Fire Scars (More Than Just Skin)

Grief

"Yeah he was really familiar." Zane agreed

"But why would we recognize him? We have never been to this coffee shop, not do we know anyone who would work at a coffee shop." He questioned

The ninja thought for a minute

"I mean there's always the possibility of it being... Him." Lloyd offered

The rest of the ninja froze

"Lloyd no. He's gone. He disappeared three years ago. If he was still in Ninjago we would have found him by now." Nya said shutting the idea down.

"I mean, yeah. There are probably plenty of people in Ninjago named Kai. Besides. He doesn't act anything like Kai." Cole said agreeing.

"You're probably right. I just... I miss him a lot." Lloyd confessed

"We all do Lloyd. We all do..." Cole trailed off as the other ninja fixed him with pitying looks

The ninja all knew about Coles crush on Kai.

He hadn't actually told any of them but it was blaringly obvious.

They knew Cole has been crushed when Kai left.

They had a hunch that Kai also liked Cole given how long it had taken him to get blocked, but they didn't tell him, figuring that it would only make things worse for Cole.

Knowing that Kai had left even with his feelings for Cole. That he hadn't told Kai about his feelings. That he didn't even have a chance to tell Kai anymore.

So they all agreed to keep it secret.
____——____——____——____——____——____

At the monastery

After Kai had left the ninja had found something Kai hadn't brought with him.

A journal.

They attempted to open it but discovered it needed a key.

Then after about a week they found it.

So they opened the journal and boy were they not ready for what they found inside.

They found page after page of Kai documenting all his insecurities. All his flaws and everyway his teammates were better than him. Every reason he hates himself. Every mistake he can't let go.

The one thing they didn't find however, was Kai admitting his feelings for Cole.

He clearly didn't trust that his team wouldn't one day find his journal and the key.

But they thought about the contents of the journal everytime they went past Kai's room.

So they turned the room into a kind of memorial for Kai, since for all intents and purposes he was dead, and then hung a curtain in front of the door so they wouldn't have to think about it.

We're getting off track.

Back to the present.

Cole walked over to where Kai had once slept and pulled back the red curtain.

As he opened the door and stepped in he thought about every chance he had had to tell Kai of his feelings.

He walked over to the makeshift memorial and caressed the photo of Kai.

"I miss you..." He whispered to himself

"Me too."

Cole whipped around to see Nya on the doorway

"Wha-"

"I saw you walk past your room and I remembered that Kai's room was just a little past yours so I followed you." She explained

"But why?"

"I thought you might like some comfort. Or at least some company."

"That- That might be nice."

So Nya stood next to Cole and they stood there, grieving the loss of their friend.

"I feel horrible." Nya said suddenly

"For what?" Cole asked

"I can't help but feel like it's my fault he left... If only I hadn't treated him so harshly that day..."

Cole didn't say anything. Because as much as he wanted to comfort her he knew she was right. If she hadn't started yelling the others wouldn't have either and Kai wouldn't have felt so shitty that he thought he had to run away.

They sat there for a little longer before Zane came to tell them dinner was ready.

____——____——____——____——____——____

The drive home was agonizing for Kai.

All he could think about was his friends. Or, the people he once called his friends.

He supposed they weren't really friends anymore

As he stepped into the dark apartment he could barely pay for (thank God for his roommate who was never here but still helped pay rent) he wondered vaguely if they ever found the journal he left behind.

He realized much too late that he had forgotten it but couldn't bring himself to go back to get it.

He just hoped if they did they didn't find the key.

He was glad he never wrote down his feelings for Cole though.

If they ever did get his journal open he didn't think he could take the embarrassment.

He pondered these things as he made his way around the dark apartment.

His apartment was dark right now because the fuse to his apartment had broken and no one would be in to fix it until the day after tomorrow.

His apartment did have a fireplace he could light but he didn't like to have sources of fire around the house.

And he especially refused to use his elemental powers so he just went around in the dark.

He had developed a fear of fire that without knowing him most would call irrational, but after they learned how he got his scars most would understand.

Despite this however, he still loved fire.

He supposed it was because he was the master of fire that he just naturally liked fire.

So he had his lock screen and homescreen as fire.

But he never used his own fire.

The last time he used it was shortly after "the incident".

It was then he discovered his flames were now blue.

After that he swore never to use his fire again.

He wouldn't risk hurting more people.

As he laid down in bed to sleep his last thought was

'I just wish I could go back to my... My friends'

Before the world went dark.