This is it people...the last official part of this story(besides the epilogue). It's been a blast writing for this story and I owe a huge thanks to everyone who read and/or commented on this story. You guys gave me the inspiration to finish this story. :)

So without further ado, let's get started! 

(Pssst, anyone remember the mysterious criminal who started this whole mess? I wonder who it was...)

~~~~~~~

Previously on Tiny Troubles...

"Poor guy," Nya softly whispered, running her hand through Cole's hair. "I can't believe he was suffering so much and didn't even say anything."

"That's Cole for ya," Jay replied. "Always the rock for everyone to anchor themselves to whenever they need to, but too stubborn to admit when he needs help."

"I am just glad that he finally told us what was wrong," Zane said, rubbing Cole's back. "Now, we can be there for him and help him."

"Shhhhh," Kai quietly shushed. "Let's discuss this later, poor Cole's exhausted. He needs some rest."

Everyone made themselves as comfortable as they could in the small room, pulling up chairs and surrounding Kai's hospital bed.

Meanwhile, Cole peacefully slept on, surrounded by the people that he considered family.

~~~~~~

Part 19

The ninja ended up spending the night in the hospital. In the morning, the doctors released Kai, warning him that he had to keep the sling on and that he couldn't move his shoulder too much until it healed. This meant no training or fighting crime, which made Kai a little disappointed, but a glare from Nya swiftly stifled most of his complaints.

Once they were on the Bounty, the ninja set about making Kai comfortable. Jay and Lloyd brought out pillows and blankets from the bedroom and set them on the couch in the game room. Zane went to the kitchen to make some spicy sushi for Kai and noodles for everyone else for lunch. Nya went to assist Zane, while also finishing the peanut butter cookies that she and Cole had started making the day before.

Speaking of the little ninja, he kept close to Kai. The two of them made themselves comfortable on the couch, Kai hugging Cole close to him with his uninjured arm. The two of them sat quietly on the couch together, watching a random tv show that they didn't care about. Sometimes, Cole would quietly start talking about some of the things he remembered about his mom--the way she always wore her hair in a braid, how she loved nature and would take him out for walks in the nearby park, how her laugh was infectious and made him smile and laugh too. Kai listened to the little ninja, nodding and occasionally adding things that his mom did that was similar to what Cole's mom did. A few times, Cole would start to cry and would mumble, "I miss her so much..." During these times, Kai would hug Cole tighter, whispering, "I know Cole, I know. It's okay, shhh, just let it out..."

Around noon, everyone else piled into the game room, Zane and Nya carrying trays filled with food. They ate lunch in the room, keeping a careful eye on Cole. But, despite the fact that he still missed his mom, Cole managed to eat most of his lunch. He even let Jay snap a few selfies with him on the blue ninja's phone. Jay also included Zane in the photos, though the nindroid was less enthusiastic about it.

As he finished his food, however, the little ninja suddenly felt...weird. It felt like his skin was tingling and he scratched at his arm, trying to make the tingly feeling go away.

"Cole?" Kai asked, noticing. "You okay?"

"Feel weird," Cole mumbled, still scratching his arm. "My skin feels tingly."

Zane put a hand on Cole's forehead. "You do not have a fever," the nindroid announced, frowning. "Perhaps you have a rash?"

Cole shrugged. "Maybe. I'll go get the itch cream--AH!"

The tingly feeling suddenly grew stronger, startling Cole. He tumbled off the couch, landing on the ground tangled in the blankets. He heard his teammates call his name, and he struggled to get out. But the tingly feeling just grew stronger until all Cole could do was squeeze his eyes shut and pray for it to stop soon.

Just as soon as it started, the tingly sensation stopped, leaving Cole gasping underneath the blankets. His limbs felt strange, like someone had pulled at his arms and legs.

"Cole!" he heard Kai call him. "Are you alright?"

Struggling, Cole managed to escape the blanket trapping him and sat up, rubbing his head. "Yeah," he answered. "I still feel weird though..."

Cole blinked, stunned. His voice...it was no longer squeaky! Bringing his hands up to his face, Cole let out a cheer when he saw that they were no longer tiny. "I'm big again!" he cheered. "I'm not a kid anymore!"

"Awwww man!" Jay complained, pouting. "I'm not older than you anymore!"

Lloyd coughed, but gave Cole an innocent look when the black ninja glared at him. "Good to have you back, Cole," the green ninja said.

"Though, how are you back?" Kai asked, confused. "You didn't drink any Tomorrow's Tea."

"Perhaps whatever had turned Cole into a kid wears off after a certain amount of time," Zane hypothesized.

"Thank goodness for that," Cole sighed, flopping onto the floor. "I'm glad I'm a teen again."

Kai chuckled. "Glad you're back to normal, Cole."

"Me too," Cole groaned, smiling slightly.

The sound of a phone ringing startled everyone. "I'll get it," Cole immediately said, standing up...only to yelp and fall when his legs refused to support his weight.

Everyone laughed at Cole's tumble. "I shall get the phone," Zane chuckled, making his way to the kitchen, where the main phone for the Bounty was.

"Looks like your body isn't used to being a teen yet, Cole," Kai teased as Jay helped the black ninja stand.

"It feels like my limbs are made out of taffy," Cole grumbled as he managed a shaky step.

Lloyd snorted. "Now you know how I felt when I got turned into a teen," he said.

"I'll never make fun of you tripping ever again," Cole vowed as he finally managed to take a step forwards without Jay's help.

Zane walked back into the room then. "Cole," he said, holding up the phone. "It's your father."

Cole carefully took the phone. "Hello?"

"Cole!" His dad's voice exclaimed. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me, Dad," Cole laughed slightly. "I'm back to normal."

"That's wonderful son! Though I will miss being able to hold you in my lap."

"Daaaaaaad~"
Everyone smiled as they watched Cole converse with his father. Judging by the numerous "uh-huhs" and "don't worry, Dad we're good", Cole's dad was just calling to check up on his son.

After a few minutes, however, his dad said something that made Cole's happy face fall. None of the others could make out what Lou had said, but they watched as Cole's mood turned somber and his answers grew quieter. The only thing they could make out was Cole quietly saying, "when are you going....mind if I....okay, what should I wear? Do I....okay Dad, see ya soon...love you."

Cole brought the phone away from his ear and sighed, ending the call.

"You okay, Cole?" Kai asked, sitting up on the couch.
Cole exhaled heavily. "No," he said quietly, almost reluctantly. "Not really..."

"What happened, Cole?" Nya asked.

Cole sighed again, biting as his lip. "...my dad's going to go visit my mom's....he's gonna go visit my mom. And, I'm gonna go with him."

Everyone exchanged worried looks at the announcement. "...are you sure you're okay to go?" Jay finally asked.

Cole bit his lip harder, jerkily shrugging his shoulders. "I....I honestly dunno," he mumbled, looking away. "I want to go, but at the same time....I dunno..."

Lloyd shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Well...would it make you feel better if we came with you?"

Cole looked up at them, grey eyes wide and in a rare state of vulnerability. "You--you guys would come with me?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"Only if you want us to, Cole," Zane said gently, smiling encouragingly at his brother.

Cole shyly nodded. "Y-Yeah," he said softly. "I'd like it if you guys came."

Kai smiled, standing up. "We're here for you, Cole."

Cole smiled; a small, but honest smile. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. That smile said volumes.

~~~~

During the next two hours, the ninja got ready to accompany Cole and his dad. Zane, Nya, and Kai laid out all of the ninja's fancier outfits while Jay and Lloyd went with Cole to collect some flowers for Cole to take along. Once that was done, everyone changed and fixed up their hair, ready to go.

"Quit pulling at your collar, Lloyd," Kai scolded as they walked down to the Ninjago City Cemetery, where they were going to meet with Cole's dad.

"It's too tight," Lloyd complained, tugging at the collar of his dark green dress shirt.

"Just be glad that you're not wearing a tie," Jay told him. "Those things are the worst."

"If the collar is too tight, Lloyd," Zane said, adjusting his sweater vest. "Then undo the top button. But don't undo anymore than that."

"Thank you," Lloyd gasped as he quickly did just that. "I was gonna suffocate otherwise."

Nya chuckled, sneakily lacing her fingers through Jay's when Kai wasn't looking. "I doubt you would suffocate, Lloyd. At least guys can get away with wearing no heels." She made a face. "Those things stink."

Lloyd blinked. "But, you're not wearing heels, Nya..."

"And I'm glad for it," Nya declared, smiling happily at her black ballerina flats.

Cole chuckled as he listened to his friends bicker and banter with each other. He didn't join in, instead burying his nose in the small bouquet of lilies and forget-me-nots in his hand. The sweet scent of the flowers brought a few tears to his eyes, reminding him of his mom.

A hand on his shoulder had Cole looking up. Kai looked back at him, silently asking Are you okay?

Cole shrugged but managed a small smile. Not really, but I'll be okay.

"Hey guys!" Jay chirped, pointing. "We're here!"

Sure enough, when Cole looked up, he could make out the entrance to the cemetery just ahead. Standing near the entrance was his dad, wearing his usual formal attire though he was also wearing a tasteful fedora. He also had a bouquet of lilies in his hands.

"Son!" Lou called out, walking up to Cole and giving him a hug. "I'm so glad you came!"

Cole smiled and hugged his dad. "Hey Dad," he replied.

Lou pulled back and smiled at Cole's friends. "And I see that you brought along company," he said, nodding his head in greeting.

Cole nodded. "Y-yeah. I-I hope that's okay," he mumbled sheepishly, looking away and twiddling his thumbs.

Lou patted Cole on the back. "It's perfectly alright son!" he reassured, smiling at Cole to show him that it really was alright. "I'm always happy to have a few tagalongs."

Cole looked up at his dad, warm grey meeting chocolate brown. While there was some sorrow in his dad's eyes, what was most prominent was relief and even a little pride. I'm glad that you finally trusted your friends enough to tell them the truth, his dad seemed to be silently saying.

The silent message made Cole smile and hug his dad again. Lou hugged him back for a few seconds before pulling back. The sadness in his eyes had come to the forefront. "Are you ready?" he asked softly.

Cole swallowed thickly, but a quick glance behind at his friends steeled his resolve. "Ready," he replied quietly. Then, looking over his shoulder, he called out to his friends. "C'mon guys. W-We're ready."

Kai smiled and walked up to Cole, gently squeezing the black ninja's shoulders. "We're right behind you," he said softly.

Cole smiled and nodded, before turning and entering the cemetery with his dad. His friends followed them at a respectful distance, their conversations hushed.

The group walked through the cemetery for a few minutes before Lou led them up a small hill and stopped. "Here she is," he said quietly.

Cole's shoulders stiffened and he bit his lip when he saw the gravesite. Underneath a small cherry blossom tree rested a square tombstone cut from pink granite. From where he was, Cole could see the flowers cut into the face of the stone, and could just make out the words written on it: his mom's name(Rachel), her birthday and the day she died(June 18-May 2; she was only in her thirties...), and the words 'Loving Mother, Wife, & Friend'; all written in a fancy cursive font.

Cole felt his stomach flip-flop and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the flowers in his hands. Lou, noticing, gently touched Cole's shoulder. "You okay, son?"

"I-I don't know what to do," Cole whispered frantically. "I haven't been here since—it's been so long—what do I do?"

Lou smiled gently. "Just talk," he quietly said. "Just talk to her. Tell her about being a ninja. Tell her about all of the adventures that you and your friends have gone on. Just talk to her."

Cole gulped and slowly nodded. "O-Okay..."

With his dad gently guiding him and his friends not too far behind, Cole soon found himself kneeling down in front of his mother's gravestone, gently resting his bouquet of flowers against the stone.

"Um," Cole nervously bit his lip and frantically tried to think of something to say. "H-Hey, Mom. Been a while since I'd seen you last. You...you doing okay in heaven? Or, wherever you ended up going."

Cole let out a shaky sigh. "Look, Mom, I-I haven't completely forgiven you for what you did." He let out a short, bitter laugh. "I don't think that I ever will. I mean, you left me and Dad not once but twice. I can kinda forgive you for the second one—that one really wasn't your fault—but you could have at least visited me once when you left the first time. I was six, Mom. Six!!"

Cole had to take a few breaths before he was calm enough to continue. "But you didn't," He said hoarsely. "And I doubt that I'll ever find out the reason why." He then slowly smiled some. "But despite all that, I still miss you, Mom. I-I know it's been a long time but..." Cole wiped his eyes. "I still love you. And I still miss you."

Lou soothingly rubbed Cole's back. "You'd be really proud of him, Rachel," he said softly. "He's grown into a wonderful young man. He's kind, responsible, and a hero. You'd be proud of him."

Cole turned to his dad, a few rebellious tears slipping out of the corners of his eyes. "You think so, Dad?"

"I know so," Lou replied, smiling even as his own eyes shone with unshed tears. "I sure am."

The young teen hugged his dad, more tears streaming down his cheeks. Lou gladly returned the hug, his own tears cascading down his face.

Cole's friends sat a short distance away, watching the scene. Nya dabbed at her eyes, reminded of the many times she and her brother had done the same thing with their parents. Kai, noticing, gently wrapped his good arm around Nya's shoulders. His sister turned her head and smiled at him, grateful for the silent comfort.

Zane also wiped at his suddenly damp eyes, reminded of his father as he watched the scene before him. I miss you, Father, he silently said. I hope that you are happy, wherever you are.

Jay and Lloyd just sat quietly, feeling sad yet proud of their brother.

And, standing a great distance away, hidden behind the shadows of some trees, a figure watched the scene with a feeling of accomplishment.

Then, it vanished.

~~~~~

Later that night, when most of the other occupants of the Bounty were fast asleep, Sensei Wu stood at the bow of the ship, looking up at the moon.

The sound of footsteps behind him made Sensei turn his head slightly to the side. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips when he saw who it was. "Ah, I was wondering when you were going to show up," he said by way of greeting, turning to fully face his guest.

The criminal who had attacked his students and even turned one of them into a child silently looked back at him through a pure black mask.

Sensei's smile merely grew wider. "You have nothing to fear," he told the crook. "My pupils are fast asleep and are not about to wake up anytime soon. You can take off your mask."

The crook's shoulders visibly sagged as they reached up to pull off the mask.

"Whew," a familiar, feminine voice breathed, relief evident in her voice. "That thing was getting stuffy. Remind me again why I chose to wear it?"

"You told me it was the only thing that you could come up with in such a short amount of time," Sensei replied.

"Eh, that was sort of a rhetorical question, but thanks."

"You are most welcome." Sensei smiled even bigger. "You did a remarkable job, young Nya."

The disguised samurai shrugged. "I didn't really do that much," she replied. "I just threw some bombs around--which was actually kinda fun. Man, Kai looked so mad when I threw that water bomb at him."

"You did what I told you to do," Sensei argued gently. "You helped Cole when he seriously needed help. And you also kept a secret."

Nya laughed. "Yeah, you have no idea how hard it was to act surprised when I first saw him. Gotta say though, Cole was adorable as a little kid."

Sensei chuckled. "Yes, he was. Still, you deserve some kind of reward for all that you've done."

"A reward huh?" Nya tapped her chin in thought. "Hmmmm, can't really think of anything right now. Mind if I come back to you on that one?"

"Of course, take as much time as you need."

Nya smiled. "Thanks Sensei."

"You are most welcome, young one."

~~~~~~~

Hehehehe. Did anyone suspect that Sensei and/or Nya was behind all of this? If not then don't worry, that was my intent. :D

And with that, Cole is no longer tiny. Awwww, man. I'm gonna miss writing for Tiny Cole. :(

Don't go too far! The epilogue for this story should come out sometime soon!