note: so, they're both close to 16 in this (because screw canon, how old even are they). also, I wrote this as a platonic relationship but like, if you do ship them, Im not gonna stop you or anything….

—

Ninjago City was at peace.

Well, not exactly. It was still littered with the remains of stone warriors, buildings reduced to rubble and the scars of battle marring the area where Borg Tower once stood. But it was peaceful, and quiet from three hundred feet up in the air, and it had been so long since Kai had seen calm that he let himself pretend that everything was okay.

Footsteps approached behind him from where he was relaxing on the rail of the Bounty- quiet, but heavy and filled with power. Cole leaned on the rail next to Kai and studied the clouds drifting by below them, a guarded expression on his face.

"Lloyd's gonna be fine," he said.

"Mmm?"

"Yeah. Zane scanned him again just now, and his broken leg is almost back to where it's supposed to be."

"Physically."

The earth ninja exhaled, slowly, lacing his fingers together. "Yeah. Physically. There's not much else we can do about the rest.

Kai's only thought right then was how much he wished destiny existed, as a real person, so he could punch it in the face.

He used to be able to settle for punching Garmadon, but that was out of the picture since now Lloyd's father was back and not evil and proclaiming his stupid message of non-violence, which Kai found just a tad bit hypocritical seeing as not two days ago the man had been trying to destroy the entirety of Ninjago and unleash a reign of terror over the continent.

But, he was supposed to be putting that all in the past, forgive and forget, so whatever.

Cole breathed in sharply and shifted his weight. "If he keeps doing this, it's not going to get any better, you know. Or easier," he said.

Kai furrowed his brow, confused. "Doing what?"

"Taking the lead."

Oh.

Oh.

Kai blew out a breath, slowly. Yeah. He'd only taken lead of the team on a few occasions- three, to be exact- but he could still clearly remember the intense pressure he had been under and how he had stressed about it for days after, going through countless "what-if" situations in his head and wondering if maybe, had Cole or Sensei been there, something would have gone better.

And now he had to watch Lloyd figure out the whole entire process, only this time, the Green Ninja wouldn't be able to back out and hand the position back over to one of them.

"It's gonna be hard to watch," said the red ninja.

"I'm not so sure about that," Cole laughed. "He wasn't bad, for his first time leading the team against an evil overlord who wants to conquer Ninjago."

Kai smirked. "Yeah, now that you mention it, our little green bean held up pretty well."

"He's good at it. Kid's got something in him, it's like he was born to be a leader."

"Well, he kinda was, when you think about it," he said.

Cole smiled. "Yeah, I guess. Still. He's good."

Kai watched Cole's face as he traced his finger along a groove in the side of the ship. He was hiding something, and hiding it well, but after risking his life for these guys over and over again Kai had learned to read them pretty well.

He shifted his weight from one leg to the other. "You know, you were a good leader too. Are- you are a good leader."

Cole started, surprised, and then barked out a laugh. "Yeah, sure. Thanks, but I don't need you to try and make me feel better. No offense."

Kai smirked. "None taken. But seriously, you weren't bad. I mean, you kept me in check when I first joined the team, even though I was acting like a jerk and you would've been well within your right to punch me every time I opened my mouth. You kept us together when the monastery burned down and Zane left, and somehow you got us to learn to work together- me, a hothead with anger issues, Jay, an anxious nerd who can't stop talking, and Zane, who doesn't understand human emotions. You did a pretty good job, given the circumstances."

The expression on Cole's face was one Kai didn't see on the older teen very much- shock, and a little bit of embarrassment. He opened his mouth, stumbling for words, a hint of blush on his cheeks. "You- what do- that's one hell of a compliment, fire boy."

"Yeah, well, don't mention it."

"You didn't make such a bad leader yourself, actually."

Kai shook his head. "Nah. I made a few impulsive mistakes that turned out to be good decisions, but individual strengths, strategies, trusting the others to trust your choices... I could never. I don't know the team. Not like you do."

Silence. But not awkward, no. Calm, and serene, silence. Kai knew Cole wasn't one for words. The earth master never prattled on and on about useless topics, or went on rambles and tangents just to fill the space like Jay did (and okay, sometimes Kai too). Cole understood the value of silence, the things that could be said in the quiet without making a sound.

Kai felt his eyelids droop in the warm sunlight, just a little, and focused on the grooves running up and down the wooden rail of the Bounty as he heard Cole take a breath.

"You ever think about death?"

"Uh, yeah, all the time."

Cole blinked, taken aback. "Seriously? I thought it was just something I did."

Kai snorted. "Well, when you're facing down an evil primordial being who wants to kill you and everything you love, it's kinda hard not to think about yourself being blown to pieces."

They were quiet for a moment.

"But... that's not what you were asking about."

The earth master chuckled. "Not exactly. I was meaning to ask, have you ever thought about what it would be like to just... not exist anymore?"

"Getting a little morbid here, are we?"

"No, I mean like..." Cole sighed and ran a hand through his tangled hair, searching for words. "Have you ever, I don't know, thought about where you would go?"

"Like, the departed realm, or..."

He shook his head. "I don't know. It's okay, you can forget I brought it up."

The pair was silent for a few minutes, watching the clouds drift by lazily underneath the Bounty. Thought the breaks in the sky, Kai could see glimpses of the city being repaired, slowly but surely being knitted back together again, like the stitches he had watched Zane meticulously sew into his arm last night after he had torn open his wound after that nightmare he'd had with the-

Nope nope nope nope not going in there, not opening that door, put it all back into the box to throw away later.

"Burial or cremation?"

The words surprised him as they left Kai's mouth, and judging by the look and Cole's face, he was equally shocked. The black ninja blinked once, twice, then exhaled slowly and looked at his hands.

"Burial. You know, master of earth, and all that."

"Oh, right."

"I'm assuming you'd go for cremation?"

Kai bit his lip. "I don't know yet, actually. It probably depends on what Nya would do."

"Huh."

They fell silent again, Kai's mind flicking back to dark places full of dark thoughts of death and Nya and dying and pizza-

When was the last time he had eaten?

Cole suddenly laughed, startling Kai just the smallest bit. "Look at us. Sixteen years old and already planning our funerals."

"Well of course. What else are we supposed to do with all this free time?"

"I don't know, go to the mall? Try out for a football team? Drive out to the beach and watch the sunset?"

"You don't have a car. Or a license."

"Yeah, well, I never got around to taking the test, since I was just a little too busy saving Ninjago. Again."

"Yeah, well, you should."

Cole frowned. "Take the test?"

The fire ninja shrugged. "Yeah, why not? I mean, it's not like you need to, you can drive cars just fine, but even just so you can say you did it."

"Internal motivation, huh?"

Kai shrugged again. Cole studied his interlaced fingers, pressing his lips together as he pondered what to say.

"Maybe. Once things are back to normal."

Normal. Kai liked the sound of that.

—

i come out of my cave for this and only this. these children (children! they're like, teenagers!) have been through so much haha.

happy almost new year, everyone!