A/N: This story will only make sense if you've already watched Season 10: March of the Oni.
To be perfectly clear, I really enjoyed March of the Oni, but I think Cole's survival really stretched my suspension of disbelief. I felt that it also didn't really have much of an impact on the overall narrative. Also, Cole deserves more love. So I've decided to write a bunch of alternate endings to fix that. I have 3 planned in total, one good, one bad, and one surprise twist ending. I might add more if any new ones come to mind. Also, this has absolutely nothing to do with my main fic, Project Rebuild, (which I am totally continuing, just please bear with me and my super slow writing), but it may feature similar themes. That's mostly a personal choice/writing style. Without further ado, I give you the monologue I would have killed to hear Kirby Morrow perform A.K.A. Bad Ending Part 1.
Previously on Ninjago...
"I touched it. It was colder than anything I've ever felt. And there was something inside the cloud. I think it was an Oni." - Cole, The Darkness Comes
"Why is it I can't see my reflection? Where is my reflection?" - Cole, Grave Danger
Cole, the Master of Earth, fell from the Bounty and into the all-consuming Darkness below. Blackness took over as his body violently made impact with the glass panels that made up the sun roof of the NGTV building. The floor just below it broke his fall.
Cole had always been known for his super strength, but now it seemed that his durability was exceptional as well, even among most Elemental Masters. The violence of the impact should have taken his life, and yet he survived. The blunt force trauma should have dislocated or fractured several bones, and yet Cole remained uninjured. Most telling of all, his body should have been petrified the moment he touched the Darkness, but even now, Cole was still flesh and blood.
Flesh and blood that stirred ever so slightly as the smoky tendrils approached his vulnerable form. The first dark tendril snaked towards Cole and took hold. Almost immediately, it sensed a familiar entity and released the Black Ninja from its shadowy grip. The other tendrils responded accordingly and slowly receded in reverence.
Unaware of the tendril's reluctance to draw closer, Cole awoke with a gasp. The Black Ninja looked around himself and jumped up, panting.
"Whuh... where the heck am I?" Cole asked no one in particular.
As though in response, but not entirely, Cole's demeanor suddenly changed. The feelings of dread and panic melted away and were replaced by a sense of curiosity. He looked down at his own body, almost admiring it.
"I thought humans were weak and frail, but this body contains such raw power!" Cole said to himself. Or at least, his mouth moved and his voice spoke, but the words were not his.
As the entity within Cole delighted in his newfound form, Cole's body activated his lava arms. Bright orange lines of magma blazed to life along his arms in a demonstration of said raw strength.
The glowing lines faded as a dazed Cole reasserted control over his body. He blinked a couple of times in confusion and shook his head.
"Did... did I just say that?" Cole asked himself. A moment passed and he shrugged it off as nothing to be concerned about. "Knock it off, Cole! You're just talking to yourself again!" Cole switched on his communicator and tried contacting the other Ninja. "Hey guys! Did you forget something? It's me, Cole!"
...
The only response was static.
...
"Guys? Hello?" Cole took out his remote for the Earth Drill. "Oh great, now what? Stay calm, don't panic." Cole reassured himself. "Why panic? I mean, I just fell off the Bounty and now I'm all alone, surrounded by creepy, black tendrils that are..."
As Cole says this, the shadowy tendrils move away in response.
"Okay... that's weird." Cole carefully made his way around the tendrils and pressed a button on his remote. The light beeped green. The Earth Driller was on its way.
Cole dashed down to the ground floor of the NGTV building. The Earth Ninja ran up to the glass window, his reflection in the glass running up to meet him.
"Where is it? Where?" Cole looked outside but the Earth Driller was nowhere to be found. "I can't see it. I can't see anything." All that Cole could see was his own reflection.
Dropping the remote, Cole slumped his head down in despair. An eternity passed before the sound of the Earth Driller's engines roared through the empty streets. The vehicle's headlights cut through the thick fog. To Cole, it was a beacon of light and hope.
"It worked! Whoo-hooo-hooo!" Cole hollered in relief.
He picked up the fallen remote. But before exiting the building, Cole had to mentally prepare himself for the Darkness.
"I can make it!" But Cole was also a realistic individual. "Yeah, right. As soon as you step there, it's gonna freeze you solid."
"You needn't worry about that."
Cole jumped back in surprise as his own reflection spoke to him.
"Aaaahh! Who are you? Get out of my head!" The Earth Ninja clutched at his skull.
"I don't think that would be wise, Cole." The reflection sneered from the glass. "You said it yourself. The moment you step out there, you'll be frozen solid. How will you be able to help your friends then? Face it, you need me."
Cole answered through gritted teeth.
"Look pal, my body is a temple, and the only one living in this temple is me, got it?" Cole gestured at himself for emphasis. "Now, I didn't agree to..."
"FOOL!" The reflection growled. "It is by my mercy that your corpse does not lie broken where it fell. You survived unscathed because I ALLOWED you to."
"Okay, fine." Cole's reflection had made a valid point. The Black Ninja crossed his arms and conceded. But then he looked up defiantly at his own reflection. "I suppose you'll want a 'thank you' too."
"What I want is a truce. I need a body and you need a way to walk through the Darkness without being turned into a statue. Do we have a deal?"
"It's not like I have much of a choice, now, do I?"Cole glared at the entity that dared to wear his face.
"So humans can be taught after all." The entity laughed.
Cole asserted himself. "Hey, I'm still the one in charge of this body." Cole beat his chest with his hand in assertion. "You're just hitching a ride."
"Are you willing to put that theory to the test?" There was a mockery of Cole's smile on the glass.
"Whatever, pal!" Cole shrugged. "I am going for it!" He threw his hood on and kicked the door open. "NINJA-GOOOOO!"
The Earth Ninja created a Spinjitzu tornado and spun his way into the Darkness. Too bad the tornado barely lasted a second before sputtering to a feeble crawl. Cole was racked with coughs as he breathed in the toxic air.
The Earth Driller was just a few steps away, but it might as well have been on the other side of Ninjago City. Every step was a struggle. Regardless of the entity currently inhabiting Cole's body, Cole choked on the black air as he trudged onward. His lungs burned.
"I can do this!" It took every last ounce of strength he had to inch his way toward the Earth Driller. One step after another. Ninja never quit.
Falling to his hands and knees, Cole physically dragged himself closer to the vehicle. He could feel the entity enjoying the torment Cole was going through.
But the entity was merciful. There was no need to put this body through unnecessary strain, after all. The entity called for aid and help came in the form of three Oni foot soldiers. Twitching and snarling, their grotesque forms emerged from the shadows.
Fear and panic gripped Cole as he looked up. Words failed him. He was utterly helpless as the Oni descended upon him. He couldn't scream. He couldn't even breathe. All he could was shut his eyes against the inevitable. So this was how the Master of Earth would go out in the end.
Cole expected pain, but it never came. One second, two, then three moments passed before Cole hazarded a glimpse at the Oni foot soldiers. Just when he thought they would attack him, Cole was surprised to find that they had instead helped him up and were now carrying him to the Earth Driller. He found his arms slung over the shoulders of two Oni with the third in the lead. The third Oni pressed the button on the remote to open up the hatch of the Earth Driller. Cole hadn't even realized it had slipped from his grasp.
As the Earth Driller's hatched opened up, the two foot soldiers hoisted Cole into the driver's seat and tossed the remote in with him. The third Oni shoved an object into Cole's hands. But Cole felt so frozen and his hands were so numb that he didn't realize that either. It was only as soon as the Earth Driller's hatch had closed shut when Cole was finally able to breathe.
"Let's... n-never... do that... a-again." Cole shivered badly in between his words. The entity only smiled.
"You see? We Oni can be... reasonable."
"You're an Oni!" Cole gasped as he threw up his hood and stared at his own reflection.
"How perceptive." Cole's reflection rolled its eyes.
It was only then that Cole caught a glimpse of the object in his hands. It was the red Mask of Vengeance.
"Wait a second! You're not just an Oni! You're one of the three Oni Warlords!" Cole exclaimed!
"The others were lost, but I REMAIN!" The Oni Warlord answered darkly.
"Well, you can forget about it, pal! I ain't turning tall, dark, and four-armed!" Cole hastily shoved the Mask of Vengeance into the the Earth Driller's glove compartment and slammed it shut.
"Very well, it is not an immediate concern." The Oni Warlord allowed Cole to have that freedom... for now.
Cole revved the engines of the Earth Driller. He floored the pedal and the Earth Driller accelerated sharply.
"Woo-hoo-hoohooo!" Cole hollered as he made his way to the Monastery. He knew that was where the other Ninja were heading.
Suddenly, Cole stepped on the brakes, hard. "Whoa!" A group of Oni foot soldiers came into view in front of the Earth Driller's headlights.
Cole narrowed his eyes. "Okay, let's do this." Seized by an inexplicable urge, Cole floored the gas pedal. The Earth Driller barreled straight into the group of Oni foot soldiers, sending them flying in every direction.
"Do you really think taking out a few foot soldiers will make any difference? You are only delaying the inevitable."
"No." Cole answered gruffly. "But it makes me feel better."
"Good." Cole's reflection smiled.
This human vessel was perfect, after all.
A/N: Didn't expect the Oni Warlord of Vengeance, did you? That Oni Mask is the only one that survived season 9. The use of bold and italicized text for Cole's and the Oni Warlord's dialogue, respectively, is a deliberate artistic choice. Poor Cole. What's going to happen to him next? And what about his reflection? Find out next time in Bad Ending Part 2.
Just a heads up, it might take a while though. Please be patient with me. I am a slow writer, but I promise I will see everything through to the end. (including Project Rebuild). You can follow me at NinjagoProjectRebuild on Facebook and NinjagoRebuild on Twitter for more updates.