The fortress. Late summer.
"Cole? Are you still up there?" Bree called from the base of the drawbridge structure. "I brought you some water and dinner, you really need to take a break".
"YEAH! give me a second" Cole yelled from someplace high about Bree and Alana.
Bree turned to look down at Alana holding her hand.
"If I let go of you and help Cole are you going to stay here and be a good girl and not run off" Bree asked.
"No!" Alana replied. Now trying to pull away from Bree and go see over the edge.
"Trustworthy no, honest yes" Bree said shaking her head. No was her daughters new favorite word. Even to pleasant questions like do you want a strawberry? Or do you want to stay up later to see the fire flies. Still no. Alana was two and she certainly acted like it.
Bree set Alana next the base of the wall and quickly put a shield spell around her like a bubble. It was the only way to keep her contained. Cole had to stop work on some major parts this early summer to fix all the ramparts and eventually they made some baby gates to corral her. If Cole was watching Alana sometimes he gave up and tied a rope around her waist and tied the other end to his belt. Alana was not happy being trapped in the bubble again.
"Sorry pumpkin doodles. If you behaved better Mama wouldn't have to do that" Bree said soothingly. Alana just glared.
Bree popped up to where Cole was to try and see what he was doing. It turned out that the chain to pull up the drawbridge wanted to twist and that's why it was not setting down right onto the teeth of the turning wheel. Once Bree helped Cole untangle it he was able to use his strength to pull it the rest of the way through and hook it. They both got back down. Bree popping in and out and Cole using airjitzu. Bree had brought dinner up with her in a basket and it was nice to eat together and enjoy the view.
"My god you'd think it would cool off by now" Cole complained. Bree nodded in agreement.
"I wish we could remember more of what our mom's said about this place. I can't even remember what forest we are in or where" Cole said with a sigh. Bree knew he wished he could talk to him mom about anything. Much less ask her questions about here. Though it would be super nice to know.
"I know. I half wonder if they did and my mom was being extra squirrely and put a spell on us to forget" Bree stated with some frustration.
Both Cole and Bree were quiet. There was so much in their lives that just went unexplained or that later managed to pop up unexpectedly because of it.
"Come on Pumpkin. It's time for you to get to bed" Cole said reaching to pick Alana up.
She seemed to take that as a challenge and made a run for it, not getting too far before Cole caught up to her. Bree laughing at the squealing antics.
After putting Alana down for the night and taking a bath Bree headed to the library again. There was a book that she found yesterday that intrigued her. It was simply covered and was tucked far into a corner. So unread till now. Bree took the book back out onto the stone porch to make use of the last of the light. They still had no electricity and lighting a big fire for light sounded miserable inside on such a hot night. Bree only got a few sentences into the very first page before she realized she needed Cole to see this as well.
"Cole! Come here quick" Bree yelled over her shoulder. When she heard no response she sent a ball of elemental magic in the door and down the hall and kept quickly reading through pages.
"What the hell Bree?!" Cole had apparently heard her the first time. "I had to jump out of the way". Cole had taken a shower after her and walked out. His hair still dripping wet.
Bree hadn't looked up from the book yet, but was motioning him closer to read. Cole leaned in and water dropped onto Bree's shoulder.
"What the?" Bree said turning slightly to look over her shoulder. "You could have put a shirt on and dried your hair".
"You started yelling, I came, What else do you expect women?" Cole responded laughing. Then shaking his head and sprinkling her again.
"Not on the book!" Bree huffed. She took the edge of her long silk dress and dried the water droplets off. "This could be our ticket out of here you goof. Its a diary!"
Cole sat on the bench beside her. He thought she looked beautiful. The first time she wore something like this it puzzled him. Only for her to explain she didn't like wearing shorts.
"What good does a diary do us?" He asked. Leaning back and throwing an arm around Bree's side lightly.
"This was written by Wu's mother. Back when this fortress was built it looks like." Bree said excitedly.
"Really? Does it give any dates" Cole asked.
"No but its talking about who was here and what they were doing" Bree said pointing to certain paragraphs. Over the winter Bree had spent time downstairs in the library looking at the huge family trees on the wall. So she remembered the names at least.
"This place was built before her and your spinjitzu master got married, Some time after he came to this realm. If I am correct Wu and his brother might have been born here. As there is no mention of the monastery so far" Bree said continuing to read through.
Even with reading though books and looking at the magical family trees Cole noticed that Bree still didn't use words like my family, or my father or cousin to reference Wu and Lloyd. He wondered if it was out of habit or Bree not really feeling connected to them.
"Cole, it talks here about how its the elemental magic, no not just that, two other forces of power that protect this place. That must be the barrier. That the source is in the...What's this word mean in Ninjagian?" Bree asked holding the book closer to Cole.
Bree's hair and the edge of her summer dress brushed Cole as she leaned in. Sometimes he wished it was winter again and Bree would dress like she was going to freeze to death in sweaters and hoodies. He felt like such a perv ogling her when she had told him to back off. The soft flowing clothing she had started to wear in the summer distracted him to no end.
"Catacombs" Cole answered. Trying to distract himself from looking at Bree.
"What the hell is a catacomb?" Bree wondered out loud. Before looking up at Cole "Dude where is your shirt?". Bree couldn't bring herself to say it to him. But shirtless Cole out working was one of the best parts of her day. No way she was going to tell him that thank you very much.
Cole leaned back further and started looking at the sky. It was still a haze of colors as the sun set. "Its too frigging hot for cloths" He laughed.
Bree rolled her eyes at him.
"I've got pants on. That's the level of effort you are getting for the rest of the night" Cole laughed again.
Bree laughed and then shuddered. "At least neither of us, well me especially have to wear Djin clothing. My mom was awful about picking my clothing as a teen."
"How are they any different than this" Cole asked. Touching the edge of the sleeve.
"Imagine shoving Dareth into a cropped tube top and split legged hareem pants that would fit Harumi" Bree answered.
Cole burst out laughing. Bree cracked a smile over how much the imagine amused Cole.
"Ok but why wouldn't your mom let you wear what you wanted" Cole asked as he took a turn reading pages of the book.
"Because I think she wanted me to fit in and be the perfect little Djin princess like her. Even though it was impossible" Bree said shrugging. "Most Djin women are barely five foot tall and a hundred pounds. Men are much bigger and taller. But I was six inches taller than my mom by ten years old. And way way fatter". Bree finished embarrassed.
"You are not the only one whose parent wanted them to be something they are not." Cole said. He had told her about his relationship with his dad and how they overcame it. It pulled at her to know Cole had such a rough time as a teen. Not unlike herself.
"And you're the most beautiful women I have ever seen" Cole added. He never pushed her for anything but their current friendship. But Cole made no attempt to hide what he thought or felt about Bree.
Changing the subject as her face went red Bree took the book back.
"It says here that the power comes from the catacombs, what are those and how do we find them? We might be able to figure a way to fix it, or call for help or at least turn it off" Bree said still red in the face and feeling flushed.
"Catacombs are tomes, graveyards typically deep underground" Cole told her.
"Eww, that's just fabulous" Bree said frowning.
The fortress, Autumn.
Cole was taking Alana out for a flight on his elemental dragon. Bree was still uncomfortable with it. But Alana asked Cole to take her flying every day. Multiple times a day. The woods below them a blaze of orange, red and yellow. With the occasional deep green of the pines. They couldn't exactly go far, But Alana shrieked with glee. Her mothers fear of the dragons she did not have.
Bree has seemed much happier going into this winter than the last. Or at least less worried. This morning she even suggested they go for a flight. Cole laughed as Alana tried to steer. She was highly insulted she couldn't pull up an elemental dragon on her own.
"No Cole! Time for eat!" She yelled over the wind.
"Alright Pumpkin, we'll go find mommy. She might have lunch ready by the time we get back" Cole told her. He was eternally happy that Bree liked cooking. They probably wouldn't starve and Cole could figure out making food. But Bree was significantly better. A fact that she teased him about often. Both adults missed the foods they grew up with. But they were making due with what they could grow or catch in the barrier around the fortress.
Landing back in the courtyard he didn't see Bree anywhere. He went down to the kitchens and still didn't see her. He thought maybe she went out to see the goats or she was down in the woods. He grabbed some fruit and bread for Alana and after that he put her down for a nap in her room. Which she protested greatly but was out in a few minutes. Cole was starting to worry. He hadn't seen Bree since this morning and she hadn't left a note or anything.
Just then the barrier far above and around the fortress rippled. For the briefest of moments it looked like it was going to come down. But then glowed with a purple haze and stayed that way. The birds and animals that were close all gave startled calls of alarm.
"Oh damit Bree" Cole said out loud.
They had found the location of the catacombs a few weeks ago. And they had barely explored them. It was kind of creepy to walk pasts the resting places of other long dead elemental masters and some of their family. Bree had said that she could sense that she needed to explore further. But Cole didn't want her going much farther alone and Bree didn't want to take Alana with. Bree must have suggested the ride for Alana as away to distract him so she could go down alone.
He ran down the fortress and headed into the catacombs through one of the lowest floors of the storage rooms. It had some magical protection and spells that Bree understood but he did not. Rushing down through the door he skidded to a stop. The walls and floors were now glowing. Different colors and all sorts of shades. He started again slowly not knowing what he was going to run into. Walking further he could see that the colors and glows all corresponded to different elements. Actually to the different elemental masters. Each of the tomes glowed ... peacefully? Perhaps. But Cole was not seeing Bree anywhere.
"Bree!" Cole called. Not hearing any response. His stress at not finding her increasing and he picked up a run.
At the end of the catacombs it opened up to a room. The walls higher and running up to a peak. In the center a crystal stood deeply set into the rock that made up the floors and walls. It was not smoothly cut or fashioned by modern techniques. But it looked like it had grown up out of the earth itself. The crystal pulsed with a strong purple light. It matched Bree's elemental talents perfectly. But she wasn't in this last room. Turning Cole headed back out.
Cole wondered if Bree hadn't come down here at all. He walked back out. There were many paths that all meandered their way back to the door. Not a maze by any means because you could still see around and see the way back to the door. All the tomes and grave stones belonged to different family's. Bree was right when she said there was once many more clans of elements, Cole didn't recognize some of the family names or the elements they corresponded to. A few of the tomes looked more beat up than others. With a couple having no glow whatsoever. It was on the way back that he noticed the path had started to crumble with loose rock and floor mortar out of place. He swore out loud when he saw Bree off to the side. She must have tripped and fell down the small embankment and he didn't see her on the way back it.
Reaching her and turning her over quickly, he thought that she had knocked herself out cold. The sudden movement caused Bree to rouse with a gasp.
"Don't move me" Bree managed to grind out between her teeth.
"What did you think you were doing?" Cole snarled at her. "I thought I told you not to go down here by yourself? What if there was some magical curse or monsters or who knows what?"
"I did know what I was doing. I read the diary and I figured out how it needed to be recharged" Bree said. Not finishing because she ran out of breath.
"Really? And you are so terribly injured because you knew what you were doing?" Cole asked still not calm or pleased.
"I tripped and fell over the loose rock. After I fixed the earth crystal and put a beacon out" Bree answered him. Closing her eyes and trying to steady her breathing.
"Well fucking heal yourself and we can go up and show me what the hell you are talking about" Cole replied.
"I can't" She hissed.
"Well why the hell not?" Cole asked her in annoyance. He really wanted to leave the catacombs. Well lit or not they gave him the creeps.
"I used my elemental powers to recharge the earth crystal" Bree told him.
"So the purple glow on the barrier was you?" Cole asked.
Bree nodded. And carefully tried to push up to a sitting position. And failed and fell back into Cole.
Cole picked her up carefully and stood. It took a great deal of grit on Bree's part not not to scream at him.
"How badly did you hurt yourself Bree?" Cole asked her. Trying to hide the concern with gruffness.
Huffing Bree closed her eyes again and tried to concentrate. Trying to pull up her elemental powers and heal herself. That failed miserably.
"I think just sprains on my wrist and ankle. But I am pretty sure the ribs are broken" Bree told him.
"And why can't you use your powers?" Cole asked.
"I used them to charge up the crystal and the whole fortress. They may come back as I heal. Or they may not." Bree replied.
"The fuck Bree, that was stupid" Cole growled at her.
"It was the right thing to do" Bree hissed back. "Just take me up and dump me in my room please."
Cole started walking back up with Bree in his arms. He could hear and feel her wince every time he took a step.
"Can broken ribs heal on their own?" Cole asked as he walked.
"Yes... in time" Bree manged to spit out.
"Maybe your powers will come back soon, or the ninja and the rest of our family will see the barrier now and help" Cole said to Bree.
She didn't answer, in fact her head was now tilting back a little. Cole thought she might have passed out. He wanted to shake her, but that would just hurt her more. Panic crept in slowly.
"What the hell do I do now?" Cole said out loud.
Cole did not expect a response from one of the tombs. He nearly dropped Bree where he walked. Out of the glow a figure loomed. It was not the green of a ghost. Cole knew that shade all too well. But a teal that shimmered in and out of his vision.
"Well would borrowing her power be too much to ask you to figure out how to do?" The figure asked him.
Cole didn't answer but threw a blast of rock directly through the figure. It at least reacted like a ghost would and went right through hitting the wall behind him.
"Is that necessary smartass?" The figure asked dryly.
"Who the hell are you?" Cole asked edging away closer to the exit.
The figure stepped forward a little. Becoming more opaque and visible. As tall as Cole, With dark hair and eyes.
"You figure it out. I never thought one of my descendants would be obtuse as you. Its a tomb of elemental masters. I'm not quite a ghost, more like a temporary sprite guide. I'm trying to tell you how help your wife there" The figure said pointing to Bree.
"Defiantly not my wife dude. And anyways I am the master of earth, not amber. I can't use her power" Cole said still edging towards the door.
"And why not? You spend all day mooning over her and you care for my Great granddaughter too." The figure replied wryly.
"You're Bree's grandfather?" Cole asked.
"No don't be stupid. I'm your grandfather. And you need to fix her before she stops breathing" he answered in exasperation.
Cole looked down, the old man was right. Bree was breathing more shallowly and slowly. Her face was paling.
"What do I do?" Cole sputtered out.
"Just do what you've seen Brianna do, instead of envisioning your earth powers think about how hers look and feel. And its the ribs, heal those first. The sprains won't kill her. The broken rib poking her in the liver will" The old man instructed.
Cole shook his head. Not believing what he was being told. He shuffled Bree's weight to one arm and held his other hand over her ribs. He tried and nothing happened. So he tried thinking about what it felt like the last time Bree had healed him. The smallest of purple magic came out. So low it looked like flames over a dieing ember. Cole strained to get more magic out and let go the slightest puff and went out. But it was enough. Bree opened her eyes and took a deep shuddering breath. She looked up at Cole in confusion and then turned slightly seeing the glowing teal figure beside them.
"Oh hi Elias" Bree said.
"Oh hi Elias? That's all the very first thing you say? I just used your own dam power to heal you and you also apparently know my dead ghost grandpa. And oh hi Elias is all you say?!" Cole asked her sputtering.
Bree shrugged and Elias laughed.
"Take her up and let her rest. Her powers will grow back. I can feel the crystal is working right again. And I can tell that the green ninja... her cousin Lloyd right? He felt the ripple too. And they should be headed this way. As soon as he touches the barrier it will work properly again, you guys can come and go as you please without anything dangerous coming in" Elias told them.
"It won't need to suck up so much of Lloyds power right? He wont be quite so drained as me?" Bree asked Elias.
"No Brianna, you got the lions share of it working, he will be okay" Elias answered her smiling.
Coles face was still a mish mash of disgust, surprise and worry.
"Ill bring Alana down to see you guys later this week ok" Bree said.
"The hell you will bring Alana down here" Cole answered. Gripping Bree with both arms and turning and walking up the path and out the door.
"I told you he is grumpy." Bree called over Cole shoulder.
Elias laughed and shimmered becoming more translucent before fading out.
Cole kicked the door down to the catacombs shut with a foot and then stomped through the store rooms and to the stairs.
"Don't stomp on the steps!" Bree gasped.
Cole looked down at her scowling.
"Ribs might not be broken but I am still sore and have a sprained everything" Bree told him.
Cole said nothing but continued up the steps. Not stomping but he looked so pissed.
"Don't be mad, you wanted out of being trapped here" Bree said softly.
"No Bree why would I be mad? You went down alone like I asked you not to, you have been talking to ghosts and what else? Oh yea did you know I could use your powers?" Cole snapped at her.
"Don't snap at me. I have been researching how to get out of here for more than a year. No matter how much you would have liked your powers wouldn't have worked. It required Oni and dragon magic, elemental master of magic kind of magic. It was either me, Lloyd or one of our fathers. And at their ages it could have killed them. Besides the fact that not a single one of them is here now are they?" Bree told him.
Pushing the door open to the upper rooms where they lived Cole went to kick open the door to Alanas room. Then thought better of it.
"Is she down for a nap?" Bree asked quietly.
Cole huffed, nodded and then turned and pushed his door open and set Bree down. Reached up and rubbing his face quickly He walked out of the room and then back in with some bandages. Still not speaking Cole handed her them and stood watching.
"Are ya gonna stand there like a creep?" Bree asked while she wrapped her wrist and then started on her ankle.
"Apparently I need to or else your going to do something dumb" Cole snarled back.
"Cole I don't need your permission to do anything. And further more why do you think I asked you to watch Alana? If and that is a great big if something did happen to me... don't you think I'd want you to be ok and able to take care of her?" Bree said softly.
"You did get hurt, badly. Is that making my point?" Cole answered her.
"I tripped and fell because I'm clumsy. I could have done that falling out of bed" Bree said.
Cole sat down beside her and put a hand over hers.
"Are you gonna get all soft and squishy on me?" She asked him teasingly.
Cole leaned forward hunching his shoulders. He held Bree's hand still but couldn't look her in the face.
"Cole... I know. How do you think Alana and I would feel if something happened to you?" Bree said shacking his hand a little.
Cole raised his head a little and asked "How did you even know who that ghost was and how did he know you?".
"I have spent a year in that dam library. I think I should know who is who despite the name changes and I should know that it was possible for one of our ancestors to show up in the catacombs if we needed help. That is if they were buried down there" Bree told him.
Cole then turned his head and half glared half questioningly looked at her.
"Your mom and dad hyphenated their names. It went from the Stone from your moms side to adding your dads last name and became Brookstone. Wait, you didn't know that?" Bree asked.
"Not knowing important things seems to be the theme of our lives" Cole said shrugging again. "Speaking of that, did you know I could use your power?" he asked.
"I knew it was in theory possible, I have read about it. But its not just uncommon but rare for two elemental masters to be able to share a connection like that. More often all that happens is one persons elemental power will simply not have any effect on the other." Bree answered.
"I've seen that in others, not just us" Cole said referencing his ninja family.
"I saw that too, but at the time I thought it was just a weird side effect of Sklyers power" Bree said.
"I wonder how long its going to take them to get here. I mean we've been gone more than a year now. I worried that they would have assumed us dead at this point" Cole said dejectedly.
"I don't know honestly. Lloyd would have felt the barrier call to him for sure. It could be hours, it could be months. Ninjago is a big place" Bree told him.
Cole sighed and looked ahead again.
"What? You should be happy" Bree said.
"If the barrier is down and you and Alana go beyond that, what if they haven't fixed the whole Kappa fiasco. You'll just be in danger again" Cole answered sourly.
Bree pulled Cole closer to her with her un-sprained wrist. Then turned his face to meet hers. Stroking his cheek. Coles eyes widened at her display of affection.
"We will be ok Cole" Bree told him gently.
Cole leaned in and kissed her on the check. He went to pull back and not push for anymore than than. But Bree stopped him. Pulling him closer again she touched his face and then pulled him down to her to kiss him. Cole didn't need to be asked twice, his arms glowing orange as the color crept up his neck and down his chest. Just as their lips were about to touch he put his arms around her waist. Causing Bree to shriek and jump back at his touch.
"Ribs!" Bree yelled.
"Sorry! Sorry, I forgot for a second. Shit" Cole said to her.
Bree rolled her eyes at him and then cautiously leaned back to rest. Both Cole and Bree stayed there till Alana woke up and called for them.