Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Envy. Jealousy. Spite.

Call it what you will; Morro knew this feeling all too well. This bitter, heavy feeling that had tormented him for years, sinking its insidious claws into him until he was all but consumed by it.

It started with a betrayal; a broken pact.

“You promised me .”

Wu had promised him everything: a safe space, training, power, a legacy that should have been his to uphold, his to make his his, his his his —

Wu broke his promise. Morro ran away left to face his destiny.

He had died.

Bitterness and anger became his only friends.

Then…

He was shown a way out. A hand—kind and compassionate, though cloaked in a stubbornness that rivaled Morro’s own—had punched through the dark clouds surrounding him, had pulled him out, had guided him to something new and… better .

It wasn’t easy. Far from it. Envy’s chains had long been tied to Morro’s identity, and it was hard to shake them loose. But, little by little, their tight grip relaxed, to the point that Morro almost forgot about them.

But then things changed. 

The Golden Weapons glowed. Destiny had chosen her champion.

It wasn’t him.

It was a child—Lord Garmadon’s son, Wu’s nephew —a child who had never been trained, who did not respect the blood sweat and tears others had shed (that he had shed) wanting to achieve, who did not deserve it—

—chains of bitterness and rage and despair threatened to choke Morro, it wasn’t fair it wasn’t fair you promised me! —

—that same stubborn hand shoved him forwards, urging him to look past the green haze of envy, to get over himself, to look —

—and see a child.

A kid who had no right being in this position, who didn’t deserve it, who didn’t deserve the weight of the world on his shoulders, who was destined to fight his own father —

Envy’s chains broke. Wrath’s remained, but subdued, aimed at something else—some one else—besides this boy. 

It wasn’t easy. Morro still had to work off years of bad habits. But little by little, a lighter emotion took up residence in his being. Something soft and almost…caring.

“ I’ll help you,” he whispered to himself, watching the Green Ninja celebrate his first successful Spinjitzu. “ I’ll guide you, train you…protect you.”

“I promise you.”

Chapter Text

“What the hell are you doing?!”

Cole jumped, almost dropping the pair of scissors in his hands. “ Díos mio, don’t DO that!” he exclaimed, turning to face the ghost half-phased through the bathroom wall. “I almost had a heart attack!” 

“Get better situational awareness then,” Morro retorted, crossing his arms. “ Still doesn’t explain to me what the hell you think you’re doing.”

Cole’s brow furrowed, glancing first at the scissors in his hands, then down at the floor, where little tufts of his hair were gathered. “...trimming my hair?” he said, unsure of why Morro looked so upset. “I do this pretty often.”

“ Why?!” Morro demanded. “ What did you do?!”

“Wha—nothing! My hair was just getting long and going to a barber gets expensive, so I just…cut it myself.”

“ ...you cut your hair. Because it was getting too long?”

“ ...yes?”

Morro glared at him, clearly searching for a lie. When he saw that Cole was telling the truth, his shoulders relaxed. “... oh,” he said, blushing slightly from embarrassment. 

Curious, Cole set down the scissors and faced the ghost properly. “What made you think I did something?”

“ Nothing,” the ghost replied, turning to face away from him. “ Forget it. I just….forget it.”

“Kinda hard to, since you nearly gave me a heart attack about it.”

“For fuck’s sake—ugh, FINE. I was…I was just wondering if you had….I dunno, done something to disrespect Wu or something.”

Cole frowned. “...and I’d be cutting up my hair about that…why?”

Morro stared at him like he was crazy. “ ..because that’s what you do when you bring dishonor on yourself?”

“You cut your hair?!”

“ Yeaaaah? I mean, that’s how it was done. Traditionally, everyone’s hair was pretty long, and guys typically had topknots—especially those snobby elite ones. If you did something that dishonored your family, or if someone thought you dishonored them in some way, then typically your hair would get shorn off.”

“Wait, what?!”

“ Yeah, usually with some sort of ceremonial knife or something. It was supposed to be humiliating, walking around with short hair. Does…do people not do that anymore?”

“No. At least, I’ve never seen that,” Cole shook his head. “Maybe in Kai’s village or elsewhere, but never where I grew up. The only hair-related superstition that I know is that you’re not supposed to cut a baby boy’s hair until he’s old enough to walk. Something about how that  causes him to lose his strength or something? I dunno, I just remember it because my—my mom apparently had a fit when my dad tried to cut mine when I was little. Dad said that that was the closest my mom ever got to cussing someone out.”

Cole laughed at the memory, smiling a little when he heard Morro snort a little in amusement. “Anyways,” the black ninja said. “I promise, I’ve done nothing wrong, I’m just trimming my hair because it’s getting too long. Though…” he studied himself in the mirror. “...maybe one day I’ll grow it out.”

“ Whatever,” Morro rolled his eyes and turned to leave. “ Just wanted to know if I needed to kick Wu’s ass.”

“Awww, you’d do that for me? I knew you valued our friendship!”

“Shut up.”

Chapter Text

“Awww, but I can’t be a kid again! I hated being a kid! You can’t drive, nobody listens to you—oh. Oh no. BEDTIMES!!!”

Jay heard someone facepalm behind and whisper a fierce “Idiot…” He thought it was Kai at first, until a high-pitched, unfamiliar voice screeched, “You and your team just got mysteriously turned into kids, and you’re worried about a fucking BEDTIME ?!”

“AHHH!”

Everyone screamed and jumped, turning to face the voice—

—which belonged to a kid.

A kid with long black hair, a streak of it dyed green. A kid with vitiligo, the pale spots around his green eyes making them appear wider than they actually were. A kid, wearing a ragged, torn up ninja gi.

A kid, who Jay had never seen before in his life.

“Who the heck are you?!” The blue ninja shrieked.

The kid blinked at him in shock. “Wait, what?!”

Then the police arrived.

~~~

“What the fuck, what the fuck, what the actual fu—“

“Okay,” Cole turned around and frowned severely (though, given he was currently a kid, the effect was minimal). “I know that this is very sudden and unexpected, but can you please stop cursing? We’re gonna attract the wrong kind of attention!”

“Fuck off,” the kid next to Jay snapped, but he did lower his voice to a quiet mutter.

Jay fidgeted with his newly acquired hat. “Sooooo,” he drawled, addressing the new kid. “You’re Mark. Or, well, Morro is your actual name, but you don’t want Wu to find out so you came up with a fake name—“

The kid—Morro—looked up and glared at him. “Do you have a point to this, Bluebell?” He snarled. 

“How long have you been stalking us?”

….Jay did not mean to blurt that out. Oops. 

Morro’s face turned bright red in rage. “I was NOT stalking you!!!” He denied, his voice cracking in the middle of his shriek. 

Kai burst out laughing, and Cole had to hide a smile behind his hand.

“Technically,” Zane interjected diplomatically. “I believe the proper term is ‘haunting’. And if my calculations are correct, it’s been at least since the monastery, yes?”

“Well, yeah, that makes sense,” Jay acknowledged. “But still! Why stick around so long?”

“ You try being dead, invisible, and unable to be heard by anyone for decades and see how you like it,” Morro snapped, crossing his arms in a huff. “It was boring .”

Jay thought about it for a second, then winced. Yeah, that tracked. “Well,” he said, reaching out to sling an arm around Morro. “You’ve got us now! You won’t be bored with all of us! Especially since we can all see and hear you now! Relive your childhood, have fun!”

The blue ninja got a dark look in return. “I’m an orphan,” Morro hissed. “My childhood consisted of me living on the streets.”

“…okay yeah,” Jay winced. “Good point. But again!” He declared, rallying. “You have us now!”

Morro growled and shook off Jay’s arm. “This is so fucking stupid, ” he complained, stomping a foot. “I’m a motherfucking ghost, I’m fucking dead! How did this happen?!”

Kai snickered. “Dude, if Zane got turned into a kid, I don’t think that this,” he gestured at Morro. “is too far fetched.”

Morro groaned and flipped the hood of his borrowed hoodie over his head. “It’s still stupid …”

“…At least it could be worse?” Jay tried.

“Hurry up, guys, I can see a phone booth,” Cole said, beginning to jog. “Maybe we can reach Lloyd or the others!”

As Morro’s olive toned skin abruptly went several shades paler, Jay had the sneaking suspicion that he should’ve just shut his mouth.

~~~~

Lloyd couldn’t stop laughing.

“Oh my gosh,” the Green Ninja wheezed, clutching his stomach. “This is the best thing ever , holy crap, ha ha!”

Morro’s eye had been twitching for a while now. “Shut up, Pipsqueak!” He growled, glaring daggers at Lloyd. “This isn’t funny!”

“Oh, I beg to differ…” Lloyd’s smile grew absolutely wicked. “ Tiny.”

“ WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!”

~~~~~

“…worth it,” Lloyd said, smiling even as he rubbed at his bruised arm.

Morro growled, looking ready to punch the Green Ninja again. But a look from an unimpressed Cole had him backing down. “‘M not tiny,” the former ghost grumbled, tugging his hood further over his head.

Jay decided not to point out that currently, Morro was the smallest out of all of them. Instead, he plucked a comic book from a table and waved it at him. “Cmon Morro, try this one!” He coaxed. “Comics are awesome, you’ll love them!”

Morro squinted suspiciously at the comic. “…some random group of questionably dressed kids fighting a fu—a freaking giant moth? Hard pass.”

“He prefers fantasy stuff,” Lloyd said, smirking. “Or space things.”

“ Lies , Pipsqueak!”

Kai suddenly snickered. “‘Luke’,” he said, deepening his voice. “‘I am your father.’”

“That’s a misquote and you know it, Porcupine! That’s not what he actually said—“

Morro abruptly shut his mouth, blushed, and tugged his hood further down as Lloyd and Kai laughed. “I hate you both,” he grumbled.

…He still accepted the comic Lloyd offered him though, green eyes alight as he read.

~~~~

“Is this really the time for Cotton Candy?!”

“It makes me feel young! Deal with it.”

“Our lives are at stake, and you’re worried about—“

Crunch.

Kai and Jay stopped bickering with each other and stared.

Morro glared back. “What?” He snapped, attempting to look aloof even as he held a cookie in his hands. “They’re matcha flavored!”

“Bleh,” Jay stuck out his tongue in disgust. “ Matcha ? Give me snickerdoodle any day!”

“…you got any more of those?” Kai asked curiously.

“Piss off,” Morro scoffed, turning away from them.

Though, a few seconds later, Jay noticed him sneaking another cookie out from his hoodie pocket and pressing it into Kai’s hand.

~~~

The comic shop was a mess. There was a pile of Grundle bones on the floor. Mother Doomsday, Sensei Wu, and Nya were unconscious. Lloyd was now a teenager.

But at least Jay and the others were their proper ages.

“All’s well that ends well!” The blue ninja chirped, quite happy to be his normal age again.

“…um.”

Everyone turned at the sound. 

Morro blinked back, now a teenager as well (and no longer the smallest one of them, to Jay's quiet dismay)…

…but still not a ghost.

Cole’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait, what?” The black ninja exclaimed. “You’re still—“

“Not dead? Nope.” Morro barked out a laugh, looking a few minutes away from a breakdown. “This—this cannot be happening. Why am I—why didn’t it work?!”

“I think it did,” Kai said. “I mean, you’re not a kid anymore.”

“You were physically closer to us when Lloyd threw the Tomorrow’s Tea,” Zane added, looking thoughtful. “Perhaps it was only enough to get you to just before you became a ghost?”

“Well what do I do now?!” Morro demanded, eyes wild. “I-I can’t—Wu’s here and I don’t—I’m not—“

“Hey, hey,” Lloyd walked—slightly unsteady—over to the former ghost, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. “I know it’s…a lot, but you’re not alone, Morro. You’ve got us now,” he gestured to himself and the others. “We’ve got your back, no matter what.”

“Can’t get rid of us now, Ghost Boy,” Kai added, smirking. “You’re one of us!”

“Yeah!” Jay chimed in, smiling.

“I would like the opportunity to get to know you better as well,” Zane said.

“You really think I’m gonna let you down after all this time? Think again,” Cole shook his head, grinning. 

Morro looked at them, something like hope gleaming in his eyes. “Heh,” he ducked his head, obviously hiding a blush…and a smile. “…guess I could stick around a little longer.”

Everyone beamed. Then Jay had a brilliant idea.

“Group hug!”

“Wh—Fuck, no —!”

Chapter Text

“Why the fuck is that on fire?”

Zane, well used to interruptions such as these, did not startle. Instead, he remained focused on his task while saying, “Good morning, my friend. Please do not be alarmed, I am quite skilled at this.”

“Still doesn’t explain to me why you decided to light breakfast on fire,” Morro, their resident ghost, retorted, crossing his arms and glaring at the ice ninja. “ Also, don’t call me that.”

“Technically, I am flambéing breakfast,” Zane replied, gazing critically at his creation. “And only part of it.”

“...why?!”

“Well,” the nindroid flicked his wrist, pouring the contents of the pan onto a nearby plate. “How else am I supposed to make Bananas Foster French Toast?”

He set the pan down and sprinkled a little powdered sugar onto the aforementioned French Toast. “Ah,” Zane said, smiling in satisfaction. “Perfect.”

Morro flipped onto his stomach, scowling at the plate of breakfast food. “ That thing looks like a sugar overload waiting to happen,” he scoffed. 

“It is a tad sweet,” Zane admitted. “But I have got black coffee and tea to help offset that, as well as plenty of sausage and bacon. Besides, some people take comfort in making or consuming sweet things. I figured everyone needed a pick-me-up today.”

“ Hm.” 

There was a lull in conversation for a moment, Zane taking the time to slice up another banana for his French Toast. As he did so, the nindroid couldn’t help but ask, “Did you ever have the opportunity to cook on your own?”

Morro scoffed again. “ Being an orphan on the streets didn’t exactly offer any consistent access to a kitchen,” he replied scathingly.

Zane tipped his head in acknowledgment. “What about later on, at the monastery.”

“ Wu did most of the cooking then.” Out of the corner of his eye, Zane noticed the ghost blushing slightly, quietly muttering something that sounded suspiciously like a single instance of burnt porridge. The ice ninja had to hide an amused smile.

“ ...I did like baking,” Morro admitted softly, making Zane blink in astonishment. “ Wu showed me how to make matcha cookies and shortbread a few times.” A wistful look crossed the ghost’s face, a hint of a smile tugging on his face. “ I used to fucking love those things—I almost made myself sick once eating too many.” He huffed out a laugh. “ Worst stomach ache ever, yet I couldn’t resist eating more the next day…”

Morro shook himself, his expression morphing into something more aloof. “ Eh, whatever, that’s all in the past anyways,” he said dismissively.

Zane hummed, not quite agreeing but unwilling to push too much. A glance at the stovetop gave the ice ninja an idea. “Would you like me to walk you through my recipe for the French Toast?” he offered.

There was silence for a moment, long enough that Zane thought Morro would refuse.

Then, the ghost shrugged. “ Ah, what the heck, why not? I’m bored anyways.” He floated closer, hovering just above the ice ninja. “ So, when and why do you set the bananas on fire?”

Zane chuckled. “It’s a flambé . And it is the liquor that is aflame, not the bananas. Watch…”

Chapter Text

"No."

"Please?"

"No!"

¨Pretty please?"

"The physical appearance of the please is NOT changing my answer."

"...pretty please with sugar on top?"

"For fuck's sake--NO!" Morro glared at the two pests currently bothering him. "I'm not doing this!"

"But we need a third person!" Lloyd complained, pouting.

"Yeah!" Jay added, big blue eyes wide as he practically begged. "It won't be as fun with just two people!"

"Go ask Porcupine, then!"

"Can't; he sprained his wrist yesterday, remember? Cole threatened to tie him to the bed if he even thought of doing anything with it, and Kai's not willing to take that bet."

"...okay, fair," Morro acknowledged. "...I'm guessing that means Brookstone's out too."

"Yeah, he'd tell us off for being goofs. And before you ask," Jay said. "Zane wouldn't get it, and we're trying to surprise Nya so she can't be involved either. So we REALLY need you!"

"This is fucking stupid! I'm not doing this!"

"Come on, Morro! Uncle won't be back until the weekend and my mom's busy, so it's just my dad!"

"NO!"

"Pleeeease?"

"I said NO!"

Lloyd decided to pull out his secret weapon. "You can do an awesome monologue~"

Morro paused. Visibly considered. "...can I do an evil laugh too?"

"As long as it's not as bad as Lloyd's used to be."

"Hey!"

Morro smirked. "Deal."

~~~~~

"Urrrrgh," Nya groaned on the couch, a pillow clutched tightly to her abdomen. "Kill me."

"Pretty sure Kai would kill me if I attempted that," Cole replied, wincing in sympathy for his friend. "Need any more ibuprofen?"

"I just took some," the female ninja-in-training complained, throwing an arm over her face. "They haven't kicked in yet. Ugh, this suuuuuucks."

"I gotchu, sis!" Kai suddenly popped into the room, grinning widely despite the brace around his left wrist.

Nya glared at her brother. "If it's not chocolate covered pretzels, I'm not interested."

"Zane's bringing those," Kai assured his sister. "Besides, what I've got is better!"

"...what is it?"

Grinning, the red ninja hopped onto the couch next to his sister, gently drawing her into a hug. "Ta da! Your own personal heat pack!"

Nya scowled, opened her mouth to protest, only to pause and slowly relax. "Okay, you get a pass because that actually feels good," she said.

"Hell yeah!" Kai cheered. "Big brother cuddles for the win!"

"Y'know, speaking of cuddles...where's Jay?" Cole questioned. "I haven't seen him all day."

"He claims he's working on something to help cheer me up," Nya replied, a look of fond exasperation on her face. "Knowing him, it's probably something waaay over the top when all I really need are sweets and a movie."

Kai snorted and opened his mouth to reply--

--only to be interrupted by a familiar, echoey chuckle. "Oh trust me, Princess, this is WAY better than a movie."

A smoke pellet suddenly went off in the room, making everyone jump in surprise, Kai actually getting up and adopting a fighting stance.

A hand swept through the smoke, a cold wind whipped through the air. Morro 'stepped' dramatically out of the smoke, cackling evilly. The hood of his cloak was pulled up over his head and, for some reason, he was squinting his left eye.

"Morro, what the heck--" Kai demanded.

Morro cut him off with a wild cackle. "Morro?" he parroted, suddenly adopting an odd accent. "Open your eyes, ye sorry excuse for a hedgehog!" He swept his cloak out dramatically. "I am the Dread Pirate, Zorro the Swift! And you, sweet Princess," a foam play sword, of all things, suddenly found its way into the ghost's left hand. "You will make a fine addition to my collection. Heh heh, AHAHAHAHA!"

"Dang it," Lloyd's quiet voice could just be heard over the cackles. "He really does do a better evil laugh..."

"Lloyd shh!" Jay's voice suddenly piped up. "That's our cue!"

"Oh, right..."

The two suddenly jumped out, posing dramatically. "Never fear, Nya!" Jay chirped, pulling out a play lightsaber and brandishing it before him. "I, Jay Cloudwalker, Space Knight Extraordinaire, will save you!"

"Yeah!" Lloyd agreed, wielding his own lightsaber. "We'll take down this evil villain, lighting-quick!"

'Zorro the Swift' sneered at the two. "Cloudwalker. How is it that you and your pipsqueak sidekick keep following me everywhere?"

"Heh, you make it way too easy, Zorro old buddy," Jay retorted, smirking. "Maybe we should rename you 'Zorro the Slow'!"

"And I'm not a pipsqueak!" Lloyd added. "I'm Leaf! Jay Cloudwalker's awesome green partner-in-crime!"

"Fighting crime, that is!" Jay quipped, making everyone in the audience groan.

Their opponent merely rolled his eyes. "Oh, cease your incessant tongue wagging," he growled. "Your jokes are as pathetic as your fighting skills, ye lily-livered sons of sea dogs." He pointed his sword at the duo. "Give it up, Cloudwalker! The princess is mine! Leave before I cut ye both into mere ribbons!"

"Never, foul pirate!"

"Then ye have chosen death. En garde!"

Jay yelped and brought up his lightsaber, just in time to block the ghost's strike. Plastic clinked against foam as the blue ninja hissed, "Dude, chill! This isn't a sparring match!"

Morro chuckled darkly. "Of course it ain't, ye sky colored nuisance," the ghost replied, smirking. "This be sweet, sweet, revenge."

Jay had only a split second to think he might have made a grave error before he was furiously dodging and blocking his opponent's strikes. Lloyd-or, rather, Leaf-seeing the trouble, leapt into the fray and swung his own lightsaber at the ghost's torso.

'Zorro the Swift' merely dodged the attack before suddenly kicking out. 'Leaf' cried out as his weapon was kicked out of his hands, up into the air, and into his opponent's waiting hand. "Hey, that's my sword!"

"Then ye should've taken better care, Pipsqueak," 'Zorro the Swift' sneered before swinging his new weapon at a helpless 'Leaf', who yelped and dodged.

Jay went on the offensive, trying to help his partner out. But 'Zorro the Swift' was relentless and not willing to give even an inch. All too soon, Jay found his lightsaber knocked out of his hands and himself backed up against a wall next to 'Leaf', a weapon tickling the underside of his jaw.

'Zorro the Swift' let out a wild cackle. "At last," he boasted, kicking Jay's lightsaber behind him. "At long last! I have finally bested Jay Cloudwalker and his annoying punk of a sidekick! Ah victory, how sweet does thee taste after all this time--"

"Booooo," Kai, who had been silent along with Cole and Nya up until this point, heckled. "Less talking, more action!"

"ExCUSE you!" the ghost snapped, breaking character to glare at the red ninja. "I was promised a monologue!"

"Hurry up, then!" Kai retorted, smirking. "You're taking too long!"

"Kai," Cole sighed, facepalming.

"Fuck off, Porcupine!" Morro turned around, paused, then scowled. "Ah, great! Now I lost track of where I was!"

"Something about sweet victory?" Lloyd said cautiously.

"Lloyd!" Jay complained, glaring at his partner.

"Ah, right. Ahem." the ghost promptly fell back into character. "Ah victory, so sweet after all this time. Savor ye final moments, Cloudwalker, and know that you have been bested!"

"This so wasn't part of the script," Jay muttered under his breath.

"A thousand curses upon thy script," 'Zorro the Swift' spat. "And may ye souls suffer a thousand more! Say good night, Cloudwalker--"

The ghost paused, making an odd 'ack!' sound.

Jay and 'Leaf' for their part, just stared at the lightsaber point sticking out of 'Zorro the Swift's chest.

Nya smirked. "You were right Jay," she said, completely nonchalant about the fact that she had just stabbed Morro in the back. "This did cheer me up."

"...ah!" The ghost hunched over, clutching at his 'wound'. "Alas, I have been slain! Fooled by a warrior pretending to be a meek princess. Gah!" He coughed dramatically, raising a shaky fist. "The light...it be fading from my one good eye...ah the wind, it carries my final breath...this is the end..."

"Are you done?" Cole asked, slightly exasperated.

"Fuck off, I've got one more...Agh! Agony! I can't bear it! Darkness, my old friend....shelter me...once...more..."

The ghost 'fell' onto his front, twitching a little before stilling.

"And so goes the Dread Pirate, Zorro the Swift," Kai droned in monotone before bursting into laughter. "That was incredible, guys. 10 out of 10, would watch again."

"Thanks!" Lloyd said, grinning. "It didn't go quite to plan-Jay was supposed to be the one to slay the bad guy..."

"Yeah, except that was stupid," Morro interrupted, sitting up and crossing his hands behind his head. "The goal was to cheer Princess up, right? Might as well let her be the hero."

"You could have told us that before we started," Jay complained. "I would've worked it in better!"

"Eh, this made it more realistic. Also, I was blackmailed into this, remember?" Morro glared at the two.

Jay and Lloyd started to protest when Nya gave them both hugs. "Either way," she said, giving Jay a quick peck on the cheek. "I'd say you three accomplished your goal. Thank you."

"You're welcome!" Jay and Lloyd chorused.

"Glad we could help," the blue ninja added, giving his girlfriend a quick kiss.

"Eh, don't mention it," Morro said, flipping upside down and scowling. "Seriously, don't. I only did this because I was blackmailed into it. And...well..."a blush spread across the ghost's cheeks, though he tried his best to pretend it wasn't there. "It's all for the greater good, yknow? Helping a friend out, and all that sappy shit."

"Language," Cole scolded, though he was smiling fondly. "And it wouldn't kill you to admit you had fun doing it, you know."

"Of course it won't, I'm already dead! And you need your eyes checked, Brookstone, I was NOT having fun."

"Okay, sure...Zorro the Swift."

Morro flipped him off before floating away, grumbling.

Then, once he was sure he was alone, he let himself smile a little.

Embarrassing as that whole play was...

...it had, admittedly, been kinda fun.

Chapter Text

"Stupid, idiotic, self-sacrificing jerk-"

"I feel like that's an oxymoron-Ow! Sis!"

"I'll show you who's a moron, moron..."

"Look, in Porcupine's defense, Princess," Morro said, flipping upside-down to look at the two siblings. "He did save you from a nasty fall."

"And dislocated his shoulder in the process!" Nya growled, glaring fiercely at said arm even as she got a firm grip on it.

"'Tis but a scratch', sis," Kai quipped, tone light even as his smile had a slight twist in it due to pain. "Hurts like a motherfucker, but I'll be-ow!-son of a-"

"Hold still, you idiot," the water ninja-in-training scolded. "I can't pop the joint back in if you keep squirming like that."

"Yeah, suck it up, Porcupine," Morro added, smirking at the red ninja. "A little pain is nothing. Plus, you're the one who compared it to a fucking scratch."

"'A little pain', he says," Kai mocked, rolling his eyes. "Also, I was making a reference. What, too old to understand pop culture, ghost boy?" he teased, smirking back. Morro flipped him off.

There was a sharp crunch, and a distinctive pop! Kai yelped and jumped to his feet, stamping his foot and swearing up a storm.

"Oh relax," Nya huffed, completely unrepentant. "Your shoulder's back in place, dummy."

"A warning next time, Nya!" Kai exclaimed, rubbing his sore shoulder. "First Spinjitzu Master on a pogo stick, that hurt!"

Morro pulled a face, stuck between being amused and confused (a pogo stick? What the hell was that?!).

Nya just fixed her brother with a look. "Don't do anything stupid, and maybe I won't have to do it again."

"If it means saving you? I'd do it a hundred times over." A soft look overtook Kai's face. "You're a badass, and you may be on your way to being a badass ninja, but you're still my little sister. I'm always gonna be there to break your fall."

Nya's expression softened. "I know." She gently smacked Kai's uninjured arm. "Just be more careful about yourself next time, idiot."

"Heh, I'll try."

"If you two hug, I swear to god I'm gonna barf."

"Aaaaaaaand, the moment's gone," Kai sighed. "Thanks, Morro."

"You're welcome." The ghost flipped his hair arrogantly. "Honestly, you guys would be fucking lost without me. Well, maybe not you Princess."

Nya laughed even as Kai squawked indignantly. "Thanks, Morro."

"Again, you're welcome. Now, let's see you try that move again..."

Chapter Text

“Little late for pipsqueaks to be up, isn’t it?”

Lloyd jumped, biting back a curse he’d heard Kai use once. “Morro,” he hissed. “Don’t do that! You—you startled me!”

“Uh huh. How’d you let that happen, o’ fearless Green Ninja?” Morro snarked, flipping himself upside-down while doing air-quotes.

Despite himself, Lloyd couldn’t help but flinch. “Yeah well,” he snapped, turning away from the ghost and walking away. “It’s late and I’m off my game. Leave me alone.”

“ Yeesh,” he heard Morro muttered. “ Someone’s cranky.”

That’s rich coming from you, Lloyd was tempted to say. Instead he bit his tongue and kept walking.

He eventually made it to the rec room. He made his way to the corner, where a pile of blankets was neatly folded up in a basket, and grabbed as many as he could carry. He waddled over to the couch, set the bundle of blankets on top of it, then hopped up and crawled under the pile. After a few minutes of rearranging, Lloyd had made the perfect blanket nest. He sighed, settling in.

“ Any reason why you’re out here and not in bed?”

Lloyd groaned in annoyance. “What part of ‘leave me alone’ don’t you get?” He said, pulling the blankets further over his head.

“ The part where you’re doing your best to blend in with the furniture instead of sleeping,” Morro retorted, sounding as if he was above Lloyd. “ C’mon Pipsqueak, spill. What’s going on?”

Lloyd said nothing, curling up even more in his nest and hoping the ghost would take the hint and leave.

No such luck. The young ninja-in-training got no warning before something cold poked him in the side. Lloyd gave an undignified squeak as he jumped away from the poke. “Quit it!” He hissed.

Another poke followed, though this time Lloyd caught a hint of a ghostly finger phasing through the blankets. “ Come on, Pipsqueak, I know you’re in there~” Morro sang obnoxiously. “ Don’t make me have to tickle you.”

Fed up (and not wanting to get tickled—Kai had already gotten him earlier and he was the worst), Lloyd groaned and popped his head out of the blanket nest. “What?” He asked flatly.

Morro, still flipped upside-down, studied him for a second. Something seemed to click for him and he nodded to himself. “… nightmare?” He asked, voice surprisingly gentle.

Lloyd scowled and looked away. “‘S stupid,” he muttered, bundling up a blanket and hugging it close, like a pillow or stuffed toy. 

He was the Green Ninja. Fabled hero, destined to defeat a great evil. Getting upset over a nightmare was so…so childish. So unbecoming.

Lloyd thought Morro would agree. 

The ghost’s response surprised him.

“ Everyone gets nightmares, Pipsqueak,” Morro said, flipping himself right side up and crossing his arms. “ Well, not me—I’m too awesome for that—but basically everyone else does. It’s normal.”

“Still sucks,” Lloyd muttered petulantly, pouting. “I should just be able to go back to sleep after one, not lie awake wondering if it’ll come back…”

It was why he was out here and not in his bed in the first place—the thought of remaining there after the dream…Lloyd shuddered and burrowed deeper into his blanket nest, pulling one over his head again. 

Morro said nothing, just let out a little hum in response. Then, strangely, he kept humming--no, Lloyd realized, there were words among the hums. “Are…are you singing?” he asked incredulously. 

The ghost spluttered. “ Wh—No, you uncultured twerp. I was reciting , there’s a difference!” he snapped, indignant.

“Oh. Uh, what are you reciting?”

“ Eh, nothing important. Just this one poem I remember reading when I was—that I’d read before,” Morro said dismissively. “ Had magic, I think. And dragons.”

Lloyd poked his head out again. “Dragons?”

“ Yeah, but it’s kinda long. And boring, you wouldn’t like it—”

Lloyd sat up and shuffled to the edge of the couch. He gave the ghost his most attentive look, complete with big puppy dog eyes.

Morro rolled his eyes and scoffed. “ Fine, fine, don’t say I didn’t warn you…”

So Morro started to recite, and Lloyd listened. The story did contain magic and dragons—or, more accurately, of a certain koi fish, who braved the dangers of his native river and swam up a tall waterfall in order to become a dragon. It was a beautiful tale, and Morro told it well, his echoey voice adding a layer of depth to the story and adding to its mystical nature. 

It was a long poem, though, and while Lloyd enjoyed every bit of it, by the time Morro finished, the little ninja was yawning widely. 

The ghost gave a sniff. “ Hmph, don’t tell me you got bored, Pipsqueak,” he said, but his tone was light and teasing.

Still, Lloyd made sure to shake his head. “No, no, ‘s good,” he slurred, trying to cover up his next yawn. “You know anymore?”

“ I don’t think you’ll be awake enough to hear and enjoy them, kid. You’re half-asleep as it is.”

“Am not,” Lloyd mumbled, snuggling into his nest of blankets, getting comfortable. 

“ Uh huh.” Morro gently flicked Lloyd’s forehead. “ Go to sleep, Pipsqueak.”

Lloyd leaned back, intent on doing that, when one of the blankets slipped free from his grasp. He grabbed it, about to incorporate it back into his nest, when an idea came to him. It was a silly one, one baked out of his sleepy brain, but…

“Here.” The ninja-in-training tossed the blanket at a surprised Morro. “Even the dead need sleep,” Lloyd quipped, smiling.

The blanket phased through the ghost, who gave Lloyd an unimpressed look. “ I literally can’t sleep,” he said.

Lloyd shrugged. “Still.” He yawned, lying down on the couch. “Night Morro…”

He heard Morro scoff, but just before he closed his eyes, Lloyd heard the ghost murmur, “ Sleep well, Lloyd…”

(And when Lloyd wakes up the next morning, before everyone else does, he notices Morro meditating in the corner of the room. The blanket he gave him is draped around the ghost’s shoulders).

Chapter Text

Morro was no one’s angel.

Despite how much he wished otherwise, he was far from perfect. He was quick to anger. He held grudges. He could generously be considered ‘a jerk’; less generously ‘an asshole’. 

He was a bitter, jealous person, and his afterlife hadn’t done much to change things. 

…at least, it hadn’t until now. 

Morro glanced down at the rec room below where he was floating. Jay had insisted on a game/movie night, but now everyone had fallen asleep in a huge pile on the floor. Kai was in the center, which was fairly typical—the fire ninja was generally considered the ‘human heat pack’ of the group, much to his fond exasperation, and everyone generally cuddled around him. The only exception was Zane—the nindroid preferred to sleep with only a single thin blanket, but he was still close enough that Cole had an arm draped over his face (how that didn’t wake up the ice ninja was a mystery). Jay and Nya were, of course, close together. Despite the fact that the blue ninja was currently doing his best impression of a starfish, he was holding hands with his girlfriend as he slept. Lloyd was squished in between Kai and Nya, two blankets wrapped burrito-style tightly around the Green ninja.

Had anyone asked for Morro’s opinion on this motley group even a year ago, he would have been absolutely scathing. They were all kids—undertrained, immature, and for the most part lacking drive. Lloyd would have received the vast majority of his criticism, completely unskilled and undeserving of the Green Ninja powers.

He would have never thought a group like this would amount to much of anything. 

But now…he saw so much more. He saw how closely they cared for each other, how tightly knit they were. Despite their relative lack of training, their cohesion as a team was something to be envied at times. Even Nya, new to her powers and abilities as she was, was quickly becoming a capable ninja and an excellent member of the team. 

As for Lloyd…

Morro watched as the Savior of Ninjago shifted suddenly in his sleep, a quiet gasp (almost a whimper) escaping his lips. A second later, he saw Kai lift his head—though clearly still mostly asleep—and quickly pull Lloyd closer, hugging the green ninja close and gently rubbing his adopted little brother’s back.

A child. A kid had been given the greatest power in the world, and told to fight a nigh-mythical evil. Told to fight his own father to save everyone.

It was a burden Morro would hardly wish on anyone, but least of all a child. 

A year ago, without any intervention, he would have been too wrapped up in bitterness and jealousy to notice (or even care…) that Lloyd was still a kid. 

Now…

Morro floated closer to the ground. A wave of a hand made the wind whistle, the soft notes of a lullaby emerging from the gust. Lloyd’s nose scrunched up before his face softened, his breath becoming more and more even as the nightmare passed. 

Morro was no angel; far from it.

But that didn’t stop him from trying to be a better person, even after death.

Satisfied that his friends (his family) were all asleep and nightmare-free, Morro resumed his silent vigil.

The wind continued to play its soft melody throughout the night. And if occasionally, a quiet voice would sing a few verses of the lullaby…

…well, no one was awake to hear it.

Chapter Text

“Hey guys!” Jay chirped as he and Zane walked into the rec room, arms laden with bags and baskets. “We’re back!”

“Oh, hey guys,” Cole said, pausing the racing game he and the others were playing (much to Lloyd’s dismay—he had been winning). “How was the farmers’ market?”

“Excellent,” Zane pronounced, smiling widely. “I have procured a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables to eat and cook with.” He held up a basket filled to the brim with fresh blueberries. “I have plans to make a wonderful dessert tonight.”

“Yeah, and I got a whole bunch of jams for everyone! And look!” Jay held up a jar filled with a thick brown paste. “They even had apple butter!”

“ The fuck is ‘apple butter’?” Morro questioned, phasing through the wall behind Jay, almost making the blue ninja drop his jar in shock. 

“Don’t DO that!” Jay exclaimed, holding a hand over his heart. “Also, it’s…it’s kinda like a really, really thick applesauce that you can spread on toast like jam. It’s really good!”

Morro looked dubiously at the jar of apple butter. “ ...I’ll take your word for it,” he drawled, not looking convinced. 

Jay pouted, then suddenly perked up. “Oh! I almost forgot! We got something else!”

“What did you get?” Lloyd questioned, curiously wandering closer as the blue ninja dug around in his bags.

“Hang on… ah ha!” Quick as, well, a lightning strike, Jay whipped something out of his bag and placed it on Lloyd’s head. “Ta da!”

 Lloyd’s eyes crossed as he looked up at his new adornment. “...oh!” he lit up. “Flower crowns!”

“Yes,” Zane said, smiling happily. “There was a booth selling several customized flower arrangements, and Jay and I decided to get one for everyone.”

“But I thought just flowers would be boring,” Jay added. “But then I remembered that Zane is crazy good at making flower crowns, so I chose the flowers and he made them into the crowns!” He reached over and tapped Lloyd’s crown. “Yours has daisies and chrysanthemums, and yellow roses! Actually, everyone’s got yellow in their crowns—they’re really pretty and they symbolize friendships!”

“Aw, that’s so sweet of you Jay,” Nya said, smiling as she took her own crown--with the aforementioned yellow roses, but also with blue irises and a single red rose. At seeing the last flower, the water ninja beamed and gave Jay a kiss, making the blue ninja blush furiously. 

Morro gagged obnoxiously. “ Agh, all this sugary stuff is making me nauseous,” he complained dramatically. “ Let me know when y’all are done being sappy.”

“Wait, Morro!” Jay exclaimed, reaching into his bags again. “I made one for you too!”

“If it’s super colorful, I don’t want it.”

“Nah, I’ll bet it’s made with dead, dried-up flowers and thorns,” Kai teased, smirking. “Fits your whole aesthetic.”

Morro flipped the red ninja the bird. “ Fuck you, Porcupine…”

“Stop it you two,” Cole scolded.

“Besides,” Jay huffed. “You’re both wrong. Here, hang on…”

Morro, not at all enthused about receiving flowers, debates the merits of simply phasing back through the wall. Before he could make a move, however, there was a flower crown being held expectantly in his face.

Jay was practically vibrating with excitement. “Well?!” He said. “Do you like it? There weren’t many green flowers there, but I thought purple and white wouldn’t be too colorful. Those ones are heather—they bring good luck! Oh, and there’s daffodils—those are kinda obvious—and yellow roses like everyone else. And those ones are—“

“ Are these poppies?” Morro squinted at the red and yellow flowers intertwined with the others in the crown. “ Gee, thanks Bluebell. A flower for death, how fitting.”

Jay huffed indignantly. “Okay, yeah they do symbolize that, but that’s not why I picked them. Red ones stand for sacrifice while the yellow ones are more about…remembering good days, y'know? Because well, getting to know you and being your friend is really awesome!”

“If you do truly have an issue with the poppies, take it with me,” Zane piped up, looking a little chagrined. “It was my idea to add them. I thought they would make a lovely addition. Yellow poppies are often taken as a sign of optimism.”

Lloyd snickered. “Yeah, because Morro’s just a shining example of optimism.”

“Oh yeah, totally,” Kai snickered too.

“Oh stop it, you guys,” Nya scolded. “You’re being really rude.” After making sure both of her brothers looked properly chastised, she turned to the rest. “Jay, Zane, you guys did a wonderful job with these. And I like the ones they did for yours, Morro.”

“Yeah,” Cole chimed in. “These are all really nice!”

Jay beamed. “Thank you, guys! I knew you’d like them! Oh Cole! I didn’t tell you about your flowers yet! Here—”

The blue ninja started happily explaining the meaning behind Cole’s flowers, while everyone else crowded around to listen.

No one noticed Morro examining the flower crown in his hands, a thoughtful expression on his face.

No one saw a small smile slowly appear on the ghost’s face as he quietly made himself scarce for the rest of the day.

(Absolutely no one saw him later that day, flower crown carefully affixed on his head, shut up Brookstone, you obviously had the sun in your eyes—)

(They all saw Cole give Morro a small notebook, and later, that same notebook filled with the carefully pressed flowers of the ghost’s crown)

Chapter Text

Morro has had many desires in his life.

He had once desired an identity, something that was solely his. He got his name.

He had desired food, enough to fill his belly during long, cold nights. He resorted to stealing it.

He had desired a place to call his own, something resembling a home. He had found the monastery.

He had desired to be something more, something wonderful, something powerful. He had received training in the ways of the ninja. He had learned Spinjitzu. He had been told of the Green Ninja prophecy.

There had been nothing he had wanted more than that. He wanted it, needed it—

His greatest desire had gone unfulfilled.

He had died. 

~~~~

His afterlife contained vastly different desires than his actual life. And vastly different outcomes.

He had desired revenge. Had plotted for bloodshed, had begged for a chance to bring what he felt was justice to a seemingly unfeeling Wu. 

He had gotten Brookstone instead.

And then, following him, Pipsqueak. Then Porcupine, Bluebell, Tinhead, Princess, Garmadad…

They taught him how to be a better person, showed him kindness and friendship. 

Morro hadn’t experienced anything like it before.

…the desire to keep experiencing it caught him by surprise.

He wanted to be friends. He wanted to be a part of this unconventional, quirky group.

He wanted…he wanted to be a part of this family. 

~~~~

This deep desire…it scared him.

Morro had never felt anything like it. Not even his desire to be the Green Ninja had been this deep. 

He tried to shove it aside, to hide it behind apathy and aloofness. He tried not to think about what-ifs and dreams, about a deep, deep, impossible wish—

Happy endings were never a part of Morro’s life. He should know better than to hope for one now.

(The desire for one never left him, though…)

Chapter Text

“‘M dying…”

“You’re not dying, son,” Garmadon gently chided, setting down the tray he was carrying on a nearby night table.

Lloyd Garmadon, Ultimate Spinjitzu Master and hero of Ninjago, whined piteously as he lay in his bed. His face was flushed, sweat beading on his forehead. A thermometer was sticking out of the corner of his mouth. “‘M dying, Dad,” he pronounced, groaning and covering his eyes with his arm. “Just kill me now. End my misery.”

“And lose my one and only child? I think not,” Garmadon sniffed playfully. 

“Mean,” Lloyd declared, before a fit of coughing overtook him.

At that moment, Morro poked his head in the room—phasing his head through the wall above the two. “ Yeesh,” he muttered as he looked at the two, pulling a face. “ I was about to ask if Pipsqueak was feeling any better, but that just answered my question.”

“Morrooo~” Lloyd whined, reaching a hand out towards the ghost. “Kill me, please. ‘M dying anyways, just end it for me. I promise I won’t become a ghost and bug you.”

“ Hmm,” Morro tilted his head in mock thought. “ Tempting as it is, I’m pretty sure Garmadad and the rest would kick my ass if I tried that. I’m afraid you’re on your own, Pipsqueak.”

Lloyd pouted, before another round of coughing overtook him. “Ugh,” he groaned, reaching for a tissue and blowing his nose. “Being sick sucks.”

A beep sounded, and Garmadon pulled the thermometer from Lloyd’s mouth and checked. “Hm. 101 degrees. You definitely have a fever,” the former evil lord murmured.

“Then why am I cold? ” Lloyd shivered for emphasis, a ragged cough escaping his throat. “‘S freezing! Can I have another blanket?”

“I’m pretty sure you already have most of the blankets in the monastery, kid,” Morro said, eying the numerous colorful blankets already bundled around the sick ninja. “ Plus, I’m pretty sure the goal is to get your temperature to go down , not up.”

“Indeed,” Garmadon concurred, putting the thermometer down and grabbing a teacup. “Here,” he poured some tea into the cup and offered it to his son. “Try this. My own father used to swear by this blend—said it could cure a man an inch from death.”

Lloyd sniffed the tea suspiciously, making a face at the bitter scent. “If liquids didn’t actively hurt you,” he said to Morro. “I’d say you should drink it.”

Morro snorted in amusement. “ Pretty sure I’m far past ‘an inch from death’, Pipsqueak. Just drink the damn tea.”

Lloyd screwed his face up, but tipped his head back and drained half of the tea in one go. “Ack,” he gagged, sticking out his tongue. “Gross…”

“But oh so good for you!”

Lloyd made a rude gesture at the ghost.

“Lloyd…” Garmadon said warningly.

The sick ninja had the grace to look abashed even as Morro cackled above him. “Sorry Dad…”

Garmadon sighed and shook his head fondly. “As you are feeling ill, I will let this one instance slide,” he said, rising up and making his way to the door. “Now then, drink the rest of that tea, and I should be back with some food by the time you’re done.”

“I wouldn’t bother,” Lloyd mumbled, slumping a little. “I’m not all that hungry…”

“Even still, it is important to get some sort of sustenance into you. I believe some chicken broth would not go amiss.”

“Yeah,” Morro agreed. “ Wu used to make me drink gallons of the stuff whenever I got sick. It’s like the saying goes: starve a cold, feed a fever.”

“Precisely,” Garmadon said. “I shall be right back. Drink the tea, son.”

The former evil lord left the bedroom. Lloyd sighed and sipped moodily at his tea. “What a waste of a beautiful day,” he complained, glaring out his window at the lovely summer scene. “Can’t believe I’m sick inside on a day like today…”

“Oh come on, Pipsqueak,” Morro said, floating down closer to him. “ It’s not that bad. Just stay in today and by tomorrow, you’ll be out frolicking and shit in the sun.”

Lloyd snorted, coughing a little. “Like you ever stayed still when you were sick. I bet anything you tried to go back to training when you were ill and my uncle had to practically tie you to the bed to get you to rest.”

“...no comment. Besides,” the ghost hurried to say. “ Do as I say and not as I do or once did, right?”

“Heh, sure,” Lloyd shook his head, laughing and coughing. “Mind grabbing my tablet for me? I was gonna watch a show while I finish this tea.”

“I’m not your fucking nurse, Pipsqueak—”

“I’ll let you pick the show~”

“...fine. But only because the last episode I watched ended on a cliffhanger.”

“Ha. You’re the best, Morro.”

“Damn straight. And don’t you forget it.”

Chapter Text

The only holiday that Morro ever really paid attention to was Day of the Departed.

At first, it was solely because it was the holiday closest to his self-proclaimed birthday. There were always plenty of pockets to pick and food to steal around this time of year too, and while cool, the weather wasn’t quite yet cold enough to drive everyone inside. Young orphan Morro could always count on being full (and probably having way too much sugar in his system) on the night of Day of the Departed.

Then Wu found him, and he learned about the spiritual side of the holiday. He liked making and lighting the lanterns best; the idea of someone taking the time and effort to make one, and then set it so it could help guide a lost one…it made him feel less alone.

(He would prefer it, however, if the lanterns could float in the air rather than in the water. “When I die,” he remembers telling Wu. “I want a lantern that flies. And I want it green,” he added as an afterthought. “Green is better than orange!”

Wu had chucked and patted him on the head. “Hopefully, the day where I must light a lantern for you never comes,” he said before guiding Morro towards the river to place their lanterns).

( Morro never imagined that Wu meant he’d never light a lantern for him, period).

Then Morro had died. And while Day of the Departed was one of the few things that broke up the monotony of his afterlife, it had lost a lot of its meaning for him. It was just a random day where he felt slightly stronger, more alert than normal. That was it. 

(It was also a day where his rage at Wu grew, watching the old man tither about and not acknowledge his existence at all, like he had never been there in the first place--

Too full of anger and bitterness, Morro usually went off to a private corner to spend the rest of the holiday. The next day, things went back to normal)

( Sometimes, among the debris from last night, Morro would see scraps of lantern paper drifting in the wind. Some years, he swears he sees a few pieces of green among the orange, but he dismisses them. It’s probably just candy wrappers..)

Then he met the others. And it shouldn’t have changed much, it really shouldn’t. And yet…

“Mwahahaha!” Lloyd cackled gleefully, running past Morro,in hot pursuit of a small gaggle of children. The kids screamed in frightened delight as the costumed Green Ninja chased them.

Morro was dead. He was only visible to a few people, and the rest could only see the bedsheet ‘ghost’ he had disguised himself as.

Despite all of this, he was smiling widely. He was enjoying himself.

“Booooooo,” he moaned dramatically, floating off to chase a different group of kiddos. “ I’m a spooky ghost coming to haunt you~”

It wasn’t quite Day of the Departed yet, but Morro felt like this one would be the best one yet.

Chapter Text

Wu lived much of his life with regret.

He regretted not going after his own sword, and allowing his brother to get bitten. He regretted later sending Garmadon—however unintentionally—to the Underworld. He regretted withholding certain things from his current students, things that could have helped them much sooner. He regretted not holding their faith in him in higher regard.

His biggest regret, though, was one that would haunt him for the rest of his days.

Well, Wu thought, a slight smile appearing on his face despite his dark mood. Perhaps a little less literally nowadays. 

The humor vanished as quickly as it came, and Wu felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. He barely resisted the urge to change directions and head for the room where his pupils bunked together, to check that—

No. He wouldn’t. He had promised to give space, and he was determined to do just that.

He would not mess this up again. He refused. 

Shaking his head, Wu headed towards his goal—the kitchens. He needed a fresh pot of tea to soothe his nerves. Perhaps that new chamomile blend he had recently bought…

Wu stepped into the kitchen, instinctively moving towards the cupboard where his favorite tea set was—

—except it wasn’t there. A few cups remained, but his favorite one--the sage-green one with the tiny crack in it--and the tea pot was missing.

Wu frowned severely. He had told his pupils several times to return his tea set should they choose to use it! And he always insisted that they avoid using his favorite teacup. He opened the nearby cupboards, hoping that the objects had simply been misplaced, but without any luck. Frustrated, he closed the last door firmly—he was a dignified Spinjitzu Master, he did not slam doors unless he was making a point—and turned to find a different (less special) teaset to use—

…ah.

Someone had left his teapot on the stove, his favorite tea cup set on the counter next to it. Sighing, Wu walked over, more than ready to make his tea now.

Except, as he walked over to the stove, he noticed steam rising from the teapot’s spout. And, he noticed belatedly, there was a vaguely sweet, herbal scent permeating the air.

There was no doubt about it. Someone had been in the kitchens making tea. And, when Wu waved a cautious hand towards the tea pot, it was very recent.

The question was, who? There was no one else in the kitchen, and Wu didn’t see or hear anyone leave.

…unless of course, they didn’t leave.

Something itched at Wu’s mind. Keeping all of his senses open, he opened the lid of the tea pot, peering inside. The herbal scent grew stronger—and he quickly identified it as mint—but there was another, sweeter smell too. Fruity, like fresh berries, and he was certain he had smelled this particular blend before. Where…

He caught a glimpse of the teacup out of the corner of his eye, and suddenly he remembered. A confusing wash of grief, nostalgia, and amusement came over him, and Wu found himself blinking back tears. He chuckled instead, trying to focus on the happy parts of the memories.

He checked the tea inside the pot again--there was more than a few cups worth inside—before replacing the lid and grabbing his favorite cup. He placed them both on the kitchen table before—on a complete whim—going to the cupboards. He grabbed a small plate and a package of shortbread cookies that he had hidden (many of his pupils had sweet tooths, and it was necessary to hide such things if he wanted to save them for special occasions) and brought them over as well. 

He poured out a cup of tea, then placed a few small cookies on the plate. He grabbed one for himself and started to make his way out of the kitchen. 

He paused at the threshold, however. After a moment’s hesitation, he found himself saying, “My door is always open for you, young one. I’ll be up for a while yet, so you may knock if you wish.” He cast a look back at the table, spotting the cracked cup, and chuckled. “You may keep using that cup as well, though I ask that you be careful with it. It happens to be a favorite of mine—an old student of mine had given me the first cup of tea he’d ever made in it, and was so excited that he dropped and cracked it.” He chuckled again, fond and sad and regretful. “Perhaps one day, I’ll taste another cup of his tea again.”

With that, Wu exited the kitchen and headed back to his room. Once there, he settled into a meditative state, occasionally taking a bite out of his cookie.

Time passed. Eventually, his cookie was gone and he was feeling calm enough to sleep again. Fighting a slight wave of disappointment—he’d promised to give space—Wu got up and headed to his bed—

Tap tap.

A knock, soft and quiet, sounded outside his door. Wu was there in a second, sliding it open—

—only to see no one was there.

Wu blinked, glancing down the hall—nothing. It was empty.

Then he glanced down.

There was a steaming cup of tea near the foot of the door. A shortbread cookie had been placed next to it on a napkin. 

Wu stared for a second, wondering if he were dreaming. He picked both items up— not a dream then —and noticed that something was written on the napkin. Shifting the cookie and tea to one hand, Wu read the message.

Don’t look too much into this old man, was written on one side, the ink heavy and dark. I’m still mad at you. 

Thanks for the cup, said the other side, the strokes lighter (almost hesitant) here. I remember that day too (your face was hilarious; should’ve told me I oversteeped it). Sleep well.

A smile slowly formed on Wu’s face. Chuckling, he offered the empty hallway a quiet “thank you” before closing his door and retiring for the night.

(The tea, he was pleased to note, was nearly perfect, if a tad oversteeped.)

Chapter Text

“Morro, no.”

Morro, YES.”

“C’mon please,” Lloyd’s eyes were big and wide, unable to comprehend this level of betrayal. “Don’t do this, please. This--this isn’t necessary!”

“ Oh but it is, Pipsqueak. It SO is…”

“Morro, please, stop!” Were those genuine tears in the Green Ninja’s eyes? “You don’t have to do this!”

The ghost smirked, absolutely merciless. “ Unfortunately, kid, I do…” 

Morro’s hand slammed down on the table, the card in it almost flying from his grasp. “ Draw four, bitch.”

Lloyd let out a curse as he reluctantly picked out his cards.

Kai and Jay let out howls of laughter even as Cole sighed and muttered, “Language…”

“I was just about to get an Uno too,” the Green Ninja whined. “Was this because--”

“ Yes, it’s because you skipped my turn three times in a row. Shut it, Porcupine,” Morro glared at the laughing red ninja. “ I’m coming for you next.”

“You already got me with the stacked draw two!”

“ My competitive spirit knows no bounds.”

~~~~~

“Right foot on--”

“Don’t say green, don’t say green…”

“--green.”

“Sis, whyyy?” Kai complained as he strained to touch the green spot with the correct foot.

“Sorry Kai,” Nya shrugged, smiling in amusement. “I don’t control where the spinner lands.”

Morro scoffed, crossing his arms. “ I don’t get why I can’t play…”

“You’re banned because you keep phasing through people,” Cole retorted.

“ This is fucking prejudice! It doesn’t say I CAN’T phase through people!”

“Language. And hey, at least I can’t play either.”

“That’s because you always win!” Jay complained, his legs entangled with Lloyd’s and Zane’s in a complex formation. “Stupid dancer advantage…”

“That’s not my fault!”

“Left hand blue,” Nya interrupted, making the players groan as they tried to follow the instructions.

In the end, Morro got bored and blew a gust of wind across the room. Kai squawked as he toppled over, as did Jay and Lloyd.

Zane, somehow, managed to avoid the formation completely falling apart and was declared the winner of Twister.

~~~~~~

“This game is fucking stupid!” Morro raged, flinging the Wii remote down on the couch. “ What even is the point of it?!”

Kai, hands his knees from exhaustion, snorted. “You’re just mad you lost because you don’t know the motions to ‘YMCA’.”

The red ninja got a pillow to the face for that.

~~~~~

“Eat my dust, boys!”

“ Not on your life, Princess!”

“Ack, Zane! Why’d you hit me?!”

“My apologies, that red shell was meant for the person in first place.”

“Go, go, go!” Lloyd cheered as the four racers jockeyed for position. Everyone--Morro included, to everyone’s amusement--leaned with the turns, Nya and Cole even purposely bumping into each other in an attempt to knock the racer off track.

In the end, Toad crossed the finish line first, followed closely by Boo, then Luigi, with Mario coming in 5th.

“ How’d you let the CPU beat you?” Morro asked, choosing to ignore Nya’s victory celebration about having won.

Cole slouched, crossing his arms. “I’m bad at video games, okay?”

~~~~~

“ ....how.”

“I…I don’t know,” Lloyd admitted, eyes widening. “I’m at a loss for words.”

“I can’t believe this,” Kai muttered, shocked and teetering on the edge of rage quitting. “I--I was playing as Roy! I never lose when playing Roy! HOW?!”

On the couch, Sensei Garmadon merely shrugged, looking quite amused. “Do you think that just because I am getting on in years that I do not know how to play video games?”

“YOU WERE PLAYING AS ISABELLE THOUGH! SHE’S ONE OF THE WORST ONES!”

Sensei Garmadon shrugged again, his serene smile beginning to take on a mischievous edge. “Is that my fault, though? I believe the young ones would say this: get good.”

Kai screeched and threw his controller down on the floor as everyone else started laughing hysterically. 

As Morro tried not to die again from laughter, he decided he quite liked game nights. 

Chapter Text

“ So…what the heck is it?”

Lloyd shrugged, staring at the scroll in his hands. “Dunno. Mom just told me that she was expecting a special delivery today from a museum. Supposedly, it has ancient stories and magic spells written in it, but it’s all in an ancient language. Mom wanted to borrow it for a week to try and translate it.”

The ghost’s interest peaked. “Ancient, potentially magic spells written in an arcane tongue? Hell yes! Hand it over, Pipsqueak, I wanna look.”

“Nerd,” Lloyd teased as he handed over the scroll. “Careful though; Mom’s due back tomorrow morning and I don’t want to explain what happened if that scroll gets damaged or goes missing.”

Morro flicked his hand, making the wind ruffle Lloyd’s hair. “ One: don’t call me a fucking nerd, twerp. Second, I’ll be careful! Now, let’s see…”

The ghost opened the scroll, humming as he looked over it. Lloyd bounced in place, excited and nervous. “Well?” He asked, impatient.

“ Shush, hang on…okay, I think this one here,” Morro pointed at a line written in dark ink on the scroll, stars and swirls decorating the space around it. “ Is talking about some kind of ritual. Something about swapping places with someone?”

“Like teleportation?”

“ Maybe? I dunno, I can only barely read half of this….oh, hang on… apparently the swap lasts ‘from noontime to day’s end’. Huh, interesting.”

“Let’s try it out!” Lloyd said, bouncing.

Morro raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “ …you want to try a potentially dangerous ritual slash spell based on my half-assed translation?”

“Oh come on, what’s the worst that can happen? Besides,” Lloyd added, puffing out his chest. “The Ultimate Spinjitzu Master and the youngest Master of Wind in centuries attempting this? We’ll be well prepared if something happens!”

The ghost thought about it for a second. “ …fine, but I’m blaming you if something goes wrong.”

“Deal! Let’s go!”

“Okay fine, here goes nothing…”

~~~

In hindsight, Garmadon should have known something was up.

It had been a rather relaxing day. There were no classes that day, so it was just him, his son, and the ghostly Master of Wind in the place. He had spent his morning meditating and tending to his personal garden. As he watered his flowering bushes, he had absently noted that it had been a while since he heard or saw the two teens under his care.

He had just decided to check on them in a few minutes when he heard a faint explosion from the front of the monastery.

Garmadon had immediately dropped everything and sprinted towards the noise, pausing when he almost ran into a thick cloud of smoke.

Voices emerged from the smoke. “I told you so!”

“ Yeah yeah, that didn’t work out like I thought—“

“ You fucking think?! I— ack! I told you that doing this was a bad idea!”

“ Then why’d you do it, o’ wise and noble Master of Wind?”

“You little shit, I outta — ”

“Ah-hem,” Garmadon coughed loudly to be heard. “I am sure that an explanation behind this mishap will clear up any kind of blame, but could one of you please help dispel this smog? It’d make the whole thing go much faster.”

“Aw man. Busted…”

“Shut it, Pipsqueak. Hang on…”

Garmadon closed his eyes as the wind suddenly howled. A strong gust blew through the hallway, lasting several seconds before dissipating. The former evil lord waited until all was quiet before opening his eyes.

…and blinking in disbelief.

“.... uh, ” Lloyd--his son, his precious soon-to-be-grounded son—uttered intelligently.

A completely justified response, given that he was currently very much a ghost.

“...what the fuck?” Morro whispered, blinking at the Green Ninja in shock. He looked down almost reflexively, jumping when he saw that he was currently not a ghost. “WHAT THE FUCK?!”

“Indeed,” Garmadon said, getting over his own surprise and crossing his arms, fixing the two with a stern glare. “What. Happened.”

The teen boys shared a glance. 

“ ...it was his fault!”

“He made me do it!”

Well, Garmadon sighed internally as the two began to bicker. So much for my relaxing day…

Chapter Text

This was it. This was the moment, the critical part of the mission. If they failed now, all hope would be lost.

Morro shared a look at his partner. Lloyd looked back at him, a grim expression on his face. He nodded once, sharply.

Morro let out a quiet sigh and set his jaw. He turned back to the objective at hand. He reached out, inch-by-inch. He could feel Lloyd tensing up beside him, but Morro tried not to focus on that.

His hand, once fisted, opened up. He was almost there. Almost...

Out of nowhere, a hand flashed out towards his-

-and gave it a hard slap.

"OW!" Morro jerked back, shaking his hand. "MOTHERFU-"

"Language," Zane scolded him, one hand on his hips while the other was clutching the back of Lloyd's hoodie. "And how many times have I told you and the others?" He pointed at the cookies cooling on the kitchen counter. "Those cookies are for everyone, and ONLY for after dinner."

Morro rubbed his sore hand, pouting. "I was only going to take one..." he grumbled.

"Mmm hmm." Zane turned his gaze to his captive. "And you?"

The Ultimate Spinjitzu Master grinned sheepishly. "Uh...two max?"

The ice ninja sighed and gently shoved Lloyd away from him. "Go bother the others," he instructed. "And do not let me catch you sneaking dessert again! If I find you in the kitchen again, or if even a single crumb is missing from the cookie platter-"

"-you'll freeze our butts until they fall off, yeah yeah," Morro griped, rolling his eyes. "Got it. C'mon Pipsqueak, let's just go get our costumes ready."

Lloyd offered one last smile at Zane as he followed the Master of Wind. The nindroid, not amused, simply made an 'I'm watching you' gesture before going back to the kitchen. Sighing, the Green Ninja turned to his companion. "We were so close," he whined softly.

"You were supposed to be the lookout," Morro snapped. "What the fuck happened, Pipsqueak?"

"He came out of nowhere!" Lloyd complained, throwing up his hands. "I didn't even see him until he was already there! Also," he added, glaring. "Stop calling me Pipsqueak."

"Hm, let me think about that. No."

"We're the SAME HEIGHT!"

"No we're not, I'm taller than you!"

"By like, an eighth of an inch! That barely counts!"

"Oh I'm sorry, I can't hear you complain from all the way down there, because you're still a pipsqueak-"

Lloyd, fed up, lunged at Morro and tackled him to the ground.

That's how Cole and Kai found them a few minutes later, wrestling on the ground. The black ninja sighed in exasperation. "Dare I ask what happened?" he said.

The two ninja paused their grappling-Morro about to put Lloyd in a headlock, while the blond teen was trying to prevent this series of events. "He started it!" They both said at the same time.

Kai let out a laugh. "That's what you guys always say. C'mon, seriously. What happened? Did you guys get caught trying to sneak away some of Zane's cookies?"

"What?!" Cole exclaimed.

"Traitor," Morro mouthed at the red ninja. When Cole whirled back to face him, the former ghost simply blinked. "C'mon Brookstone," Morro said, the vitiligo spots around his eyes making them appear larger than normal. "Does that sound like something I would do?"

"Yeah," Lloyd chimed in, shaking his head. "Come on, Cole. I thought you trusted us more than that."

Cole gave them both a look, not believing their innocent act one bit, before rolling his eyes skyward. "Ay Dios Mio," he muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Come on you two. Let's go somewhere where I can keep an eye on you."

Morro scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Aye aye, O' glorious leader sir," he said, letting go of Lloyd and standing up to follow said leader.

~~~~

"Are you certain that this is necessary?"

"Oh come now, brother," Garmadon said, gently elbowing Wu's side. "It is Halloween, after all. It will be good for you to get in the spirit of things--everyone else is."

Wu sighed, running a hand through his recently dyed beard. "I still feel a little ridiculous..."

"Oh stop it--I believe you make an excellent Gandalf," the former dark lord replied, rolling his eyes before softening his expression. "If nothing else, think of it as a chance to have fun with our pupils. I know that there's one in particular who will be if not pleased, at least surprised to see you in the holiday spirit."

Wu tugged at his beard nervously. "...I suppose..."

"Sensei, Sensei!"

A gaggle of costumed children suddenly ran up to them, tugging at their hands. Wu instantly spotted a familiar trio among the group, each dressed as a different ninja.

"Sensei Garmadon, Sensei Wu, come on, come on!" Lucas, dressed in a remarkably accurate blue gi, begged.

"Yeah, come on outside!" His twin Mateo--dressed in a white gi--added, tugging so hard he almost tripped.

Garmadon, well used to things like this, merely chuckled and allowed himself to be dragged. "Alright, alright. What is going on?"

"Mr. Lloyd and Mr. Morro are racing outside!" The last of the trio, Takeshi, answered. Wu almost tripped when saw that the young boy was dressed in a similar silver gi as his oldest pupil. He even had a little streak of green running through his hair--though, at a second glance, it was a shade too yellow to be a true match. "They're trying to see who's the fastest!"

"Mr. Lloyd's gonna win!" Lucas proclaimed boldly.

"Nuh uh!" Takeshi shot back. "Mr. Morro will!"

"We won't get to see who does if we don't hurry up!" Mateo piped up. "Come on, come on!"

Despite Mateo's worries, the race was still going by the time the group got there. Wu only had time to see two blurs--one blue, the other black--zip by before looping around the monastery.

"Final lap!" Kai--dressed in red, black, and gold robes with an extremely detailed fake scar on his face--called a second later, grinning wildly.

"Who's winning?" Garmadon asked as they approached.

Jay--wearing bright orange and yellow robes, with a blue arrow painted on his forehead and on the back of his hands--hopped up to him, squinting suspiciously. "I dunno if we should tell you," he said, narrowing his eyes dramatically. "Fire Lord Ozai."

"Oh?" Garmadon questioned, eyes glinting as he too fell into character. "And what makes you think you can prevent me from knowing, little airbender?"

"Because!" Jay struck a pose, whipping out a glider with blue wings attached to it. "I'm the Avatar!"

"Isn't that my line?" Nya--wearing shades of blue and brown, with her hair tied up in three tails--questioned, smiling at the silly antics.

"I think Lloyd was ahead," Cole added as he came up, almost tripping over his black-and-red robes as he did. He adjusted a pair of fake spectacles as he added, "Morro was catching up quickly though."

"Shouldn't you be at the finish line?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow.

Cole shrugged. "Zane's there in case of a photo finish, remember?" He then smirked. "Besides," he said, raising his voice. "I don't think I could stand to be next to such a slimy Slytherin anymore."

"I heard that!" Zane--indeed wearing black-and-green robes--called from his place at the finish line, a bit of an accent in his voice. "And up yours, Potter! You're just jealous that I'm a better Seeker than you!"

"You're such a liar, Malfoy!"

Before the good-natured bickering could continue, Takeshi let out a gasp. "Here they come!" he exclaimed, pointing.

Sure enough, the two blurs were back, sharply turning the corner before making a beeline to the finish line. Wu had to bite back a laugh when he saw the racer's costumes. Old as he was, he could still realize that his nephew was dressed like Sonic the Hedgehog--complete with red shoes, white gloves, and his hair spiked and dyed a bright blue--and that his oldest student was said hero's rival Shadow--Morro, the tips of his hair dyed crimson (save for his normal green streak, which refused to be a different color), was even rollerblading like the Ultimate Lifeform.

The crowd cheered as the racers neared the finish line, Morro slowly pulling ahead. The cheer grew to a roar when Lloyd, in a desperate burst of speed, dove for the finish line. Zane's eyes flashed as the two crossed the finish line, Lloyd turning his dive into a somersault and posing as he stood up.

"Hah!" Wu's nephew laughed, sticking his tongue out. "I totally won that! Beat that, Shadow--you're too slow!"

'Shadow' skidded to a stop, doing an (unnecessary) spin to face his rival. "Hmph," he huffed, dramatically shaking his head and posing. "In your dreams, faker. Like I could ever lose."

"Who won, who won?!" Jay asked, hopping up and down in excitement. He was far from the only one--the kids in the crown were practically foaming at the mouth to know the winner.

"One second..." Zane fiddled with a few switches in his arm panel. His eyes flashed before projecting a video onto a prepared screen. Everyone held their breath as the video slowly played frame by frame...

...until it showed Lloyd just barely crossing the finish line before Morro.

"Sonic wins!" Zane declared, even as the crowd burst into cheers. Lloyd let out a loud whoop, celebrating his victory, even as Morro cursed and shouted, "you only won because you cheated!"

"Diving for the finish line isn't cheating!"

"Is too!"

Wu shared a look with his brother as Lloyd and Morro continued to bicker. Teenagers.

Still...Wu wouldn't change anything.

~~~~~

Several hours later saw most of the ninja in the rec room, costumes off and piles of candy and other assorted sweets on the floor before them. The two exceptions were Lloyd-who, in a fit of sugar-rush induced mania, decided to flee the others and eat as much of his stash as possible-and Zane-who was the best at tracking down their wayward Green Ninja and convincing him to save the candy for another day.

Meanwhile, the others had their own kind of negotiations going on.

"Hmmm..." Kai looked critically over the pile of Halloween goodies before him. "....I can offer two full-size Twix bars for that King Size Hershey's."

Cole scoffed, eyebrows furrowed. "For that? Better make it three."

Kai frowned. "Two, and I'll throw in half of my Mini Musketeers."

"Why not just all of them? You hate Three Musketeers."

"I've gotta have some kind of leverage over Lloyd."

"...fair point. Okay, fine, deal."

The red ninja beamed as they made the swap. "Pleasure doing business with you."

"Hey Kai!" Jay called from his spot, frowning at his own pile. "You got anymore sour candy left that you'd be willing to trade? I'm using what I've got, but Morro's being stingy!"

"Am not," the former ghost retorted, lying on his back and sucking on (ironically) a green Jolly Rancher. "You want my bag of cotton candy, you gotta pay for it."

"You hate cotton candy!"

"So?"

Jay screeched in frustration, making everyone laugh. Nya, taking pity on her boyfriend, rustled through her own candy pile. "Here Jay," she tossed the blue ninja a small package. "It's not sour, but those matcha cookies should get you what you want."

Both Jay and Morro perked up. "Hell yessss," Morro hissed, smiling widely at his favorite treat. "For that, I'll even let you keep some of the sour candy."

"Deal!" Jay immediately said, making the exchange. He hugged the bag of cotton candy close to him, sighing happily. "Mmmm, my favorite. Oh! Here Nya," he dug through his candy pile again and offered his girlfriend several small packages of Swedish Fish. "Thanks for that."

"Yeah, thanks Princess," Morro said, already munching on a cookie. "God, I love Halloween..."

Cole laughed. "Really? I couldn't tell," he teased, gesturing at his friend.

Morro, wearing Halloween-themed pajamas and surrounded by the spoils of the night, could do nothing but flip the black ninja off.

Still, he couldn't help but smile. As much as he loved Spooky Season, he had to admit...it was a lot better with his friends.