Chapter Text
Cole gasped as frosted hands grabbed his shoulders. Harshly pulling him from his cell and leading him down a maze of icy hallways.
He didn't bother asking where the guard was taking him, he knew he wouldn't get an awnser. From the looks of it this guard wasn't a person in the first place, more like a moving ice sculpture.
The earth elemental scanned the palace around him as he walked. Searching for anything that could be useful in an escape. He wasn't sure where the rest of his team was being held. Since their siege of the palace had gone... worse than expected, he hadn't seen the others. Or left his cell for that matter.
His mind started whirling with thoughts of where he was being taken. The palace was weirdly empty. No matter how many hallways he glanced down or doors he looked through he couldn't see a single nobel, servant, or guard, save the one whos hand was gripping coldly into his arm. If it wasn't for the cuffs of dark ice on his wrists suppressing his powers he would just punch his way through the frosted walls. Even if that just led him back into an icy wasteland it would be better than being stuck in here.
"Ugh, where's Pixal when you need her..." He muttered under his breath.
Pixal, or "The Ice Empress" as the inhabitants of the Never Realm called her, had talked to Cole only once since he had arrived in this realm. But that conversation had only given him more questions.
Days before, soon after the ninja had been captured and thrown in the dungeon, he had gotten two visitors. The first was a thin man with frostbitten skin and a smug smile stretched across his face. The man didn't bother introducing himself, instead preferring to mock Cole for his capture. Claiming that if he had it his way the ninja would have been hung upon capture, but that since his Emperor was a nobel and generous man they would spend the rest of their lives in the dungeon instead.
The second was a woman that he quickly recognized. Pixal. But she looked very different from when Cole had last seen her a few weeks earlier. She was dressed in fine silks that gracefully draped over her form. Her wirey hair had been pulled back and put up in a rather complex updo, essentially rendering its prehensile nature useless. But the most shocking difference was her face, she looked so incredibly tired. Her metallic skin was frosted over and her once vibrant emerald eyes were now a dull sage, frost clinging to her artificial lashes.
Her hushed voice sounded sharp and exhausted, and her cold breath sent shivers down Coles spine as he pressed himself against the bars to hear her. She had told him that she didn't have much time to explain but that he had to call off the mission to kill the Emperor. When Cole protested she dropped information that nearly broke him.
Zane was the Ice Emperor.
Pixal continued speaking but he barely heard her. He was still processing the new information. There was no way that was true, the Emperor had captured Zane! They learned that weeks ago in the village! Zane could never do this, he was the sweetest and gentlest person Cole knew. The earth elemental had been so focused on the idea of saving his missing boyfriend from the Emperor, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to save Zane from... himself.
From ahead Cole heard footsteps moving twords him, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked up from the floor, only to see the same man who had mocked him days prior. The ice beneath the mans frost covered boots clinked as he walked twords Cole, his pace brisk and his head held high.
When he got close the guard stoped, standing at attention and pulling Cole with him. Cole glared down his nose at the icy man before him.
"What do you want?" He snapped, watching his breath warm the air. The man just rolled his eyes and tapped his blackened fingers impatiently on the sheet of ice tucked under his arm, not seeming intimidated by the much larger earth elemental in the slightest.
"You've been summoned by my Emperor." He stated coldly. Briefly glancing down at the sheet of ice with partly hooded eyes before looking back up to make eye contact with Cole. His tone threw Cole off his guard, he didn't sound smug or mocking like he had before, instead he sounded... bored? Annoyed?
Cole shook the suprise away. Analyzing this mans tone of voice was the least of his concern right now.
Before Cole could respond, the man turned on his heels and started walking back twords the door he had come from. The guard at Coles shoulder quickly pushing him forward to follow.
"You are an elemental yourself, correct?" The man asked, not turning back to look at Cole nor slowing his quick pace.
"Yeah, what of it?" The ninja responded.
"My Emperor has been the only elemental in these lands for decades." The man stated.
"To have multiple appear at the same time is rather... unusual." The mans monotone voice shifting to a more threatening one as he finished his sentence.
Cole shivered. He thought he had grown used to the freezing temperatures of the palace, but he swore that the further they walked the more the temperature dropped. He was very grateful for the warm clothing gifted to him by the villagers, even if it was slightly worn and ripped by now.
Cole opened his mouth to defend himself but was quickly cut off.
"My Emperor wishes to see you for himself." The man stated as he stopped in front of a large set of ornate double doors. He whipped around to be face to face with Cole.
"And I would recommend not trying anything foolish." He said, the underlying venom returning to his voice.
With that the man turned again, glancing at one of the guards on either end of the doors. Both guards dipped their heads to him as they opened the large doors.
The bitting cold that poured from the room gripped Cole, knocking the breath out of him for a second. Even through his warm layers and fur lining it felt like sharp icy nails digging into his skin and seeping into his blood. The air he gasped in felt like thousands of small needles stabing into his throat and lungs.
The man before him straightened his posture and walked briskly forward. Seemingly unfazed by the drop in temperature.
The earth elemental was once again shoved forward, though his body yelled at him to back out of the freezing air.
He shook ice crystals from his hair as they walked down a long ornate carpet, the temperature continuing to drop. He attempted to blink frost from his lashes and he glanced around, taking in the room. It was filled with giant shards of ice, the once delicate and elegant detailing of the room and its decor now obstructed by the crystals.
The only "decor" still on full display caused Coles breath to once again catch in his throat. Statues. Nearly identical to the ones they had found in the Formling village.
The elemental's mind spiraled. Zane couldn't have done this. His boyfriend was against hurting even the worst of Ninjagos criminals, he would never dream of hurting innocent people in this way. Maybe he misheard what Pixal had told him, or maybe she had been mistaken. Coles breath sped up as his heart started racing as his mind tried to explain away what he had been told. He wished he had never learned, this mission had been so much easier when he had hated the Emperor. Now to learn that the man he had plotted to kill was the same person he had come all the way here to save, he had no idea of what to do.
His thoughts were cut short as he was shoved to his knees, icy fingers digging into his back and making him hiss under his breath in pain.
He looked up through the curly dark hair that had fallen out of his bun and in front of his eyes and saw the man smoothly dip into a bow.
Slowly, Coles eyes continued moving up. Up to the end of the carpet. Up to the top of a large staircase. And up to a throne.
His eyes lingered on the feet of the figure on the throne, the fear pulsing through his veins momentarily stopping him from looking higher. The Emperor wasn't clad in warm clothing like his citizens, instead he was covered in thick armor, spikes of ice stuck out from the cracks and faint battle damage visible on the armors surface. Remnants of battles from the distant past. In his hand he cluched a staff, the ice spreading from it had over taken his arm and was slowly spreading to his chest.
Eventually Coles gaze wandered to the face of the Emperor. The face that struck fear into the people of this realm. The face that had committed genocide against an entire way of life. The face that had thrown an entire realm into an unsurvivable ice age. The face that he had promised the remaining villagers he would kill.
The face that he loved.
Cole gazed into the Emperors eyes, eyes that he had gazed into countless times before. Eyes that were normally so soft and gentle were now harsh and cold. Their bright blue color having faded to an icy silver.
No matter how much he strained his eyes Cole couldn't see the rest of his beloveds face. It was obstructed by a large mask covering his mouth and nose. It looked more like a muzzle than anything, the earth elemental growled slightly at the thought.
Even with most of his face covered those eyes made it impossible to deny it. This was Zane.
"Zan-" His cry was quickly cut off by a sharp cold claw in his side.
Cole gasped in pain and glared up at the guard at his side, its face still blank and expressionless.
"You will not speak unless spoken to." Coles attention was turned twords the man standing on his left. The mocking tone from days prior was slowly returning to his voice. Cole was really starting to hate this guy.
Movement near the throne caught Coles attention as the man started speaking.
"My Emperor, the rumors of other elementals in our lands have proven themselves to be true!" He said, his voice echoing through the large room.
"I bring before you the leader of these intruders. An earth elemental."
Cole stiffened slightly. If they thought he was the leader that must mean they haven't captured Lloyd. But then where is he? The green ninja had set out for the palace days before the others. He should have made it here by now.
The earth elemental could feel the cold gaze of the Emperor watching him. Scanning over him like a hawk. He felt trapped under the Emperor's stare, nearly as frozen as the statues surrounding him.
After an uncomfortably long while, the Emperor spoke.
"This is the stranger you were worried about?"
Hearing his voice again caused Cole to shudder. His words were slow and drawn out, his sentences leaving his mouth at a glacial pace. And his voice was much deeper than normal. It sounded ancient, and powerful, echoing across the room like the sound of a frozen lake cracking. Under different circumstances Cole would have found it attractive.
"Yes my Emperor. But, as you can see, the strangers are no longer a threat." The man replied, bowing his head slightly.
As the man spoke Cole noticed movement once again from behind the throne. And had to stifle a gasp as Pixal appeared. Gracefully moving forwards to stand next to the Emperor's throne. Her hands clasped together near her waist.
No one else in the room acknowledged her entrance.
The Emperor hummed slightly, eyes still fixed on Cole. His head tilted slowly, like a cat examining a mouse. And he begun to stand from his throne. The ice crystals over his body crackled and shattered from the movement, causing a small rain of shards around his feet.
Pixa- the Empress glanced from him to Cole, concern in her dull eyes. But she did not move from where she was standing.
The Emperor started moving down the stairs. His normally light and graceful movements now slow and heavy, being weighed down by the bulky armor. Cole could hear his joints creaking, he didn't want to even think about the amount of repairs Zane needed. With every step forward his staff clinked against the floor, leaving an icy trail behind the elemental.
The Emperor reached the bottom of the staircase, towering over the two men in front of him. Vex dripped his head once again as the ice elemental approached, grinning to himself.
"My Emperor," he started, lifting his head.
"Perhaps the strangers could be of use to us. Their abilities could prove a valuable addition to our army."
Their army? Cole glared up at Vex. He definitely hated him now.
"Is... that what you would advise, Vex?"
"It is my Emperor. With other elementals on our side we could spread your rule further than we had ever thought possible!"
The Emperor seemed to think for a moment. Cole noticed his eyes narrow as his brows furrowed slightly, a face he always made when weighing his options.
"Zane pl-" He was cut off from speaking once again, this time by a swift kick from the guard.
Vex glared down at him, but before the man could speak the Emperor interrupted.
"...Zane?"
"He speaks nothing but lies my Emperor. I would strongly advise against paying him any mind."
Cole attempted to stand to get closer to his love, but was quickly pushed back to his knees by the guard at his side.
"Zane please! Don't you recognize me?"
The Emperor raised an eyebrow at him. And a cold hand slowly reached down, brushing the hair from his face with a surprising gentleness.
Cole leaned in to the touch, shuttering from the cold against his skin. The Emperor froze as he stared down at the captured elemental. His sharp eyes narrowing slightly.
"...Take him away Vex."
The Emperor turned sharply, walking back twords his throne.
"What?! Zane liste-" Coles plea was cut off as the guard pulled him to his feet and shoved him back twords the door.
Vex bowed a final time before quickly retreating back to the hallway.
Cole glared daggers into the back of Vex's head as they walked.
"I don't know what the fuck you did to Zane. But I'm going to make you regret it." The earth elemental growled.
Vex just laughed to himself.
"Oh please try, it would be so interesting to watch."
Cole scoffed and moved his eyes to watch the ground as they walked.
He had to fix this. Zane needed him to.
He had come here with the goal of saving Zane from the Emperor. And that was exactly what he was going to do.