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ghostie-cole · 1 month

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🖤🖤🖤

Even victory comes at a price

//Right after the defeat of the Overlord in Crystallized, the beginning of the Dragonic Weapons AU//

Golden light showered the sky above, echoes of power flying through the city and destroying the parasitic crystals of the Overlord. The shockwave lasted mere moments, but even the army of evil and the allies of the ninja realized the defeat of darkness. Cheers started echoing throughout the city as the crystal army, one by one, exploded into golden dust and light. It was a serene sight for the citizens of Ninjago, as the ultimate evil had finally been defeated.

Sensei Wu turned to look upwards toward the golden figures high in the sky, the four-headed golden dragon of creation and his nephew as they landed back upon Borg's Tower. He could feel the creational power breeze past him, almost acting like a hug, a reassurance. A call of we won.

Looking out of the corner of his eye, Wu could see that Nya was also enjoying the feeling, eyes closed and a small sigh escaping her lips. He couldn’t help the serene smile of his own.

“Thissss better be the lassst time we have to come to ssssave the ninja, old man.” Wu turned his body, facing Skales and the rest of the serpentine. The other ex-generals stood around their warriors, tending to any wounded.

“Hopefully, this is the final great battle of good and evil. We thank you for your help in our time of need.” Wu bowed, making Skales pause before sighing and shaking his head. Wu glanced back up, seeing the serpentine move forward.

“I sssay this like we it issss a burden to usss. I sssshould apologize in my hassste to be so sssstraight forward. After all, Ninjago is the home of the ssssserpentine asss well.” Skales went into a bow, tail curling forward in acknowledgement of the sensei.

Both straightened back up, with Wu grabbing his staff that had fallen during the shockwave of pure creation. He looked up to see the golden dragon make its way back towards the ground, where his four students stay frozen and rock-like from their sacrifice.

They should be returning to normal any second.

“I am sure my students would like to give their thanks as well,” he started forward to where the dragon was landing, already with other people gathering close to its destination, “as they haven’t seen you in many moons.”

Nya, fixing to head towards the landing site, nodded her head and made a ‘come on’ motion.

“I know Lloyd would be happy to see you again Skales. And that goes to the rest of the generals as well!” Adding that last bit was perhaps a little manipulative on her part, but it wasn’t something that she felt bad about.

Skales looked behind to the ex-generals, all of whom looked confused but hesitantly nodded anyway. Turning back, Skales started forward, Acidicus, Fangtom, and Skalidor slithering along beside him.

It took only minutes before they made it to the stone-hardened ninja, the dragon having landed moments after their arrival. All four heads bowed forward as Lloyd slid off of it.

“Nya! Sensei Wu,” Lloyd cried. He ran forward, engulfing them both in a hug. Nya laughed and hugged back just as hard, not bothering to slap the green ninja for not being more careful of any injuries. Wu gave a firm hug to his nephew before stepping back and then around. He couldn’t help but stare at the dragon created from his students.

Garmadon and Harumi had been escorted down, both injured and being tended to.

All four heads looked down at him, happiness and peace in their eyes. It was a look Wu could feel at the very moment, with the suffocating darkness now banished.

“S-Sensei Wu? Why a-are they stone?”

Wu turned and saw Lloyd, who’s hands were engulfed in green, touching his four brothers to try and break their assumed imprisonment. Nya was beside him, holding Jay’s face and then Kai’s, trying to speak to them.

“W-Why isn’t it working!?” The green ninja cried out, his hands glowing even brighter with his desperation. Wu quickly ran over, ignoring the dragon that looked at the scene with an unreadable expression.

Using his own element, the sensei put his hands on Cole, feeling for the hum of life and earth. The golden element searched like a parent for its newborn, desperate to find anything.

Nothing was his answer.

Fear trickled into his mind. Giving up the weapons should not have caused this.

Lloyd had tears gathered in his eyes, legs wobbling as Nya kept him upright, her own tears already falling down her face.

“S-Sensei?” Lloyd gasped, choking out the word.

Wu, eyes closing to keep the despair out of sight, shook his head.

Nya gasped, shaking her head and rounding on the golden four-headed dragon.

“What did you do to them!? Give them back right now or I’ll-I-,” she cried. The fire dragon’s head leaned down, a small huff of warm air escaping and blowing her hair back, along with Lloyd’s.

She glared and pointed her finger at its chest, undeterred from the much larger beast. “I said give them back!”

The dragon sighed, the fire head raising back up to its fellow brothers, glancing at one another before the earth head stared at the frozen ninja. The large body moved forward, making its way through the crowd of citizens and allies alike. When it got a few meters away from the four ninja, it’s tail moved forward and raised high before slamming down.

Everyone could only watch in horror as the frozen ninja crumbled to dust from the hit.

“NO!”

Despair, fear, ANGER filled Lloyd’s mind, the call of oni tempting and fighting for revenge of his fallen brothers. He could sense Sensei Wu yell out to the dragon, but the words stayed muffled as he fought back the soft whispers of his heritage.

Was it even this bad when he thought his father was dead? It felt so much worse than that. What he called any ally had just killed his brothers (but were they already dead?), not even the slightest bit hesitant of killing off its masters.

The allies that helped the ninja rushed forward, trying to subdue the golden dragon as Lloyd felt the dizzying feeling of loss wash over him.

After everything they went through, his brothers perished to an ally.

Notgonestillherehere?Wehereyesno

Wait. What?

His brain halted its panicking state. Those weren’t his thoughts.

Hurtshurtswanttobewith……LloydMasterBrother

What the fuck?

Ignoring what Kai would have said if he could hear him cursing, and that sent a pang through his chest, Lloyd glanced around, trying to pinpoint who was talking. But everyone was distracted by the dragon, trying to keep it from taking to the air.

Pleasewewantfreeoutbrothersisteryang

The voices sounded so familiar, like his brothers if their voices got mixed up and blended together.

Was he going insane?

A loud screech came from the lightning head of the dragon as a spear hit it in the jaw. The other heads turned towards their brother, and Lloyd could see….something familiar.

Brotherhurtwhohurtspearhurts

He was hearing the dragon. But how? And why did it sound like his brothers? Something didn’t sit right.

Lloyd moved forward, green energy gathering in his hands. The green ninja maneuvered through the crowd of vengeful allies, the voices in his head never seizing.

LloydMasterBrothersafehurtingwhyhurtwehere

As soon as he got to the front, he slammed his hands down, creating a shockwave that, while not hurting anyone, caused everyone to stumble backwards away from the dragon. Wu stood a few meters away, still staring at the dust of what was once his students.

Nya glared at Lloyd, hurt shining in her eyes. “Why did you do that Lloyd? Did you not see what that dragon did to my brother, my friends, MY YIN?”

He tried to let her anger flow around and through him. The voices in his head having stopped briefly. Lloyd looked at the crowd, and Nya, as they were glaring at the dragon behind him. Even Skales and the serpentine generals, who still had a rough relationship with the ninja, had participated in the anger.

How was he supposed to express what he was hearing? It sounded crazy, but-

“I-I think I can hear them!” Lloyd yelled out. He winced as some of the anger on the crowd’s face changed to confusion or pity.

“I think he’s already going crazy.”

“He did just fight the Overlord, he could be injured.”

“He’s already missing his brothers, what do you expect?”

“QUIET!” Nya yelled out, her voice carrying past the questions and comments of the semi-large group. Her voice had even caught the attention of Wu, who turned around.

Her brown eyes searched Lloyd’s green, narrowed in anger and sadness. “Talk.”

FunnylovehersisteryinhurthurtpleasewantLloydMasterBrother

The green ninja winced as the voice in his head echoed, the pain in its voice prominent. He wanted to calm the voice, but the crowd in front of him was more important.

“I-I think this dragon is more than just the weapons. I’m hearing them Nya.” He could see that got her attention. Her anger finally started to change to confusion.

“What do you mean you can hear them? Hear who Lloyd?”

Lloyd turned to the golden dragon, all of the heads staring down at him with a look Lloyd could swear was hope.

Gently, he raised a hand to motion for the lightning head to come down. With no hesitation, it lowered itself right into his palm.

“Jay.”

Gasps rang out as the fire head lowered itself. Tears prickled at his eyes.

“Kai.”

The earth head rumbled as it rubbed the top of his head.

“Cole.”

A cool breeze escaped the ice dragon’s mouth as it nudged his arm.

“Zane.”

“Yo-You mean?” Nah stuttered, eyes wide.

Wu walked forward, staff making a click click noise against the ruined road. He stopped right in front of the dragon, standing beside his nephew as the lightning dragon moved its head from Lloyd’s palm to Wu’s staff.

“The dragon….the ninja transformed into the dragon, sacrificing their mortal body for Lloyd.” Wu hates the words that he said. His students were never meant to give up their mortality. How could he have not seen this coming?

Had he been too distracted with the promise of the dragon forms creating a chance of success? Perhaps his father merely did not foresee this happening.

Whatever the case, his students had realized before any of them the true sacrifice they had to take to save Ninjago. Them destroying their old, stone encased bodies showed understanding and acceptance.

He watched as Lloyd started petting the ice hea-Zane, as Nya ran forward to hug Kai’s snout. Tears streamed down her and Lloyd’s face, the relief too much to hold in. A sad, low rumble came from Jay as he nuzzled against Wu. Cole set his head against the ground, an answering rumble to Jay.

The knowledge that this dragon was the ninja sent a shockwave through the rest of the crowd, some of whom whispered their sadness and fear of the entire situation. Others shook their head and gathered into small groups, hoping to comfort one another.

“Sssso you sssay thisss dragon here issss the ninja?” Skales slithered forward, red hypno eyes looking at each head. The confusion in his voice was clear as a summer day. Acidicus came up beside him, moving close to Lloyd and staring up at the fire head.

Wu sighed, feeling centuries older than he actually was. “I believe so, yes. My nephew says he can hear them and I have no reason to doubt his claims.”

Glancing up, and really taking a look at the dragon, he could see details of each ninja that corresponded with the appropriate head. The markings on the lightning head that resembled freckles, the scar on the earth head that looked to mimic Cole’s ghostly scar, the ice head’s almost metallic look to it, and the fire head’s scar across the eye; how had he not seen the resemblance before? The dragon resembles them too well to just be the weapons’ ultimate display of power.

Skales narrowed his eyes, moving to touch the lightning dragon head. The head, Jay, rumbled and tilted down so that Skales’ hand touched where horns met scales.

The serpentine looked almost awed by the feel of the hardened scales of the dragon head. It was much tougher than his or any serpentine’s own, and much larger as well.

He looked back at Wu, tongue flicking out briefly before what was on his mind escaped his mouth.

“Isss there a way to change them back? I know they dessstroyed their bodiessss but there must be a way. How about those annoying teassss of yoursss?” Skales continued petting the dragon head, weary but confident in knowing the ninja wouldn’t try to hurt him.

Wu could feel eyes snap to him, all of whom were eager for an answer of yes or I have a scroll that could but the truth was much more devastating.

“I…” He didn’t even want to have to utter the words out loud. Despite him only saying one word, he knew his message got across to everyone in front of him.

Skales’ eyes widened, as did Acidicus’, who had been talking to Nya before listening to Wu. Nya paled considerably more, hands shaking as she continued rubbing her hand against Kai’s snout.

Lloyd however. Wu hated seeing the utter despair in Lloyd’s eyes. The anguish, the fear, it was something that he was familiar seeing but not to this extent.

“N-No! There has to b-be a way!” Lloyd turned back towards the dragon, his brothers, and yelled, fear and hurt and anger mixing into a truly pitiful combo of negative emotions. “Change back! Change back or I’ll-I’ll….”

Tears flowed down, dripping onto the broken pavement of the road as he curled his entire body around Cole’s head. The other three heads looked to their brothers before all moved to surround their little brother.

Safearesafe?humannevercanbehumanbutsadwecanhelppleasesafe?

“You guys saved me. I’m safe.” Lloyd whispered in between tears.

A small hum came from one of the heads. Which one it was, he would never know.

Safehessafebackasfournotoneyeslovebrothers

The earth head swung upwards, nearly making Lloyd fall in the process, and roared into the sky. The green ninja winced and had to cover his ears, as did the other bystanders, Nya, and Wu, as the other three heads joined in.

One by one, each head glowed brilliant colors of gold and white, before each landed on their respective colors. A loud ‘Pop’ sounded before the whole area was bathed in white light. Lloyd called out for his brothers through the rough sounds of popping, but nothing came through. Their roars quieted, and just as sudden as it came, the sounds stopped.

It took another minute before the lights suddenly receded, and as it did, Wu, Lloyd, and Nya tentatively made their way towards where the dragon had been. Once the light disappeared, it was a sudden realization that the dragon had disappeared.

No, instead four humanoids stood in its place, wings spread wide with relieved smiles on each face.

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ghostie-cole · 1 month

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It's deffo giving Queen Scarlett and Glory vibes

Whumptober Day 21: That's where the blood is supposed to be

Alt Prompt 1 - Losing Control

1865 Words; Naga AU, Tournament of Elements

TW for blood and dehumanization

Skylor waited nervously as the prisoners were brought in.

On a nearby dais Chen’s new pet—the Earth Master, Skylor remembered—shifted slightly, snoozing quietly despite all the noise caused by the cultists.

Skylor wished she could be so detached from the world around her. It must be nice, being a mindless pet.

But she was Chen’s daughter, standing at attention as the prisoners were led in, gut twisting in on itself when she saw Kai in the group.

She glanced away.

“Go ahead and look away,” Kai whispered, “but you know as well as I do after he takes our powers he’s still gonna need yours.”

Skylor tensed. “You don’t understand. My father gets everything he wants.” Boats, cars, food, exotic pets—if Chen wanted it, Chen got it. “I had no choice.”

“Just tell me one thing,” Kai frowned, “Was it his idea to make me fall for you, or yours?” His expression softened. “Because it worked.”

Skylor inhaled sharply.

Oh.

“All rise for Master Chen!” The room came alive with an excited clamor, snapping Skylor back into the here and now.

Right. Her father was going to get his way again.

Amidst all the chaos of Chen’s entrance, no one noticed Cole’s eye open slightly, tracking the man’s movements.

+=+=+=+=+

Cole coiled up under one of the ledges in his terrarium.

He didn’t see why Chen had felt the need to drag him out when all that was happening was Chen getting more power.

Cole huffed. He hadn’t even managed to pick up on anything useful for him. Just Kai being a sap over Chen’s daughter (and oh, if Cole wasn’t going to tease him about that until the end of time—

Well, once Chen was defeated.

If Chen was defeated.)

So Cole coiled up under the ledge where no cameras could see him, thinking over what he had learned.

Kai had an in with Skylor. That was good.

It didn’t help Cole, exactly, but it was still a mark against Chen.

Well, assuming Chen didn’t manipulate Kai into joining his side, which, knowing Kai, was a definite risk—

But Cole would trust Kai. He’d still plot around the possibility of Kai joining Chen’s side, but it was easier to have faith in Kai.

For now, though, plotting was all Cole could do. Plotting and waiting.

He was very good at waiting.

+=+=+=+=+

Kai watched as Lloyd was led down the steps, stumbling every so often as the cultists holding his arms pulled harshly.

Skylor glanced at her father for the umpteenth time, still not convinced that he didn’t somehow already know about her and Kai’s plan to steal the staff.

The cultists were in full revelry, excited for the success of their leader.

Clouse stood placidly to the side, ready to intervene as necessary.

And in the chaos of it all, Cole watched the events of the ceremony disinterestedly, appearing for all the world as though he were asleep on his dais.

Good.

Cole shifted slightly, adjusting his position.

It looked like Kai had shifted to Chen’s side. That, or he was trying to earn Chen’s trust.

Cole would treat it as though Kai was a traitor, then, so as not to blow any potential cover.

Chen took Skylor’s power, first, once again spouting off his “only one can remain” bullshit. Cole resisted the urge to hiss—not because it would be impolite, but because it would give him away.

Chen finished off with his daughter and moved onto Lloyd.

Cole began to feel that focus settling in, that familiar feeling of knowing that the time to strike was soon.

He tensed up, ready to lunge at a moment’s notice.

Chen stole Lloyd’s power, raising the staff in triumph. The cultists began chanting in earnest as Chen turned around to address them, Clouse starting the incantation.

Skylor moved to stand beside her father—

Now!

Cole lunged.

+=+=+=+=+

Kai had been on pins and needles waiting for the right moment to move, every bone in his body itching to grab the staff.

What he hadn’t expected, however, was the sudden movement from Cole’s dais just as Skylor moved to stand next to Chen. Faster than the eye could blink, Cole slammed into Chen, tail lashing out wildly.

Kai slammed into the ground, knocked over by Cole’s tail, and took a moment to get back up.

When he saw what had knocked him down, he gasped.

+=+=+=+=+

Skylor thumped to the ground in front of the platform, wind knocked out of her as several thousand pounds of scale and muscle moving at speed shoulder-checked her to the side.

The unexpected assault meant the wind was knocked clean out of her. Thus, it took Skylor a few moments to get back up.

She wasn’t expecting what she saw.

+=+=+=+=+

Cole lunged, fast as a whip, right at Chen. The chain connecting his collar to the dais snapped immediately, doing absolutely nothing to slow Cole down. He made sure to sweep Kai’s legs and shove Skylor to the side as he went, relying on the surprise of his sudden burst into motion to protect him from retaliation.

He didn’t have much of a plan beyond “get the staff”, so that was exactly what he did as he slammed Chen to the ground, ripping the staff from the man’s grip before twisting away, off the platform.

Clouse was the first to react, Cole’s charge only forcing him to stumble back before he recovered himself. Immediately the magic in his hands changed track.

But Cole was just as fast. Whipping around, he gripped the staff and fired the first element that came to mind at the sorcerer, freezing Clouse solid and knocking him off the platform.

The cultists recovered from their shock, then, moving to try and rush Cole.

So Cole shocked them, the lightning zapping through the entire crowd.

Holding the staff, Cole reared up to his full height, tail coiling around himself in case he needed to launch somewhere.

For a moment, nobody moved.

And then Kai gasped, standing up. He moved to go to Cole—

Cole brandished the staff at him. “Free Lloyd.” He demanded, glad when Kai complied.

“Cole!” Lloyd stood the moment the chains were off, “Destroy the staff! It’ll return everyone’s powers!”

“Now now,” Chen crooned, standing between Cole and Lloyd, “We wouldn’t want to do that, would we?” He extended a hand towards Cole.

Cole hissed, brandishing the staff towards Chen.

“Give me back my staff, pet.” Chen demanded, taking a step forward.

Cole tensed, gripping the staff tighter to hide the way his hands trembled.

“Come now,” Chen hissed, voice dropping into an authoritative tone, “Powerful staffs are not meant to be wielded by pets.” He took another cautious step forwards, noting with satisfaction how Cole moved just the slightest bit backwards. “And that’s what you are, aren’t you?”

Cole hissed. “Shut up.”

His voice sounded awfully small.

Skylor stood up and moved to where Kai and Lloyd were standing.

“That’s all you’ll ever be,” Chen snarled, “A pretty, exotic bauble for the more powerful to show off.” He scoffed. “That staff is meant to be in more deserving hands.” He stepped forwards, reaching for said staff, “You’re not even a person!”

Chen’s face softened again, insincere sweetness in his voice, “So give me back my staff, Pet.” He crooned, “Give back Master’s staff.”

“Shut up!” Cole slammed the butt of the staff on the ground, a fierce ring of fire flaring in a circle around him.

His shoulders heaved. His hands trembled.

Slowly, much more shakily than before, Cole pointed the staff towards Chen. “I am not my grandfather.” he hissed, “And I am not your pet.”

+=+=+=+=+

Kai winced, the urge to punch Chen growing with every vile word that bastard spat at Cole.

But where Chen’s words were making Kai bristle with anger and Lloyd shake with fury, they were having a much different effect on Cole.

Cole had shrunk down, now, shoulders hunched. His eyes darted around the room wildly, his grip on the staff too tight.

Skylor got up from where she’d been knocked down and moved to stand next to Kai.

Kai turned to her, question in his eyes—

She nodded.

“Hey fuckface!”

Chen turned around, but Kai was already in motion, smacking into the old man.

But Cole had noticed something the group on the platform hadn’t, and reacted. “Look out!”

The earth of the platform shifted violently, knocking Lloyd and Skylor and Kai and Chen to the side.

Just in time, too, as the wall above burst, the giant snake head crashing down onto the platform, a… roto jet bursting into the room.

The chamber quickly devolved into chaos after that.

+=+=+=+=+

Kai grumbled as he stood, not entirely sure why Cole had felt the need to knock him over like that.

A roto jet passed overhead, drawing Kai’s attention to the giant stone snake head where he had been only moments before.

Ah. That would explain it.

With a yell, Kai moved to join the fray, Chen forgotten.

+=+=+=+=+

Chen didn’t have the staff anymore.

But he did have knives.

Cole’s distraction in saving the others was enough. It had knocked Ray’s brat off of him, freeing Chen to act.

His hand flicked out, sending one of his lovely little hidden blades flying towards his very pretty—but very naughty—pet.

The blade hit true, the sudden knife in Cole’s side forcing him to drop the staff as he cried out.

Chen hated to damage his pet, but sometimes sacrifices were necessary. And it wasn’t like Chen had used his poisoned blades! The mild paralytic would only leave his pet immobilized for a bit, no real harm done once the medics got involved.

Chen threw another knife towards Cole’s tail to keep him occupied and moved to grab the staff back.

Cole saw the movement and thrashed, knocking the staff away from Chen. The movement agitated his wounds, however, resulting in him falling to the floor as blood dripped from around the blades.

Chen ran for the staff, forgetting the naga on the floor and tripping over Cole’s tail.

Cole rolled, movement slowed by the pain of his wounds. Expecting that he’d be moving quite a bit, Cole yanked the knives out and threw them to the side, not caring where they landed.

Chen was stumbling back to his feet.

Cole twisted harshly, wounded side protesting, the movement knocking Chen back down.

With a hiss of pain, Cole pushed himself up.

He needed to get that staff.

But Chen was also standing, or at least trying to, and Cole was finding it harder to move.

But while Chen and Cole had been struggling, Lloyd had spotted the staff.

With a yell, Lloyd grabbed the staff, picking it up and shattering it against the ground instantly.

Power flowed back into the elemental masters, the tide of the already lopsided battle turning further in their favor.

Power also flowed back into Cole, but it did nothing to stop the numbing agent in his system from immobilizing him.

He collapsed to the floor with a soft thump.

Chen grabbed Cole’s arm, squeezing it harshly.

“Come along pet,” he crooned.

“Let’s get you away from this mess.”

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