Ninjago: This is Only the Beginning

The Fault

Cole's POV

The blond boy seemed spaced out lately, and I was starting to worry. " Aquilo?" I asked,

The boy looked at me shocked. " Yes, I am sorry...Did I space out again?" he asked.

I sighed, and nodded my head. " Are you okay, kid?" I asked.

Aquilo nodded his head. " Of course I am!" he smiled. " I suppose I have been feeling peaceful..That is all." he lied.

I sighed again, and sorta knocked him on the shoulder. " Come on, let's go somewhere tonight." I smiled.

" Go where?" he asked. I smiled.

" Oh, you know, just walk around..I don't really have a plan.." I chuckled.

" That does not sound like you.." he stated.

" Well, I learned the hard way that plans never really go well.." I smiled softly. " Come on!"

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

In town...

The sky was beginning to darken, as the night began to take place.

" That was fun!" Aquilo smiled, walking with me side by side. I looked down at him, and smiled back.

" Yes, that was fun! Where did you want to go next?" I asked him.

The boy looked around, and then smiled. " Over here!" he took me by the hand, and then we started running.

" Wha-Hey, slow down!" I yelled trying to keep up with him.

" Come on!" Aquilo laughed, still running. That was until he finally stopped at the edge of the cliff.

" What...Why did you run..." I asked, completely out of breathe.. " That wasn't a good idea.." I groaned, sitting down on the rock.

Aquilo turned to looked at me, and smiled. " How can you be tired already? We did not even run that far."

" Believe me, kid...You still have a lot of years in you.." I huffed.

The boy shrugged, and turned around. " I wanted to see this!" he smiled, and there in front of us was a huge sunset. It was so colorful, and bright!

" A sunset?" I asked confused.

Aquilo nodded, as he sat down next to me. " I know we see one everyday, but I remember always watching them with my brothers.." he smiled.

" Brothers? Wait, you have brothers?" I asked.

" Yes, a lot of brothers." he smiled.

" Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I asked, even more confused.

" I guess I just remember them suddenly." he grinned.

" Oh, okay.." I turned to face the sun again. " Aquilo, what do you remember about them?"

The boy sighed, and turned to the sun as well. " Well, I remember how each of them had their own quirk...they were all spirited though, and they never let each other down." he smiled. " I can't remember their names sadly....I...It is hard to look back on everything that has happened.."

I wasn't sure whether to ask him what happened, but...perhaps if he got it out..he would feel better.

" Aquilo, I know something is bothering you...By any chance is it about your brothers?"

The boy's eyes widen, and then he nodded. " Yes...."

" Did you want to talk about it?" I tried to push him more.

" Okay...." He watched as the sun began it's finally steps into the darkness, and a few stars began to show themselves. " It was dark....and my youngest brother was in need of help, but we were all too weak to save him...That was when I made the decision to go risk it all, and I did...I was able to save my brother, but in the end...We were all separated because of me. I was taken away from my brothers that night, and I never got to see them again."

" Aquilo...I didn't know.."

He shook his head.. " I could hear them blaming themselves for what happened, saying how it was their fault, but when I look at it now...All this time I thought I did what I had to do, I was not thinking, and could not understand what I have done.." I could hear his voice breaking now. " Cole, it is my fault that we are separated now! I should had never done what I did, and now my brothers are lost, and I....I will never see them again!"

At that moment, I looked into his blue eyes, and saw him...I instantly thought of the day he first found out that he was a robot, the day in which he thought that his life was over...The moment where the truth of his being came to light....I saw the same pain and suffering in Aquilo, that was in Zane's eyes.

" Aquilo, it's not your fault.." I told him. Tears began to fall down from his face now... " Hey, shhh.." I quickly placed him under my arms, and held him close. I could feel his tiny chest shaking as the tears fell. " It's okay...You're okay.." I whispered to him.

" It is all my fault....I did this to them...Now I can never go back.." he whispered. " Everyone that I loved is lost because of my choices.."

My heart instantly broke, I now know what Aquilo is...I placed every piece of the puzzle. He has to be Zane! He has too!

I looked at him now, and I knew now wasn't the time. Zane or not...he was in pain, and I had to be strong for him. I couldn't be strong of my brothers, perhaps this is a chance to make up for that.

So I held the boy in my arms, and let him get all of his tears out. I was going to be strong, I wasn't going to run away. Not like last time.

I ran away from my brothers both times Zane had disappeared from us. " I'm always here for you.." I whispered, and then silence.

All was heard was the sniffling cries of Aquilo.