Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 19- Farewells

N Y A

The faint light of dawn crept though the windows of the Bounty, painting the walls in soft, pale hues. We'd decided to get a couple hours of sleep before we left, but no one got much, really. I knew that from the dark rings around eyes and the hidden yawns behind hands.

Everyone was worrying about Jay. You could feel the tension in the air. It should've been comforting, the feeling of a new day, the soft colours of a warm sunrise- but instead it just felt like a clock ticking down to disaster.

I was leaning against the railing on the deck, my arms crossed tightly over my chest in an attempt to block out the cold winter air that bit at my bare skin. My head was pounding from a restless night, and the fact that we were about to walk straight into the unknown was not helping. I tried to push the worries down, bury them deep, but they kept crawling back up to the surface.

Cole wasn't helping. He was pacing back and forth, fists clenched so tightly he was creating half moons in his skin.

"You can't be serious." He argued, voice sharp.
"I want to come! I need to come. You're leaving me here, with Kai half dead and Jay- Jay somewhere out there ?"
He turned around to face me.
"What am I supposed to do? Sit around and twiddle my thumbs all day?"

Lloyd stepped forward, trying to keep his voice calm. "Cole, we need you here. If the Overlord sends Jay back, or if something else happens, Ninjago is going to need you. Wu, Pixal, and Kai will need you. We'll need you."

"You think I want to stay behind?!" Cole snapped, spinning to face him. His hands clenched into fists, and for a second, I thought he was going to punch the nearest wall. "Jay's out there! He needs us—he needs me! I should be with you guys, finding a way to free him, not stuck here doing nothing!"

"You're not doing nothing," I cut in, pushing off the railing and stepping closer. "You're protecting everyone. Wu isn't in any shape to fight, Pixal's strong but she's not invincible, and Kai—" I faltered for a moment, remembering his pale, bloodied face lying on the floor of the Bounty just a couple of hours ago. "Kai might not even make it if the Overlord decides to send Jay back for round two. If that happens, you're the only one who can protect them. Protect Ninjago."

Cole's jaw tightened, his dark eyes darting between the three of us. "But what if something happens to you guys? What if I stay here and—"

"We'll be fine," Lloyd said firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We can handle it. And we'll be back as soon as we get the Mirror of Shadows. You have to trust us, Cole. Just like we're trusting you." He stared into the black Ninjas eyes, hoping that he would comply.

There was a long silence. Cole stared at Lloyd, his lips pressed into a thin line. Then, with a deep, frustrated sigh, he nodded. "Fine."

~~~

By the time we were ready to leave, the sun was creeping over the horizon, painting the snowy landscape in shades of gold and orange. The air was bitterly cold, each breath stinging as it filled my lungs.

We'd chosen the Land Bounty for the trip. It wasn't exactly stealthy, but it was fast, and we needed fast. As Zane prepped the controls, Lloyd and I loaded supplies into the back. It felt like a mission we weren't ready for. Like we were running straight into the unknown, but there wasn't any time to hesitate.

As I climbed aboard, I glanced back at Cole one last time. He was standing at the edge of the Bounty, his arms crossed, his expression torn between anger and sorrow. Kai stood beside him, adamant to wave us off, shivering in the cold winter air.

"Take care of him," I mouthed softly, meeting Cole's gaze.

He nodded, his gaze softening a little.

The Land Bounty roared to life beneath us, its engines kicking up snow and dirt as Zane guided it away from the Bounty's dock. I looked back to see the figures waving sadly as we drove away.

I really hoped they were gonna be safe.

As we sped off toward Hiroshi's Labyrinth, I leaned back in my seat, staring out at the horizon, though I wasn't really seeing it. My mind was somewhere else entirely—on Jay.

Jay was out there somewhere, and the thought churned in my stomach like a storm. I couldn't stop thinking about him, about the way Cole had described that brief moment when the real Jay had broken through. Cole said his voice had been trembling, raw with fear and exhaustion. He'd begged him to run. Begged. That wasn't like Jay. Jay always fought back, even when the odds were against him. To hear he'd sounded so defeated... it made my chest ache in a way I couldn't shake. I missed him. A lot.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the image of Jay's terrified face, but it was useless. He was still in there, trapped with the Overlord, and the longer we waited, the harder it would be to bring him back.

My fists clenched in my lap, my nails digging into my palms until it hurt. The anger bubbling beneath my skin was directed solely at the Overlord. He would pay. I know I've said that many times before, but he would. And soon.

I forced my gaze back to the horizon, watching as the light of dawn painted the sky in soft pinks and oranges. It felt wrong, almost insulting, for the world to be this beautiful while Jay was suffering.

We didn't have a choice now. We had to find the Mirror of Shadows. There was no turning back.

For him. For all of us. For Jay.