Hidden Away || Ninjago AU

S:2; Ch:7

"It's weird. I recognize your faces and know your names, but I don't know anything else. It feels like a large part of me has been suppressed. I'm not sure how to take it."

Cole stared out the window as he said those words. His voice gave off a sad tone that Zane picked up instantly.

"How about taking it slowly?" Zane suggested. "Jay and I will help you."

"Can Jay not know?" Cole asked hesitantly.

"Are you worried how he'll take it? Or perhaps you're worried about how it'll affect him?"

"Yeah..." Cole sighed and faced Zane. "I don't want to see Jay upset because of me. I'll get my memories in time, and everything will return to normal."

"I don't mind helping out," Zane said, "But why did you tell me?"

Zane hid the faint evidence of sadness in his voice. Although he and Jay were equally close friends with Cole, Zane felt out of place in their friendship. It was sort of like a stranger forcing his way inside. Even at this moment, Zane felt like Cole cared more about Jay than about him. However, at the same time, he assumed he had no right to ask for more. He was torn between these two feelings and wasn't sure how to feel when situations like this came. And so, he held it in and hid it.

"I know this may sound weird since I'm older than you- or at least, I think I am, but I see you as the more mature one between the three of us. I don't want you to be upset because of me either, and I'd hate to see any of my closest friends in a terrible state because of it."

Zane felt a little reassured by Cole's words but quickly snapped himself out of it, scolding himself for feeling that way.

"Alright, Cole. I will help things seem as normal as possible and help you gain your memory quickly."

"Thanks, Zane."

A moment passed, and the room filled with comfortable silence. Suddenly, Zane and Cole faced each other, thinking the same thing.

"Where's Jay?!"

A loud crash was heard from the hallway as if right on time. Zane quickly changed to White and rushed in. Cole subconsciously followed and became Black as well.

"You remember Spinjitzu?"

"Huh?" Black replied, confused by White's question. He then realized the clothes he had on. "Ah, I didn't even notice-"

"Let me pass!"

"Nope."

"You don't own this hospital. You can't stop me from visiting who I want."

"If it's not Black, then fine. Otherwise, nope."

"Blue, who do you think you are?!"

"I'd like to ask the same. Why don't you wait for Black to return to training like everyone else?"

"What's so urgent, Orange?" Blue persisted.

Black and White stared at the two fighting like cats and dogs. White sighed to himself, wondering what was up with the day. First, Nya and Skylor, and now, Blue and Orange.

"This happens often, doesn't it?" Black asked.

"As often as the sun sets," White sighed once again.

"What started this?"

"I'm not sure myself. I think Orange said some stuff about Blue, and now he gets irritated anytime he sees her. Orange is also clumsy sort of, and most of the messes she causes have some involvement with Blue."

"Hmm..."

"I'm leaving now. You should too." Blue turned back and walked towards Black's ward.

Orange glared, salty from the argument. She turned around and walked away, the cape pinned to her gi flying slightly from her walk speed. (I'll draw their gi designs and put them in one of the chapters.)

"Hey, J-"

White covered the Black's mouth immediately. Blue, who also noticed, stared wide-eyed before rushing over.

"We don't call each other by names when we're in this outfit," White whispered.

"Oops. What do we say then?" Black whispered back.

"Call him Blue, and you can call me White. We'll call you Black."

"Well, aren't those names interesting..."

"The circumstances of our naming were not favorable."

"What are you guys whispering about?" Blue asked them.

"Oh, Black was just wondering what you guys were arguing about."

"It was nothing," Blue said as he rolled his eyes. "Orange just wanted to see how Black was doing."

"Come on," Blue said as he headed inside. "Let's catch Black up to as much school work as possible. Ma and Pa are expecting me this evening."

Black and White followed quietly behind Blue. White suddenly felt a tug on his gi. He looked to his right and saw Black motioning him to his gi.

"How do I take it off," Black mouthed.

"How did you put it on?" White asked.

"Uh..."

"You guys are being suspicious, you know?" Jay told them.

Black scratched his neck anxiously. He avoided eye contact with Jay and was confused about how he should behave.

"This is going to be difficult."  White thought to himself.

~X~x~X~x~X~

Meanwhile, Kai and Ash talked as they walked from classroom to classroom. They toured the club hall, the laboratory hall, the sports hall, and the academic halls. Finally, they arrived at the food hall.

"Let's grab something to eat, Kai," Ash said tiredly. He sat to take a rest on one of the chairs. "We've been walking for a while."

"Have we?" Kai placed a cap on his head and put on a face mask. The jacket he had tied inside-out on his waist came undone as he pulled on a sleeve.

"What are you doing?" Ash stared, confused. He watched the brown-haired boy cover himself up.

"I don't mean to brag, but I'm absurdly popular among the girls. So popular that if even one person spots me, I'd be put in a rather tough position."

"That raises a lot of questions," Ash stated, "For one, won't anyone be suspicious seeing you dressed like that?"

"Not really."

"Okay... but why didn't you do all this at the start of the tour? We pretty much walked around the entire school."

"The places we went to can be considered safe. We have hall monitors and a demerit system that prevents us, students, from causing any... um... disorderliness...? You get what I mean."

"I think I do."

"Good, let's get moving," Kai said as he walked with large slow steps toward the queue.

"Why are you walking like that?"

"To seem weird," Kai answered, "If I seem weird, people wouldn't think it was me and I can leave mentally unscathed."

"Do you do this every day?" Ash was confused. He stared at Kai who nodded his head as if it was normal for him. Just what made his classmate so famous he has to hide from people?

"Are you being bullied?"

Kai turned toward Ash with a blank face. Now two confused teens were staring blankly at each other.

A sudden bang interrupted their staring and caught their attention.

"He came this way for sure!" A female student exclaimed. Behind her were a bunch of other girls, too many to count, frantically turning their heads.

"He did!" Another girl exclaimed but this time with sparkles in her eyes. "I can still smell his cologne!!"