#zangst.........save me.....

[npdzane]

Adding to my zane hcs - i think he gets mood swings. And they get worse or better depending on how well hes been maintaining himself. The only thing is, they aren't noticeable because he turns off his emotions the second he gets irritated because he doesn't think he should be letting himself get angry. So instead he'll turn off his feelings for a while and isolate until he's back to "normal"

[rottenpumpkin13]

I challenge you to write pre-SOLDIER zangst

Challenge accepted.... challenge completed.... with loads of tears 🥲

Zack burst into the house, the door slamming behind him, nearly tripping on the bunched up welcome mat. "Mama! Mama, they were here!" he shouted, breathless.

Zack's mother looked up from chopping vegetables in the kitchen, her eyes widening as she saw his state—dirt smeared his tank top, and there was a hole in his shorts that wasn't there this morning.

"Zack! Where did you go?" She rushed to him with the dish towel in hand. "You were supposed to be home an hour ago!"

"No, Mama, listen—!"

"And just look at your face!" She bagan wiping the dirt from his cheek. "Did you fall from that tree at the grove again? I warned you not to let those older boys trick you into climbing it. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone," she said, utterly exhasperated.

"I wasn't there, Mama!" Zack protested, "the guys in suits that work for Shinra were heading up to the reactor again, and we saw them!" Zack's words tumbled out in a rush as he pushed away the dish towel.

Mrs. Fair shook her head, turning back to the kitchen. "Zack, honey—"

"I talked to them, and one of them said I’m a really fast runner. They saw us playing with the sword and said I should join the army! They even said I could be really good at it!"

Zack let his excitement flow as he bounced on his feet, circling his worried mother who kept chopping the carrots with a nervous look on her face.

"It's the same guys who recruited Balto, Mama! Balto's one of them now, and they say he's making a lot of money. He even paid to fix his parents' roof, remember?" Zack's excitement was as palpable as his mother's worry.

"Zack, sweetheart—"

"What if I manage to join SOLDIER? I know I can do it! I’m already getting pretty good with Dad’s old sword. With some more practice, I could be a hero! Just like Sephiroth! Imagine that! What if—"

Mrs. Fair gently placed her hand on his head, silencing him, yet prompting him to look up at her with wide, hopeful eyes. He knew what was coming, yet it didn't stop him from hoping.

"Zack, Balto hasn't been home in a very long time," Mrs. Fair began softly, marking the moment the boy's exuberance faltered, his gaze dropping to the floor.

"His mama misses him very much," she said, "and I'm sure he misses her too. But the life of people who work for Shinra is very busy. I bet they can't visit home whenever they want."

Zack squared his thin shoulders, puffing his cheeks. "Yeah, but I'll be home lots, you'll see!" he insisted.

Mrs. Fair hesitated, her hands stilling for a moment before she resumed chopping the vegetables. "It's dangerous out there, honey. Not just for those who work with Shinra, but the planet as a whole. People are not as understanding as the ones here in the village. It'll be dangerous for you."

Zack's jaw tightened. "But I'm brave, ma. I… I'm not some dumb kid anymore."

"You're twelve, honey. You've got a long time to think about your future." She smiled, her eyes flickering between him and the vegetables. "And if you are to leave the village, I'd rather it be to go to college.

Zack groaned softly. "I don't think college is meant for me, mama. And working in the village too. I love it here, but I want to be a hero, you know?"

She laughed as she transferred the vegetables from the counter into the boiling pot. "You're already a hero to me, honey—you saved my life by being born and brightening up my world. You don't need to prove yourself any more than that."

Zack felt a lump forming in his throat, his eyes stinging with the threat of tears.

"Get cleaned up before dinner. Dad will be home soon," she added, her back to him now as she tended to the bubbling pot on the stove.

Zack swallowed hard, trying to push down the swell of emotion. "Alright..."

In hindsight, Zack should have heeded his mother's warning, but that was the problem with Zack Fair; he wasn't one to take no for an answer. He had always been a chaser of things, just as he chased butterflies through the jungle, Touch Me's he foolishly sought to keep as pets, or his friends in games of tag, so too did he chase after his dreams. Some would argue it was honorable.

With this mentality, he went behind his mother's back, using the computer in the owner's office at the market—made easy by his friendship with the owner's son—and enlisting for the army.

They had lowered the recruitment age these days because of the war. The call for young, able-bodied boys reached every corner of the planet. Then he bought a ferry ticket from the Gongaga region to Junon. All he needed then was a ride to the harbor without his parents knowing.

He packed his belongings in a small knapsack when his dad was at work and his mom was at the general store. He didn't need to take much, just some spare clothes, his compass, a map, the gil he saved up from his birthday, a photo of his family, a flashlight and his dad's old pocketknife for good luck.

He stuffed the knapsack under his bed and laid awake, eyes wide open, every night leading up to the planned date. He was nervous, excited, scared, but curiously, second thoughts never came. He was sure he wanted this, and that certainty burned within him, melting away any shadows of doubt.

So when that night finally rolled around, Zack sprang out of bed quietly in the middle of the night. He grabbed his knapsack and left the note on the kitchen counter—a simple explanation, an apology, a promise to return.

The dust kicked up that night as Zack ran, his heart thumping in his chest, all the way to the mercantile shop where he knew the pickup truck would be. The shopkeeper knew his dad, but thankfully he wasn't there when the burly laborers were unloading the crates.

Zack's heart pounded as he approached them, his breath forming clouds in the cool night air. He begged for a ride to the harbor, lying that he had his parents' permission—not that they cared much. They looked at him with curiosity and skepticism, but acquiesced when he offered them some of his gil.

Soon he was on his way, perched on the back of a pickup truck speeding further and further away from Gongaga. The wind whipped past his skin, biting and cold, but Zack was thankful he was smart enough to bring his old sweater. He clutched it tighter around him, wondering when that scent of home would eventually fade.

He stared at the shadows of the jungle slipping further and further out of view, the foliage and towering trees becoming mere silhouetted against the two AM sky. The tug on his heart grew stronger, prompting him to reach into his bag. He grabbed his flashlight and the scattered papers he had brought with him—documents and forms he printed out when he signed up, a recruitment poster he got in the newspaper a few months ago, and a family photo.

He was barely six years old in the photo, his parents beaming beside him. Zack's cold fingers brushed his mother's face in the picture. He let out a sigh, the sound swallowed by the rushing wind. She would be upset come morning when she realized what he had done, but he believed she would eventually be proud; proud of the man he would become.

Zack shone the flashlight over the recruitment poster, the one showing Sephiroth in the midst of fending off a Zolom, the epitome of a perfect hero. Zack grinned. One day it would be him on that recruitment poster, and his parents would be so proud of him then. He shoved the poster back into his knapsack and hugged the photo close, glancing back at Gongaga which had just dipped out of sight completely.

"Don't worry, Mama," he thought to himself, "I'll be home soon."

[mimiri22-6]

One word-and I hate that I came up with it, but now that I have it I must share it with the community...

Schlangst.

Have a nice day, or at least one better than me

[roseverdict]

Hold up i wanna know more about your Frozen Earth AU homeboy -kg ninjago

👀👀👀

ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE @kg-ninjago

OK SO

Basically my thought process went a little something like

"what if cole never got un-ghosted? maybe dotd happens, maybe not, but for whatever reason he's still a spooky boi"

and then i was thinking about the zane needs a hug fic (for those who don't wanna dig it up, basically "post-season 11 ZANGST")

and they got slammed together into one idea that i shall now copypaste from my notes app

〜〜〜〜〜〜

what if cole…stayed a ghost?

day of the departed still happens, but cole doesn't make it through the rift in time. everyone's Super-Bummed, but they've got cole's back and will stop at nothing to try and get him back to normal, or at the very least, get him stable enough to Not Fade Away.

they succeed on that second part, but not so much the first.

so cole's a ghost for the hands of time, the SOG, hunted, the rise of the oni, and the forbidden spinjitzu seasons. even prime empire!

and during those seasons he keeps learning more about what he can do. he gets better at floating, even learning to fly. he gets good enough at vanishing to make others vanish with him. stuff like that.

basically im channeling my love for danny phantom into "everybody knows cole's a ghost and they're still on his side while he learns what he can do"

maybe he even gets good enough at ghosting to form a human disguise a la "i'm going ghost!"

〜〜〜〜〜〜

and then i really got thinking.

hey, zane's a nindroid who can physically deal with big honkin' time gaps

if cole's a ghost, he can also physically deal with big honkin' time gaps

WHAT IF I JUST-

〜〜〜〜〜〜

"You sure you'll be okay?"

"Yes, Cole." Zane chuckled and waved him off. "You go find us some supplies, I'll be doing repairs on the mech the whole time. If either of us should be worried, it should be me!"

"Alright, alright, I'm going, ya tin can!" Cole snorted, heading for the opening of their cavern. "I'll let you know if I find anybody!"

Zane's laughter followed him outside, and with a spring in his step, Cole took to the skies.

So far, he hadn't seen much in the way of other people, but that's what he'd thought in the First Realm. If a barren desert could support a thriving society of hunters and dragons, who was to say a frozen forest couldn't?

Below him, wildlife teemed, predators and prey working together. The sight made him smile. Maybe this realm wasn't quite as hostile as the First Realm…

As he watched, a hawk and a deer flashed with light, and when the light cleared, two people stood in their places, happily chatting about something.

If Cole hadn't had time to get used to flight, he might've fallen from the sky right then and there.

"Holy-! I gotta tell Zane!" Cole gasped, whirling around and shooting back over the treetops at top speed.

The cavern rose in his vision, and he'd barely landed before charging inside. "Zane, you're not gonna believe-!"

The cavern was silent.

"-this…?"

Cole stumbled to a stop, slowly spinning to take in the sight of the Zane-less cave. "Zane, this isn't funny!"

No reply.

"…c'mon, man, cut it out!"

The Scroll was missing, too.

"…Zane…?"

There was a loose cable on the floor beside the computer terminal.

Cole warily approached it, jolting as a video played on the computer screen.

"Greetings, Friend. If you have found this recording, then I am no longer here. My name is Zane. I'm a stranger in this land, trying to find my way home."

Cole froze.

"It's difficult to keep track of the days in this place. It feels like I've been here a long time. But I refuse to give up hope. I am attempting to repair the mech."

"Oh, Zane, tell me you didn't…"

"Unfortunately, the processing unit is damaged. In order to fix it, I must connect myself to the mech and run a system diagnostic. If anything were to interrupt the diagnostic, it could cause my operating system to reboot."

The ground shuddered, deadly-sharp stalagmites jutting out from beneath Cole's feet in all directions, save that of the computer.

"Cole, if you're watching this, know I would never risk such a thing unless I felt I had no other choice. I knew you would try to talk me out of it, so I waited until you left for your search. If all goes well, I'll simply delete this video and face your worried scolding upon your return."

Cole felt a lump rise in his throat.

"But, just in case something goes wrong, this is the last recording of Zane, Master of Ice. Son of Doctor Julien. Student of Master Wu. I was built to protect those who cannot protect themselves and I have tried to fulfill this purpose. Goodbye to my friends…and…to Pixal, I love you."

The recording ended there.

Cole didn't react for a moment.

Then the mountainside shook, and Cole collapsed.

〜〜〜〜〜〜

"Hey there, buddy. I assume you've already seen Zane's recording? So did I. I'm from the same realm he is, and I just came back to find him gone and his final message playing. If you're watching this, then I assume I'm not hanging around here anymore.

"My name is Cole, and I refuse to find a way home without Zane. After I record this, I'm going to leave this cavern to search for him. He had run the diagnostic, which, by the way, Zane, if you're watching this, you could've at least waited for me to get back, but someone from this realm interrupted it and kidnapped Zane. I don't know if he'll even remember me, but I have to try.

"If I don't succeed, then I suppose this'll be my last message, too. I'm Cole, Master of Earth. Son of Lou, of the Royal Blacksmiths. Student of Master Wu. I may not be a nindroid, but Zane is my brother, and ninja never quit, not even when faced with impossible odds. I'm gonna get him back.

"…well, uh, see ya on the other side, I guess."

[rinas-ninjas]

Hmmm, so we're having a Zangst train? Can we get a continuation for your fic with Zane throwing himself in front of E, please?

E quickly rerouted and spliced what wires he could.

This won’t hold him over for long.

He finished what little help he could give without equipment and looked up at the water ninja. She had cradled Zane’s head in her lap while keeping an eagle eye on his actions.

“Will that hold him?” She asked. E cursed his melted and mangled voice chip.

It isn’t that simple, he wanted to say. This will keep him from leaking coolant and oil, but it will not -

He nodded shortly at her. It will hold long enough for your team to get here.

The ship was luckily there fast. They whisked Zane away faster than he could blink. E tried to ignore the growing apprehension in the back of his mind; the girl hadn’t turned her blade on him yet, not after he’d saved Zane. She seemed the most aggressive of the ninja - other than the fire ninja.

It will be fine. He assured himself. You got him here in time. You helped him.

His mechanical heart skipped a beat. These are not the SoG.

He jolted at the hand on his elbow, causing the lightning ninja to jump himself. Jay coughed and straightened. “I-I can help you disable the controls.” E looked at him quizzically. “I mean, the uh, whatever it is the SoG are using to keep tabs on you? I can take them away.” He gingerly lead the nindroid away to a mechanic’s lab.

It was...chaotic, to say the least. To his relief, Zane was laid on a table in the room, his chest panel opened and - to his surprise - another nindroid stood over him with repair tools.

“Be careful, Jay.” She advised.

The smaller ninja nodded. “I am, Pix. Besides, Cole took his swords.” The other droid nodded, smiling kindly and looking towards E.

“Take care with your patient, too,” she reminded. “We may be artificial, but it can still hurt. Especially when making...unofficial modifications.” Jay nodded in surprise, sparing a quick glance to E.

“Right, sorry. Can you uh - just sit there, for me? Please?”

E sat down on a small stool, slipping off his leather jacket and opening the panel between his shoulders.

I am going to trust you. Please be careful.

[rinas-ninjas]

Not to be a zangst stan on main but how about something to do with Dr. Julien's death?

OOF this got long. #NoRegrets.

...anyone else a Green Day fan?

Summer has come and passed

The innocent can never last

Wake me up

When September ends

No one missed the silent quiver of his lip at the funeral. The sad way he stared straight ahead as the casket was lowered, the deep breaths he took to keep himself steady.

Like my father’s come to pass

Seven years has gone so fast

Wake me up

When September ends

None of it felt fair. They could all remember with vivid clarity finding the old man in the lighthouse, even without a nindroid’s memory. It had all been fantastic, for a while – Zane brought his father to live in the monastery with him, and they’d never seen their teammate so happy.

Here comes the rain again

Falling from the stars

Drenched in my pain again

Becoming who we are

It was so easy to see the resemblance between the two. It was clear where Zane’s kind and considerate nature came from, what with Dr. Julien’s loving heart and penchant for inviting them over for tea.

As my memory rests

But never forgets what I’ve lost

Wake me up

When September ends

He was silent on the way home from the ceremony, watching and rewatching saved memories in his mind’s eye. Waking up. Seeing his father for the first time. Forgetting. Seeing him for the first time – again. Being happy – no. Not that one. Not yet.

Summer has come and passed

The innocent can never last

Wake me up

When September ends

Zane had always been quiet; it was one of his defining traits, really. But this…this was different. He didn’t even let out a sound during training, only going through the motions with a blank face and a silent voice. It made Jay frown in concern, but he figured his friend just…needed more time, that’s all.

Ring out the bells again,

Like we did when spring began

Wake me up

When September ends

He couldn’t do it. It was too hard – too soon. He hopelessly watched as dozens of lanterns floated above his head. How did people do this every year? How did they call this a happy holiday? It didn’t make sense. He set it down with trembling hands.

Maybe he could celebrate the Day of the Departed next year.

Here comes the rain again

Falling from the stars

Drenched in my pain again

Becoming who we are

He stared at the shattered mirror in front of him. He didn’t understand. Why was he so angry? His father only ever loved and cared for him, why was he so – so – it didn’t make sense! He looked down at his hands. The glass had scratched slightly into the metal.

He walked back to bed with heavy footsteps. Maybe it was best if he just shut down for a while longer.

As my memory rests

But never forgets what I lost

Wake me up

When September ends

He lay idly on his bed, hand hovering over his memory switch. It would be so simple. Just to forget…forget and reset and be happy again.

He let his hand fall to his side with a sigh.

No.

Not today.

Not like this.

Summer has come and passed

The innocent can never last

Wake me up

When September ends

It wasn’t an easy conversation to have. No one wanted to be the first to speak, but they all had something to say. It started with Lloyd – mandatory sessions with a colleague of Dr. Borg’s that he’d been taking for months. Then Kai and Nya – they’d been using the old shop as a place to vent angry energy for months. Jay and Cole happily started trading off on waking him up each morning – they were already keeping each other accountable, adding him to their schedule was no problem.

Maybe he’d be okay.

Eventually.

Like my father’s come to pass

Twenty years has gone so fast

Wake me up

When September ends

He smiled wearily at Lloyd as they each lifted a lantern to the sky. It still hurt. It would probably always hurt. But as he watched it float away, a perfectly preserved memory playing in the corner of his mind, he felt peace.

It was okay.

He was okay.