Chapter Text
Morro would be thrashing around in the water, feeling the tentacles grabbing onto his limbs. Gasping as his head bobbled above the water, a doom that was inevitable. Plunging the ghost underwater to a murky death, one that consisted of torture for one’s mind and soul.
He could feel his lungs burning, even as a ghost he could feel the pain of being drowned as if he was a mortal once more. The memory of how they died previously flashing before their eyes, causing him to panic. A tug on his right leg, dragging him deeper into the darker depths. The beams of sunlight that would be able to pierce through the waves fading away. Morro would let out an ear piercing wail, one that could even challenge Bansha’s.
Though his watery death was cut short, Morro kicking out of their grasp and making their way to the surface. Their hand being the first thing that penetrate the never-ending waves, the ghost hauling themself to shore.
Collapsing when he would heave himself onto the solid ground. Even though they were out of the water, everything burned. Feeling the agony which water brought to him and all other ghosts alike, the only difference? He shouldn’t be alive.
Throbbing pain shooting through his chest as he realized that he wasn’t breathing. He would clench his teeth, the air hissing as he would in wheezes, breathing in and out. Finding a rhythm as his chest would rise and fall in a never ending cycle.
But when he wasn’t worried about suffocating, all the other weight of his nightmare bearing down on him. His drenched hair grasped onto his neck and face, feeling like thorns were digging into his skin. Morro’s iron grip would grab a wad, hissing as it the strands would stab into his palm.
Rising to his feet he would stumble, his own feet trying to play tricks on him. He would fall onto their knees, his own legs not being able to support him. Truly pitiful in his feeble form.
The master of wind would grasp the air around him, trying to use it as a cruch. Only to fall back down onto the ground. The wind in this realm was not like the one in Ninjago. It would never call out to him here. The two sided element had brought comfort to him when he was alive. It was always there. It had waited and yearned for his return when he was a ghost, and it welcomed him back.
Here though, it was different. It was still there here, but it felt stale, limp. Its presence is gone, leaving Morro to fight his nightmares by himself. It was like a servant. Staying quiet and only following his commands once he called out to it.
He missed his home, his true home. Not the Cursed Realm, not the monastery, not here, but rather the wind itself. Morro would suppress the feeling, not needing homesickness to join the pile of his hazardous emotional state.
Something would keep him from crumbling into a sobbing mess though. Another person. He would look out to notice his watery nightmare would clash with the fallen buildings that were whatever haunted the newcomer.
Even with his bleary vision, he could make out some of their features. However, it didn't look like she was related to the FSM. The only comparison he found was that her hair blonde like Lloyd’s though much lighter. Almost white, looking like freshly fallen snow.
Morro felt a pull toward her, as if destiny was carving out a path for the two to meet. His drenched clothes would restrict him from walking,though. Every sag weighs him down beyond belief. The garments would clasp onto his arm making his skin burn and sizzle. Pain bubbling from everywhere on Morro’s body.
He would do his best to crawl to the other person, nearing the rift in the nightmares. Morro felt exhausted just getting there, looking back at his progress to be so small and miniature that it simply didn’t feel worth going over there.
He would try to mask his fear, not to scare the other person, trying to force his mind to remember what a smile was. The closest thing he got was a hideous smirk, adding to his look of a feral animal. His hair being greasy and damp, half of it being twisted and littered with knots.
Morro would continue his journey to the clearing in which held the girl. The disaster which was the city looked like something he saw before. He had never been here though, his gut twisting when he found that the disturbing memory belonged to Lloyd. That he had seen it while possessing the green ninja.
He would find himself wanting to throw up, to not think of that brief period in time when he was continuing the search for the realm crystal. The audible sounds of crying would be able to divert him from his thoughts. Morro found himself an arm-length away from the person, scooting one last time as he would sit with the other person.
He would put a hand on their shoulder, entwining a small breeze with his fingers, letting it ruffle though the girl’s bangs. Morro would meet their gaze, tragedy striking their facial expression. His smile would come out as a slow nod. Letting them lean into the ghost’s embrace. He felt their warmth, his heart swelling up. Their presence felt like the wind, comforting and calm. He would just lay his head on her’s, closing his eyes.
He would open his eyes slowly, gazing at his surroundings. They were still in the crumbling city, the cacophony of destruction panging like distant thunder. He would shudder at the thought of rain, before remembering the trembling body that Morro had embraced. It was morning now, feeling the simulated beam of sunlight wrap around the two.
The ghost would try his best to look around without disturbing the girl. Fire littering the landscape, hearing some sort of annoying high-pitched noise in his ear. He would lean into the sound, wallowing in the melancholy aura that surrounded it. Letting it guide him into his own nightmares, as he would blankly stare at a flame.
Undeserving
Unworthy
Unneeded
Three words that haunted him even before he was doomed to go to the cursed realm. Morro would look out to the sea of ghosts, their melted and mutilated forms being the only thing that lit up the void. He could feel her grasp back on him, dragging him down into the darkness. Unearthly screams blaring in his ears as he would squeeze his eyes shut, not allowing their tears to flow down their face.
He would let out yowl as burning pains stabbed into his arms and legs, though it was muted in the darkness. Sounding like a small yelp as the shrieks would overwhelm his hearing. Everything was dark and cold, only making his loneliness intensify. His heart was wrenching back and forth, almost as if it was trying to be ripped out from his body.
He felt a blade clip his cheek, scarlett liquid bubbling from his right side of his face. Feeling the presence of a dagger being punctured into his neck, leaving him gasping for air. A katana being skewered right through his torso, probably hitting some vital organs along the way. Morro would gasp and wheeze, squirming around feeling his insides squelch and stretch.
“Harumi”
He would blink, their voice ripping him out of his hellish trance. Morro would look down at the girl who would observe his fearful gaze.
“Harumi”
He would just continue to stare at them, before mentally facepalming himself. She was telling him her name, duh. He would break their gaze staring at the ground, trying to keep the voices in his head down. Attempting to pacify them like children, doing their best to tune out them.
“Uh- Morro.”
His words would stumble out his mouth, as if he was an infant that had never spoken before. It would make Morro want to return to his nightmare. This one being no better than the one that was in his mind.
A tug on his shoulder would make him redirect his vision to the girl- Harumi. He tilted his head in confusion slightly at them, blinking in confusion and slight nervousness. He had never really been the person who was easily able to hold a conversation let alone strike one. Though he didn’t have to, cause before he was able to look away she hugged him.
His hand would snatch Lloyd’s green gi, dangling him in the air. Unintentionally the wind would pick up between the three. The ghost’s temper rose, as he and Lloyd would have a staring contest, neither one of them yielding and giving the other the satisfaction of winning.
“What do you want, Morro.”
He would only scoff, clearly musing at the green ninja’s pathetic state. He may have helped him during the day of the departed, but that was because he had pitied Cole being a ghost and felt responsible to help them out to become human. They had not forgiven Lloyd from stealing the green gi that he had worked so hard for only destiny to hand it out to some bratty child.
Morro would tighten his grip, smirking as he saw Lloyd’s face become flushed. Confirming that he was slowly choking them, the already dead type of choking someone. For such a great warrior they were frail, easily able to be squished like a fly. They found themself enjoying seeing the pain reflect across their face, watching as Lloyd would claw at the ghost’s arms, almost helpless at their rage. Almost .
He would’ve most likely choked them if it wasn’t for Harumi putting a hand on his shoulder, shattering the dream-like trance he was in. Abruptly dropping them as they would shake their head. His overbearing consciousness flooded back to him, as he would shudder as he would trying to distinguish himself from the monster that had taken control of their body.
Lloyd would spit out a swab of saliva, Morro jumping slightly gazing back at a glaring Lloyd. Harumi’s hand tensed up signaling Morro to leave, in which he bluntly walked away in the void. Finding a good distance from Harumi and the ninja, sitting down and bringing his knees to his face.
He could feel her tendrils trying to grasp onto him and drag him, though he knew they weren’t real. Harumi had constantly reminded him that his nightmare’s weren’t real, that it was all a figment of their imagination. Of course that didn’t stop from the two alternating from waking up the other from their nightmare.
The green streak of hair drooping down to cover one of his eyes, as he would stare at their faint outlines. A cold chilling presence surrounded him, sadness and loneliness washing over him. It was like he was back at square one, a lonely child. Morro would close his eyes, a single tear would roll down his cheek.
He would open his eyes to see Lloyd squinting at him from afar, the green ninja snapping his head back to Harumi once he caught sight of the ghost looking back at them. He did look slightly different than he supposed, he was still slightly transparent as he was still partially a ghost. He was solid though, gaining senses as the remainder of him the realm devoted to him to be a mortal again.
The realm only wanted their victim’s to feel comfort, their victims. Both him and Harumi had deduced that neither of them liked the realm, everything that was supposed to be comforting only eased them back into tragedy and fear. Being able to visibly be able to relive your memories as a spectator or as an actor was disturbing to say the least. Even though it numbed their pain and suffering, it numbed everything else too. Their emotions, their senses and their thoughts.
A certain sword outlined by a welcoming tint of yellow would slowly fade into existence, the glowing outline meaning that it was a memory. Morro would stand up, recognizing that it was the sword of sanctuary, one of destiny’s greatest weapons. He would pick it up gazing at his reflection already knowing it would look revolting.
His hair was greasy and in knots, he was still a sickly green, and eyes still sunken. The ghastly outline around his eyes had darkened to an inky black, matching his pitch black eyes. His pupil had become pure white and was more like a slit now, his iris was gone only a tiny outline of green around his pupil retained his original eye color.
He would frown. This realm was truly trying to transform into a monster.
Morro would look at the reflection again, his jaw dropping as he saw his younger self. He would drop the sword as it landed with a clank, the ghost kicking it away. He would hunch over looking at the ground, thoughts about his reflection pricking his mind. Was he truly going insane?
Morro found himself trying to wake up to his supposed cousin, politely trying to poke him awake. It had been a few hours(?) since Harumi sent him off, though for Morro it only felt like seconds. Time in the departed realm was peculiar, almost kinda silly. His boredom plagued him before the sound of a loud crack would jolt him back to his now awake cousin. A blazing pain running up his right hand, as he would hiss through clenched teeth.
He would snatch back his now broken wrist, the realm’s “comforting” powers numbing most of the pain. He would just look back at the suppressed smirk that the ninja was trying to hide, unfortunately Morro could see it clearly.
He would watch Harumi, as she shifted quietly, most likely awoken at the snap. Getting angry right now wouldn’t help him or any of them. Plus he didn’t want one of the two being afraid of him as they were stuck in the same void forever anyways.
“Lloyd.”
That was the only word that came out of his mouth. Morro growled quietly at himself, not being able to mask his anxiousness around Lloyd. He would rub his temples and close his eyes trying to breathe out quietly. Inhaling quietly he would reopen his eyes tilting his head patiently waiting for the ninja’s response.
“Yes?”
“Would soup help any of this?”
He watched as their brows would furrow at the ghost’s question. It was a foolish question, technically eating wasn’t required to be dead, but he thought that it was probably a good way to let Lloyd transition into the departed realm. After all, they were going to be staying right?
“Yes.”
His thoughts would stop in their tracks, turning back to meet Lloyd’s gaze. He hadn’t actually expected them to say yes, he was rather expecting some great giant monologue by Lloyd to refuse to let Morro make him soup. It was probably more weird though to see a former enemy offer to make you soup, for Lloyd then to accept their offer.
“Harumi, would you mind supplying the memory?”
Feeling being watched, the stare trying to melt him. He knew all too well that she was awake and that there was no reason for her to refuse his polite request. Though there is always a chance that either of them could snap. A large kitchen soaked in the same yellow tiny as the sword would fold upward like sheets of paper.
“So I suppose this dinner?”
“It’s not dinner, this would actually be breakfast”
He could hear how the response was practically spat out of the princesses mouth, Morro refused to let himself look back at the two though. Focussing on the stewing pot in front of him, dipping the wooden spoon and stirring the soup. He would wander around the kitchen, looking around in the pantries before grabbing a tiny bottle of dried herbs and sprinkling it in the dish.
Tomato soup and some toasted bread.
A simple dish, though comforting in Morro’s heart. He was never a good cook anyways, it was never a priority. Wu had always been the one who was to present the meals, he never would complain even if it was mostly just tea and a side dish. Though he had improved, Harumi could definitely vouch for him, he didn’t even remove of the skin of the onion the first time he had made the dish,
When he would dip in his ladle in carmine liquid, emptying it in three bowls and grabbing the bread from the stovetop and putting it in soup. The ghost placed the bowls in front of both of them, looking at Lloyd and Harumi. The two glaring daggers into each other. The makeshift barstool that separated them was Morro’s seat.
“Thank you.”
The princesses voice wavered quietly, as the clicking of spoons would be the only sound that filled the room. He would turn to look at Lloyd who indulged themself in the soup as if this was his last meal.
Morro would take the moment to observe the so-called g reat one , gazing at the new scarves they had obtained when Morro was gone. Most of their burns had been healed and so what remained was just a dumpster fire of ripped up clothes and a bed head.
He would snap his head back as Lloyd caught him staring at them, just sighing and gazing at his soup.
“Why are only you two?”
“Hrmg?”
He would lick his lips tilting his head at the ninja.
“Why are you and Harumi the only ones here?”
Morro would sigh, putting his spoon down. He didn’t know the answer honestly, the two had highly fabricated guesses and inferences about how the realm operated. Plus the theories were very long and there were giant holes in some of them.
“We’re family, apparently.”
“Yeah I know that.”
Lloyd’s response would slice right through him, the wind master would lower their head staring at the soup a bit more. Racing memories would flash in front of his eyes, as he would start to hyperventilate.
Morro would try to calm themself, squinting at the tiny ripples. They would soon begin to grow larger before the bowl of soup would be clearly shaking. The ground would quake below them, a cliff rising from the ground.
A poof of yellow mist would reveal the chasm that now separated Morro from the other two. The cliff edge was still rising up into what were now clouds that were coming into view.
Other islands would emerge into the skyscape as they would keep going higher, the air becoming thinner making Morro’s breath shallow and hoarse. He would watch as the scenery would begin to jut out from the plain islands, green grass popping up from the ground around him. He knew where he was, and he hated it.
Destiny though knew what it was doing, and the wind master would clasp his hands around the blades and would rip them out from the ground. He couldn’t and wouldn’t , admit to himself that he was in the cloud kingdom.