Chapter Text
Back at the tournament
"You were right Ras, Sora tricked me into thinking I knocked you down with my Object Spinjitzu and I just heard Master Wu himself confirm that he caused the merge." Arin said frustrated and hurt as the pedestal that he held his heroes on came crumbling down.
"You know I only had spoken truth to you that night." Ras said with a chagrin face.
"Then you know where my parents are, but how?"
"My Master has told me many things and I have traveled many places. Do not doubt, I know where the Administration sent Jen and Barry, Arin Nived"
Arin's eyes widened hearing his full name "And you'll take me there"
"I'm the only one who can"
In the Present
Arin couldn't help but miss Lloyd and team, sure he was mad at Sora for lying to him and at Wu for being the reason he got separated from his parents, but he missed the care they showed him.
Ras says kindness is for the weak Arin thought as he struggled to keep pushing Ras on the sled after traveling non stop for hours in the desert heat. Though he struggled, Arin didn't stop knowing his new master's condition was worsening. He remembered when he first found him battered by the Forbidden Five he could at least somewhat walk, but the effect of their powers were slowly consuming him to the point he could barely keep his eyes opened. Recalling a conversation they had earlier Arin thought
Ras had said "I am dying...and with me, your chances of finding your parents... Our only hope is deep inside the Spectral Lands", but how can the cure for death be on the edge of it?
Arin then tripped on a rock and decided that he needed to stop before he got injured too.
"Keep Moving! We must press onward!" Ras tried yelling, but strained to just get the words out
"I just need a second, one of us needs to be able to walk once we get there" Sitting down on a rock and noticing a sign in the distance saying
Warning
You Have Approached the Sphere
Where hearts of Grief, Hate, Despair
Are foes to all that enter here
Cursed and Departed the Lands once call
The Spectral lands now merged so clear
The Living, Awake in the fall
There is at night a call you'll hear
So cover your ears, comfort your friends
For if not, when you wake
They'll met their ends
"Should we be worried?" Arin asked reading aloud the sign to Ras
He just snorted "It's just a warning for those who are weak minded like you, I have nothing to fear."
"What do you mean?" Picking up the sled again moving forward
"Before the Merge the Cursed Realm Called to all those who felt and were wronged in the world, leading them with promises of vengeance, power, and glory." The sick voice echoed "In reality she called them into her never ending service, preying on all insecurity and creating debts souls were attached with her children becoming their never ending tormentors in a realm so vile it became the perfect prison for anyone powerful enough to send their enemies there" Arin nodded along recalling the stories of the Anacondri Generals, Master Garmadon and Master Chen. "When she was destroyed by the hands of the ninja, she and her inhabitants all became subject to the Departed realm causing a great imbalance in the realms never before seen, only to be so called restored when the rest of the 16 merged. Despite it all though her call remains to those conflicted in mind seeking answers and justice. It is but one reason why I have been so adamant about you forgetting those cowards. You'll see what your loyalty to so your "Hero's" will get you..." Ras may have continued on, but started having a coughing fit.
Arin shivered but press forward "And you're sure a cure to whatever the forbidden 5 did to you will be found in there"
"If the call still persists, so does the well"
They continued to travel in silence from that point onward as the red wasteland of the former First Realm started to transition to a more grayish plain. Arin kept thinking of the sign, the ninja and everything Ras had said about people only looking out for themselves and how a hero was just defined by who you agreed with. As Arin thought of everything that had happened to him since the merge he realized he felt every emotion it listed.
Wu took my parents from me. The ninja aren't the heroes I once thought they were. Lloyd hasn't kept his promises, and Sora lied to me. Yet why do I miss them, if what they taught me was so wrong why can't I just move on. Why don't I want to move on... unless there was some good.
Then the sun officially set and it was getting too dark to continue onward "Guess it’s time to make camp" Arin said as cheerfully as he could trying to lighten the mood he'd been feeling.
A grunt was his reply followed by "We should reach their boarders by early afternoon tomorrow" then another fit of coughing.
That worried Arin more "Let's build up your strength then" he said then grabbing what little food they had left - would have been more if the draconians didn't mistake him for an oni - he fed his teacher. Afterwards he set up his makeshift pack, made sure Ras was asleep and pulled out his Lloyd doll.
Why did I get stuck here? Arin thought and drifted to sleep longing that he could just find his parents and go home.
As he dreamed of what he longed for most with his Parents, Sora, Lloyd and the rest of his friends cheering him on as he demonstrated perfect Object Spinjitzu he noticed a calming song enter into his mind and after a bit his mind completely faded to black.
The next thing Arin felt was a push, like hitting the seat of a moving vehicle and as Arin opened his eyes he realized he wasn't sleeping in the middle of a desert any more.
He quickly bolted up in a panic and took in his surroundings, it seemed like he was in a small booth of some kind of train car with how narrow the space was length was and how things seemed to be moving outside the window. The soft grey ground was gone now and in it's place was a land near black with an eerie green glow coming through fissures and smoke coming from the ground. Arin also noted that it seemed like the window was double panned with a gap sealed in between. Then after a second scan of the small space he realized Ras was nowhere to be found. Outside of the bed he occupied the only other things in the booth was a skinny bench on the other side, a small fold up coffee table on the window side with a door opposite that led to the rest of the train car and was completely locked.
This can not be happening!!! and just then he saw movement from the other side of the door. Arin Stood up ready to take down whoever was unlocking it. As soon as it opened he tried to hit a the figure with a jump kick only to hit the wall and then the ground of the train car.
"That must have hurt" a voice sympathized as Arin looked up to see a ghostly figure with greasy hair and pale skin that glowed like the outside seemed to stand above him. Actually the boy realized the spirits feet were in his chest and quickly retreated back to the cabin, hitting the folded table, and just staring at him in fear.
"You're a ghost"
"And you're living" The ghost smirked back and then looked down the hall "Ace! You're friend's awake, you should have mentioned he's an early riser." he called.
"Just finishing making breakfast, I'll be there in a second!" A voice Arin hardly recognized echoed back and then the spirit's attention went back to him.
"Hey it's alright, I didn't mean to scare you" The ghost backtracked seeing how the teen was frozen stiff "It's Arin right? Ace mentioned that he saw you at the Tournament of Sources"
That got Arin to calm down enough to get back to his feet "Yes... and you are?"
"Morro Green, Protector and Guide of the Spirits here in the Spectral Lands. Don't worry though as I said before your still living, thanks to the Guardian's work last night..." he started to explain but then
"Breakfast Time!!!" Ace called as he walked in "Nothing calms one better after a... uh Sir, didn't Fritz and the other guardians say not to show yourself to The Called?" The teen asked and Arin immediately remembered everything he overheard Nya say about the kid and what he saw. Having the chance have a closer look at him now he was even more surprised that someone a few inches shorter than him could fight so well and challenge any of the ninja like that. He also looked a lot like how Zane would have if he was human, outside of being much more shorter and having a thinner frame, the face was what truly made him identical.
"I was just unlocking the doors since the time has passed and the Fritz is busy. He just happened to see me open his, but he's all yours. I need to leave and get back to my patrol before another poor soul comes across any remnants of the Preeniment. Hope you leave this place soon kid" With that the ghost winked at the ninja and made his leave
"Thank you sir" Ace nodded, opened the coffee table up and place a giant stack of chocolate pancakes with whipped cream in front of the ninja. "I feel like we haven't had a proper introduction. My name is Ace Julian, your Arin Frak's childhood friend right?" Extending his hand in greeting.
Arin accepted the gesture "Yes and you're the Master of Lightning?"
"Yes, but please keep that on the down low." The fellow teen replied sitting down on the bench across from him "If Fritz, the Head Guardian and my caretaker were to find out what happened at the tournament, he would be much displeased." he quickly explained.
"Wait why, didn't you know before hand?" the other asked bit confused
"No, we only knew about Rider's powers before hand, Ras was the one to discover them in me"
"So your Father doesn't know..."
"He knows that Rider got into trouble and is having a hard enough time training him in his elemental powers while maintaining his duties"
"Which are.." Arin asked very curious about his peer
"He is in charge of keeping the living safe from entering too deep into the departed realm"
"You mean I..." getting a knot in his stomach
The boy nodded "Yes, and you went further than most their first time around, but luckily my Father stopped you just before you reached the gate."
"I see.." Arin said, still processing this whole situation
There are people living at the edge of the departed realm.
"I know I just gave you a lot of information, but please eat." And despite loosing his appetite due to nerves Arin gave in. As he started he first off realized how hungry he actually was and second that even if he hadn't skipped his last two meals that these pancakes were better than his best pies.
As he finished by scarfing down the food Ace smiled "Glad to see you enjoyed them"
"I have a friend who literally would move a mountain to eat these" Arin laughed thinking of Cole's reaction and then sighed.
"You know from what I've heard about you from Frak. I would never have expected you to be alone here with Master Ras. Aren't you a student of the Ninja?"
"I left them to join Ras" Arin quickly replied hoping to shut down that part of the conversation.
Ace seemed to take note of this "I see, I won't pry further, but was Frak or Jordina with you during your journey?"
"No, it's was just me and him traveling together" This time Ace sighed and Arin thought it best to explain "The rest of the Wolf Clan was at the City of Temples when.... Wait Is Ras on this train?" Remembering his master's condition
"Yes, in the medical bay. The Head Guardian, Bolobo, and a few medics are attending him at the moment." Giving Arin a moment of relief that Ras wasn't alone until Ace continued "His health seems to be failing him."
"Yes, he's been cursed by Zarkt and Kur of the forbidden five with the only possible cure being here in the Spectral lands."
"I see, so the rest of the five have returned..."
"You've heard of them?"
"Rumors. The passing spirits here love to spread them and the ancients that visit share many legends."
"There are more ghosts on this train?"
Ace nodded his head "The Protector and his constituents visit mostly, just seeking to aid the living. There are not many though for most spirits have moved on deeper into the departed or are trouble makers that are warded away so you have nothing to fear."
"But Ras is here, we need to get him to the cure" Trying to get back on track
"Is this curse what troubles your mind?" Ace asked intensely
"Don't know about that, but if he dies so does the only chance of me finding my parents."
Ace immedatly stood up hearing this and said "We shall inform my Father then and see what we can do. Outside of the train, the Spectral Lands is a dangerous place for the Living. Come... and pull your hood down" determined and then promptly left the cabin.
"Thank you, Ace" Arin sighed in relief and got up to follow him, happy to have found a friendly ally.