#mental health of a nindroid

[dragonform]

Dragons Rising Season 2 Pt1 overall thoughts!

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS DO NOT CLICK UNLESS YOU'VE WATCHED THE WHOLE THING

In no particular order:

Wow, this season was the heaviest one yet. I'd been a bit disappointed by how Season 1 seemed a bit light on the life lessons that I found so compelling in Ninjago. Well, DR2 delivered in spades, from the theme of secrets, to the issues of mental health. Never should've doubted Ninjago writers!

WHY LEAVE SO MANY UNRESOLVED THREADS THOUGH. Not even clues for fans to speculate on?!?

Like what happened in Cole's journey to follow Master Wu?

What really is that glowing orb sprite thingy? Because it showed up in the Monastary of Spinjitzu to close the portal gate, right? How was it doing that before they'd even traveled to Mysterium? Have I misunderstood something? (Granted, I had to do chores here and there so I really might've missed something... need a rewatch)

Where did Cinder even come from? How did Ras recruit him? What's his story?

What really is Arin's object spinjitzu power?

Of course I'm sure all of this will be resolved/revealed eventually, but it seems a lot to conclude in the next 10 episodes. Oh wait, they've said they have enough material for a few more seasons right? Well, sure looks like enough for at least a third season.

I think the ones who are gonna have a falling out are Arin and Sora. It's gonna be revealed, maybe at some critical point, that he didn't actually do object spinjitzu to get them the win, and it's gonna destroy his self confidence as well as his trust in Sora.

They're gonna get all of the Forbidden Five out eventually, possibly by shoving more ninja through the gate. Which is fine, because the ninja will just meet up and come back through the Power of Friendship!

SO CURIOUS to find out what the elemental powers of the Forbidden Five are.

I was a little disappointed by the lack of Euphrasia though. I thought for sure she'd have a more major role this season, but she still remained a side character for most of it. Oh well, patience!

BONZLE. I did NOT expect her story to go this way. Still trying to wrap my brain around a sentient spell, but hey. It's Ninjago.

Love her so much though she's so precious.

Speaking of precious, ZANE. That's it. That's the whole thought.

No, I AM going to expand on that. Look at how he had such a vast knowledge of the Administration's rules and regulations. Look at how he stalled them with it. Look at the pride he had in helping them raise their efficiency by NINE PERCENT. IT COULD'VE BEEN TEN YOU GUYS. IF HE HADN'T GOTTEN RESCUED.

MR FROHICKY. I need that Frohicky plushie like YESTERDAY.

Also PUPPY COLE PLUSH WHEN

COLE. He's still protecting and trying to comfort everyone. What an amazing fight he put on at the monastary, almost a one-man army against the Adminstration's mechs, with Gandalaria's support. I bet his failure to protect Zane would have devastated him if Zane had been deactivated permanently. Fortunately Gandalaria knows more about nindroids than she should...

GANDALARIA! Endlessly positive and chirpy and disorganised. Like a more established Fungus. Wish I could be her. Loved seeing her dynamic with Cole being her straight man (hush, yes I know.)

So happy to see Kai get his focus for a change. Love Lloyd but he gets the focus like... every season. Kai needs the love. He's really cool this season.

Nya gets the least focus :( I miss her

WHY are all the ninjas' powers only as powerful as the plot calls for it :/ Zane's frozen way more than just a runaway mech back in the day!

I still think Ras looks too cuddly to be taken seriously as an antagonist. I mean would you not hug a Ras plushie? Look at those eyes. Look at that nose.

Is Ras's master a Source Dragon or the Overlord? OR BOTH?

Love Rontu, but she is such an archetypal (?) Nurturing Mentor to Egalt's Grumpy Old Master

Egalt has dragon cancer :( he looks way cooler in the show than he looked in the promotional materials and the set

I haven't talked about Jay, have I? JAY. Oh how my heart skipped a beat when he showed up pointing that gun/taser at Bonzle. I literally said out loud "OH NO OH NO OH NO".

I think that was the single most terrifying part of the whole season for me. I don't even know why it was so visceral. I think I was worried that his entire peronality had changed, though I don't know why I thought that, since in Pt1 he was literally playing video games instead of working.

So I was actually relieved to hear that he felt he didn't really belong in the Administration. Pre-merge Jay probably couldn't even fill out a single form properly. He probably had Nya or Zane or Cole do all the paperwork for him.

He clearly wasn't suprised that he had control over lightning. Why did nobody know about it? He's the kinda guy who'd use his powers for entertainment if he didn't have a good reason to hide them.

He didn't recognise his own ninja outfit D:

Lastly, the Finders - I'm also a little troubled by how Cole seems to put them ahead of his ninja family, but then again. He knows the ninja are all very capable warriors who can take care of themselves. On the other hand, for who knows how long, he had felt responsible for protecting his little newfound family. It makes sense that he would continue priotising them even after finding his old family.

In conclusion, Cole is such a dad :D

And to wrap it up, NEED PT 2 NOW 6 MONTHS IS TOO LONG TO WAIT NETFLIX /shakes fist

Sorry that was so long and rambling! Fun though.

I had wanted to do a blow by blow reaction post of every episode, but I can't seem to get clear photos from my device without major reflection issues. Still trying though!

[hyakujuuou]

My biggest problem with Ninjago’s writing is how meaningless death and sacrifice are.

The first major character death is Zane’s sacrifice, which is still cited as one of the saddest Ninjago moments, because it was expected that he had died at that moment and the audience doesn’t go into the sacrifice the idea of him coming back. Even afterwards, there’s no strong indication that he’s going to be completely remade and rejoin the ninja team— he lives on, but differently.

Next season, Zane is remade and rejoins the team. The idea of nindroids coming back from the dead is introduced to the audience and the stakes of life-threatening situations are removed for Zane— as long as technology exists, he can be remade.

At the end of Possession, Morro sacrifices himself. This “death” (really his second death) is portrayed as final and irreversible. The quote about Wu only being able to save those who want to be saved seals it: Morro is going and he doesn’t want to come back.

Morro is brought back from the dead for Day of the Departed.

Also, Cole is made into a ghost, which is initially portrayed as something permanent, but Day of the Departed makes what reads like a few quick excuses and undoes it. Between Morro and Cole, it is demonstrated that death is not permanent for ghosts.

At the end of Possession, Garmadon sinks with the Preeminent. He passes on his leadership, lessons, and robes to Lloyd and they sail away. Lloyd goes on to honour his father’s memory and become the leader Ninjago needs.

Garmadon is brought back by Harumi, just as Lloyd has moved on. He demonstrates that death is not permanent for Oni.

In Skybound, Nya is killed, but Jay’s wish undoes the events of the season brings her back to life.

When Cole falls from the Bounty in March of the Oni, he somehow defies the properties of the Oni cloud and returns to the ninja. The show doesn’t even elaborate on that.

Lloyd is crushed in the battle at the end of March of the Oni and meets the FSM, who brings him back.

Prime Empire deaths are reversed at the end of the season.

Harumi, Vangelis, and Aspheera are clearly defeated and Harumi’s “death” was read as heavily implied.

They return, as well as Garmadon, for Crystallised.

Nya sacrifices herself and turns, irreversibly, into the ocean in Seabound. She also returns in her normal form for Crystallised.

Overall, the way the series repeatedly refuses to make character death and character sacrifice meaningful and give these things real, appropriately far-reaching consequences creates a mindset of “oh, this character is dying. They’ll be back.” and makes it difficult to convey the full emotional impact of a beloved major character giving their life in the pursuit of their goals because there’s a heavy precedent of characters almost immediately having their death reversed. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say that keeping something like this up will get boring after a few seasons (I acknowledge that Ninjago is ultimately just 22-minute advertisements for Lego toys, but I think I can still care about the plot).

It’s also not just that the characters are immediately brought back, it’s that their death has absolutely no effect on the plot moving forward other than “Ninjago wasn’t destroyed last season”. Sure, Zane is silver sometimes and Cole briefly had a scar, but the characters don’t mention that they literally died (or equivalent), it has no psychological effects*, it doesn’t lead into the next season’s plot points, and it doesn’t affect the narrative at all. Each season that was resolved with a character sacrifice or each arc that ended in a character death could very easily have been resolved any other way without significantly altering the plot in the long run.

*I acknowledge that Ninjago is for kids, but if Ninjago can have fantasy violence, it can have fantasy consequences of violence. I fully believe that there is a way to discuss mental health in an age-appropriate way if a writer wants to put in the effort.

There’s another post to be made about how Ninjago handles side characters’ achievements in this exact same way.

[localguy2]

Oi may I please request some zane head cannons (I need some variety )

💡💡💭

Sure thing, here's a teeny tiny list of headcanon for your enjoyment:

- Heavy sleeper imo, probably the heaviest on the team, it may be confirmed that Cole snores, but in my eyes Zane will always be the heavier sleeper cuz of Crystalized and Seabound

- he's actually a pretty good leader, but self doubt and worry fuck him over more then anything, that combined with how his plans sometimes don't take into account the people around him makes him scared shitless of leading at times

- examples of mostly good leading is in Season 5 where he's mainly the one spear heading the team in Stiix, although to be fair to Zane, Kai did also fuck up a lot of his plans (*cough* making Ronin raise the price & unintentionally hitting him with the crane which broke his voice box *cough*)

- examples of bad plans/leadership is possibly Sons of Garmadon where he basically throws Cole under the bus to get into the SoG (poor Cole lmao), and while he did get a good amount of info for the ninja, in the end it ended up with him at the bottom of the canyon (although again to be fair to him, if it wasn't for Harmui then the Sons of Garmadon would have probably not found about his true identity)

- on the topic of whole SoG plan, he's really fucking embarrassed about it and is also really guilty, and he apologises constantly to Cole for it, because not only did his plan get his brother in danger, in his eyes it was all for nothing since he got beat by Mr.E and almost died for it, depression!

- sorta linked with the last one, Green Ninja complex! (this time Nindroid edition), Basically like Lloyd, he feels like he should be more responsible, as such he holds himself to ridiculously high standards at times, which can be a determent of his own health at times, physical and mental, physical as in throwing himself into danger, and mental as in not wanting to fail at anything, because in his eyes "I'm a nindroid, I should be much better at this then the avgrage person.", fun all round ey?

- Can communicate with PIXAL without having to say anything, basically messaging PIXAL just by thinking about it, which has lead to some very obscure and random moments where he and PIXAL break out into laughter all of the sudden (yes they have inside jokes about everyone including each other)

- will not allow himself any rest if any of the ninja is hurt in any shape way or form, and if everyone is injured? Well fuck me he's staying up for at least 2 weeks with no sleep just to watch over them, something that Wu doesn't approve of because he probably needs as much rest as the rest of the injured ninja, but he can't do anything since-

- Zane is stubborn, stupidly stubborn at times, if he's focused on a task oh he WILL get it done and he will not let shit get in his way

- has won a chess championship because he thought it would be an "intertsing expiernce.", he hated it because of how people showed up and asked for pictures and shit lmao

- has both the most and least amount of control over his element, most as in being precise and accurate with freezing his targets and landing his shots, least as in the Ice Emperor trauma overwhelming him and causing him to lose control sometimes (although with Quest for The Lost Powers, he's since regained full control over his element)

- when the others found out that he was a nindroid (and that he didn't have a mom), they all decided that the next best thing would be to make him the mom of team, as such they celebrate mother's day in his honour (he finds it weird but at the same time amusing asf)

- mother's day when he was dead after Season 3 was possibly one of the most depressing times for the ninja, >:)

- makes ice sculptures for everyone randomly, which sorta leads into the next action

- he's the "Shows affection through actions" type, he doesn't have a problem saying that he loves his family out right, but he prefers physical actions to show his affection (making ice sculptures, cooking a favourite dish, heck perhaps even knitting clothes)

- occasionally lets his falcon out just to talk and hand out with it, he loves his berb a lot since its his last link to his father

- an absolute Disney princess with animals, "Awwww look at this horrifying abomination!" *pets the creature* "Can we keep him? <:)"

- still chills out at the bottom of cold lakes (this task has become significantly easier ever since Nya became the elemental master of water)

- is locked in an endless war with Cole over the title of "biggest brother in the family", it is yet to conclude despite all the shit they went through

- speaking of big brother and shit, I see a lot of people talking about Kai and Lloyd or RGB siblings, and believe those are really damn good I can't argue about that, BUT, hear me out: Lloyd and Zane with Lloyd as the little brother and Zane the big brother.

I mean it's just waiting to happen at this point, shared trauma alone is enough to make these 2 understand each other really well, here's a few examples:

1) the overlord, they've both faced the overlord alone and they damn well know how terrifying it is having the weight of the entire world on your shoulders

2) loving thier fathers, and having to watch thier legacies be destroyed, Sensei Garmadon's sacrifice was all for nothing when Harumi brought back the evil side of him, and all of Julien's good work was now sorta in bad name because of the Nindroid army, after all the nindroid army was based on Zane's design, which was made by Julien

3) both are scared of what they might become, in Season 11 Lloyd is scared that he might becomes like his father, an Oni, which is one of the reasons he hates embracing his Oni side so much in Crystalized, and Zane is scared of becoming just lines of code (personal interpretation is that it's the Ice Emperor, the Staff's influence and Vex's manipulation basically render him a set of lines of codes, constantly repeating the same cycle of attacking innocents and trapping them in his ice)

4) they've both died, Zane god knows how many times and Lloyd briefly in March of the Oni (shared death expiernces hellll yeaaaah)

This headcanon is a hill I'm willing to die on proudly

- on the topic of the nindroid army actually, Nindroid hate SKYROCKETED during Rebooted, and Zane wasn't spared that hate, fortunately for him and unfortunately, most of the hate went away after he sacrificed himself, yeah he might be fuckin dead but hey at least the word nindroid now isn't ruined anymore!

- has a sort of secret agreement with Kai of looking out for each other constantly, while Kai is a goofball at most times, he and Kai both are extremely serious about protecting their family, thus they understand each other super well, if Zane needs to have a serious talk with anyone, it's not Wu or Cole or anyone else he goes to, it's Kai, and vice versa

- stays up the entire night sometimes because he's having an existential crisis about how he's gonna outlive all his friends and loved ones, have fun with that one

- and now for a rapid fire set of HCs when it comes to his relationship with the other ninja:

Lloyd - a little brother he has to protect at all costs

Cole - the best costumer he could ask for, if Zane opened a restaurant Cole would be there every single day, will cook 5 cakes for Cole's birthday

Nya - tech and fighting bestie, Nya used to be Samurai-X so she knows her way around technology, as such they love talking about the latest stuff from Borg, also fighting besties, aside from their elements working well together (and especially if Kai is there, helping melt Zane's ice for Nya to control) they also are the most dangerous and well coordinated duo on the team, they will bust out fighting moves like it's nothing, and they are especially good at pinching their enemies and overwhelming them with constant attacks

Kai - mature brother he can trust at all times without hesitation, they both easily have the most shared secrets out of everyone, a testament to show how much they look out for each other

Jay - video games and random talks bestie, Zane has no issue spending hours at a time just to listen to Jay talk about anything cuz he genuinely finds it fun, plus it kills the time if there's nothing better to do

Wu - Wu still has a soft spot for Zane (bring back that season 1 and 2 dynamic writers c'mon), and Wu has special tasks reserved for him, and some secrets as well (Lloyd and Cole also have soft spots in Wu's heart)

PIXAL - do I seriously need to explain PIXAL? I mean fuck she's literally the love of his life, she understands him more then anyone im the world, and she knows everything about him thanks to living in his head for a while (vice versa with how he knows everything about her since she lived in his head), she's also the one to repair him most of the time (and again vice versa), the love for each other goes way beyond a nomal relationship because they just understand each other so well, and if harm falls on any of one of them, the cookie will indeed, crumble like a stack of playing cards

Oh and also vehicle building besties loool

[ninjago-fa-story]

Ninjago FA Prequel: Restart

Chapter 1: Breaking Free

---Acronix's PoV---

My head was spinning and I felt so dizzy, it was hard to stay on my feet. I was aimlessly tumbling around the Iron Doom, falling to the ground with a loud thud. It was difficult to stay conscious, but I was still able to see what was going on on the other side of the room. Even with my blurry vision pulsating.

Krux was fighting against Wu, who was much older than him. It may appear like an unfair battle, but both were great warriors, equally skilled. But something was strange, Wu looked different just a few moments ago. a possible effect by the Reversal Time Blade. Mentioning it now, where did it go? Though I quickly realized that the siblings of Fire and Water probably took it for their father. Despite the inability to actually show it, I was genuinely happy about that fact: Ray gets to see another day. The battle appeared tough, though I could only hear what was going on. My consciousness was fading to black.

"I seriously don't understand your problem, Acronix. Why is it so hard for you to let go of someone who hurts you? I had to do it twice and yet I am totally fine... Well... As fine as I can be... I am free from them now. I know you want that too, just like you said! If you cling onto your brother any longer, it will hurt you more than it would do good. And if Krux can't see how much he is hurting you, does he really deserve to be your brother? I have seen how he treats you, or even the Vermillion, and you simply cannot tell me you like it this way. You are like his puppet! Like a marionette!"

"And that is exactly my point! If I ever go against him, he will discard me just like them! I can never leave, I have no choice! My choices don't matter! They never did, they never will. I am trapped."

"Why didn't you leave while you still had the chance? Right after you got here?"

"I wanted to! But Krux is everything i still have ever since. I just didn't want to lose him too! And after I realized that he didn't change in the slightest, I hoped to be able to change his mind. I was so focused on my brother, I totally forgot about myself."

"I totally know how that feels like, only doing things because others want me to. When I first started inventing, I rebuilt gadgets from Video Games to get a hang of Technology, then I built myself legs and Nindroid Assistants, once my skills advanced more. Over time I gained more popularity and I had to build whatever the people wanted. I even lost interest in something I knew I once loved. I eventually learned to ignore my own feelings to serve those of the others, I forgot that the words 'me', 'myself' and 'I' even existed. All of this took a toll on my mental health. Seriously, don't end up like me. I can't leave because prety much the entirety of Ninjago depends on me, but you can still run away. It is not to late yet, it never is. Your choices do matter."

What is this? Why was he crying? Was it the inventor's hopeful and encouraging spark within his gray eyes? Whatever it was that caused this outburst, it was helping. Acronix finally realized it wasn't to late yet. He finally collected all the strength he needs. The inventor noticed the breakdown Acronix was going through and engaged in unusual behaviors. He slightly inched forward to hug the other, patting his back lightly. Acronix didn't question anything that was going on, instead, he decided to continue with the downpour.

"Thank you so much, and I am terribly sorry for what happened to you. i wish I could undo my actions."

"It is not your fault.I forgive you. And more importantly, i believe in you, you can do it."

Now all he still has to do is wait for the right moment to break free.

I woke up from my slumber again, the fight between Wu and Krux was still going on. However, Wu has aged down once again, and with age, his skills and combat knowledge faded as well. The only skill he could potentially use properly was his size, though his sword was ways longer than he was himself. That didn't make it's handling any easier, since the weight distribution was a lot more difficult now. Krux did not have a hard time getting Wu to drop his sword, which fell onto the floor with a high-pitched ringing sound. I quickly shut my eyes to act unconscious, I did not want to be seen awake just yet. The younger Wu pointed at me, telling my brother that something was wrong with me, he, however, didn't care at all and continued to point the tip of his sword at the boy's neck. my hand was hastily searching for the nearby sword and eventually found it. After a quick breather to regain my orientation, I tried standing on both of my feet again. While still slouchy, I managed to regain strength in my legs, making my way towards the fight scene.

I actually didn't want to fight, I actually hoped that my brother would realize what he was doing and that it was wrong, once I threaten him. I mean, who would willingly attempt to kill his own brother? Of course, Krux simply didn't care, he didn't care about me at all. Despite the tears filling my eyes, I looked right into my brother's face. It was left entirely emotionless, lifeless even. It has been this way since our family died. The family he has killed. I actually doubt he was actually responsible though. They may have died by his hands, but those hands were controlled by something else. Even back then I knew he didn't mean to, but that doesn't change or undo what has happened. Krux has been living with this guilt for over 40 years, slowly turning him insane. Today he was just a soulless vessel. I can't tell if that thing was back, or if it was actually him who was doing this right now.

The grip around my sword has tightened, I know how heavy his blows are. Slowly backing off from the scene just before attacking was one of the best strategies do use in a fight, as it helps building up strength. At least for me. I charged at my brother with full speed, but this time felt different, yet familiar. My powers have returned. How was still a mystery, yet they somehow did. That sudden surge within the me heavily disturbed and destabilized the iron Doom, causing something to explode. There wasn't much time left until this entire thing would blow up entirely. my brother looked at me in surprise, but happily accepted the challenge. What a monster he truly is... I am coming for you, Cruz. It was a tough fight, I must admit. We may be brothers by blood, but not by heart, he has had his last change. I was angry, truly mad at him and what he has done, how he treated me and others like garbage. he doesn't deserve to be spared. If I want to win this fight, I have to ignore the pain, I cannot focus on that now. There was one advantage I had on my side though: my age. I was far more agile than him and had a lot more stamina too. Despite being stripped my powers, I aged a lot slower and barely any time has passed since my teenage years anyways. Krux however, aged normally like every other human being, the past 40 years. He must be almost 60 by now. I jumped high and did a roll above my brother's head to end up behind him. Though his reaction time was good enough to turn around quickly and block my sword with his own. I, however, fell backwards due to the sudden pressure on my leg. My head hit the wall behind me with a pretty strong force, causing it to start bleeding. My hair became sticky from blood and my face paint washed of just as quickly, making it hard for me to see. I closed my eyes to focus, maybe I could use my superior sense of hearing to know where my brother is. Finally my Tawali heritage came in handy. my mind completely shut of, even leaving my body. It felt strange, especially since no Power of Time had this abilty. Must have something to do with my heritage then. I saw myself crouched in-midst of a gray void, my brother being a little bit to close. i tried reaching out to him and my view switched back int my body. There was this unbearable pain in my left arm, immediately bringing me back to consciousness. My arm was held up in the air, blocking an otherwise fatal blow. Blood was dripping down from his blade, as well as from my arm. Even the armor couldn't help at this point, it was shattered into a million pieces, leaving just as many scratches on my skin. The cut was deep, going almost all the way through, probably even through the bone. At least I think it did, judging by the way my arm looked like. By this rate I will most likely bleed out, most certainly dying within minutes. I had to yield. But of course that wouldn't change anything for my situation. I need to escape somehow. though being trapped within Time and Space doesn't really give many options. What happens if I jump now? maybe I'll end up somewhere safe and people can help me. maybe I'll end up back in local time and get arrested... no matter where I end up being, every place is better than here. Anyone is better than him.

"Las palabras no pueden describir cuánto te odio en este momento. Ojalá no fueras mi hermano..." (es-MX: "Words cannot describe how much I hate you right now. I wish you weren't my brother...")

My body felt infinitely heavy, I was not able to breathe at all and I felt so cold. I was barely able to stay on my feet, but somehow managed to get to the 'window'. I didn't dare to turn around and look at Krux once again, but I caught a glimpse of him in the reflection within the wall. he left me alone and didn't attack, he just stood there, his face appeared to not be able to decide whether to feel guilt or anger, trying to stay as blank as possible. my mind couldn't handle it, I reached my healthy arm out and froze my brother in time, jumping without hesitation.

I plummeted down slower than expected, I was basically floating on the spot, there is no gravity within the Temporal Vortex, after all. I saw the young Wu jumping after me, he too, managed to escape. He appeared to age down mid fall, now he was just a helpless toddler. my consciousness was slipping away and my vision was already fading. This is it. My life ends here. Endlessly I was floating around without a destination, my lifeline going flat as I close my eyes.

***

My entire figure was surrounded by glistening golden light. I felt as if I was as weightless as a feather, there was no pain or any other feeling, just my mere body and mind. An unknown figure approached me, she must be an angel and this must be, what death feels like.

[ask-the-blind-archer]

(( Goooood morning everyone, it’s 2:16 am and mun is sleepy! Gasp! This post will serve as a minor PSA for my blog for today, May 15th, as well as me giving you all a lovely chapter for Frayed Ropes. Today will ..not be the greatest for mun, and I will likely work on Will You Catch Me-two chapters of it actually-but likely not much else. Asks are still open for both myself and Deity, it will actually help me keep my mind off of the significance of today. Dm’s are open as well!

Without further distractions, here is chapter two of Frayed Ropes, called Damaged Bonds. Trigger warnings are in the tags!

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12935649/2/Frayed-Ropes

@grumpy-zane @noramutaofrost @vanitassss @strawberryhipster  @next-elsa-girl @evelinaonline @tyeler-kostlan @knowledgequeenabc

[rinas-ninjas]

Au shark here 🦈 any new limelight/prime programming stuff?

Hewwo au shark, I finally got enough mental health to write 700 words -

When he saw the billboard, Cole’s stomach flipped.

It wasn’t just that it was Jay – it was how wrong he looked.

Jay had a manic look, when he was doing something that he loved. Cole had seen it, been lost in it, many times before with new inventions and that week’s obsession. If he were to wager a guess, he’d imagine that a Jay dazzled with the glittering lights of showbiz would have that wide-eyed sparkling look 24/7.

But the face on that billboard was…not that.

Those blue eyes were dull; that smile was a fraction of what it should be, and those shoulders were too loose for any amount of excitement.

To anyone else, it was the glowing smile of Ninjago’s favorite son.

To Cole, it was a blaring alarm lit up in floodlights.

“It is…odd, to see him in such a fashion.” Cole jumped at Zane’s quiet voice.

“Hey, Tin Can.” He smiles. “Yeah,” he nods, looking back up at Jay’s face. “It doesn’t really look like him, does it?”

Zane lets out a quiet hum. Cole looks him over in concern; his new titanium form was such a contrast from the pale boy he’d been when they met. It glinted and refracted light where synthetic skin used to sit; LED eyes cast an artificial blue glow on his cheeks. Even his hair, rustling in the soft breeze this high above the city, was odd and wiry, like thin steel strands.

“I am…impatient to find him.” Zane quietly admits.

“Me too.” Cole mutters. He was worried; it wasn’t like Jay to just not heed the call to action.

“I want to know why he did not come with you.”

Cole pauses at the echoey tin of Zane’s voice.

“You’re…”

Zane’s jaw tenses. “He stayed here. He was given acclaim.”

A weight settles in Cole’s stomach. “You’re angry with him.”

His brows settle low. “I do not wish to be.” His face twitches. “All I want is an explanation.”

His voice unsettled Cole. Even with the added metal ring, the underlying growl of anger was foreign in Zane’s tones.

“He didn’t know,” Cole started, feeling a need to defend their blue friend.

“He did not try to know.” Zane snaps. His eyes flicker, like his own words shocked him. His breath quickened. Puffs of white fog float around him as air rapidly cooled. “You tried to tell him and he,” Cole watches with concern as Zane clenches and relaxes his hands, ice cracking and splintering off of them with each motion. “He did not ca-a-are.” He cut off as his voice skipped and warped.

Cole cautiously raises his hands. “Are you okay?” Zane was quiet. “Zane?”

Zane was worked up now; his breath fogged out into the night air. “I am fine.” He grinds out. “I am alright.” Cole hesitantly lowers his hands, only to freeze when the nindroid snaps again. “I said I am fine, Pixal.”

They stand quietly on the deck of the Bounty, Zane simmering and Cole listening to the unfamiliar sound of his fans working to protect his inner wiring.

“I know you’re angry, Zane.” Cole murmurs. The billboard was long behind them now as the quiet roar of the Bounty’s engines pushes them around the city skyline. “You have every right to be.” The taller ninja stares quietly at the city below them. “But I know he would have been with us if he’d known. And I know you know that too.”

“You are right, Cole.” Zane says curtly. “I do have every right to be angry.”

He abruptly turns from his place and moves past Cole. He pauses, and Cole watches as he sucks in a deep breath and hisses out more fog. “I want there to be a reason.” He admits. “But I am worried that there is.”

Cole frowns. “Why?”

Blue light flickers over the deck of the Bounty as Zane mulls over his words. “Because any reason that would keep Jay from helping us is a reason that we will have to fight to get him back from. And we do not know what it is yet.”

As Zane walks away, Cole feels a chill down his spine.

[earthspirit10]

Ninjago Angst Week: Day Six - Sickness

@ninjago-angst-week​ klasdjfal;sjdfas AHHHH I’m sorry this is like, five days late, but I’ve been really busy and stressed and then research, but, uh, it’s here now? Hope it’s not too late :P

And well, this one isn’t as good as the others, in my opinion. (Well, I think it’s better than Day One, but for the others? Meh.) Writing someone sick (especially if I’ve never gotten that . . . particular disease before) is hard and I’m not even sure if I even got it all write. Also, Zane. Zane is hard to write too.

Trigger Warnings: Sickness (because that’s enough to be grossed out at), mention of death

---

As a nindroid, it wasn’t possible for Zane to get sick. He wasn’t a real lifeform like the others, nor was he prone to malfunctioning due to water or anything else a normal robot would suffer from. He was grateful for that, for even though he wasn’t physically human, he was human in his heart. It meant that he could take care of his siblings better without getting sick or injured himself.

When Jay had suddenly doubled over coughing, everyone had rushed toward his aid. Zane, of course, had helped whatever he could—he’d cooked warm meals for him, given him medicine, and made sure he was comfortable. (The others practically had to wrestle him into bed.)

It wasn’t unusual for Jay to be coughing these days due to a cough he’d developed, which wasn’t very uncommon or worrisome, but Zane was worried that the cold had progressed into something worse.

Zane opened the door to Jay’s room and poked his head through to check on his brother, who seemed to be curled up under layers and layers of blankets.

“Jay?”

Jay peeked out from under the blankets and blinked blearily, coughing a few times before giving Zane a reassuring smile. “Hey, tin can.”

Closing the door behind him, Zane entered the room and sat down on the bed next to Jay. He wasn’t afraid of catching whatever sickness his brother had, mainly because it was impossible. Still, he made a note to disinfect himself should he ever get close to any of his other siblings.

“How are you feeling?” he asked gently, remembering that Jay had sensitive hearing even without being sick.

“Bored,” Jay grumbled, huffing in indignation. “I mean, there’s nothing to do! I’m not even allowed to do anything! No video games, no tinkering, no—” His body suddenly shook as a coughing fit overtook him, and Zane watched anxiously as it dragged on. It seemed to take hours—though his internal clock told him it was only twelve seconds—before it passed, with Jay shivering and panting for breath.

Coughing. Fever. Chills. Immediately, Zane scanned the blue ninja’s body, his optical sensors switching into X-ray vision. It was difficult to do so with all the blankets surrounding Jay, not to mention that he was curled up.

“Jay,” Zane said softly, trying to keep his voice as even as he could. Jay blinked again, head tilting up in question. “Are you able to sit up?”

Jay nodded, though his expression still remained confused. Shifting around in his blankets, he sat up slowly, coughing weakly.

Now that his brother was sitting up, Zane was able to fully scan his chest, eyes narrowing. And as soon as he detected something, his metaphorical heart dropped, and he inhaled sharply, sensors switching back to normal vision.

No. That couldn’t— his brother couldn’t have—

“Zane, what— what is it?” Jay asked frantically, his voice edging on borderline panic. “What’s wrong?”

Zane swallowed, turning his head away. Now with this new knowledge, his advanced senses could clearly detect the wheezing whenever Jay breathed, the rapid pumping of his heart, the abnormal air flow in his lungs.

More worrying symptoms of— of—

“Zane, please, you’re really starting to worry me—”

Abruptly, he stood up, cutting off whatever Jay was going to say. Turning, Zane set his shoulder back, plastered on a smile, stopped his hands from shaking. He answered cheerfully, “Oh, nothing you should worry yourself about.”

Jay stared back. “Are you . . . sure?”

“Of course.” Zane nodded, already moving toward the doorway. “You should rest. Try not to exert yourself.” He said the last few sentences with more emphasis than he would normally put in.

“It’s not like there’s anything else I can do,” Jay sighed, but he flopped back onto the bed. Almost immediately, his body was wracked with coughs, but he waved aside Zane’s concern. “I’ll be fine, Zane,” he rasped. “Not goin’ anywhere. See?”

Zane eyed his brother for a few moments, then he exited the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as the door was closed, he laid his head on it, pressing his hands to his eyes.

Why was he overreacting with this information? It wasn’t like this was fatal, nor was it dangerous, so why was he acting like Jay had a life-threatening disease that could potentially take him away any moment? It wasn’t— it wasn’t like—

His back sliding down the door, Zane buried his head between his knees, tears springing to his eyes, tears that weren’t supposed to be there in the first place, and yet he was human enough to have them.

Sometimes, he wished that he didn’t have emotions, that he didn’t have to feel the pain, the guilt, the worry.

If Jay’s illness worsened, if fate decided to be cruel again, Jay might die. It was Zane’s fault for detecting it so late, for not scanning him the first time he’d shown signs of a cough a week ago. And that meant a higher risk for this sickness to become deadly.

And they had let him participate in training, in patrols, in crime scenes. Mainly because Zane had told them that it was okay, when it wasn’t okay. Not anymore.

What kind of brother was he?

Footsteps approached him, and Zane raised his head, blinking as his vision sharpened on Cole’s face.

“Zane?” the earth ninja’s voice was concerned. “What’s wrong?”

Zane inhaled. Exhaled. He shouldn’t lie to them. Shouldn’t give them the false sense of security he’d stupidly given to Jay.

“Jay has pneumonia.”

⸺

After that, everything basically descended into chaos and panic. Calls were made, antibiotics were bought, and new rules and patrols were assigned. Zane had to hold Kai back from bursting into Jay’s room and fussing over him, mainly because this type of pneumonia was contagious, partly because Kai looked incredibly mad and that wouldn’t do well for Jay’s mental health, which could also affect his physical health.

Eventually, Zane had to tell Jay of his condition, which he oddly took well. At least, considering how much the blue ninja would normally panic.

“It’ll just— it’ll just pass, right?” Jay asked hoarsely, though there was a hint of fear in his voice. “Nothing much to worry about?”

Zane could tell that the others were pressed against the door of the room, anxiously eavesdropping on the conversation.

He nodded. “If you get enough rest and medicine, and there are no complications, then you should be fine.” The word should echoed ominously, silently, and he knew that all of them knew that not everything went as it should go.

Jay breathed out a sigh, before he dissolved into a bout of harsh hacking. Immediately, the mood spiraled into worried buzzing, and the door creeped open the tiniest bit. Zane rubbed his brother’s back, anxiously waiting for it to pass.

“Jay—”

“‘m fine,” Jay murmured, voice raspy from all the coughing. He closed his eyes, snuggling closer to his blankets.

Zane eyed him for a few more moments, heart clenching at his brother’s pitiful form. Swallowing, he stood up and patted his shoulder. “You should rest,” he whispered. The lightning ninja didn’t reply, but the slow rise and fall of his chest indicated that he was already asleep.

Zane turned on X-ray vision for a brief moment, scanning for any other unusual activity, then on to infrared, before he switched back to normal human vision. Slowly standing up, he exited the room, closing the door softly behind him, and was immediately met with the anxious gazes of his other siblings.

“He’s fine, for now,” he told them, keeping his voice carefully even. “He’ll simply need more rest and medicine. His immune system will do the rest.”

They all relaxed, if only slightly, but Zane knew that they would never truly be at ease until Jay was completely healed. After all, they had a bad history with luck.

⸺

As the days passed, Jay only got sicker. Almost the entirety of the week was filled with him coughing, the tense atmosphere rising every time it worsened. Still, Zane knew better than to give him cough medicine, especially since coughing was meant to help with the pneumonia. He made sure to monitor his brother every hour, checking on his lungs, his heart, his blood pressure—basically everything. It hadn’t gotten bad to the point where Jay would need to be admitted into the hospital, but he was dangerously close.

Once, as Zane left Jay’s room, he nearly bumped into Cole, who always hovered near. He nodded silently at the earth ninja and was about to resume his day when he suddenly felt a hand grabbing his wrist, holding him back. Surprised, Zane glanced back, and he blinked in alarm at the barely noticeable tears in Cole’s eyes.

“I—” Cole swallowed, looking away, as if embarrassed. His hand let go of the ice ninja’s wrist. “Jay’s going to be fine, right?” His voice was small, but it was pleading, desperate, almost like he was afraid of Zane’s answer.

Zane closed his eyes for a brief moment, then opened them. “He will be alright,” he said quietly and firmly, but he couldn’t help the fear that surged in him as he heard Jay emit another cough from within the room.

“That’s what the doctors told me,” Cole whispered, squeezing his eyes shut, and Zane wasn’t sure if he was talking to him or himself.

After a while, Cole shook his head, his eyes reopening. “I— well, when I was little, my mom— she was really sick.”

Oh. Oh. Zane stared back at his brother, not sure if he liked where this was going.

“A-and the doctors said that she’d be okay, that she was going to survive, but—” His voice stuttered to a stop, and Cole made an odd noise that sounded like he was choking, and he turned away.

The silence stretched on, very painfully loud, with Jay coughing occasionally in the background. Zane continued staring at his brother, not sure what to do in this situation. He wasn’t used to seeing Cole like this—so vulnerable and open, and it made his mechanical heart clench.

But he knew loss. All of them do, all too well. And he knew how it felt to feel so hopeful, hopeful for the future, only for that hope to be shattered.

So Zane did what anyone would normally do. He hugged his brother, wrapping his arms around him. Cole stiffened in surprise, but eventually, he relaxed into the embrace, hugging the ice ninja back.

Patting Cole’s back a little awkwardly, Zane whispered, letting his emotions seep into his voice, “Jay will be fine.” A beat. “I promise.”

And it wasn’t an empty promise. Logically, Zane knew that pneumonia wasn’t deadly, especially since Jay had a really good immune system. But for the sake of his family, for the sake of Jay, Zane wasn’t going to let his brother die.

He’d die himself before that would happen.

[toothlessturtle21]

You Are Worth It

Welcome back to me posting my oneshots on tumblr! This is the first one posted on my AO3 account, so if you remember it, wow, I’m impressed. TW: suicide mentions, mental health issues, implied depression. Takes place mid to end season one. Glaciershipping angst/fluff!

----------

Cole has always felt butterflies around the Ninja of Ice, but he has to suppress these feelings when he finds Zane so very close to the edge of the Bounty's railing, fingers slipping. While Zane reassures him it wasn't suicide, he can't shake the feeling that Zane isn't as fine as he seems. 

It was the middle of the night, and winter's bite was still as potent as ever. Zane sat on the railing of the Bounty, looking down at the world below as the ship leisurely made its way through the skies. He probably should've felt fear from staring into the black abyss, but he felt oddly calm as he watched the faint shape of trees drift past. He exhaled heavily, eyes fluttering shut as he let the tranquil night engulf him.

Not that he knew it, but he was relaxing so much that he was unconsciously leaning farther and farther over the side, until his grip began to slip from the cold, icy railing, threatening to send the almost hypnotized ninja into the inviting darkness. It would have succeeded if it weren't for a certain ninja deciding to step outside for a breath of fresh air.

"Zane! What are you-!" Cole grabbed roughly at the back of the Ice Ninja's shirt, pulling him down from the railing. Zane, not expecting someone to yank him backwards, was thoroughly startled when strong muscles hooked under his arms, catching him with his legs still hanging over the side.

"Cole?" Zane tilted his head back to look the Earth Ninja in the eyes, Cole's brown eyes frantic and shiny with unshed tears, a rush of emotions all occurring at once inside his head.

"Zane, why were you up on the railing?" He asked almost hysterically, alternate realities where he had been too late flashing through his mind. All he could focus on was how his heart was pumping, the fear he felt when he had strolled outside to see his best friend so close to falling off the edge of the ship, so close to having to collect his remains from the jagged rocks and trees below.

"I couldn't sleep, so I was enjoying the view. Why?" Zane was confused when Cole breathed a sigh of relief, looking away to try and blink the water in his eyes away.

"I- I thought..." Cole trailed off, swallowing thickly as he gently helped Zane onto his feet, stepping away just incase. "You were leaning over the side, and you looked so at peace with yourself that I thought..."

Zane suddenly understood what Cole was implying, and guilt overwhelmed him at the thought.

"Cole, you know I would never," The Ice Ninja stepped closer to his leader, and the man nodded but didn't look too reassured.

"I just- I know how you were when we met you, Zane. I thought maybe you had relapsed, and I don't think I could stand watching you die," Cole swiped away a stray tear, and the Nindroid didn't know what to do. He approached his leader with caution, wrapping his arms around the man's bulky frame.

"I didn't mean to scare you..." Zane mumbled into Cole's shoulder, the latter being a solid few inches taller. Cole hugged back with more force than normal, reassuring himself that Zane was okay, and that he hadn’t been too late. He shoved down the butterflies that tried to crawl up his throat back into his stomach, where they lived every time he interacted with the Ice Ninja. They were slightly less present than normal, but watching your best friend and crush supposedly about to take a dive off the side of a railing would do that to you.

"I know, I know," Cole felt Zane burrow into his shoulder, and at this action, the ill feeling in his stomach returned, this time with full force. He was so close to the Ice Ninja, he could feel his power source buzzing right below his right pectoral, nuzzling into his rib cage. It wasn't a heartbeat, but to Cole, it didn't matter. The Earth Ninja sunk down slowly, keeping the Ice Ninja encased in his arms.

"Are you alright?" Zane asked earnestly, turning his head to the side so his forehead rested under Cole's chin. "You aren't normally this... clingy."

"Sorry, is this too much?" Cole flushed, and Zane shook his head slightly, but didn't respond verbally. Cole rested his cheek on Zane's hair, which smelled of mint from the shampoo he used. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, neither of them daring to speak, both afraid. Eventually, Zane took a deep breath.

"Cole, you do know I would never abandon you all like that, right?" Zane pulled away slightly to look Cole in the eyes, and the Earth Ninja met his gaze for a moment before responding.

"No, I don't know that." He tightened his grip around the Ice Ninja, expecting the resistance that the Nindroid gave.

"I beg your pardon?" Zane bit, his eyes brimming with hurt. "How could you accuse me of being so selfish?"

"It's not selfish, Zane. You know that. I don't know what's going on inside your head, I don't know how much you're hurting. I wish I did, but I don't," Cole felt his throat closing with emotion, and Zane slumped back into him, the fight quickly draining. "I neglected you at the beginning, we all did. We all knew not knowing your family was eating you, but we did nothing. I know you still haven't fully recovered, I know that your "sick days" are spent crying locked in your room, but I haven't done anything," Cole was nearly sobbing by this point, trapping Zane in his grip to convince himself that the Nindroid was still here, still with him.

"You are right, Cole, the act of killing oneself is not selfish. My apologies," The Ice Ninja rubbed circles into Cole's arm in an attempt to sooth the man whose grip seemed to be tightening by the minute. "Cole, I may have my bad days, I will admit that. I have times where I would much rather lay in bed and work out my emotions than train, and I have days where I have trouble convincing myself that anything I do is worth it, that the connections I make are worthwhile. I wasn't aware that you knew of my worse times, however. I am sorry that I have caused you to feel so much pain for me."

"Don't apologize. I know you're hurting, and that's what worries me. What if you can't get yourself out of a rut one day, and you spiral too far down? I don't think I could live with myself if I let you torture yourself like that anymore," Cole buried his face into the Ice Ninja's hair, and Zane squeezed his arms a little tighter, bracing himself.

"The point of my telling you this is to explain why I am confident I won't commit suicide," Zane said rather bluntly, and Cole found himself flinching. "Every time, I convince myself that connections with the people around me are worth forming. I still crawl out of bed the next day to make breakfast, or to attempt to resume a regular eating pattern. My mind may still be hurting, but I try to break through it and come back to all of you. It may take hours or it may take days, but I pull myself out of the spiral. Life is worth it."

Zane took a deep breath, mentally steeling himself.

"You are worth it."

The two sat in silence as Cole processed this statement. There was no way, this couldn't be happening-

"Are you implying what I think you are?" The Earth Ninja lifted his gaze to meet Zane's bright blues, and they seemed to glow in the dark as Zane blinked slowly with a nod, his eyes shutting with a light squeeze as their lips met.

When Cole had fantasized about this moment, it had never involved such a heavy discussion leading up the occasion. He had imagined a sunset, light breezes tousling his teammate's hair as they confessed affections. Never had he considered that it would be incredibly late, cold, biting air tearing at their skin as they poured every unsaid word through their kiss. He tried to communicate how much he cared for the Ice Ninja, how much he desperately wanted to be there to help heal the Nindroid, make up for all the time where he could've been there but wasn't.

Zane had never really thought about it, accepting that whatever happened was what was destined to be. Even if he had, he would never have conjured the scene of being held tightly in the Earth Ninja's arms after reassuring his leader that he wasn't leaving, and that he never would. Something about it was so bare, so emotional that it had the Ice Ninja shivering, and it wasn't from the frost-bitten air. He hoped Cole knew that he wasn't angry with him, that he could never blame his family for how he felt. His bad days and his depressive episodes had nothing to do with the actions of his team, and he desperately hoped Cole realized that.

When they broke, Cole taking in huffs of air, they stared in silence as their minds caught up to their actions. Cole felt a blush rise as he realized that he had just kissed Zane. Zane had confessed that he cared for Cole deeply, enough to kiss him. Which he did. On the lips. The Earth Ninja gently leaned in for a peck, coaxing a pink tinge to appear on his companion's cheeks.

"So," Cole said roughly, voice raw from emotion. "I suppose we have a lot to talk about."

"Indeed," Zane nodded, leaning back to rest his head on Cole's shoulder. "Shall we head back inside?"

"Please," The Earth Ninja stood, shivering at the sudden lack of heat from the absence of the Nindroid's body. To his satisfaction, Zane slotted himself under Cole's arm immediately, not quite willing to let go yet.

"Do you want to sleep in my room?" Zane asked quietly, almost afraid to ask, but Cole smiled.

"Of course. I would have trouble sleeping on my own after tonight anyway," The dark-skinned man pressed a light kiss on the side of Zane's head, not able to sate his newfound desire for the Ice Ninja.

Zane didn't respond, but pulled Cole gently into his room, shutting the door behind them with a soft click. They both crawled in bed, Zane splitting his pillow stash with his companion as the Earth Ninja let out a sigh of pleasure from the warm blankets settling over him.

"First of all," Cole said in a half-whisper, voice gravelly. "Are we dating? I don't want to assume anything."

"I would say we are, yes. We are dating," Zane responded in a whisper of his own, almost uncharacteristically elated. Cole involuntarily grinned as Zane smiled, tucking himself to mold to Cole's chest. At least the spooning argument was solved.

"You have no idea how happy this makes me," Cole nuzzled into his boyfriend, the word rolling around his mind like a bouncy ball, pinging off every corner with unmatched energy. "How happy you make me."

"The feeling is mutual," Zane smiled, the two content with holding each other for what seemed like an eternity.

"Secondly, are we going to tell the others? They might say that I'm playing favorites," Cole snickered, and Zane made a noncommittal noise.

"I don't see why not, unless you can think of a real risk. I haven't perceived any information that would claim that they would disapprove on anything more than a joking scale."

"When're we going to tell 'em?" Cole yawned, the warmth from the Ice Ninja making him increasingly drowsy. "Tomorrow?"

"I have no issue," Zane let his eyes flutter shut with a content sigh, and the two whispered goodnights, arms wrapped around each other tightly with no intention of letting go.

[imthepointe]

When the Hourglass Runs Dry

well ok this was supposed to be for @ninjago-angst-week but considering i’m, like, a week late, i’ll just post it as a regular fic :)

angst week day 7- prompt: future

tw: death, suicide and suicidal themes / word count: 2057

Many years into the future, Pixal and Zane reflect on the past.

Death was always a fanatical topic at dinner tables, partly because each ninja tended to die rather frequently. It was always brought up in a joking manner (“I dunno, Cole’s died, like, four times at this point,” or “Zane, after Prime Empire, I don’t think you’ve died the most times now!”), and truthfully, it wasn’t really something the ninja had given much heavy consideration to in the past. They were always taught to avoid death- to cheat it- they were ninja; it was kind of their job to protect, which is something you can’t do if you’re dead. Plus, the point of existing is to stay alive for as long as you can, anyway.

It is really so unfortunate that death is not a fleeting matter, unlike youth. It is so, so sad that the inevitability of mortality affects everything. 

Occasionally, in a fit of existential panic, Lloyd would remember that he was going to outlive Nya, Jay, Kai, and Cole by at least a few hundred years. But for now, while they were still teenagers, that wasn’t something for him to worry about. Zane and Pixal had told him it wasn’t something for him to worry about yet.

Then teenage years turned into the twenties, then twenties into thirties, and so forth- such is life. 

Lloyd, Pixal, and Zane had to watch their friends grow old, to watch them age; to Lloyd, there was nothing more painful than the thought that they were all going to die and he still had a good portion of his life that he would have to live without them. But, hey- they had all made it into their seventies, which if you asked Lloyd when he was a teenager how long they would live to be, he would have set the bar a little lower.

But then Cole was diagnosed with the same illness that killed his mother when she was barely in her thirties, and the beloved team ninja was forced back into the reality that they were all going to die sooner or later, and it was probably going to be sooner.

“We made bets on who was going to die first, do you remember?” Kai had said after the former black ninja informed them of his diagnosis. Even though his tone was humorous, his wrinkles furrowed and his eyes drooped.

“Yeah, I think I said it would be you, dumbass,” Cole laughed, which promptly turned into a rattling cough.

“Ka-arma,” Jay smirked. Nya smacked him across the face.

And then Cole was dead within two weeks. 

Then Kai, then Jay, then Nya, all only a few years later.

“They lived long lives, Lloyd,” Zane had mentioned one day. “I am so glad we were a part of them. We will see them again in due time.”

Lloyd prayed he was right.

***

Lloyd had made a comfortable living with Pixal and Zane. The three had moved out of Ninjago City, to a quiet and comfortable cottage near Ignacia, where they mostly kept to themselves. 

They each tried at least once a month to all visit their friend’s graves, which was normally easier said than done. When they did go, they were alone- Lloyd liked to spend personal time with each of his friends, and he supposed Zane and Pixal had the same logic. 

Years passed, and life droned on quietly. There were no new threats to the safety of the city, no new evils or big bads to defeat. 

Lloyd began to age. Slowly, surely, but he was aging, and grew to look more and more like his father with each new wrinkle or sign of age, which was often the butt of Zane’s jokes.

Three hundred years later, and the three of them had shifted into a routine with a strong sense of normalcy. It was nice. 

It was very nice, actually, Lloyd had decided. He no longer had to worry about people in his life leaving him.

But at four hundred years, he began to worry about his leaving of Zane and Pixal. Wu has lived to be nearly five hundred and thirty years old, but as Lloyd only had a fraction of the godlike blood that Wu had, he feared he would not last much longer.

Not only that, but Lloyd found himself getting much more tired and fatigued considerably more frequently.

The three always started out their mornings on the veranda of their cottage, talking and chatting about whatever subject was most relevant to their quaint lives. 

“I’m very old now,” Lloyd had said one day. 

“We all are, Lloyd,” Zane pointed out. Pixal lightly squeezed Zane’s hand as if to say really?

“When I die, what will happen to you all?”

Pixal whipped her head around to face the former green ninja and stared him in the eyes. “Do not talk like that, Lloyd,” she scolded. “Don’t worry about us. Don’t say that.”

That was the end of the matter, until Lloyd’s health only continued to decline. 

By four hundred and twenty-three years old, Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon was practically bedridden, his extended longevity catching up to him.

He knew he didn’t have much longer on this earth.

Zane and Pixal has been taking care of him to the best of their ability, but death is unavoidable, even for the green ninja. 

“I’m sorry,” Lloyd had managed one night, his voice raspy and weak.

“For what, Lloyd?” Zane gently raised the his torso and propped him up with a pillow.

“For leaving you and Pixal.”

“Do not be sorry, Lloyd,” Zane replied with a solemn tone. “Just say hello to our old friends, would you?” 

A small tear rolled down Zane’s cheek and he held Lloyd’s hands. The nindroid was mostly sure the other boy had nodded.

Lloyd died peacefully in his sleep two nights later.

***

Zane and Pixal sat on the porch, just as they did every morning, admiring the birch trees and various wildlife, occasionally pointing at a deer or falcon or fox that happened to cross their vision.

It had been a mere three months since the green ninja’s death, with only the two nindroids left to keep each other company. But this morning, this morning was different- Zane was ‘in a funk,’ as Lloyd would have said, and the recollection of Lloyd’s funny vocabulary made Pixal laugh.

“What is funny, Pixal?”

“You seem weird today, that is all,” Pixal met his eyes, “as Lloyd would have said, ‘you are in a funk.’ Are you alright?”

“I’m splendid. In fact, I was thinking of fixing a cake in a minute. How does chocolate sound?”

“That sounds nice, Zane.”

Now Pixal knew something was definitely wrong- Zane only made cakes when something was bothering him.

But even as she watched Zane move inside to the kitchen and put on an apron, she began to think about the question that was heavy-set in her mind, as well.

How much longer of this?

They were nindroids. They could not die from natural causes- how many more years would she live to see?

Pixal, she mentally scolded herself, stop thinking like that. You’re being silly.

You’re being silly.

She stood from the rocking chair, collected herself, and went inside to help Zane- Pixal too found baking rather enjoyable. 

Zane asked her to prepare some icing, so she fiddled with the sugar, cocoa, and milk, until she had a consistency presentable enough to self-proclaimed Master Chef Zane. 

...which, naturally, there was an issue with.

“See, Pixal, you must add more powdered sugar than milk, that way it stays fluffy,” he dipped his finger into the mixture, “but it still tastes good.” With a swift motion, he scooped some more icing with his finger and smeared it on the girl’s nose. 

“Zane!”

Through her frustration, she could not help but laugh, and thus a food fight broke out between them.

By the time they were through, an even layer of flour coated the kitchen counters and floor, cocoa stained on their garments, and icing was in every place imaginable. 

Zane stood and helped Pixal to her feet and almost stood in awe of the impressive mess they had made. 

Pixal hugged Zane, mostly in an effort to get his clothes significantly more adulterated than they already were. “I would have maybe expected this from Lloyd, not from you.”

The master of ice closed his eyes. “We should probably clean up.” 

“Right,” Pixal shoved him playfully as she made her way to the cleaning supplies underneath the sink. She handed Zane a broom and kept a cloth for herself. 

She picked up a photo frame that had been completely caked in flour and began to wipe it off. Underneath was a framed picture of her friends, some four hundred years ago, after some valiant battle.

She exhaled loud enough for Zane to notice. 

“When will we see them again, Zane?”

“I- I am unsure,” he sighed, “I have been wondering the same.” He swept the flour into a neat little pile in the middle of the floor.

“You have?”

The nindroid looked lost in thought for a moment. “Yes,” he said decisively. “That is why I have been acting weird lately, I suppose.”

“Even though it’s been hundreds of years since their passing, I still miss them so, so much. Is that a bad thing?”

“Oh, Pixal, I hope not.”

The rest of the kitchen was cleaned in a thoughtful silence. 

The cake was finished and set on the small dining table, with two rocking chairs on one half of the table and a third chair cast off to the side. 

Zane sat down in a chair, and pulled the other out for Pixal to sit beside him. He cut the cake, his hands moving more clumsily than before- Pixal thought he seemed lost in his mind, and she would know- she’s been stuck there before. He carefully set a piece of cake on each plate.

 “Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, it seems to me most strange that men should fear; seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come.”

 Pixal couldn’t help but laugh at Zane’s sudden use of Julius Caesar. “That is Shakespeare. Why quote it now?”

“Because it does not apply to us. We will not meet a necessary end.”

She tuned back down to her cake. “That is true.”

She poked at the chocolate for a moment before setting her fork back down. “What are you suggesting? I assume this has something to do with the conversation earlier.”

“I’m just saying I do not think we will ever see Cole, Kai, Nya, Lloyd, or Jay ever again by any natural means.”

 Pixal considered his words for a moment before grabbing Zane’s hand. “I have an idea,” she said cautiously- it was risky, unsettling, and terrifying- “but only if you are totally sure about it.”

***

2 weeks since the cake baking incident and Zane and Pixal had finished eating all of the cake. Zane has immediately agreed to Pixal’s idea- he had been toying with the same idea for some time, too, he admitted.

[MANUAL SHUTDOWN DISABLED. OVERRIDE?]

Zane’s fingers wrapped around Pixal’s. The rocking chairs swept back and forth, a gentle sway, just as they had every morning, like this was some part of their routine.

Pixal looked to Zane, her voice barely above a whisper: “Are you sure you want to do this, Zane?”

The nindroid smiled softly. “They are waiting for us, Pixal,” he continued holding her hand, “I can’t wait to see them again.”

Pixal followed Zane’s gaze to the same framed photo sitting across from their chairs.

“I cannot wait either, Zane.” 

There was a silence, but not the dreadful kind- the kind of silence that is warm, welcoming, and comfortable. 

“I love you, Pixal.”

He gripped her hand tighter.

“I love you, Zane. So much.”

[OVERRIDE.]

***

Soft light cascaded through trees with golden leaves, and a small breeze gently rustled the leaves. The place seemed familiar, in a very distant way, but the two nindroids could not recall anytime they would have visited such a place with this ethereal beauty.

“You two are late,” a familiar voice sounded behind them.

The two turned around, hands still linked, to face their friends. Cole stood in the middle, a tender smile spreading across his face.

“We are here now, friends.”

[themluckyfew-moved]

I know you posted it a little while ago so someone might have sent this already but 🎟 have a gush pass! Gush to your heart's content!!!

HI!! OKAY YOU SENT THIS IN DAYS AGO AND I FORGOT ABOUT IT IM SORRY DJDBOSJA BUT THANK YOU I WILL COMBUST NOW ( ；∀；)

OKAY SO ZANE,,

I'm like actually so in love with him, it's ridiculous. I never expected to get THIS attached to him when I started rewatching the show- especially considering he wasn't my original comfort character when I was 10!! Like, that's wild!!!! He really did that!!!!! It's hard for me to change comfort characters, especially if they were childhood ones

At least with Amaimon it was kind of expected because baby me really liked him the first time I watched Blue Exorcist- But no, Zane was really out here like "hello :)) you relate to me 100% more than you did when you were 10 because you have a proper diagnosis for your bad brain. You will kiss me now" HFJDHSK,,, Like I said, it's really hard for me to switch comfort characters around, so even though I went into the show fully expecting to self ship, I was not expecting it to be with him.

But I'm really glad it is with him because he's honestly made me super happy these past few months and hshsjsksksk!!!!!!!

I just love him lots!! He's such an interesting and fun character who honestly gets WAY too much shit thrown at him and I AM TIRED OF THE WRITERS HURTING HIM!!! That's why I love season 13 a lot so far, and the beginning of season 11, because they have Zane absolutely THRIVING AND NOT BEING BEATEN UP OR BROKEN OR KILLED OR DBBDJSKSB,,,

LIKE,,,

LOOK AT HIM,,, HES SO CUTE AND SILLY IM GONNA HUG HIM SO HARD AND ITS GONNA DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BECAUSE HE IS MADE OF METAL DHDHISJAODJDJJD I care about him too much,,

After several seasons of him experiencing trauma after trauma I just want him to be able to relax and chill out (hehe ice joke, unintentional) and like... PROCESS EVERYTHING,, he deserves closure for so much thats happened to him, he deserves the chance to sit down and actually work out his feelings and come to terms with some of the things he's done!!!!! I just want him to be happy and safe and hdhAA A- I can't put my thoughts into words

I love Zane a lot. He's definitely become one of my all time favorite fictional characters and he means so much to me, especially right now when my mental health has honestly drop p e d hdhshsk He's gotten me through these rough times and I'm extremely thankful for that.

I love him and I love the story I've crafted for my self insert and their whole relationship with him, it's been so fun to sit and redo a story from scratch like how I did with RDR2 and I'm looking forward to developing more as I continue watching the show (´ . .̫ . `)

I love him lots,, funy nindroid make me go brbrbrbrbr 💕💕💕💙💕💙💕💙💕💙💕💙💕💙💕💙💕💙💕💙💕💙💕💙💕💙💕💙💕

[the-closeddoor]

The Perfect Date For The Most Perfect People

Ninjago Pride Week Prompt 2 - Date

(featuring KaixZanexPixal because I am a sucker for that ship)

-------------

Kai was nervous. Actually, nervous didn’t even begin to describe what he was feeling at that moment. This was going to be his first date with Zane and PIXAL, and already he felt like bailing out, going back to the Bounty, and staying in his little cocoon of blankets until the day he died.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like the two, far from it in all honesty. It was that he liked them. Liked liked. He liked how on hot days, Zane would run his cool fingers through Kai’s hair as they sat and watched television. He liked how PIXAL would spar with him (and man, she could knock down every defense he had) when everyone else was unavailable. The list could go on and on, but what he liked the most was their smiles. From PIXAL’s cheeky grin when she beats him in another friendly competition to Zane’s small, yet soft grin as he tries to teach Kai how to bake. Yes, those smiles could melt even the master of fire.

While it was Kai that confessed first to the couple and it was him that made all of the date plans, it was him that was regretting his decision. “What if they’re just doing this because they pity you?” “No, I mean, who wouldn’t want to date the hottest ninja in all of Ninjago?” Kai adjusted the collar on his flannel for the fifth time as he sat on a park bench. “Now you’re just trying to feed your ego. What if everything goes wrong?” “It won’t. I’ve been on many dates before, and besides, this is just a simple picnic lunch.” “And if you mess up, they’ll be unhappy. You won’t see those smiles that you love so much.

He didn’t understand. He cared for the two nindroids so much, yet that was the reason why he wanted to leave. Why? “You’re afraid you’ll mess up. Charisma can only get you so far. Just go before you ruin their day.” No, Kai was going to do this. He mentally pumped himself up, nearly knocking over the picnic basket next to him. “I’m Kai. I am not just a snack, I’m a full course meal! I can do this. I’ve done this before, I can do this. The perfect date for the most perfect people.”

“Kai! There you are.” called a voice.

“……I’m fucked.” thought Kai, as he turned to look at where the sound had come from.

Zane and PIXAL had walked over to where Kai was sitting, hand in hand. Zane was dressed in a light blue polo shirt and shorts while PIXAL had worn a flowy purple dress and a jean jacket to match. Kai felt his face light up once they got to him, both in adoration and in embarrassment over just how….weird he had dressed up for the date. Flannel? What was he thinking? “Just play it cool, Kai. You got this.”

“Hey, Zane. PIXAL. Thank you so much for coming.” Kai said, getting up out of his spot.

Zane beamed and planted a kiss on Kai’s forehead. “Thank you for inviting us. This is a really nice place you picked out.” Kai blushed even more after he registered what Zane did. “Quiet, plenty of flora, not as much trash as there is in the northern area, a large tree for shade, you know where to look.”

PIXAL giggled and intertwined her fingers with Kai’s as he started sputtering. “Ah, of course. I am the date expert after all!” Kai cringed at his choice of wording. “I know exactly where to go and where not to go in order to have the most perfect time.” Kai said that, even though in reality, he just asked Nya, who had recently taken Skylor on a date in almost the exact same location. Of course, the pair didn’t need to know that.

“So, are you two ready to go?”

---------------------------------------------

The date was great. Extra emphasis on the word was. They all had sat under the tree, Kai’s head in Zane’s lap as PIXAL drooped across the titanium ninja’s shoulders. They shared some of the slightly burnt chicken sandwiches he made, they talked about what they’d been doing the past week, and all was going smoothly. Yet, everything had to be cut short.

Now, it wasn’t that Kai made a fool of himself, or that he accidently made one or both of the nindroids mad. No, it was because someone, or rather some people, ended up holding an entire bank hostage and even left a few bombs in there just as a kicker. The other ninja needed backup, so everything had to be put on hold. Kai was not pleased.

As soon as the crooks were thrown in jail and the bombs were disarmed, the two ninja and the samurai sat in the alleyway a little away from the bank, avoiding all contact with the news reporters and police. Now was not the time. A long silence swept through the trio as they waited for the news team and cop cars to leave. After a few minutes, the cars all went away followed by the blaring of sirens. All three let out a sigh of relief, sliding down onto the concrete floor.

“Zane. Kai. Are you two alright?” PIXAL asked. Zane shook his head yes, however, Kai whispered the words “no”. “Hold on, let me check you.” she spoke calmly as she scooted towards him. Checking his body, she noticed a small bloodstain forming from his side area. Moving his Gi, it was then that she saw a large cut was made across his side. Not too deep to cause any panic, but still enough to be concerned about. “Oh dear. Kai, lay down for me, okay? I’m going to keep your head elevated though. Zane, do you have anything to stop the bleeding?”

Kai didn’t focus on what Zane said. Instead, he tried to shake his head no, tried to push PIXAL away, but he was still gently pushed down on his back before PIXAL elevated the upper half of him. This wasn’t how the date was supposed to go. They were going to have lunch, take a walk through the park, maybe even feed the ducks because he saw Zane’s eyes literally light up at the sight of them. Instead, he’s being tended to in an alleyway after getting himself hurt by a crook that should’ve been easy to defeat.

This was, in all honesty, not the best date that Kai could’ve gone on, and it was no one’s fault but his own. “You’re a ninja! You should’ve known that crime has been recently spiking, yet you try to plan a date now?! Smart move, genius.” Kai hissed in pain as he felt something cool be placed on his skin before what felt like cloth wrapped around the wound. What was that?

“I added a small amount of ice onto the cloth before I placed it fully over you.” Said Zane. “This will stop the bleeding for a while, but you will need proper medical treatment.” Kai casted his head downwards, not wanting to look into either of their eyes. They were worried about him, but they didn’t need to be. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He didn’t want to see the people that he liked- no, loved being worried or scared for his health. They were supposed to be happy. This was supposed to be a happy day. “Kai?” Zane snapped him out of his thoughts. “Are you alright?”

When Kai didn’t respond, PIXAL gently took Kai’s hand into her own, bringing his knuckles to her lips and softly kissing them. She looked up at him with worry in her eyes, which twisted the knot in Kai’s stomach and heart even more. “Kai? Please, are you okay? Neither of us want to see you upset. Please.”

Kai wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. Zane shortly followed, trying to keep the master of fire calm. “I’m sorry.” Kai spoke after a few seconds, not wanting another minute of silence. “I just wanted to impress you both. You two are such wonderful and amazing people and I love you guys so much and I just wanted this date to be good and perfect because I wanted to show just how much I care and-“

This was a stark contrast to the man Zane and PIXAL knew. Kai, hot headed, a firework, someone who’s confidence and bravery seemed to have no limit. Now, here he was, on the verge of tears and wrapped around their arms like a small child. PIXAL stroked his hair as Zane lowered his temperature in an attempt to keep Kai warm. “Kai, the date was wonderful. It was simple, yet I know just how much you tried to make it perfect for us. You even tried to do the recipe I’ve been teaching you!” Zane spoke each word with such care that Kai had stopped shaking and began listening.

“He’s right Kai.” said PIXAL. “Everything was okay. Even if there was a change of plans, the date went great. I’m glad you asked us both out. I’m glad that I get to be with you.” The three of them stayed like that for a while, Kai letting their words sink in for a few. Then, all of a sudden, he started laughing. “Kai?” she asked, at first concerned only to be greeted with the joyful grin on Kai’s face.

“Holy crap! I was worrying this entire time that you guys would hate this date!” exclaimed Kai. “I am such an idiot!” He laughed some more, slowly getting up, allowing PIXAL and Zane to do the same. “I’m sorry guys. Really. I can make it up to you both another time, if you want.” He laughed some more, only to clutch his side when a sharp jolt swept through him. Oh, right. They still had to tend to something. Luckily, he had Zane and PIXAL, who were definitely taller than him now that he was up closer to them, as crutches.

“First, we’ll need to head back to the Bounty for the proper equipment needed to fix you up.” said Zane, mirth in his voice.

“And, perhaps afterwards…” PIXAL began. “We can make plans for the next date. Preferably when are schedules are a little more free.”

“Yeah. That would be nice.”

-----------------------

(short? yes. cheesy? yes. ooc? maybe a little bit. still a nice ship tho and i’m going down with it)