The next morning, Cole spent some time with Slate. He felt an odd sense of peace. He was well-rested, since the voice hadn't come back to bother him in his dreams. But he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, despite his voice's absence. He sighed and pet Slate's side, and his dragon puffed air at him, nuzzling him gently.

"I know, Slate, I know," he said, putting his hands on her snout. "I got you something. Want to know what it is?"

Slate grunted in interest, lifting her head slightly.

He smiled and walked over to the package he'd received the previous day. Cole had left it in the training area, knowing that he'd be able to give Slate her treats at a later time. He opened the box and held up a dried lizard. Slate huffed happily, and Cole chuckled, tossing it to her. She caught it easily, swallowing it whole. Afterwards, she started sniffing at him, and Cole gently pushed her snout away while laughing.

"You can't eat too many at once, Slate," he told her, smiling. "They have to last a few weeks."

Slate huffed dusty air at him, and this time Cole coughed, waving his hand to disperse the dust.

"Come on, that was a dirty trick." Cole said to his dragon.

Slate rumbled as though laughing at him, and he smiled. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Destiny. He smiled.

"Sensei said to give this to you." She said, holding out a pot and cup.

He took them and asked, "My new tea?"

"Probably. Sensei didn't tell me."

He smiled. "Because he's a good Sensei. Thanks."

"Yep. Oh, and good morning."

He nodded and set the tea down, giving her a quick hug. "Good morning."

"I got to run, a lot to do in such little time." She told him.

He raised an eyebrow. "Need any help? I'm not doing anything."

"If you wouldn't mind, could you find somewhere for him to sleep? I don't know how long he'll be visiting for.."

He nodded. "Yeah, I'll fix up one of the guest rooms for him."

"Thanks, I have to go and do some cooking. Zane is the only one who can make edible food, and he cooked last night." She stood taller and kissed his cheek with a smile.

"Hey! What about my duck chowder? I thought it wasn't bad..." he protested.

"Cole, your duck chowder could have kept the Great Devourer's mouth glued shut." She said with a laugh.

He pouted. "Ouch."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing. "Don't worry, I'll teach you how to cook better food later."

"You better." He kissed her quickly and then stooped to grab the teapot. "See you later."

She rolled her eyes and walked away, and Cole went to the nearest guest room they had. When he got there, he started cleaning around, tidying more than anything since Sensei almost always kept the guest rooms usable at almost a moment's notice. When he was finished dusting, he took a break to drink the tea he had. He finished the first cup and set it down, and Cole jumped as the voice he hated pushed its way back into his mind.

Hello, Cole! Did you miss me?

"Uh, no?" Cole replied quietly, glancing at the open door.

Aw, darn. That's upsetting.

"Not really," he muttered, going to the door and glancing outside to make sure no one was listening. He pulled the door closed and continued, "I don't think you could expect me to miss you ever."

Well, you'll miss more than me when I'm done with you.

Cole sighed and finished fixing up the room, doing his best to ignore the voice as it continued to pester him. When he was finished, he took the teapot to the kitchen, setting it down on the counter and opening the over slightly, grinning at the smell of the duck and vegetables cooking. He closed it again and went out to the training yard to practice for a little while.

He frowned at the training equipment for a moment before settling onto the ground and lifting himself, counting as he performed push-ups.

Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three... he counted silently.

Twenty-three? The voice asked dubiously. I only counted twenty. Or was it eighteen? Maybe it was eleven...

"Ugh, shut up," Cole growled, then resumed counting out loud to make it harder for the voice to mess him up. He was on 277 when the sound of dragons landing made him look up as he continued counting. Kai and Destiny were returning, probably from training, he assumed.

The two of them landed on the ground and then stood up together, laughing.

I don't think they were training, the voice snickered.

Cole shook his head and looked back down at the ground, counting slightly louder to drown out the noise from both his teammates and the whisperer in his mind.

When he reached 317, he heard Destiny say, "Hi."

He glanced up and then pushed himself onto his feet, brushing his hands together to get rid of dirt. "Hey."

"You okay?" She asked, watching him.

He shrugged. "I'm fine."

Are you fine, Cole? The voice giggled.

He sighed, glanced around, then said, "It's back."

"That wasn't long.. Is it really bad?" Destiny asked, her smile falling away. She brushed back some of her hair and Cole stared at it for a moment.

"It isn't bad," he told her. "Your hair is pretty. Did you and Kai go for a flight or something?"

Hmph. Bad. I'll show you bad.. The voice muttered.

"Thanks. Yeah we did, actually we went skydiving. But flying is close enough."

He smiled and nodded, ignoring the voice as it laughed triumphantly in his mind. "I'm glad you had fun."

"You should join next time. It might help give you something else to drown out that voice." Destiny told him.

"As long as Kai doesn't mind," Cole replied with a smile. "I wouldn't want to intrude on your time with others."

"Kai wouldn't mind." She said. "Plus, I want you to come."

He nodded. "Okay, I will." He cartwheeled into a handstand and grunted slightly as he found his balance. "So when is your dad supposed to get here?"

"Soon. He told me to have dinner ready, which is his way of telling me that's when he'll be here."

He nodded and shifted his weight onto one hand. "It smelled good in the kitchen."

He saw Destiny's eyes widen, and she exclaimed, "The duck!"

He started laughing, and he rolled onto his back so he wouldn't drop himself. After a few seconds, he got up and went after her into the kitchen, still chuckling. "Is it done?"

"Yep." She pulled the duck out of the oven and set it on the stovetop.

Cole inhaled deeply and said, "Mmm... your cooking is the only cooking I look forward to, other than Zane's."

"Well, seeing as Zane is the only other person who can cook.." she said, although she was smiling.

He grinned. "When you're done here, do you want to spar?"

"Sure. I'm done now." She turned around and he took her hand, leading her back out into the training yard. When they got there, he stretched and turned, releasing her hand to back away from her. "Ready when you are."

She smiled and went to the weapons cabinet, grabbing a katana and scythe. She handed him the scythe and kept the katana for herself. He raised an eyebrow, but held the scythe in battle-ready position. Once she was ready, he slammed the scythe into the ground, sending a wave of shudders through the earth towards Destiny.

She tottered, off balance, before darting towards him and slashing at him with her katana. He lifted his scythe, blocking the hit, and kicked forward, aiming for her stomach. His foot went through her, and he barely had time to remember that that had been a stupid idea before she aimed a punch at his face. He ducked quickly and swiped his scythe by her feet, trying to trip her. She fell onto an outstretched hand and swung her sword at his feet. He blocked it with his scythe, the metal clanging as the blades connected. He stomped quickly, and the earth directly around him started shaking violently. As soon as she fell, he tapped his foot and the quakes ceased. He smiled and extended a hand to help her up. She grabbed it and he pulled her to her feet.

After she was secure, he did a small victory dance. "Got you!"

"Just this once." She said, smiling.

He grinned sheepishly. "You're a tough opponent."

She looked about to reply when the gate creaked, and Cole looked over to see a short man who had dark hair, a rice hat, and a bag in his hand walk into the yard.

I'm assuming that's-

"Father!" Destiny exclaimed, grinning widely and running over to tackle the man with a hug.

Cole felt sudden anxiety rise in him, and the voice snickered, Good luck, rockhead. As the man stepped back, Cole realized he was wearing glasses. He hesitated, unsure of whether he should approach the two or not. They spoke for a moment, and then Destiny glanced back and waved for him.

He hesitated as the voice hissed, It's a trap! He shook his head and took the few steps to stand by Destiny's side, smiling (hopefully not awkwardly) at her father. "Hello," he said, successfully keeping his voice from wavering.

"Hello." Her father replied.

"Dad, this is Cole. My boyfriend," Destiny introduced him.

Not for long, the voice said in a sing-song tone.

His smile didn't waver, and he extended a hand. "Delighted to make your acquaintance."

He reached out and shook his hand with a nod. "Likewise, sir."

Hmm, the voice said. It would be bad if I screamed right now, right?

Yes! No! Just shut up! Cole thought desperately.

"Dad, I should show you around. We have a room for you to put your stuff in." He nodded, and she glanced to Cole. "You're welcome to join us if you want."

He nodded. "I'll come along. So long as you don't mind."

"If she minded, she wouldn't have asked." Her father said.

He smiled awkwardly. Destiny smiled and led her father into the monastery. Cole trailed behind, hearing the voice creating a monsoon of background noise for him to attempt to ignore. He was finding it hard, but he tried to keep his patience. As the tour progressed, he was glad to see that her father seemed to be enjoying it, but Cole wanted to stay as far away as possible while not seeming rude. The voice wasn't leaving him alone for barely a second, and it worried him.

When they turned out of the study, Cole felt the familiar pain start from his shoulder, and his muscles tightened. A few moments later, he took a few steps forward, and his voice called, "Destiny! Destiny, help!"

Destiny came into view and exclaimed, "Oh no! Is it happening again?"

Cole felt his expression change to a grin, and then suddenly the pain stopped, and he dropped onto one knee, panting. He shuddered and glanced up. "Please tell me that didn't just happen?"

Destiny answered him, her eyes flashing in anxiety. "You mean that you didn't just grin while you were clearly in pain? Sorry, that would be lying."

"That wasn't me doing that, Destiny. I didn't call for you. I- I couldn't.." he trailed off, unsure how to make her believe him.

"If it wasn't you," her face took on an expression of confusion. "Cole, I'm sorry I don't understand."

He sighed and pushed himself onto his feet, wobbling for a moment as he found his balance. "You know that I can't move or do anything when that happens," he said, going off of what she'd told him from his previous fits. "I don't even remember them most of the time."

"You remember what happened just now though?" She asked.

"I think so." He shuddered slightly. "I just couldn't do anything about what was happening. Like I wasn't in control of my own body."

"That doesn't sound good." Destiny said with a shiver. "Sensei Wu definitely needs to know about this. Did the, um, did the voice say anything just now?"

Cole opened his mouth to reply and heard the voice say, I'm still here. Don't even worry about it. He frowned and rolled his eyes, then said, "Yes, it's here."

He saw Destiny's father appear behind her, and the man cleared his throat. Destiny turned around, and he asked, "Is everything alright over here?"

"Yes dad, sorry." She glanced at Cole and said, "You should see Sensei Wu. I'll find you when I show my dad his room."

He nodded. "I'll be in my room trying my best to think."

She turned and led her dad away. Cole sighed and made his way to the kitchen, heating the teapot up and taking it back to his room. When he was pouring himself a cup, the voice muttered, It isn't gonna help, Cole. It's not worth it.

Cole still felt annoyed, but he noticed that the voice seemed tired, more reluctant to speak to him. He shook his head and took his time drinking the entire pot. He settled on the floor of his room, closing his eyes and bowing his head in the meditation pose. As he meditated, he could feel his focus sharpening. Although the voice continued pestering him, it seemed more reluctant to speak.

Maybe I am making progress towards getting better, Cole thought.

You can keep telling yourself that, the voice said, but the snap was gone from its tone.

Soon, you'll be nothing more than a memory. Cole smiled and felt new strength flooding into his muscles.

Uh-huh. Nothing more than a bad dream... A bad dream that you wake up from, only to find your worst fears are real.

Cole pushed himself out of bed almost an hour later and glanced outside. The sky was dark, and he realized he might have been late for dinner. He glanced in the mirror he and the other ninja had set up and frowned. He didn't normally bother with his hair, but today he decided to run his comb through it, making it neater. When he was satisfied with his less-than-crazy hairstyle, he walked from the room and headed towards the dining room.

When he reached it, he saw that everyone was seated, and he tried not to be awkward as he took his seat next to Destiny. The voice in his mind snickered at him as he glanced around the dining table, and he cleared his throat, sitting up straighter when he noticed Shaw sitting on the other side of his girlfriend. The others were already eating, and Destiny had filled his plate with the duck she'd made. He started his meal silently, and dinner passed without much conversation, which confused Cole until he looked to see Jay looking very displeased. When he looked at his plate, Cole was both offended and had to stop himself from laughing out loud.

When everyone was done eating, Cole stayed behind to help clean up. He stacked all the plates up and got rid of any leftovers in the trash, then washed the dishes slowly, focusing intently on his task. Suddenly, there was a loud clanging from right next to him, and he jumped, startled. He looked up to see Destiny cringing beside him, and he exhaled slowly.

"Sorry!" She said.

"You're fine," he told her. "I just didn't realize you were in here."

"Yeah, I guessed that." Destiny replied. "Don't mind me, I'm just going to clean this then you can go back to, uh, thinking."

"I was more focusing than thinking." He sighed and leaned against her slightly. "I don't really think anymore, honestly."

"That explains the rocks in your head." She teased.

He raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a playfully hurt expression. "Very funny, Destiny."

"Funny? I was being completely serious."

He shook his head with a half-forced smile. "I guess I deserve that."

Suddenly, he felt wetness seep through his hair, and he yelped, shaking his head and scattering soap bubbles everywhere. "Destiny!" He glared at her, a small grin coming to his face. "What was that for?"

"You need to take a break from being serious all the time." She told him.

He smiled, but sighed softly. "Yeah, I know. It's kind of hard though. It's the way I've always been."

"There you go again. I used to be as scared as a mouse, but look at me now!" She took another handful of bubbles and threw them at his face, and he shook his head, scattering them everywhere once again.

He puffed and wiped his face. "That's a lot of soap. You trying to clean up the Master of Earth?"

"I couldn't if I tried, there's just too much dirt." Destiny laughed.

He grinned and dunked his hand in the water, lifting it to flick water over her. "Don't worry about trying to clean up my act. It won't work. You're talking about not being so serious all the time, how about we go do something together? Or even with your dad if he likes."

"I have an idea, but we wouldn't want to bring my dad, he's scared of heights." She grinned.

He tilted his head in interest. "Okay. Luckily I'm not scared of anything."

"Except snakes, and dragons, and ghosts, and.." Destiny stated, her tone-matter-of-fact.

He pouted. "Hey hey hey, I've never been scared of snakes. Dragons, yes, they used to spook me. But ghosts? Really? Can't really use that one since I was one!"

"Okay, fine, maybe not snakes." Destiny conceded. "But if we change ghosts to haunted houses.."

He sighed. "Oh, come on, you can't hold that one against me either. Yang's Temple was actually haunted, and I'd like to see you go through that without being spooked once. And, not to mention the fact that I faced him just to get my mortal body back." He dried his hands and pulled her close to him. "Can't you just admit that I'm brave?"

She thought for a moment, then said, "Alright, I admit it."

He grinned, and she took his hand, pulling him towards the door. With a laugh, he followed, asking, "So where are we going?"

"You'll see."

He rolled his eyes and kept following. She led him into the training yard and summoned Morpheus. She jumped onto his back and watched him. With a confused look, he summoned Slate and hopped onto her back. When she took off, he followed. Eventually, she slowed Morhpeus to a hover, and Cole glanced down to see a dark valley far below.

"Are you ready?"

He looked at her, confused. "Ready for what?"

"For this." Destiny smiled and dropped from Morpheus, and Cole gasped, startled as she fell. A few seconds later, he heard her faintly call, "Come on!"

He shook his head, then jumped from Slate's back, feeling the wind rush around him. A grin slowly spread over his face as he felt the ground rushing towards him, earthy and solid compared to the fluidity of the air. He took a deep breath and heard Slate diving down for him, Morpheus following soon after for Destiny. Slate caught him, and she flew back upwards.

As they did, he heard his girlfriend call, "Fun?"

He looked over at her with a huge smile. "Definitely."

"Good!" She replied, smiling herself. "I wasn't sure, skydiving isn't for everyone."

He took a deep breath of the night air in through his nose and replied, "The only time one of us doesn't like skydiving is when we're poisoned with Venomari."

"Good to know. The air is so peaceful up here, not a single sound reaches you. It's just you, the wind, and all of Ninjago below."

He nodded, gazing at her quietly. "My favorite is you."

"You know I feel the same," she answered.

He smiled slightly and said, "I love watching you and being out with you at night. It's almost magical to me."

"Being out at night with you always reminds me of when we first became friends."

"I think of that too." He closed his eyes and remembered, then reopened them and looked back at her. "Your hair turns the most gorgeous silver in the moonlight. You look like a goddess to me."

"I'd kiss you right now if you weren't on the back of a different dragon." Cole was about to reply when a crackle came from her communicator.

Cole recognized Kai's voice instantly. "Hello?"

"Hi, sorry. Are we in trouble again?" Destiny asked.

"Destiny! No, you guys aren't. Cole's dad just sent through a message, his house has been robbed!"

Cole felt his body snap to immediate attention. My father?

"Kai, do we come back or go there?"

"Go."

Cole immediately sent Slate forward, not hearing the rest of the conversation that might have happened. Protective rage was welling in him as they flew. No one touches my father and gets away with it.

The only reply was the whistling of wind and the hysterical laughter of the voice in his head.