Chapter Text
Cole awoke in his home. Jamanakai Village, where he'd lived his whole life. Glancing out the window, Cole can see the barley up sunrise glimmering off the snow on the roofs of the small town on oranges and yellows. It's peaceful and beautiful, but Cole is a bit sour faced,"Dammit, I slept in.” He sighs. The cold mist pinches his face.
He leaps out of bed, and puts on his clothes. A black and orange hoodie with simple jeans. It's practical for going around town. Cole steps into the small kitchen. His home is humble, but welcoming. A shelf of Lou’s dance awards decorate the wall, and the kitchen is full of pictures of memories. Pictures of Cole, Lou, and old photos from when Cole’s grandparents were alive. He doesn't mourn them, heck he doesn't even remember them. He looks to the other side of the room. The trophy wall should make him feel triumphant and proud, but all Cole feels is guilt when he looks upon it. He shakes his head, and steps out the door. He has business to attend to.
Cole’s feet hardly make a sound when stepping on the snowy ground. Cole taught himself to be silent as possible when moving to prevent mistakes. Glancing behind him, he rushes into the forest, new sun glinting on the snow on his pant leg. Cole thinks, and makes a mental list of what to do:
-Collect payment.
-Get food from the early market.
-Check if the convenience store has Dad’s favorite chips in stock.
As Cole walks through the quiet trees, he rubs his eyes. He should really stop staying up so late, but his job isn't exactly a Nine to Five. Cole approaches the Resilient Tree, the one with the scar from where someone tried to cut it down yet failed miserably. Cole feels a connection to it, but he can't quite describe why; all he knows is that his payment is in its branches.
Cole leaps, grasping onto the birch tree’s branches, and makes his way up. It's a peculiar tree, weirdly thick and tall for its species. Cole assumes that's why it survived the logman’s axe. As Cole climbs, he is reminded about how desolate the Resilient Tree is. Not a single bug, squirrel, or bird resting on its branches in sight. He always forgets how empty it is. Despite the tree seeming perfect for hosting life with its tough branches and plethora of leaves, it's always been barren. No animal nor insect even skittering around. Cole doesn't know why, but it's not his business. He continues to climb up.
Once Cole is pretty high up, he searches for the tan bag he knows has his pay. Reaching through the thick leaves, he grasps it. About two thousand dollars. It may sound like much, but it's barely enough. Between Lou’s hospital bills, rent, savings, and food for both of them, Cole is stretched thin for cash. He gets a job every other month if he's lucky. Sadly, there's not that many people fighting to hire someone to shoot their ex or in-law in the head lately, but it's Christmas in a few months.
There's always an influx around the holidays, then after that it's spring a.k.a. wedding season. About half of the revenue Cole gets yearly is from people pissed at their in-laws meddling with wedding prep. It's not a guarantee Cole gets a job though. Boss likes to pick and choose who goes after who, and Cole gets the simple and local jobs. The big ticket kills are for C.E.O.s and similar people of high importance. The Master of Form gets many of those jobs, as she can morph their body to look like anyone. Cole doesn't know her name, but is awfully jealous of them. Elemental powers, and being a top tier assassin? And she gets paid extra for how quick and clean she is? Lucky duck. Cole’s family is one with the masses: Elementally Powerless.
It's strange that there aren't more people with Elemental Powers. The transfer is genetic, so why don't people who possess Elemental Power just have a truckload of kids to give the future generation more protectors? Do elemental powers work like blue eyes or something? They have got to be a dominant gene, right? And what if an Elemental Master decides not to have kids? Does that mean that element just dies off? Can it be transferred via blood? Spit? Some kind of venom like a snake? Cole doesn't know. He’d guess it's probably some important information one would find in a library, but sadly there's not one for miles around Jamanakai Village. Oh well, not his problem. It's not like he could do anything with elements anyways. You're born with Elemental Power, and Cole wasn't in the lucky less-than one percent. Cole begins to climb down the tree, lost in thought as he steps off the trunk.
He pulls up his hood to fend off the cold of the early morning, and tucks the bag into his pocket. Walking into town, the sound of merchants setting up their stalls. If you come in the morning, you can get the best goods for cheaper. Sure, later in the day is cheapest, but the best produce has already been picked off.
Cole goes from stall to stall picking out bread, vegetables, and other staples. Should I get butter? Nah, didn't Dad’s doctor say he should avoid extra fat? As Cole makes his way over to the rice man from the Village in the Valley, he notices advertisements for local small businesses. Steep Wisdom’s having a big sale on tea and coffee. Cole is running low on tea leaves… and Lou adores green tea. He makes a mental note and continues to the rice stall.
“Three bags please,” Cole slides over the necessary payment onto the counter to the woman on the other side of the stall.
She collects the cash, and brings out three heavy bags of grain, “I’d like to warn you that I may not be able to make the journey back for longer than usual, I'd advise you to get a little extra.”
“For how long?”
“About three months.”
“Why so long? And I’ll take another three bags,” A little out of budget, but Cole won't have to buy rice next time, so it evens out. He digs up the correct amount out of his bag.
“Why aren't you the curious one—There's been a strange force destroying homes back in the village, and I need to help with repairs. I know a little bit of carpentry, so it's vital that I'm there.” The woman says monotonously in her country-esque accent.
“Dark force? Do you know what it is?”
“No, but it's not my problem. We’ve already called upon elemental masters to deal with it, but they won't arrive till next next week. Something about a conflict in the desert. Although the Elemental Master of Water is native there, she's been out at the conflict, and her husband is busy ruling the kingdom. We’ve been advised to stay in the village and try to keep up with business as usual.” She hands Cole his change,”Have a nice day.” She says in a dead voice as she struggles to grab the additional three bags, and Cole picks them up as if they were pillows.
“Thanks, you too.” Cole carries off the bags, holding other groceries in his left arm. Wouldn't it be nice to have four arms… Cole begins the short walk to the 7/11 convenience store. It's modern, and clashes with the rest of the town’s vibe. It looks like the kind of thing you’d find in Ninjago City, not Jamanakai. Some call it an eyesore, but Cole doesn't mind it. It's tucked away in the back of the town, which really means nothing due to the town being miniscule. The neon lights of the store are turned off. Mostly younger people visit the place, and it's mostly the older generation calling it ugly. And they call us snowflakes. I should check out that tea shop later today, I forgot to get tea. I practically live on caffeine. It’d suck if I fell asleep on the job…
Cole pushes open the door with his foot. He doesn't bother to lock it– nobody in Jamanakai does. The town is too small for anything interesting to happen. Sure, there's the occasional murder of travelers—and Cole gets paid nicely for it—but it's pretty safe for most residents. Cole lifts the rice bags into the grain storage, and gets some bread out . He places 4 slices into the toaster, leaving them to toast while he walks off. He glances at the clock: 8 am. Right on time.
Upon opening his father’s door, he feels a pang of guilt yet again. His father, Lou Brookstone, the once legendary member of the Royal Blacksmiths, lay on his bed with a stump where his thigh should be.
“Hey Dad—did you sleep well?”
“Good morning, son!” He sings,“Could you help me out of this bed? Grab my crutch, will you?” He says it like a simple request—the same way one would ask a friend to grab a pen—even though Lou knows that he couldn't get it himself if he tried. Lou gestures to the crutch leaning on the side of the wall besides the door. Cole grabs it then helps Lou out of bed and into the kitchen. The slight smell of bread burning greets him. Lou always enjoyed his bread a little burnt, even if it wasn't good for the singer’s voice, and Cole doesn't mind the extra crunch.
“Sorry about the bread being butterless”, Cole says as he takes the bread out of the toaster and plates it,”The doctor said to try to cut down on fat as your missing leg makes it harder for you to burn calories. Hey, at least we’re saving money!” Money. Money money money money. That's all Cole’s brain thinks about nowadays. And what else is there to think about? How did his Dad get injured? Nope, that is something we’ll unpack in twenty to thirty years when Cole can finally afford therapy. Food? No point in thinking about something that doesn't bring much joy anymore. Cole misses the mornings where his Dad would make both of them pancakes in the morning. Strawberries and cream on top of perfectly fluffy stacks. Pancakes are essentially just cake for breakfast, are they not? Speaking of cake, Cole hasn't had any for months. Two years now.
Cole sits down across from his father and takes a bite of the dry toast, imaging it to be a fluffy cake.
~☯~~~~~☆⼭♥⽕☆~~~~~☯~
In the King’s garden, there are hundreds of flowers. Every species one could imagine, in beautiful oranges and blue hues. A long, winding river and lake wraps around and through the garden with a small waterfall nearby. The walls are made of white stone with red tiling, with minimal detailing.
A boy is balancing at the end of the handle of a golden sword with the palm of his hand. Balanced on one leg, the sword tip wobbles. The boy grunts, trying to stay steady. Clad in white linen pants tied with a red string, he's shaky.
“Keep steady, boy. Or we’re doing this again tonight until you have it perfect.” King Ray of South Ninjago walks around his son in circles with his hands behind his back.
“Yeah yeah, I know..” He says, and gets a sword to his upside-down chin.
“Is that how you speak to your father, Prince Kai? You are the heir to the kingdom of Southern Ninjago, so act like it!” Kai didn't feel quite princely at the moment. Kai’s father had always breathed down his neck, but ever sense Nya—Kai’s sister—unlocked her water abilities earlier than Kai. Now Kai wakes up at the crack of dawn to ‘train’ by doing some absolute bullshit, like balancing on a sword handle with his hand.
“Sorry, Father.” Kai stiffens his arm in an attempt to stabilize himself.
“Relax your arm unless you want to have a cramp for a week.”
Kai tried to do what his father asked, but collapsed to the ground. The sword clattered on the grassy ground.
“Get up, you have History lessons in thirty minutes, go clean yourself up. Your tutor will meet you in your study.” Kai gets up, and brushes grass off his pants. He sighs, and walks towards the palace. The tall building has towers that reach the clouds. White towers with red tiles and golden curves swirling up the tower. Bridges connect towers together, and flowers cover the bridges and pillars. The palace is on top of high mountains, surrounded by villages and varying kinds of evergreen and birch trees. Mist weaves its way through the homes and forest, giving the air a crisp and cool feel.
Kai steps into the elevator at the bottom of his tower. Despite the palace itself being awfully old, it doesn't mean renovations aren't allowed. Kai leans against the wall, and sighs. I wonder when Father will take this away too.
When he steps into the circular room’s red carpet, Kai just about collapses. He pushes himself up, and walks over to the bathroom. He quickly showers off the sweat from morning training, letting the cold water jolt him awake. Waking up at four in the morning is fun once in a while, but Kai has always been a night owl who likes to sleep deep into the afternoon. He dries himself off, and makes his way over to the closet. Kai picks out black dresspants and a dark red loose shirt. The pants are too loose and fit baggy on Kai’s frame, but that's how he likes it. Stepping in front of the mirror, he looks at his body. Mid height with spiky brown hair that has been nuked with hairspray and hair straighteners. His arms are more muscular than the average man, but not in a beefy way.
“Hello, handsome!” Kai flexes in the mirror like the corny little shit he is. Remembering his father’s unwritten attire rules, he tucks his shirt in. Checking the clock, Kai takes an extra few seconds to put on some gold jewelry.
“Whats the point in studying if you don't look good? If I'm going to feel stupid, I might at least feel pretty," A thin necklace, and a few chunky rings. He hesitates, and decides to add a simple gold watch. Kai sticks his head into the closet, and checks that his ‘caz box’ is still tucked away at the back. He breathes a sigh of relief upon seeing the red storage crate still tucked away. Inside are all his ‘normal’ clothes. Jeans, t-shirts, polos, ect. Hoodies galore, and simple sneakers. Jordans are normal people's shoes, right? A skateboard is hidden even further back.
His watch reads 9:25. Five minutes till his tutor arrives. After that class he has lunch with his family. ‘Lunch’ is a code word for an interrogation by your parents, and having to put on a smile and eat. He might be able to sneak off to Jamanakai Village later tonight. It's a village a bit lower on the mountain. He loves it there. The streetlights, simple homes, miniature garden farms, and expectation free town is so calming. Simple. When he's there, he's just another person. Father goes to sleep at 9pm, so Kai should sneak out around 10:30 to make sure both of his parents are asleep. Now what lie should he tell the staff? Late night training? It's not a total lie, it's late night skateboard training. What's the saying? Strict parents make sneaky kids. He’ll exit through the servant's door as there's less guards and it's closer to the village.
The speaker in the corner of his room rings out with an attendant’s voice,”Prince Kai, please come down, your tutor will be arriving shortly.” Well damn. Time flights when you're plotting an escape.
Kai grabs some of his unfinished homework from his desk, then walks towards the elevator, hearing the familiar *ding~!* of its arrival. He steps in, and leans against the back of the wall, holding his books to his chest. Suddenly reminded of his father’s threat of posture lessons, Kai snaps into ‘royal posture’ instantly. Back straight as a ruler.
Maybe he’ll visit Nya after lunch. Her fancy secret hideout in the library seems awfully nice nowadays. Shit, which book is the key? Iron Widow. Nya loves that book, and says she sees herself in the protagonist. She hates the second, though. Something about “They made it Young Adult slop! What happened?” Kai never understood her enthusiasm about books, but he has no plans of being banned from the hideout because he pissed her off. How did she even have time to build a whole hightech hideout, let alone keep it from their parents?
Whatever.
Kai’s history tutor is waiting for him on the fourth floor of his tower, a.k.a. Kai’s princely study. The elevator door opens, and Kai steps out. Tall bookshelves wrap around a large oak desk with a chair on each side. A large whiteboard is nearby, with a projector aimed at it in case an instructor wishes to put on a video.
“Hello Prince Kai, you're on time for once. Please, take a seat.” A woman with greying hair and glasses says without looking up from her papers.
Kai sighs,”Yes, Mrs. Misako.” He smiles a little. Hes always liked history—at least some of it—- and Mrs. Misako is a wonderful teacher. She's essentially a living history book. Despite King Ray’s order for Kai to learn about political struggles from years before he was born, Misako likes to mix in some of the more exciting history in between. It's awfully difficult to keep the prince engaged, but Misako manages. It befuddles the prince’s other tutors, but numbers aren't exactly the most interesting thing, are they?
“Did you complete the assignments I gave you last week?”
Kai makes a face that says, ‘shit I forgot’.
Misako sighs,”Prince, you must get a better schedule for homework completion. How are you going to rule a kingdom properly if you can’t even complete your assignments?”
“Sorry…” Kai’s never been good at finishing assignments. Math, writing, history, calligraphy, etiquette, none of them manage to keep his attention long enough to fill out a packet.
Misako pulls out some books from her massive bag, “Unlike other students who are just learning history to pass tests or for enjoyment, you must learn the patterns of the past so as to not cause a repeat. Unlike most people your age, your actions have a near direct impact on history. Whether you like it or not, Prince Kai Smith, you are going down in the history books. How you end up being remembered is up to you. But would you rather be remembered as the careless fool who made a mess of a once great kingdom, or the triumphant king who brought prosperity to his people?”
“Triumphant…” Kai mumbles. Under Misako’s eye, the hotheaded prince becomes a quiet and attentive student.
“Exactly. Now, can you name me the seven key concepts of history?”
“Uh… perspective, Change, Cause and Effect, uhhh… Empathy and significance.”
“You forgot one!”
“What? Perspective, Change, Cause and Effect, Empathy and Significance! That's seven!”
Misako sighs and pinches her forehead,”Prince, Cause and Effect are one principle. Your Forgetting Contestability, the recognition that historical accounts are often challenged due to new evidence showing up or contrasting theories.”
“Mrs. Misako, you know I'm crummy at memorizing stuff! Can't we talk about the Serpentine Wars, or the First Spinjitzu Master?” Kai crosses his arms and turns his head away.
“Prince, I need you to focus. I'm feeling nice today, so I won't make you recite definitions while doing handstands.Time for a bit of simple trivia as a warm up. To be nice, I’ll humor your request. Could you tell me how the Serpenteine War ended?”
“Um, all the snakes got banished far, far away in the cursed realm and died horrible deaths?”
Misako sighs once again, “No, Prince, the Serpenteine were separated by tribe and locked underground far, far apart from each other to prevent them rising up. What about the legend of the Green Ninja?”
“Uhhh, a bunch of ninjas come together to protect the so-called chosen one Green Ninja, who's destined to rid the world of evil or something?”
“Close enough…” Misako sighs.
“Its not like the Green Ninja prophecy affects me. One, it could be resolved years in the future when I'm long gone, and two, I'm not even a ninja! But I guarantee if I was, I’d be the Green Ninja.
“Well, you never know. Life flows with the way of the wind. You may be a prince today, but who knows about tomorrow? Anyways, the Green Ninja prophecy is still debated on whether it's folklore or a prophecy, but many regard it as a message for the future due to it being discovered in the Library of Life.”
“Who cares if it's folklore or truth, it’s not my problem, like I said, I'm not a ninja! Heck, I might not even have elemental powers! So whoever this green ninja guy is, good luck to him. And if it ends up being me, then I'll be the best ninja Ninjago has ever seen!”
Misako smiles a little, the same way one would smile at a child mildly concerning babbling,”Prince, please read pages three hundred sixteen to three hundred twenty five and take notes. I expect you will be able to write a paragraph summarizing the famine of 1812. And do try to use nice handwriting— you can't just give me chicken scratch and expect me to read it.”