Chapter 5: Acceptance

Ember's POV

Kai returned back from wherever he went, loudly announcing him and Nya getting some cool powers or some stuff like that as he returned on his motorcycle. I was half-relieved that he didn't get kidnapped or some shit like that, half-annoyed that he got to skip training for half a day.

For the next few days, Kai experimented with his new fire power, he wasn't very successful most of the time. The nights got a lot warmer and I started sweating in bed from the heat Kai produced when he was sleeping. One of the nights, he accidentally caught the blanket in his bed on fire one of the nights. If I hadn't been so quick and pro to get some water to put it out, things would've been much worse.

"Sorry," Kai mumbled, scratching the back of his head when I glared at him after putting the fire out.

"I swear, you're either learning to control your power tomorrow or I'm gonna lose it."

The next day, Kai actually tried to control his power, trying to spar with me without setting his hands aflame or almost burning me.

"OI! Watch it!" I shouted I dodged a flaming punch from Kai.

I don't think Nya made much progress with her powers either. Despite Sensei Wu trying to teach her and Kai to control their elements, it probably wasn't that easy for them. The nights started to get cooler as Kai started to learn how to control the heat he produced, lucky for me. During training, Cole had been acting weird, constantly staring at Kai and Nya.

Cole's POV

When Kai and Nya came back with their new powers, I was shocked. I thought I was the only one who had an elemental power. I controlled Earth, I got it from my mother. I showed signs of it as a kid, I was stronger than everyone else, something that came from the elemental power apparently.

My Dad didn't approve of it, especially after Mom died. He always wanted me to become a singer or dancer, like him, he hoped that I wouldn't have the power passed down from Mom. I liked to climb mountains when I was around 16, two years ago. I tried to keep it secret from my father, but eventually he found out. He was really angry at me, he kicked me out of his house. I was forced to live in the streets for a few days. I stayed outside my house, hoping that Dad would let me in after a while. He didn't.

I remembered curling up into a ball on those cold nights, trying to retain some of my body heat, only to be unsuccessful and sleep shivering, crying, on the cold, hard floor. I started to climb mountains every day to vent out my rage. It felt good, I liked it. I didn't know what Mom would think about me if she was still alive. I started to get used to sleeping on the streets, I moved away from my house and into a narrow unoccupied corridor, it seemed like a good place for the new place I stayed in. I had to resort to stealing food occasionally, I didn't earn enough money from the part time job I took to get by.

I mastered my power as a result. I had to use it against the cops sometimes, even though I didn't really want to. I was a criminal then, I didn't know what to do with my life. Every day it was just climbing mountains, working the part time job, getting food with or without money, practising my power in the narrow corridor I stayed in.

After a few months of this, one day, when I went to climb a mountain, the tallest one in Ninjago, I saw an old man sitting down, drinking tea when I reached the top. I was confused. How could an old man like this dude reach the top of such a high mountain?

"Hello Cole," the old dude said.

"How...how do you know my name?" I took a small step back, being careful not to fall down the mountain.

"I knew your mother. I am sorry for your loss."

"It's been months since she died," I said. It was no longer hard for me to accept the fact that she was dead. "I don't care anymore."

That was probably a lie, but I didn't feel the deep wound in my heart that I did when Mom died.

"What are you doing up here?" I asked.

"Looking for you."

"For what?"

"I am recruiting people to join the Jaeger program. Pilots are dying, faster than I can replace them. You would be a good pilot, seeing that you got up here on your own."

I immediately accepted the offer. Somehow he knew that I had an elemental power, and I mastered it on my own. I begged for him to not tell anyone else, I didn't want them to reject me like how Dad did. Sensei agreed, and he kept his word.

When I reached the Jaeger site, there were a number of pilots. I made friends with all of them, but I was particularly close to Nya and Kai. They had lost their parents when they were young, they understood the pain that I felt. I never told anyone about my power. Slowly, the Jaeger pilots started losing their fights to the Kaiju. After each fight, less and less pilots filled the training area, the corridors got quieter and quieter, I was never put into a Jaeger.

Today, I tried to keep my powers in check, I normally could. My power just felt hyper-energetic, waiting excitedly to be used, trying to burst out of me. When I sparred with Nya, at one point, she shot a blast of water at me, I couldn't dodge in time, and on instinct, I raised some rocks from the ground to block the water.

I knew I had fucked up.

The others just stared at me awkwardly, they were confused and shocked as I was when I found out about my power.

"Uh-I-I can explain guys," I stuttered. The others just stared blankly at me, as if I was some sort of Kaiju specimen. I felt the blood rushing up to my face and I ran out of the training area and into my room, burying my head into my pillow, shouting curses at myself, muffled by the pillow against my face.

Why was I so dumb?! Why do I always mess up with my power?!

I stayed in my room for the rest of the day, locking the door. For most of the time I just stared blankly at the wall. I saw Mom's face on it, it was probably my imagination. I didn't realise it until I felt my face, but I was crying. I quickly wiped the tears off, no matter whether anyone was around or not, I didn't want to cry.

That definitely made it worse.

All that pent-up emotion all built up inside me, it all came out. I started sobbing harder, once again burying my face inside my pillow. I felt the pillow slowly getting wet, tear soaked. I wanted to stop crying, this was embarrassing, but I couldn't stop. Every time I tried, I felt Dad's rejection cutting through me.

Eventually, I stopped, I had no more tears to cry. I wiped my face with my sleeve, and managed to calm down, my breathing was still slightly uneven.

It's okay, just go outside.

What if they reject you?

What if they abandon you, like your father did?

Shut up, I told my thoughts.

"Cole? Bro, you good? It's dinner right now, you gonna come?" I heard Kai's voice from the other side of the door, a comforting presence.

"Sure, I guess," I replied, heading out of my room.

I think Kai saw my red puffy eyes cause he put his hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay bro, no one's gonna judge you for your powers," he said. I didn't feel any less nervous though.

As I headed into the dining hall, I saw the others sitting together, whispering about some stuff. When I got close, they looked up, smiling.

"I think bro had some serious social anxiety back there," I heard Ember say. I chuckled a bit, remembering the memes back in the day. Ember's amber-coloured eyes lit up when she heard me laugh.

"Hey Cole, my bro, you know we don't mind you having powers right?" Jay said. The huge knot in my stomach suddenly untwisted itself, I felt a lot better. The others nodded in agreement.

"Yeah bro, Kai and Nya have powers also, I kinda envy you man."

"You're so lucky you mastered your power on your own, it's so hard!" Nya said. "It really is, I don't know how you did it on your own," Kai added.

"I sense that you are gonna be a great pilot," Zane said.

I looked at Ember, she hadn't really said anything else. She just gave me a downwards nod, a sign of respect that people used back in the day.

They really aren't like Dad.

My eyes became blurry again, from tears not of grief nor sorrow, but relief and joy.

"Thanks guys, you're the best."