Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 99- Snowday pt.2

J A Y

If anyone ever asks how the great ninja of Ninjago nearly died again, I want it on record that this time it was because of a hill, a sled, and Cole yelling "DO IT, I BET YOU WON'T."

We absolutely would not have been sledding again if Nya were here.

That's just a fact.

But Nya was busy with Pixal, elbows-deep in mech parts and diagnostics and very important things, which meant little to no adult supervision. Wu had taken one look at us hauling the piece of plastic out of the storage shed, sighed like a tired father, and gone back inside.

So. Sledding.

The hill sat just beyond the treeline, a long smooth slope blanketed in fresh snow, ending in a wide open clearing that probably didn't have any rocks underneath. Hopefully.

Kai stood at the top with his hands on his hips, rocking a red beanie and a puffy coat. Snow clung to his hair and lashes, immediately melting.

"I still think this is a terrible idea," he said.

"You are literally immune to the cold," I pointed out, shoving the sled into position.

"That doesn't mean I'm immune to physics!"

Cole dropped down beside him, grinning. "What, you scared?"

Kai scoffed. "No."

"Good," Cole said, hopping onto the sled behind me. "Because you're steering."

"I did not agree to that!"

Too late.

Lloyd scrambled on next, laughing already, boots skidding on the packed snow. Zane sat down last, calm as ever, adjusting his balance and just managing to squeeze on.

I glanced back over my shoulder. "Everyone ready?"

"No," Kai said immediately.

"Yes," Cole said louder.

There is a high probability of collision at the base of the hill." Zane added.

"SEE—"

"GO!" Lloyd yelled.

Zane shoved off.

The world tipped.

And then we were flying.

Cold air tore past my face, snow spraying up in wide arcs as the sled picked up speed way faster than we were prepared for. Kai was screaming, Cole was clutching onto me so hard that it felt like it was gonna bruise, and I laughed so hard I forgot how to breathe.

"THIS IS A BAD IDEA," Kai yelled, but he was laughing too, wild and unfiltered.

The sled hit a bump and launched us just enough for my stomach to drop into my boots.

Lloyd screamed.

We swerved hard left, then right, snow blasting up into my face. I couldn't see anything except white and sky and Kai's gloved hands desperately trying to steer by digging them into the snow.

"TURN—TURN—TURN—"

"I AM TURNING!"

We clipped something—maybe a buried branch—and spun.

Cole whooped like this was the best day of his life.

We hit the bottom in a glorious explosion of snow and limbs, skidding to a stop in a tangled heap.

Silence.

Then Lloyd popped his head up, hair full of snow. "Again."

I lay there, staring up at the pale winter sky, chest aching from laughter. "I think I left my soul halfway up the hill."

Kai rolled onto his back beside me, breathing hard, snow melting into his hair. "You are never allowed to say I don't care about safety again."

Cole sat up, brushing snow off his shoulders. "That was perfect."

Zane rose smoothly to his feet, coat dusted white. "I enjoyed that."

I snorted. "Seriously?"

He nodded. "Immensely."

We went again. And again.

Different orders. Different ways to turn. One time it was just me and Cole, another time Lloyd rode solo and wiped out spectacularly near the bottom, laughing so hard he couldn't stand.

At one point Kai tried to race us on foot, stumbling and half slipping down the hill.

He ate it halfway down.

Hard.

We found him on his back, staring at the sky, laughing breathlessly.

"Worth it," he said.

My fingers were numb. My cheeks hurt from smiling. Snow had worked its way down my collar, into my boots, absolutely everywhere. I'd never been colder.

We collapsed at the bottom of the hill eventually, breath fogging the air, the forest quiet around us. Snow clung to branches overhead, the world hushed and soft.

Lloyd sat beside me, pulling his knees to his chest. "I wish Nya were here."

"Yeah," I said softly. "She'd yell at us."

Kai grinned. "She'd absolutely join in after pretending that she didn't want to."

Zane looked toward the monastery, just visible through the trees. "She will be pleased to know we engaged in bonding activities again."

Cole laughed. "That's one way to put it."

I leaned back into the snow, staring up through the branches. My body was tired in a good way — the kind that comes from laughing too much, from doing something stupid and harmless (sort of) and together.

"Hey," I said quietly. "Thanks for today."

No one answered right away.

Then Kai nudged my boot with his. "Anytime, zaptrap."

Lloyd smiled. Cole hummed in agreement. Zane nodded.

Snow drifted down slowly, settling over our footprints, our tracks, smoothing everything into something new.

"We did this exact activity 2 and a half months ago," Cole commented, fiddling with the hem of his jacket.

"Before... you know. Everything happened."

I swallowed, glancing around at everyone. At Lloyd, whose hands were buried into Kai's pockets, at Zane, who was staring into Ninjago city with frosty breath, and at Cole who was nestled next to me.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that, even after everything, we are still the same people we were before."

I nodded, a warm smile spreading across my face. "Yeah, you're just as cheesy." Which earned me a gentle whack around the head and a snort from Lloyd.

"But yeah, I understand. You're right, we don't let missions change who we are, I guess." Kai added sheepishly, and Zane nodded in agreement.

I looked around, looked at the sky, looked at the Christmas lights and the busy markets and the monastery and the fact that I was with my friends. My family. And I wouldn't rather be anywhere else.