#colania

[only-lonely-stars]

T-Strap Tap Shoes

Oneshot – (FFN) (AO3)

Summary:

Vania tap dances, and she wears black, T-strap heels for her dancing. It's a secret escape for her… but maybe there's someone else who might like to know about it.

Gift fic for @caitlinsnow-yayyy!

There was no one coming when Vania poked her head out her bedroom door. There was no one at all to see, just as Vania liked it, and she couldn't help a grin. With a duffle bag on her shoulder, she ran through the halls and rooms of the palace, stopping at last in a secluded room. It was the perfect place, completely her own, and none of her guards went there– they all knew it was hers alone.

When Vania reached the room in question, she slipped inside quickly. It was almost empty, save for a large board on the floor and a speaker set by it. She immediately went to it and dropped her duffle, listening to the soft thunk as it collided with the tile floor.

For a moment, Vania smiled. Then she unzipped the bag and rooted through it, pulling out a pair of shoes. They were her favorite black, T-strap heels, and she slipped them on easily, buckling the ankle straps with practiced ease. They fit perfectly, and she gave them a few experimental taps, before walking to the speaker and pressing a few buttons.

The sound of music erupted from the speakers, and then Vania stretched, just the slightest bit added onto her morning routine she'd already done. Then the music began to speed up, and get louder, and she was in motion, tapping and turning in time with the tunes.

Clickity-click clack, tap tip tap– the sound echoed through the palace's hallways, echoing off the intricate marblework that made up the opulent walls and vaulted ceiling. The tapping was harsh, but not in a mean way; it was harsh in the way that it clashed against Vania's eardrums with a welcome, pleasant clack.

The motions came like second nature, if Vania was honest with herself. She'd done them a million times, always in synchrony with the music she knew by heart. This was her escape; her pastime; her passion; her secret. Who would she tell that she tap danced? Who would be interested? Probably no one. No, the music was her best friend for this moment, even as her actual best friend– or whatever he was to her– slumbered in one of the palace's numerous guest rooms.

No, the music was her friend, her family. It surrounded her, held her in its grasp, guided her. The music swelled and grew, shrank and dimmed, pushed and prodded her forward. It was there, and then dropped off suddenly, only to reappear with sweet promises of peace. Its tones surrounded her, filling her ears with harmony, and she couldn't help but smile.

With a bit of peace in her mind and some vigor in her heart, Vania spun. She let herself fall to the board below her, clacking in time with the song she listened to. It was some love song she'd long since memorized, but she didn't care right now– all she cared about were the motions to go with it. She let her arms and legs move on their own, muscle memory driving their actions, and perfection would be the result; if not now, then soon.

For a little portion of eternity, she felt like she might be flying. Once, twice, thrice, she went through the routine; she had set the music to repeat, and she wasn't paying attention to how long she went. Only her muscles' protests told her how long she'd danced, and she didn't listen to them much.

The piece repeated over and over, playing through as many times as she wanted. It wasn't until she ached that she stopped, and pressed the button on the speaker to stop the piece. The sudden silence revealed her breathlessness, and the ringing in her ears that she hadn't heard over it… but she couldn't help but grin.

For a moment… she just breathed.

In, out. In, out.

In, out…

Her eyes flicked around the room. There was no one away in the palace at this time of morning; only the guards, who knew better than to come into this room of hers. She wondered if anyone would know if she just laid down and slept there for hours…

Just as she was thinking about it, a sudden knock startled her from her thoughts, rattling against the door. She whipped around, turning to the source. "Who is it?!"

"Cole," a familiar voice replied. "Can I come in?"

Her heart leapt into her throat– he'd found her secret room. "Uh… why?"

"Because… I want to?" He laughed. "Is something wrong? I can go."

"Uh– no! Nothing!" She hastily smoothed down her skirt, biting down on her lip to fight her nerves. "You can come in."

Cole pushed the door open, and it squeaked the slightest bit, before he entered and closed it behind himself. "What are you doing in here this early?"

"Oh… you know. Stuff." She smiled sheepishly. "What are you doing up so early?"

He snickered at her question. "I'm doing 'stuff' too." He held up a plate. "I brought you some breakfast… but am I interrupting something?"

"Oh, no! Not at all!" She forced a smile. "I just thought you'd want to sleep a while longer. The trip from Ninjago isn't very short."

He shrugged. "Nah, I'm fine. I'm a ninja, remember? We're used to little sleep."

"Well, yeah, but you shouldn't have to be used to it."

"Vania, it's fine." He grinned. "What are you doing, though? You look all dressed up."

She hesitated, looking down at her outfit. She'd worn her nicest leotard and skirt today– she hadn't planned on him seeing her, but at least it wasn't too bad… all of it was shades of pink and purple, except for her T-strap heels, in their perfect polished black. They didn't match...

She knew she had to respond, so she summoned up some words and hoped they'd be enough. "Well, I'm… tap dancing."

His eyebrows rose. "Really? I didn't know you danced." He put the plate he was holding down on a table by the wall.

"It's not something I usually talk about." She fidgeted with the material of her skirt. "Like how you don't talk about Marty Oppenheimer's."

"Well, yeah, but that's different." He smiled, coming up to her. "How long have you been dancing?"

"A few years, give or take." She smiled back at him– it wasn't hard. "It's something I picked up while I was stuck here, y'know. Before we opened our borders."

"That's a long time."

"It is."

The conversation petered off, and then the two of them were just looking at each other. Her heart did a flip in her chest as he grinned at her, hair still a little messy from getting up that morning. She wondered if hers was tidy, and messed with her ponytail a little, trying to tame the golden strands. They wouldn't smooth out...

"So," he eventually spoke up, and she looked at him again. "I brought you breakfast, but I can leave it if you're not done. I figured it's enough to share?" He said it like it was a question, but it wasn't much of one in Vania's mind.

"That sounds wonderful! I'm done, I think." She'd already done her routine two or three times; there wasn't any use in doing it a fourth when she could be spending that time eating breakfast with Cole. "Besides, what kind of host would I be if I didn't make time to eat with you?"

"A busy one, probably. After all, I'm the one who barged in." He chuckled and went to get the plate, bringing it over. "I don't think there are any chairs in here…"

She laughed. "Nope! We can just sit on the floor, it's clean." She bent down and took off her heels, setting them aside before sitting down cross-legged beside the shoes. "Come on, sit with me!"

As he sat, he smiled, still carefully holding up the plate. "Those are some nice shoes you've got."

"You think so? They're my favorites."

"Yeah! They're pretty." He set the plate down in front of them; it was actually two, with a large slice of breakfast cake on the top one, along with two forks. "They suit you, really."

She blushed a little. "Oh, I don't know. I don't wear stuff like this often, besides for this…" She looked down at her outfit again. "It's a little revealing– not something a queen should be seen in. I usually wear sweats or robes over it if I have to be seen..."

"Oh, well, it's not like it's bad to look at." He grinned, but then seemed to realize what he'd said, and flushed a little. "I mean, I think you're fine- I've been around plenty of dancers, after all. It's not like they leave much to the imagination."

"What?" She looked at him curiously. Did he mean that he'd seen… no, he couldn't have. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean…" He looked like he was struggling with his words, and laughed. "Geez, I can't talk today! I just meant that I don't think you're in a bad state. I'm sorry I intruded on your private little ritual."

"Oh, no, it's fine!" She smiled back, reaching for the cake as the realization sunk in– he was just being weird, and that wasn't strange to her anymore, just endearing. "I don't mind it, really."

"You sure?" His dark eyes didn't seem to leave her, and she felt warm… unless that was from the dancing. She definitely hadn't slept enough the night before.

"I'm okay with you knowing," she admitted.

"You're certain about that? It seems like your whole staff knows not to come over here." He took the bottom plate out from under, along with one of the forks.

"Yeah, I'm sure." She took the other fork, then paused. "Should I just… cut this in two?"

"I guess?" He shrugged awkwardly. "I didn't really think ahead…"

She laughed at that. "Okay, well, that's fine." She used her fork to slice the piece of cake in two, and carefully put one on Cole's plate. "I'm okay with just doing this."

He grinned, and when it was safely delivered, he took off the tip of the piece with his fork and held it up. "A toast?"

She grinned back, and after doing the same, clinked her fork against his. "Yeah, a toast… but to what?"

He snickered. "Maybe to your dancing? You're really good."

"No, something else! Not my dancing."

"Fine. How about mornings like these?"

She paused, thinking about it, and the peaceful morning that had preceded her dance session. The night before, too, with a movie marathon that lasted long enough that the moon was high in the sky when she went to bed, and when they'd laid down together for hours on the couch… "Yeah. Mornings like these." She clinked their forks together again. "And the nights before them." She managed to get the words out, but just barely, before yawning.

Cole snickered, eating his bite of cake and humming in delight. Then he smirked at her. "Someone didn't get enough sleep last night."

"I'm fine!" She ate the bite on her fork and mimicked his humming– it was just so good!

"Sure," he drawled, taking another bite. "Not sleepy at all."

"Nope." She took a bite of the side of the cake with crumb topping and cream cheese frosting, enjoying the taste on her tongue. "Just a good morning with exercise and some cake, shared with my best friend in the whole world."

"Okay, if you say so." He rolled his eyes goodnaturedly, and took another large bite of his cake. "How much did you sleep last night, anyway?"

"How much did you?" Vania retorted, taking another bite after she answered.

"Six hours." He shrugged. "You?"

"...Five." She looked down at her plate, avoiding his gaze and stifling another sudden yawn.

"Why didn't you get more?" He turned his head questioningly, and she knew he was watching her intently, the way he always did. It made her heart pound against her ribcage and in her ears.

"Well…" What was she supposed to say? She couldn't exactly say she'd been thinking about how they'd laid together for hours watching movies, sharing snacks and whispered jokes, so she just chanced a look up at his face. "I guess I just had trouble falling asleep, is all."

He frowned, brow creasing. "Oh. That's not good."

"Nope." She shook her head, and turned back to her cake before she could embarrass herself. "So… I didn't sleep as much as you did."

He smiled gently. "Do you need to take a nap today, then?"

She tried to respond, but was cut off by a yawn. When it faded, she laughed self-consciously. "Um… maybe, but I'm fine."

"Maybe? More like yes." He chuckled. "Sooner rather than later, too."

"No, I can stay up." She finished her cake and put her plate down. "I'm fine."

"Nah, you need more sleep." He grinned at her, having finished his breakfast before she had. "Why don't you go back to bed and sleep some more this morning? I can just wait for you to get some rest; it's still early."

"What? I can't do that to you, you're the guest here." She frowned at him.

"Sure you can, if it's my idea." He got to his feet and held out a hand, looking like one of the heroes from her favorite old stories. "Come on, Queenie. You go to bed, I'll take care of all this stuff and get it back to your room."

"I don't know…" She took his hand despite her deliberation. "I don't want to waste my morning. I don't want to walk all the way over to my room, either."

He snickered. "Well there's an easy fix to that, Vania."

"Really?" She looked at him. "What is it?" Was he going to get her coffee, or something

He beckoned her a little closer, much to her heart's content. "Trust me. I can't make you sleep and not spend your whole morning doing it, but… I can bring you to your room."

So that was what he meant. "Well, okay." She came a little closer, wondering what he was going to do. "You're escorting me?"

"Something like that." He beckoned her just a little closer, into his personal space… what was he planning?

"Fine." She smiled, getting the last bit closer. When she was suitably close, though, he scooped her up in her arms, and she yelped in surprise. "Hey!"

He laughed, adjusting his grip around her. "Hey, stop struggling! You're only making this harder!"

"How was I supposed to know you'd do that?!" She laughed, holding on tight with her arms around his neck. "I'm gonna fall!"

"No you're not! Besides, I said I'd bring you to your room."

"I thought you meant you'd walk me there!"

"Nope. I'm carrying you." He grinned at her, holding her close to him, and she couldn't help relishing it. "Just relax, and enjoy the ride on Brookstone Airlines."

"FSM, you're such a dork." She laid her head against his shoulder, stifling another yawn. "Fine. Carry me there, Cole."

He chuckled. "I will." He tugged her a little closer. "Let's go. You need your sleep, tiny dancer."

"I am not tiny."

"Sure you aren't, Queenie."

Vania smiled and closed her eyes, relaxing into Cole's grasp. "Whatever." She knew he'd never let her fall. There was no doubt in her mind of what he would do; he would carry her, safe and sound, to her room. Then he'd probably bring back her shoes, too...

Her black, T-strap tap shoes. They'd been an escape for her for years. Would he want to join her, one day, or just watch?

Either way… maybe it would be fun. She wouldn't mind having him see her dancing.

[delusional-ninjago-fangirl]

Coles daughters hanging out

No worries they like each other and will go shopping with Shintaros stadt finances later

[only-lonely-stars]

Hello??? this is ABSURDLY cute??? skdjfhskdjhfksdjhf

the angel costume DOES make sense. but can we talk about COLE'S REAPER COSTUME?! Absolute slay.

I want to save this to my hard drive. For... reasons that don't NECESSARILY have to be related to fic (but definitely are, c'mon). It's beautiful.

BOO! Vanillacakeshipping Jumpscare! Lol!🎂🎃🌕👻🎭

Better late than never! It's been a while since I've drawn these two. I'm getting rusty! Haha! And please... Don't ask why Vania is dressed as an angel. I know it doesn't make sense. Just enjoy her adorableness.

Bonus: Close ups.

[fabrowrites]

4, 5, 13 for WIP asks 🥹

4. Do you have any WiPs that will never be finished?

The colania one

NO I SWEAR IM GONNA FINISH ALL MY WIPS

except that one morro one. You shall never be completed bc I simply don’t have the strength necessary to think about morro that long

5. What scene did you write first in your current WIP?

I think it was this one from echo!

13. What's been part of your WIP since the beginning? What's the newest idea that you've added to it?

Hmmmmm gonna treat wild things as a collective wip for this one XD

Lloyd’s character arc was pretty much the first thing written down for wild things! The newest thing added has been two am spiral thoughts about hulijing!skylor 🥰

[coffeeisfortheresponsible]

colania?

cole is either gay and ace or aroace imo

vania is like 16 imo

there’s nothing like in canon that makes it like,, illegal but it gives me bad vibes and also the show made it very clear they had no intention of having them get together

colania: 1/10

[only-lonely-stars]

Where Are You?

Oneshot – (FFN) (AO3)

Summary:

After the Crystal King's defeat, Vania thought everything was supposed to be peaceful. Then the Merge came, throwing Shintaro into chaos. To make it even worse, she hasn't heard from Cole since it happened…

It wasn’t long ago when Vania, Queen of Shintaro, thought everything really was going to work out. 

Now that hope was only in her daydreams and memories.

-----

The fierce battle against the Crystal King had tested everyone, from greatest to least. When Vania heard of the battle, she marshalled her forces as fast as she could– of course, a militia was hard to muster quickly, and the royal guard was small. As soon as her men were gathered, and supplies were prepared, they set out at full tilt to Ninjago City, the center of the battle.

They arrived not a moment too soon, sweeping through the enemy forces, crushing Vengestone soldiers to dust beneath their feet. Vania spearheaded the attack, with Chompy, Hailmar, and the Upply at her side.

She would never forget her dear Cole’s face when he saw her, grinning from ear to ear, flushed from fighting. What a sight! The light in his eyes, the hope they shared, the moment when they knew all was not yet lost.

The Ninja took on their dragon forms, the ultimate form of Spinjitzu, and the battle was all but won in that moment. Too bright to look at, too powerful to stop. Vania barely knew what had happened; a moment later, everything was in motion.

Spinning, whirling motion.

The battled raged on, and she heard distant snippets of Cole’s fight against her father:

“You turned my people against me, turned my own daughter against me!”

“Oh, that! Yeah, kinda brought that on yourself.”

“Lies!”

There was a horrible thud , shaking the buildings nearby, and Vania jumped into action to spur Chompy forward. They swooped in, just as she heard her father’s last horrible taunt.

“The Crystal King wanted you for himself. Lucky for me, he isn’t here to see this.”

Panic flooded her vision. In retrospect, Vania didn’t know what she’d done, but her father was lying prone on the ground and Cole had gone to rendezvous with his team…

Only the last stand remained.

Just before the end of it all, Cole had swept down on his dragon wings (she didn’t know where they’d come from) and given her a tight, warm hug that she wished had been just a little bit longer.

It was momentary, before he swept away on his dragon wings once again, and left her to deal with the army. He headed for the Crystal King, the Overlord– it was the greatest battle of their lifetimes– the Ninja prepared to strike down their hated foe–

–and they won!

-----

Vania recalled again, how they had celebrated the defeat of the Crystal King. How everyone had come together to rebuild the city and the Monastery of Spinjitzu. How Cole had told her all about his adventure, from saving Nya’s life to his brief stint in prison to the battle they had just fought.

She remembered how it felt to press a kiss to his cheek before she left, hoping that he would accept it.

She knew with certainty that his bewildered smile was enough to sustain her heart. No matter the distance between them, no matter how long they were apart. 

-----

She was wrong.

When Vania returned home with her victorious army, with gifts from the people of Ninjago City, something was wrong in a small, subtle way. 

An odd trinket appeared here or there that didn’t belong. 

There were some strange weather patterns and odd lights in the sky.

Vania swore she’d seen magenta light in the corner of her room… surely it was just more of those tiny crystals even her best laundresses couldn’t get out of the fibers of her battle dress. She’d shed them for weeks after the battle.

Then it got worse. 

Shintaro had always had earthquakes. They were a consequence of the extensive cave system, plus the instability of recent years. Plus, the city was built near one of the largest faultlines in Ninjago! Minor quakes were common, and their only real consequences were the rockslides which blocked some of the mountain passes. This was normal. Expected, even.

They ignored the little earthquakes which shook Shintaro until three struck within the same week, each of them strong enough to topple already unstable buildings.

Unfamiliar storms raged. 

Rain poured and then suddenly stopped. 

Crops failed. 

Everything became unstable.

The Merge came, and none of it mattered much anymore. A great tear formed in the sky, magenta and shining brighter than the sun over the city of Shintaro. The Mergequakes began, and Vania watched as her people struggled to find safety as their mountain home seemed to fuse into something else– somewhere else–  anything but their old, familiar landscape.

The Merged Lands formed, with Shintaro suddenly bordered by a strange, wild land that had a large floating island hovering above it. The whole place was teeming with blue light and filled with strange, bipedal animals! Lions, birds, reptiles, and more…

Helpless to stop the chaos, Queen Vania directed her people, desperate to protect them. She ordered her soldiers to help evacuate the citizens, and the people did their best to prevent their city from crumbling to the very foundations. The Munce and Geckles surfaced to help, with their superior knowledge of stonecraft contributing greatly to the effort.

The aftershocks died away after a time, eternity yet only a moment.

Slowly, so slowly, everything started coming back together.

Eventually, a tense peace came back.

-----

Queen Vania sighed heavily, leaning back in her throne. Holding court had been a low priority for so long that now there were more petitions and emergencies than ever before. She’d never been so sleepless before. 

She took a moment to summon the energy to deal with at least one more matter. “Hailmar, is there anyone left to meet with?”

The Captain of the Royal Guard shook his head. “No, your Highness. Just a report from the scouts.”

“Oh, thank the Master!” She closed her eyes, slumping tiredly against one of the armrests on her tall white throne. “What do they have to say?”

Hailmar cleared his throat, rustling through papers until he found the right one. “Mugwort says that they have come to the end of the changed landscape to the north. However, they’ve noticed very few Shintaran Ridgebacks, and several empty nests.”

Vania hummed, unable to stir up more energy. “More?”

“Yes, ma’am. This makes seven empty nests between all the scouting parties.”

“It’s not mating season. Why are they gone so early?”

“I’m afraid we don’t know. However, Steele said he noticed signs of some kind of struggle, and scorch marks on the walls of the cave where they found one of the nests. They seem to be from the strange drones we noticed the other week. He suggested that perhaps the dragons are not leaving willingly, but are being… dragon-napped, as it were.”

Vania opened her eyes, frowning deeply. She looked over at Hailmar, noting his grave expression. “What about our letter to the Ninja? Have they responded yet?”

He shook his head. “No, ma’am. No response of any kind to any of the letters we’ve sent. There’s been no sightings of them anywhere.”

Vania watched him for a moment, then sighed. “...I see. What else did Mugwort say?”

“Nothing else of importance. Just samples and reports about the strange plants and animals they’ve seen. I have forwarded those reports to the royal botanists, zoologists, and geologists for continued study.”

“Very good.” She nodded. “If that’s all, then… I think I’ll retire to my rooms.”

“As you wish.” Hailmar offered her a smile. “Would you care for an escort?”

“Thank you, but no. I want to be alone.” She smiled in return, but she knew it was unconvincing. “Let’s talk about this more over supper.”

With those parting remarks, she rose from her throne. The golden wings mounted on her back lifted her up, and she descended the stairs, coming to rest on the ground at the base of the dais. She walked out of the throne room, a small contingent of guards following her, and wearily made her way to her rooms.

When she was finally alone (as alone as a queen could be, considering how strange their world had become), she fell forward onto her bed with a heavy sigh.

No answer.

With a heavy heart, she strained her arms behind her to unclip her wing harness, unwilling to get up. Once they were off and pushed to the foot of her bed, she reached under her pillows to pull out a framed picture. It was one of herself and Cole, long before any of her current worries had existed.

Just looking at it made her frown, exhausted tears coming to her eyes, heart aching. 

“There’s been no sightings of them anywhere.”

Where are you?

There were no answers. What had happened to the Ninja in the Merge? Even now, she was only hearing the most vague rumors about the Green Ninja re-appearing, or perhaps just some impostor, running around with a baby dragon and children dressed in orange and pink. It was so hard to get news from Ninjago City, and now that they’d renamed themselves The Crossroads, it was even more confusing.

It didn’t matter. They weren’t her Cole.

She let herself rest face-down on the bed, weak tears running down her cheeks, dripping off the tip of her nose to wet the duvet. 

She couldn’t make herself believe he was dead. If he were dead, there would be proof of it! 

…right?

She laid there wondering, thinking of when she’d last seen him: banged-up, victorious, slowly relaxing after the last threat to the balance was eradicated. Smiling, working hard, celebrating with his family in a way she just couldn’t interrupt.

She'd made a promise to herself then:

Next time. Next time, I'll tell him how I feel. I can't spoil this moment. 

Now there might never be a next time. Cole might never be coming back to her, or to anyone .

Nothing was okay anymore.

Framed photo in hand, Vania cried herself to sleep.

[only-lonely-stars]

Oh my gosh, happy birthday!! <3 Your sister is a lovely artist, this is a beautiful piece. (The backdrop for the photo is super pretty too!)

My sister made me this Vanillacake drawing for my birthday and wanted me to share it with you guys ( she knows there’s a little group on here who have all become friends, who ship conia with me )

Tagging peeps: @the-ninjago-historian @tiana4evahh @only-lonely-stars

[dysfunctional-lego-ninja]

Am I really the first person to make straight up ship art for these two? Welp, at any rate, have my baking babies ^^ I love them so much, they’re just so cute aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[only-lonely-stars]

The Heart of the Mountain

Oneshot – (FFN) (AO3)

Summary:

After the Tournament of the Sources, Cole goes underground in Shintaro in search of answers. Queen Vania, who hasn't seen him since before the Merge, follows him.

Sort of a sequel to Where Are You?. MAJOR SPOILERS for Dragons Rising Season 2 Part 2! You have been warned.

Vania wasn’t there when Cole arrived, but she heard about it from her staff. It was the Master of Earth’s first visit to Shintaro since the Merge. She hadn’t heard from him, hadn’t seen more than a few news clips… and he was there.

Underground.

He’d ignored her, not even bothering to say hello before descending into the mountain. It was his right to go down there, but being snubbed hurt. He did what he wanted, no matter how it impacted anyone else, because usually it only helped people!

Vania was the Queen of Shintaro. If there was anyone who could do as they liked, it was her.

Two can play at this game, Cole.

So Vania canceled every duty she had for the day. She dressed in her favorite adventuring outfit, freshly plaited her hair into a crown braid, and touched up her makeup. Then she followed him into the darkness and depths, bearing a lantern and striding with confidence.

—

She found him standing in the Heart of the Mountain. 

He was staring up at the statue of Lily, everything illuminated in orange. It almost looked like a trance, the way he stood so still, the way the whole room was built to frame him.

For a moment, she didn’t recognize him at all. 

“...Cole?”

The ninja before her straightened up, then turned to look at her in surprise. His black hair was longer than she remembered, his eyes a little more tired. “Vania?”

Vania frowned, trying to understand what she saw. Cole was wearing something new: white, orange and steel gray. It was a complicated suit, not unlike a set of armor, and entirely different from a ninja gi.

She preferred his usual black, but it was still quite handsome on him. He was always handsome. 

“You… didn’t come say hello. I thought I would come down and find you.”

In case you didn’t come find me before you left.

Because I missed you.

Why didn’t you bother to find me?

“Oh…” Cole looked away, having the decency to be ashamed. “I”m sorry, Vania. Hailmar said you were busy. I didn’t want to interrupt anything.”

“You know you’re never an interruption.” Vania approached him, but it felt like entering a home uninvited. “I just… haven’t seen you in so long. I heard about your surviving the Merge, and you never responded to any of my letters, and… then you disappeared again. I thought you were avoiding me.”

“Avoiding you? No!” Cole stammered, finally coming to her and grasping one of her hands. The contact was welcome, and she had to smile, looking up into his eyes as he seemed to come back to himself. “I’m sorry, Vania, really. I just have a lot on my mind.”

She laughed softly. “When do you not? Every time I hear from you, you tell me about yet another catastrophe.”

“Ha, well, you know how it is being a ninja. Never enough time or people to help with all the things going wrong in the world.” Cole reached up and ruffled his hair, but he didn’t let go of her hand. With ruffled hair, he looked a little bit more like she remembered– boyish, carefree, adventurous. “And this time is unfortunately no different.”

“So I’ve heard.” She mustered her best attitude for him, pushing away her frustrations. “Why are you down here? And… what’s going on with the new outfit?”

“Oh, this?” Cole looked down, letting go of her hand so he could mess with it. He tugged at the material, as if to change the fit, but eventually gave up with a sigh. “It’s a long story. Maybe this isn’t the place for it… or maybe it is. I don’t know.”

“That… means nothing. You know that, right?”

“I know, I know.” Cole laughed, then stomped his right foot. The earth rumbled in response, producing a bench made of rock that faced the statue of Lily. It was a detailed structure, with indentations that almost looked hand-carved, despite Vania seeing it grow before her very eyes. 

Cole led her to sit on it next to her. It was wide enough for two with just a little space between them. Nothing more than a hand’s width.

It was more distance from him than Vania wanted, even now, and she felt brave. She shifted to the side, so that they were touching at the hip. Cole looked surprised, but when she smiled, he rested his arm on the back of the bench behind her.

Why wait so long, Cole? Didn’t you know I was waiting for you? 

After a moment’s pause, in which Cole did nothing, Vania knew she was being too hopeful. She looked down at her hands. “So. What’s kept you away? I heard there was some conflict with Imperium.”

“Yeah, although that’s kind of old news now. Do you want me to start at the beginning?”

Vania inspected her hands. “...Why don’t you summarize, and then tell me about what happened most recently?”

“I can do that.”

Vania leaned back against Cole’s arm, part of her attention fixated on just how strong she knew he was, and Cole didn’t seem to mind. When she finally looked back at him, attentive to his story, she saw the glint in his eye.

Excitement, adventure, and danger. All the things she loved in his stories! She couldn’t keep back a smile. “Come on, tell me!”

“I was just trying to figure out where to start!” Cole laughed, and with it, Vania’s spirits lifted. “Okay. It all began at the Merge.”

—

Vania accepted Cole’s cell phone, considering the photo it showed her. “So this one is where I start?”

“Yeah, exactly. That’s the Land of Lost Things.” She swiped through it, seeing the mountains of trash and miscellaneous objects, until pausing at a statue. “That’s… one of Geo’s statues?”

“Yeah! The guy’s a whiz at them.” Cole swiped through a few for her, past other statues, until he stopped. “That’s him, and Bonzle too.”

Vania peered at the screen. He looked just as Cole had described him: a purple Munce who was almost obsessed with color and found object art, grinning and showing off his sharp teeth. Bonzle, the spell-turned-skeleton, was looking at the camera with a slightly bored smile. “They look nice! You should bring them to Shintaro sometime.”

“I dunno… Geo’s been burned before. He got stuck there because nobody missed him, since he was off-color.”

“No, you should bring him.” Vania gave Cole a smile, searching his orange-flecked eyes. “We’ve been making real progress since you left! There are some Geckles and Munce who are practically family now. Geo deserves to be around that, to have a part in it.”

Cole laughed, and she suppressed a happy shiver as he toyed with one of her loose strands of hair. “Sure, Vania. I’ll tell him next time we run into each other.”

“Good. I’d love to meet any of your friends.”

“And I’d love for them all to meet you.”

The way he said it made her feel like there were butterflies in her stomach.

You talk to me like that, but you don’t make a move. Stop playing with my heart like this!

Vania felt her cheeks heating up, so she looked back down at the phone. She swiped through a few pictures of two little boys playing– they had to be Fritz and Spitz. “You said you also had some pictures of the City of Temples, right?”

“Oh, yeah! Sorry, I got distracted.” Cole took the phone back and swiped through it, past pictures of the Ninja and their students, past sweeping landscapes and blue pies. He stopped at a cityscape, clad in gold and ringed by mountains. “It really reminded me of Shintaro.”

“Oh, wow! It’s so similar!” Vania looked with delight as he moved through them. “The stonework is just incredible.”

“I know! I wish I’d gotten the chance to explore more.” Cole stopped at a picture of the arena. “Here’s where we fought. I wish I could say I did well, but… hey. Sora won, and we’re all really proud of her!”

“Of course.” Vania rested her head against his shoulder. “Did you get very far?”

“Uh… no, actually. I kind of got curb stomped.”

She laughed. “You? Curb stomped? It must have been a mighty opponent.”

“Would you believe me if I said it was a Serpentine kid?”

“Maybe.” She giggled. “At least you got to watch the rest of those fights. They must have been really impressive.”

“Oh yeah! Especially Lloyd’s fights. He did a great job!” Cole laughed. “And then… well, I missed a few. And that’s actually why I’m here.”

She looked up at him, curious by how his voice had shifted from lighthearted reminiscence into something somber. His expression was as serious as she’d ever seen him. He was looking at the statue again… studying it.

She prompted, “Cole?”

He frowned. “I don’t know, Vania. It was just… weird.”

“What was weird? I don’t understand.”

Cole sighed, and she watched as he seemed to almost physically shrink. She’d long outgrown her childish fantasies about him and his mountainous strength, but moments like these are even more of a reminder that Cole wasn’t just some incredible, legendary figure.

He was just a man.

I like him better this way.

“When I was in the City of Temples, I found a mech. It was attuned to my element. After I’d lost my element to the tournament, I needed a vehicle, and I went back to it.” He drew away, hugging himself with both arms. “It was my mother’s, and there was a mech suit in it that fit me. This suit.”

Vania blinked in surprise. “Is that why you’re wearing this?”

“Ha, yeah. I know, it’s not my usual style.”

“It’s not bad,” she assured, inspecting it more closely. The similarities to armor made sense now, the steel and segmentation. The color scheme also made sense, considering what records of Lily they still had in Shintaro. She’d always loved the color white. “How come there was a suit that fit you?”

“I don’t know.” Cole sighed, his vice-like grip on himself loosening. “It was the perfect size. Maybe it wasn’t my mom’s, maybe it was my grandfather’s. Or maybe my great-grandparent’s? Or even older? I have no idea, and there wasn’t anything inside it to say whose it was originally.” He shook his head. “That’s the thing. It was charged with Earth energy, and I was able to harness it even though my element had been taken by the dragon ivory. I don’t know why!”

Vania’s heart softened. She reached out and laid her hands on Cole’s, watching as he looked over. His eyes expressed pain.

No wonder why he didn’t come find me. He needed answers.

She reached up and touched his face, brushing aside a strand of hair, and said, “I can only imagine how confusing that is.”

Cole smiled, so she continued. “Who knows why it was there? Maybe they somehow knew you would need it.”

“Even if it was generations ago? I find that hard to believe,” he confessed with a laugh. “The element of Earth has never come with visions of the future, just… back aches and dirt under our fingernails.”

“Do you need knowledge of the future to know your heirs might need something?” Vania posed her challenge as more of a question, but they both knew she was pushing him. “Cole, I know my heirs will need things. Laws, instructions, records of what I did and why. Your ancestors probably did similar things. You will probably do similar things. The mech was obviously left for you.”

He glanced away. “Maybe…”

“No, there’s no ‘maybe’ about it. I know it’s true.”

Another laugh burst from him, unbidden. “Okay. Sure. You’re right. But that’s not the only thing bothering me.”

Before she could ask, Cole got up from the bench and began to pace. “Here’s what I don’t get. I found a mech that’s just right for the job. Then I had a dream that showed exactly where I would need to go, and the mech got me there. Then, once I actually arrived, the ghost of Master Wu showed up and spoke to me!” 

He was all but tearing his hair out when he looked at her again. “Vania, I don’t understand! He said he caused the Merge. Wu would never do that intentionally. I know he would never want that! I practically raised him– I know it’s backwards, but it’s true, and I know that’s not like him!” 

He stood still, breathing heavily from his rant. 

Vania watched him. Pacing and barely rational. This was the man she had missed for so long, the one she’d longed for all these long months they’d been apart.

She felt the impulse to get up and go to him, so she followed it. She hugged him, burying herself in his arms and his armor. Cole held her, tense yet relaxing slowly at her touch.

Vania took a deep breath, smelling earth and tea and machine oil. “I don’t know either, but we can find out together. You don’t have to figure it out alone, Cole.”

He wilted. “I know. I’ve got my team. But–”

“No. Not just them.” Vania looked up at him, holding his gaze, daring him to look away from her. “You have me.”

“But you’re all the way in Shintaro,” he protested.

“So send me a letter! Call me! We have phones, you know.” She pulled him down to rest his head against hers, daring him to pull away. “Cole Brookstone, if you ask me to come to you, I will come. It doesn’t matter when or where or how. You are not alone.”

He held still, and for a moment, she felt like she’d pushed too far. Had she done something she couldn’t undo? Had she thrown herself at him, more than she had the day they’d met, and he’d disliked it? Had time dampened their connection, their friendship, until every spark of more had been stamped out?

Cole sighed, closing his eyes. “Okay. I’ll… I’ll stay in touch better, Vania. I’ll tell you when I figure out any more of this, or find any more clues.”

Vania closed her eyes to match him. She could feel her fears slowly washing away and being replaced by peace.

“Don’t leave for so long next time, please?”

“Okay. I won’t.”

“That includes if you get… stuck somewhere, or are about to have a big battle, or whatever else is waiting for you. I worry about you when you’re gone.”

“I’m sorry.” She opened her eyes to see him pulling back, and for the first time in their conversation, he looked truly apologetic. “Really, I am.”

“I know.” She smiled again, reaching up to caress his face. Even now, delight coursed through her when he leaned into her touch. “I’m not holding anything against you, Cole. You should know that… I never will.”

“Even if I disappear again?”

Vania laughed. 

This man. This sweet, stupid man. 

“I will search all the Merged Realms if I have to, but you are not disappearing on me again. Ever.”

Finally, the smile on Cole’s face seemed to last. He reached up and toyed with her hair, his hands exceedingly gentle. “As you wish, your Highness.”

His shoulders were not so tense now, his voice softened by affection, and Vania knew that he had gotten what he came for.

The Heart of the Mountain slowly dimmed, coming back to its dormant state, until the darkness was close at hand and broken only by her lantern’s weak glow. The lantern light played across the walls, across Cole’s face, across both of their hearts.

Please… stay with me this time.

She knew he wouldn’t, and yet prayed for it anyway.

[only-lonely-stars]

KORDIIIIIII WHATTTT

This is the cutest fic!!! EXCUSE ME 😭😭😭🥹🥰 Thank you!!! I can't believe you wrote me a fic djgjshtjwjt and the Taylor vibes are so PERFECT and I am at a loss for words to express how I LOVE IT!!! You're amazing, thank you 😭😭😭😭😭 happy Valentine's Day!!!!!

“I got distracted and lost track of time a little. It happens to everyone,” Cole replied, trying to shake off Jay’s questioning glance.

“Thinking about a certain princess?” Jay edged on with a playful smirk.

…

ah, yes. another opportunity to combine my love for Cole and Taylor Swift songs. hope you enjoy, @only-lonely-stars!!!

[amour393]

WOOHOO MORE SEABOUND ANGST (spoilers) (yo @only-lonely-stars here ya go)

Cole was tired.

He wasn't surprised. He'd been constantly doing something for three days. Comfort Jay and Kai. Keep Zane and Pixal from shutting down. Get Lloyd to get some actual rest. Stop Wu from locking himself in his room for "meditation" for hours on end. Talk with Ray and Maya before they go to the funeral.

No, Cole reminded himself. It's not a funeral. She's not dead. She's not. She's alive. She's okay. She's never-

Cole kept moving. He held Jay until he cried himself to sleep. He read a story to Lloyd like he had done when Lloyd was little. He reoiled Zane's joints. He worked with Pixal on her mech. He planned the fune- the memorial ceremony with Wu. He didn't have time for pesky things like sleep. He kept working.

Part of him knew why. The second he paused to let what had happened catch up, he would collapse. No. His family- the rest of his family needed him.

Cole had done this before. He had done it with Zane. He had almost done it several times. But last time was so much easier. Everybody left. They left, and they did their own thing, because they couldn't bear to look at each other without remembering they were missing someone.

But that was a long time ago. They were closer now. No one would be leaving, Cole was sure of that.

Cole was living off coffee and busywork. He hadn't slept in at least 48 hours, probably more, but he had managed by being needed.

After the memorial, he didn't have time to talk to people. Most everyone gave their condolences and left. Ed and Edna stayed longer for Jay. They disappeared into his room, and Cole didn't see them the rest of the day.

Skylor also stayed back. They went into the living room, and Kai fell asleep on her shoulder.

Cole forced himself to find something to do, but it was getting more difficult. He and Pixal finished the mech. Jay was with his parents. Kai, Lloyd, and Skylor were snuggled up on the couch, trying not to cry. Zane and Pixal were with Borg, and Wu was with Misako.

Cole had nothing to do.

It was dark outside. He brewed a cup of tea, got into his car, and drove.

He didn't think about where he was going. He kept his eyes on the road, on the horizon. He looked ahead. He didn't look back. He couldn't. Not at the Monastery, not at the memories-

He was at the beach before he realized it, knee deep in sand as the moon rose over the horizon. He sat there for hours. He couldn't keep track of how many. His tea turned cold, but he just watched. Watched the tide push and pull, watched the small waves lap at the sand and the big waves crash and spray white mist. Watched for animals in the distance, or for boats, or for light.

No. Not light. Not that terrible blue light that ripped his sister away-

He barely heard someone approach from behind him. Barely.

He didn't need to look. He knew who it was. A person landed on the sand, their soft footsteps trailing towards him.

"How'd you know I'd be here?" he asked, his voice a hoarse whisper.

Vania knelt next to him. "Had a feeling."

He spared a glance at her. She wasn't in her crown, or her fancy royal robes. Her golden hair fell loose around her shoulders, and she wore a simple white dress with a blue tie. Her sky blue eyes were silvery in the moonlight.

"I never got to talk to you," she said quietly. "I mean, besides when I told all of you how sorry I was. But that wasn't to you individually, so it doesn't count."

Cole let out a weak chuckle. "Glad to see at least someone hasn't changed because of this."

Vania tilted her head, eyes on the horizon. "You have?"

Cole followed her gaze, quiet for a moment. "I don't know."

Vania was silent for a moment, shifting her position to holding her knees and digging her toes into the sand. Cole followed her.

"You haven't slept since it happened, have you?" she guessed.

He looked at her. "How'd you know?"

She laughed weakly, hand rising to gently brush the bags under his eyes. "Gee, I wonder."

Cole chuckled softly, returning his gaze to the ocean.

"I have to keep moving," he muttered.

"Why?"

Cole shook his head. "If I do I don't have to deal with it. Remember it."

Vania placed her hand on his shoulder. "Cole, one of the things I admire most about you is how much you love helping others. But this? Cole, you have to let yourself grieve, or you're not going to be able to help anyone. And I know how much you'd hate that."

Cole rubbed his eyes and leaned his head on her shoulder, which somehow worked despite him being so much bigger than her.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I would."

She ran her fingers through his hair, humming softly, and Cole finally allowed himself to cry.

[fabrowrites]

8, 16, 17, 30:DD

thank u!!! it was really surprising and fun to realize how much I've written this year!

8- Pairing you wrote the most for this year?

Since I write more platonic ship than romantic ship, I'll include my top for both :D  I wrote 7 fics with the Cole & Lloyd Garmadon & Kai & Nya & Jay Walker & Zane relationship and exactly one (1) romantic ship fic, which was Colania!

16- What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?

friendship, with 11 fics having that tag!

17- Your favorite character to write this year?

Statwise, Kai and Nya each with 11 and personally, I would have to agree!  My favorite Kai thing from this year is probably so he was sent to bed, and my favorite Nya thing was probably her chapter of ceiling hung with vines, both actually from the same au!

30- Biggest surprise while writing this year?

Hmmmm this question is a bit vague so I’m gonna sneak in two answers again :D I never expected to end up writing Bloom this year, but now it’s one of my favorites to come out of 2022. As for something surprising that happened while writing a fic, that would be Echo’s wings being made from Julien’s feathers! I want to say that that idea came about maybe the second to last day I worked on it, and I just knew immediately it was what I was missing.

[nocturnal-nexu]

Always happy to see another member added to the crew of the S.S. Conia!

conia

genuinely asking here

is there ANYBODY who ships Cole and Vania??? I can’t be the only one can i??

[master-of-cosmos]

petition to change all cole ships to make them end with ‘cake’

lavacake

bruisecake (weird but we can make it work)

icecreamcake instead of glacier idk i’m just throwing out ideas man

motoroilcake (not edible). maybe red velvet instead alsdjkj

whatever the poly ships are idk them

and even tho i seconded vanillacakeshipping, i actually want it to be marblecake now like bruh

[only-lonely-stars]

Hair As Gold As Straw (Epilogue)

[Prologue] // [Chapter 9 of 9] // [Epilogue - you are here!] – (FFN) (AO3)

Part of the @ninjago-fairy-tale-au!

Summary:

Once upon a time, Princess Vania of Shintaro lived in an ivory castle in an ivory city. Her father, King Vangelis, kept her safe in her tower, where no one could hurt her and she could not hurt herself... until the day when she ran away. A Colania Snow White retelling.

Chapter summary:

A fairy tale deserves a fairy tale ending.

Once upon a time, there lived a gracious and noble queen who ruled over a city of ivory and gold. Queen Vania was loving to all her subjects, peaceful, and kind. In everything she did, she showed her devotion, but never once did she ever consider marriage, despite many opportunities. For many months after her coronation, the queen lived alone and as she had sworn to her people, in justice and defense for every pained soul. However, every morning and night she gazed out the window of her tower, watching and waiting for something that never came.

There came a day when the queen was holding her court, considering the issues of her people. When the court reached its fullest, she asked her guards to close the doors, so that the rest of those who needed her attention and care could wait until the next day. For hours, she toiled to answer their questions and provide for their needs, and each went away satisfied. She grew ever more tired, but did not rest for a long time.

As she reached her most lethargic, she eventually called for a respite, so that she might gather strength for the remainder of her meetings. She sat on her throne, collecting herself and resting her mind, wishing again that she might look out the windows and see whether her most desired visitor would come. Every day, she watched for him. Just as she was about to rise from her seat to look again, however, the doors to the throne room opened without her order.

Queen Vania's attention snapped to the doors of the throne room. They opened slowly and silently, heavy on their hinges. As they did, she caught a glimpse of the man who entered.

Slowly, a man clad in black entered the throne room. He was masked, such that his dark eyes were his only visible feature. On his back, he carried a golden scythe, which shone in the light. When he was fully inside the hall, he took off his mask, and the queen's breath caught in her throat.

"Queen Vania," the man called, and she could not help but laugh in delight. She stood up from her throne in an instant and ran toward him. He began to laugh with her, and when she reached him, she threw her arms around him, such that he could catch her. When he did, her momentum spun them around, and he held her tightly against his chest, both of them filled with delight.

"Cole!" the queen cried in joy. "You've come back!"

"I'm back," he repeated, laughing. "I came back to you." When he looked at her, his heart filled amd warmed unlike anything he could remember for many months. She beamed at him, then threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply in front of her whole court, ignoring their gasps of shock. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her back, pouring his soul into the gesture with as much sincerity as he could muster. Indeed, as they reunited, the courtiers watched and murmured to each other in shock and joy.

When they broke apart, Vania watched his face intently. "You kept your word."

"I swore to you I'd come back." He laid his forehead against hers. "I swore to keep my oath."

"I am so happy to see you," she admitted.

"And I you, Vania– I have missed you more than words can possibly express." He kissed her again.

"What took you so long?" she asked, unwilling to step out of his arms.

"I had to see my father, and tell him about you. I'm sorry I was so slow."

"It is all right. I waited for you, Cole." She smiled in sincerest joy. "What of your father, then?"

Cole laughed, warm and deep. "He sends his love!" He spun her around again. "He approves, Vania, he approves!"

Vania shrieked in laughter and held onto him. "Yes!" As he set her down, she could only laugh more, happily embracing him. "Does this mean you'll stay?"

"I'll stay, Vania. I'll stay and be your knight. Oh, Vania, I love you more than I can say." He held her tightly, only letting go to press a kiss to her cheek. "I will never leave you again."

"I love you too, Cole, my knight in shining armor." Again she put her arms around him. "I have missed you more than you could ever know."

So the tale of the queen and her knight ended as it began, in the ivory city of Shintaro. For years upon years, the people would tell stories about the king and queen– the king with his tanned skin and golden scythe of protection, and the queen with her ivory skin and hair as gold as straw.

The End.

[amour393]

Cole x Vania are freaking adorable and y'all can't change my mind