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"Before we go, I wanna check up on the person I told you about."
Lloyd agreed to follow Arin. To be frank, he too was curious to see who this mysterious protector of the Departed was. Someone who knew his uncle and was a ninja? Few people came to mind. He doubted it would be his father. If master Wu indeed survived the Merge, then so could Garmadon. Other members of the old elemental alliance came to mind though he didn't have many names. Lilly Brookstone, perhaps? Though not a member of the Alliance, she was his uncle's student too.
"That must be them!" Arin pointed at a golden orb floating towards where the Well of the Lost used to be. They ran and somehow managed to reach the place before the soul did. This was the moment. Lloyd watched as the golden orb took a humanoid shape and white light blinded him for a moment. The presumed departed ninja...
...
...
...
...went flying as though an invisible force slammed them down mid-air. They groaned from the impact but made no effort to rise from their position on the ground. Lloyd took note of the double-sided spear in their hand, of the green robes and black hair. They seemed small, perhaps shorter than Arin.
Speaking of his student, the boy went to the person's side, hand settling on their shoulder and Lloyd saw it. How their grip on the hilt of their blade tightened, saw them tense. Before one could even blink, he was pulling Arin back, his own sword raised. His instincts took over as metal and ectoplasm crashed against each-other, teeth bared and a barely suppressed growl at the back of his throat. He was met with an equally angry snarl, fangs not nearly as sharp as his own and...gray eyes?
Lloyd has met his fair share of individuals with strange, even unhuman traits but only two with eyes so gray it's like looking into a storm. Euphrasia and...
"Morro?!"
The ghost stepped back, moment of clarity allowing him to recognize the two as not a threat. Still, he held his weapon close. His eyes landed on the kid.
"You again? What are you doing here?"
"It's...a long story," Arin said. He did not think he would be able to explain everything yet without going into an hours-long rant.
"Where's the cat-man? And who's this?"
Arin actually snorted at that. Unbeknownst to him, Lloyd was having an opposite reaction.
'He doesn't even remember me?'
Lloyd didn't know how to begin unraveling the emotions swirling inside him. Relief? Anger? Bitterness?
"You don't even remember?" He tried to sound neutral and by the looks on the other two's faces, he failed.
"I don't think we've met before, sir."
By the master, one of his worst nightmares did not just call him sir. One of his worst nightmares was also shorter than he remembered. Or rather, he realized belatedly, Lloyd had grown up. And Morro was too dead to keep up.
"This is my master, Lloyd! You probably heard of the legendary green ninja, that's him!" Arin introduced him and in any other situation Lloyd would be smiling at the pride in the boy's voice. Right now he was too busy pointing a sword at his tormentor.
Said tormentor had frozen, a strange look gracing his features. Only now Lloyd took note of the missing green streak in his hair. Morro's skin was not the toxic green it was during the ghost invasion, but a pale green that was less of an eyesore. He was still see-through, but less so. In fact, he seemed more solid than ghost if only in appearance. Then again, that seemed to be common among spirits of the merged lands.
Morro looked at Lloyd as though seeking for confirmation and Lloyd nodded.
"It's...been a while," he said for lack of better words. He tried to keep in mind that Morro changed. He helped us during the Day of the Departed. Arin trusted him.
But if Morro made one wrong move, Lloyd did not think he would hesitate.
All life was sacred but just like his siblings, he too was willing to break the rules if deemed necessary.
"You...changed. A lot," Morro said, weapon lowered though Lloyd could see the reluctance to do so. He was not in hurry to return the gesture and so, his Dao remained pointed at the ghost and his arm keeping Arin away. Safe.
"It's called growing older," he said. It felt ridiculous to sass someone that did not even reach his shoulders. It felt ridiculous to look down on someone that hurt him so much. As though he had the same thought, Morro jumped on the nearest piece of rubble left from the battle and crouched. Now they could look each-other in the eyes.
"You two know each-other?" Arin asked and then smacked himself. "Wait, of course, students of master Wu! That's how you met, right?"
"Arin, he–"
"They," the boy corrected.
Lloyd looked at Morro, who nodded in confirmation. Huh.
"Arin, they...how do I even begin to explain this? You heard of Stiix? The ghost invasion?" he asked and upon receiving a nod, continued. "That was them. Morro possessed me in order to release the Cursed realm to destroy all the realms."
He saw Arin's struck look, mirroring the one Morro had a moment ago. The boy looked between the two and seeing the ashamed look on the ghost's face seemed enough of a confirmation.
"Oh. Like...the Master of wind before Euphrasia?"
"Yes."
"The statue in the hall of villainy in the museum?"
"Yes."
"The mango Morro?"
"Ye–you mean the ice cream? Yeah."
"Excuse me?! Ice cream?"
Both the master and the student offered no explanation.
"But they are not evil anymore, so that's good! Right?" Arin said and somehow the awkwardness between the three seemed to double. After a moment of silence Morro took a deep breath, though Lloyd doubted the necessity for such dramatics.
He was wrong.
"I'm sorry."
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry. For what I've done. To you and to your family, to everyone. I was bitter and angry and there is no justification for what I've done. I know better than to ask you to forgive me but it's the only thing I can do, so..." Morro shrugged, eyes not daring to meet Lloyd's.
"...You've matured," was the first thing out of Lloyd's mouth. The ghost nodded.
"Being here and out of the Cursed realm...it really helped."
"I see." Lloyd sighed. "Look, Morro, I will be honest in saying I did not expect this. You. I was only here on a mission. And you're right, I can't forgive you. You've hurt me too much for that, hurt my family using me and crossed boundaries I thought previously impossible to cross." With each word Morro's face seemed to wilt more and more. "But...I can see you changed. You got your second chance and haven't been wasting it. Keep doing that. You don't need my or anyone's opinion to try to do good."
Morro nodded and Lloyd though he could see hints of a smile beneath their mask. Lloyd lowered his sword. He likely wouldn't need it this time.
"...So the dragon that ate me and the Soul-suckers?" they asked.
"Gone. Hopefully, it's permanent this time."
"Uh-huh. So if you're the kid's master, the cat-man was?"
"The evil teacher I shouldn't have trusted," Arin mumbled and oh, there was a lot to unpack there.
"...Oh."
There was something in Morro's tone. Understanding. And as Lloyd thought it over, he could see why Morro understood Arin in a way he never would.
After all, both were the students let down by the unfulfilled promises of their masters, were they not? And Lloyd did not want Arin to meet the same fate the ghost in front of them did. Dead and alone, forgotten by the world. Never mourned except by the man that let them down.
Speaking of...
"Are you sure Wu hasn't passed through this place after the merge?" he asked. Morro nodded.
"If father was here, I would have known."
"You're master Wu's kid?" Arin asked.
"He's adopted," Lloyd reluctantly answered and fuck, did that make Morro his cousin?
"I also disowned myself technically, but um... yeah."
Awkward.
"I think it's time we take our leave. The others are waiting for us," Lloyd reminded Arin. It was a pitiful excuse but the boy followed him. "...Good luck, Morro," he said at last. The ghost nodded, their hair swirling in the breeze of the Spectral lands. They hesitated and then lowered their mask.
"...Thanks. Same to you, master Lloyd."
Lloyd blinked but nodded. As he and Arin made their way up the hill he heard Morro muttering about ice cream and couldn't stop the surprised laugh that escaped his lips. Arin looked at him, puzzled by the sudden laughter. "It's nothing," Lloyd reassured. "Let's go home."