Chapter Text
'As long as there's something worth fighting for, there's always a need for a ninja.'
That's what Kai had said all those decades ago after Lloyd's prophesied battle, wasn't it?
But what was there worth fighting for now?
These were the thoughts cascading through Cole's mind as he remained sprawled on his back; he had been lying motionlessly on his bed for a period of time he hadn't bothered to keep track of. Did time even matter anymore? He was cursed to exist forever, longer than he would have ever hoped to live. He had remained a teenager--albeit a ghostly, green-tinged one--while Jay, Nya, and Kai grew into adulthood and beyond until the passing years took their toll on them. Kai had been the first to go. Jay had passed away more recently, shortly followed by Nya. And now the only ninja left were the ghost, the nindroid, and the grandson of the First Spinjitzu Master; the ninja that age had much less effect on.
Cole remembered how he had felt back when Sensei Wu had first invited Kai to join the ninja team. He had been resentful, believing that 3 ninja were enough and that adding another was unnecessary. Well, now there were three ninja again, and it never felt so wrong.
Cole finally rolled onto his side and let out a long forlorn sigh, closing his eyes as if shutting out his surroundings could help him escape the mental torture of reality. His family was gone. Not just both of his parents, but the teammates he had fought beside and come to accept as family.
Could he, Lloyd, and Zane even still be considered ninja?
Jay, Nya, and Kai had been physically incapable of fighting for years before their deaths. And besides, Ninjago seemed to be at peace now. Epic battles and perilous threats were but a distant memory for most, although all the bravery, teamwork, and support Cole had experienced still burned vividly in his mind like Kai's relentless fire. With half of the team long gone, Cole hadn't even seen Lloyd or Zane since Nya's funeral. He had instead locked himself away in his house, alone aside from his suffocating thoughts.
Eventually, Cole heaved himself upright and stood on the floor. Though he was weightless, his feet felt heavier than lead and even with his supposed extreme strength, it took all of his might to put one foot in front of the other. He knew where he was going. A place he visited every day. A place that served as his only reason to step outside.
The sky was a soft blue, and lined with grayish clouds. Even though slim rays of sunlight reached out to him, as if beckoning him, Cole didn't look up as he trudged towards his destination. His gaze was fixated on the ground; the green grass and brown dust that passed beneath him in a moderate blur. There was an eerie silence as if he truly was just as alone as he felt. He didn't breathe. He didn't have to. Sometimes breathing helped him feel as if he was alive again, but that was the last thing he wanted.
After some time, Cole found himself climbing up a flight of rocky, slightly crumbling stairs. Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. A rhythmic pattern that he followed subconsciously, nothing driving him other than his desire to once again visit the resting places of those who would never wake up.
The grounds of the monastery, the very first place the original ninja had come together to train under Sensei Wu. This was where Jay, Nya, and Kai were buried, the three cold stone graves all in a row. Behind each one stood a statue of the respective ninja, just like the monument of Zane when he had temporarily sacrificed himself to defeat the Overlord.
Cole had been a ninja for most of his life. He was supposed to be hardened and tough. But his vision blurred as he stumbled towards the graves and collapsed to his knees. Despite being a ghost, he still felt a raw ache in his chest where his heart would be. All the memories of times he had shared with these three people played in his mind. He felt so empty without them, yet so full of grief and remorse. It wasn't just being a ninja that had given him meaning; it was being with them.
Kai, who was hot-headed and egotistical, yet cared about the team and displayed utmost courage that powered everyone else.
Nya, the one who showed him just how strong girls can be and was the first person to make him really feel appreciated.
And Jay, his best friend: Loud, annoying, and hysterical, but his jokes lit up the darkest of times and Cole always shared a deep yet unspoken bond with him.
As Cole knelt before the graves and let his thoughts consume him, he wanted to cry, yet it was impossible for him to shed any tears. He was overflowing with emotion that was trapped inside him, unable to be freed...
And so the sky cried for him.
First there was one drop, and then there were two. Then raindrops pattered all around. For the first time that day, Cole looked up at the sky. His expression of grief slowly faded into one of wonder. As if the weight bearing down on him had been lifted away, he managed to stand and watch the little drops of water fall towards him, offering to take him away so that he could reunite with his deceased friends. The sun still peeked out from behind the gray clouds, as if to represent a glimmer of hope.
Cole didn't panic or look for shelter. He stretched out his arms and embraced the downpour, the sound of the raindrops hitting the ground and statues filling his ears. He felt as if the water was washing all his emotional torment, all his wear and misery, away into oblivion. It was a miracle being gifted to him by something, or someone--perhaps Nya's soul was the force behind the rain. It was casting him into oblivion too, but he didn't care. Time slowed down for him. As more and more water dripped onto him, he felt himself fading. Maybe it was supposed to hurt, but it didn't to him. He smiled. He laughed. His mind cleared. He welcomed the rain.
Unbeknownst to Cole, Zane had planned to visit the graves as well. But he stopped on the top step when he saw Cole standing in the rain, his body gradually turning into green mist where the water touched him. Zane stood statue still, and without making a sound, detected Cole's emotions. It was like a bittersweet whirlpool of emotions; he sensed peace, relief, gratitude, the kind of joy you experience after smiling for the first time in as long as you can remember, and a hint of regret. Zane knew water killed ghosts, but he also knew this was what Cole wanted, and so he made no attempt to stop him. He just watched.
More green steam rose into the air, as if Cole was evaporating. Soon, you could hardly tell he was there. There were no pained thoughts in his mind anymore; all he felt was a sense of calm at last. Everything was getting hazy, but it was not unpleasant. It felt as if he was drifting off to a peaceful slumber he knew he could never be awoken from. A sleep he should have entered a long time ago, just like his friends had. A few more drops of rain was all it took and then he was gone, smiling until the very end.
Zane looked at the empty space Cole had been just moments before. He was gone. What did Zane feel? He did not know. He wasn't sure if he could feel anything anymore; he was just a robot, after all. Real humans could die, and he could not. He began to walk back down the steps, leaving the final resting place of the four deceased ninja--including Cole--undisturbed. As he made his way home, he couldn't help but to notice an arc of colors bright in the sky. A rainbow, attempting to cheer up the tearful sky with its colors. Zane paused to look at it, and something stirred inside him... a feeling. He wasn't sure which one it was, but it was there. Maybe he still had a little bit of a soul after all.
He didn't smile, be he felt as if his energy was renewed. He continued on his way, ready to tell Lloyd the news: Cole had finally found happiness again.
~ First there were three, and then there were two.