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The mood was somber as the ninja returned to the monastery. The Bounty dropped anchor and they all jumped down to the courtyard in silence. The weight of having two less people than before weighed heavily on their shoulders.
Kai and Bonzle. His brother and his daughter were gone. Just like that. And there was no way to bring them home.
What is he gonna tell Geo? What is he going to tell the kids?
Cole tried to blink the tears from his eyes as the monastery doors swung open, Geo and Frohicky stepping out. He knew Fritz and Spitz would come out right behind them, likely having stayed up past their bedtime to wait for Cole and Bonzle to come back.
Geo met his eyes, read Cole's distress, and it was like he understood immediately what had happened. His ears titled down, purple skin going pale as everything unsaid registered to him.
The kids ran past him, hugging around Cole's legs before pulling back to look for their sister.
"Cole! You're back!" Spitz hissed happily.
Fritz stood next to him, sharp eyes scrutinizing the group. He looked up at Cole and asked, "Where's Bonzle?"
First Master help him.
Geo came up behind them, resting his hands on their shoulders.
"We need to talk," Cole said, his voice caving.
Geo nodded, letting out a sigh, "Why don't you guys head back inside. We'll be right behind you, I promise."
"No," Fritz shook his head, pulling away to glare at the both of them. "Where's Bonzle?" he insisted.
"Fritz—"
"Where's my sister! Why didn't she come home!" He looked up at Geo, voice pitching into a whine, "Dad!"
And… Cole couldn't just not answer him. He deserved to know. They both did. He'd just been hoping to get the chance to talk to Geo first. He knelt down to better be on the kids' level and whispered, "I really need to talk to your dad."
Spitz pulled on the front of his shirt, little claws barely scrapping the skin as he asked, "Bonzle's coming home soon, right?"
Something in him broke at that. These kids trusted him, believed he would always keep them safe.
He can't lie to them.
"I'll tell you guys everything, okay?" he promised, "Just let me talk to Geo first."
Fritz huffed, crossing his arms. Spitz frowned, tongue darting between his teeth nervously.
"Come now, little ones," Cole's shoulders fell with the smallest bit of relief as Zane walked up to them. The only one brave enough, or maybe naive enough, to interject on family matters. "Let your parents talk. I'll make everyone some hot chocolate."
And had the circumstances been normal, the kids would've jumped with glee at the offer. Much like every other child their ages, Fritz and Spitz loved sugar. But unlike other kids, it was especially rare in the Land of the Lost. They deserved a treat now more than ever.
"You're coming in soon, right?" Spitz asked Cole hopefully, to which he shook his head. Reluctantly, Spitz let go of his shirt to take Zane’s hand. Fritz let himself be ushered away, glaring all the while.
The courtyard cleared out, following Zane’s example. Frohicky, Arin and Sora all followed Zane into the monastery, Nya took Wyldfyre to who-knows-where— most likely the dragon stables— and Lloyd shut himself away in Wu's archive. It was just him and Geo.
Cole couldn't bring himself to look at the other man as he pushed himself to his feet, couldn't bring himself to admit his failures.
After a beat of silence, he took a breath and said, "I'm sorry…" voice cracking halfway through the word.
"What happened," Geo asked. Begged more like, eyes shining as tears built in the corners.
Cole opened his mouth to answer, broken voice rasping out the words, "We— We found their… creator." It came out more as a growl than he meant it to. Somewhere, deep down in the rational part of his mind, he knew Gandalaria wasn't the one to blame, not all the way at least, and yet—
"We thought she would know what to do," he continued, voice still having some bite to it, "And you know what her bright idea was? We… We put them in a fucking box!"
Geo's brows furrowed. Not with anger, but confusion. No doubt questioning that decision and Cole wouldn't have a good answer for that. He should've just taken Bonzle and ran to the ends of the earth. Hid out until the blood moon passed.
"We played right into Ras' hands. He had that one red-head using some dark magic. She trapped all of us and took Bonzle."
He swallowed, closing his eyes as their cries for help filled his ears. So much trust in him— in the belief that he'd save them.
"She couldn't run— couldn't do anything," tears rolled down his cheeks, he made no effort to wipe them away, "I couldn't stop it."
Geo stepped forward then, wrapping his arms around Cole's shoulders. "I know you'd only do what you thought was right."
"But I didn't think it was right!" Cole pushed him away. Why should he be the one being comforted right now? He's the one who failed. "I never should've agreed to it! I just went along with Gandalaria. It's not like Zane was gonna say anything, it's not his kid! It was my call and I—"
"You just wanted to protect them."
"Yeah, in a box…" Cole shook his head, "Don't try to make me feel better about that."
Geo closed his eyes, breathing to himself. When he opened them again, he said, "I don't know what you want me to say to you right now."
Cole let out a mirthless laugh, voice raising, teetering on hysteric because… why should he care about what Cole wants? "Get mad! Hate me! I lost your kid, you should—"
"Well, I don't." Geo snapped, glaring at the other man, "I am mad. I'm furious right now. But I know there's no point in the both of us hating you. I can't hate you, Cole."
And to that, Cole had nothing to say. He didn't deserve Geo, now more than ever. And a part of him thought that maybe… just maybe, this would be what finally tips him off to that. The last straw. Cole and all his faults and the dangers that come with him, were way more trouble than he was worth.
But of course, Geo didn't say that. Didn't think that. Because he was so kind and gave people more chances than they ever deserved.
"And if there's one thing I know about Bonzle, it's that she wouldn't blame you either," Geo continued, "So when you're done blaming yourself, then we can talk. Because we've got two more kids waiting for us in there and they can't see you lose it like this."
And he was right. He can't let the boys down. Can't walk out on them when they need him most.
Not like his dad.
Cole turned away, scrubbing his eyes. Taking a breath, he said, "You're right. You… You're right."
Geo sighed, placing a warm hand on his shoulder, "I'm gonna go inside. I'll talk to the kids, you just come in when you're ready."
He turned to leave. Cole pulled his mask over his eyes to wipe them off, calling back to him, "No! No, wait. You shouldn't have to do that."
Geo looked back at him, apprehensive, "Cole—"
"I can do it," he insisted, making his way to the monastery doors.
Geo stopped him, looked him dead in the eye and said, "If for even a moment, you think you can't, you let me. Alright?"
Cole nodded, steeling his resolve for the talk that was still to come. He would not fail this. He would not stand back and let Geo tell his kids that their sister is gone forever. It wasn't right; wasn't fair.
He slid open the monastery doors, Geo close behind him and set about looking for the kids. They were in the family room, sitting in front of the t.v. with something mindless and loud turned on. No doubt to prevent them from accidentally hearing what went down in the courtyard.
Zane stood behind them, leaning against the door frame to watch the two boys as they sipped on their mugs and waited for their guardians to come back with answers.
The painful, ugly answers.
Zane turned to Cole and Geo as they peered in on the scene. "They are not happy," he whispered, "I'm sorry I could not do more to… mitigate this."
"You were a huge help, buddy," Cole sighed, "Thank you. You didn't have to do all this…"
Zane shook his head, eyes falling to the floor, before looking back up to squeeze Cole's shoulder. "I am sorry for your loss, brother. You as well, Geo."
Cole returned the gesture, responding with a stiff, "Thanks, Zane." Geo gave him a nod.
Zane left, Cole let out a breath, giving one last look to Geo before stepping into the room.
Spitz hissed and the boys' eyes were on them in an instant. Like they were just waiting for them to walk in. Cole stepped forward, standing between the coffee table and the couch while Geo stayed behind the kids. He bent over the couch to grab the remote and pause the movie.
Cole sat on the edge of the coffee table. One thing he learned with Lloyd is kids respond better when you get on their level. Not that it mattered in this situation. Nothing would make this conversation easier.
He blinked wetly and for a moment he's the one on the couch, back at his parent's house, staring at his dad, waiting for him to say what Cole already knew.
He's got a new appreciation for his dad now. For having the strength to tell a ten year old boy his mother was dead.
He wondered if the kids knew too and were just waiting for the shoe to drop.
"Where's Bonzle?" Fritz asked before Cole could even get a word out, eyes narrowed like a bird of prey.
There was no beating around the bush with this. He remembered how his dad delivered the news when his mother died. Calm yet direct. Leaving no room for false hope.
He met Geo's eyes for a moment and said, "Bonzle's not coming home. They're gone."
Spitz' eyes widened and he barely whispered, "What?"
"The people that attacked us, that were after her, they got her. And there's nothing we can do to get her back." And that was it. The ugly truth. All that was left to do was deal with the fallout.
Fritz scowled, fingers clenching around the mug in his hand as his face slowly turned red. "N— No!" he insisted, "You were supposed to bring her home!"
He pushed himself off the couch, setting the mug on the table to shove at Cole's shoulders, barely managing to move him due to his size. "You said it'd be okay! You said that!"
"I did," Cole agreed, blinking away the tears that lined his eyes, "I— I was wrong. I failed and I'm so, so sorry for that."
But Fritz wasn't happy with this answer, shaking his head furiously, "We have to get them back! We have to— Dad! Tell him!"
"Fritz…" Geo said, voice hoarse, "I don't fully understand all this magic stuff, but Cole does. And if he says there's nothing we can do, then—"
"No!" Fritz yelled, stamping his foot before rearing back on Cole, "You said you never quit! Why are you quitting on Bonzle!?"
And he… didn't have a good answer for that. Fritz is right, to give up is to go against the very first lesson Master Wu ever taught him.
But is it really giving up if there's nothing you can do?
"You're a liar!" Fritz cried, "You said you'd protect us!"
"I did…" he agreed again, feeling the weight of all his failures, "And I will. I'd give my life for you kids."
It didn't calm the boy, nothing would. He stomped away, shouting, "I don't need you! I don't need anybody! I'll protect myself!"
He ran down the hall, slamming a bedroom door behind him.
Cole and Geo stared at the doorway in silence for a moment. Then there was a hitch of breath and…
"Spitz!" Geo rounded the couch to take the other boy's hands. Fat tears were rolling down his face and his chest heaved sobs that caught in his throat.
"I— I don't— don't want—"
"Breath with me, sweetheart," Geo instructed, "Deep breaths."
Spitz struggled through it, choking on sobs all the way, but eventually he managed to say, "I don't want— Bon-zle— gone!"
"I know," Geo said softly, "None of us do."
"I want— them— right here!" he sobbed. He reached out, begging to be held without saying it. That was normally Cole's job, but Geo stood to pick him up and Spitz burrowed into his neck all the same.
Geo walked Spitz out of the family room, likely going to lay down with the boy. Cole stood to follow, but thought twice of it. He'd overwhelm Spitz or maybe Geo wanted space or— or…
He went to the kitchen.
Zane was there, sitting at the island. He had his elbow propped up on the counter and his head in his hand. Cole sat down next to him and he and automatically slid a mug in front of Cole's face. "I apologize if it's cold."
"Thanks, frosty…" he muttered, but made no move to drink it.
They sat in silence for a while, quietly mourning. Cole rubbed his temples thinking about the coming days. He tried to remember the first few days after his mom died, but they all blurred together. A mess of tears and his bedroom and his dad and goodbyes.
"I am sorry," Zane said quietly, breaking the silence, "for my part in losing Bonzle."
Cole shook his head, "It's not your fault. She was my responsibility. My kid. And it's… I should've done more."
For a long moment, Zane didn't say anything, just staring at the counter. Until finally, he said, "I wish Kai were here…"
Cole huffed, looking up at the ceiling, "Yeah, me too, buddy."
"…Because he is the exact person you need to talk to right now."
And Cole finally allowed himself to weep.