#queen of the munce

[razzle-zazzle]

I feel like not enough people know about the Master of the Mountain bloopers video:

[icy-watch]

Uuuuuuuuh

Did not see that coming.

[iliveilove]

Geo is most definitely the child of a Munce and Geckle. Not just one. He looks like a Munce but with the coloring of a Geckle AND the ears of one.

[legoslab]

“You know the Munce Queen?” “Yeah! It’s my sister! And she’s not THAT ugly.”

[jinxed-ninjago]

The thing about the second lava monster encounter in Master of the Mountain that gets me is it feels like a failed perception check. Like the entire season gives the vibes of the writers (and possibly voice actors) deciding to play D&D as Cole, Vania, and Wu then deciding to add Plundar, Fungus, and Korgran to the party later but dear lord, that scene gives the vibes of Kirby responding to Sabrina in character as Cole and whoever is the DM saying "roll for perception" and Kirby rolling a 1.

Like I literally feel like the writers and voice actors were playing a Ninjago themed campaign for the sake of Master of the Mountain having the vibes it does and they get to that point and have this exchange.

Sabrina, in character as Vania: Wait, Cole! The lava monster! What if it's still in the cave waiting for us?! Kirby, in character as Cole: What, just sitting there, staring at a wall? DM: Roll for perception. Kirby: SHIT.

Additionally I love the idea that they just went nuts with this because the shenanigans Wu, Vania, and Cole get into with the Upply feels like a D&D campaign.

Ian, in character as Fungus: Korgran, a little help. DM: Paul, roll for performance. Paul: ...it's a 1. DM: You run into the door, falling on the ground. Your axe falls to the ground with a clatter. Paul, in character as Wu: The door will only open for a those who are one with the Earth -- an Earth elemental. -- Adam Trask, in character as Plundar: I want to steal one of Cole's weapons while he's unconscious. DM: Roll for sleight of hand. Adam: It's a 10. DM: You successfully steal one of Cole's throwing stars while Cole's unconscious, but Fungus notices and tells you to return it when he introduces you to Cole. Adam: Damn. -- Kirby, in character as Cole: Well, we can't stop the Skull Sorcerer and save our friends trapped down here, can we?! DM: Kirby, roll for intimidation. Kirby: ...it's a 1. DM: You fail to at all intimidate Plundar, who gives you a half exasperated, half tired stare while Korgran watches you fight with Plundar with a mildly terrified expression.

Even the beginning of the season feels like failed or hilariously successful rolls.

Michael, in character as Jay: Direbats aren't a real thing! DM: Roll for history. Michael: ...1. DM: Immediately after saying direbats aren't a real thing, one picks you up and takes you off the Destiny's Bounty. -- Kirby: I'd like to persuade the Geckles and Munce to start a truce so we can get out of the mines. DM: Roll for persuasion. Kirby: It's a 4. DM: You manage to persuade the first few Geckles to meet for a peaceful truce meeting, but due to a game of broken telephone, a fight breaks out. Lloyd had the same amount of luck with the Munce. Kirby: Dammit. -- Vincent, in character as Kai: We aren't skeletons! DM: Roll a persuasion check. Vincent: 5? DM: The Geckles aren't convinced, referring to you as "fleshy skeletons" despite your clarifications. They decide to take you to their leader just to be sure. *later* DM: After discovering you are not, in fact, skeletons, the Geckles decide to make Kai their new chancellor to make up for their transgressions. Vincent and Brent, in unison: Wait what -- Kelly, in character as Nya: I fight Murtessa over Jay. *Kelly proceeds to ace all her skill checks* DM: You manage to knock down Murtessa, triggering an old Munce rite of ritual. You are now queen of the Munce. Kelly, Sam, and Michael in unison: WHAT?

[notsosmug87]

I Wanted to reblog my take on this post. however it was too long to be a reblog so im writing it instead. Shoutout to @sexiestwerewolf

The show itself made him a dumbass.

S1-7 Jay was A know it all smartass With The Wits and Knowledge To match That energy to show that he wasn’t a pushover. Comic relief sure But Jay was the most capable of all the Ninja and it showed.

In the Oni trilogy Every ninja Mellowed out But Jay Still retained some of his character traits.

Literally going delusional, Designing and Building a flying Machine out of scrap metal that could also breath fire Then decided to propose to his love While they were mere seconds away from dying.

Enter, the 11 minute era.

The 11 Minute era Completely screwed over his character, And while that could be said for almost Every Ninja, Jay got it the worst; Showing us only the Incompetent Dumbass side of his character instead. Becoming only a one note comic relief with nothing more.

Prime empire also did jackshit for his character and to add insult to injury, The idea of Libber being Trapped in the game was scrapped entirely; Which is a shame because it would have been so interesting.

Master of the Mountain showed even more incompetence with the Queen of the Munce; And while he had his moments in both Seabound and Crystalized The damage was already done.

Dragons rising However, is trying To Fix his character With the Whole amnesiac Agent who will be fighting the Ninja in part 2 and I for one cannot fucking wait to see this.

Please god Just make him good again 😭

[the-ninjago-historian]

BROOOOOOOOO. What?!🤣 This sounds SO awkward for Jay though! Jay waking up asking for some random woman? Nya would be ticked off. I mean, we all saw how jealous she got with the Munce queen flirting with Jay. Lol!

Nya: Jay? Honey? You awake?

Jay: Mmmmph. Not now Eris.

Nya: ... WHAT.

Jay: AAH! NYA!!! I UH-

Cue everyone waking up at the sound of Jay being chased around the monastery by a very angry Nya.🤣

(I don't know. That's just my take on it. Haha!)

[beybladeninja]

I’m an avid supporter of the ship Cole x Vania, and I’ve head cannoned for a while that they would have twins if they ever decided to get together.

But then Dragons Rising Part 2 came out, and I wondered… how would they try to prevent another Empress Beatrix?

This is what I came up with.

—————

“YOUR MAJESTY!”

Cole winced as the frantic voice echoed throughout the cavernous hall. He turned around to find the source and took in the sight of a palace attendant rushing towards him, a harried look on her naturally pale face. There were too many attendants in the palace for Cole to keep track of, but he easily recognized this one.

She was the attendant assigned to oversee his sons’ history lessons.

This could not be good.

“What’s wrong?” Cole quickly asked, fully turning to face the attendant as she literally slid to a stop in front of him. “Are my sons okay?”

The attendant took a while to answer, nearly crouched into an upright fetal position with her hands on her knees as she heaved. She had obviously ran very fast from a very far distance, if the sweat streaking her dark hair was any indication. Her condition only worsened Cole’s worry for his sons, but he respectfully waited for the attendant to compose herself before she answered.

Finally, the attendant straightened slightly from her pained position as her breathing started to slow. “I’m… sorry to… disturb you… your Majesty…” She was able to gasp out, still shaking on her feet. “I was just… giving the princes… a lesson in the garden… because it’s such a… a beautiful day… and I… I guess I said… something wrong…? And, well… one thing led to another… and now…” She started babbling, her eyes darting anxiously to his face, to the walls of the hallway. “I-I really am sorry… b-but Queen Vania is in a meeting with the Queen of the Munce and the Geckle Chancellor, a-and… none of the guards can seem to calm them down…”

A small tremor ran through the palace’s marble floors, so slight that one would have missed it if they weren’t focused on it. Cole quickly got the gist and nodded. “Which garden?” He inquired.

“West,” The attendant immediately replied, and that was all Cole needed as he took off in the direction she’d come from.

The palace was a maze of stairways and corridors, but living in it for over a decade had helped him develop a mental map of the place. Marble columns and colorful paintings flew past him until the white fell away into the sprawling green of the West Garden. The tremor he’d felt before slowly strengthened into a steady rumble the farther he went, with regular intervals in which the tremors grew in intensity before leveling out. Cole was starting to get an idea about the type of fight his boys were getting into, and the garden turned into nothing but a multicolored blur around him as his speed increased.

A decently sized rock flew past his head; it was only thanks to his ninja training that he was able to duck out of its way in time. It slowed him down for a split second before he was up to full speed once more. He was getting close.

Finally, the scene of the crime came into view. Lillian, his and Vania’s oldest son, was standing in a giant crater with other smaller craters surrounding him. His fists were clenched at his sides and he was seething as he stared up at his twin brother, Vincent. The younger prince had so far been able to evade his furious brother by using the surrounding foliage as shields. The result was that everything green within a few yards of the center crater was tragically smashed and pummeled. Vincent was currently perched on the last surviving tree within the danger zone. Both boys’ regal outfits, black with orange lining for Lillian and white with gold lining for Vincent, were dusted in a fair amount of dirt. The states of both the garden and the boys’ outfits suggested that they’d been at this for a while.

The gardener is probably going to quit over this, Cole griped, picturing the angry message that would most likely be waiting for him in the morning.

“Take it back!” Lillian was shouting at Vincent, his normally pale face nearly the color of a tomato. His hand instinctively reached for the earth beneath him, causing another chunk of the garden to crack apart and rise to his beckoning. “Take it back!”

“You can’t take back the truth!” Vincent wailed back. His tone was smug enough to hide his true feelings, but they showed through the sweat slicking his forehead and the way he tensed on his tree. A guttural growl came from Lillian and he raised the earthy mass above his shoulder, ready to throw it. Vincent crouched in response, prepared to make the jump to safety.

It was time to wrap this up. Cole took the tense moment as an opportunity to take a deep breath and bellow, “BOYS!!!”

The twin princes jerked in surprise at the sound of their father’s voice. Lillian lost his control over the earthy mass and it fell onto his shoulder, breaking apart and dusting his skin with a new layer of dirt. Vincent lost his balance and fell at least five feet, though his training had him rolling and on his feet in no time. They looked to their father with twin expressions of dread, made of wide eyes and trembling lips.

But Cole wouldn’t allow himself to fall for their sorry appearances. “Just what do you two think you’re doing?” He asked them heatedly, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’ve trashed the West Garden, traumatized your history teacher, and from what I’ve heard, probably put a good chunk of our guards out of commission.” He hadn’t seen any wounded guards when he’d run through the garden, but he could see enough chips of armor in Lillian’s crater to know that at least a few of them were in the infirmary at this point.

The boys blinked at their father for a second before turning and gazing at their surroundings. They took in the battered ground, the destroyed greenery, the shards of golden armor, and the state of their attire. It occurred to Cole that they had most likely been so caught up in their explosive argument that they hadn’t even realized the kind of damage it was causing. The realization made him even more curious as to what the fight had been about.

His sons glanced sheepishly at each other before turning back to him, their hands folded apologetically in front of them. “We’re truly sorry, Father,” Vincent spoke up, his eyes closing as he bowed his head respectfully towards his father, the King.

“Yeah,” Lillian added somewhat mediocrely. His eyes stayed open as he stared at Cole imploringly. “Are you mad?”

Cole was about to say yes, but the picture of his sons looking at him with such fear stopped him. He sighed and said instead, “I can decide whether or not to be mad once I’ve heard what the fight was about.”

Vincent was all too happy to provide him with an answer. “Well, our history teacher was just giving us a lesson in the garden when she referred to me as ‘Crown Prince’…” He turned condescending eyes towards his brother. “Which Lillian apparently didn’t like.”

The older twin scowled back. “What I didn’t like was the fact that you didn’t correct her,” He explained, putting an angry emphasis on each word. “We’re twins - we’re both Crown Princes! But no - you just smiled your little princely smile and said ‘thank you’.”

“We may be twins and Crown Princes,” Vincent admitted, though his tone remained haughty. “But which of us is inheriting the throne?”

“I told you before and I’m telling you now,” Lillian growled, taking a threatening step towards his brother. “The only reason you’re inheriting the throne is because you’re a kiss-up!”

“And as I told you then and am now repeating,” Vincent sneered, sliding into the crater so that he could match his brother step for step. “The reason Mother and Father passed over you for the throne is because you’re ugly!”

Lillian froze before showing his father a tense smile. “Which is when I started to pummel him like this!” He reached towards the ground once more and started to separate a large chunk from the surrounding earth.

“Boys!” Cole yelled before the mass could be dislodged . He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, already tired of the whole thing. “We’ve discussed this before - Vincent got the throne because Lillian got the Elemental Power of Earth. Your mother and I just split up your responsibilities!”

Lillian released his hold on the mass, but his expression had turned into one of forlorn. “But why, Father?” He asked, sounding on the verge of desperation. “Why wasn’t I given the throne? I’m the older twin - it’s within my right!”

Cole sighed again. “Lillian, I just told you…” He started, but his son angrily cut him off.

“And I don’t want to hear that trash about splitting up our responsibilities because we’re twins - I may be ten, but I know that’s not the real reason!” He stared up at his father, who was still standing at the lip of the crater. “Please, Father… why was I passed over for king? Is it because…” His voice trailed off as his gaze slid down Cole’s body until it wasn’t on his father at all. “Is it because you and Mother didn’t believe in me?”

A quiet gasp escaped Cole’s mouth. “What…? No… no, that’s not it at all!” He quickly denied, shocked that Lillian would even consider such a notion. His hand instinctively stretched towards his son in an attempt to comfort him. Within the crater, Vincent’s hand did the same as his expression turned from one of smug content to one of guilt-stricken fear.

A bit of heat creeped back into Lillian’s voice as he quietly demanded, “Why?”

Cole hesitated. He wanted to tell them - the words were on the tip of his tongue. But are my sons ready to hear the truth?

He took a long look at his sons - his brave, beautiful twin boys. Both had inherited their mother’s platinum blonde hair and their father’s warm brown eyes, and Cole could already see the shaping of his chin and cheekbones peeking through their baby fat. Though when it came to personality, they acted more like their uncles than anyone else. Lillian was hotheaded and prone to outbursts like his Uncle Kai, while Vincent was more logical and forward-thinking like his Uncle Zane. Neither of them had completely grown into their royal attire, as their sleeves still dropped a few inches past their wrists. Cole had held both of them in his arms, comforted them, attempted to shield them all the horrors of the world. He’d tried to be a good father.

But he was well aware that he couldn’t protect them forever.

It was with this realization that Cole heaved another sigh and sat down on the crumbling lip of the crater - royal attire be damned. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them and fixing his sons with a tired smile. “Story time,” He announced softly.

His boys immediately sat down in the center of the crater, knee to knee. Cole smiled at this - regardless of whether they were fighting or not, that all went out the window when their father was about to tell a story. He prided himself on his storytelling abilities and the peace it brung.

Cole looked out over his audience before he took a deep breath. Like most of his stories, he started with a question, “Do you know of the city of Imperium?”

“Of course,” Vincent readily replied. “They’re our closest trade partners, supplying most of our computers’ motherboards and hard drives.”

“What he said, I guess,” Lillian agreed with a shrug.

Cole nodded before continuing with another question. “Did you know that it wasn’t always a democratic republic? Up until a little over a decade ago, it was a monarchy, like Shintaro.”

Both of his sons looked surprised at this information. “Really?” Lillian asked. “What caused them to change?”

Cole hesitated once more before he dove into the main story. “The last Imperium Emperor was a good man. I didn’t know him personally, but I’ve heard that he was content with the state of his kingdom and preferred diplomacy before violence. His allies stood with him by choice as opposed to force, and things were at peace. But the Emperor was also an Elemental Master, and-”

“Like you!” Vincent exclaimed, sounding eager to contribute.

“Yes yes, like your old man,” Cole relented with a slight chuckle. “And also like your old man, he had twin children of his own, two daughters. The oldest daughter inherited her father’s powers, and as was the tradition of the royal family, she also inherited the throne.

“Though it probably wasn’t the Emperor’s intention, he started to show bias towards his daughters. He spent most of his time with his oldest daughter, showing her how to use her powers and how to run the kingdom. So not only had she gained her father’s power and his kingdom - she’d also gained his favor.”

“But what about his other daughter?” Vincent asked. “She must have been so lonely!”

Cole scoffed. “I don’t know if ‘lonely’ is how I’d put it,” He admitted. “The younger daughter had been devoid of any form of power her entire life. She was desperate for control in her father’s kingdom. So when she finally got the chance to get some… she took it.”

As was his custom, he took a pause for dramatic effect. He paused for so long that Lillian impatiently blurted out, “So? What happened?”

“Well, they say that her father died in a hovercraft accident,” Cole explained. “And her sister was imprisoned on charges of treason. With no one left to stand in her way, the younger daughter ascended to the throne.”

Lillian and Vincent were both quiet after hearing such news. In an almost scared voice, Lillian asked, “They weren’t accidents… were they?” As his father sadly shook his head, he seemed to withdraw into himself in order to ponder this revelation.

“The younger daughter finally had the control she’d been denied by birthright,” Cole went on, his tone taking a more serious edge. “But after having a taste of power, she couldn’t get enough of it. She demolished her father’s regime and put her own in its place. Allies and loyalties were gained by threats and violence. Dominance was asserted in the form of military and technological might. Anyone who dared to speak against her faced imprisonment… or worse. Dragon, human, animal… no one was safe from her wrath.

“She ruled Imperium with an iron fist, but it still wasn’t enough for her,” Cole continued, his mouth tasting bitter. “She wanted more. She wanted to do something her father couldn’t - place all of the Realms under Imperium control. And she was willing to do whatever it took to do so.” He took a deep breath through his nose. “Even destroy the world as we knew it.”

His sons looked confused, so he asked another question. “Has your history teacher ever taught you two about the Merge Storm?”

“Of course,” Lillian spoke up before his brother had a chance. “That was the day when the sky tore open in order to allow all of the Realms to come together as o-” He abruptly stopped talking as a new expression of horror dawned on his face. “Wait, you’re saying that happened just because some lady was having a temper tantrum?”

Cole nodded solemnly. He hadn’t been in that particular fight, but he’d felt its effects. The memory came unbidden to the front of his mind, the one of the sky becoming speckled with Merge rifts that sucked everything around them into their depths, then splitting open entirely into the universe beyond. He’d heard later that it was only thanks to his friends that the event had been averted, and he’d been so unbelievably proud in that moment that he’d actually cried. He’d rather die than admit it to them, though.

“She’d created a weapon that could tear open the fabric of the universe itself,” He explained softly, swallowing. “She wanted power so badly that she’d went mad with her hunger for it. I don’t know if her original plans as empress were good or bad, but whatever pure intentions she had were squashed the second she gave into her hunger.

“Fast forward a few years to when your mother and I realized that we would be parents,” Cole went on, a small smile lighting his features when he remembered that much more joyous day. “We were overjoyed when we found out, and even more so when we discovered that we were having twins.” His mouth twisted as the feelings came back to him, and he had to avert his eyes from his sons. “But we were also scared. We knew that whoever was born first would inherit my Element of Earth, and royal law decreed that the firstborn child would also inherit the throne. It was the same thing as what happened in Imperium. We were terrified that history would eventually repeat itself.”

Cole couldn’t speak for Vania, but his feelings that day had been especially worrisome. He’d been terrified at the thought that he may show bias towards his own children, just like the Imperium Emperor did. No child deserved such treatment - especially if it led to that child becoming another Empress Beatrix. He’d resolved to himself that day that he wouldn’t do so, and that he’d love his children equally.

“Father?” Vincent asked gently from outside his field of vision.

He took another deep breath to compose himself before going on. “So your mother had an idea. She wrote and passed a law that decreed that if any Elemental Master married into the royal family, and if they had twins, one twin would inherit the Elemental Power while the other would inherit the throne.” He held out his hands for emphasis. “That way, both twins would have their own semblance of control. And… they wouldn’t feel left out in any way.”

His sons lapsed into another period of silence. It went on for so long that Cole finally mustered up the courage to look at them again. Vincent’s hands had come up to grasp his older brother’s bicep, though he didn’t seem to mind one bit. Their big brown eyes, so much like his own, were filled with tears as they stared up at their father. He got the impression that his eyes weren’t doing much better.

“So… the reason why I was passed over for king…” Lillian said slowly. “Was because… you were trying to protect us?”

Cole nodded, forcing himself to smile against the wave of emotions. “The Imperium Empress let her hunger for power nearly destroy herself and Ninjago,” He told them. “Your mother and I love you boys so much. We couldn’t bear to see the same thing happen to either of you.

“You are both important,” He said firmly, stretching out his hands to his sons. Getting the message, they stood up and climbed the side of the crater so that they could grab his hands. “You are both necessary for this kingdom,” He continued, staring into their eyes. “You are both necessary for Ninjago. You are both regal Crown Princes.” He gripped their smaller hands in his big ones. “And you are both our sons. And we love you both very very much.”

That was the dam breaker. Lillian and Vincent started crying and wouldn’t stop, jumping onto their father and burying their wet faces against his silk shirt. Their combined weight ended up pulling Cole over the lip of the crater, causing them all to tumble down into the center. They became even filthier in the process, but the sobs gradually turned into laughs as they realized their predicament.

“W-We’re sorry, Father!” Vincent eventually blurted out. “W-We didn’t mean to bring back bad memories for you! W-We promise to never bring up the subject again!”

“Yeah!” Lillian agreed; his face and that of his brother were still buried in their father’s shirt. “W-We didn’t know that you and Mother had done it to protect us!”

“It’s fine, boys,” Cole sniffed, his own tears coating his face as he rubbed his sons’ backs. “We were going to tell you eventually, anyway. No time like the present, I guess.”

The family lapsed into a brief period of peaceful quiet, father and sons locked into each other’s embraces. It was Lillian that broke the silence by saying, “So… does this mean we’re not in trouble?”

Cole feigned a dramatic gasp and abruptly pushed his giggling sons away. “Oh I knew it - I knew there was a catch!” He exclaimed in disappointment, even while his own bright smile lit up his features. “Buttering up your old man so that he won’t punish you for tearing up the West Garden? Is that the plan?” They continued giggling, so he decided to play his trump card. “Yeah yeah, laugh while you can - you’re still getting punished. You’re both going to help the gardener clean up this mess!”

The giggling stopped as the boys once again took in the sights of the ruined garden. “Oh come on!” Lillian groaned. “I thought we had a moment!”

“Besides, it… it’s not that ruined!” Vincent attempted to protest.

Cole smirked. “If it’s not that ruined, you shouldn’t have any problems putting it back together,” He replied smugly. At his sons’ persistent complaints, he added, “Oh, you think you’re in trouble now? Wait until your mother finds out about this!”

That surely shut them up. “Y-You’re not going to tell her about this, right?” Lillian asked, searching for any hint of mercy from his father.

“BOYS!!”

The princes winced as the king looked in the direction of the queen’s voice and smiled. “I think she already knows.”

[ninjamelissajulien]

Me when I see that the Munce Queen is single

[abunnsburrow]

I come to you, Ninjago Fandom, to say one thing and one thing only.

...Jay should win the Ninjago Sexyman Tournament.

Jay, canonically, gets so many bitches. This pathetic loser of a man somehow managed to become the host of a TV show just by making the dumbest puns known to mankind.

Jay could probably get any of the ninja(excluding Lloyd) to date him. You have seen how gay he is with all of them, the way he seduces them. The way he manages to somehow lure them in despite being a wet sock in the form of a person.

Jay managed to form the League of Jay, essentially a cult to his name without even trying. There is no doubt in my mind that he has managed to make people question both their sexuality and their gender identity. He does this with no effort on his part, only purely through existing and being a rockstar nerd.

Merely through standing there he attracted the Munce Queen who lives in a culture where only the strongest and best of the Munce gain higher status.

He even managed to get Nya.

Jay, canonically, has the power of a sexyman. He is the most pathetic loser to ever exist and yet he gets all the bitches

...That is all. Have a good day and may the best Sexyman win.

[only-lonely-stars]

Hair As Gold As Straw (Chapter 9 - Coronation)

[Prologue] // [Chapter 8 of 9] // [Chapter 9 of 9 - you are here!] // [Epilogue] – (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:

Several characters receive titles, but change is on the horizon.

Once Princess Vania was awakened from her slumber, all of Shintaro tilted on its axis, and the very order of life was upset in the palace for many days.

After his defeat, Vangelis had been regaled to the dungeons, where he would remain for several years as punishment for his treatment of Vania. Unbeknownst to everyone, he had been strengthening himself using the power of his magic and the skull, such that his health declined severely and immediately as soon as his access was ended. It was not for a long time, but eventually his heart gave out- he died quietly in his sleep.

However, that was not of immediate concern to anyone around the time of his imprisonment. The subject at hand was the princess and her companions, as they navigated her assumption of power. All of Shintaro whispered about her, for her relationship with Cole and the Upply was like a fascinating puzzle to them.

Indeed, once she was awoken, Vania rarely strayed from Cole's side, and neither did he leave her. They gravitated to each other, keeping each other close company no matter the circumstances. In secret places and quiet moments, they would steal away for private conversation, but opportunities were rare. As it happened, he took the place of her primary protector, despite the fact that there was no danger. Rumors abounded, but no one could say for sure what their relationship was.

Despite the circumstances, Vania's coronation approached without delay. Cole oversaw much of the preparations, but he was pulled away from Vania's side at one point by a Shintaran guard, who took him to a private room.

"You are Cole, yes?" the man asked.

"Yes, I am. You are one of the guards?"

"Yes. My name is Hailmar." The man took off his helmet, revealing his deep brown hair. He bowed. "I must thank you for caring for the princess in my absence."

"You're welcome," Cole said. "You were her personal guard before her escape, were you not?"

"I was. I also helped her escape," Hailmar added.

Cole took his hand and shook it. "Thank you for helping Princess Vania."

"It was my honor and my duty," Hailmar responded, his grip just as firm.

"Mine as well. Will you continue to protect her?"

"With my very life," Hailmar affirmed. "What of you?"

"I will, too," Cole said. "However, I will not be able to for very long." At this fact, he seemed downcast.

"Why ever not?"

"I have unfinished business with my father. I have to complete it before I can stay. I have never stayed anywhere for long because of our rift."

Hailmar seemed to accept this. To Cole, it seemed as if he was receiving permission to stay by Vania's side. "Very well. I will protect her ever more closely in your absence, so when you return she will be safe."

"Thank you. You are a most honorable man, Hailmar."

"As are you," Hailmar said. He replaced his helmet. "What of her coronation? There has been talk of you receiving knighthood."

"I will accept it, but defer my service. When I return, I will take my post, until such time as that changes."

"Very well. Do not keep our new queen waiting."

"I will do my best." With that, the two men returned to their duties.

-----

A week after Vangelis abdicated the throne, the palace was thrown into one last flurry of activity. The Geckles and Munce were formally invited above the surface for the festivities, and were housed en masse in one of the castle's larger wings. The kitchens produced copious amounts of delicate food for all the visitors. The ivory city bedecked itself in extra golden decorations, with banners and flags hanging from every window, and the palace was likewise decorated. Indeed, the preparations flew by, and before anyone was truly ready, the coronation went forward.

With only a few minutes left before her time to enter the hall for her coronation, Vania's stomach churned uncomfortably. She smoothed the invisible wrinkles in her formal dress' skirt, attempting not to fidget as she examined the finely woven fibers. At the other end of the hall, waiting for her, were Hailmar and Cole. Try as she might, it was impossible for her to quell her nerves; today, she walked down the aisle to receive her crown and knight her rescuer. Her mind immediately looked to a similar day in the future; she would do it again, and marry a man she loved– if her dreams proved real, the very same man she was to knight today. At the very thought, her cheeks heated.

The sound of a brass fanfare shook her from her thoughts. She forced herself to square her shoulders and straighten her back just as the tall, intricate doors to the great hall opened.

On either side of the walkway's carpet, crowds of Shintarans, Geckles, and Munce were gathered, with the Upply at the very front. At the sight of her, they cheered. She slowly walked down the carpet, smiling and waving, and then flew up from it to the elevated royal pedestal. There, Hailmar smiled at her and gave her a scroll.

As Vania looked over her people, her heart swelled. Her people were jubilant. She opened the scroll and began to read the contents.

"I, Princess Vania of the Kingdom of Shintaro, do hereby solemnly swear to stand up to those that are cruel and unjust, that my people will never again serve them. I will uphold the laws of the kingdom to my utmost ability. I will protect and faithfully serve all who dwell above and below in all my capability. As it is in my power, I will guide my people in righteous paths, so that they may weather the hardest times with fortitude and strength in character and body. Their joys shall be my joys, and their sorrows my sorrows; in times of hardship, I will guide my people in the ways that will protect them, that they might flourish in all things. This I swear, that if I should ever intentionally fail to keep my oath, my people may choose a ruler who will. I swear these things on the crown I now accept."

She rolled up the scroll and gave it to Hailmar. Another fanfare played, and her heart beat quickly in anticipation. Hailmar next took the ceremonial crown. He raised it high.

"As you have sworn, it is my great honor and privilege to announce you Queen Vania, Friend of the Peoples of the Mountain, and rightful ruler of Shintaro."

He placed it on her head, where it nestled securely in her hair. She stood tall as he backed away and the crowds rose and applauded. The sound was deafening in her ears, mixing with her rapid pulse.

She smiled at them, waving, and they applauded more. Fungus threw some magical powder in the air, setting off illusions of fireworks.

After a minute or two, the crowds returned to quier. When they did, Vania stepped back toward the throne, and took a ceremonial sword from its sheath.

"It is my honor to call forth Cole Brookstone, to stand before me and the assembly."

Cole came to stand before her, his own pulse rapid and heavy in his chest. He attempted to calm it, but it was unheeded. He looked at Vania, smiled, and knelt on one knee, so that he had to look up at her. In her ceremonial dress, she almost looked angelic to him, with q regal air of authority; he felt as if he had no right to even kneel before her, much less love her, or even leave her. Nevertheless, he waited.

Vania raised the ceremonial sword and pointed it toward him. "Cole Brookstone, you have shown great courage in the face of adversity. Now I offer you knighthood, that you may become a rightful citizen of Shintaro, and the opportunity to join my personal guard, to protect and serve both me and the kingdom. If you are willing, you may recite the knight's oath."

Cole nodded and lowered his head, preparing to speak the words he had memorized in the last week.

"I swear to the crown of Shintaro the following: I will work for the greater good, placing character above wealth. I will never boast, but cherish humility instead. I will speak the truth always, forever keeping my word, and will protect those who cannot protect themselves. I will honor and respect all men, women, and children. I will uphold justice, will be faithful in love and loyal in friendship, will abhor gossip, and will be generous. I will forgive when asked, that my own mistakes will be forgiven. I will live my life with courtesy and honor from this day forward, and serve the crown of Shintaro with my life and breath until such day as I am released from my vow."

Vania sighed in trepidation and slowly lowered the sword to tap each of his shoulders and the top of his head. Then, she pointed it at the floor, safely away from him.

"Then by the power vested in my by the people of Shintaro, whom I represent, I dub you Sir Cole Brookstone, the Knight of Deliverance. Stand, Sir Cole."

Cole slowly got to his feet, watching her face. She gestured for him to turn, so he could see the jubilant audience, who once again applauded. Then, he stepped to the side, such that he was no longer obstructing their view of the queen.

The rest of the ceremony was a whirlwind in the memory of everyone. In the case of the queen, she was taken away from the stage, for a moment of respite before she joined the feast and celebrations that would take place shortly. In that time, she took Cole by the hand, and together they returned to the alcove she had first shown him when they emerged from the mountain.

In their concealed place, Vania sighed, letting her heart's beat slow. Cole did the same, trying to contain his elation. After a few moments, their heavy breathing turned to laughter.

Vania brushed back her hair, laughing quietly. "The ceremony is over."

"It is," Cole said, trying to quell his own chuckling. "You were magnificent."

"As were you," she said, smiling at him. "Now I can properly call you Sir Cole."

"I think I'd prefer it if you just called me Cole, Queen Vania," he responded. "It's too formal."

"So is my title," she argued. "I don't think formality has a place between us, do you?"

"I don't think so either," he said, taking her hand. He kissed it softly, turning it over in his own hands. "It never has."

"No," she said, trailing off. She cupped his cheek. "Cole…"

"Yes?" he asked, putting a hand over hers.

"Will you stay with me in Shintaro?" Vania asked, cheeks flushed a light pink. "I do not want to imagine having to rule without you by my side."

Instead of answering immediately, Cole kissed her palm. "I want to stay," he said. Every word was sincere, but each was tinged with regret, tearing his heartstrings.

Vania's heart sank. "What do you mean, you want to?" She put her other hand on his face, such that she was holding him with both. "Are you unable?"

He smiled sadly. "I have unfinished business."

"Is it with your father?"

"Among other things."

"I see…" She trailed off, hands dropping to her sides.

Unhappy at seeing her so sad, Cole cupped her cheek to mirror her actions and kissed her softly. She reciprocated, a tender moment of connection showing itself between them.

"I don't want to leave you," he murmured. "I want to stay with you, but I cannot stay yet."

"Does that mean you will eventually?" she asked, the bitter taste of hope on her tongue.

"Yes," he said, laying his forehead against hers. "I will come back to you, Vania. I swear I will."

"The oath of a knight is not something to be taken lightly," she said, closing her eyes sadly.

"I'm being sincere. I will come back to you, Vania."

She looked up at him again, gazing into his dark eyes. "I will hold you to it." She kissed him one last time, weaving her fingers in his hair. They smiled into it, impressing their sadness and hope into it in equal measure. "Do not leave me forever," she whispered.

"I never could, Vania."

-----

A few days later, Cole once again stood at the gates to the castle, this time facing the city. Once again, he was clad in black, with his hood pulled over his face and his golden scythe shining on his back in the morning sun. He looked over her shoulder at Vania, who watched from the gate. He waved at her, his gaze filled with bittersweet love, and then turned his back, a cold feeling of loneliness already overtaking him. From there, he set off, once again passing through the ivory flagstone paths of the city, and eventually the outer gates. As he disappeared from sight, Vania watched him go, whispering words of encouragement and prayers that only she could hear.

Once he was no longer visible, she turned to Hailmar and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Come, Hailmar. Let's go inside."

"Do you think he will come back?" Hailmar asked.

"He will. Be patient, Hailmar, as I will– he will return to me."

[rainofthetwilight]

some weird thoughts ive had about Dragons Rising:

these are not really spoiler-ish since im not talking about the episodes, but if you didnt watch the episodes yet i dont recommend for you to keep reading since i will kinda mention some stuff.

-------

since cole isnt back yet, imagine him actually being in Shintaro this whole time and just chilling with everyone fr

speaking of shintaro, do you think vania mightve met with other rulers from different realms? or even met with bentho? we've seen the geckles and munce, plus a merlopian at the crossroads carnival, i know that means nothing since the carnival is for celebrating different traditions, but just imagine these two meeting eachother at one point (and i wouldnt be suprised if they did) and i forgot to mention we did see another merlopian at the race

and here's another weird thought, do you think Imperium is based of a beehive? citizens, the claws and the guards, are wearing black and yellow which are literally bee colours. and the forcefields, theyre hexagon-shaped like beehives. imperium is even ruled by a goddamn empress, and bees are ruled by their queen. they even have freakin HOVERBOARDS TO FLY WITH LIKE?? i literally dont know if this was intentional or not

[icy-watch]

They're

They're really going to play up jealous Nya this episode, aren't they.

[spinjitsuburst]

Me, having already sent in two asks but wanting to do more: fuck it we ball fuck it we ball-

3, 7, 15, 23 and 30 for Jay OR Kai please and thank you! I know I've sent in two asking for Jay already 😅

character ask game

YOU’RE GOOD DUDE fuck it we ball fr

Jay OR Kai howsabout both

Kai

3. A song that reminds me of them

This animatic ruined my brain chemistry so Running Up That Hill belongs to Kai now

7. A quote of them that you remember

I REALLY really wish I had some profound awesome Kai moment in response to this but honestly the part in season 11 where he’s like “GUYS you’re both too valuable to risk… it should be someone expendable…….. like Jay” BEFORE LOOKING OVER AND GIVING THE FUNNIEST EXPRESSION MAKES ME LAUGH so I’m going with that

15. Worst storyline they had

Season 11……. His storyline was to lose his powers………….. in his own half of the season…………….. and do basically nothing………………………. Did not enjoy Kai deserves better

23. Future headcanon

I feel like Kai is one of those people who will never retire cuz he hates being dormant so even when he’s like old and shit and people are like Kai please relax he’s like NO I MUST GO TO [insert whatever wack job he has now]

30. The funniest scene they had

Ngl Kai has some really funny scenes but the “foil… I found FOIL… GUYS…… WE HAVE FOOIIIIILLLLLLLL” from Hunted kinda takes the cake

Jay

3. Song that reminds me of them

I’LL DO THIS ONE AGAIN LIKE I SAID I HAVE A WHOLE PLAYLIST SHDKDHDKJ so I don’t know if I’ll ever get around to doing this but I want to make a Post-Seabound Jay animatic to Blah Blah Blah by The Oozes SO SO BADLY i think it’d be so cool

7. Quote of them you remember

GOD that part of Skybound right after Nya and Jay fly off on the dragon and he’s like “When will it be ENOUGH… I can’t keep LOSING PEOPLE” THE VOICE ACTING IS INSANE IT MAKES ME GO CRAZY RAHHH

15. Worst storyline they had

My first instinct is to say Skybound but honestly the Jay Character Development in that season is the only good thing about it, it’s more like the SKYBOUND storyline is the issue and less of Jay’s story if that makes sense

Tbh the thing in Master of the Mountain with the Munce queen trying to romance Jay was like. Kinda the weakest storyline he’s been involved in hskdhdkd MotM is one of my favorite seasons overall it’s incredible but Jay’s involvement was pretty flat (which is fine! It’s Cole’s season not Jay’s lmao)

23. Future Headcanon

So Jay canonically according to his VA like making birdhouses and giving them to the elderly in his spare time, so that just continues as he gets older and he gives more homemade gifts to more people. Homes for the elderly, hospitals, orphanages, etc.

When Jay’s old, people return the favor 🥺

30. Funniest scene they had

GDKSHD THE PART IN HUNTED WHERE JAY’S LOST IT SO HE’S JUST ACTING HIGH AS A KITE LIKE SHKDDHDKDHDJ it’s so funny that entire section makes me laugh

[cassnottiel]

Ninjago missed out on some very realistic sibling interactions because after kai got elected Chancellor of the geckles and nya was crowned queen of the munce, they did not even tease, let alone bully each other for becoming the leaders of the in universe goblin and orc societies.

[jinxed-ninjago]

Random things I love about Master of the Mountain that don't really matter (part 2 or 3 probably):

Chompy and Adam immediately start goofing off when they meet

How bitchy Plundar is, up to and including trolling Fungus about his magic. "He's makin' the pictures again!" "It is not pictures! It is farsight!"

Plundar is visibly affected the most out of the Upply by being betrayed by Vangelis

Plundar seems to have trained Adam to attack when he gives some sort of cue (there's a brief bit in The Ascent where Plundar is adjusting his mask like he had it lowered right before Adam attacks the Shinataran guards)

Adam and Chompy seem to be able to cross the species language barrier and communicate with each other, because Adam seems to tell Chompy to distract the guards or something

"I'm probably going down as the worst chancellor in Geckle history"

Kai, Jay, Lloyd, and Nya trolling Vangelis and the Skull of Hazza D'ur

"[Cole] has a habit of popping up when you least expect it!" This could be referring to so many things (although Cole surviving his fall in March of the Oni is what pops out to me) but I'm choosing to believe Cole regularly jumps out at Lloyd for shits and giggles

"Once you've heard one of those villain speeches, you've heard them all. He's just saying 'Blah blah, my evil plan. Blah blah, no one's gonna save you.'" "No one is coming to save you."

"Cole has a ... crew?"

Jay's scream the second he sees Adam

Additionally, the small detail that Jay was putting his shoulder armor back on between shots

The detail of Plundar using a lockpick to free Kai, Jay, Zane, Nya, and Lloyd

Murtessa continuing to flirt with Jay

Murtessa fighting the Reawakened without really looking at what she's hitting

Zane's mino

Fungus using his cape as a shield

That one Reawakened's expression as Murtessa runs at it in The Son of Lilly

Wu riding Chompy into battle

Plundar's silly little dance at Vania's coronation

The track that plays when Cole unlocks the Spinjitzu Burst

Also the visuals of the Spinjitzu Burst

The AUDACITY of Vangelis to pull the family card on Vania lmao

Fungus and Plundar both have black hair, but Plundar's hair has blue undertones, while Fungus's hair has purple undertones

The fact that the promise Cole made to Lilly made its way into Shintaro's coronation oath(?)

Gulch's reaction to Murtessa hugging Jay

The sound mixing in Queen of the Munce. It is Sonic Adventure 2 levels of bad and it's the only episode in the series to have horrible sound mixing (that I remember)

Plundar's response to "Stay out of trouble" being "Where's the fun in that?" seemingly more in response to Adam than Cole lol

"If you ever need my help, I'll bring the entire army of Shintaro to your aid." "And I'll bring the entire four of us."

Nya pouncing on Kai's back when they say they're going on another adventure in response to Zane asking what "Wherever the wind takes us" means

Cole leaning on the rail on the upper deck of the Bounty as they leave Shintaro