spoke softly, “and don’t think you can lie to me, I know you too well.”

For the first time, Jay looked at him. It was almost instant. Yet he didn’t seem better. The slight fear and pain in his eyes sent a shock through Cole’s chest, his hand removing itself from Jay’s shoulder. He didn’t really know why. Maybe it was just a reflex. He hadn’t expected Jay to be so upset about Cole’s support.

Jay pursed his lips slightly, his eyes welling with tears. Cole’s chest was heavy. He didn’t know what to do but by the time he’d thought of something to say, Jay had already turned away, bringing his hands up to cover his face.

And then he cried. He just cried.

“I’m sorry,” he sobbed through breaths.

Cole instantly put his hand back on Jay, rubbing gentle circles on his shoulder.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he spoke comfortingly, his brows furrowed.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Cole’s heart broke. He’d never seen Jay like this before, or to be completely honest, he’d never even seen Jay so upset. He always tried his best to act strong, or at least make it seem like things didn’t bother him, and that’s why he always made jokes. It was a mask. Cole had gotten good at reading Jay’s emotions however and caught on pretty well, no matter how hard Jay tried to hide it. Even then though, Jay had never actually broken down in front of anyone. Ever.

Cole held him close, keeping a comforting hand on him while he cried it out. He seemed so distraught, so confused, and so tired, Cole wasn’t entirely sure on what the right thing to say was.

“I mean- I do but..” Jay cried, pulling his knees up to his chest properly.

Cole placed his other hand on Jay’s forearm and leaned closed, his gaze softly on Jay’s covered face, “it’s okay, you can talk to me, you can-”

Jay shook his head, “but I can’t . I can’t even talk to Nya about it.”

Cole didn’t say anything else. He just stared at Jay with concern.

“If I could, I would, but it’s just too complicated,” he continued, “nobody would understand.”

He tried his best to stop crying, to dry his tears. Cole scooted closer to him, trying to wrap an arm around Jay’s shoulder to provide some more comfort but Jay moved, shrugging Cole off. He attempted to stand.

“Sorry, it’s stupid,” he didn’t look at Cole once, “I should probably head back to bed. We have training in the morning.”

Cole just stared at Jay as he headed inside, closing the doors behind him. He couldn’t think of the right words and it was clear Jay wasn’t ready to talk about it, but that didn’t stop Cole feeling guilty. He could’ve done something, said something to make Jay feel better. Or perhaps if he hadn’t said anything at all and just said in silence like Jay wanted, he wouldn’t have fun off. 

Although Jay had tried to sound fine, making it seem like he was just overreacting, Cole saw the distraught expression on his face, how exhausted he was, how upset , but he couldn’t do anything. He especially couldn’t do anything when he didn’t know the cause of the upset. 

Cole turned to look out at the yard, his eyes landing on the same spot Jay had been staring at before. His chest was tight, his heart heavy, and all he felt was sorrow.

What the fuck had happened in that timeline? 

Cole had barely slept. He stayed up all night thinking about it, wanting to go check on Jay, but he knew it was best to leave it until morning, when Jay was properly rested. Cole still wasn’t one hundred per cent certain on what was wrong, but it was obvious why he and Nya had been so secretive. Yet even though he knew that now, he still wasn’t sure on what the right thing to do was. 

He just hoped Jay had let at least a little bit of his struggle out with that breakdown. And he certainly hoped that Jay got some much needed rest. None of it answered Cole’s questions about why Jay had been up in the middle of the night so often though.

He woke up from what was a short few hours of sleep, ready for training. Getting dressed was the hard part, dragging himself out of bed after his alarm pierced his eardrums. Honestly, he didn’t have the energy for much this morning, and he certainly didn’t have the energy for training, but it wasn’t like he had a choice. 

As he headed down the corridor towards the entrance to the yard, he heard footsteps behind him. Glancing back, he noticed Jay, who was fixing his hair as he walked. He seemed more energetic, although the huge dark circles under his eyes said otherwise. 

Jay hadn’t noticed Cole until now, his much happier aura suddenly shifting to one of nervousness. He avoided eye contact as best he could but Cole wasn’t about to give up that easily, especially not after Jay’s abrupt leave last night. Perhaps now would be a good opportunity to talk, to get things out in the open, before the day got hectic.

Cole turned on his heel, stopping in the middle of the corridor while Jay headed in his direction.

He tried not to sound too worried, “are you-”

“Can we forget about last night?”

Jay’s awkward fake smile, although trying to be optimistic, made the earth ninja uneasy. Although, he couldn’t say it was surprising that Jay was trying to act like it never happened.

“I was really tired and, honestly, I think that stomach bug from last week is messing with me,” he laughed nervously, “I overreacted.”

“Uh-”

“Please?” 

The last thing Cole wanted to do was upset Jay especially when he did seem at least a little better than the last few days. He wanted to give Jay the benefit of the doubt but after last night, after the last few months, he couldn’t. But bringing it up now before training probably wasn’t a great idea. It’d be a conversation for a quiet time later on. 

So Cole gave him a reassuring smile and nodded, “sure.”

It hurt to agree with Jay, although it wasn’t truthful, but this was the best option for now. Jay seemed to ease, his smile becoming more genuine than before.

“Great,” he beamed, skipping past Cole, “I wonder what nonsense Lloyd wants us practicing this morning.”

Cole didn’t say anything, just watching as Jay went through the large double doors. Knowing Jay was going through something, something Cole couldn’t even begin to fathom, made him mad. Not mad at Jay or Nya, but mad at the world. He wished so badly he could understand. He wished so badly Jay would just talk to him.

Training was the same as any day. Jay was completely fine, back to normal, just making his usual dumb remarks at any opportunity given. Cole kept a close eye on him again but it was harder when he was sparring with Zane. The odd glance from the nindroid didn’t help. 

After training, Cole thought it’d be best to leave Jay for a while, give him some time to properly calm down from last night. And besides, it’s not like he was bound to get any information from Jay any time soon. 

Now that he really thought about it, Jay wasn’t the only one that had been acting weird. He wasn’t the only one being secretive and distant. Cole had only really thought about him because he was his best friend and it was more noticeable. Nya, on the other hand, was acting similarly, just without the waking up in the middle of the night.

Cole wasn’t going to tell on Jay, of course not, but he at least wanted an idea of what was wrong. He wanted something confirmed. So, after training, Cole tracked Nya down in hopes of finding out more about this timeline Jay had mentioned previously. He wasn’t purposefully looking for her, at least that’s what he told himself, but it would be great if he just happened to bump into her.

She was sat at the kitchen counter, scrolling through a webpage on her laptop. Cole just pottered around the kitchen for a while, making sure Nya wasn’t busy before interrupting her time, but the awkward glances she gave him every once in a while made it obvious he wasn’t being discreet at all.

“What are you up to?” he finally asked, sitting down opposite her.

“Researching into a little town not too far from Stiix. Lloyd thinks there’s someone there that could help us locate Wu, or at least get a better understanding,” she explained, resting her chin on her hand.

Cole didn’t say anything for a minute. He watched as Nya scrolled, looking somewhat fed up. After a while, she glanced up at him with an intrigued look.

“Are you alright?”

“Can I ask you something?” Cole was a little nervous.

She glanced back at her laptop briefly, “sure.”

Cole didn’t speak for a moment, finding the right thing to ask. If Jay was acting this way about this so-called timeline, it wouldn’t surprise Cole if Nya didn’t feel any different to her boyfriend. Whatever he said, he needed to be respectful. 

He also knew that asking Nya wasn’t right and he likely wasn’t supposed to ask at all, or know really, but it was playing on his mind too much to the point where if he didn’t ask, he was just bound to shake it out of Jay eventually. Maybe if Nya knew that he knew something was going on, she’d open up a bit more about it.

“How… bad was the alternate timeline?” he asked quietly.

Nya instantly looked up with a confused expression. Cole glanced away briefly, clearing his throat.

“You don’t have to answer. I was just curious,” he told her.

“Uh-” she swallowed nervously, “it’s okay, I just… wasn’t expecting that.”

Cole shrugged, “Jay brought it up briefly in a conversation a while ago. We didn’t talk about it and I didn’t really ask but… like I said, I’m just curious.”

She frowned, “he mentioned it to you?”

“We were talking about you two getting back together. He didn’t really talk about it. I just asked why it was so sudden and that’s all he told me. Said I wouldn’t understand and that it wasn’t anything too important, but that the timeline got erased or something.”

“Oh.”

“You don’t have to talk about it,” he reassured her.

She glanced away from him, her eyes fixing to her laptop screen. It was obvious she was uncomfortable, but Cole was sure that was just because she was confused. 

“Yeah, it wasn’t really anything memorable. It’s… complicated,” was all she responded with.

Cole wasn’t stupid. There was no way in hell Jay would be reacting to something that way if it wasn’t important or memorable.

“Are you sure?” his brows furrowed slightly.

She looked up at him again, this time with worry. 

“Has Jay said something to you?” she asked, her tone intrigued.

Cole shook his head, “not really.”

“You’re really interested for someone who was ‘just curious’.”

Cole would be lying if he said he wasn’t getting frustrated. It was obvious that she was lying and he just didn’t know why. He didn’t know why Jay was lying either. He didn’t know why Jay was so upset, and why Nya seemed okay, and why they were both being so secretive about it. He didn’t know why neither of them were just honest.

“Because I am just curious.”

Dragging Jay into it wasn’t right, especially not if he hadn’t opened up to Nya about what was bothering him. The last thing Cole wanted was for Nya to catch on and make the void between him and Jay bigger.

But at the same time, what was he supposed to do? Just ignore it? 

Nya stared at him with such uncertainty, “Cole-”

Cole sighed, “it’s fine. Like I said, I was just asking, but if you’re saying it’s not memorable then okay. I’ll drop it.”

As much as it hurt to say, and it hurt to leave the conversation there, it was probably the best option. He’d just have to figure it out himself. 

He didn’t give Nya the chance to respond before he got up from his seat and left the room. His chest was tight, his head was cloudy, and to be honest, he didn’t know what else to do. It didn’t seem like Jay was going to open up any time soon, not unless Cole got on his hands and knees and begged, and Nya clearly wasn’t interested in telling him. It was just so frustrating that even though they’d all been a close-knit team for so many years, some of them still kept secrets from each other. The fact sometimes it was secrets kept from your best friends was the worst. Was Cole not trustworthy enough? Why did they think he wouldn’t understand?

And if it really was all about that stupid alternate timeline, why were they so adamant on hiding it? Had it really been so bad that not even Jay wanted to mention it even once ? Jay had always been vocal about missions, especially ones Cole hadn’t been on because he loved to boast about it or at least complain. He loved complaining. Now he was just silent.

Cole felt helpless. 

He stormed down the corridor in hopes of finding something that’d cool him down, perhaps a nice refreshing walk outside, but he wasn’t watching where he was going and managed to walk directly into someone. He froze, watching as they jumped back with a slight yelp. Seems like they weren’t watching where they were going either.

Locking eyes with them filled Cole with dread.

Jay stood in front of him, awkwardly rubbing his shoulder that had bashed into Cole. He looked away from the earth elemental almost instantly and cleared his throat.

“Sorry. Oh, Lloyd was just looking for you. Something about training I think. I say run while you can,” he chuckled before stepping around Cole.

Cole didn’t do anything besides stare at the spot Jay once stood. His heart was heavy and his head had become surprisingly light in just a matter of seconds. That chuckle that escaped Jay’s mouth just then had always cheered Cole up, oftentimes making his heart flutter in just pure joy, but now all it seemed to do was crush his heart into tiny shattered pieces. Although the chuckle sounded normal, the look in Jay’s eyes, the slightly tired expression on his face, only reminded Cole of what had happened the previous night. Not to mention all the nights before that. 

Jay was acting okay, it was typical behaviour for the lightning ninja, but after seeing how he’d been in the early hours of the morning, how all that fake happiness dissipated once it hit midnight, Cole couldn’t let it be brushed off. 

The worst part of it all was the fact Jay thought he could hide it. He thought hiding it was a better option than just talking, and quite frankly the earth ninja was sick and tired of it.

“Are you serious?” Cole’s voice was harsh.

Jay stopped not too far behind him, turning on his heel to look back at Cole with a confused expression.

“Uh…yeah? I just saw Lloyd in the-”

Cole turned too, his worried gaze meeting Jay’s baffled one.

“What is going on with you?” it was breathy.

Jay’s brows furrowed as he glanced around, trying to find the answer to his confusion. He seemed so lost, and that only seemed to piss Cole off more.

“Excuse me?” Jay questioned, his eyes meeting Cole again.

“You’ve been acting so weird. You keep doing these things where you clearly aren’t fine and then the next morning you act like it never happened. It’s a cycle,” Cole explained with exasperation, “why don’t you just talk to me?”

Realisation hit Jay like a hammer. It took him a moment to think of a response, but even when he opened his mouth to say something, nothing came out. Perhaps it was just the shock of Cole speaking up, actually telling the truth, although Jay had always known deep down it’d happen eventually. 

“You said you were just tired last night but that clearly isn’t true. Jay, you were upset. It obviously wasn’t about that stupid stomach bug you never had either; I’m not stupid,” Cole tried to calm his tone to something more comforting, but his worry was lacing through more, “just be honest with me, I’m your best friend.”

Jay glanced away, his breath hitching, “Cole, can we not do this here ? … Please ?”

Cole froze, a quick blink being enough to make him remember where exactly they were and just how loud he was talking. God, the last thing he wanted was for everyone to know or make Jay uncomfortable. Although, maybe he was already doing that. 

“Yeah.. yeah, sorry,” Cole spoke in a hushed tone. 

He didn’t say anything else for a minute, letting himself calm down before saying something he’d likely regret. Jay was strong but he was also easily overwhelmed. There was no way in hell he would’ve heard Cole out if it’d just turned into a shouting match. It only would’ve pushed Jay away more. 

So instead, he just stared. He stared at Jay’s concerned expression with yet another signature worried gaze. A moment of silence was definitely needed. Cole took a second to think about what he was going to say while Jay possibly tried to think of another lie, except he just seemed too exhausted to. And quite frankly, he knew Cole wasn’t wrong.

Cole took a deep breath, taking a few steps towards Jay. 

“Can you please just be honest with me?” he spoke quietly, “I’m worried about you, Jay. I want to be there for you.”

This time, Jay didn’t look away awkwardly. He listened, and as much as he hated it, there was something somewhat comforting about knowing Cole cared enough to keep pushing. He always had. 

“First the vomiting, then the night you wanted to spend in my room, and then everything last night? Crying in the bathroom? Breaking down and then pretending it never happened? Can you really blame me for being worried?” 

Jay just stared at him guiltily. Cole’s expression changed to one of comfort.

“You don’t have to tell me everything and it doesn’t have to make sense, but you should at least get it off your chest,” Cole continued, “it isn’t helping at all to keep it all bottled up and it certainly isn’t healthy to keep it to yourself. I promise I won’t judge you, Jay, I just don’t want you to feel like you have to keep it a secret.”

Jay glanced away briefly, closing his eyes to take a deep breath in. 

This was honestly Cole’s last hope. He genuinely wasn’t sure what he’d do if Jay tried to lie again. Kidnap him and lock him in his room until he talks? But it’s not like he could force Jay to talk if he didn’t want to…

“Okay.”

Cole blinked.

“But… I need time,” Jay told him, refusing eye contact.

Cole nodded, hope filling his chest.

“I’ll come to your room tonight? After everyone is asleep?” 

Cole gave him a warm smile, “okay.”

They remained in silence for a minute, but this time it wasn’t as uncomfortable as before. Cole watched as Jay stared at the floor, his breath somewhat steady. Hopefully after talking it out, he’d be a little less stressed and tired. Although Cole wasn’t necessarily excited to hear about what was wrong. 

But it was a step in the right direction. 

Just as Jay went to say something else, glancing up at Cole with uncertain eyes, a voice called from the other end of the corridor.

It was Lloyd, “oh, there you are! Cole, I could do with some help?”

The earth ninja turned to glance behind him, a wide smile on his lips, “sure.”

Cole gave Jay a reassuring smile before heading off. He wasn’t completely calm, although trying hard to be, but he at least felt more at ease knowing Jay would open up. He just hoped it wasn’t because he felt forced to. Though, perhaps, even if he was forced to, he’d still feel better in the end. After all, talking about your problems always makes you feel better, right?

Cole decided to leave the conversation there, letting Jay do some thinking before he has to be honest about everything bothering him later on. Not to mention after all that stress just now, he probably needed a relaxing afternoon.

“Cole?” 

He stopped dead in his tracks, that slight concern returning to his brows as he turned to face the man behind him. He didn’t say anything, giving Jay the time to talk.

He seemed somewhat guilty, somewhat worried, but there was a relieved twinkle in his eye that made Cole feel warm.

And eventually Jay let out a soft smile.

“Thank you.”

He glanced down briefly, trying not to make it too awkward. 

“For caring.”

Cole just gave him a warm smile in return.

The rest of the day seemed long after that. Jay hid in his room all afternoon doing who knows what, while Cole continued watching his show while doodling. Lloyd was planning on sending everyone out looking for Wu in the next couple of days - which was what he wanted to discuss with Cole - so he needed to fit in as much time for his hobbies as possible. It was also a good calming activity before complete chaos tonight. 

Although, it didn’t seem to calm him completely. His mind was still on Jay, how he was doing, hoping he wasn’t too stressed about it, because even though Cole knew he wasn’t going to judge and just wanted to be there for him, Jay didn’t fully know that. There wasn’t any way of him fully understanding that either. Cole just hoped he’d sense it or at least knew Cole well enough to know he just wanted to help. 

He counted down the hours and once it hit 1am, when he knew everyone had been asleep for a while, Cole’s hope of Jay actually turning up to his room had decreased massively. He couldn’t blame Jay and it wasn’t like he was going to force him to talk, but part of him was disappointed. Disappointed that Jay didn’t somewhat trust Cole enough or at least feel comfortable enough to at least blurt out all his problems. 

He sighed, finishing up another one of his doodles. A few hours into his show, he’d decided to scrap the owl drawing he’d started a few days ago and start something new. Since his mind had only been on Jay for the last few weeks, it only felt right to make something of his blue friend.

A little portrait of Jay. He used a mug-shot he’d taken a little while ago as a reference, the huge smile upon Jay’s lips providing him with some comfort. Now that it was finished though, all he wanted to do was sigh. 

It wasn’t until he heard a quiet knock at his door, a knock so quiet that it probably wasn’t meant to be heard, but Cole had jumped at the opportunity to find the root of it. And thank god it was Jay.

They were nervous at first, very awkward, and Cole didn’t try to push at all. He showed Jay his drawing, which Jay was flattered about. It was obvious he was appreciative, but his mental state wasn’t the best and just thanked him with a wide smile - the same smile Cole had stared at on his phone for hours.

Cole talked about his show, how the characters were in a love square and it was complicated. Jay was intrigued and Cole suggested they could watch it together from the start.

As much as Jay wanted to do that, however, he was here for a reason and he’d been preparing himself for that reason all afternoon. It felt like a complete waste going back on his word now, and even though he knew Cole likely wouldn’t push him to start talking, or to even talk about it at all right now, he knew Cole would be upset. If Jay didn’t speak now, would he ever?

So he did. They sat down on Cole’s bed comfortably and Jay explained everything. He talked about that day on the hospital rooftop. He talked about Clouse finding the Teapot of Tyrahn. He talked about a djinn named Nadakhan and his pirate army, how he’d manipulated everyone and taken them captive in his sword. How Jay had been the last one left standing, how he’d been tortured on the MisFortune’s Keep. How Nya had died in his arms.

Nothing Cole seemed to say would make it better and to be completely honest, was there even anything that could be said to take that pain away? 

Cole felt dread, guilt and quite frankly anger but not just at the people who’d hurt both him and Nya, but at the universe for making everyone else forget. Wishing that it had never happened was too big of an ask it seemed, and it certainly didn’t make Jay feel better about what he went through, so the only thing Cole felt was right to question was why the fuck everyone else forgot except for those two? If Cole could remember it just to understand how Jay was feeling, he would. He would remember every single second of it just so he could hold Jay and tell him it’d be okay. 

Though, now that he knew the full story, everything started to make more sense.

The nightmares Jay had been getting were the reason why he spent so many nights awake. They were the reason he’d thrown up just because he’d been in so much shock of reliving those memories. They were the reason he’d been so distraught in the kitchen.

That had been the reason Jay had turned up at Cole’s room that one night. He didn’t want to talk it out and he knew Cole wouldn’t force him to like Nya would, because he didn’t remember. He didn’t know. Jay didn’t want to be on his own. 

And that day in the First Spinjitzu Master’s Tomb when they’d all seen their reflections… Cole had constantly questioned why Jay had suddenly become so quiet after seeing his. He’d been so ecstatic about seeing an eyepatch - and knowing now that that eyepatch would only bring him pain hurt so much - but the sudden change in his mood had been on Cole’s mind so much. The fact Jay never mentioned it and only seemed to distance himself after that day too… It made sense now. 

The fact the team were now living in the exact place that the final battle had happened in the alternate timeline too… The way Jay was staring at that random spot in the courtyard because that was the exact spot Nya had died… God, it made Cole furious. If he ever gets his hands on Nadakhan….

But he tried his best to not be angry. All he wanted was to be there for Jay, to not question anything, to not make him feel worse. And although Jay cried, he seemed much better now that he’d gotten it off his chest. Cole was certain it’d get better over time, that Jay wouldn’t feel quite so haunted by it, but living somewhere he was constantly surrounded by those memories wasn’t helpful whatsoever. Perhaps Cole could talk Lloyd into moving back onto the Bounty permanently and giving Patty Keys exactly what she wanted - selling the temple.

It didn’t seem like this place was doing anyone good to be honest.

For now though, they just needed to focus on the present. Cole pulled his laptop over to the bed and the two got comfortable under the covers, Jay resting his head on Cole’s shoulder while Cole wrapped a comforting arm around him. Jay tried his best to relax, to keep his mind off everything, and Cole just held him and provided him with the silence he wanted. It didn’t take long for Jay to drift off into a peaceful sleep he’d needed for so long.

He’d probably act like none of this happened by morning but at least Cole knew what was wrong now. He understood why Jay had been so quiet and distant. 

Even though Jay didn’t want to talk, he could. That was the most important thing.