#tnws

Have a very unserious redraw to hold you over in the meantime!

(Under cut: Blood)

“Hey,” he said in a quiet, hoarse voice that sounded like his throat was full of sand, “Couldn’t wait for me, huh?” His laugh sounded like the raspy wheeze of a dying animal.

Nya and Zane’s only response was stunned silence. Nya covered her mouth, blinking rapidly as though she were trying to stop herself from crying. Zane just gaped at Cole, his wide, icy-blue eyes bright as headlights through the dark fog. He was staring at Cole with the shock and wonder of someone seeing the sun for the very first time. Tears blurred in Cole’s eyes as his heart swelled, almost painfully. But it was a welcome pain. Eager to rejoin his friends, Cole pulled himself out of the Earth Driller, grunting from the effort. He swung his stiff legs over the side and, with a single, strenuous movement, jumped to the solid ground. He was relieved that he stuck the landing, his legs miraculously refusing to give way. Then black fuzz began to cloud the edges of his vision, like static threatening to take over his mind. Cole staggered, but he caught himself on the side of the Earth Driller and managed to focus on Zane. Cole’s vision cleared as he kept his eyes on his nindroid, who stood only a few steps up.

Warmth again flooded into Cole’s stomach, washing away his dizziness and spreading to his legs. Cole stood up straighter. He took a step up, never taking his eyes away from Zane, whose face was still coated in disbelief and awe.

“Hey, Zane,” Cole rasped softly. The corners of his mouth raised into a weak but sincere smile. He took another step up, holding his hand out to Zane. Zane gazed down at him, and in a flash, the nindroid’s face contorted into an expression that Cole could have never imagined would ever be directed toward him.

“We all cope in different ways, Zane,” Nya said, reaching behind her to hold Jay’s hand. Her black hair was unruly and loose, falling over her eyes and shielding her face from view. Zane didn’t have to look past the hair covering her expression to know that she was fighting tears. Even after a lengthy day and night of grieving, she had not run out of them. It seemed the master of water had no limit to how many tears she could shed. “I know I’m not helping by overworking myself, just like you’re not getting any better by wallowing in memories. But Master Wu is right. We had our day to mourn, and now is the day to fight.” 

“We’re not saying we’re going to forget him, or even put a hold on mourning him today,” Lloyd added softly. Nya nodded in agreement, then turned back to Zane.

“We’ll survive today, save Ninjago, and rescue all the people caught in the mist. Then we can hold a proper funeral for him.” Nya said firmly, her hand still on Zane’s shoulder. Zane sat still as a statue, staring blankly at his lap, fog clouding his logic. 

Jay’s voice cried through the grayish sky, a desperate and tearful shout following the harsh snap of rope. As Cole fell, he briefly glimpsed the look on his best friend’s face, horrified and anguished. But as the bounty took off at a high speed, the features on Jay’s face blurred together until they were gone. Cole could only stare in shock at the retreating floating ship, soaring away through the sky on flaming rockets. He reached upwards despite knowing it was pointless. 

Before he realized what was truly happening to him, Cole felt his body dropping faster. His vision was overtaken by empty blackness. Suddenly, he felt weightless, drifting alone in the silence. Almost like he was stuck between worlds. He might as well have reverted to a ghost… he was nothing but a specter. 

Soon it would be over, he was sure. But he only continued to plummet. Dark, cloudy tentacles reached for him hungrily as he fell. The ninja shivered violently as he felt the tendrils grab for him, the inky fog all too excited to squeeze the life from him and leave behind nothing but a statue. 

So that was it, he thought desperately, squeezing his eyes shut; it made no difference in complete darkness. The earth ninja would end his legacy with an unforgettable death. Turned into stone, then smashed into rubble on the ground. How ironic for a master of earth. But there was nothing he could do. His dragon had abandoned him years ago and the bounty would have to be hundreds of miles away by now. 

At least everyone else is safe.

The thought oddly calmed Cole. The idea of his family’s security filled him with a better sense of clarity. Not only them, but he’d succeeded in liberating the entire news crew and everyone else trapped in the building.

But even that reassuring thought would help nothing. He was only plunging deeper into the black abyss, getting swallowed by the darkness. The only thing to be heard was ringing in his ears. The pull of gravity and even the powerful wind and biting tendrils had begun to numb away into nothingness. It was as if the fall was his only existence and all else in the world had been erased. 

Cole’s lungs were growing heavy. He could almost feel his heart literally harden. He was dropping faster. If he could see, he’d notice his breath fogging as an unfriendly cold seized his body. And if he could feel anything, he would notice the horrified expression spreading across his paling face. 

He would be gone soon. Best to embrace it. He calmed his body and tried to conjure up the best images to his mind, at least to make his last moments less painful. 

Jay’s laugh. Nya’s snarky wit. His father’s warm ballads. Kai’s unapologetic boldness. Master Wu’s calming incense. Lloyd’s inspiring heroism. Zane’s bright blue eyes. Zane’s smile. Zane’s cooking. Zane, his dad, everyone…

A single tear flew past his cheek. Something other than the frigid cold warmed his chest, and for a moment, he was at peace. 

“Cole knew exhaustion like an old friend. Between the long days training with Wu and the countless sleepless nights spent wondering if he’d live to see the next day, Cole was all too familiar with sleepiness. But not this. Never like this. Suddenly, it was as if he was sinking into the ground below him, unable to open his eyes or even twitch a finger. His mind was slipping fast. 

He knew he was in danger, out in the open. But even as the cold chill from the black mist crept along his back and swirled about his ankles, Cole refused to move in his groggy state. Maybe it was for the best if he was just taken, turned into his natural element. Then he could join his father and all the others he failed. Yes, Cole thought to himself, a nap couldn’t hurt. 

As his consciousness began to drop into obscurity, brief images flashed through Cole’s mind. Most of them were memories, and all were hazy. Except one. The faces of his loved ones lingered in his head, all smiling, happy to be together. Master Wu. P.I.X.A.L. Kai. Lloyd. Jay. Nya. Zane. 

None of them would want me to quit, a hushed, yet strong voice said in the back of Cole’s skull. 

I finally finished it :,)

TNW’s top 10 best video games of 2019

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Well it’s certainly been a long year, hasn’t it? It doesn’t feel like it’s still the same year that gave us Kingdom Hearts 3 and Resident Evil 2 Remake. There have been so. Many. Games. And a lot of them were excellent! Not all of them, but quite a large percentage of them. We’ve really been spoiled this year.

And speaking of which, it’s that time of the year…