Chosen by Destiny
Happy update day! If you're curious, I sometimes make Luna appear weak on PURPOSE, because when researching the elements and common personality traits, water is often associated with fear and dependence on others, & I want each of my OC's personalities 2 match their elements, which is also where Cole comes in. Earth is seen as the 'stable' element, so he's like a guide to her, like the banks of a river, as he said earlier. Enjoy!
Chapter 20: Make it Rain
The ninjas and kunoichi stared in silence at the unconscious Cole.
"Is he… alright…?" Zane asked.
"If he isn't, he probably wouldn't mind if I poked him." Jay, taking Heather's Forest Staff, lightly jabbed the black ninja's side a couple of times with one end, but with no results.
"Yup. He's dead. He's DEFINITELY dead." The lightning ninja said rather nonchalantly as the teal kunoichi snatched her weapon back from him.
"No, Jay. He's just out cold." Sensei Wu reminded the blue ninja.
"Oh my goodness! This is all my fault! How will we wake him up!?" Luna panicked as she knelt down and held Cole's head in her arms, wanting to gaze in his green eyes again.
"Zane, why don't you run into the kitchen and bake a cake." The orange kunoichi smirked at the ice wielding nindroid.
(*) "Kuchen?" Luna had no idea how much Cole loved cake…
"DON'T ASK." Everyone except the newest kunoichi said at once, wanting to spare her the earth ninja's obsession with that wonderful sugary confection.
"Well, it's still breakfast time. I guess I can make pancakes for today." The ice ninja headed off to the kitchen to whip up a delicious breakfast for his teammates, followed by the kunoichi.
"Oh, and don't draw on his face." Nya reminded Kai and Lloyd, who were chosen to stay behind and watch over Cole with Luna while the others retreated from the deck.
With nobody but the hotheaded fire ninja and the green ninja (who obviously hates girls), Luna attempted to know more about the guys.
"Umm… can you tell me more… about you guys…?" Luna asked, blushing out of shyness, as she continued to cradle the unconscious black ninja, stroking his thick bangs.
Kai sighed. He was never good at this kind of stuff. He looked at Lloyd, but the boy stayed silent, wanting nothing to do with the opposite gender. Looks like he's on his own for this one…
"I'm not sure where to start, but I guess I can tell you about how Sensei Wu found me and how we became ninjas…"
Fortunately, it wasn't long before the pancakes were ready. The red ninja JUST got to the part where Cole reunited with his dad when Zane and the others came out, carrying stacks of fluffy pancakes topped with sweet maple syrup.
"Huh, still out of it." The blue ninja observed the still unconscious Cole.
"I told you he was dead."
"Stop, Jay." Zane gently reprimanded Jay and handed a plate of pancakes to Luna. "Here, make sure he can smell them."
"Why…?"
"You'll see."
Not wanting to bombard the ice ninja with more questions, the purple kunoichi did as she was told and held up the sweet breakfast food next to Cole and waved her hand so the aroma can go up his nose. No sooner had she done so, the black ninja's eyebrows twitched…
"CAKE!"
Cole jumped with a start, nearly hitting Luna and the precious plate of morning treats.
"Well, look who's up!" Heather smirked at Cole.
"What of it?" The earth ninja asked. All he wanted to do now was scarf down some cake.
"You've been out like a light ever since Luna got her new uniform." The teal kunoichi retorted.
"L-Luna!?"
He turned to see Luna, as amazing as ever, in her kunoichi outfit.
"Oh wow…"
"Now that Cole has finally come to, let's eat." Sensei Wu retreated to the dining room, followed by the others, sans Cole and Luna, who were too preoccupied with each other to eat.
"I see… you really like cake."
"Hell yeah! It's my favorite food of all time!"
"You know… it's my favorite food, too." Luna lowered her mask so Cole can see her smile.
The black ninja's light skin was graced with a vivid blush, now that he found a common ground between him and Luna.
"So, I've noticed you use German words a lot."
"Well, of course! I'm German. And I think you said one French word to me, Cole."
"Yeah, that's because I'm French. Well, mostly French. I'm also one-quarter Korean."
"Really? That's really interesting."
"Yeah, but I don't even know a lick of Korean. Never really had a chance to learn it."
"Oh, that means one of your parents is half Korean. Was it your mom or dad?"
Luna noticed how Cole furrowed his eyebrows, like she said something wrong…
"Cole? Is there a problem?"
"Non. I'm fine. Let's get some pancakes before everyone else eats it all."
The newest couple also went to the dining room and feasted on the sweet breakfast food. Now with full bellies, the ninjas planned their next move.
"Zane, have you memorized the location of the island where we found the whip?" Kai asked.
"I have it recorded in my memory bank."
"Then let's set sail!"
(*) "Guys! Mite!"
Nya's voice interrupted her boyfriend from the living room. The others rushed in to face the TV screen, which the kunoichi of metal pointed towards.
"Look! It's the Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts!"
On the flat screen was the front of the school, partially in ruins from the fight from yesterday.
"We're here, live, in front of the ravaged Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts!" Gale, the female reporter of NTV, spoke through her microphone on one hand, taming her hairspray filled bangs with the other.
The gang noticed Luna's expression grow dark at the sight of the school where she belonged…
"Yesterday, the Serpentine instigated a surprise attack on the ninjas, right here, in front of the school. Good thing the ninjas and kunoichi were able to save the day!" Gale continued.
Some of the guys, particularly Lloyd, beamed when they were mentioned on live TV.
"All of the school's upcoming events, like the highly anticipated musical for the Little Mermaid, have been cancelled due to the cost of the damage to the building. Fortunately, thanks to the brave efforts of the ninjas, there were no casualties and no civilians were injured. However…"
"Oh no…" The earth ninja had a good idea what was coming next.
"There's one student, Luna Hoffman, who is reported to have gone missing after the battle. We have a picture of her, and here it is now."
The screen displayed a photo of the 'missing' girl. It felt strange for the kunoichi of water to be looking at herself on TV, especially when she's believed to be missing. Cole looked over at her with concern, wanting the annoying reporter to get it over with.
"If any of you have seen Luna Hoffman or have any clues of her wherabouts, PLEASE contact us right away!"
Cole has had enough and turned off the TV.
"Luna, let's leave and I'll help train- "
Cole never got to finish his sentence because Luna already left the room…
The kunoichi of water went back to staring at the ocean beyond the railing of the Bounty. She didn't want to tell anyone, but she was still upset that all her hopes and dreams were dashed. But she knew it was for the greater good, and she was more willing to fight alongside them if it meant saving innocent people from suffering, but it still hurt to be reminded of what she had before meeting Cole and how it was now lost to her.
"You really wanted to become a singer, didn't you?" An elderly voice spoke to her.
"Sensei?" The German girl saw Wu, who also leaned on the railing next to her.
"You are suffering the loss of your ambitions. I know how you feel."
"You do? How?"
"I have lost many important things and people in my long life. For example, I lost my home, the monastery where I used to train the ninjas before the kunoichi came along. I have lost the bond I shared with Garmadon, my brother, and the same person I have opposed ever since. You are not the only one of us who have lost something important in our lives. Some of the ninjas have also went through great losses, too."
"Really? Like…"
"For example, Zane lost his creator, the only semblance of a family he ever had."
Luna felt sorry for the ice ninja. She could only wonder how the loss of a parent must've felt for the Finnish robot, whether he was human or not.
"Believe it or not, Cole has also went through a terrible loss."
"He did?" The purple kunoichi was shocked to learn that the strong man she had these growing feelings for went through such a tough time.
Wu nodded solemnly, like it must've been hard on the poor guy.
"What did he lose?" Luna asked out of pure curiosity, but the old man began to go back to the control room.
"Unlike you, in which you may go back to your previous ambitions once this is all over, Cole lost something very dear to him and he will NEVER be able to regain it."
"But what if- " The well-meaning diva would've continued, if it weren't for Wu looking back at her, his stern eyes as sharp as a fine blade.
"The hands of time can never be turned back…"
The old man left, leaving Luna alone with her thoughts until Cole returned to her.
"Luna? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"I'm… sorry I took you away from that school. We needed you in order to save Ninjago."
"I understand…"
…
"Cole…?"
"Yes?"
"Sensei Wu told me about how you all know what it's like… to lose something very important."
"W-what did he say…?"
"He told me about how you all lost something. Like Zane losing the only family he ever knew."
"And…?"
"He also said you lost something very precious to you."
"He said that!? What else did he tell you!?" Cole raised his voice at Luna, who became scared of his rising temper. Seeing her large frightened eyes, he realized he could harm his potential for a relationship with her and the way she saw him.
"H-he said how… you can't get back what was lost… a-and that t-time can never go back." The scared girl managed to stutter out.
The Eurasian ninja's steely gaze softened. Thankfully, Sensei Wu didn't tell her everything. And he was in NO mood to scare off the one girl he's been looking for.
(*) "Désolé. I… was getting ahead of myself. So, let's get started on your training."
"T-training?"
"Of course. You wouldn't be a true ninja if you can't defend yourself."
"But… I don't know… I don't like fighting."
"Don't worry. We won't get to that part… yet… First, we'll teach you to control your element."
The others followed Cole and were prepared to teach Luna the way of the ninja. Aria handed a bucket filled to the brim with water in front of the newest kunoichi.
"Don't worry," The kunoichi of wind assured Luna, "just have faith in yourself, and all that other cheesy stuff, and you'll be fine."
Luna gazed at her reflection on the gently rippling water. "So, what do I do?"
"Hey, Zane!" Cole called out to the nindroid, who obeyed and walked up to him and Luna.
"What is it?"
"You know, ice is basically water in solid form, do you think you could give Luna some advice?"
"I don't see why not." The unflinchingly polite robot approached the kunoichi of water.
"Luna," Zane started, "as Cole said, our elements are similar to one another. How about I teach you about elemental control?"
"Okay."
"As Cole said, my element, ice, is water in solid form. It can be considered 'still water'. But you are the kunoichi of water, so you can control it, even as it moves like a river. But ice is only cold and solid, so I can only control 'still water'. But you can still control water, whether hot or cold, still or moving, like a lake and stream, respectively. Water is a very versatile element."
The German girl obediently nodded as the ice ninja continued.
"Water also has life-giving properties, as it's the source of nourishment for the plants, soil, and even living beings. With the right concentration, you may even develop healing abilities. In fact, ever since I lost the Shurikens of Ice, I have been focusing on using my element, which Cole said before, is water in solid form, for healing, so I can still do something useful for my allies."
"You do? How good is your healing powers?"
"Honestly, it's nothing of worthy merit. So far, I can only heal some minor scrapes and bruises. I still have a long way to go."
"But that's still pretty impressive."
"I appreciate your compliment. But let's get back to your training. Cole, you should be the one to teach her the way of the ninja."
Zane left Luna so Cole and finally speak to her.
"Alright, since this is just the beginning, I won't be teaching you about offense, defense, or even using Spinjitzu. First, you need to have full control over the water."
The earth ninja motioned towards the bucket of water.
"We'll just go through a couple of basics for today. Try concentrating on the water in the bucket and control its movements."
"What if… I can't do it…?"
"Don't worry. Nobody's perfect on their first day. You should've seen Kai when Sensei Wu first found him. No one could've failed as miserably as he did."
"HEY!" The indignant fire ninja yelled at the earth ninja. To add insult to injury, Aria snickered once Cole mentioned his first days as a ninja.
"Moving on," The black ninja dismissed his teammate's annoyance, "Now, put your mind solely on the water in this bucket. Remember, you don't have to be perfect."
"I-I'll try…"
Luna closed her aquamarine eyes and cleared her mind.
'Think… think…'
The purple kunoichi's thoughts returned to Zane's previous advice about how she can control the movements of water and also if she'll be able to perform Spinjitzu…
'Spinjitzu… A whirling cyclone based on the elements…'
With the famous elemental tornado pictured in her head, she thought about how it was like a whirlpool in the middle of the ocean, spinning swiftly, in both the sky and the sea.
'A tornado swirling in the sky… A whirlpool swirling in the sea…'
After many moments, the ninjas and kunoichi finally saw some results.
"Look! The water...!" The kunoichi of nature pointed at the bucket. Upon closer inspection, the clear liquid moved in a twirling current in the center of the metal container.
"Luna! You're doing it! You can control water!" Nya told the newest kunoichi.
"I-I am!?" The kunoichi of water opened her eyes but the water ceased swirling once she did.
"It may not seem much, but you've finished your first step in training." Jay commended her.
"Um, thanks…" The diva blushed. She couldn't believe she actually succeeded in controlling her element, even if just a tiny bit.
"But that's just the beginning," Cole reminded her, "We still have a ways to go…"
During the several day long journey to the islet where the last dragon lurked, Luna was taught how to control her element and more about life as a kunoichi. The more she learned, the less unsure she felt about her destiny. During the trip, Cole's infamously thick eyebrows grew back, which Luna thought made the raven-haired ninja even more handsome. It seemed to fit him.
"We're finally here!" Lloyd announced on the deck.
"Where's 'here'?" Luna asked.
"We're now at the isle where we found the Whip of Oceans. You have to tame the dragon that once guarded it." Sensei Wu answered, pointing at the tiny bit of land in the middle of the sea.
"D-dragon!?" Luna's already pale skin became slightly whiter.
"Don't be afraid." Cole, being the dependable leader he was, comforted her, "Once the dragon knows you're not an enemy, it can be your greatest ally."
"Yeah, we'll show you." Aria said as she and the other kunoichi whistled. In a single moment, a roar echoed above them and three dragons, whose scales were each similar to the colors of the kunoichi's uniforms, swooped down and landed on top of the islet, barely making enough room for the trio to stand on all fours.
"Luna, these are our dragons. Mine's Breeze." The orange kunoichi pointed towards the dragon with an arrow pattern around its body.
"This one is Star, my dragon." Nya showed Luna the dragon whose scales sparkled like gold.
"And this is my partner, Leaf." Heather motioned at the green dragon with vine-like patterns on its four limbs.
"Don't you guys have your own dragons?" The purple kunoichi turned to her male teammates.
"We used to." Cole started, "Before we even met Lloyd, us guys each had our own dragon. Kai had Flame, Jay with Wisp, and Zane with Shard. I also had my own, Rocky. Really awesome pal. But they left us to shed their scales, and for some reason, it also made them fuse into a single dragon with four heads, one for each of our dragons. They are now known as the Ultra Dragon and they, or it, belongs to Lloyd now. I still kinda miss riding with Rocky."
"I'm… sorry."
"It's no big deal. Let's go."
Once again in the dark cave with nothing but the echoes of dripping water, Luna remained close to Cole, her living walking fortress, to protect her.
"Hey, Luna! Didn't Cole ever tell you he was scared of dragons?" Kai decided to get revenge on his leader for talking about his 'miserable' first days as the ninja of fire.
"KAI!" The black ninja screamed at him.
"He was?" The German girl asked naively while the others laughed hysterically. Who would've thought the strong ninja of earth could be so scared of one creature?
The aforementioned ninja's bushy brows twitched in rage.
(*) "TAIS-TOI!"
Cole shrieked at everyone else, his voice echoing across the grotto. Way to go, Cole…
The earth rumbled and a growl deep within the cavern grew closer. Luna clung to Cole's arm so tight, even though her nails were covered, the black ninja could still feel them sink into his skin.
The ninjas stood their ground until the dragon finally showed itself to them. They couldn't see much details of its scales due to the lack of light. Again, the marble attached to the whip began to glow in the dragon's presence, which the creature reacted to by softening its gaze.
"I think it recognizes you as the kunoichi of water." Nya whispered to the scared Luna, who was still too terrified to approach it.
"Tell it you're one of us and not a bad guy." Cole encouraged her.
The kunoichi of water was still scared, but if she's just gonna stand there, she wouldn't be able to fulfill her destiny, and that was enough for her to finally let go of the earth ninja and walk up to the dragon. Reaching up a shaky hand, she gently placed it on the dragon's muzzle. Luna felt almost hypnotized by the dragon's eyes, which was the same aquamarine color as her own, but the 'monster' seemed almost gentle under her touch, and actually gave a low rumbling purr.
"I think it likes you." Jay said with a slightly teasing tone.
"I think so, too." Luna couldn't help but smile as she caressed the dragon's snout, who closed its eyes and relaxed like a pet.
"Let's go. We don't want to keep Sensei waiting." The others followed Kai back to the mouth of the cave with Luna's new dragon walking behind them, and were greeted by the other dragons, who poked their heads curiously into the entrance. Once outside, Luna finally got a good look at her dragon. Its scales were in cool violet hues, shimmering like the water.
"Have you named it?" Luna turned to the ice ninja's velvety voice.
"Huh?"
"Our dragons each have their own names. Do you want to give yours a name?"
"Oh, I haven't thought about it."
The kunoichi of water looked at her dragon, who looked back in her as if in expectation.
"I'm thinking about Rain. Would you like that?" She asked her new companion.
The dragon grunted in agreement. The ninjas and kunoichi got onto the Bounty while the four dragons sought to the skies.
After another few days, the ninjas were back with their vessel flying over dry land. Nothing's been going on for the ninjas to be concerned about but they always had to be ready.
But today was the one part of her training Luna had always dreaded…
Learning to actually fight.
Again, a bucket filled with water was placed near her while Kai and Jay took a fighting stance in front of her. This would also be her first lesson without Cole, who was going through plans for the day with Zane in the control room.
"Luna, I know you hate fighting, but this is all part of your training." Heather reminded Luna as she watched from the sidelines.
"I can't…!" She lowered her face, hiding her eyes under auburn bangs.
"Kai, Jay. Make sure to go easy on her." Nya reminded her brother and boyfriend of the purple kunoichi's sensitivity.
"Come on, Luna. This is only your first time. Look, just pretend we're the bad guys and you can land the first hit, okay?" The fiery ninja goaded her, but it seemed to do the opposite effect.
"No…"
The timid girl shook her head.
"Luna! You can't run away from your destiny forever! You must fight!" Jay reminded her.
(*) "NEIN!"
Luna held up both her arms in defense. At the same time, a loud splash managed to reach her ears. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that the bucket next to her has tipped over, leaving the ninjas of fire and lightning completely drenched in water. The other kunoichi stared at her in astonishment.
"D-did I… really…?"
"Yeah." Aria affirmed her concerns. "Intentional or not, you've manipulated the movements of the water in your favor. With it, you can even turn your enemies' attacks against them."
Luna didn't know what to say. Her mind wanted to continue training for the sake of the people of Ninjago, but her heart was still filled with fear of what was to come. Sooner or later, she will have to actually face the Serpentine.
She was never in such a dilemma in her whole life! What can she do?
"Holy crap!"
Everyone turned to face Cole, who observed the chaotic scene with wide eyes, as did Zane.
"What happened?" The ice ninja asked.
"We were teaching Luna how to fight, but she got scared and managed to splash Kai and Jay."
Heather explained to the black and white ninjas while the previously mentioned ninjas returned to their rooms to get themselves some dry clothes.
Cole and Luna looked at each other. It felt that every time they were close, they felt like nothing else mattered to them. Luna always felt safe and most comfortable in his presence. There was just something about the strong dependable leader that drew her to him, and it was more than just his handsome looks. Was it his 'role model' sense of responsibility? Or was it the sense of 'stability' that constantly radiated from his muscular form?
Meanwhile, Cole tried to figure out how he felt for Luna. Sure, she was beautiful, but she was far from perfect. No one was. Luna was obviously very fearful and apparently depended on him for many things. Especially teaching her how to be a ninja, but he was glad to help. That's what leaders were for, right?
One thought echoed in their heads.
'Maybe this is what it's like to be in love…'
(*) Kuchen = Cake (German)
(*) Mite = Look (Japanese)
(*) Désolé = Sorry (French)
(*) tais-toi = shut up (French)
(*) nein = no (German)
Wow. This is my longest chapter yet!
Again, 'earth & water' relationships are often seen as the water being guided by the earth and the earth becomes less rigid from the water's flow, which is also the direction I plan 2 take 4 Cole & Luna's relationship.
I also decided to keep the changes I'll make between this fic and the show posted at my profile, so please check it out if U have the chance.
So, what was the very important thing Cole lost? We might find out in the next chapter!
Until then, please review!