Chapter Text
Jay had plans to spend the holiday with his parents, but Samukai showing up kinda threw a wrench in their evening. It’s only once he meets up with the rest of the ninja at the museum that they realize what’s been happening.
“Morro,” Lloyd snarls at the ghost appearing behind their master. They all draw their weapons before Wu tells them off.
“No, Morro is not our enemy. He came to warn us and help us defeat Master Yang.”
“Master Yang?” Nya wonders aloud.
“Yes,” The ghost in question starts, “He tricked Cole into opening a rift so he can return to ninjago.”
“Cole,” Jay scolds, “How’d he trick you?” … No response.
“Cole isn’t here,” Zane says.
Oh, First Master. “We forgot Cole,” Kai gasps.
“We have to move.” Lloyd says, already starting towards the bounty with the rest following not a moment later.
—
The journey to Yang’s Temple isn’t far, but the closer they get the more fierce the storm rages. “The winds are too strong,” Nya says over the ship’s intercom, “I can’t get any closer!”
“Allow me,” Morro addresses the group for the first time since they got aboard the bounty. Heading towards the bow of the ship, he raises his arms and faces away from the group. Jay watches in awe as the wild and whipping winds threatening to throw them from the sky slow. The pace eases to a rhythm Jay belatedly realizes is undeniably reminiscent of breathing. From the past couple months with Cole, Jay knows ghosts can breathe, but that they don’t need to. He doesn’t know why the idea of Morro breathing feels so foreign to him. This is also the first time he’s seen the master of wind use his powers not against an opponent. These successive thoughts lead Jay to wonder just how wrong they had been in assuming they understood the ghost before them. The anchor dropping to the floating island below jostled Jay from his train of thought. It’s time to go.
Jumping into the fray, Jay realizes they don’t have a plan. All he knows is that the rift is closing and that Yang going through it would probably be very bad. Though, seeing Cole and Yang’s fight stall as the two seem to talk, it occurs to Jay that they are operating under very little intel. He stops in his tracks and flings his arm out to the side, stopping Lloyd as well.
“What is it?” The younger asks immediately.
“They’re just… talking,” Jay observes.
Kai joins them. “He could be stalling,” He points out. Jay can’t pinpoint what it is in Cole’s body language, but he gets the feeling that’s not the case. He shakes his head.
“Cole’s got this.”
“What?” Morro exclaims, gobsmacked.
Turning to face the ghost, Jay finds himself asking. “That rift brings ghosts back to life, right?” He says, pointing at the sky above. “What are you waiting for?” Morro pulls back slightly. He blinks once, twice, as though waiting for the other shoe to drop. Wu rests a hand on the ghost’s shoulder, waiting for Morro to meet his gaze before nodding encouragingly. Morro only hesitates a moment more before Sensei gives him a light push and he takes off through the sky in the rift’s direction.
The ninja all watch as he flies upward until he disappears from sight, having passed through. “So…” Kai starts, “Chances we regret that?”
“38,” Zane supplies almost instantaneously.
Kai just purses his lips and shrugs. “Percent?” Lloyd asks, getting a nod in return, “You know what? I’ll take it.”
The next moment passes in a flash of bright light. When Jay’s vision clears, he scans the area but finds no sign of any ghosts, Cole, Yang, or Morro. “Cole?” He calls, running forward, “Cole?!!”
“Is he…?” Nya trails off.
“He’s gone.” Jay says, wiping his eyes before the tears can begin to fall. “I’d give anything to have him back,” He cries.
“Anything?”
“Anything,” Jay confirms, squeezing his eyes shut.
“Like the sonic raider jet?” Wait, that’s…
“Cole!!” Overlapping voices call, looking up, Jay finds Cole climbing over a rock as the resto the ninja scramble to reach him. He looks… human, again. Jay runs forward to join the desperate tackle of a group hug, sighing into Cole’s solid form. He could soak in the other’s warmth for hours, he has been cold for far too long. Jay is burying his head further into his partner’s shoulder when an awkward cough sounds from behind them. Jay opens his eyes but makes no move to turn toward the newcomer, at least until he hears a half-familiar voice.
“I’m okay too, by the way.”
Jay’s curiosity is more than enough to turn his attention, even as he refuses to let go of Cole. Morro sounds different human, he looks different too. His voice is softer, less demanding and without the echo and extra rasp they’ve all come to associate with him. Taking in his appearance, Jay finds himself feeling bad for Morro. As a ghost, the loose shreds of fabric floated around his form eerily, but now it’s clear his clothes are just torn, likely beyond repair. His hair and skin are dirtied with sweat and dust. Jay knows Morro has been around for decades, but looking at him now, the former ghost looks no older than him or Lloyd.
Morro pointedly ignores whatever looks Jay and his friends are giving him, leaning casually against a thin tree with his arms crossed. Jay barely catches his eyes for a moment before Morro goes to examine his nails. Following his gaze, Jay finds the movement to not be without reason, as even from several feet away Jay can tell that there is dirt caked under the other’s nails. Morro begins to scrap it out with a perfectly blank expression, one Jay is tempted to interpret as bored, even.
Wu squeezes Cole’s shoulder – Jay hadn’t even noticed when he placed it there – before moving towards his former student, his movements uncharacteristically hesitant, as though not wanting to break whatever tentative peace has settled here. “Would you like a change of clothes, Morro?” He eventually asks, after far too long a pause.
Morro huffs slightly but Jay spots the tiniest upward quirk of his lips before he answers. “That would be nice, Master.”