*New favorite song at the moment :) It goes so well with Cole and Nya's history!*

Kai watched Cole and Nya silently, trying not to interrupt what he considered to be the most beautiful moment in his life. His best friend was taking care of his little sister, just like he once had. 

Though he never said out loud, Kai had been very disappointed when Cole and Nya developed crushes on each other. They simply weren't meant to be romantic partners. They were the perfect siblings: they teased each other, made one another totally annoyed, had each other's back, and, most importantly, took care of each other. 

Nya had obviously tried her best to give Cole the life everyone knew he deserved. Kai didn't want to be mean, but he knew that the master of water had come terribly short of this. Nya knew she had failed miserably, but Cole was there to tell her that it was okay. To tell her it wasn't her responsibility to make him happy and that he was happy simply because she existed.

The dark clouds that had pressing against the tense air finally burst open. A thunderous clap rang through the silent forest and Kai jumped.

"We need to find cover!" Kai yelled over the cracking of lightning. Cole stood up and set Nya down. 

"Remember, you don't have to think about this ever again," the master of earth whispered to Nya. She hesitated, knowing that she would think about it, every day for the rest of her life. In the end, she nodded and Cole smiled. His smile faded ever so slightly when he picked up Vania and held her in his arms. Nya noticed and she put her hand on his, two of her fingers caressing the queen's soft robe. She looked up at Cole, and the two friends stared at each other, their eyes telling so much more than words could ever say. 

The group wove through the tall trees that seemed to connect the earth to the sky. Raindrops splashed against the leaves, which bent down and let the drops slip down onto the soft forest floor. As Nya ran, she noticed that the drops were especially big. They almost looked like pearls. The master of water could see her reflection in the clear pebble-like drops: wet hair begging to be combed, dark eyes capable of shooting deathly glares, soft pink lips that Jay had kissed hundreds of times over the years. But Nya also saw something else. She saw a girl that had been broken down so many times. A girl that had crumbled under the weight of grief and failure. A girl that could no longer remember who she was destined to be.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree and it went up in flames. The crackling of fire stubbornly refused to cease, and even the sprinkling rain couldn't vanquish the growing flames. Kai grabbed Cole and Nya by their hands and pushed them forward.

"Go! I'll try to control the fire. RUN!" Cole and Nya did as Kai said, and they raced deeper into the forest. The red ninja closed his eyes and began to connect with his element, clenching and unclenching his fists slowly. The fire began obeying Kai, growing and shrinking in a fluid motion. Kai opened one eye and smiled. He shut his eyes and unclenched his fists one last time before bringing his fingers to his palms as quickly as he could. The flames instantly collapsed and the fire disappeared. 

When the Cole and Nya saw the smoke clear, they ran back to Kai and hugged him tightly. Their laugher and cheers echoed through the forest, and it finally seemed like the three ninja caught a break. 

"Way to go, buddy! You saved us there!" Cole said happily, patting Kai on the back. As he did, a massive fire rose from the ground, the flames towering a hundred feet above the ground. Cole's eyes widened in surprise and he almost dropped Vania. Nya looked to Kai, her eyes showing more frustration than fear.

"I thought you got rid of it!"

"I did!" Kai insisted. "But, uh, it looks like it came back." He tried once more to control the fire, though its magnitude prevented him from getting touch with his element. While Kai struggled to keep the fire at bay, another ninja felt like it was her time to help. 

Nya was flooded with memories of her early training days. She remembered all the obstacles she had overcome, both alone and with her friends. She remembered how she had discovered her true potential. And she remembered Cole's words. 

"You've never done anything wrong to me on purpose, Nya. It has always been an accident, and that happens." 

"Purpose..." Nya whispered. "Not on purpose. It's always like that. I'm done with doing things by accident. This is on purpose!" She raised her arms and got ahold of the rain that was swirling around her. Nya shut her eyes tightly and held her breath. More and more raindrops collected at her hands, and soon enough, a wave had formed between her and the fire. Nya opened her eyes and saw her reflection in the water. It was no longer a shattered girl. Instead, Nya found herself staring at the master of water. She was smiling, and her body exuded an air of confidence, not despair. Nya exhaled and pushed the water towards the flames. 

And then, she saw the darkness disappear. 

*A/N What do you guys think of this chapter? I promise you that this plays an important role in the story :)*