"Umm… Vania? It's me. The guards said you wanted to see me?"

Cole hesitantly pushed open the double-doors and walked into the room. He paused upon noticing the long dining table that stretched for several feet ahead of him. Both the table and the dozen chairs had been painted white with beautiful golden streaks, just like everything else in Shintaro. A white chandelier hung from the ceiling directly above the table.

Cole glanced to the left and noticed Vania standing a few feet away from the table, still adorned in her dress and crown from the crowning ceremony. She beamed at the sight of her hero, grinning from ear to ear and bouncing on her feet excitedly. She couldn't take her eyes off his golden shining armor. Two guards stood on either side of her, watching Cole with calm and trusting eyes.

"I'm so glad you could make it, Cole!" Vania exclaimed, her voice bursting with eagerness.

"Yeah, of course. What do you need?" Cole inquired.

The simple question was all it took for Vania's excitement to vanish into thin air. She chuckled nervously and fiddled her hands, a sight Cole had grown used to seeing.

"I wanted to, umm… well… S-since you saved Shintaro and all, I wanted to… throw you a little, uhh… celebration, for your hard work…," Vania mumbled, her nerves pulling her gaze to the ground.

"A celebration? For me?" Cole asked.

"Y-yeah..! I'm just, uhh… really grateful to you for beating the Skull Sorcerer…"

Wow, she's even more shy than usual, Cole thought.

"But, this is your special day, Vania. You were just crowned the Queen of Shintaro this morning! This isn't about me," he argued.

"I knew you were gonna say that…," Vania mumbled, her tone almost betraying anger. "Today has been absolutely wonderful, and I think celebrating this with you would make the day even better."

Cole grit his teeth, a pang of guilt striking his heart. "Well... If you really want to, I won't stop you. I just don't want to take the attention away from you on such an important day in your life…"

Vania finally gathered the courage to look Cole in the eye again. "You're not. I promise. This is my idea, after all. I think we'll have fun."

"Well, in that case… When are the others coming?"

Vania visibly flinched in fear at the question. Her gaze dropped back to the floor again, leaving Cole to stare at her and wait for a response.

"U-umm… actually… I was thinking it would.. be just the two of us…," she admitted, gritting her teeth nervously.

"Oh, okay. That's fine," Cole replied casually.

Vania hesitantly looked back up at Cole. "Y-you're okay with that…?"

"Yeah, of course. Why would I be upset?"

"I… I don't know…"

Cole stepped closer to Vania with a warm smile on his face. "Don't be scared, Vania. I'm not gonna get mad at you for something like that. I'm fine if you'd rather it just be you and me."

Vania slowly relaxed, all while giggling and smiling in relief. She couldn't take her eyes off the gentle and caring look on Cole's face.

"So, what did you want to do with me?" Cole prompted.

"R-right…! Umm, please, take a seat at the table. You can sit at the end, next to that big chair," Vania replied.

Cole made his way down to the far end of the table. He sat on the very last chair on the left, right beside the big chair at the end of the table. The lack of any plates, napkins, or eating utensils caught his attention.

I guess they're not serving any food… Then I wonder why Vania wanted me to come in here specifically? he thought.

He glanced over and noticed Vania and both of her guards had followed him. Vania smiled at him, unable to find her words as she walked past him and took her seat at the big chair. Her gaze darted back and forth in her struggle to hold eye contact.

"So, umm… are you ready to get started?" she asked.

"Yeah," Cole replied with a smile.

"Great! Then close your eyes."

"C-close my eyes?"

"Shush! Close them!"

Cole kept his mouth shut and did as he was instructed. He listened to Vania giggle under her breath and whisper something to the two guards. The guards ran off in a hurry, opening and closing the doors with great force.

"Keep your eyes closed. Don't open them!" Vania ordered with another giggle.

"I won't, I promise," Cole said as he closed his eyes tighter for good measure.

Silence fell. Well, mostly silence. Vania continued to giggle to herself despite seemingly nothing happening that would make her laugh.

Cole paid her no mind, too busy in his thoughts trying to push away memories of everything that had happened over the past couple days. He tried to stretch his shoulders to relax, only to bite back a wince, pain searing deep beneath his skin.

Man, I'm more sore than I expected… I hope it doesn't take me too long to recover, he thought.

"I can't wait for you to see this. I think you're going to be very happy," Vania said.

"Yeah?" Cole questioned.

Vania giggled again. "It shouldn't take the guards long to come back. You won't have to wait much longer."

"You really don't have to do this for me, Vania. I'm fine."

"But I want to do it. I guarantee you'll be happy you decided to see what it is! I promise you, it's impossible for you to be unhappy."

Cole said nothing, his curiosity pushing away memories of the Skull Sorcerer. He attempted to go down a mental checklist of what this grand surprise could possibly be, but failed to come up with more than a couple things.

I don't know how much she actually knows about me as a person... What could she have possibly gotten me that isn't cake or some other delicious food? Maybe a new outfit? Some special Shintarin herbs that will help my wounds heal faster? Is she gonna knight me?

The doors opened with great force, though Cole barely heard it before his eardrums were shattered by Vania's shriek of elation as she leapt out of her seat. Cole grit his teeth and bore it, only able to assume that whatever the guards brought must be truly incredible.

"Can I open my eyes now?" he asked.

"Not yet!" Vania answered through more giggles.

"Where would you like us to put these?" a guard asked.

"Right here, on the table. Right in front of him."

Cole listened to two soft thumps of items being placed on the table in front of him. He could hardly resist the urge to try and touch them to figure out what they were.

"That's all. Thank you. You can leave now," Vania said.

The guards departed, and the doors closed once more.

"Okay Cole, are you ready?" Vania asked.

There was another soft thump, and the squeak of a chair being dragged on the floor. Vania's giggling sounded much louder now, giving Cole all he needed to know she was right beside him again, and bursting with joy.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Cole said with a smile.

"Okay, open them!" Vania exclaimed.

Cole opened his eyes. Sitting on the table in front of him were two presents wrapped in colorful polka-dot wrapping paper, each with their own cute little bow on top. The present on the left was short, square, and small enough that Cole could place his hand inside it. The right present, on the other hand, was enormous. Its short end faced Cole, the long end stretching almost off the side of the table. Cole had to figure it was close to three feet long.

"Wh-what's the meaning of this? You got me presents?" he asked, flabbergasted.

Vania let out yet another giggle. She wriggled in her seat, the excitement just impossible to contain.

"Yep! They're both for you," she said.

"Why? Why did you get me gifts? I don't need gifts!" Cole protested.

"You're too humble, Cole."

"Vania, you should be getting presents, not me."

"I appreciate your kindness, but these are just for you. I don't need these."

"But…"

"I just want to show my gratitude to you. You saved us from the Skull Sorcerer! You need to be honored as the true hero you are. I promise, this is worth it."

Cole stuttered, looking back and forth between the two gifts over and over again. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. He failed to find his words, despite his desperation to continue arguing. When he finally looked back at Vania, her smile faded.

"These are, umm… special gifts…," Vania mumbled.

"Special? What do you mean?" Cole asked.

"Ah, well… You guys are leaving today. So, these are… parting gifts for you. I guess it's a way for Shintaro to say goodbye to you."

Cole paused, that pang of guilt hitting him again. How could he so adamantly deny such a kind gesture?

"I… I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"I'm sad you have to go so soon," Vania confessed. "But I understand it. You're a ninja; you need to be free to travel the world and help people. So… I wanted to make sure that your last few hours here in Shintaro are great ones."

Cole looked back at the presents. Memories of his adventures in the mountain drifted through his mind.

"You sure you want me to have these?" he couldn't resist asking.

"Absolutely! I'm not letting you leave Shintaro without them. So, you better open them and enjoy them, or else I'll have you arrested and thrown in the dungeon!" Vania exclaimed.

Cole smiled in amusement. "Alright, alright. Which one do you want me to open first?"

"The little one."

Cole carefully brought the smaller present closer and took the bow off. He tore open the wrapping paper, revealing a plain cardboard box with no printing to indicate what was inside. He fiddled around for the top flaps of the box, only to realize there weren't any.

"Oh, it's in halves. You just lift the top off. And be careful," Vania said.

Cole carefully grabbed the top half of the box and pulled it off. Inside was a small note on top of purple tissue paper.

"Read the note before you see your gift!" Vania instructed.

Cole lifted the note and immediately struggled to read the sloppy handwriting. He tried to ignore the dirty dark spots staining the paper, and strained to make out the words written in smeared ink.

"'Dear Cole… This gift I'm giving you is very precious, the most precious thing you'll ever see. I've been waiting for this day for so long, I lost track of how many days it's been. I've been holding onto this gift for a very long time, and I'm honored to finally give it to its rightful owner. It's exactly what a hero deserves,'" Cole read. "'Yours Truly, ….. Gleck'? Who in the world is Gleck?"

He looked up at Vania, hoping for an answer, but all he got was more giggles.

"Open your gift and find out," Vania remarked.

Cole looked back at the letter and read it over and over again. The name "Gleck" failed to jog his memory no matter how hard he thought about it.

"This has to be a prank from Jay," he muttered as he finally started pulling away the tissue paper.

He peeled back the final layer, and froze. His eyes widened, and his jaw hung open. His vision blurred with tears until his gift was nothing but a dark blur.

"It… it can't be…!" he gasped, his voice soft and quiet.

He hastily wiped the tears from his eyes knowing Vania was watching. He almost couldn't bring himself to reach down and cradle the small gift in his hands. All he could do was stare at it and feel its light weight.

"M-... my mother's necklace…! I… can't believe it…..," he croaked.

Before he could say anything else, a memory struck him. He gasped, picturing the purple creature that had scared him in his bedroom.

"That Geckle! With the hood..! He… he had my mother's necklace!" he exclaimed.

Vania nodded. "Mm-hmm. That's Gleck. Kai and Zane met him at the Geckle's home when they were lost in the mountain. After my father was taken away, Gleck gave that necklace to the royal guards, and told us to give it to you."

"Wow… I meant to talk to him after the crowning ceremony, but it was so crowded I didn't get a chance to… I'll have to thank him if I see him before we leave…"

Vision blurring with tears, Cole opened the locket. Another gasp hit him when his eyes met the photo of his mother staring back at him. He struggled to keep himself together, old and fuzzy memories flooding his mind. They clashed with the recent memories of the Heart of the Mountain and the Spinjitzu Burst, his love for his mother giving him the power he needed to beat the Skull Sorcerer.

"Thank you," he mumbled with a sniffle, holding the locket against his chest where his heart beat within.

Vania said nothing, her excitement thrown to the side for the time being. She remained perfectly silent in respect for her dear Earth Ninja.

"I never thought I would see this necklace in person. I can't believe it's been in this distant kingdom all these years… just waiting for me to find it. And the Geckles have been holding onto it..?" Cole paused to closely examine the physical condition of the necklace. "It's in pretty good shape, considering how old it is. The Geckles clearly took good care of it. The pictures, too…. They're so clear…."

Cole sniffled and wiped more tears from his eyes. He closed the locket and stroked it with his thumb, his promise to his mother echoing through his mind.

"Are you gonna put it on?" Vania asked.

"Yeah, I guess I should," Cole replied.

He rose from his seat, still clutching the necklace against his chest. He thought back to when he did the Spinjitzu Burst, and the determination that had overcome him and allowed him to tap so deeply into the mountain.

I can't even imagine how incredible of a warrior you were, Mom. I hope I can be just as great as you were someday…

With a deep breath, he put the necklace over his head. The chain settled on his neck and shoulders, allowing the locket to hang in the center at his chest. His gaze hardened in determination.

"Wow..! You look wonderful," Vania said dreamily.

Cole's determined gaze instantly vanished. He frowned deeply in sorrow and grief.

"My mom never got to see me unlock my elemental powers, or become a ninja. It… it hurts. I miss her a lot, and I wish she was here. But… I'm glad I can continue her legacy. I'm proud to be the next Elemental Master of Earth. Maybe someday I'll be just as strong as she was," he said.

"You're very brave and humble, Cole. People everywhere love what you do and always root for you when there's trouble. If any of you ever needed anything, I guarantee you thousands, if not millions of people would come to your aid. You've got the whole world backing you up!" Vania exclaimed. "I'm sure your mother would be overflowing with pride if she could see you. And… you never know. Maybe she can see you. Just from being in the mountain with you, I've seen the incredible things you can do, and you'll only keep getting stronger."

A smile crept onto Cole's face, his heart warming in gratitude. "Yeah. You're right. I'll never stop fighting, because I promised her I would always stand up to those who are cruel and unjust. Do me a favor, please, and tell the Geckles I said thank you."

"Of course I will. Would you like to open your other gift?"

"I… don't know if I even want to now. No gift could be better than this necklace."

Vania smiled uncontrollably, her excitement creeping back to her. "Well, even if it's not better, I still think you'll like it a lot, and you'll be very happy you decided to open it."

"I guess it couldn't hurt."

Cole sat back down, his smile growing. He tried to ignore the urge to keep fiddling with the necklace. In the back of his mind, he almost began to worry this was all a dream.

"Oh, and by the way… This gift is kinda fragile, so be extra careful with it," Vania said.

"I'll be gentle, I promise," Cole replied.

The Earth Ninja took great care in pulling the bow off the top of the box. He carefully took apart the wrapping paper, slowly tearing off strip after strip. He took his time so much that he didn't notice Vania fidgeting impatiently in her seat.

"You don't have to be that gentle. It's not gonna blow up," Vania teased with another giggle.

"I'd rather be safe than sorry," Cole said.

He went a little faster, until finally he pulled off the final piece of paper. The box was also plain with no printing at all. Its two flaps at the top were barely taped shut. A tiny gap between them revealed pink tissue paper stuffed inside.

"Where did you even find a box like this?" Cole asked in surprise.

Vania just giggled.

Cole effortlessly opened the box, exposing the pile of pink tissue paper.

"Now, wait, be careful when you put your hands inside the box!" Vania exclaimed.

Cole opened his mouth to ask why, before realizing that Vania probably wouldn't give him an answer. Instead, he nodded and exercised even more caution in removing the tissue paper. He barely grabbed the thin sheets by the tips of his fingers and pulled them out one by one as if they were toxic.

Vania giggled uncontrollably with each piece of tissue paper that was taken out. Cole kept his gaze locked on the innards of the box, watching the pile of pink get thinner and thinner. A dark, rectangular shape began to appear beneath.

Don't tell me this is that 'small box inside of a big box' prank Jay loves to play. Vania doesn't seem like the type to do something like that, especially since the first gift was so special…, Cole thought.

Finally, he tossed away the final lump of tissue paper. He expected to be able to smile in joy at the gift, but instead, he was utterly starstruck. He failed to find his words, his eyes wide and jaw hanging open once more.

A burst of giggles from Vania pulled his attention away from the gift. He looked at her, silently demanding an explanation. Vania said nothing, only giggling, her hands covering her entire face save for her eyes.

"No…! How!?" Cole gasped.

He reached inside the box and wrapped his hand around a handle. A shiver went up his arm, power and determination flowing through his veins. That mindset, the bravery and refusal to give up until the Skull Sorcerer was gone, all came rushing back to him just from a single touch.

He lifted the gift out of the box, bringing the white gleaming Blade into the sunlight. His reflection stared back at him, it too in denial of what his eyes were showing him. He took his other hand and stroked the Blade as delicately as he could. He ran his fingers along the metal, bumping over tiny ridges where the pieces had been expertly welded back together.

His gaze returned to the box. He blinked away tears as he slowly lifted up the other Blade into the light. All he could think to do was stare into his reflection shining in the pure black metal.

The Blades of Deliverance…!

"Vania….. I… I don't know what to say….," he breathed, his voice hardly above a whisper. "How did… Where did you…? I don't understand…"

Vania rose to her feet, finally composing herself. "I know those Blades were very precious to you. After you all went back to the surface to rest, I ordered my guards to gather as many broken pieces of the Blades as they could find. Turns out, they broke into big pieces that were easy to gather. The Geckles and Munce offered to repair them for us, and they did a splendid job. Apparently they're as good at blacksmithing as they are at building. They believe the Blades belong to you, and they want you to have them. It's their way of saying thank you for all the hard work you did to save them from the Skull Sorcerer."

Cole said nothing. He looked back and forth between the Ivory Blade and the Shadow Blade, his reflection gawking back at him.

"They look brand new… Like they were never broken…," he mumbled.

More tears welled up in his eyes. He blinked them away, a smile uncontrollably crawling onto his face. His fingers wrapped around the Blades' handles filled with his heart with a power unlike any other.

"Why don't you try them out? Try doing some poses with them and see how they feel," Vania prompted.

Cole didn't hesitate to stand up. He continued to stare at the Blades of Deliverance, awed at their beauty. No matter how many times he cleared away the tears, more came in their place.

"I wish my mom could see me like this," he lamented, his shoulders slouching.

"Do you feel strong?" Vania asked.

"Yeah. Very. But… not in quite the same way."

Cole backed away from the table to make space for himself. He held out the Blades of Deliverance and carefully swung them through the air, striking various fighting poses as if he was surrounded by enemies. Every swing of his arms invigorated him more and more, pushing his emotions to the surface harder and harder. More tears came, and this time he struggled to blink them away in time.

"Those Blades are beautiful! You look like you could beat anything that comes your way!" Vania exclaimed in awe.

Cole huffed confidently, unable to resist looking at his reflection again. He held the Ivory Blade farther from him, revealing more of his body in the reflection. He saw himself, holding the Shadow Blade with his mother's locket around his neck.

The reflection quickly became blurred with tears. Cole's heart overflowed with gratitude that he simply could not contain any longer. He had his mother's elemental powers, his mother's necklace, and his mother's weapons… He couldn't possibly ask for anything more.

"Thank you… Thank you….! I… I can't believe this…," he croaked, his voice quivering.

Saying thank you wasn't enough for him. He didn't even look at Vania or wait for her to say anything, instead hastily setting the Blades down on the table through the tears blurring his vision.

"I'm so glad I c—"

Cole didn't let Vania finish her sentence. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her in a firm hug. He shut his eyes and struggled to choke back the gasps and whimpers that wanted to escape so badly.

Vania stuttered incoherently, her entire body tensing up. All she could do was stare straight ahead while her mind struggled to process she wasn't dreaming.

"Vania, I… I don't know how to say how much this means to me… No amount of 'thank you's would ever be enough. My mom's necklace was what started this whole adventure, and I'm so happy to have it back, you have no idea… I'm so grateful to the Geckles and Munce that they were okay with me having the necklace and the Blades of Deliverance. I can't wait to hang them up in my bedroom back at the Monastery! I'll never let anything happen to them ever again…," Cole gushed, his voice shaking and breaking with every word.

Vania failed to find her words. She slowly hugged Cole back and squeezed him gently in hopes of comforting him.

"Please, please, tell the Geckles and Munce how grateful I am. I'll never forget their kindness, and I hope they can all live in peace now that the Skull Sorcerer is gone," Cole continued.

"I will, don't worry. I'll tell them everything you're saying. From what I heard at the crowning ceremony, they're already so much happier now that they're free from those chains," Vania said softly.

"And you… I'm so grateful to you, too. You really had the kindness in your heart to gather up the broken Blades so they could be fixed for me…? That means so much to me. Now the Blades of Deliverance are safe, and they'll never be broken or stolen ever again. Not to mention how much we've been through together in the mountain… It was because of you that the others were able to find me in the mines and rescue everyone. I-I hope I can somehow make it up to you…"

"Cole, you don't need to make anything up to me. You saved our entire kingdom, and I am eternally grateful to you for your bravery. Don't act like you have some kind of debt that you need to pay. You're our hero, and you deserve to have these gifts. I can't wait to see what you'll do with them."

Cole nodded slowly. Vania rubbed his back in hopes of consoling him, but the Earth Ninja ultimately only became even more overcome with emotion. He hugged Vania tighter in one final attempt to keep his composure.

One little gasp escaped him, and that was all it took for the tears to roll down his cheeks.

"Thank you, Vania…"