ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: Skillet - Falling Inside The Black

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◄◄⠀▐▐ ⠀►►⠀⠀ ⠀ 0:00 / 3:30 ⠀ ───○ 🔊⠀ ᴴᴰ ⚙ ❐ ⊏⊐

You were my source of strength

I've traded everything

That I love for this one thing

Stranded in the offering

Don't leave me here like this

---

A/N: Prepare. :)

The Bounty was headed towards the NGTV news station.

''How much farther to that distress call?'' Nya asked.

''We should be approaching it now,'' Zane replied.

''I don't see it,'' Cole said.

Kai gasped, pointing to a tower in the distance. ''There! That's gotta be it!'' 

''That's the Ninjago News Center!'' Nya exclaimed.

''It's covered in those... things..'' Kai said.

''I guess they didn't evacuate in time...'' Cole replied. 

''We have to have hope.'' (Y/n) spoke.

''I'll bring us in over the rooftop,'' Nya said. ''You guys get them outta there before the clouds swallow the building.''

''I'll go.'' (Y/n) said.

''No, you're not,'' Cole replied.

Everyone looked at him with surprise.

''I'm not letting you get taken by those... things. It's better I go.'' Cole said, looking worried.

(Y/n) shook her head. ''It's final. I go, and you don't.'' She said with a stern voice, before walking to the ladders with Jay.

Cole looked scared. 

---

(Y/n) and Jay got off their ladders and helped the people onto the Bounty.

Cole watched from the rail, worried.

''Boy, are we glad to see you guys! Thanks!'' Vinny cried out.

''Our pleasure. Mind your step now.'' Jay said, standing beside his ladder.

(Y/n) looked up at Cole, who was watching her.

She glanced to her left, where the dark tendrils began coming closer.

''It's better if we hurry...!'' (Y/n) said, panicked.

''Creepy black vines closin' in,'' Jay said.

''You should know you just ruined a heck of a broadcast!'' Gayle Gossip said, crossed.

''Okay?'' (Y/n) said, before getting onto her ladder.

''Okay, Nya, get us out of here!'' Jay shouted to Nya.

''You've got it!'' Nya shouted back.

''Oh, for how I long to be away from this dark cloud...'' (Y/n) murmured.

Almost at the top, she smiled at Cole. He smiled back. 

Nya pressed a button and pulled a lever and the thruster turned towards (Y/n), blasting her off the ladder with the force of it.

(Y/n) screamed, before grabbing the ladder before she could fall any further. 

One side of the rope of the ladder snapped.

''I'm okay!'' She called out, holding on tightly.

She then grunted as she hit a part of the roof.

''(Y/n)!'' Cole shouted, watching.

''I keep forgetting that,'' Nya said, pulling the lever again.

She almost slammed into a vent, before the ladder was lifted a bit.

''Hang on, (Y/n)!'' Jay called to her.

''I am!'' She reassured him.

She gasped as she saw the other side of the rope of the ladder snap.

Time slowed down as Cole watched her fall. ''(Y/N)!'' He screamed.

Tears fell from her face, her eyes wide as she saw the Bounty get further and further away from her.

The Ninja watched as she fell into the cloud. 

Cole turned towards Nya and began to run towards her as she pressed a button.

The Bounty's thrusters ignited, sending them away from the tendrils of darkness that had snaked upwards towards the Bounty.

Cole shoved Nya out of the way, and Zane went over to him.

''What are you doing?!'' Zane asked.

''I'm trying to get (Y/n)!'' Cole replied.

''She's... dead...'' Zane replied, putting his hand on Cole's shoulder.

''No she's not!'' Cole shouted.

Zane looked at him with pity.

Cole closed his eyes, letting a tear fall down his cheek.

The people's looks on their faces were filled with sadness, while Nya's were filled with horror.

---

''Guys, Pixal is running on fumes,'' Zane said. ''Unless we hurry, we will not reach her in time.''

Cole was somewhere else on the Bounty.

''Oh, yes, we will,'' Nya replied, narrowing her eyes. ''I'm not losing anyone else today.'' She pressed a button, and the Bounty sped towards them.

The Ninja screamed as they tried to keep their footing.

Appearing below them, the Samurai X suit crashed onto the deck of the Bounty.

P.I.X.A.L, Garmadon and Lloyd groaned from the impact.

The ninja ran to help, with Kai and Nya as well as Jay standing near Lloyd, while Zane checked on P.I.X.A.L.

''P.I.X.A.L! Are you okay?'' Zane asked.

''I am.. unhurt.'' She replied, looking at him.

Zane helped her out of the suit. 

''Lloyd? Are you okay?'' Jay asked him.

Lloyd panted, getting up. ''Yeah. Yeah, I think so.'' 

Garmadon got up, panting. ''So am I. Nobody has to worry about me.'' He said, dusting himself off.

Lloyd turned to the ninja. He saw the looks on their faces. ''What? What is it?'' Lloyd asked.

They were silent.

''Where's Cole, and (Y/n)?'' He asked.

Still no answer.

''Where are they?'' He asked again. He walked over to them, shaking Kai. ''Somebody say something. Where are they?'' 

''Cole's below deck,'' Kai replied quietly.

''And where's (Y/n)?'' Lloyd asked.

''She-- She's gone,'' Zane answered.

''What do you mean, ''gone''?'' He asked. His face fell as he realised.

''Lloyd, she fell... into the cloud,'' Kai replied.

''I--I'm so sorry.'' Nya apologised, looking down.

''She's really gone?'' Lloyd asked.

''It was my fault!'' Nya said. ''I pulled the thrust lever the wrong way, and...'' She began to sob. Jay went to her side.

''It wasn't your fault!'' Jay told Nya. ''It was an accident!'' 

''It could've happened to anyone,'' Kai said.

Garmadon walked over. ''Okay, let's get going.'' He said.

''Do you mind?'' Lloyd replied, annoyed. 

''Yes, I do,'' Garmadon said. ''We are wasting valuable time. All that matters now is this.'' He grabbed the Golden Armour and showed the Ninja it.

''The Golden Armour?'' Kai replied, pointing at it.

''What about the Realm Crystal?'' Zane asked.

The Captain of Chaos sighed. ''It didn't work. But this will. They fear it.''

''(Y/n) was our friend, she was more than a friend! She was family! And most importantly, she felt like a sister to me,'' Lloyd replied. ''But you don't understand that, do you? Oh, what's the point? You're never gonna get it.'' Lloyd raised his voice. ''Because you don't care about anyone but yourself!'' 

Garmadon sighed. ''Every moment you delay risks our survival,'' Garmadon said. 

''There's more to life than surviving!'' Lloyd shouted at his father. He bellowed before walking away.

Garmadon turned to the Ninja. ''How do you reason with that?'' He asked. He turned to Zane. ''You, Nindroid, if any of you are capable of logical thought, it is you. Tell them.''

Zane narrowed his eyes. ''I'm happy to say, you are mistaken. At this moment, even I am incapable of logical thought.'' He then turned and followed Lloyd.

The others followed.

---

Cole was curled up on the floor, sobbing.

''I would've taken your place...''

''Why'd I let you go so easily?''

''It's too late now...''

''I wish I could rewind time to save you before it was too late...''

The door creaked as Zane opened it.

Cole didn't turn his head, lost in his thoughts.

''Cole?'' Zane asked quietly.

The Ice Ninja looked in, seeing Cole's broken form.

He walked in, seeing a half-eaten cake on a plate next to him.

''Hey, are you okay?'' Zane asked.

The Master of Earth didn't answer.

Zane picked up the plate of cake and brought it to where Cole could smell it.

Cole knocked the plate of cake out of the Ice Ninja's hand, where it fell to the floor with a clank, and the cake rolling off the plate.

''Cole? Can you hear me..?'' Zane asked, before lifting Cole up.

The Master of Earth was heavy like he had eaten a brick ton of cake within one night. Zane carried him to his bed, setting him down.

''Don't leave me alone...'' Cole mumbled from his sleep.

Zane pulled the blanket over him, before sighing and turning away.

''Don't leave me here like this...'' He mumbled again.

Hearing a creak, Zane turned his head. Garmadon stood at the door, looking at him.

Zane glanced at Cole before walking over to the Captain of Chaos. He closed the door behind him. 

''Even if I am a nindroid, I still make mistakes, I am not perfect,'' Zane said to him, narrowing his eyes.

''Well, you could've heard what I had to say-'' Garmadon started.

''-You're saying nothing because you don't care about anyone, remember?'' Zane replied, before going back into the room, slamming the door and instantly regretting it.

He walked over to Cole's side. ''I'm sorry.'' Zane apologised. He looked at the cake on the floor. 

Zane sat down on a seat, next to Cole's bed. He sighed. Looking down at his feet, he glanced at Cole. 

''You have to be strong, Cole,'' Zane said softly. ''For us, for the team, for (Y/n).'' 

''I can't let you go again...'' Cole mumbled in his sleep.

Zane leaned over in his seat and patted him on the back softly, trying to comfort him.

If we could run away

Before the light of day

You know we always could

The mountain's safe, the mountain's safe

:(