Ninjago: Earthly Origins

Chapter 7

Cole

I wake up to a hot, sweet drink trickling into my mouth. I automatically swallow. I'm in a plush, soft bed, a thick quilt covering me. My eyes are still too heavy to open, and I just want to go back to sleep. It was peaceful, being asleep... so peaceful...

"Do you think it'll work?" Jay's worried voice. At the sound of my best friend, I try to open my eyes, but I still can't. "We put magical berries into tea made with healing water." Zane's robotic voice. "There isn't much more we can do." A pause. "I hope it works..." Kai says sadly. Kai, sad? Wow, I must really matter to him. "Come on, Cole... wake up buddy..." Lloyd mutters. I open my eyes slightly. I'm on a massive, black bed, surrounded by my friend's worried faces.

What happened? The last thing I remember was Hypnos attacking us, then blissful nothingness until now.

Nya sniffs. "It's not working." I see her move a little, probably to wipe her eyes. Should I jump up to surprise them, or make a joke? But I'm not sure I have enough energy to even talk.

Then something unexpected happens.

Kai hugs me.

His arms wrap around me, lifting me slightly up off the bed. My head lolls over his shoulder. Stupid head. I wish I could hug Kai back, say that everything's ok now, that I'm back, but all I can do is smile. Jay's eyes widen.

"COLE!" He throws Kai aside and hugs me tighter than Krag. "Uh, Jay, I know you're sad, but-" "No, Cole's awake!" Jay says excitedly. "He just smiled!" Jay lets go of me, and I strain to open my eyes all the way. "Hey buddy," I say faintly, still three-quarters asleep. Jay grins. "Took you long enough. Had a nice nap?" I groan and fall back onto my pillow. "I'm going to kill Hypnos." Lloyd pats my leg. "Good to have you back." I look at Kai mischievously. "Didn't know you could hug people." As everyone else laughs, Kai blushes a deep shade of red, which doesn't go unnoticed by me. I also didn't know he liked me in that way (I assume he does), but I won't bring that up.

"So where are we?" I ask. "Last time I checked my room wasn't this nice." "We are in the Never Realm," Zane says matter-of-factly. "Oh," is all I can say. "By the way, there's a very big and very friendly yeti that wants you to come visit him," Nya says. I grin. "Surely not Krag." She nods. "But make your visit quick; we have to get back to Ninjago. Pixal isn't responding, even though we've upgraded out comms, and I've got bad feeling about Hypnos." I nod, and swing my legs over the bed. I try to put my weight on them, and topple over instantly. Jay runs to help me up as I laugh weakly. "I guess going a week without using my legs can have a downside." I try again, and this time walking seems a little easier. I look at my friends. "I'll be back soon." Lloyd nods. "Someone should go with you. In case something happens. Besides, it's pretty easy to tell, but you're still half asleep." As if on cue, I yawn. Kai steps forward. "I'll go with him." Lloyd nods. "We'll get the Bounty ready while you guys go." So Kai and I set off.

Kai

While Cole and I walk up the mountain, I think about what to say.

"So... seen any good movies lately?" I'm a terrible conversation starter. Cole chuckles lightly, wisely choosing to not respond. I think again, and decide to just ask him what I want to know.

"What was it like when you were asleep?" Cole looks at me, and I can see... fear? I've only ever seen Cole truly scared before, and that was when he fell into the darkness that the Onis created. Man, what is it with this dude and falling into darknesses?

"It was peaceful, but... terrifying, if that makes sense? Man, that magic was strong. Not even you slapping me in the face could wake me up." I laugh, nervously combing my overly-gelled hair back with my gloved fingers. Why am I nervous?

My thoughts are interrupted by Cole stumbling. I automatically steady him. He looks at me, bewildered. "Sorry," I mutter. "Went into autopilot. You good?" Cole yawns. I'm immediately cautious. What if that tea only worked temporarily? What if we needed to dose Cole with it every day for the rest of his life? We're gonna need a lot of berries... But Cole holds up a thumbs-up. "Yeah, sorry, still waking up. Are we almost there?" I nod and point to the outline of the approaching forest. Cole speeds up. "Krag?" he yells. A distant roar comes back in response. A smile breaks out on Cole's face. We run into the forest, warmth flooding into my cold body. But before Cole can hug Krag, an arrow whizzes between our heads, and in shock we take in the battle before us.

Krag is fending off the group of outcasts I know as the Vex Loyalists from burning down the Traveller's Forest. Cole and I jump in, and soon the Loyalists have retreated.

"Did they hurt any trees?" I ask wildly, spinning around to check all the trees are fine. Krag shakes his head, and picks up Cole in a hug that somehow looks more painful and crushing than the one he gave Jay. "COLE!!!!" Cole laughs and hugs Krag back. I smile at the reunion. "Good to see you, buddy!" Cole exclaims. "We don't have much time, though. We need to get back to Ninjago. I promise to visit again, though!" Krag grins a toothy smile and nods.

As Cole waves goodbye and we run back down the mountain, I turn to him. "We need to tell Solla-" "Who?" he asks, confused. Oh, right. "Solla's the chieftess of the village. Long story short, the last time we visited was hundreds of years ago, and everything's changed. Anyway, we need to tell Solla that the Vex Loyalists are attacking the Forest. Maybe she can arrange some lines of defense." Cole nods, out of breath. Poor guy. He's still recovering from a week-long nap, and he's already had to fight a battle and run up and down a giant mountain.

Soon, we reach the town square, where Dill, Solla, and the rest of the townsfolk wait. The people start to get excited at my appearance, and a few even rush forward to greet me, but I brush them off. "Sorry, no time. Solla, a group of rebels called the Vex Loyalists, Formlings and humans are attacking the Traveller's Forest, trying to burn down the trees. You may want to get someone on that. Dill, it was great meeting you, but we have to go."

"Thank you for this news, Dill will work on it right away. Safe travels, ninja!" Cole thanks them too, and they wave as we start running again, this time on the path we followed to the town from the Bounty.

Soon we're all strapped in, this time with Cole conscious, and with Zane is standing in the snow in front of the Land Bounty, holding a cup of steaming Traveller's Tea. He blows the steam into a whirling multicoloured portal, and as Nya pulls into it Zane jumps into the open side doors on the Bounty. I look behind us, and see catch a last glimpse of snow as the portal closes shut behind us.

Zane

As we pull through the portal, Nya swerves to the right, which confuses me. There is no obstacle to avoid. Then I realise that she has fallen asleep. I quickly unstrap and leap to the control panel, just avoiding crashing into the wall of Pixal's lab. That would seriously upset my girlfriend. As we screech to a stop, I look at my friends, and all but Cole have their heads resting against their chests, asleep. Cole looks around, confused. "Zane? What—" I run to the side doors, throw them open, and run to the lab table that holds gas masks. I run back into the Bounty, and one by one attach a gas mask to each of my friends' faces. As I finish putting the final mask on Jay, the rest wake up, groaning.

"What happened?" Kai mumbles. "You all fell asleep, and we nearly crashed into the wall," I say. "I had to put gas masks on all of you. I put one on too, to be safe." Nya yawns. "Good th-th-thinking Zane. Ok, we have to wake up guys!" She raises her hands, and water floats in from the sink nearest to us. She makes it splash onto the tops of all of our heads. Jay screeches. "JEEZ THAT'S COLD! Was that really necessary?" Nya grins. "Seems like it worked a charm." I glance at Cole. That tea must have granted him some sort of immunity to the magic.

The rest of my friends unstrap their seatbelts, and we hop out of the Bounty. Everything seems murky, and all movements seem sluggish. "Hypnos has done it," I say quietly. Lloyd turns to me. "What has he done?" I stay silent, shocked. "What has he done, Zane?" I turn to them, fear in my glowing blue eyes. "Hypnos had put the entirety of Ninjago to sleep."
I look around, anger flooding me as I register why the lab is so quiet.
"Where is my girlfriend?"

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

I think the next chapter might be the last, hope you enjoy :)