The Earth's Seismic Faults

Seismic Mountains

     Seismic waves come in all different waves, S-waves, P-waves, and surface waves. All of the seismic waves come from underneath the earth, and certainly not from above the mountains! It was a wonder to Cole on how he ended up with the idea of going through the Shintarians' mountains, when he did not even know where it was located.

     "So, are you sure you know where we are going?" asked Cole for the umpteenth time. "I mean, I know that I don't know where I am going, but you're looking left and right way too often! And you're the queen! That makes me kind of nervous, actually."

     "Of course I know where to go!" protested Vania, though Cole could sense uncertainty in her voice. Jay used this uncertain tone way too often. "I just, er, forgot some paths in this mountain. Why did you choose this mountain of all mountains, though?"

     Cole shook his head. Cole wish he could just use his earth elemental power to make rocks lift both of them up, but the risk was just too great, plus, ever since the attack of the Crystal King, all of the Ninjas' elemental powers are now in the place where they once were. So, Cole just tried peeking out into the edges to see if the earthquakes start happening again, because both Cole and Vania might fall! So Cole warned Vania not to step near the edges, just in case.

     While Cole and Vania were discussing things about what happened in Shintaro ever since he and the Ninja have left, that is, until the ground that they were stepping on suddenly shook! It was the worst earthquake Cole had ever felt. He saw rocks from above starting to fall on them, so he tried making a cave on some rocks, and motioned for Vania to join him there. After the earthquake finally ended, Vania was about to step outside, and just then, a huge boulder fell on the diminutive opening of the cave.

     "Are we caved in?" asked Cole, who could not see because Vania was blocking his view. "It's so dark! I can't see a thing!"

     "We're caved in! And I can't move, so we have to be stuck in this awkward position!"

     "I think I could try opening the hole, if you move, at least a little bit," grunted Cole, who was trying to move a muscle but could not. "Or we could just be stuck in here all day, unless someone remembers us and sees that we're stuck in here."

     Cole could feel someone moving from in front of him, which he thought was Vania, until it touched his upper arm. It felt very furry.

     "Er, Princess Vania? Is that you moving and touching my upper arm?" asked Cole, he was on the verge of laughing, as the furry thing, whatever it was, was now moving onto his shoulder. 

     "No. I haven't moved yet, I'm still looking for a way to move towards your back without making any rocks tumble," replied Vania. "Plus, I won't ever touch your upper arm like that without warning."

     Cole took a deep breath, and tried to catch the thing, now walking on his shoulder, with his free arm. When he had touched it, it felt like a furry, but not that filled with hair, and when Cole reached the bottom of it, it seemed to have eight legs? 

     "Uh, I think this is a spider," whispered Cole to himself. "Just take it out, Cole, just take it out."

     Cole plucked the spider off his shoulder, when it suddenly gave a slight shiver, and ran towards a small opening in the threshold of the boulder.

     "Great, now we're stuck here," said Cole sarcastically, leaning on a wall of rocks. "This day just gets better and better, you know."

     But as Cole fully leaned his body onto the rocky wall, the boulder that was blocking the entrance suddenly moved. How odd. The bright light shone fully on the queen and Cole. Cole blinked a few times to see who moved this boulder away, when five very familiar colors greeted him. His fellow Ninja have found him, but the question was, how?

     "What-how did you find us?" asked Cole, awestruck. "I thought you were in Ninjago, cleaning the Monastery up."

      Jay chuckled, and said, "We were cleaning up. Well, until another letter from Shintaro arrived. Tell him, Lloyd,"

      "Yes, Jay's right, we were cleaning up, when the postman arrived, again, and said to us that the Upply have requested us to join in your quest," said Lloyd, helping Cole get out of the cave. "And guess what? ("What?" interjected Cole) They also asked if Harumi and Skylor could come!"

     Cole raised one bushy black eyebrow. He did not know why Lloyd was excited that Harumi would come to Shintaro. She did try to kill Lloyd more than once.

     "Well, where are they?" asked Cole, checking if any of them were beside the Ninja. "I don't see them here."

     "Oh, that," said Kai. "They're chatting with the Upply to see on what, er, issue they could help on."

     "So, where are we going now?" asked Vania suddenly, Cole had somehow forgotten that she was there ever since his friends had come. "Will we go to the castle or higher in the mountains to check what's causing these earthquakes?"

     Cole looked at Lloyd, who looked like he was thinking hard on the game plan. 

     "I think our best course of action right now, is to get the Upply in the palace, and come back to the mountain to continue your little hiking trip," said Lloyd wisely. "Who's with me?"

     All of the Ninja, including Vania, raised their hands, and off they went towards the castle of Shintaro.