Unintentional

Chapter 3: A Kiss for Your Troubles

"Cole!" A female voice echoed through the palace gardens, and all of a sudden, someone had tackled the master of earth to the ground. 

"Vania!" Cole threw his arms around the queen of Shintaro, hugging her tightly. Misako gave the ninja a stern look and they stifled their giggles. Lloyd smiled at the young queen with a hint of regret, remembering how he had thought that she would turn out to be just like Harumi. 

The green ninja didn't tease his friends about their relationships, mostly because he knew that he'd  always be the one that had messed up the most. The mere thought of the deceased princess that he once loved made Lloyd's heart squeeze with pain. He quickly shook away his memories of Rumi, and as he did, he had a sudden longing to be with Akita. Lloyd wanted to see her prancing by his side, to have her gently tease him in her beautiful accent, to have her kiss him again. Every time he thought of Akita, the scar Harumi had left him became a little less noticeable. 

"I'm so glad you came!" Vania squealed. She looked at the ninja, who waved and smiled at her. Misako stepped forward and bowed.

"Hello, Your Majesty. I am Misako, Lloyd's mother. It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope you forgive Lloyd for his previous suspicions. He was just being cautious." 

"Mom," Lloyd groaned. "I told you, I apologized already." The green ninja looked to Vania and lowered his gaze. "I'm really sorry for not trusting you. I do now." 

"No worries! I get it." Vania's eyes narrowed as she thought of her father, but she quickly slipped back into her cheery attitude. "It's lovely to meet you, Misako! Please, call me Vania. This whole 'queen' thing is pretty informal around here." Vania bowed and smiled at Lloyd's mother. Misako stepped between Vania and Cole, taking both of their hands.

"Shall we go discuss the problem you wrote about in your letter?" Misako asked politely. As she spoke, she subtly put Vania's hand in Cole's. The pair blushed as their fingers intertwined, and Jay grinned at Nya.

"Looks like Misako is helping them out," Jay whispered to his Yang. Nya nodded and took Jay's hand, savoring the warmth of his skin. Vania led everyone to the palace, stopping in front of the throne. 

The queen's mind was unfocused, and she couldn't remember what she had written in her letter. Her eyes, however, were concentrated on Cole. Vania tried to avert her gaze, but she was brought back to the master of earth's handsome dark hair and tanned skin. 

"So, um, we, kind of have a, uh, problem here in Shintaro," Vania stammered. "The elements are, well, how should I put this, um, going crazy."

"What?" the ninja asked in unison. 

"Earthquakes are happening way too often, three to four times a day," Vania began, finally taking her eyes of Cole. "The water isn't very safe to drink anymore, and the fountains have overflown twice already today. There's been a few out-of-control fires since the last time you came, as well as a handful of hailstorms. Lightning keeps striking in odd places. One woman said that a bolt struck her chimney and made a fire in her fireplace." The ninja gaped at the queen, unsure of whether to laugh or act worried. Misako chose for them.

"Oh my," she said, concern in her voice. "It seems like the ninja's elements are spinning out of control. From what you've said, I believe that it would quite dangerous for the ninja to use their powers here. Who knows what kind of disaster will occur if they tried to control the elements. People are unstable, and a change in their emotions could cause a lot of damage. It's best that we come up with a plan to figure this out without having the ninja use their powers." Misako gestured for Lloyd, Nya, Jay, Kai, and Zane to follow her. She looked to Vania and said, "Vania, why don't you talk to Cole about the earthquakes while I talk to the rest of the ninja?" The queen nodded and blushed ever so slightly. 

Once Vania and Cole were alone in the room, Cole turned to the Vania apologetically.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I feel like I'm behind all the earthquakes. I really hope it doesn't happen again. Maybe we should go back, in case our presence causes more damage."

"No! I mean, no, don't go," Vania said quickly. "I don't think it's you guys. This whole thing started up after you had left, and it's fine now that you're here. Plus, I feel safer when you're all here. Especially if I have you." She blushed and turned away. 

"Cole, dear, trust me. Vania believed in you. Now it's time for you to believe in yourself. She likes you." Misako's words echoed in Cole's head, and he suddenly felt a wave of confidence wash over him. He took Vania's hand and pulled her to his chest. She looked up at him, surprised. A moment later, without any hesitation, they both leaned in and kissed. 

*A/N @nanimaus5 thank you for voting on the past two chapters! I hope you all find something to enjoy in this one!*