Hello everyone! Well, it's finally here. The last epilogue chapter, and final entry into this book! I don't really know how to feel about this chapter to be honest. I had such high aspirations for it and idk, it just feels like for me I didn't really hit the mark.
Not saying that I hate this chapter! Just that I wish it came out a bit better, since tbh the ending felt quite rushed. Regardless though, I hope you all enjoy it! It is a good one after all ;] . I should also probably mention that it was inspired by this video (which is not mine!), and you guys should check it out if you wanna be more immersed in the vibes of the scenes of this chapter.
last thing I want to mention! I will update this book a final time but it will be an 'Author's Note' entry that has a url/link to the next book! Aka the 'Hands of Time' story. So, stay tuned for that if you want to continue reading Destiny's interactions and such with the other ninja as they move through the seasons from the show!
Okay, okay, I'll let you guys read now! I love you all and hope you're having an amazing day/night! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking around and reading this .
Sincerely your author, Bananapugg
Destiny smiled to herself as she strolled down the salt covered sidewalks of Ninjago City. Today her and the other ninja hadn't had training, and the teen was actually somewhat happy about that fact at the moment. While the other ninja had opted to use this rare opportunity to sleep in, the yellow ninja took a different approach.
Today was not just any Spring day after all, today was in fact the Master of Species 19th birthday. Did the others know this? Well… no. After her previous few birthday's the yellow clad girl had promptly decided she was happier not having a big celebration. So, instead of having a party Destiny had been wandering the city treating herself.
At first it wasn't much, just an espresso from CoffeeWorks with her mother for about an hour or so. One thing led to another however and after the two had gone their separate ways now here she was with several small bags from her shopping endeavors, as well as a brand new haircut! Destiny's once hip-length brunette hair now sat shortly at the top of her shoulders, and a section of it was even tied off into a small bun.
After finishing what was left of her drink Destiny threw away the cardboard cup, she then transformed into a decently sized bird and grabbed her belongings with her talons before flying out of the city and into the direction of the Airjitzu temple.
It took around half an hour for the yellow ninja to finally reach the floating island, but once she did she landed (rather sloppily) in the courtyard. Destiny then transformed back into her normal self and picked up her bags from off of the ground.
The short brunette then pulled her phone out of her hoodie pocket, checking the time. It was currently 11:30 and the others would undoubtedly be up by now. Just because they were sleeping in didn't mean they slept in past noon, they were ninja after all! As Destiny approached the large wooden double doors she cracked them open, and the sounds of her friends' voices spilled through from inside.
"Man, we've been so busy with everything that's been going on recently I completely forgot that we're supposed to go to the museum tomorrow." Kai admitted, seemingly responding to something one of the others had said.
In all honesty Destiny had also forgotten about their plans for tomorrow.
"I still don't understand why all of us need to go help Dr. Saunders finish cleaning up the exhibits. It's Cole's fault they got destroyed in the first place." Jay complained, setting down the moving box that was in his hands onto the opposite side of the room.
Right, they were also supposed to continue working on emptying and clearing out all the remaining moving boxes as well from the temple entrance. Destiny had forgotten about those plans too-..
"Hey!" Cole snapped in Jay's direction, a hurt looking expression on his face as he turned his attention to the Master of Lightning.
"We're a team Jay," Lloyd cut in, stepping in to diffuse the situation. "Which means what happens to one of us happens to all of us." The blue ninja then let out a sigh, understanding full well that the youngest of them was right.
"Still, I think it's a bit unfair. We never have time to relax anymore!" Jay pointed out before returning his attention to the moving boxes.
"Wait, why are we cleaning up the museum again?" Destiny spoke up, closing the door behind her as she entered the temple.
"Hey fuzz ball, nice of you to finally-" Kai stopped his greeting mid sentence as he looked up from the stack of boxes he had been messing with, now noticing the yellow ninja's new appearance.
"Whoa, you've been busy this morning. The fresh cut looks good on you." The Master of Fire complimented, sending Destiny a smile. The other ninja then looked up as well, their expressions each mirroring Kai's of surprise followed by happiness.
"Whoa, Kai's right!" Jay added, flashing a bright smile.
"Yeah!" Nya joined in, also showing the yellow ninja a genuine smile.
"The new hairstyle suits you Destiny!" Lloyd chimed in as well.
"Aw, thanks guys." Destiny thanked her friends, turning her gaze away from them as she felt her cheeks heat up a bit from the sudden attention and compliments.
"I agree with the others, your new haircut compliments your appearance well; and to answer your earlier question Destiny," Zane began, getting the yellow ninja's attention.
"During the last 'Day of the Departed' many of the museum's replica imitations of all the villains we've previously fought came to life. As such, they caused a significant amount of damage to that wing of the museum."
"And Dr. Saunders has been stuck trying to clean up the mess all by himself since." Nya contributed to the explanation.
"Wow, even if it's not fighting bad guys it sounds like Dr. Saunders could use a couple extra pairs of hands." Destiny concluded.
"Do we need to help him tomorrow though? I mean, we're stuck doing boring work already." Jay whined again, moving yet another box across the room.
"Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today." Zane spoke up again, flashing the blue ninja a teasing smile to which Jay found unamusing.
"Yes Zane, it's important that we finish unloading everything into Sensei Yang's old Temple. The sooner we can get everything unpacked, the sooner we can begin to get the temple into shape for Master Wu's return." A new voice stated, coming in the entryway from down the hall. It was Misako, with a moving box of her own in hand as she entered the space.
"Where did Master Wu go anyways mom?" Lloyd asked his mother, assisting her with the box in her arms as he did so.
"He said he was going to visit the old monastery, and insisted that his trip wouldn't last for more than a few days." The gray haired woman explained, giving her son a soft smile as she did.
"It's kind of frustrating not having Master Wu around." Destiny stated, a slight frown on her face. "I know we don't have to train as much, but I'd still like to keep up with practice. Without him here though I'm not sure whether or not my stances would be correct while drilling."
In the far corner of the room was the black ninja, who had been silent ever since Destiny had entered the temple. No one had noticed yet, but the raven haired boy had practically been drooling over his crush's appearance. Well, no one except his best friend had noticed Cole's love stricken state.
Slowly Jay had crept over towards the Master of Earth, and once he was right beside the taller boy broke him of his trance by jabbing him in the side with his elbow. Cole let out a muffled grunt of annoyance, and looked down at his friend with an unamused gaze.
"Jay? What was that for?" Cole hissed, one of his hands massaging the area of his body that had been assaulted. Before Cole could get upset with him further though Jay quickly raised a hand to shush his friend.
"Ba, ba, ba! You should be thanking me lover boy, it was only a matter of time before someone else noticed you staring at Destiny like a lost little puppy." The ginger haired boy stated in a hushed tone, now placing his hand onto his hip. Cole could feel his cheeks heat up a bit and shook his head a bit trying to brush off his embarrassment.
"Thanks." Cole thanked the blue ninja, swallowing his pride as he did so. He knew this was something his best friend would undoubtedly tease him about in the future.
"No problem pal; but anyways I didn't just come over here to stop you from drooling all over the floor. Destiny just said she needs someone to help her train and stuff, so now's your chance! Offer to train with her!" Jay informed the taller, nudging him slightly. Cole could feel a sudden swarm of butterflies flutter throughout his stomach at what Jay was suggesting, and wanted to run away from the situation.
"I- I don't-" Cole struggled to speak through his nerves as he searched for an excuse, any excuse floating about in his head. However, the boy drew nothing but blanks.
"C'mon buddy, you got this!" Jay encouraged, grabbing onto the black ninja's arm with a firm grip, before nudging him forwards.
Cole was not the most coordinated when flustered, and stumbled several feet forward before stopping himself just in time from running into the unsuspecting Destiny. Destiny did hear the stumbling though and turned her head from her current conversation with the others to find the cause of the sound was from none other than the black ninja himself.
Destiny then gave Cole an endearing smile as she looked at the boy she cared for so much, his presence giving her an instant sense of happiness. Cole couldn't help but feel himself melt a bit under such a loving expression from his crush, and not just that but his cheeks began to heat up again as well.
The Master of Earth was sure he closely resembled a cartoonish character that had been hit by one of cupid's arrows, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't help it. Clearing his throat and rubbing one of his hands against the back of his neck, the black ninja attempted to speak.
"H-Hey Destiny, if uh, if you wanted- you don't have to! But I mean, if you- if you-" Cole struggled to string his words together. It felt like his heart was pounding against his chest, and his thoughts were racing at a million miles an hour. He was also trying not to show it but he could feel himself beginning to sweat as well.
Destiny's smile had also now faded a bit, and she was looking up at the black ninja with a confused expression, unsure what had the taller ninja so tongue tied. Behind Cole, and out of everyone's gaze, Jay snuck up behind Cole. The blue ninja then gave his flustered friend another unnoticed jab to the side. Cole's face contorted a bit as he bit the inside of his cheek, but he then let out a quick exhale through his nose as he finally pulled himself together.
"You okay Cole?" Destiny questioned, her face still a bit confused and concerned.
"Y-yeah! I was just trying to say, I could train with you. If you'd like, that is?" The earth ninja answered, giving the short girl a soft smile.
"Really? I'd appreciate that a lot Cole." Destiny responded, giving the tall boy another smile as well. The yellow ninja then turned to look at the others that were still present.
"If it's okay with everyone I'd actually like to get training right away. I just need to take these bags up to my room and get changed."
"Sounds good to me." Nya replied, shrugging her shoulders a bit as she did. The others all agreed as well.
"We'll all need to be at full strength for whatever opponent we may come across next." Lloyd added, and Destiny nodded at him.
"Okay then, I'll go and get changed. Be right back!" Destiny shouted to the group as she grabbed her shopping bags and jogged up the stairs towards her room. Once the others were all sure that the yellow clad girl was out of ear shot Nya spoke up again.
"Are you going to tell her that you like her?" The water ninja asked, looking over to the Master of Earth with an expectant gaze.
"Yeah dude, it's been like three months since Yuraggi was sent to Kryptarium Prison." Kai butted in, crossing his arms over his chest as he did.
"And a whole month since you realized you both have feelings for each other." Zane added.
"I know, I know!" Cole sighed as he took a few steps away from the group in order to give himself some space to speak.
"But I promised myself I wouldn't tell Destiny how I feel about her until she was able to move on from everything that happened with Yuraggi. After everything she had to go through, the last thing I want to do is put more stress on her. It's only right to respect her and her emotions." The black ninja explained, a saddened expression painted over his face.
"I mean, I'm no expert but it seems like Destiny has been doing better." Jay spoke up, doing his best to reassure his friend.
"I have to agree with Jay. It took a little while, but she definitely seems happier. I didn't even realize how funny and creative she was until after she started training with us and Master Wu. She's come a long way, and her shell has been chipped away quite a bit." Nya added, also flashing the black ninja a reassuring smile.
"You're a good person Cole, and sometimes after someone goes through a rough patch in their life all they need is a good person like you." Lloyd chimed in.
Before the conversation could continue the ninja's attention was all turned to the thumps sounding from the staircase, and shortly after Destiny herself was standing at the top. The yellow clad was now dressed in her brand new gi just like the rest of them, her yellow suit complemented by her brunette locks.
"What do you guys think?" Destiny questioned while performing a small spin to show off her gi, a smile beaming from her face the entire time.
"I'd say you look like a full fledged ninja." Misako answered for all of them.
Destiny felt her body overcome with an overwhelming wave of emotion. She was happy, and inspired. When she had first started training with the ninja she had doubted her capabilities, but through the last several months she had proven her past self wrong.
Now Destiny couldn't imagine herself being anywhere else. To her it felt as though she had been born to fill this position; and although she had yet to actually run any patrols or missions she felt confident in her abilities.
The yellow ninja then made her way to the bottom to the stairs and looked over to Cole with her bright smile before giggling a bit. The black ninja was currently a flustered and speechless mess, so Destiny opted to speak first.
"You ready to train?" The Master of Species asked her taller friend. Cole then shook his head a bit as he recollected himself before giving Destiny a small smile.
"Yeah, yeah I'm ready." Cole answered, opening one of the large wooden doors for Destiny to go through first.
As the yellow and black ninja's exited the building Cole looked over his shoulder one last time, and over to his friends. The others gave Cole smiles, and several thumbs up, reassuring and rooting for their tall friend. Cole then nodded at the group before walking outside and closing the door behind him.
Once the duo was outside there was a brief silence between Cole and Destiny for a moment, the only noise around them being that of the gentle breeze weaving itself through the leaves of the surrounding brush. Destiny had her arms held out as she closed her eyes and absorbed the warmth of the mid-day sun above them.
Cole couldn't help but smile to himself as he wordlessly admired his crush. The way her now short hair rustled as the wind caressed it, and how her gorgeous hazel eyes laid hidden behind her glowing eyelids, the rays of the sun seeming to make her skin twinkle ever so slightly as if she were a priceless jewel.
"I can never get over how peaceful the island is." Destiny finally spoke up. Opening her eyes and looking over to Cole.
Although Cole's relationship with the temple and its previous inhabitants had left him with scars and unsifted trauma a part of him couldn't help but agree with Destiny. He was sure that if he had experienced the island in the same way she had he wouldn't be able to help but admire its beauty and calming nature as well.
"Yeah, and the best part is that we've got this entire place to train. What was it you wanted to work on first?" Cole answered, his soft gaze still set on the yellow clad girl. Destiny then gave Cole a sheepish look as she went to respond.
"I'm not sure what to start on exactly. Master Wu has been helping with a couple different things. Increasing my endurance with my elemental powers, basic sparring practice, and just going through the movements of spinjitzu. Not to mention we hardly got to work on weapon sparring with my swords before he decided to leave." Destiny explained, a bit deflated.
"Well, I'm not Master Wu so I'm not sure I'm as qualified to help you out with your elemental power. I've never seen swords like yours before either so it would probably be best if you did wait for Master Wu to help you learn to use them correctly." Cole started, slowly going through the list of options.
"We could spar though without weapons, or work on your spinjitzu stances and forms?" The earth ninja suggested.
"Okay. What about a sparring match as a warm up to start? Then maybe we could work on some spinjitzu?" Destiny offered, looking at the raven haired boy for a sign of confirmation.
"Sounds good to me! You ready?" Cole asked, assuming a fighting stance as he did so. Destiny followed Cole's example, and leaned into a fighting stance as well. After looking between the two of them several times to make sure she had the correct form the yellow clad girl finally nodded.
"Ready as I'll ever be." Destiny replied.
"Alright, I'll play defensively. You just show me what you got." Cole informed the short brunette girl, and she nodded at him a second time.
Destiny took in a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves a bit before sprinting at the Master of Earth. Destiny then opted to start her engagement with a swift right hook, but to her surprise Cole managed to dodge it easily. The black ninja made sure to keep his fists close to his face though in case one of her blows managed to connect. The yellow ninja quickly shook off her surprise and continued to throw several more punches in Cole's direction, all of which were dodged as well.
"You're leaning into your punches too much. Pull back a little or else it will be too easy for you to get knocked off balance." Cole tried to coach. Although Destiny did not respond verbally, her shift of her weight answered for her. With he next two punches she threw the earth ninjas' way resembled more closely to a snake lunging at its prey, rather than a rhino barreling into a bus.
"Nice readjustment." Cole complimented as he took note of the change.
Cole then took a step back from Destiny's advancements toward him, and he was glad that he did. Destiny changed things up a bit, and instead of punching again sent her right leg kicking towards Cole's face. Cole's arm blocked the kick as intended, his left arm in its path from striking his face. He would be lying though if he said that the kick didn't hurt when it met his forearm.
The sudden stinging pain surging throughout his left arm distracted him from Destiny, even if it was just for a second. This though, was just enough time for Destiny to throw out a follow up punch at Cole, and her fist connected with him hitting him right between the eyes. The punch made Cole see white for a moment, and dazed him, the momentum sending him backwards and ultimately landing him square on his butt.
"Cole!" Destiny gasped as her hands came up to her mouth. She didn't waste any time, and quickly knelt beside the black ninja looking him over.
"I am so sorry!" the yellow ninja apologized. Cole brought up a hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose as he attempted to ease the pain of the blow he had been dealt.
"It's okay, that was a really good follow up on your kick. I underestimated you since, to be honest, I wasn't completely sure how far you'd come training one on one with Master Wu." Cole admitted, and moved his hand to look at it. Luckily there was no blood, and he was pretty sure he would be able to tell if his nose had been broken.
"I'll never underestimate you again." Cole stated with a chuckle as he smiled up at the worried girl beside him.
"Thanks. I'm still sorry though, I really didn't mean to hit you that hard. Is there anything I can do to help? Ice pack? Painkillers? Tea? Name it and I will get right on it. I just feel so bad!" Destiny offered quickly, guilt and panic the main emotions fueling her at the moment.
"No, no, I'll be fine! Promise. Believe it or not, me and the others have been through worse." Cole attempted to lighten the mood. "I'm also not a huge fan of tea."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Destiny apologized again, causing Cole to raise an eyebrow.
"Sorry? For what? Offering me tea?" The black ninja questioned. Destiny lowered her gaze in shame as she gave Cole a barely noticeable nod.
"Also for hurting you…" Destiny spoke up, her now quiet voice trailing off meekly.
"You don't need to keep apologizing. You didn't know I don't like tea, and I forgive you for accidentally punching me in the face. So you don't need to keep apologizing for that either." Cole replied, making sure to accentuate the fact that she hadn't struck him on purpose. Hoping that would help to ease his crush's guilt.
"Even though you say you forgive me I still don't feel any less bad about it. Are you sure there's nothing I can do?" Destiny asked, looking up at Cole with a saddened gaze.
Cole frowned a bit himself, it hurt him seeing the beautiful girl in front him upset. The black ninja then thought for a moment, besides aching he really was fine. He had also told the truth, he and the others had indeed been in much worse shape before. The black ninja knew he'd feel bad if he asked anything of the girl in front of him, Cole didn't like asking favors, especially when he was capable of doing things on own.
What could he do though? Destiny was still upset. She simply wanted to do something to ensure they'd be even, and that their relationship wouldn't be negatively affected. Cole had gotten to know Destiny enough to understand these as facts. As such he also understood that Destiny would continue to feel guilty about this whole ordeal no matter what he said to try and reassure her everything was fine.
Suddenly Cole felt his cheeks heat up as a possible solution to the situation presented itself to him. Could he do it though? Would now be an inappropriate time to bring such a thing up? The Master of Earth then let the thought bounce around in his head a few times. If we waited for the right time to do things then we would die waiting. That was what Ed Walker had told him, and taking in a deep breath Cole worked up all the courage he could muster.
"Actually… there might be one thing." Cole began. He had Destiny's full attention, and had no idea his hands were now subconsciously fidgeting with the grass beneath him.
"Destiny. Would you, would you like to, uh, go o-on a date? With me?" Cole fumbled, his gaze not looking at the girl beside him.
Destiny was stunned, silent. She had not been expecting this; in fact the possibility of Cole asking her out on a date was the furthest thing she had thought would have happened during their training session. The silence between the two seemed to last for an eternity, and with each passing second Cole began to regret asking his question more and more. Just as he was about to take back what he had just said though Destiny finally spoke up.
"I-..." Destiny cleared her throat before continuing, "I uh, I would love to." the yellow ninja answered softly, the volume of her voice affected by the distracting warmth she could feel spread like wildfire across her cheeks.
Cole could feel the butterflies in his stomach swell like a tsunami; he couldn't believe that his crush had said 'yes'.
"G-great!" Cole shouted happily, louder than he had intended to. "How, um, how about t-tonight? This evening?" Destiny giggled a bit as she stood up from her knelt position.
"It's a date." The yellow ninja smiled as she extended a hand out to the blushing ninja in front of her. "We should get you cleaned up first though. You landed in some mud." Destiny pointed out.
Cole looked down at the ground beneath him, and only now realized that the brunette girl was right. He had in fact landed in a rather large patch of dark colored mud, which he silently sighed over. They had barely gotten these new gi, and he'd already need to have his washed of stains. Even more embarrassed now Cole accepted Destiny's outstretched hand, and helped to lift himself up as he was pulled back onto his feet.
After the two walked around the side of the Airjitzu temple and made their way up the small flight of stone steps in the front they arrived at the front doors. Pushing open one of the doors Cole allowed for Destiny to enter the building first, following her inside afterwards. As the pair entered the room they found everyone else in roughly the exact same spots they had been in when the two of them had left. Except the other ninja were now beginning to open up the remaining boxes instead of moving them around.
"You guys are back already?" Jay questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, that was a really short training session. Is everything okay?" Kai followed up.
"Everything's fine, just, uh…" Cole trailed off, unable to come up with a believable excuse.
"I accidentally punched Cole in the face after I kicked him in the arm." Destiny explained, rubbing her knuckles against her leg as she felt embarrassment creep over her.
The others looked at Cole with concern. Well, all of them except for Jay. The blue ninja had instead bursted out laughing, but was scolded by his girlfriend who smacked his shoulder gently. Zane walked over to the black ninja and quickly ran a scan over his earth elemental brother.
"You might experience some bruising on your forearm and nose, but besides that you should be fine." The nindroid explained.
"Thanks Zane." Cole responded with an appreciative nod, "I'm gonna go get cleaned up. I'll be back down in a little bit." The black ninja added as he began walking up the staircase to the second floor.
About halfway up the steps the other ninja took notice of the large brown stain painted across the black ninjas' backside. This caused another uproar of laughter from Jay, with Kai joining in this time as well. Although the others didn't laugh they couldn't help but snicker at the sight, Destiny included. Cole shook his head to himself as he continued up the staircase, cracking a smile in the process. He had been fully expecting this reaction from the Master of Lightning.
Later the same day -
After helping the others with unpacking for a couple hours Destiny had finally decided it was about time to get ready for her and Cole's date. Now she was facing off against her worst enemy, her wardrobe.
"Oh, come on Destiny! Just pick something!" The yellow ninja scolded herself as she threw shirts from her closet onto the wooden floor below her. She couldn't find anything nice enough to wear on her date with Cole. Nothing nice enough in her opinion anyways, she needed help.
"NYAAA!" Destiny yelled loudly as she fell to her knees, pouting as she did so.
It didn't take long for the sound of running footsteps to reach Destiny's bedroom door, and in a single motion the door flew open. Standing half hunched over in the doorway was an adrenaline fueled Nya, several strands of her hair messily flown out of place.
"What? What's wrong?" The Master of Water asked worriedly as she made her way next to Destiny.
"I can't find anything nice to wear!" The yellow ninja whined. Nya then looked at Destiny with a raised eyebrow.
"Is that all?" The teal ninja questioned, more confused than annoyed. "Why do you need something nice to wear? Are you going out somewhere?" Nya continued, picking up several of the shirts that had been discarded and thrown to the floor.
"Yesss…" Destiny's answer was muffled, and as soon as she responded she tried to hide her blush with her hands.
"What? Where?" The water elemental asked, too focused on tidying up the room to notice her friend's reaction.
"Ummm, I don't know yet. But, uh… Cole-asked-me-out-earlier!" Destiny said quickly, pausing as she saw her friend's jaw drop.
"After I knocked him into the mud." Destiny added in order to break the sudden silence. The yellow ninja then jumped in surprise as Nya squealed loudly. The teal ninja also threw her arms out in celebration, the clothes she had been collecting now falling back to the floor.
"HE DID IT! HE FINALLY DID IT!" Nya took Destiny's hands, pulling the shorter girl to her feet before jumping up and down. After a moment and a few deep breaths to calm herself down the water ninja continued.
"I can't believe he finally asked you out!" The noir haired girl stated with a bright smile.
"Finally? You mean he's been wanting to ask me out?" Destiny questioned. Now it was her turn to be surprised.
"Yeah! He's been waiting about a month now." Nya explained. Destiny couldn't say anything, she was too distracted by the butterflies in her stomach. Her crush had liked her for a little while and she hadn't even noticed the change.
"Oh! We need to get you ready! Come on!" Nya shouted as she grabbed a hold of Destiny's wrist, leading the yellow ninja down the hall and to her own room.
Meanwhile in the Master of Earth's room, Cole was also having difficulties of his own preparing for the date as well. Cole had already taken a shower and spiffed himself up to the best of his ability.
"I don't know how to dress. How did you dress on your first date with Nya, Jay?" The black ninja asked his best friend worriedly as he looked away from his full body mirror and towards the blue ninja. Jay was currently playing a mobile game on his phone while sitting atop Cole's bed.
"Jay?" Cole questioned again, Jay continued to clack away on his phone. Sighing, Cole crossed his arms and stepped over to his distracted friend. "Jay!" Cole shouted into the lightning ninja's ear. The suddenness of Cole's voice scared Jay enough to send him falling off the black comforter and onto the hardwood floor with a thud.
"What Cole!?" Jay asked annoyedly, it was clear he hadn't been listening to Cole's recollection of the afternoon training session and his current inability to find suitable attire for his date.
"I asked Destiny on a date earlier and I can't find anything to wear. I thought you'd be able to help since you've gone on dates with Nya before." Cole explained with a frown, his arms still crossed over his chest. Although Jay had not heard his friend before now he was the complete opposite, and the tall raven haired boy had his full attention.
"Wait, you finally asked Destiny out!? Did she say yes?" The blue clad boy questioned, wide eyed and eager to hear his friend's response.
"Nope. That's totally why we're going on a date." Cole answered sarcastically, rolling his eyes before returning his attention to his wardrobe.
"Ha ha, very funny. Seriously though dude, that's great!" Jay beamed as he stood up from the floor and followed the taller boy.
"I'm happy for you! Sorry I wasn't paying attention before, the cleaning and stuff lately has me wiped and I just needed a distraction. I am 100% here now though." Jay apologized, placing a hand onto his friend's shoulder. Cole looked down at Jay, a worried frown still painting his face. Jay gave Cole a reassuring smile though, and with that the pair of them got to work.
As the Water and Lightning elementals finished putting on the finishing touches to their friends outfits they called out for a second opinion. Kai and Zane made their way to Nya's room, while Lloyd and Misako made their way to Cole's room.
"Okay guys, on 3 turn around." Nya explained, "1. 2. 3!" The teal ninja said excitedly. Just as instructed the red and white ninja's turned around, and neither said anything as they scanned over Destiny's appearance.
The yellow ninja was currently wearing a golden strapless romper. The neckline of the romper was connected to the sleeves, which draped along the upper part of the tanned teen's arm. The sleeves themselves had two separate layers one on top of the other to give it a somewhat frilled effect, and as the sleeves reached her elbow they belled out.
The shorts part of the romper also had two layers to appear frilled as well. As Destiny spun around she also showed off the back of the one piece. Although the back of the romper was somewhat open and showed sections of her back there was also a cutely tied bow of red fabric in the center. The teen then spun back around to face the boys.
Lastly the middle of her romper was also colored a deep red, and was tied around her stomach. Although the two boys were currently speechless they couldn't deny that the colors of the red and gold color scheme suited each other very well. Besides that the rest of Destiny's outfit consisted of several thin gold bracelets around her right wrist, a pair of brown wedge sandals, and lightly done makeup. Destiny's hair was also done in a half up - half down fashion leaving her with a cute bun on the top of her head.
"Sooo?" Nya prompted, breaking the boys of their trance.
"You did a great job sis!" Kai started, giving his sister a smile before returning his attention to Destiny. "You look amazing fuzz ball." The red ninja teased, causing Destiny to roll her eyes.
"Thank you, but you kinda ruined the moment there with that ridiculous nickname you keep calling me." Destiny sighed, shaking her head a bit. Kai closed his eyes and shrugged, a smirk painted across his face.
"It's not my fault you turn into fuzzy little animals." Kai stated as he flashed the Master of Species a teasing smile.
"Whatever." Destiny laughed a bit as she playfully shoved the red clad boy.
"By my analysis there is a 100% chance that Cole will admire your appearance and be rendered speechless." Zane spoke up, smiling at the fancily dressed girl beside him.
"Thank you Zane." Destiny smiled back.
"You ready?" Nya asked her friend. This earned her a deep breath from the yellow ninja.
"Yeah, I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Destiny responded, doing her best to calm down her nerves.
With that the group from Nya's room walked out into the hallway.
"Are you sure the first button should be undone like that Jay?" Cole questioned, unsure of his friend's tactics.
"For the millionth time Cole, yes! Showing off a bit of chest never hurt anyone!" The blue ninja stated matter of factly.
"He's not wrong." Misako spoke up, further accentuating Jay's point.
"See!" Jay exclaimed as he continued to finish fixing up the earth elemental's hair. Cole sighed, still worried whether or not his appearance was appropriate for a first date.
"Alright, if you say so." The black ninja finally conceded.
"If it helps, I think you look nice Cole." Lloyd spoke up, smiling at his older ninja brother through the mirror. "I've never seen you look so fancy before!" The green ninja tried to be encouraging.
"Thanks kiddo." Cole smiled back, feeling slightly better.
"There! Perfect! What do you think buddy?" Jay asked as he moved out of the way from in front of Cole, allowing the black ninja to take in his appearance fully.
Cole was currently wearing a black button up shirt, with the top button undone, slightly exposing his upper chest. The sleeves of his shirt also had buttons on the cuffs, but Jay had opted to leave them undone as well so the black ninja didn't look too up tight.
The sleeves were neatly rolled up to Cole's elbows though, exposing the fake gold watch he had on his right wrist. Cole's shirt was also tucked into his pants, showing off the dark brown colored belt fastened around his waist. As for the rest of Cole's outfit he was wearing a pair of gray khaki pants as well as his nice pair of black Oxford shoes his father had given him years ago, and he had yet to wear them until now.
As he finished taking in the whole of his completed appearance he smiled at his reflection. He was sure that no matter how he dressed he wouldn't be able to compare to how beautiful Destiny surely was but he silently hoped she wouldn't be disappointed in what she saw.
"It looks… nice." Cole stated, trying not to let his nerves get the best of him. He could feel his stomach doing flips in his abdomen though, and his hands also felt more clammy than they had earlier.
"Just 'nice' huh? Helped fix you up for an hour and a 'nice' is all I get?" Jay joked, sensing his friend's unease and doing his best to lighten the mood. The raven haired boy remained silent though, so Misako stepped in, walking till she was standing beside the tall ninja.
"Speaking from experience I can assure you that Destiny will like you no matter how you look." The gray haired woman spoke softly, placing one hand on Cole's shoulder while the other gave his upper arm a gentle squeeze.
"I've never gone out with anyone before, and to be honest the thought of going out on this date scares me. I don't want to mess it up; but how can you be so sure about how Destiny will feel?" Cole questioned, staring at the older woman's reflection in the mirror.
"I've seen the way she looks at you, and there's no denying that she cares about you just as much as you care about her. When that's the case it doesn't matter what bumps in the road you two hit. Why, I'm sure you could accidentally spill your whole plate of food onto whatever nice outfit she's wearing and she'd forgive you instantly. Now, I'm not suggesting you do that! I'm only saying that you have nothing to worry about; just be yourself Cole." Misako stated, giving the Master of Earth a reassuring smile as she removed her hands and gave him back his personal space.
"Okay. I think I'm ready." Cole finally spoke up after a minute, turning to give the others a soft smile.
Ready as well, the group from Cole's room made their way out of the bedroom and into the hallway. As fate would have it the two separate groups made it out into the second floor hall at the same time, and when Cole and Destiny laid eyes on one another the others could help but look on in silent glee and anticipation.
"H-Hey Cole." Destiny spoke up first. Although she was speaking to the earth elemental her eyes struggled to keep eye contact with him, the rose colored blush dusting her cheeks distracting her.
"You look really nice." The yellow clad girl complimented, flashing the raven haired boy a sweet smile. Cole shook away the daze he had found himself in, just as Zane had predicted the black ninja had been rendered speechless by his crush's appearance.
"You look gorgeous yourself." The Master of Earth complimented back. Now it was his turn for his cheeks to heat up and match the shade of Kai's clothes.
"You, uh, you ready to go?" Cole asked his date to be.
"Uh, yeah. I think so!" Destiny responded, brushing some of her stray hairs back behind her ear.
"Destiny, your purse!" Nya whispered, catching the yellow ninja's attention as she handed out the small silver colored purse.
"Oh! Right! Thank you Nya." Destiny thanked as she took the purse from her friend before looking back at Cole. "Okay! Now I'm ready!"
"Alright, let's go then shall we?" Cole inquired, gesturing for Destiny to descend the staircase first. Cole followed Destiny down the steps, and once they reached the bottom the Master of Earth opened the front door for his date.
"You two be careful!" Nya shouted.
"Have fun!" Lloyd added.
"Yeah, enjoy yourselves!" Jay called out.
"Not too much though!" Kai teased.
"Do not forget to tip your waiter!" Zane spoke up.
"Alright you five, that's enough." Misako said as she laughed a bit. Cole and Destiny rolled their eyes at their friends' statements, but smiled to themselves as they exited the building.
For their first date Cole had decided to keep things simple, and thanks to Kai and Skylor, he had been able to book a last minute reservation at one of the nice restaurants in Ninjago City. Or at least the black ninja had been told it was one of the nicer restaurants in the colossal metropolis. Luckily for Cole the reputation of the restaurant didn't let him down, and he was happily surprised by how the establishment was run.
As the two ate their meals they also engaged in pleasant conversation. At first Cole had been a bit awkward, unsure of what to say considering the fact that the pair already knew each other reasonably well. Destiny had helped break nervous tension though by asking him about how his personal projects were going, and once he started talking well, the conversation came naturally to him. The black ninja went on about the recent drawings he had made (he would have worked on paintings as well but he had yet to unpack the majority of his painting materials); along with his dabbling in DJ mixing.
Destiny contributed to the discussion as well, talking about her own drawings she'd worked on since Cole had shown her some of the basics. Along with talking about her art Destiny also brought up various other subjects, including the recent book she'd been reading, her training sessions with Master Wu, and even what she had done this morning. After the duo finished their meals and their plates were collected Cole paid the bill, being sure to remember Zane's words from earlier, and added on a rather generous tip for their server.
With their bellies full and their appetite satisfied the young ninja's made their way out of the building and out into the city. Nearby to the restaurant happened to be a park adorned with pink and white cherry blossom trees, and the two opted to stroll around for a little while, simply enjoying each other's company as well as the beautiful scenery.
Unfortunately, even though it was late January Destiny had forgotten how cold the evenings of the new year could be. It wasn't spring just yet, and the chilly moonlit night seemed to punish her for forgetting her coat. Cole noticed his crush cradling herself though and did not hesitate to throw his coat around the short girls' shoulders.
"Forgot your coat, huh?" Cole teased a bit, flashing the shorter a playful smirk.
"Yeah. Guess Nya and I were so worried about my outfit looking nice that we both forgot about its practicality." Destiny admitted with a lighthearted laugh.
"Aren't you gonna be cold now though without your coat?" The yellow clad girl questioned before moving to return the poofy black snow jacket to its owner. Cole raised a hand to stop Destiny though, and gave her a reassuring smile instead.
"Nope. To be honest the cold doesn't bother me, it never really has. Ever since I got the new glowing lava arm thing going on too though it's like I've become somewhat of a natural human heater like Kai. Even without actively using the powers." Cole explained, and Destiny couldn't help but silently agree.
Every time the two of them had held hands Destiny could never recall the earth elemental having cold hands. Not when they had trained outside in the middle of winter, and not even now while the grasslands of the park were blanketed in a thin layer of powdered snow. Just like Cole said, Kai was the exact same way in the fact that he never seemed cold. She could only assume it was one of the lesser discussed perks of having elemental powers associated with heat properties.
"I guess it would make since that lava arms would keep you warm." Destiny laughed, and Cole laughed a bit as well.
The two then continued their stroll down the gravel pathways of the park, the frost covered ground giving a satisfying crunch with each step they took. During this time a thought crossed through the earth ninja's mind, and after taking in a deep breath he gently took Destiny's hand in his own. Destiny was a bit surprised for a moment but her expression quickly changed to a soft smile as she looked up at her date and squeezed the black ninja's hand back.
Cole noticed the movement from his crush and moved to meet her gaze, sending her a soft smile of his own as he took in her beauty. Cole couldn't help it, the way he stared longingly into her hazel eyes, and the way the twinkling lights of the stars shone in them like a thousand diamonds. Destiny meanwhile was also pulled into the gray orbs of the earth elemental. His own eyes appearing more like silver from the glows of the lanterns lit atop the nearby pond.
The pair stayed this way for what seemed like forever, peacefully engulfed in a world all their own. Finally though Destiny broke away, and couldn't help but look down at the ground as her cheeks heated up in embarrassment.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare for so long." The yellow dressed girl apologized. Cole smiled to himself again, and brushed a stray piece of Destiny's hair behind her ear, causing the young girl to look up at him again.
"Don't apologize, I couldn't help but stare too. The way your eyes reflect the stars. It's, captivating." Cole complimented, trying his best to ignore the blush he could feel creeping across his face. "Ahh that was cheesy, wasn't it?" The Master of Earth questioned as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. Destiny could feel herself blushing again as well from the sweet words of her crush, but couldn't help but giggle at his last statement. Once the two recovered from their reddened faces Destiny spoke up again.
"Extremely cheesy." Destiny laughed, and after pausing for a moment she took in a deep breath. "So… what does this make us now?" The shorter questioned, looking up at her taller counterpart.
"Well, if it's okay with you… maybe we could try, dating?" Cole suggested, but then became flustered when he remembered they were on a date right now.
"I'm mean- I know we're on a date right now! I just, I meant, y'know-" Cole stopped his rambling though when he heard Destiny laugh again.
"I would love to call you my boyfriend Cole Brookstone." Destiny said happily, smiling up at the flustered raven.
"And I would love to call you my girlfriend Destiny Pierce." Cole added, gently squeezing Destiny's hand that he was still holding.
With their date practically finished, the new couple made their way back home to the temple of Airjitzu. Once they got inside they were welcomed by quiet and unlit corridors, everyone else already asleep for the night. Closing the front door behind them the pair made their way up the stairs and up to the second floor. Destiny tried to give the black ninja back his snow jacket, but he refused to take it, insisting that she hold onto it just in case.
The two then looked at one another lovingly for a moment before embracing in a gentle hug. After saying their goodnights they each went to their respective rooms, closing the doors behind them and processing everything that had just happened this evening. Neither could believe it, and it almost seemed too good to be true. It was real though, and they were together now.
When morning came the other ninja couldn't help themselves, they were sitting at the dining table eagerly awaiting to hear how the date had gone. Then when the yellow and black ninja's showed up for breakfast together holding hands the unasked question had been answered. Destiny and Cole received numerous congratulations, and did their best to regale how the date had gone to their friends as they ate.
"Ooo! You guys need a ship name!" Nya said excitedly.
"Ship name?" Cole questioned, clearly confused.
"Yeah, like a couple's name!" Jay added, elaborating for his friend.
"What about Dcole~" Kai said in a fancy commercial type way.
"That's literally just Cole's name with a D in front of it." Nya stated in an unamused manner.
"Dcole?" Zane repeated, "I do not believe that is a suitable name."
"Yeah, I gotta agree with Zane and Nya, Kai. Doesn't really roll off the tongue." Lloyd chimed in.
"Fine! Then you come up with a better one Mr. Smartypants." The red ninja fired back in a teasing tone. Lloyd pondered for a moment, but then lit up as he came up with a ship name.
"Oh! What about Colstiny?" The youngest ninja suggested. Destiny and Cole both looked at each other and smiled.
"I think it sounds good, thanks buddy!" Cole thanked with a smile.
"Yes! I love it!" Destiny added.
"Colstiny it is!" Nya exclaimed happily.