Episode 1: I Think I Love Him

Episode 1: Change

[Jay's POV]

It's been weeks since I last saw the team. I miss them. Most of them. I miss Kai's attitude and Lloyd always looking out for us. I miss Nya and how she would always laugh at my jokes and I miss Sensei Wu and Zane. I definitely miss Zane the most of all. I miss everyone except for him. Except for Cole.

If I had to describe him, it would be pathetic, girlfriend stealing dirtclod. Out of everyone available, why did he have to choose her? He knew how much I loved her. He knew every thought, feeling and opinion I had on her, and yet, he got with her. Part of me is happy I don't have to see him anymore, we all know I'd lose my calm the moment I see his face, although, I feel idiotic to still be thinking about him. I'm supposed to be mourning the loss of Zane. I still can't process it. My brother, gone.

Out of all the coping methods I could have chosen to get over this, why did I decide to host a game show? Gosh I'm so stupid. That's Jay Walker for you, irrationally thinking like always. I guess it was a good distraction for a while, people loved it and I got along with most people on set. It was a good way to clear my mind from thinking about the past, but WHY did I decide to make a obstacle course to find Ninjago's next top ninja? Why am I holding onto what I used to be? It's crushing me daily, waking up alone, just to go and pretend strangers are ninja.

They don't know how long it took to get where I was. The countless sleepless nights, week long missions. The constant injuries and bad guys to fight. Always being told something you're doing isn't right. At least the people on this show enjoy themselves.

As I'm wrapping up my show, I make my way to my dressing room. My eyes glance to the photo frame on my desk. I can't help but reminisce on how good life used to be. Before we lost Zane. Before we split up. Before Cole took the only thing I really cared about. Tears threaten to fall from my eyes, and I let them go for a bit, but I quickly get myself together. No point getting upset over the past. It's not like I could do anything to change it.

As I'm applying the makeup to my face, aiming to cover the tear stains on my cheek, I hear a familiar voice approaching me.

"Lloyd?!?" I can't help but start to freak out. What's he doing here?!? Is he alone?!? I can't bare to see him, not right now.

He starts to talk, something about getting the team back together. I tried to block it out as much as I could, besides, it's not like having one less ninja will affect the team. Lloyd can just get everyone together without me, they don't need a master of lightning. I'm happy with my game show. I'm happy being on my own. I don't need anyone. Not anymore.

I let my thoughts consume my mind and before I realise it, Lloyd was gone as soon as he came. I was once again alone. Oh well, the show must go on, and with that I walked out of my dressing room, back to the game show stage.

[Time skip, later that evening]

I regret listening to Lloyd. I knew he wanted to get everyone back together. I knew he wanted to meet up for dinner to talk. How was I so blind to see it was a trap. A reason to get me and Cole in the same room. As soon as I opened the doors to Chen's noodle house, I saw Lloyd, and with him, the worst human being on the planet. Every bit of rage in my body was on the verge of coming out in that moment, but the fear of causing a scene and being publically humiliated engulfed me, so I did what anyone on tv would do. Act.

If I could fake my personality for a game show, surely I could fake my feelings as I sat across from Cole. Lloyd embraced me as I took a seat in the booth. Gosh I missed human contact. It wasn't that I liked him, but Lloyd has a sort of calming presence about him, and in the split second of that hug I felt safe. Maybe it's because he's the green ninja, maybe it's just my mind. Whatever it was about him, I missed it.

As for Cole, he was the same as last time I saw him. Maybe his hair grew a little bit, or his skin was a little bit more tanned. I scanned his body, attempting to see what changed about him, until it clicked in my mind that I was looking at Cole for longer than necessary. I was looking at the guy I hated the most. The guy that stole my girlfriend. I felt idiotic.

Trying to look anywhere else but at him, I finally set my eyes on the familiar figure entering the restaurant. Lloyd and Cole are deep in conversation so I doubt they saw him, which made me feel good. I flash Kai a warm, friendly smile which he returned before finally taking a seat next to Cole.

I missed Kai. He and I weren't as close as I'd like to be, but he always cared about me the same way my parents did. And if anyone knew my parents, you'd know they cared a lot. It wasn't anything romantic, it was more like in the way he cared for his sister. He did it for everyone, but it somehow made me feel special. I guess being away from everyone has made me all emotional.

The moment we were about to eat, chaos broke out as three criminals decided to rob the place. Oh was that a poor choice on their part. As Kai and Cole handled the crooks, Lloyd and I remained behind, ready to jump in if anything serious broke out. Considering I'm steadily watching the fight go down, I fail to see Lloyd staring at me.

"What? Is something up?" I question, and Lloyd just looks away before turning back in my direction.

"It's just nice to see you again." he says, quietly so no one else hears him. It was good to have him around again, so as a 'it's nice to see you too' gesture, I give him a smile. A genuine one

Not too long afterwards, the fight seems to die down, and as the criminals are fleeing the store, with us close behind, we end up chasing them into an alleyway and came to a stop.

"Where'd they go?" It's a stupid question, I don't know why I asked it, but everyone was so quiet, and it was making my uneasy.

"I dunno, we'll find them though, don't worry" Kai reassures me. It's nice to know he was listening.

As the rest of the ninja scan the alleyway we ended up in for clues as to where they went, light in the distance catches my eye.  Of course me being me, I wander over to the source of the light, straying from the others before finally realising what I had found.

"Guys! Come here." I try not to yell loudly, as to not attract unwanted attention, but it seems I just can't be noisy enough, and soon I hear complaints from the others, telling me to lower my voice.

As they approach, their eyes widen as they see what I saw. A poster of Zane, with the description of his current status: alive.

No one expected it, we all saw him perish, so of course it was mind breaking when we saw it. Under the poster was a plate of fortune cookies, one for each of us. As Lloyd, Kai and I open ours, I look up to see Cole eat the whole thing. I start to question what he's doing until I hear Kai speak up.

"You do know there's a fortune inside the cookie, right?"

He said what we were all thinking, but I couldn't help but smile at the earth ninjas stupidity. Only Cole could manage to the fortune within the cookie.

After reading and unscrambling the message written on the fortune cookies, we agree to meet up later that night at the docks, to enter the said tournament of elements mentioned in the food.

Oh how I was gonna regret this later.