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“Lloyd was always my favorite Ninja growing up,” Arin informed them all, to no one’s surprise.
”Well, Cole WAS the original leader,” Frak pointed out. “So I’ll always go with him. But Lloyd IS pretty good, I have to admit.”
”I didn’t grow up with the Ninja,” Euphrasia spoke up nervously. “But I really like Zane! He’s cool. Uh—pun not intended.” Arin laughed at this, causing Euphrasia to blush.
”Well, I think Nya is the best,” Sora disagreed with all of them. “And while I do love Lloyd, Nya can put everyone in their place without blinking.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Arin snickered. Then he turned his attention to Wyldfyre. “Wyfy? Do we even have to ask?”
The five trainees were sitting in a circle in their now shared room. At first, they were sharing stories of their lives before becoming Ninja. And then it had turned to Ninja talk. And then it became a conversation about which Ninja helped them transition into their new lives the most. and now they were all discussing their respective favorites.
Though, Arin did have to preference, they loved all the Ninja equally. It’s just that….some were very obviously better than all the rest in every way. Some being Lloyd, obviously.
He at least had to acknowledge everyone else’s opinions, even if they were completely wrong. Except maybe Euphrasias. Arin wasn’t sure if she’d ever have a wrong opinion. She was just kinda perfect, in his eyes. In a completely platonic and normal way, of course!!
Wyldfyre crossed her arms and huffed. “I’m my favorite Ninja. I’m clearly the best one here. You guys would be lost without me.”
A collective groan rang through the group. They had all probably expected this answer, but they’d at least held out some hope for her. Wyldfyre really needed to work on her ego…
”You don’t actually count, Wyldfyre,” Frak pointed out. “We’re talking about the original Ninja.”
”None of us count,” Sora added, and Frak nodded.
”Well then I don’t have a favorite!” Wyldfyre scoffed turning away from them. The group shared a confused look.
”I….assumed Kai would be your favorite?” Euphrasia asked cautiously. Wyldfyre turned back to glare at her.
”Why should Kai count?! He’s my dad, other than Heatwave, of course. Parents shouldn’t count!! I thought that’s why Sora chose Nya instead of Lloyd!!”
”Well, either way you put it you’re…kinda choosing a family member,” Euphrasia pointed out.
”That’s…kinda true,” Arin realized. “Lloyd, Kai, and Nya are siblings. Nya’s engaged to Jay, and Kai’s dating Cole. That makes them all related in some way. The only ones who aren’t in that circle are Zane and Pixal…”
”Oh shoot, you’re right!!” Frak gasped.
”And since Lloyds my…dad, Nya’s my aunt, Kai and Cole and Jay are my uncles…” Sora blinked with wide eyes. “Geez, I don’t even know where this is going.”
”This whole family stuff is confusing!” Euphrasia exhaled in exhaustion from this mental strain. “Don’t you all have families? How do the Ninja count?”
”Well, my parents are still my parents,” Arin smiled. “But I look up to Lloyd like….an older brother. Which, I guess….kinda makes Nya and Kai my siblings, too?…”
”But…wouldn’t that make Sora your niece or whatever?” Wyldfyre pointed out. Sora and Arin stared at each other, then burst out laughing.
”No way!! Sora’s older than me by a few months! We don’t count!”
”But…Kai’s my dad….so does that make me your niece?” Wyldfyre asked again, scratching the top of her head in confusion. Arin blanked at this.
”Uhmmm,” he groaned, trying to figure this out. “I…don’t think so? Maybe? You are the youngest one here, so…” Wyldfyre glared at him.
”This really doesn’t make any sense,” Frak sighed eventually. “Why are we even including ourselves in this, anyways? When did the Ninja even say we were their….adopted children, or whatever?”
”Well, I called Lloyd dad once,” Sora admitted bashfully. “He felt really honored and it just…kinda stuck. Doesn’t help that my actualy parents are here now though…” she sighed.
”Kai told me he adopted me a long time ago,” Wyldfyre informed them. “Which I had zero say in, but I’m not really complaining.”
”Doesn't that also make Cole your other dad then?” Frak asked curiously. Wyldfyre shrugged.
”Well, I guess,“ she replied. “But Kai is a thousand times better than Cole anyways, so does it really matter?”
”Excuse me!?” Frak burst out, staring at her in shock. “I know you did not just say that!!”
”Here we go…” Sora sighed, shaking her head.
“What?-“ Euphrasia squeaked anxiously, glancing around the room. “What’s happening?—“
”They do this like every day,” Arin informed her with a sigh. “It’ll be quick, though. It typically ends with one of them storming out angrily after like three minutes.”
”I’m just telling the truth,“ Wyldfyre replied smugly. “Kai is the better Ninja. That’s kinda just common knowledge, Frak.”
”You said we can’t pick parental figures!!” Frak exclaimed angrily, glaring down at her.
”Well Cole is your parental figure and you’re choosing him!! So obviously the rules have changed!!” She retorted with a scoff.
“FSM, they’re really going at it today…” Sora blinked, glancing at Arin nervously. “Should we…?”
”Nah,” Arin shook his head. “I’m kinda interested to see where this goes..”
” ‘sides, Kai could beat Cole at anything!” Wyldfyre continued, standing up to loom over Frak. “He’s obviously the best Ninja.”
”Kai literally lost a race to Cole yesterday!!!” Frak retorted, standing up as well. He was slightly taller that Wyldfyre, but not by a lot.
“Well, Kai could beat Cole in anything else,” she sputtered. “Like…a sparring match!! Like how I beat you yesterday!” She grinned.
”oohh…” Arin sucked in a breath. Frak made a strangled noise of outrage. “That’s gotta hurt…”
“Wyldfyre, there’s no WAY that Kai could beat Cole in a sparring match!” Frak scoffed, trying to recover his damaged ego with pointless counter-attacks. Wyldfyre shrieked in outrage, obviously taking the bait.
“I KNOW you did NOT just say that!! Kai could beat Cole any day!!” She retorted, crossing her arms dramatically. The ends of her hair slowly ignited with a menacing blue flame. That’s how you knew she was truly passionate about something.
“As if!! Cole could beat Kai right now if he wanted to!” Frak retorted, clearing not scared by her display.
“Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out,” Sora grinned, standing up as well. “We make them spar right now, in front of everybody.”
“TWENTY BUCKS SAYS COLE WINS!!” Arin shouted, shooting up to his feet to race out the door.
Jays voice rang through the hallways. “DID I JUST HEAR BETTING?!”
___________________________
”…Why are we doing this, again?” Cole had asked, staring down at the trainees who were on their knees in a begging position below him and Kai.
”Because WYLDFYRE thinks she can disrespect the title of the Earth Ninja!!” Frak accused her.
”Because FRAK is STUPID and thinks you’re better than Kai!!” Wyldfyre replied snappily.
”First off, ouch,” Cole addressed Wyldfyre’s snarky remark first. She shrugged sheepishly as Kai tried to hold back his giggles beside Cole.
”Second off, how is sparring going to help?” He finished.
”Well, we figured whoever won in a sparring match would prove themselves to be the better Ninja,” Euphrasia explained quietly. “But—but only if you’re up to it, of course!!”
”FYI, I already have fifty bucks on Cole,” Arin informed them happily.
”And I have eighty on Kai,” Sora smirked pridefully.
”Nice,” Kai grinned down at her approvingly.
”I’m sorry, who all is in this again?” Cole blinked.
”well, I bet twenty and Jay bet thirty on Cole,” Arin began counting. “And then Nya and Lloyd each beg forty on Kai.”
”And you all have yet to bet?” Kai asked skeptically.
”I would if I knew how money even worked,“ Wyldfyre shrugged.
”Arin, I’m betting twenty on Cole,” Frak immediately responded.
“I….don’t really wanna choose sides?” Euphrasia admitted. “I think you’re both great.”
”Personally, my money’s on Kai. But I need to see how much others are getting before I make my final decision.” Sora explained.
”I’m about to get another ten on Cole,” Arin announced proudly.
“Jeez, guys,I dunno,” Cole scratched the back of his neck nervously. “It seems kinda inappropriate to be doing this?” Kai snorted a laugh.
”He’s just saying that cause his scared,” Kai whispered not-so quietly. Cole glared at him, eyebrow twitching.
”Fine. You’re on, hot-head. Prepare to loose.” Cole snapped back.
”If you say so, Rocky,” Kai hummed. He turned back down to the trainees who were all beaming with delight. “Gather everyone in the courtyard in ten minutes.”
_____________________
And so, here there were. About twenty minutes later, Kai and Cole were halfway through their match. Both were panting and equally exhausted, but fueled with determination to not give up.
Zane and Pixal had both politely declined joining the bet, as did Arin and Sora’s parents. So currently, they had eighty bucks on Cole and one hundred on Kai, since Sora had bet a twenty he would win.
“I do not see the point of this,” Zane admitted nervously, watching the two men spar in quick, fluid motions. “Do we not all know by now that we all have our strengths and weaknesses, and that no Ninja is better than the other?”
”It’s mainly just for fun, Zane,” Sora giggled. “I mean, for us it is. For Wyldfyre and Frak? Not so much they have a lot riding on this.“ Zane looked down at her in shock.
“Such as?…” he asked nervously.
”Their egos…” Sora admitted with a sigh.
”Cole is totally winning this!!” Frak exclaimed, watching Cole land a hit as Kai staggered back.
“No, Kai is!!” Wyldfyre retaliated, watching Kai dodge Cole’s next attack and swing to the other side of him, getting a few good jabs in.
Jay snickered. “Cole is totally winning,” Wyldfyre turned to glare at him angrily.
”Don’t underestimate Kai,” Nya replied. “They might love each other, but they’re both way too self absorbed to let the other win.”
”Thankfully, I’m selfless and I’d let you win in a heartbeat.” Jay replied lovingly.
”More like you’re terrified of her and wouldn’t even challenge her in the first place,” Arin muttered, loud enough that everyone heard. Sora and Nya snickered under their breaths, and Jay gasped in outrage.
”Don’t underestimate me, kid!! I could definitely beat anyone here in a fight!!” He begun to retaliate, before Wyldfyre and Frak both turned and shushed the crowd in an attempt to silence them.
”We’re trying to watch!!” Frak scolded them,
”Yeah!! Pipe down back there!! It’s like tryna command a hoard of baby dragons!” She scoffed.
Everyone else began conversing in slightly quieter tones as Kai and Cole continued. Both looked like they were nearly at their limits. Someone was clearly going to triumph soon.
Kai blew a sudden strike, aiming for a sweep at Cole’s feet. Cole jumped to dodge it, activating his Earth Elemental as he fell back down to the ground to make it shake. He took advantage of Kai’s imbalance, going for a blow of his own. Kai used this to his own advantage and dodged under the strike, coming back up to face off Cole. They both smirked widely at each other, arms up at the ready.
Kai quickly went in for another kick, aiming for Cole’s head this time. Cole blocked it with his arm, and Kai immediately went for a strike to the face.
….unfortunately, Cole was too slow to block this. And Kai clearly didn’t calculate how much strength he used in his attack.
The strike slammed straight into his nose. Cole made a strangled noise of pain, and staggered backwards, tripping over his own feet and falling flat on his back, unmoving.
Silence settled over the courtyard. Kai stood above him, frozen in shock. Everyone gathered around the training mats gaped at the sight, as blood began pooling from Cole’s nose and onto the floor around him.
Jay was the first to speak. “….Holy shit you killed him.”
Kai turned to the terrified audience, tearing up in fear. “HOLY SHIT I KILLED HIM?!?!”
Panic erupted in the courtyard. Kai lunged forward on his knees, bringing Cole’s face onto his lap, shaking his shoulders, begging him to wake up. Cole laid unmoving, unblinking, which certainly didn’t help the situation.
Wyldfyre and Frak began panicking, screaming to each other about how it was their own respective faults.
Nya and Jay ran forward, making their way to where Kai was sobbing. A little…dramatically, albeit, but understandable.
Sora, Euphrasia, and Arin had ran inside in an attempt to find Lloyd, who had wisely chosen to sit out of this situation.
Zane and Pixal calmly pushed their way forward, ready for action at the slightest inconvenience.
”Prop his head up,” Zane instructed Kai. Kai did as he was told, lifting Cole’s unconscious frame.
”D—Dhh—Did I—k—kill him?!” Kai managed between his tears, trying (and failing) to manage his panicked breathing.
”I’m one hundred percent certain that kind of blow could not kill a person,” Pixal informed them. “At that angle, it is impossible. However, he is losing a significant amount of blood, his nose is broken, and I am seventy-eight percent sure he is concussed. We should bring him to the Med-Bay immediately.”
Kai started sobbing harder. “HOLY FFF—FUCKING SHIT I CONCUSSED CO—COLE!!” He strained between sobs, bringing Cole’s head closer to his chest.
”Jeez, dude, chill the hell out!! It happens!!” Jay reprimanded him in confusion.
”You probably don’t remember yet,” Nya winced. “But a long time ago, Kai and Cole were fighting over something really stupid, and it got physical. Long story short, Kai ended up slamming Cole into a wall, and he hit his head and it knocked him out. He didn’t wake up for like, three days.”
”So, yes. His panic is completely justified.” Zane agreed over Kai’s quieting sobs. Jay winced.
”Damn,” he whispered, glancing at Kai with a little more sympathy. “Does Kai like….need help? He’d crying pretty hard,” he noted.
”He’ll be fine once Cole wakes up,” Nya shrugged. “….which, he will. Right, Pix?” Pixal hesitated.
“….I suggest we move Cole to the Med-Bay now.” Pixal replied without answering the question, which was answer enough. Real panic began to settle onto the others, and they immediately began to carry Cole back to the Med-Bay, with the help of Wyldfyre and Frak.
___________________
”…….at did we say about face stri…—“
”….didn’t mean to!! I thought he’d do…—“
“……ou said last time, Ka…—“
“……as different! We were actua…—“
”Guys!! He’s waking up!!”
Cole groaned as he began to slip back into consciousness. His head was killing him, and his nose felt oddly stiff. The bright lights that were directly above him shining directly in his eyes weren’t helping much either.
”oh, right,” Cole recollected, thinking back to what felt like mere minutes ago.
“….fuck, I can’t believe I LOST…”
”Cole?? Cole!! Hey, love, look at me!!”
Kai’s voice. Cole relaxed enough to squint open his eyes slightly to get a full look at him. Kai exhaled in relief, and a similar sound echoed all throughout the room.
The very much full room. Was the whole Monastery in here or something?!
”….These lights are so fucking bright….” Cole managed to utter. Kai let out a breathy laugh, taking one of Cole’s hands in his own to squeeze it tightly.
”Alright, file out, everyone!!” Cole heard Lloyds voice command, and slowly the feeling of a bunch of eyes on him died down to just a few.
”I really wasn’t expecting to be wearing one of these again,” Cole admitted, lifting a hand to gingerly brush the tape wrapped around his clearly broken nose. “You just had to go two for two, huh?”
Kai laughed, rubbing Cole apologetically. He went silent for a moment, looking back, then stepped aside.
“Two little someone’s would like to say something to you,” Kai informed him. Wyldfyre snd Frak stepped up to the bed, looking apologetic and guilty.
”We’re sorry, Cole,” oddly enough, Wyldfyre started. “It’s partially our fault you’re in here. But also not totally because Kai out you in here.”
Ah. There she was.
Frak elbowed her, continuing instead. “What she means is….we’re really sorry we put you up to this. And everyone decided that to make up for it, you get to keep all the betting money.” Cole’s eyes widened in shock.
“If I knew how to count, I’d tell you how much there was,” Wyldfyre sighed. “But I don’t. Just know that it’s a really fat wad of cash.”
Cole smiled, touched by this rare display of affection.
These trainees really did have a way of working their way into their hearts. No wonder they already felt like family. The kids the Ninja never had, almost.
”Awh, it’s really alright, you two,” Cole responded. “I do appreciate the cash, though. Definitely won’t be turning that down.”
Wyldfyre and Frak both snickered, and Kai began pushing them out the door. “Alright, you’ve said your sorries. Now our with both of you.”
When the door had closed again, Kai propped himself up on the side of Cole’s bed.
”I’m also sorry, by the way,” Kai piped up. “I went batshit fucking crazy when you passed out, just to prove my point.”
“Yeah, you’re overdramatic like that,” Cole rolled his eyes fondly. Kai lightly shoved his leg.
Cole watched the door the Trainees had just left from fondly. “The kids really do make everything so much more interesting, huh?”
Kai smiled sweetly. “Yeah, who knew. I never knew I even wanted kids, but Wyld certainly changed my mind.”
”I’ve always been good with kids,” Cole admitted, though this was common knowledge. “But Frak and the Finders really cemented that for me. And I’m really glad about that.”
”Yeah,” Kai smiled down at Cole. “Same.”
”They really are family.”