So wow that's the end of Clouse. I was deciding how to kill him and found this to be a good way that Cole and Bree could have revenge and not have them scare the crap out of the rest of their friends and go totally off the rails cannon wise.
The second half of this story has all the people you know and love but change focus and perspective on which person is telling the story at times. Still plenty of anxiety and shenangains. Still plenty of certain characters insulting the crap out of each other. That's half the fun right? I hope you all have loved this story as much as I do. It is not yet over and I absolutely have taken your suggestions to heart. Things were heading a certain way. But I decided I just had to keep this story going into of trying to do a sequel.
At any rate thank you for keeping reading.
Lloyd looked back over his shoulder. He couldn't see Cole or Bree yet behind them. Worrying that something happened he went to turn his dragon back around. Wu flew in front of him pushing him back in the direction of the fortress.
"They will be along. Give them a minute" Morro told him with a chuckle. Diving past and zooming in between Skyler and Kai. Causing both to yell.
"Bugger off Morro!" Kai yelled. Not entirely angry but moody and worn out.
Everyone was tired and stressed and wanted to go and see their family. Nya and Jay especially. Nya had then dropped her own water dragon and fell down behind Jay on his. Snuggling into him tightly. Jay wrapping one arm around hers in front.
Cole suddenly burst into view, side ways and then upside down. Bree screaming at him to knock it off. Cole Laughing at her. She still haven't got very comfortable flying. He flew straight for a few seconds before peeling off side ways and cutting Morro off. That at least got Bree to laugh.
Lloyd looked over at Cole and Bree. The big guy looked so happy. Laughing as Bree's wild curls splayed up everywhere despite her trying to push them out of her face. Cole pushing the hair back to kiss her again. Lloyd looked away some what embarrassed. To him and everyone else Cole had gone from single and carefree. Lloyds own personal wingman. To married and a dad. He knew that to them it had been more than a year of being together as friends first. But it still was weird. When Zane had been lost to the never realm he had nearly been lost to himself. And when they got him back Lloyd and Pixal had already been a couple. Sure they seemed like they spent more time together. But it wasn't such a huge jarring difference in everyone's lives.
"If you could possibly drag your face off of Bree's I had a few questions" Wu told them.
Cole put up a hand, gesturing for Wu to give him a second. Wu giving him a disgusted and indignant face. Morro laughing and banging his dragon into Cole's. Causing Bree to pull back and shriek at him.
"Yes Sensi Wu?" Cole asked innocently.
"So you two are...?" Wu questioned impatiently.
"Married" Bree explained.
"I just asked you about it the other day. And you swore both at me and that if and when you got married it was none of my business" Wu scolded her.
"I didn't want to ask her till she was ready" Cole tried explaining.
"What I am not understanding is when and how?" Wu snapped.
Cole and Bree looked back and forth at each other. They had know it was going to get asked. And they also knew that Harumi and Morro's jig was up as well. Cole cleared his throat loudly. Morro had peeled off again. Still in easy hearing range like everyone else. So he knew what was coming.
"Cole asked me to marry him, in Caladonia tradition a handfasting is somewhat between a wedding and an engagement. However because I am a little bit Djin any promise is permanent and binding" Bree explained.
"Why the whole secrecy thing thought. Don't you think the rest of us would have wanted to be there for you?" Nya asked interjecting.
"It was a bit of a spur of the moment thing. We wanted to sit you guys down and tell you. But things didn't work out that way" Bree told her.
"Well when did this spur of the moment thing happen?" Wu bristled. He already lost his own daughters childhood. Not getting to see her get married stung.
"Umm. At night when I had her alone?" Cole supplied.
Wu turned and gave him the darkest crappiest look.
"Look we're almost home" Cole said changing the subject. And pushing his dragon on faster. Morro zipped on as well. Landing on a upper rampart of the fortress before the others. Running down the steps and heading inside.
Bree and Cole knew exactly what Morro was rushing into talk to Rumi about. But Bree gave Cole a squeeze and ran. The other elemental masters that were injured would need medical care and help. Cole followed them both in. The other ninja and Wu coming in behind them. Harumi was waiting with Alanna for them.
Lloyd watched as Bree scooped up her daughter and cuddled her. Before quickly handing her off to Cole. Who held the little one tight. Bree turned to Harumi and hugged her before pulling back and speaking quickly. Harumi's eyes going huge. Bree rushed off then, his mother, Misako leading her down to rooms where the injured were. Cole turned and came back to Lloyd. His face beaming at Lloyd and the other ninja.
"Bree is going to go take check on the injured. Your mom said that Harumi did the brunt of the magical medical work and everyone should be just fine." Cole told them.
Wu was not beaming back at him. In fact his face looked tight and angry. Cole didn't take much notice as he threw an arm around Lloyd.
"Wanna go grab dinner? I'm starving. Bree will be done soon, I wonder what she wants for dinner" Cole rambled on.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Wu asked brusquely.
"Yeah, I think Alanna wanted me to get her more candy. Don't tell Bree though, she thinks I'm spoiling her" Cole bantered on.
"Are you going to possibly tell your father about Bree and Alanna?" Wu snapped.
Cole froze. And it was a moment of realization for him. Sighing he turned to Lloyd and Wu.
"Can you maybe stick around while I go get Bree and maybe Harumi. My dad is still here I take it? I would rather have the rest of Bree's family here in case my dad looses his mind" Cole asked. "And Jay, would you mind getting my dad for me?"
Wu sighed and nodded. Lloyd also agreed. Watching Cole jog inside after Bree. Turning to look out across the ramparts and look across the fortress walls and into the forest surrounding them.
"Is it weird for anyone else that Cole and Bree are married. I barely got to know my own cousin and now she is married to one of my best friends. I mean I am happy that everyone is home and alive and we won. But it just feels...? I dunno" Lloyd asked.
"Its weird Lloyd. How do you think I feel. I have a daughter, granddaughter and now a son in law in the matter of a few weeks. Then we found out who killed my mother. Who killed my wife. And many of our friends. Who set all our destiny's a shake like a snow globe. And as soon as we were sure then he is gone." Wu told him leaning foreword onto the railing.
Looking up Cole and Bree came up the stairs. Cole carrying Alanna on his shoulders.
"I want to go fly Cole! Mama and Rumi won't take me!" Alanna squealed.
"You have to wait a minute Pumpkin doodles. There is someone else we need to meet" Bree explained more calmly to Alana then her face portrayed.
"Who?!" Alanna demanded. She was not giving up on that flight around the fortress.
"Cole's father, Mr. Brookstone" Bree explained again.
"I'm surprised you know my name" Lou answered snidely from behind her.
"Why wouldn't I. My mother brought me over to see Beverly and Cole all the time as a child. Of course I remember you" Bree told him coolly.
The look on Lou's face flashed apprehension then anger and then to guilt. Now that Cole knew that his father knew who and what Beverly was, that meant he knew what Cole would be as well. And still he pushed so hard for Cole to go to that school and take after him.
"Could one of you perhaps take Alanna for the ride she keeps asking for?" Bree asked Wu and Lloyd. Seeing Morro and Harumi coming up the steps behind Lou.
With a tiny tremendous yell Alanna bolted to Sensi Wu and threw her arms up at him.
"Grandpa Wu has dragon. We go. WE GO!" she squealed.
Wu and Bree exchanged a look. As much as he was thrilled with getting some time with his granddaughter he was worried that Lou wasn't going to take the news well. Bree nodded and held her hands up in understanding. And the group watched them fly off. Cole turning back with Bree to look at his dad. Arm around Bree's waist.
"So dad this is Bree. My wife. And you had just meet Alanna for a moment. Our daughter" Cole told him confidently.
Lou didn't answer for a moment. He looked angry and upset at the same time.
"When were you going to bother letting me know this happened?" Lou asked.
"We just got married a night or two ago. But we have been basically together for more than a year" Cole said sheepishly.
"You've been dating a year and never told me" Lou snapped.
"We have been trapped in a time bubble for most of that. And speaking of not telling family important things. How about you start off with I dunno, my whole life as you told me is a lie. Why would you have never told me that mom was the elemental master of earth. That I would be too?" Cole demanded with a half snarl at his father.
Lou was hardly taken aback. Him and Cole yelling at each other was pretty normal for their relationship. Bree already rubbing her eyes in frustration. Harumi and Lloyd looked back and forth at each other in apprehension. Before Morro handing Lloyd a beer.
"The fuck Morro" Lloyd asked softly. Still accepting the beer.
"I figured the ending to a otherwise great day is going to turn to crap. Might as well get wrecked while we're at it" Morro told him.
"Look. I know neither of you had the best relationship with each other. And I know for a fact that you and my mother couldn't stand each other. Rowena for whatever her reason used a spell so Cole wouldn't remember me. And then had the balls to tell me that every one of you was dead. That meant I never knew Beverly was sick. Or else I would have come back and healed her. So for what its worth I'm sorry" Bree said.
Lou seemed surprised that Bree would apologize for anything ever. It wasn't something her mother would have done.
"I was honestly hoping after Rowena took you and disappeared that everything that she and Beverly worried about would just go away. I was wrong. So so wrong. I thought that Clouse was going to kill you all." Lou told them.
"Well he's dead and we are not" Cole stated Coldly. The glow of his arms lighting up slightly.
"Giant fucking Zombie spiders" Morro interjected. With a broad gesture of his hands.
Everyone turning around to stare at him.
"What its true? What else are we gonna call them. Cursed giant brainless dark kappa like undead spiders?" Morro asked.
Lou sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Bree half smiled because saw Cole doing that frequently in the same way.
"Life is weird here. We just go with it" Lloyd added.
"Apparently" Lou added.
"Well if you want to follow me downstairs I can maybe illuminate part of the things Rowena and Beverly were up to" Bree explained. Looking to Cole with a smirk. Lou might be interested in Beverly's life work other than raising Cole. Lou was not going to enjoy seeing Beverly's father Elias again. That would be interesting.
"Why not. Can it get any more magically weird?" Lou asked with a grimace.
Cole picked up a laughing Bree and carried her down the steps despite her protests. The same steps that not so terribly long ago he slipped and fell down and tore up his back. His father following shaking his head at him.
Lloyd, Harumi and Morro were left standing on the upper ramparts. Watching them go. And the others move around the fortress. And Wu in the not so long distance flying Alanna around. Harumi and Morro both silently praying that Lloyd's comment of life is weird here, we just go with it would apply in the future too.
