Tiny Troubles

Epilogue

Well guys, this is it. This is the last chapter of Tiny Troubles. *wipes away a tear* I can't believe that we've made it this far. Thanks to everyone who read this story and encouraged me to write more. I couldn't have done it without you! :D

Also, a quick shoutout to Alex-Fierro17 for drawing--I mean finding  the picture that Jay took of Cole sleeping with his panda plushie. Thanks, Alex! :)

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Months had passed since Cole had been turned into a little kid and the black ninja was doing fine. Great even. Telling his teammates about his mom had turned out to be one of the best decisions that he'd ever made. They helped him work out the grief without it being weird or pushy. Zane would come out with him on early morning walks in the woods, usually not talking a lot, but offering Cole some silent comfort. And, when he did talk, he offered sound and wise advice without sounding judgmental, something that Cole really appreciated.

Kai and Nya were there whenever Cole felt like reminiscing about the past—he and Nya would compare how similar their moms were and what they missed most about them while Kai was there to provide a distraction along with a little dose of tough love(though Cole knew that was just how Kai cared. The fire ninja wasn't the biggest fan of mushy-gushy stuff).

Even Jay and Lloyd helped him out. The two would often be there whenever Cole felt a little emotional and couldn't hide it any longer—Jay with a hug and a witty joke that would make Cole laugh; Lloyd with some words of empathy and understanding.

All in all, Cole felt better than he had in a long, long time.

Then spring came around, and Cole suddenly wasn't fifteen anymore.

Cole woke up on April 22nd with a feeling of dread pooling in his stomach. The dread has been there since about a week ago, when Jay had made an off handed joke about Cole being excited that Earth Day was coming up. The black ninja had to reassure himself that no one except Lloyd knew that his birthday just so happened to be on that same day.

No one, especially Jay, could know that Cole was born on Earth Day. He'd never hear the end of it.

So, when Cole woke up as a sixteen-year-old, he didn't shout for joy or even act excited.

Instead, he slowly got out of bed and made his way to the dining room for breakfast, where everyone else was waiting.

"Good morning, Cole!" Jay chirped.

"Morning," Cole yawned, stretching a little bit. "What's for breakfast?"

"Zane's making pancakes," Lloyd replied, grinning. "He should be done soon."

"Correction," Zane suddenly said, coming out of the kitchen carrying a bunch of plates in his arms. "I am done now. Good morning, Cole!"

"Morning, Zane," Cole greeted, practically drooling at the sweet scent of freshly made pancakes. "Mmmm, that smells sooo good."

"I can almost guarantee that they taste even better," Zane chuckled setting the plates on the table. "Breakfast is served."

Cole didn't hesitate to inhale his favorite breakfast food, though the others weren't too far behind him. Kai swiped a piece of his bacon when he thought Cole wasn't looking, but Cole got revenge by stealing one of the red ninja's pancakes.

Once breakfast was over, Jay turned to Cole and asked, "Sooo, what are you planning on doing today, Cole?"

Cole shrugged. "Not much. I was just planning on taking a walk in the forest." His warm grey eyes lit up. "There's a tree that I want to climb. It has one of the best views ever!"