Chapter Text
Things had been odd the last few years, all the 16 realms merged together including the departed realm. Morro stood on one of the hills keeping an eye out for any newly departed souls to help them cross over however he saw a kid. This kid was living, that much he could tell, he could also tell that the soul sulking monsters were headed in his direction. Morro quickly ran over, fighting the monsters as he went “you alright kid?” He asked the boy wearing a yellow gi.
“Um, yes? Wait, you're a ghost-” the boy said a bit startled,
“yes, I am Morro, I’ve made it my duty to help the departed cross over, but why are you here?” Morro asked him again as he kept an eye out.
“My master, he's hurt and needs something from a well, or something” the boy shrugged, not entirely knowing what he was looking for,
“oh, I know where that is, follow me” Morro replied.
They both travelled to the well he was speaking of, inside had a glowing golden liquid, “here it is, it’s some powerful stuff, so be careful with it” The ghost said as Arin scooped a canister of the glowing liquid and screwed the lid on top.
“Thank you, this means a lot, you’re a hero” Arin replied with a small smile as he put the bottle away,
“Oh, I’m no hero…. But I’m trying to be better. I made lots of mistakes in my life but someone gave me some hope I can change” Morro replied with a soft smile and a sigh.
“Oh? Who?” Arin responded now curious about him.
“My old master, Wu”,
“Wait, Wu? Like the Ninjas old master?” Arin asked in confusion and Morro replied,
“Yes, that’s him, do you know him?”,
“Um, you could say that… well, not personally, he’s departed” however Morro gave Arin a confused look
“No he’s not, I would know if he has passed through here, I haven’t seen him” Which confused Arin as all of the Merged-realms had thought that Wu had departed, especially the Ninja. Morro guided Arin back down to where ‘Lord’ Ras was laying barely conscious.
“You should come with us!” Arin proposed to Morro,
“I can't, I made it my duty to stay here with the departed” Morro said in response however Arin didn’t give up easily.
“Please, we could use you, you seem like you know these lands and you seem strong, which we could use on our travels” Morro eventually sighed and gave in. The two of them eventually gave the golden liquid to Ras and continued now that he was better.
Ras didn't fully accept Morro to begin with, and Arin made sure to mention to Morro to NEVER mention he used to be trained by Wu and an ex-ninja.
“I don't know what he'll do to you if he finds out, he hates the ninja” Arin whispered to Morro as they walked through the Wildness, Morro wasn’t scared of Ras and Arin probably knew that but the thought of someone actually caring enough to even warn him not to make that mistake meant more to Morro than it probably should have, he had been alone and betrayed more times than he could count, it was nice. For the first time in a long time, Morro felt like he could trust someone.
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“Is it insensitive to ask a ghost how they died?” Arin asked as the three of them stopped for a rest in a grove after days of travel and Ras had gone to find some food so that left Arin and Morro to look after their bags and tools.
“I’m not sure… However I don’t mind sharing my story” Morro replied and turned to face Arin who sat crossed legged on the grass. “So, Wu took me in when I was young, I didn’t grow up the best, homeless and stuff y’know… He raised me in the monastery, just me and him, he even thought I had the potential to be the Green Ninja so the time came but destiny had other plans for me, But I was young, desperate so I blamed Wu for it, and I ran away.”
Morro hadn’t realised but he had started fidgeting with his hands and Arin was giving him a comforting look. “Anyway, I swore I would find the First Spinjitzu Master’s tomb so I could prove that I was worthy, however I never found it while I was alive and I died… alone and vengeful.” Morro just let out a sigh and placed a hand on Arin’s shoulder “It was a mistake to blame Wu, I know that now, but I can’t change the past just the future and what I can do now”
Arin just nodded silently but Morro could see that he was thinking about something deep that he wasn’t ready to share so he wouldn’t push.
Both Arin and Morro heard a loud crash that couldn’t have been from something natural.
“That came from where Ras went-” Arin said standing up with a slight concerned tone, as he grabbed his gear. Morro followed and grabbed his dual-ended spear and they both ran in the direction of where the noise came from, however as they approached they could hear the sound of swords clashing and the sound of something they were both familiar with… a Spinjitzu tornado.
They ran into a clearing within the forest where they found Ras in a fight with a few familiar faces, well at least Morro thought it was, but there was a dragon(?) and two girls, one with red hair and the other had pink then, of couse… the famous fruit coloured Ninja. They all looked quite different from what Morro had remembered, I mean, it had been been several years, and they aged, unlike Morro so of course they would look different compared to- last time. Arin and Morro stood there weapons up, Morro was undecided on whose side to take in this battle, Arin on the other hand did his wonky Spinjitzu into the battle and got in-between Ras and the Ninja.
“Arin-” Morro called out to him as he also ran in to try and reach Arin before anything happened to him, but that was a mistake as the fight came to a halt at his voice, one the Ninja recognised quite well.
“Morro?...” Lloyd’s voice trembled as he held his Golden sword to his side. This is not how he wanted to meet them again.