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Chapter Text

Leaving Shintaro is one of the hardest things Cole has ever done. Vania, the Uply, and the memory of his mother all seem to pull at him as the Bounty flies away. He watches Shintaro fade slowly into the Horizon and watches even long after it’s gone. Down in the deepest depths of that mountain, he had felt closer to his mother than he has since… since she was alive. He could almost feel her arms around him, hear her voice speaking to him. It hurts now, to leave such a strong connection behind. But, ninja never quit and ninja never stay still for long. They have no real destination in mind but Master Wu has made a list of places for them to stop along the way home. And, despite the growing distance between himself and Shintaro, Cole still feels closer to his mom than he did before all this. Maybe it was seeing the earth temple… or maybe it was the Burst, either way he’s definitely more connected to her- to her power, than he ever has been.

He’s still a little tired from the battle, and the Burst, he thinks with a quiet chuckle to himself. As awesome as that was, he’s probably not going to use it too often in battle. It’ll be reserved for emergencies only.

Cole yawns, and, despite it barely being 3 in the afternoon, he leaves the railing and wanders below deck to find his quarters. They all still sleep in one bunk room but since it’s so early, Cole is relieved to find it empty. He toes off his shoes and hangs his shoulder armor up before crawling under the sheets. The warmth of them envelops him and he’s asleep almost instantly.

__________________________________________________

Some time later, Cole awakes. It takes him a moment to process that he’s decidedly less comfortable than he was when he fell asleep. The mild headache he’s been ignoring has now evolved into a full blown migraine. His vision swims when he tries to sit up on shaking arms. Confused, Cole falls back against his pillows.

Is he hurt? Did something happen that he forgot about? But- no, they’re still just wandering around Ninjago, steering clear of anything too dangerous. There’s nothing he could get hurt by. Right?

He tries again to rise and this time, manages it. Once he’s upright however, his breath catches on something in his chest and a deep cough explodes out of him. It burns his chest as he hacks and struggles to take in a breath. Spots grow in his vision and he would have fallen back if it was not for the hands that seemingly come out of nowhere. Strong hands that wrap around his shoulders and keep him upright. Cole squeezes his eyes shut but leans into the person anyway. Between coughs, he gets the faint smell of spicy chips and Nya’s perfume. Jay must have woken up when he heard Cole coughing and come to help him. Thank the Master.

When at last, after what felt like hours of coughing his lungs to shreds, the fit passes. Cole wheezes against Jay for a few more moments, gathering his strength before he pushes himself upright again. His head swims but he pointedly ignores it.

“Cole, buddy, are you okay?” Jay’s voice comes out squeaky, like it does when he’s really scared. It pangs something in Cole’s chest to know that he’s the one scaring him.

“Yeah,” He grumbles, surprised by how gravely his voice comes out. “Probably just got something caught in my throat.”

Jay frowns, crossing his arms over his chest. “You are a terrible liar, my friend. Now spill, before I go and call the others down here.”

Cole raises his arms and puts his palms out in surrender. “No, no that’s not necessary!”

“Then tell me why you’re coughing up a lung in the middle of the night!”

Cole frowns and turns his gaze to the little window beside the bunks. Sure enough, it’s dark now but thankfully not late enough for everyone to be asleep. That saves him from the others all worrying about him. LIke Jay is doing now.

“I don’t know!” He coughs again, only once this time. “I took a nap because I felt a headache coming on and when I woke up you were here.”

Jay’s frown deepens. Despite his friend’s usual light-heartedness, seeing Jay so serious is never a good thing.

“You’re sick,” he states, like it’s obvious. “I’m gonna get Master Wu. Until I get back, stay in bed.”

Jay leaves without another word but Cole waits until the door closes behind him to roll his eyes. He’s not five; he can take care of himself. He clambers to his feet, despite the darkness growing at the edge of his vision and the rattling cough that returns. A good, hot shower will help, he knows it. All that steam will get whatever gunk out of his lungs and do wonders to warm him up.

Unfortunately, he never makes it to the door. His vision swims one last time and he’s unconscious before he can catch himself.

___________________________________________

The next time Cole wakes he feels decidedly much worse than before. You’d think that sleeping would have helped but no, it takes all of his energy to even open his eyes. Groaning, Cole sweeps his blurry vision around the room he’s found himself in.

Soft, orange light filters through the sheer curtains to his right, gently washing the room in its glow. It must be very early in the morning, the whole ship quiet and still. He can hear the engines’ rumbling in the background but no sound of his family wandering around.

Confused, Cole pushes up onto his elbows, arms shaking with the effort. It’s then that he finally notices Kai, slumped over in a chair beside his bunk. He’s fallen halfway out of it in his sleep, his chin resting against his chest and his arms crossed as if he were cold. Frowning, Cole drags himself upright.

His head swims again and it takes everything he has to fight back the black spots dancing before his eyes. Shit. He hates being sick. Of course though, Kai wakes up at the sound of him stumbling to his feet. He shoots upright, eyes wide as he steadies Cole with a firm grip on his shoulder and pushes him back into bed.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing,” Kai demands sternly.

Cole doesn’t respond, too distracted by the strain in his chest as he sucks in ragged breaths. He feels like he just ran for hours rather than simply stood up. It’s truly a testament to how weak he must be that Kai would be able to push him down. Usually Cole’s much stronger than him, lava arm or not.

“Easy, Cole. C’mon, just breathe.”

Kai’s voice is pinched, too quiet, and it stirs some deep feeling inside Cole. He’s never heard him sound like that before. It takes far too long for Cole to regain his breath and by the end of it he feels completely scraped clean, weaker than he has ever felt before. What’s happening?

“You back with us, buddy?”

Cole manages to nod, even with all of his energy nearly spent. His head pounds in tune to his heart racing and it’s all he can do to not moan at the waves of pain. At the same time, he can hardly think. His head is far too blurry and foggy to really piece together what’s wrong and why he feels like this. It just feels wrong and, if he’s completely honest, terrifying. Is he dying?

“Kai,” he groans, leaning further into his arms. “What’s happening?”

Kai’s hand rubs soothing circles along his back. He’s uncharacteristically quiet.

“Kai…”

“We don’t know.”

Cole finds a little more energy and pushes himself upright. “What do you mean you don’t know?”

He turns his head to look at his friend. Kai’s looking at him with an unreadable expression but his eyes are just a bit too wet to bring Cole any comfort.

“Kai,” he says as sternly as he can.

“We don't know,” Kai says quickly. “But! But, master Wu and Pixal and Lloyd’s mom are all looking into it, okay?”

“So I’m just… sick?”

Kai shrugs, “Yeah. It’s like a cold… or uh- shit how did Nya put it? Like an- an infection in your lungs. Except there’s nothing there. So Wu and the others are looking into it. And meanwhile, I’m watching over you.”

Kai puts both arms on Cole’s shoulders. “We won’t let anything bad happen to you, okay?”

Despite the fear that all of that brings… mysterious illnesses are not something he likes thinking about, Cole can’t lie and say that he’s not relieved Kai is here. For all his flaunting and annoying personality, Kai’s a good friend. Though he’d probably never let Cole say this to his face.

“Okay,” he agrees after a moment. “Help me back into bed, then? I dunno if I can do it on my own.”

“Course buddy, that’s what I’m here for.”

Kai all but carries him back to bed but by the time he’s under the covers again, Cole’s far too exhausted to care about any future bullying that’ll come from this. He drifts off again to the sound of Kai fidgeting around their bunk room and hopes that when he wakes, Master Wu will have answers. And hopefully a cure.

Chapter Text

Kai is woken from a half-doze by a quiet knock on the door frame. He slowly unwinds himself from the awkward positioning he’d managed to get in the chair and turns his head towards the sound. Nya stands in the doorway, Master Wu behind her. She puts a finger over her lips and motions for him to follow her. He turns to look at Cole. He’s breathing a little easier but there’s still that worrying catch at the end of his exhales.

“He’ll be okay,” Nya says, now by his side. “We just need to let you know what we found.”

Reluctantly, Kai follows them out onto the deck. The other ninja are all sitting in a rough circle, as if they were waiting on him. It’s so late that the first saturations of blue are beginning to fill the edges of the horizon. The Bounty’s engines hum, familiar, under his feet.

Lloyd is the first to stand when they arrive, wringing his hands nervously. He’s in his pajamas but doesn’t look like he’s even tried to go to sleep yet. Next to him is Jay. Now, he looks like he did sleep but not very well. His already usually messy hair sticks up in every direction. Tiny sparks of static electricity spark along his hands.

Meanwhile, Zane and Pixal are talking quietly, just a little aways from everyone else. There’s a medical book between them and Kai can hear their processors whirling.

“So do we know what’s wrong with him,” Lloyd says, breaking the silence.

Kai turns to Master Wu, who looks briefly to Nya before he answers. It makes the pit in Kai’s stomach harden a little more.

“After hours of research…. Yes, we do know what’s causing this strange illness in Cole.”

”Well spit it out then,” Jay interjects nervously.

But Master Wu takes a moment and, any other time, Kai would roll his eyes at the dramatics of it all. But right now? With his best friend’s life at stake and his Master hesitating it can only mean something bad.

An old instinct inside him screams at him to run. If he runs back downstairs and watches over Cole, whatever Master Wu says won’t be able to hurt him. Because he won’t know about it.

Kai doesn’t run, of course, but his chest hurts as he waits for Master Wu to spit it out.

“I assume you are all familiar by now with the story of how Lily defeated Grief Bringer?”

They all nod and a few scattered ‘yeah’ ‘s fill the deck. Kai stays silent, his mind scrambling to try and figure out what that would have to do with this.

Master Wu folds his hands around his staff and tilts his head down. “And you are all aware that she died when Cole was very young.”

”Master,” Lloyd cuts in, gently. “What does this have to do with Cole being sick now?”

Master Wu sighs. “Lilly was a dear friend of mine. We trained together and, even after she left behind her life as a ninja, we remained close friends. I knew of her illness before she told Lou. She told me that she was unsure of the exact origin of it but that she was certain it was no normal illness. Lilly fought it for a long time, longer than I think Cole knew. Ultimately, she passed before we were able to find out much about it.”

The deck is quiet for a long moment after Master Wu finishes. Kai can still hear Cole, all those years ago, opening up to him for the first time about his parents. It was right before he found his true potential and they realized that his strained relationship with his father after his mother’s death, was what was holding him back.

In the back of his mind, Kai can almost piece together what Master Wu is getting at. But he hopes to god that he’s wrong.

Master Wu lifts his head and looks around to each of the ninja. Zane and Pixal have stopped their research to listen, though the looks on their faces suggest their processors have already worked through and found the answer Wu is about to tell them.

“I have yet to see another illness quite like what Lilly went through. Not until today. Cole’s symptoms match her’s entirely and well, there is only one line of direct connection.”

”Shintaro,” Kai answers, voice hollow.

“Yes.”

”We ran all of the data available six times over,” Supplies Zane. “It is the only common denominator, as we have Cole’s medical records on file and would already know about any genetic or hereditary illnesses that might affect him.”

”So, let me get this straight,” Lloyd says. “You’re saying that something in Shintaro made Cole’s mom sick and is now making him sick too?”

“You gotta admit,” Jay interrupts. “That sounds ridiculous.”

”Be that as it may, those are the facts. I have already re-routed us back to Shintaro, where I hope we will be able to find some answers,"says Wu.

“Wait,” Kai finally speaks up. “If the city is what’s making Cole sick then why are we going back? Shouldn’t we get as far away as possible?”

“I do not believe that it is the city itself causing his illness. More likely, it is something else and, if we keep him on the Bounty then he should be safe while we investigate any leads.”

“That sounds like a big if,” Kai says hoarsely.

His hands shake and every instinct inside him insists that bringing Cole back to Shintaro will only make things worse. But he bites it down, squeezing his fists in some attempt to relax. Master Wu wouldn’t put Cole in danger, not like that.

“It might comfort you to know that my models suggest a .01% chance that it is the city of Shintaro itself causing Cole’s illness. It is far more likely that it is some external factor at play.” It does comfort Kai, at least a little, but he just nods. It’s hard to argue with a nindroid.

“Okay,” he says at last. “How far are we from the city, then?”

”We should arrive by morning,” Answers Pixal. “I suggest that we all get some rest in preparation for our arrival. We will have much to do in the morning.”

“One of us has to stay up and watch over Cole.”

”Yeah,” Kai chimes in. “Lloyd’s right. We can’t just leave him alone like this.”

”It is alright, Kai,” Zane says, his voice soft. “I do not require sleep, therefore I am best optimized to monitor Cole through the rest of the night. He will be in good hands while the rest of you get some much needed sleep.”

Kai has half a mind to argue but, traitorously, he yawns. Zane is right, he’s exhausted. He doubts that he’ll be able to actually fall asleep but maybe laying down for a little while will help as well.

Just like that, everyone mumbles their goodnights and heads towards the bunks. Kai catches Nya’s eyes as they walk down the hall. She’s uncharacteristically quiet. He bumps his shoulder into her’s.

“You alright? You didn’t say anything that whole time.”

“Huh?” She asks, looking over to Kai as if she just noticed he was there. “Yeah, I’m just tired. I spent hours going over the research with Zane and Pixal. And… I’m worried about Cole.”

Kai takes a deep breath. “Me too. But, I wouldn’t worry. Cole’s strong and, besides, he’s got all of us looking out for him. If anyone in the world can find the cure, it’s us.”

Nya, at last, smiles. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Aren’t I always?”

This time, it’s her turn to bump her shoulder into his.

Chapter Text

By the time that the Bounty is docked, Cole has managed to drag himself out of his bed and slowly make his way above deck. The sky is bright and the air is crisp enough that he regrets not grabbing a blanket on his way up. He leans against the railing, recovering his strength and enjoying the view. He didn’t think he’d get to see Shintaro again so soon. If anything, he’d expected it to be at least a few years before he returned and took Vania up on her promise.

And yet, here he is.

The ninja filled him a little when he woke up late this morning. They believe that whatever is wrong with him is tied, somehow, to Shintaro. It was a very strange conversation, seeing them all so solemn. As if he’s about to keel over at any moment. So what if his legs are shaking from the short walk to the upper deck and so what if his voice is hoarse from coughing in his sleep? Everyone gets sick. It doesn’t mean that- that it is something worse. Right?

When he’d insisted just as much to Zane this morning, he hadn’t really responded. He was oddly quiet, more so than normal. There is definitely something else that the ninja just aren’t telling him. Cole just isn’t sure what it is. He isn’t even totally sure he wants to know.

“Ah!” Says Lloyd as he comes above deck, a hoodie thrown over his arm. “There you are. We’ve been looking for you.”

“We docked. I came out for some fresh air.”

Lloyd gives him a placating smile and hands him the hoodie. “It’s too cold to be out here without a jacket. Do you need help?”

”No,” Cole says quickly. “I’m sick, Lloyd. Not dying. I can put a hoodie on by myself.”

If he sounds too grouchy, Lloyd doesn’t comment on it. Which only makes Cole worry more.

“Seriously, what’s with the looks you’re giving me? It is just a cold, Lloyd. I’m fine.”

Lloyd looks away, his tired, green eyes scanning the horizon. He looks older than his actual age for a short, rare moment but he glances back to Cole too soon for him to bring it up. Or tease him about it.

”Yeah. I know.” He puts on a smile. “This is just for safety. We’d rather you recover somewhere on land rather than flying around, you know?”

”Thanks. I- I do really appreciate all you guys are doing.”

Lloyd’s smile is a little more genuine now and he doesn’t interfere as Cole slips the hoodie over his head. He has to admit, it is warmer.

And, yeah, he does know that Lloyd and the others don’t believe this is just some cold. He’s heard them whispering and, while he couldn’t make out any specific words, he knows that something is up. Whenever any of them are sick or injured, a fairly often occurrence, they never really stop on land unless it’s something bad. The last time he can remember is back when Harumi resurrected Garmadon. After his and Lloyd’s battle, the kid had been too hurt for them to really handle. They’d needed Mistake’s help to save him.

Cole can’t help but wonder what on earth could be so bad that they can’t even tell him about it.

Nevertheless, he’s quickly pulled from such thoughts as they disembark the Bounty. Vania’s royal guards are waiting for them, patient as Jay keeps a steadying hand on Cole’s back. His legs shake with each step but he manages to keep his footing. Around him, the city bustles with Geckles, Munce, and Shintarians as they go about their days. Some, mainly those who used to live solely below the mountain, wave as the ninja pass. Cole smiles and makes sure to wave at them all in return. It’s really good to see them being able to go back to a normal that they haven't had since his mother was alive.

At last, they arrive at the palace once more. The large, ornate white doors swing open and the group enters into the throne room. Vania stands at the base of her throne, her casual robes falling elegantly to the floor. Cole smiles as she beckons them inside.

“Welcome back to our humble city, brave ninja!”

“It’s good to be back, Queen Vania,” Lloyd greets, bowing.

The other ninja follow suit, bowing and saying their own greetings. Vania smiles but Cole can feel her eyes boring into him. Everyone in the room already knows why they are here, why do they act as if it is a secret? Or, more likely, maybe Cole just needs to go back to sleep. He’s not usually so… grouchy. And even though he slept most of the day away yesterday, he has no doubt that he will sleep hard the second his head hits a pillow.

“I only wish,” Vania continues, oblivious to Cole’s thoughts. “That these were under better circumstances. Cole, how are you feeling?” The last part is quieter, directed only to him. She’s gotten closer now too, while he was thinking. Cole puts on a smile.

“I’m alright. Really, it just feels like a rough cold.”

Vania studies him a moment longer, clearly trying to see if he’s hiding anything. But that’s the thing, he already knows that they’re all worried about him. Why would he go through all the trouble of hiding how he feels?

At last, she seems to find what she was looking for- or the lack thereof- and smiles as she steps back to address the room again.

“Your rooms have been prepared and, should you need anything at all, there will be guards nearby at all times. The royal physician is also available if you need her.” A subtle glance to Cole. “You’re free to retire to your rooms for a little while and, later in the evening, I’ll send someone for you for dinner. We have many friends who will be in attendance.”

”The Uply,” Cole asks, a smile already on his face.

It’s only been a little while since he’s seen them but he really has missed the Uply. He already had plans to come visit them soon before… well before all this happened. He can’t wait to see them if they’ll be at dinner.

“Yes. As well as our Geckle and Munce friends. The city is buzzing with excitement of your return.”

After that, the ninja mostly part ways. Cole, however, has a hovering shadow by the name of Lloyd. You would think, being like a decade older than the kid, would mean that said Green Ninja wouldn’t baby him. You would be wrong.

Lloyd is always like this. The rare times that he isn’t the one getting injured or sick, he always worries over the unfortunate ninja of the day. Cole knows that he means well, of course. Lloyd’s had a rough life and seeing your family constantly be put into danger and nearly die doesn’t exactly make things easier. Still though, Cole is reminded of the little snotty nosed 8 year old that’d wormed his way into the ninja’s hearts every time the now grown brat puts his arm out to steady him. Sure, Cole keeps stumbling and… fine it is only because of Lloyd’s support that they make it to the bedroom without him making a fool of himself. But it’s the principle of it. Cole is still Lloyd’s protector. Just like he was all those years ago.

“I’m suppo’sd to be protecting you,” mumbles Cole as Lloyd helps him out of his shoes.

Lloyd just smiles and pushes him down onto the absurdly soft bed sheets. Cole’s eyes droop, even as a few coughs catch in his lungs. He barely even notices Lloyd tucking him in.

“I know. But let me return the favor for once, okay?”

Chapter Text

Cole sleeps through the rest of the afternoon, only waking when Jay shakes him gently. It’s dark in the bedroom, despite the many windows lining the walls. Night seems to have fallen, though he can’t feel the chill from under the thick blankets adorning the bed.

“What do you want?” he groans, only one eye cracked open.

His head hurts, now that he’s waking up more, and his chest crackles with each breath. Despite sleeping all day, he’s exhausted, and wants nothing more than to roll over and go back to bed. Jay, the asshole that he is, chuckles and pulls off the first layer of blankets.

“C’mon, up. We don’t wanna be late for our dinner with Queen Vania.”

He half-sings the last part as Cole rolls his eyes. But it does motivate him enough to clamber out of bed. His arms shake as he pushes up and, wordlessly, Jay helps him stand. As he finds his footing, something shakes loose in his chest, prompting a coughing fit that leaves him back in bed. He gasps as it slows down, one hand on his chest to try and ease the pain.

Cole’s eyes remain screwed shut, even as he half-hears Jay’s voice. He can’t tell what he’s saying, not for the ringing in his ears. He would probably pass out if it isn’t for the chill that washes over him, so cold it’s almost painful. He groans and tries to climb back under the covers. Surely, Vania would understand if he wasn't at dinner. He knows that all of this is just a formality, really. They’re only here to figure out what’s causing his mysterious illness.

As he lays there, struggling to breathe and slowly regaining his bearings, Cole wonders if there even is anything to be done.

“Cole?” a new voice ventures, somehow cutting through the static in his ears. “Can you hear me?”

Zane’s cool hand touches his and, even like this, he’s aware he’s being scanned. There’s more quiet words around him but he’s still too tired to open his eyes.

“It seems like the fit is over now. Jay, you said that it came out when Cole stood?”

”Yeah. He sat up fine but the second I got him on his feet he just doubled over and couldn’t breathe. What… what happened?”

“Cole,” Zane says, speaking to him. “Are you still awake?”

“Mmhmm. ‘m here.”

“That’s good to hear,” The relief is evident in his voice. “Can you open your eyes for me?”

With some effort, Cole does as he’s asked. Zane stands beside the bed, eyes flashing as his scans run. Behind him, Jay peaks out, pale and too quiet.

“How are you feeling?” Jay asks, voice cracking.

“I’m… okay. I think. Mostly just tired.”

The others give him an un-amused look and Cole glances down. What do they want him to say? That he feels like death warmed up?

“I’m good now, really. But I think… dinner’s a bad idea.”

“Agreed,” says Zane.” You should rest tonight. It is possible that our journey here has been less than beneficial to your health.”

Cole takes that as his cue to lay back down, flinging the blankets back over himself with a groan. He normally hates being lazy and the thought of the hours he’s wasted so far do weigh on him, just nowhere near as much as the exhaustion pulling him to sleep.

_____________________________________

Once Cole lays down again, it’s as if he falls asleep instantly. Worried, Jay looks at Zane. He’s scanning the sleeping ninja some more, muttering to himself as his eyes flicker. Despite knowing that, logically, Cole is probably going to be okay, Jay can’t fight the anxiety rising in his chest.

“Is he gonna be okay?” He blurts and continues without waiting for Zane’s reply. “Of course he’s gonna be okay, right? He’s Cole. Strongest ninja and also the only one of us who doesn’t get sick at the drop of a hat. Oh but this is already acting like something worse than a cold! That'd be just our luck, right? Some crazy magic bullshit from inside the mountain made him sick. There’s probably no cure, you know? And he’s just gonna get worse and worse and worse until-”

”Jay!”

Jay takes a breath. Zane’s hand is on his shoulder, a steady weight. He’s scanning over him, with his actual eyes rather than running any tests. Meanwhile, Cole is still all but dead to the world. Jay’s chest heaves against the tightness in his lungs. This really is it, isn’t it?”

“Breathe, Jay. Come on, just focus on me for a second.”

It must attest to the decade or so they’ve all known Jay and gotten used to his attacks that Zane is able to calm him down so quickly. That and the cool hand rubbing circles on his back. Soon enough, Jay takes a deep breath and it holds this time. No tightness.

“Sorry,” He says sheepishly. “I’m just worried about him, you know?”

Zane fixes him with a gentle smile. “I know. And you should also know that we all are worried about him. However, while the origin of his illness might have come from the Mountain, I believe that bringing him here is still the best course of action to abide in his recovery. Shintaro is a very advanced kingdom and I believe that we will find the cure for his illness before it is too late.”

“You really believe that?”

“Of course. Now, since Cole is resting properly now, let's go pay a visit to dinner. Perhaps some of the guests Queen Vania invited will be able to assist us.”

Chapter Text

Dinner is quiet. Everyone gives their thanks to Vania and the kitchen staff for the meal and tucks in. Kai isn’t sure if the unusual silence is because of how good the food is or if they’re all just putting off acknowledging the elephant in the room. Kai’s okay with putting it off. He shovels another bite of stew into his mouth. All too soon, the clattering of silverware dies down and the empty plates are cleared away. Rounds of coffee are brought to the table and Kai takes a generous swig.

“Thank you all for joining me for dinner,” Vania says, her voice quiet and far less formal than it was earlier. “I’m afraid tonight isn’t just a social visit. As you all know, Cole has fallen ill and we have good reason to believe that something here, in this kingdom, is the cause of it.”

”Yes,” adds Zane. “We have reason to suspect that the cause is not inside the castle, rather it is far more likely to be hidden inside the mountain. Most of those tunnels that Cole took alone were likely very rarely traversed.”

”So, they could have all kinds of diseases and we would never know,” Asks Fungus, his face tight.

Kai looks around the table. The Uply all look nervous, their eyes floating around the room as they think. The ninja are about the same, truthfully. Nya’s expression is hard and she’s clearly lost in thought. Kai wouldn’t be surprised if she was already thinking five or six steps down the plan.

Lloyd is a bit harder to read but Kai can see the tell tale signs of his anxiety. He fidgets with his gi and looks up to meet Kai’s eyes. He offers his brother a smile, just a little, reassuring one. He can only imagine how terrified Lloyd must be.

Jay, of course, is a nervous wreck. Kai watches him fiddle with his leftover silverware, hands shaking, even as Nya has scooted closer so their shoulders touch. Meanwhile, Vania is a bit harder to read. Even somewhat relaxed, she still sits utterly still and her expression gives almost nothing away.

Kai, of course, is freaked out too. I mean, mysterious illnesses and his best friend getting sick out of the blue; who wouldn’t be freaked out? But more than that, he’s terrified that they won’t find it. The cure. What if it’s too late? It took them a while to realize that Cole was sick and now it’s been a few more days since then.

The delicious stew from dinner now sits heavy and uncomfortable in his stomach.

“Yes,” Zane says, answering Fungus a long moment later. “However, at the moment this is our only lead. We must act quickly before Cole’s condition worsens.”

”We know the caves better than almost anyone,” Says Plundar. “We can lead the way.”

Vania smiles, nodding her head.

“I’ll go too,” Kai says, standing. “Cole’s my best friend but I don’t think I could stand sitting here and waiting. I want to help.”

”Korgran appreciates that, fire ninja.”

”I’ll go too,” Lloyd adds.

Zane hums and a small smile passes over his face. “So it’s decided then. You six will venture back into the mountain to search for a cause and/or cure for Cole’s illness. Meanwhile, the rest of us will stay here to keep a watchful eye on him.”

”When should we leave?” Plundar asks, pulling his hood back on.

Adam, who Kai had nearly forgotten about, chirps happily from the floor behind his chair. Apparently he’d been sleeping there the whole time. Kai shivers. Adam is well trained but bugs really aren’t his thing.

“As soon as possible,” Vania answers. “We do not know how quickly Cole will worsen and I would rather be early than too late.”

”Agreed,” Fungus says. “We can leave immediately.”

”I’ll have packs made with all the supplies you’ll need. You can leave within the hour.”

And, with that, they’re all dismissed. The Uply trail behind the ninja as they all, wordlessly, decide to check on Cole. His door is slightly ajar when they get there and a physician stands by his bed. The older woman motions for them to wait and finishes pulling the blankets over Cole’s shoulders. He’s asleep, it seems, but the sound of his rattling breathing is audible from the hallway.

Once the phasiscion steps into the hall and closes the door, they all start talking at once, their voices just a whisper but impossible to make out.

“Hush,” The doctor scolds, though she doesn’t seem to be actually mad. “He is okay for now. I’ve given him the strongest medicine I dare and helped him clear his chest a bit. His fever has gone down a smidge but I will be keeping an eye on him. He is still getting weaker.”

“Thank you doctor,” Nya says. “Can we see him?”

”One at a time. And you must be quiet. He needs to rest.”

”Yes ma’am. Thank you.”

The old lady smiles at Nya and heads down the hall, leaving the Uply and the Ninja to stand there. Kai still feels sick, just at the thought of all this. Cole is usually- always the strong one. He’s helped Kai lug around a sick Jay and Lloyd more times than he can count. He’s always been like that. But now? To see him through the crack in the door, too pale and unconscious, it stirs the fire inside Kai like nothing else.

He pushes through the group, away from Cole, and all but sprints to his room. He doesn’t slam the door, as much as he wants to, but he does step out onto the little balcony. The cold air hits him like an icy fist but his internal fire burns so much stronger. He knows, distantly, that his shoes are probably melting to the ground right now but he just doesn't care.

The full weight of everything is pushing down on him now, as he realizes just how fucked they all are. No one has really said it yet but seeing Cole, hearing the doctor talk… it’s clear that this isn’t just a cold. No, his life is on the line. If they don’t find this cure then Cole won’t get better. But how in the everloving hell are they going to find a cure inside of the mountain?? It’s massive and they barely found their way out of it the first time.

“Kai?”

A cold, freezing, air blows over Kai, the temperature much much lower than the air outside. Kai takes a shaky breath and realizes, for the first time, that there’s tears running down his face. His breath catches again and he chokes down a sob. He will not do this here.

“Kai,” Says the voice again. Zane.

A cold, freezing, hand rests on his shoulder. The ice burns through his skin but it doesn't hurt. It soothes the fire raging inside him. His hands extinguish and all the fire outside of him goes out. He collapses with it, suddenly exhausted and hiccuping away tears. Zane, of course, catches him and keeps him on his feet until he’s able to stand on his own.

“Sorry,” He says at last, throat tight. “Sorry.”

”It is okay. This is a normal reaction to situations such as this. Grief and anger are very difficult emotions.”

And doesn’t he know it. He’s always the angry one. The hot headed one. But he’s nearly lost his family too many times to count now. He should be used to this. But he’s not. It’s somehow so much worse.

“Did I burn you?” Zane shakes his head, even as he keeps his arms around Kai. “You cannot burn through my metal, do not worry.”

Kai pulls away, embarrassed. “I think I torched my shoes though.”

Zane smiles a little. “That’s okay, I’m sure there is a pair we can borrow from someone in the castle. Now, come. The supplies are ready, you’re to leave immediately.”

Kai nods, toes off his melted shoes, and follows Zane out of the room.

Chapter Text

Lloyd has a strange sense of Deja-vu as he traverses down into the mountain once again. Part of him had believed that he would never come here again. His life is a bit hectic, if you couldn’t tell, and there’s plenty of places that he’s explored once, nearly died while there, and never returned. For good reason. He almost dies in Ninjago City plenty of times. No need to challenge fate by returning to the other places the universe has tried to off him and his friends.

Though, if he’s honest, he’s kinda glad they’ve returned to Shintaro. Cole falling ill is terrible and he has this ever growing ache in his chest at the thought of them not being fast enough to save him. But, he also can’t help but marvel at what he’s seeing as they venture further and further underground. The City itself is beautiful, ivory walls glowing in the distorted sunlight as it bounces off of strange mountains surrounding it. Inside of the mountain is no less stunning, though for different reasons.

Their little group of six walks quickly; all of them are aware of the time passing them by. Every second they’re down here is another second that Cole’s condition worsens. For a long time, the only sound is the crunching of their shoes on the loose rocks that line the path down into the mountain. Well- that and Plundar’s humming. Lloyd runs over his list in his head again and again. Find what made Cole sick, find out how to cure him, cure him. It’s a morbid list. And a somewhat hopeless one. The cynical part of him wonders if they’ll even be able to find anything down here. Sometimes… sometimes people just get sick and there’s nothing that can really be done about it.

Before this week, he would have cited Cole’s mother in that. However, their conversations about what could lead to Cole’s illness seem to have brought everyone to the same conclusion. Cole and Lily seem to be affected by the same illness. The only difference is that right now everyone believes that there is a cure. Lloyd, hating himself for being cynical, can’t help but wonder if they’re all just seeing what they want to see. Sometimes people… sometimes people in your life die. And there’s nothing you can do to change that.

Sure, his father wasn’t taken by illness like Lilly, but he still understands how it feels to know that there was in fact something that could have been done differently to change the outcome. If he hadn’t opened the Serpentine tombs, if he had sacrificed himself to the cursed realm instead, if he hadn’t fallen for Harumi’s mind games….

Well, it’s a lot of what ifs. Even he can admit that. The universe has made it pretty clear that his father wasn’t meant to stick around for long. Cole’s mother on the other hand, was, up until recently, someone who wasn’t supposed to die. She was taken too soon and on account of bad luck. No one was at fault. But now? Well- if they do find the cure and save Cole, Lloyd is afraid of what the fallout will be. If there was a cure for Lilly… and no one knew to even look.

He knows that if situations were reversed… he’d blame himself above everything. Even though Cole was just a child when she passed.

Kai bumps his shoulder against Lloyd’s, pulling him from his thoughts.

“What’re you frowning about?” He teases. “You’re about to explore this amazing cave system again. This time no evil skulls are lurking around!”

Lloyd tries for a smile. “Yeah.”

Sensing that Lloyd isn’t going to spill, Kai just sighs and slows his pace so the two of them fall a little behind the group.

“Look, kid. I know you’re worried about Cole. But you gotta have faith that it’s gonna be okay. We’re ninja and we never quit, right?”

Lloyd smiles for real this time. “Of course.”

“Exactly. So if Cole wouldn’t quit on us, then we can’t quit on him.”

Lloyd nods. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just- there’s a lot at stake here. Cure or no cure.”

Perhaps reading his mind, Kai sobers a bit and nods solemnly. “Yeah.”

They catch back up to the group and the conversation stays in the tunnels behind them. Soon, they reach the large, open cavern where the Geckles and Munce were enslaved. A few scattered people work, though they’re not shackled or seemingly forced to do so in any way. Vania decided to keep a portion of the mining ongoing, for defense purposes should a magical being attack the kingdom. This time the vengestone is mined by the people of Shintaro too. Everyone is given a good wage with significant breaks and safety protocols in line. Lloyd is happy to see the Queen keep that promise, even if there was not really any doubt.

The platform where Cole fought the Skull Sorcerer draws Lloyd’s attention. There’s a few scorch marks that he can see, despite being so high above the cavern. There’s also quite a few cracks in the rocks, similar to stress lines, that jut through the pale stone. Lloyd isn’t sure what those are from. Perhaps the Spinjitzu burst? Cole wielded tremendous power in those moments, it’s possible that it shook the very mountain itself.

The group skirts around the large cave and into one of the many sets of tunnels connecting it to the rest of the mountain. They venture into one of the caves to the right, their footsteps echoing quietly in the small cave. Lloyd is, admittedly, already lost. He follows behind the others, keeping an eye on their backs. The Skull Sorcerer is gone but years of fights jumping out at him has made him more than a little paranoid.

The path goes on for some time, long enough for even Lloyd to drop his guard eventually. The only light that illuminates the stone walls comes from his hand and the couple torches the others carry. This leaves the tunnel dim and a strange glowing green. The shadows seem to lurch out at Lloyd as they travel. No one speaks.

The only thing that Lloyd can think of is Cole. Is he alright? Is he getting worse while they’re all parading around down here looking for a cure that might not even exist?

Lloyd takes a deep breath, centering himself like Wu taught them.

He’ll be no use to Cole or the others if he brings himself to a panic over the ‘what ifs’. They left Cole with Vania and Zane and some of the best healers in the kingdom. And, besides that, Cole is strong. Lloyd shouldn't forget that. Not even in brute strength alone… Cole’s always just been stronger than them. Lloyd has never really known him to freak out or give up. In fact, he’s usually the one reminding the other ninja that they can’t give up. Lloyd can’t give up on him.

“Stop.”

Fungus’s voice pulls Lloyd from his thoughts. The group all but skids to a stop at the sudden noise. No one had spoken in a long while, too caught up in their own thoughts.

“What is it?” Lloyd asks, keeping his voice quiet. “Trouble?”

“No. Just some light up ahead. Perhaps it’s the Geckles or Munce!”

“Korgran thinks we should have asked for directions.”

“What’re you talking about,” Plundar asks, pulling his hood back. “If it’s the Geckles or Munce then maybe they’ll help us find a cure”

“Oh yeah. Korgran didn’t think of that.”

Lloyd smiles, despite himself, at the exchange. Kai grunts, drawing Lloyd’s attention. His hands are balled beside his thighs and he’s making a face like he’s constipated. Ever the impatient one, it’s a miracle Kai hasn’t already ran off. It’s typical, one moment he’s helping Lloyd feel better and the next he’s brimming with this nervous energy himself. Well, not that Kai would ever admit to being anxious. He’s playing it off as being impatient, rolling his eyes, but Lloyd knows him too well. He sees right through him.

“C’mon,” Lloyd says, extinguishing the glowing in his hand. “Let’s go see if they can help.”

Chapter Text

Cole finds himself waking up some indeterminate time later. He’s warm, just on the threshold of overly so, and opening his eyes proves a great effort. It takes a moment for him to remember where he is and, more importantly, why he feels so terrible. A shaking, painful cough brings those particular memories to light.

Right. He’s sick.

He glances around the surrounding room and finds it spacious but sparsely furnished. There’s a nightstand by his bed and an open air window to his left. A cool night breeze flows through the room, a welcome relief. On the nightstand is a modest pile of various medications. Some bottles are plastic and could have come from any pharmacy in Ninjago, others are contained in corked glass bottles that hint to their more magical nature.

Cole lets his eyes drift shut again, battling against the exhaustion weighing on him and the raging headache brewing behind his eyes. Gathering his strength, he rolls to the edge of the bed and manages to sort of fling himself upright. His head spins, the pounding growing worse as his breathing races. He feels like he just used his lava arms for hours rather than simply sitting up. What is wrong with him?

His breaths catch in his lungs, a tickling, cold-like feeling pulling another set of heavy coughs from him. Cole’s body shakes with the force of them as the fit drains what little remaining energy he has left.

“Cole?” Someone sounds from the door.

There’s the sound of hurried footsteps and a small clatter, then the feeling of someone sitting beside him on the bed. He leans into them as much as he can with the fit still tearing through him. A warm hand rubs his back in steady pressure. It takes a long time for his breathing to fall into a more regular pattern. By then, he’s so exhausted that even opening his eyes seems impossible.

“Thanks,” he mutters, wincing at the way his throat burns.

“Here,'' says Jay, shifting to help Cole sit up a little more. “Drink this.” ”What is it?”

“Just medicine. It’s supposed to taste like cherries.”

Cole finds it in himself to laugh at that. “Doubt it.”

But he takes the bitter medicine without much hassle and allows Jay to fuss over him for a moment. He’s laid back against a mountain of pillows as he finally opens his eyes. Jay avoids looking at him. His unusual silence tells Cole more than his words could.

”You slept through the doctor coming in,” Jay says eventually, pulling Cole out of the light doze he’d unwittingly fallen into. “Um- and we made a plan, actually.”

”A plan?”

”Yeah,” Jay says, a stained smile on his face. “We believe there has got to be a cure or something in the mines since that’s probably where you got sick in the first place. So Lloyd, Kai, and the Uply went down to search a few hours ago.”

Cole just nods, not trusting himself to speak. He’s grateful his friends went in search of something to help, don’t get him wrong, but thinking about the dangers that likely still linger in those caves makes his skin itch. If something goes wrong…

“Don’t worry,” Jay says, reading his face like a book. “They’re just exploring the places we’ve already been. Plus, you destroyed the skull and Vangelis is locked up.”

Cole sighs, the seriousness of the situation settling over him like a too heavy blanket. They went down there, knowing the risks, because they didn’t have a choice. Cole hates admitting when he needs help but… it’s sort of obvious right now. He’s sick, like really sick. If the others don’t find some sort of cure, he might not make it.

He blames his exhaustion for that realization not quite hitting him like it probably should. He can tell that Jay is worried but the panic doesn’t quite settle for him.

Maybe it’s blind trust in his friends and maybe it’s the fact that he’s been a ghost before. Despite this, part of him knows that it’s going to get much worse before he gets better.

“I look that bad, huh,” he chuckles, leaning against the pillows a little more.

“Shut up. You’re gonna be fine.”

Jay’s voice cracks and that ,of all things, is what sews the first real seed of anxiety inside him. Jay’s anxious a lot but this feels different. It’s more than anxiety in his voice, it’s genuine fear.

____________________________________

A few hours later, Cole is deeply asleep. Jay and Zane stand on the balcony that extends from their shared room. There’s a connecting door that leads to Cole’s room in the right corner, both it and the balcony door have been left open so they can listen out for any trouble. At the moment, the healer is busy rubbing some strange smelling goop on Cole’s chest to try and ease his breathing.

Jay had to step away, the sight finally causing his anxiety to boil over. He’d barely made it to the balcony before he’d lost the light dinner he’d eaten earlier. Zane’s cool hand is rubbing his back as he breathes slowly. His feet swing over the edge between the rails. It’s too dark to see the garden that he knows lies many stories below them.

“This sucks.”

His words bring a quiet chuckle from Zane. “Agreed.”

“I just- I wanna help him, you know? But there’s nothing really that I can do. While we’re stuck out here, just watching him get worse, the others are at least doing something.”

“It may relieve you to know that we are helping Cole by being here. I’ve been monitoring his heart rate and breathing since we’ve arrived and in moments of distress, such as the coughing fit he endured earlier tonight, our presence has helped him calm down 72 percent faster than the times we are not in the same room. We are helping him, Jay. While the others are searching for the cure, we need to be here for Cole. To keep him calm and to make sure that he doesn’t feel as if he’s battling this alone.”

Jay nods, leaning forward until his forehead rests against the cool metal railing. He knows that Zane has a point but it’s hard to wrap his head around them actually helping in any real way. Most of what they’re doing just feels as if they are… keeping Cole comfortable before he-

Jay stands abruptly, shaking the thought from his head as he shakes out his hands. Sparks light up along his arms. ”Do you wanna spar?”

If Zane sees right through him, he doesn’t bring it up. “Of course, so long as your stomach feels settled.

Jay nods and the two of them work their way through the castle. The winding halls and near identical floors have Jay lost within a couple flights of stairs. Zane however, bless him, leads them dutifully to the gym tucked away somewhere in the east wing of the castle. With how late it is, it’s no surprise that the area is empty.

They spend the next few minutes warming up their muscles, running through the various sets of forms Master Wu has taught them. Jay’s joints protest at first, stiff from hours of sitting and just waiting for Cole to wake, but soon enough he feels ready.

Zane nods and wordlessly they take their positions. A beat passes as they stare at each other and then, Jay bursts forward. He swings for Zane’s head, a blow that is easily dodged. Its responding strike, Jay blocks with his forearm. Things start off slow at first, punches pulled and reaction times slowed until they truly begin to get into the rhythm of it.

To anyone watching, however, it would appear as if they changed pace in an instant. Suddenly hits echoed off the walls as the ninja used nearly all their strength. Of course, they weren’t actually fighting at full power but to anyone observing it’d be hard to tell.

Soon, elements were added into the fight. Zane throws a blast of ice at Jay, only for him to cleverly melt it with carefully timed lightning. This goes on for some time, the two of them nearly equally matched. Neither try to truly hurt the other but as time goes on, Jay begins to lose count of the bruises he’s accumulating. Sweat drips down his face as he launches into spinjitzu, narrowly avoiding a wide blast of ice.

Zane stops after that, breathing out slowly as he pulls his powers back in. Frustratingly, he seems unaffected by the intensity of their sparring. Jay on the other hand, is exhausted.

“That was fun,” Zane says laughing as Jay plops down onto the cool floor to catch his breath. “Do you feel better?”

“Yeah. Just needed to get it out, ya know?”

“I am happy to help.”

Jay smiles, suddenly very grateful for Zane staying behind with him. His good mood fades quickly though, as his mind circles back to Cole. It’s hard not to worry for the worst. You can see it when you look at him, the way this mysterious illness is eating away with him. Jay has never really seen someone get sick like this and, honestly, he’s thankful for that in a sense. It’s awful seeing his best friend go through this.

Every time he enters Cole’s room, he looks worse than before. His skin is almost gray and the sound of his strained breathing can be heard through the walls. Jay suddenly feels awful. Sure, he’d needed this spar to get rid of some of this excess energy but they’d left Cole alone. What if something happened while they were here and no one knew where they were?

“We should get back,” Jay says, jumping up despite his exhaustion.

Any other night he’d lay there for a while before Nya would scrape him off the ground and force him to go take a shower. Tonight however, Nya is busy pouring over every scroll she and Vania can get their hands on. She told him not to wait up.

“Agreed. Though I must insist you shower before we enter Cole’s room again. “

“Hey! Rude. But fine. You’ll come get me if anything happens?”

Zane nods and they head back to their room. Jay gathers a change of clothes as Zane slips into Cole’s room. He sees him speaking to the doctor as he closes the door to the bathroom. Thankfully, the hot water helps him clear his head. After scrubbing himself clean, Jay allows himself another moment to stand under the scalding spray. He takes a deep breath and then gets out.

It’s only a few minutes later that he enters Cole’s room. The doctor has gone but the strong scent of whatever healing paste she’d rubbed on Cole’s chest fills the room. Said ninja is still unconscious, propped up on the pillows from earlier. Zane stands by the bed, reading the back of one of the various bottles of medicine on the table there.

”She said that Cole woke up briefly and that she was able to get him to eat and drink a little.”

Jay takes a breath.” That’s… good, right?”

“It is. We must make sure that he continues eating, even tiny amounts, so that he can keep his strength up.”

Jay looks down at Cole and his heart pangs, the anxiety from earlier rearing its head again. Cole doesn't look like he’s got any strength to keep up. But Jay keeps that comment to himself. He knows what Zane meant.

“Do you think that all this medicine will actually help?”

“I am unsure. Truthfully, I believe that this illness is more mystical than it is anything else. These medicines are more likely going to help treat his symptoms until the others return with a cure or Cole pulls through himself.”

“That… doesn’t sound all that useful.”

”On the contrary, it is similar to how humans treat various virus infections. You cannot kill viruses with antibiotics like you can with bacteria. The best approach is to use medication to ease the symptoms while the sick person's body does the hard part of destroying the virus.”

“So in this case, we just have to keep Cole less miserable than he could be until he beats this or they find a cure?”

”That is what I just said,” Zane says, though there’s a hint of a smile on his face. “But yes. Things may seem dire, Jay, but Cole is very strong. I have faith that he will beat this.”

Jay nods, even as another coughing fit erupts from the still figure on the bed. The two of them burst into action, working together to prop Cole up. The fit lasts longer than the last and leaves Cole too weak to move. Jay keeps his mouth shut still, worried for what he might speak into existence if he vocalizes his anxieties.

Chapter Text

The group stands still as the quietly echoing footsteps grow closer. Kai forces himself to not fidget as it takes several moments for the first people to come into view. The glowing green of their strange torches illuminates the walls around them and it only takes a couple seconds for Kai to recognize Chancellor Gulch. The group of around 15 or so Geckles stops a few feet away but the silence is quickly broken by the Chancellor.

“Chancellor Kai!,” he says, smiling. “We heard strange noises in the mountain and we feared the worst. It is reassuring to see you ninja!”

Kai smiles as well. As strange as the Geckles are, a part of him had missed them.

“I’m not Chancellor anymore, remember?”

“Right, right,” Gulch says, nodding like he definitely remembered that. “If you are not fighting evil sorcerers, then that leaves us with a pressing question: why are you ninja returning to our caves?”

Kai can feel everyone in their group’s eyes on him and he wishes for a moment that he’d let Lloyd take the lead on this one. But he takes a second, breathes, forces images of Cole out of his head, and answers in the steadiest voice he can manage.

“Our friend, Cole is really sick. We have reason to believe that something inside the mountain caused it and, well, we're hoping that something down here might hold a cure too. Do you know of anything like that?”

Gulch frowns, rubbing his chin even though there’s no facial hair there. Kai hears Korgran whispering to Plundar but it’s too faint for him to make out the words. Even Lloyd looks over at him, eyes a little wet but a determined expression encompassing his face.

“I am… unsure, red ninja. We truthfully don’t have very many illnesses down here. However, we do get hurt fairly often. Normal accidents and what have you. Usually, we smear a little of the moss milk on the injury and it heals up in a couple of days. Perhaps if Cole drank some, it’d heal him as well?”

Kai frowns now. That seems like a bit of a stretch. Sure, neosporin can heal cuts but you can’t eat it to get rid of a stomach bug. Just assuming that the moss milk will help Cole at all, seeing as he isn’t a Geckle, seems unlikely. But, then again, it’s not like they have many more options.

“I’m… not sure if that would work,” answers Lloyd. “His symptoms are strange. It’s as if he has a bad cold but his fever won’t go down and he’s not getting better. We are beginning to believe that this is no ordinary illness.”

”You believe that it’s a magical one?”

Lloyd nods. “Yes.”

“When Cole defeated the Skull Sorcerer, he unleashed unimaginable power… is it possible that that is what caused his illness?”

Kai’s stomach drops. How did they not think about that?

The Burst was incredible, yes, but it also drained Cole considerably. He’d described it as somehow worse than doing the Tornado of Creation.

“When we were younger,” Kai speaks up. “Master Wu used to warn us of using too much of our power too fast. He said it was hard on our bodies and that we needed to be careful not to over do it. I- I thought that we’d mostly gone past that. I mean, using my powers barely bothers me now.”

”But it is possible that since the Burst was a new, very strong power, that it was too much for Cole’s body to handle.”

”I dunno, Lloyd. Cole was fine after a long nap and some food. Why would it take days to reappear and why would he get sick rather than just exhausted like when we were kids?”

”Perhaps,” Gulch speaks up. “He was weakened more than he let on and this led to him falling ill more easily.”

Kai nods, his mind running over this new theory. He recalls, back during Asphera’s invasion and his loss of his elemental power, how difficult it was to summon his flames. Something that had seemed as easy as breathing, suddenly became impossible. Sure, soon enough his powers returned but those few weeks were difficult because it took so much out of him. He wonders now, if the same thing happened to Cole. If Cole pushed himself past his limit, something they all had long since stopped worrying about. It… makes sense that doing so would have consequences. But then, if it was simply Cole over exerting himself and being more susceptible to illness, then is there really anything that can be done?

“I think…” Lloyd says slowly. “That we should go to the ledge where Cole fought the Skull Sorcerer. We can grab some moss milk on our way but I- I dunno, my gut says we need to go there.”

Gulch nods and turns to his fellow Geckles. “I will accompany the ninja to the cavern. The rest of you are free to carry on with any tasks you were up to before we- ah,” he chuckles a little nervously. “Thought we were being invaded again.”

The Geckles disperse, some singing songs, others chattering about how they’d been sorta hoping for a fight. Kai mostly ignores them as their little group turns and allows Gulch to lead them back through the tunnels. Gulch scrapes some moss milk off of a nearby stalactite and drops it into a bucket that Kai didn’t notice before. He finds it increasingly difficult to believe that the nasty sludge will heal his friend but honestly beggars can’t be choosers.

The large cavern looks the same as Kai and the others walk out onto the bridge-like structure where the battle occurred. Scorch marks line the stone, along with scuff marks from the Blades. In the center, the stone has been changed significantly. As if someone took a stick through soft clay, the rock has been carved into a spiraling pattern. The center of it is, presumably, where Cole stood when he achieved the Burst.

“So, what? This is from the Burst? Cole carved the rock with Spinjitzu?”

”Looks like it,” Lloyd answers. “But I still think something strange is going on here. We should look around more.”

They split up, each searching the large cavern for any sign or reason for Cole’s sudden illness. Plundar and Adam traverse to one of the higher tunnels to see if they can see anything different at that angle, while Fungus casts a strange spell to re-watch the fight. Meanwhile, Korgran helps Gulch lift some large stones that’d been thrown to the side in Cole’s burst. Lloyd and Kai search the platform itself, combing over every inch of it. Truthfully, Kai isn’t really sure what he’s supposed to be looking for. He’ll just know it when he finds it. Probably.

He follows the spiraling grooves left in the stone and counts them to about 20 paces from one side to the other. The marks extend larger than the actual Burst did, maybe simply from the force of the rest of the stone being carved and twisted? He’s not sure. But it is proof that the Burst was a huge well burst of energy. Their ongoing theory seems to be a pretty solid one. But, again, if it was just exhaustion then how are they supposed to help Cole?

“Kai! Come here!”

Interrupted from his thoughts, Kai jogs across the platform to where Lloyd is crouched in front of something.

“What is it? Did you find something?”

“Maybe? Look, this plant is in the center of one of the scorch marks. It’s dying.”

Kai frowns, not following. “I mean, if it got blasted then, yeah. That makes sense.”

”Kai,” Lloyd says slowly. “Cole got blasted a bunch too.”

“What does… what does that mean?”

”I don’t know? I mean, obviously we’re stronger than a plant but it’s strange that the blasts could scorch the stone but left no physical mark on Cole even though he was hit multiple times.”

Gulch comes over at that moment. “Did you find anything?”

”Maybe,” says Lloyd. “What do you know of the Skull’s power?”

“Sadly, very little. Most of our story centered around Gilly. We have very few recounts of the time before her arrival. But,” He sighs. “ I do know someone who does. Murtaza, Queen of the Munce. She can help you more than I can now.”

”Please, can you show us the way? You know these tunnels far better than we do.”

”Of course. Let’s go!

The Uply join them again at the sound.

“Any luck,” Asks Plundar.

“Maybe,'' says Lloyd. “We found some strange scorch marks and twisted up ground. We need to go to the Munce and see what they know. I’ll fill you in on everything as we walk.”

Chapter Text

The trek to the Munce’s caves is similar to the one they took to the Geckles. This time with Gulch in the lead, they make good time passing through the identical tunnels. Lloyd keeps himself busy running what they know through his head. Cole got sick after the battle with the Skull Sorcerer, Spinjitzu Burst drained him, his strange cough and quick deterioration, Lilly’s illness and, finally, moss milk. The last one he only adds because he feels like the universe would make that the answer just to spite him if he overlooked it. The universe Does seem to hate him sometimes.

The rest of the evidence is slowly beginning to piece together. They already know that Cole fell ill after the battle and that it has something to do with the Burst. Though the strange, dead plants they found also make him wonder if it’s just the burst. Could he have sucked the energy out of the plants to perform the Burst? But, then again, Cole has never been able to do anything like that before.

The similarities to Cole’s illness and his mother’s are… concerning. Part of Lloyd wants to call Cole’s father but he isn’t sure if they’re on speaking terms. He can’t even remember the last time he saw Lou in person. A few years ago? Maybe longer. Truthfully, the chances of Lou even knowing anything are slim. Lilly died nearly a decade ago now and, from what Cole told them, Lou wasn’t really around when it happened.

Lloyd sighs, catching Kai’s attention. He sends him a concerned look but doesn’t ask. He can probably guess what Lloyd is thinking.

He goes back to his mental list. The quick deterioration Cole’s experienced is perhaps the most concerning part of this whole thing. He went from speaking and acting a little under the weather to too sick to get out of bed in the matter of hours. Lloyd loathes to think of how bad Cole’s gotten while they’ve been underground. His watch tells him it’s the wee hours of the morning, two days later. How much longer can Cole fight this?

“We have arrived.”

Lloyd pulls himself from his thoughts at Gulch’s words and finally notices that they have made it to the Munce caves. The guards outside the inner cave allow them through without much trouble, though they do bow to them.

“That’s strange, right?” Lloyd whispers to Kai.

“They value strength. Maybe they heard about our fight with the Skull Sorcerer?”

Before Lloyd can answer, the group stops in front of Murtessa’s throne. She gazes down at them with a mix of excitement and anticipation. Her eyes rake over them each in turn and Lloyd inclines his head when it’s his turn. He can’t help but notice the brief flash of sadness that appears on her face when she notices Jay isn’t with them.

“Queen Murtessa,” Gulch begins, raising his voice so the whole cavern can hear. “I have guided these ninja to your caves because they seek your help.”

“Oh? You are from the surface, Grief Bringer is no more, how in the name of the Mountain can I help you?”

Lloyd steps forward. “Our friend Cole is ill.”

He retells everything that’s happened, including what he told the Geckles and their solution. He mentions the dying plants and the strange cuts in the rocks. The only thing he leaves out is Cole’s mother. He doesn’t think that information will help them now. Cole’s illness might be similar but Lloyd doubts it’s a hereditary illness or anything.

Once he’s finished, Murtessa rests her elbow on her knee, her head in her hand. She looks them all over and grumbles something that Lloyd can’t hear.

“That is strange, indeed. The only thing I can think of that ties each of those clues together is the Burst.”

”We had a similar idea,” says Lloyd. “However, that doesn’t really give us any idea how to counter the illness. And if Cole was weakened enough to simply fall ill, then I feel like we would have noticed. This whole thing feels… magical.”

”I agree.”

Lloyd finds himself speaking before he can think twice. “Cole’s mother, Lilly- uh Milly- had very similar symptoms before she passed. We… we worry that it’s connected.”

”Hmm,” Murtessa stands, her hands clasped behind her back as she paces in front of her throne. “And the same similarity surrounds her illness as well, the Burst.”

“Wait,” Cuts in Fungus. “There’s another thing that ties them together.”

”What’s that,” Asks Lloyd.

“Grief Bringer.”

“Shit,” Kai groans through his teeth. “Why didn’t we think of that?”

”Of Grief Bringer? But… but how would he have caused this?”

“I don’t- I don’t know. But if it isn’t the Burst then it has to be Grief Bringer. It’s the only other thing that connects them.”

“Your logic is correct, fire ninja,” Murtessa says, though the sentence doesn’t seem to be easy for her to say. “I have come to the same conclusion. There’s nothing else it could be.”

”Okay… then… Grief Bringer is dead. Gone. How could he be making Cole sick still?”

“More importantly,” says Kai. “How do we cure him from something that’s already dead?”

“I don’t know.”

He hates admitting that. It burns in his throat and his eyes. He’s supposed to be their leader. But how the hell is he meant to save Cole from something that they don’t understand and is already defeated? And that’s if that really is what's causing his illness. They’re just guessing here.

Kai yells, catching Lloyd off guard as he shoots fire out of his hands. It hits the rocks to their right, dissipating immediately. Kai breathes heavily, his hands now balled into tight fits at his side.

“This is fucking stupid. How the hell are we supposed to help Cole if all we can do is guess and get dead end answers? None of this tells us how to cure him or even prevent it from happening again!”

“Kai-”

“No. Nothing we do is getting us any closer to fixing this. Cole is up there dying and we can’t- I can’t do anything about it!”

Lloyd reaches out, to hug him or shake him he hasn’t decided yet, but Kai shrugs out of the way and storms off.

“I need to be alone for a second. Don’t follow me.”

Chapter Text

This time, when Cole wakes, it’s like he’s trying to drag himself through thick mud. His thoughts keep escaping him, his limbs responding for just a moment before he sinks back into murky unconsciousness. He surfaces sometime later, blinking to try and keep his eyes open but failing. He coughs, his chest aching at the burning pain. His breath catches and then he can’t pull in any breath at all. Panic gives him the strength to open his eyes but everything is too blurry, too fast for him to make any sense of. Hands pull him upright, someone touches his chest. Cole’s head spins and his new grip on consciousness fades as his vision darkens. But then, finally the pressure eases and he pulls in a rough, shaky breath. The sting makes his eyes burn but the next breath is just a little easier. And the next. Soon, he’s slouched over, breathing unsteadily as he tries to keep his eyes open. Something is wrong.

A voice comes from his side, whoever’s holding him up. He tilts his head, squinting to try and figure out who it is. The only sound he can really tell is his own harsh breathing. But, to his surprise, the person's face comes into a bit more focus and he realizes that it’s Nya who’s beside him.

“Cole,” She asks.

Her face is hopeful but even Cole can see the dark bags under her eyes and feel the way her arms shake as she holds him up. He tries to speak, to reassure her that he’s okay but all that comes out is a painful croak.

Nya smiles anyway and scoots him up a little higher before resting him back down on some pillows. His face burns as she has to move his arms for him, laying them by his side when he proves too weak to even do that on his own.

Through the heavy exhaustion and sluggishness, Cole can piece together what’s happened. He rememberes getting sick. The ninja said something about a cure and then… well nothing really. He’s got bits and pieces of memories, scattered and confusing. He remembers a doctor, someone talking to him, coughing, and just a bunch of nothing.

He feels… well not great right now but definitely a little better than he was. He, at last, manages to bring an uncoordinated hand up to swipe the hair out of his eyes. The action makes Nya smile, her face a little less pinched now.

“Your fever finally broke this morning,” She explains. “Now it’s just your cough that’s got us worried. It’s not really getting better like we thought it would.”

Nya looks down and Cole finally notices the pile of books and scrolls that spill off the end table to the floor and all over her lap. Her exhaustion suddenly makes sense. Nya’s always been the kind of person who fixes things. Sometimes it’s machines and other times it’s stuff like this. She’s their go to, other than Zane, for research. Cole’s chest aches at the thought of how many hours she’s spent trying to figure out how to help him.

“You should sleep.”

The words burn as they come out, weak just like him, but it brings another sad smile to Nya’s face.

“Hush,” she says, no heat to it at all. “And I know. But the rest of the ninja are in the mountain, trying to figure out how to help. It’s the least I could do, to help up here.”

Cole shakes his head. “Already helping.”

He leans his head against her shoulder, more of a rolling motion than anything truly coordinated. But it does the trick. She relaxes and sets the scrolls in her lap down on the overflowing table. She pulls the blanket up and over both of them. Already, Cole’s starting to drift off again. His head aches and he worries, for a moment, if he should fight to stay awake just a little longer.

“It’s alright,” Nya says, as if reading his mind. “Sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

And so, he sleeps.

_______________________-

It’s hours later that Zane comes into Cole’s room. Nya’s spent the time napping, trying to make up for the days of shitty sleep, and reading over the scrolls she’s brought from the library.

“I did not mean to disturb you,” Zane says as she sits up and rubs the sleep from her eyes.

Beside her, Cole’s sleeping soundly for once. His breathing is still rough but, thankfully, his fever has remained low.

“It’s alright,” Nya whispers. “What’s up?”

“I received a transmission from Lloyd and the others. They have a few theories as to what caused Cole’s ailment but no concrete proof or cure.”

Nya curses under her breath.

“Well then… what do we do?”

“I have been thinking. When Cole’s mother fell ill, he was still very young. So, it is unlikely that he remembers any specific details that might be clues. However, his father was present. There’s a chance that Lou knows or remembers some detail that might help us.”

Nya sighs. “Yeah. Maybe. But I don’t have his number. He and Cole… aren’t that close.”

”I have it. Just like I have each of your immediate family’s contact information in my database.”

”Okay, so we call him. But what makes us think that this is actually anything like what Lilly went through? I thought she had cancer?”

“That was what the doctors in Ninjago City diagnosed, however, according to the others, their symptoms are eerily similar. I’ve scanned Cole many times. He does not have cancer, nor any typical human disease that I can search for. Thus, this is likely magical in nature.”

Nya forces herself out of the bed, careful not to disturb Cole, and follows Zane out of the room.

“I think I should be the one to call,” she says.

“I agree. I believe speaking to a more human friend of his son would help Lou relax enough to be forthcoming with his knowledge.”

Nya nods and, after Zane gives her the number, takes her phone out. It’s only got half battery, surprising since she can’t remember the last time she charged it. She finds a balcony, tucked away and quiet, before she dials Lou’s number. Taking a deep breath, she hits the call button. It rings for a few moments, the sound somehow too loud in the quiet of the nearly empty part of the castle they’re in.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Lou?”

”Yes, do I know you? I don’t recognize this number.”

”Sort of. It’s Nya, Cole’s friend.”

“Oh. Well then what do I owe the pleasure?” A pause, then, much more quietly, Lou asks, “Is my son okay?”

Chapter Text

Kai kicks at a stalagmite poking out of the cave floor with all of his strength. The heat and frustration burning through him makes the subsequent pain barely even register. All he can think about is Cole. His best friend.

If they’re right about this. If it was Grief Bringer that caused him to get sick, then what hope do they have of fixing this? The Skull Sorcerer is locked up and the dragon dead again. They’ve found an answer but all it’s done is back them into a corner.

Kai groans and throws himself down, burying his face in his hands and fighting off the unwelcome, stinging tears that are threatening to fall.

“Kai?”

Lloyd rounds the corner a moment later, eyes landing on Kai in seconds. He walks over hesitantly, like he’s scared he’s gonna blow up if he moves too quickly. Kai forces himself to take a breath. He runs over the stupid breathing exercises that Wu taught him over the years. He hates that they work. Being angry is so much easier. Calming down means he gets to really think about what’s wrong.

He pictures Cole again and his breath hitches.

“Kai, hey, are you okay?”

Kai nods and, to his surprise, Lloyd laughs a little.

“Dude, your hair is on fire.” That kicks his body into motion. Kai jumps up, arms flailing as he pats out the flames. Lloyd laughs the whole time, the little brat.

“Oh my hair,” Kai groans. “If I have to cut it I’m gonna blame you.”

Lloyd’s still smiling but he’s not exactly subtle when he gives Kai a quick once over. He must find something because he steps closer.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” He says, automatically. “I just…” Kai sighs and looks away. “What do we do now?”

Kai hates that he can’t find any trace of the pain he knows Lloyd is in. The kid has always been way too good at hiding what he’s feeling and now, as their kinda sorta leader, he’s only gotten better at it. He hates that it’s his kid brother who’s comforting him and not the other way around.

When did their lives get this crazy?

“I think we’ve found everything we needed to down here. I don’t… I don’t think there’s anything else we can learn.”

Kai agrees but the thought of coming back empty handed is… hard, to say the least.

____________________________

Nya watches the others climb back out of the mines, dirty and exhausted looking. She runs the whole way, from her room to the entrance to the mountain. She’s out of breath by the time she skids to a stop in front of them. All it takes is one look at them to piece together that they haven't found a cure.

“Come on,” She says. “Tell me you found out something.”

Lloyd smiles, just a little. “Let's go upstairs. We’ll tell you everything.”

And so she follows behind them as they trudge through the billion staircases that finally lead them to Cole’s room. He’s still asleep, though at this point Nya doesn’t think they can wake him up anymore. He’s fully unconscious.

Though, she keeps herself from worrying too much. She has information of her own to share. Hopefully, combined, they’ll know enough now to save Cole. She hopes.

“What information did you find?” Zane asks as he enters the room, followed by Wu.

Their master has an arm full of scrolls that he sets down haphazardly on a nearby table. Soon, Vania comes in as well and, at last, Lloyd begins to talk.

He tells them about their paths through the caves and how the Geckles and the Munce were unsure where this illness came from. It’s Plundar who chimes in about the dead plants surrounding the area where Cole fought Vangelis and the Skull. He is unusually quiet as he also recounts the fact that they didn’t gain any information on how to cure Cole.

“But,” adds Fungus. “ we did discover some sliver of information. It’s likely Grief Bringer or the Skull’s magic that caused Cole to get sick. We should have guessed, of course, because that magic is corrupt.”

”He was blasted with it… many times,” Adds Vania. “It makes sense that it’d make him ill, I suppose. But then, my father practically bathed in it for years. Why didn’t he fall ill?”

“Maybe it because the evil skull wanted to hurt Cole. Not Vangelis,” Asks Korgran.

“That’s likely the cause,” Zane says. “The Skull of Haza’dur was trying to injure or even kill Cole when it blasted him with its magic. Logic would dictate that such prolonged exposure could cause rapid illness. It also explains why I was unable to follow such a line of logic until now.”

“How come?” asks Kai.

“This is a magical illness, rather than something caused by bacteria or germs. I understand magic fairly well but it does not follow the same logic parameters and therefore my processors were unable to fully explore every possibility.”

“Okay,” Lloyd says, coming to sit at the foot of Cole’s bed. He pauses a moment before he continues. “So we know the Skull’s magic caused this but we don’t know how to fix it. It could be anything. Like Zane said, magic doesn’t follow the same rules as the rest of the world. So what do we do?”

“I called Cole’s father,” Nya says, somewhat abruptly.

Kai winces and gives her a look. “Is it that bad?”

The way he says it suggests he does know that it is that bad. But Nya shakes her head. “Yes and no. I called him not only to let him know that Cole was really really sick but to also ask him if he remembered what the doctors did for Lilly's illness. I realized how similar the two are and that they’d both fought the Skull Sorcerer and very quickly gotten sick afterwards.”

“Nya,” Kai says, a small smile on his face. “You’re a genius. It took us walking in circles for two days to figure that out.”

“It’s just the only logical thing I could think of. That being said, Lou didn’t know much. He said that the doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong at first. By the time they realized it was magical in nature she was already too far gone. But, he did say that she’d defeated Grief Bringer a few months before she got sick and, a few months before she was pregnant with Cole. She was sick most of his childhood. I believe that because she fought the sorcerer for days that it prolonged her exposure and made the sickness take her slowly.”

”So it’s… a good thing that Cole got sick quickly?” Asks Lloyd.

”I believe so. He’s sorta plateaued at the moment, he’s not getting better but he’s not getting worse either. The damage the Skull Sorcerer did likely wasn’t enough to kill him.”

“Okay, so then what do we do?” Asks Kai. “He might not be getting worse but he’s certainly not getting any better.”

“We bring him back to the mountain,” answers Wu. He pulls a few scrolls out of the pile and unfolds them onto the table. “I’ve meditated and done my best to remember the tunnels we took. I believe we need to bring him to the Earth Temple. Cole mentioned that he was able to sense his mother’s presence while there and, being that far underground, it boosted his strength considerably.”

”We believe that is our best chance of speeding up his recovery,” Jay says as he enters the room. “I’ve been gathering more supplies for us. We’re all going back down and we’re gonna follow Wu’s maps to the temple. Then, hopefully, Cole will wake up.”

The room is quiet for a few long moments as everyone processes…. well everything. It’s Lloyd that speaks up first. ”That’s a good plan. Hell, it's our only plan. Let's do it. I don’t wanna wait any longer than we have to.”

Nya nods. “We can leave in the morning. You guys all get some sleep. Jay, Zane, and I will finish packing.”

Everyone files out of the room slowly, each pausing to come beside Cole and place a hand on his shoulder or squeeze his hand. Kai ruffles his hair and Lloyd leans over to hug him, very carefully. But soon, the room is nearly empty and Nya is alone with Cole again. She sighs, coming over to straighten out his hair before leaving the room to finish packing. She just hopes that they’re right about this.

Chapter Text

It’s a very strange sight, the eleven of them walking in a very sad looking parade down into the tunnels for the umpteenth time this month. Well, ten of them are walking, Cole is carefully held on a makeshift stretcher that Jay and Kai are carrying between them. Their feet constantly stumble at first, unused to the terrain with the added weight. The group is silent as they traverse the now familiar caves, the only sound is the crumbling of small rocks beneath their feet and the occasional groans and coughs that come from Cole. He’s not really awake, Lloyd knows, but every time he groans he can’t help but look behind him to make sure. He doesn’t know what’s worse, the fact that Cole’s so far under that even all this jostling isn’t waking him, or if he did wake up and had to suffer until they find the temple. A temple that Wu barely remembers how to get to. They don’t really know what they’re doing but desperate times and all that.

Part of Lloyd wishes Vania was here. She’s quickly growing to be a good friend and valuable ally. And, besides that, she’s a nervous talker so she might at least bring them some relief from the heavy silence that’s weighing over them. But, she had to stay back in the castle. As Queen, she doesn’t get to go on dungeon adventures any more.

In any case, Lou should arrive soon and he probably won’t want to be alone.

The thought makes Lloyd’s chest ache a little more. What if Lou gets here and Cole dies miles under the mountain?

Sure, Lloyd thinks as he looks behind him to Cole again, he’s not that bad just yet. But the physician and Zane agree that his body is getting weaker. Fighting this curse or magic or whatever the fuck it is- has taken its toll on him. He’s not going to be able to hold on forever.

But Lloyd thinks, stubbornly, they’re already making great time and, maybe he’s crazy, but Cole seems to be breathing just a bit easier the further they get underground. Maybe their theory is correct and this will be the boost he needs right now.

As they continue to walk, Lloyd mostly zones out. He’s tired of being underground. Tired of his friend being sick. Just… tired.

After all this is over, he’s going to force the team to take a vacation. A real one. One that doesn’t involve fighting or saving the city or anyone almost dying. One that has Cole, healthy and safe, taking it easy right alongside them.

Lloyd is pulled from his thoughts of such a vacation (perhaps at his father’s old monastery in the middle of nowhere) by another groan. This time, when he turns around, Cole’s awake and trying to sit up despite the stretcher he’s laying on. Jay and Kai stop walking and carefully set him down on a flat patch of rock. Cole looks around, eyes glazed and half-focused even as he pushes himself to his feet. The quiet is broken all at once, a chorus of voices shout his name, tell him to take it easy, or just gasp. It’s Lloyd, however, who makes it to Cole first. He puts his hands on his shoulders, steadying him even as he looks around.

”What… what’s goin’ on?”

Cole’s voice is quiet, more gravely than usual, but still stronger than it’s been in days. Looks like their guess was right. The Mountain is helping.

“Easy,” Lloyd says, steadying him as he starts to sway. “We’re taking you to the earth temple. We think it’ll help.”

Cole blinks slowly, processing, and then nods. “Okay. Let's go then. Why’d we stop?”

“Because you tried to stand up while we were carrying you,” Kai says, at last shaking his surprise.

“Yeah,” adds Nya. “Speaking of which, maybe you should lay back down? We’ll be there in a couple of hours.”

Surprisingly, Cole shakes his head. “No. I wanna walk. I… I’m not gonna lie and say I feel okay. But I can feel the earth around me. It’s helping. I can walk. Please.”

Lloyd looks around. No one protests outright, though Plundar opens his mouth as if to argue and then snaps it shut again. Still, no one speaks out.

“Cole,” Lloyd says, keeping his hands on his friend's shoulders. “Are you sure?”

Cole nods and, just like that, it’s decided. Kai grumbles something about wishing Cole had woken up sooner so he wouldn't have had to carry him. Nya kicks him in the shin. Cole laughs and then, suddenly, the air is different. Lloyd walks with a smile on his face, even as he can feel the tremors of exhaustion that are plaguing Cole. They walk slowly but with far more hope than they started.

They still need to get Cole to the temple, where hopefully they’ll be far enough underground that he’ll at last be able to beat this poisonous magic. Lloyd can tell that it’s taking everything out of him just to keep walking. He doesn’t join in on their quiet conversations now keeping them occupied as they walk, but he does smile at some of the jokes Jay makes.

His breathing gets easier the further they get underground. They continue making good time, despite frequent stops for Cole to rest and for Zane to scan him. He confirms what Lloyd is thinking each time: the further underground they get, the less the magic seems to bother him. Cole remains just as weak, though. Lloyd extends the days he’s been considering they take for their vacation after this.

An hour passes easily, then another, and soon they’re standing in front of the temple. Cole is being held up by Lloyd and Nya, each holding him under an arm to keep him steady. He’s awake, though clearly exhausted. He refused the stretcher multiple times. Master Wu comes to the front of the group and touches the large, stone doors looming before them. They look to be perfectly slotted together and, though Wu tries, refuse to budge.

“I suspected as such. Last time, it was only Cole who could get them to open.”

They all look to the semi-conscious ninja in his and Nya’s arms. Cole lifts his head, sweat dripping down his skin and falling silently onto the stone floor.

“Help me closer?”

They all but carry him to the door and he stretches his hand out to touch the place the two giant stone slabs meet. Without even a push, they swing open, the old stone scraping against the ground as it moves. No one speaks as Cole’s hand falls and they carry him inside. Those who weren’t here before, look around in awe but quickly their attention turns back to Cole. His breathing has grown shallow again, his head falling limp against his chest.

“Why isn’t it working?” Fungus asks, voice sharp with fear.

“I thought it was working!” Jay adds, his own voice cracking.

“It should be,” Says Wu. “It was working the whole way here.”

Lloyd looks around again, noticing the statue of Cole’s mother, standing tall over the center of the temple. Letters sprawl across the floor in a spiraling circle, etched into the stone.

“What did you do last time,” Lloyd asks. “Didn’t you say the temple reacted to Cole.”

“Yeah, he touched the ground and everything lit up,” Plundar tells them quietly.

”Like the earth was speaking to him,” Adds Korgran.

“Lay him down!” Lloyd says suddenly, already kneeling to set Cole down.

Nya helps him lower their friend onto the cool ground. His eyes remain closed and, for a long moment, they all hold their breaths. Lloyd watches Cole breathe shallowly a couple of times. His hand twitches against the stone. His eyes stay closed.

“Why isn’t it working?” Nya asks, kneeling beside him.

Then, it happens.

The letters on the ground begin to glow, the light slowly crawling through the lines, beginning at the edges of the walls and working inward. As the first letters Cole’s laying on begin to glow, so does he. His old scar glows orange and it slowly spreads down his body in strange vine-like patterns. The feeling of it is… strange. Lloyd’s never felt so much elemental energy before. It takes his breath away.

After many long moments, the glow begins to dull and, finally, fade out all at once. Cole’s body glows for a few more seconds before it too fades, this time seemingly into his skin. A beat passes and, then, at last, he opens his eyes. He blinks slowly and takes an exaggerated breath. The rattling is gone and he smiles as he takes another deep breath.

“Cole!” Nya says, smiling so big as she wraps her arms around him, pulling him up into a hug.

Soon everyone joins, crowded around him. There’s not a dry eye in the room and, as they all laugh and check him over half a dozen times, no one notices the way Lilly’s statue still glows faintly. It almost looks as if it’s smiling, if you look at it at the right angle. But no one’s looking. No one but Cole.

Later he’ll write it off as seeing things. That is, if he remembers at all. Soon after the hugging stops, his eyes roll back in his head and he, at last, passes out.

There’s panicking all around until Zane reassures him that this is a healing sleep. His body is, at last, recovering and that the magic from the Skull is, at last, gone.

Chapter Text

Those first few days, Cole does nothing but sleep. He’s vaguely aware of people speaking to him and holding his hand. He tries a couple of times to wake up fully but each time he makes any progress, a new wave of exhaustion crashes over him and he falls back under. He doesn’t know how long, exactly, he’s been asleep as he finally wins the battle and opens his eyes.

The room he’s in looks somewhat familiar, smooth white walls and windows without any glass in them. A gentle breeze flows through, making him shiver despite the heavy blanket he’s under. He vaguely remembers Vania and returning to Shintaro. There was something about the Earth Temple and… and… well he isn’t sure. Everything is blurry. Strange dreams plagued him this whole time and it’s difficult to tell what was real and what was simply the illness talking.

Speaking of the illness… Cole feels weirdly okay. His chest doesn’t hurt when he takes a breath and already his head feels much clearer. He’s still totally exhausted though. His body feels too-heavy and stiff. He closes his eyes, gathering his strength. After a long moment, he manages to sit and swing his legs over the side of the bed in one motion. His head spins and it’s all he can do to keep from falling back onto the bed.

“Easy, son.”

A warm hand rests on his shoulder and, despite the way his head spins painfully, Cole looks up. Much to his surprise, his father stands in front of him. Lou is wearing what looks like his rehearsal suit but it’s wrinkled and clearly been worn for days on end. His hair is whiter than Cole remembers it being, the lines on his face deeper.

“Dad?” He asks, voice quiet from lack of use.

“Yeah, it’s me. C’mon, lay back down. Zane will be back soon.”

Confused but too weak to fight back, Cole lets his father help him back under the blanket. He wonders how long Lou has been here. Had he been here the whole time and he was just too-sick to realize? But no… he remembers the journey back into the mountain. At least parts of it. He’s almost positive his father wasn’t there.

He wants to ask. If he really was dying…. Why is his father only here now?

But it seems his body has other plans. His eyes close as his head hits the pillow and it’s all he can do to mumble a thanks as he falls right back into unconsciousness.

___________________________________

“Come on Zane. You’ve run a billion tests. I’m okay.”

Zane just frowns, his eyes gently flickering as he runs the data again. For the 10th time in the last hour. An entire hour that Cole’s been begging Zane to let him visit Vania. She stopped by briefly to see him after he woke up but she’s very busy running a kingdom that just found out their main source of income was illegal. He wants to surprise her in the throne room. To thank her for allowing him to stay and helping heal him.

“As I said before,” Zane says, voice even. “While you have been cured of the strange illness that your battle with the Skull Sorcerer caused, we do not yet know the lasting effects of such an illness.”

“Zane, I promise. I’ll tell you the second I feel anything. Please. You can come with me, even.”

”I was always going to accompany you. Your body is still weak. It is unwise to allow you to do anything strenuous without supervision.” Cole fights the instinct to roll his eyes. He’s not that weak anymore.

He slides off the bed, feet hitting the floor in one fluid motion. He holds his arms out in a sorta ‘see?’ motion. He doesn’t fall. Sure, he is still exhausted and walking all the way to the throne room is gonna be an effort. But he’s more than ready to push all this hovering and sad looks his friends give him when they don’t think he’s looking behind him.

“Very well,” Zane says at last.

__________________________________________

Their goodbyes this time take ages. Cole hugs Vania for what feels like forever. She quickly became one of his best friends. Lloyd winks at him as he kisses the top of her head in one last goodbye. But he just rolls his eyes. One of these days they’re gonna finally piece together that he likes men. As if Cole hasn’t given them enough evidence so far but, eh. It’s more fun to mess with them. Vania has to hide her own giggle as Cole finally lets go.

Korgran all but tackles him, sending them both to the ground. Half of the ninja laugh, while Zane and Lloyd both freak out. Cole laughs out loud this time as Korgran helps him up. He catches his breath slowly, willing the lightheaded feeling to go away. He’s recovered a lot but… this lingering weakness won’t go away entirely. Korgran, for his part, looks guilty as hell.

”Korgran is sorry, Cole. I forgot.”

Cole smiles easily. “It’s alright. I’m gonna miss you guys.”

This of course creates a big group hug, with Cole squished firmly in the middle. By the time they’re on the Bounty and Cole’s sitting on the deck, his face hurts from smiling so much. His father is being given a tour of the ship by Nya and Jay sits, for once quiet, beside him. His hands fidget with his yin necklace, tiny sparks of electricity sparking between them. Cole doubts Jay even notices he’s doing it.

“You okay?”

”Huh?” Jay looks up, startled. “Yeah. Of course. I uh- um- I’m glad you are too. Okay I mean.”

Cole smiles. “Me too. Thank you, by the way.”

”For what?”

“Everything. Nya told me how much you helped with the cure and everything. She said you were having a rough time.”

This, at last, gets Jay to smile. “Yeah. I was…. I was really worried. Cole, you know you’re my best friend, right?”

“Of course.”

Jay smiles a little brighter. “I'm really glad you’re okay. Never scare us like that again.”

__________________________

Cole finds himself back in the med bay just a few short months later. Nya is... gone. And Kai had blown up, literally, last night and left the Monastery. Cole had gone out on a watch last night, just to clear his mind. The loss of Nya still aches terribly in his chest and if he thinks too hard about it he’s certain he’ll start crying again. That’s all he’s been doing lately.

But last night, after he got home from his watch, a familiar feeling had greeted him when he decided to train despite being exhausted. He had just slammed the ground with an earth punch when the air felt like it was ripped from his lungs. He ended up on the ground, coughing and dizzy. He’s lucky that Pixal had been watching the cameras at the time.

So that’s how he ended up here. It reminds him too much of his time in Shintaro. He’s silently hoping it was just exhaustion and Pixal will simply tell him off for not sleeping. If only.

“Well?” he asks as she finishes running the results through her processors.

“I believe I have the answer for what happened. But you probably aren’t going to like it.”

”C’mon Pix. Just tell me.”

“After your illness in Shintaro, we’ve been watching your vitals to ensure you recover fully. However, despite the 13 weeks since you’ve recovered, your vitals have plateaued and have yet to reach what they were before you fell ill.”

”What’s that mean?”

“Let me put it another way. You have been feeling back to normal, right? Excluding tonight.”

“Yeah?”

“The only pattern, the only time your vitals dip again, is when you exert yourself too much with your elemental powers.”

“What… what does that mean?”

“I don’t know. But please, Cole, be careful. I…. I cannot lose another person that I care about.”

__________________________________

Post Merge:

“Cole!”

Cole feels rather than see’s Geo wrap his arms around his shoulders, the only thing keeping him from falling to the ground. Behind them, the Hoarder roars. The sound seems to shake the very ground beneath them. By the time Geo has somehow managed to drag the both of them back to the Rookery, Cole’s senses have returned a little. He smiles as Geo sets him down on the couch just inside.

”I’m alright, Geo.”

”You don’t look it. What happened? Are you hurt?”

He presses a hand against his chest. It aches a bit but not from any wound.

“It’s a long story.”