Chapter 1: Alone
Chapter Text
The human grunted as he was tossed on the cold, hard floor of the cage. It was slammed shut.
“I wanted that stupid, little, green brat,” he seethed, more to himself than to his prisoner. “But, as always, I am forced to settle for something lesser.” He stated that last part clearly. Just planting seeds. He turned to leave, having much more pressing matters to attend to than a mere side piece.
“Lloyd,”
He stopped. “What was that?” He’d heard him, but Morro couldn’t pass up an opportunity to mess with one of Wu’s pretty pupils.
“His name is Lloyd,”
Morro waited a few seconds, shrugging. “Can’t hear you. Must’ve been something insignificant,”
“Funny,” he yawned. The ghost narrowed his eyes. “I thought you said something.”
Oh, he shouldn’t. He’d be walking straight into the very obvious trap.
“Is that all?” The idiot said, his tone heavy with boredom. As if he were the one with the power here. As if his pathetic self were the one with the power to dismiss the other. Morro clenched his fists.
“So dismissive,” he said evenly. “What’s wrong? Nervous?”
“Nervous?” He yawned again. “I have the Green Ninja out looking for me. If either of us are nervous, here, then buddy—it’s you.”
Morro whipped around, seeing Wu’s little flying monkey reclined, his eyes closed, and with his hands behind his head. Like he were relaxing on a beach, somewhere. How ridiculous. How obnoxious.
“That label is only temporary when applied to him,” he leaned against the bars of the cage, casually.
A rotten giggle left the boy’s lips. “You’d like to think so, wouldn’t you? Ahhh,” he smirked, eyes remaining shut. “Been there. Just let it go, whatever your name is.”
Been there? What could he mean by that?
“You have a big mouth,”
“Oh, I know. I’d bet you’d give anything to shut me up right now.”
As much as Morro hated admitting other people were right… “I could if I wanted,” he settled on.
“That implies you don’t want to punch me in the mouth, right now. Which we both know is untrue.”
“Oooh, you got me. I’m a liar,” he feigned remorse.
“Shocker,” he yawned again. “Anyways, I’m tired. I’ll talk again later, I guess.”
Had the ghost any blood, it would have been boiling about right now. He slipped through the bars, blowing a gust of wind across the other boy’s peaceful face. He scrunched his features, opening his eyes and looking up at him.
“You didn’t even say ‘boo’? I feel like I’m being scammed,” he pouted, lifting himself back on his elbows.
“Boo,” Morro indulged in the absurdity, leaning back against the bars and crossing his arms. “We’re not done talking, not until I say we’re done.”
He shrugged. “Whatever you say, I guess.” He reclined, resting his head on his arms again. “What’s there for a ghost and his sexy hostage to talk about? The weather?”
Morro chuckled at that. “Mmm, sexy? Really?” He shut his eyes, leaning his head back. “Interesting, that you’d go with that one.”
“Thanks for acknowledging that I’m interesting,” He grinned. “You stole the whole package: good looks, and depth. That’s hard to come by nowadays, you know.”
“Well, aren’t you a piece of work,” Morro grimaced. “My, my. Wu sure knows how to pick the worst of ‘em.”
“Ooh, self-burn. Nice one,”
He was goading him, Morro knew it. He also knew how to flip it.
”There are far more…interesting ways to self-burn,” he said, adopting the same bored tone that the other had used earlier. He stepped forward, allowing his hand to phase into the other’s torso. “Ones that don’t involve words, if you catch my drift.”
The boy looked nervous for only a second before steeling himself. But Morro caught it, and he relished it with a chuckle. The tides could be turned, and he was determined to do such a thing. He pulled his arm back, returning to his initial position against the cage bars.
“I see,” he said, looking down to where Morro’s hand had been mere moments before.
The ghost raised an eyebrow. “You see…? A sack of meat?”
“No,” he said simply, replacing his arm behind his head and shutting his eyes once more. “I just see.”
“Insightful, truly.” Morro rolled his eyes. “Tell me, do you share such pearls of wisdom with that little clown troupe of yours? Do they hang on to your every, precious little word?”
Silence. Ooh.
Morro crouched down, inching closer. “Hmm, I guess not. Can’t say I blame them.”
He shrugged. “Me neither.” He looked away. “Don’t you have glassware to knock off of an innocent grandma’s shelf, somewhere?”
Changing the subject, directly after he’d inferred that his teammates didn’t value his thoughts? Now, that was juicy. Morro felt a grin spread across his face.
“Do you really think I demean myself with such petty actions?” He reclined next to the Ninja, sensing the other’s discomfort and using it as his green light to move forward. “Especially when I can be down here, messing with you?”
”Wasting your time, you mean?” He looked back at the ghost, blinking dramatically like a starlet. “Gee, do I bother you that much?”
“Bother isn’t the right word.”
”Frustrate? Enrage?”
”I can kill you in an instant,”
”But you won’t. Because you need me for something. Isn’t that right?”
“You make the First Master tremble with your cleverness,” Morro rolled his eyes. “What a headache,”
“Handsomest headache you’ll ever have,” he clicked his tongue twice.
“Obnoxious,” Morro groaned, beginning to realize he may be wasting his time.
“Tired of me already? That was fast,” he yawned yet again. “You lasted longer than Cole usually does, to your credit.”
…maybe he wasn’t wasting his time.
“The Master of Earth, right?” This could be fun.
“So you do know who we are,”
“Of course I do,” he shrugged nonchalantly. “Jay, Master of Lightning. Zane, Master of Ice. The tyke Garmadon, temporary Green Ninja. And…” he trailed off. “Hmm. Then, there’s you. Master of Fire, right? And your name is…hmm…what was it?” he snapped his fingers, presenting a front of attempting recollection.
”Kai,” the voice was subdued.
Morro’s smirk twisted larger. Back on track. “Mm, that’s right, Kai. Not exactly intimidating. Quite cute, in my opinion, actually.”
“And you are?” Redirecting the conversation away from himself, for a change. Exhilarating.
“Oh, yes, how rude of me.” He looked down at the Ninja. “Morro, Master of Wind.”
“Morro…” he trailed off. “Sounds like the cognomen to an ice cream flavor.”
Okay, he didn’t know what to make of that one.
“Master of Wind,” Kai looked thoughtful. “So, did you ever, like mess with people? Like, say you were in a basement, and you would generate a small gust, and then someone would turn to you and ask if you felt a draft, and you would point out that there were no windows, and call them crazy?”
The fuck?
“No,” he said quietly. “But it, it feels like a missed opportunity. Damn, why haven’t I done anything like that before?”
“I mean, feel free, next time you’re in a basement.” Kai stretched. “Just don’t tell anyone it was my idea.”
Morro laughed. Stupid, it was stupid. That implied so many impossibilities that it made his head hurt. Why would he be in a basement with someone? Why would he even think to mention Kai after a prank like that? This was so peculiar. But it was far from boring, which was more than could be said about floating around, miserably, in the Cursed Realm.
He stiffened. The Cursed Realm. His Master. He had responsibilities to attend to. He shouldn’t be wasting time with the Fire Ninja.
”Well, this chat has been…” he searched for the perfect word. “…amusing. But I have important matters to attend to.”
“By all means,” Kai gestured to the door. “Don’t let handsomeness hold you back, I always say.”
Morro rolled his eyes, phasing through the bars and floating towards the door. He decided he needed to get in the final word before leaving.
“Oh, Kai?”
“Morro?”
“I’d be more cautious about what I choose to share, if I were you.” He passed through the door. The threat was just to put him on edge. Morro could get any information he wanted, regardless if Kai “chose” to share it, or not. The Red Ninja would find that out soon enough.
He couldn’t justify any reason to see Kai over the next few days, so he didn’t. Morro figured letting him rot away in that cage for awhile would serve to soften him up a bit. Make him less of a headache to deal with. He absentmindedly blew open the window of Ronin’s pawnshop, looking into the docks outside. The floor creaked beneath his feet, and he was suddenly aware of the noise of water flowing beneath him. He quickly floated up, irrationally nervous that the rest of the floor would collapse underneath his feet.
A reason to see Kai again, how wonderful.
He hovered, cautiously, over to the room where his prisoner was being kept. He slid through with ease, eyes swinging upwards, where the cage was suspended. He floated up, resting his chin and arms on the floor of the cage, and cocking his head ever so slightly. Kai faced away from him, unresponsive. Possibly asleep.
“Boo,” he said, just in case.
“Hello, Morro,” the Red Ninja muttered. “I was beginning to think you forgot about me.”
The ghost smirked. “Now, how could I possibly forget someone as bothersome, frustrating, and enraging as you?”
“Aw, I’m touched. Really, I am,” Kai twisted his upper body to face him. “What do you want?”
“Bored,” he admitted. “You’re to entertain me.”
“Entertain you?” Kai yawned, stretching his body in opposite directions. “What do you want me to do? Juggle swords? Spit fire?”
“Nothing so garish,” he inched forward, ever so slightly. “Something more simple. A trip down memory lane, perhaps.”
The air between them suddenly became much more uncomfortable. The Master of Wind reveled in such a feeling.
“Where’s there to go?” Kai stretched again, maintaining his annoying tone well. “The museum? How fun. You whined like a baby that the Green Ninja couldn’t see you, such fond memories.”
“I also beat your ass, like it was nothing.” He narrowed his eyes. “Wu’s prized warrior, clobbered by a dead man, within minutes.”
“‘Prized warrior,’” Kai scoffed, rolling his eyes. “He doesn’t think that way, you know.”
Morro perked. “Of you? Course not.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Tides, turned.
“You think you can fool me?” The ghost inched forward some more, the bottom of his torso still hanging out of the bottom of the cage. “Kai, you’re smarter than this.”
“I don’t follow,” Kai turned away from him again. Morro lifted up a few inches, looming over the Red Ninja.
“I think you do.” He leaned through the other’s body, meeting his dark eyes. “Shall I investigate?”
“No,” his voice was small. The little, mouselike noise made Morro soar.
“Why not?” He sank his hand into Kai’s. “Afraid of what I’ll find?”
Silence. Morro’s foxish grin widened, and he purposefully slipped into the other’s body. Ah, despite the limitations, it did feel good to be mortal again. Later, he planned on taking Kai’s body for a walk along the docks. Maybe get some of those spicy noodles from a stand he’d seen upon entering the city. It would feel nice, to have food fulfill him again. Instead of reminding him how empty he felt.
Maybe it’s not a lack of spicy noodles making you feel empty, Morro.
Right. He wasn’t here alone. Curse his stupidity, thinking he should be vulnerable for even a second. What would his master think?
Your master doesn’t allow you to think about spicy noodles? Bummer. They must suck.
You shut up. Morro carelessly struck Kai’s arm against the cage bars, making them both gasp. I wouldn’t be so volatile, if I were in your position. Who knows the damage I can cause, while I’m in here with you? He relished each word with sadistic glee.
Give it your best shot. Kai retorted, much to the ghost’s surprise. All of the threats, and he was still rebelling? Amusing. He decided to forego any and all taunts, and to just go straight for the jugular.
Kai plodded along simply, content to play in the dirt. Young, happy, unscarred. A freshly plucked wildflower grasped in his tiny fist. A woman called his name, and he turned his head towards his mother. Morro curled his lip bitterly. Oh, a momma’s boy. How sweet. Recollections of his own blood mother returned to him. She had left him in a gutter, emptily promising him she’d return. He had been about this size, too. Small, dumb, unscathed. He should have realized, then, that he was alone. He had been foolish enough to put his faith in Wu later, but he should have known better. No one cared. He was alone, in this world, and in the next.
Alone. Kai was alone. He wandered around the small house, calling for his mother and father. Morro could feel the terror in the small form. It…shocked him, sobering in its familiarity. He looked on from his own eyes, wandering through streets and alleys, calling for his mother, crying for a woman who would never think about him again. The two children wailed, giving up their fruitless attempts to find their parents. Realizing, with hopeless finality, that they were alone.
Kai was alone again, digging through the trash. He’d come late at night, so that no one would chase him away. His stomach burned fiercely from hunger. His body leaned deeper into the trash can, relieved to find a few scraps of fish in the bottom. Morro pulled himself out, clutching the small handful of precious food, finding himself face to face with a young Master Wu. He aimed a steady barrage of punches at his Master, who held him back. Every once and awhile, he would mutter approvingly. He swelled with pride, foolishly believing he had found somewhere to belong.
Kai didn’t let himself consider such a notion. Not for even a second. He had one reason he was training, and one reason only. Then, he was gone. The two boys practiced in opposite directions. Morro scoffed, watching through the naive eyes of their young selves as they grew. Their response time improved. Their attacks became swift and precise. They moved with grace. And they strode to further improve such skills. He strode to make Wu proud. He strode to grow stronger. He strode to—
The Golden Weapons.
Morro clenched Kai’s fists, suddenly desperate to not relive the embarrassing memory. He knew, when he opened his eyes, immeasurable disappointment awaited. He opened them, surprised to see himself wearing the green gi. Kai flexed in the mirror, saying every dumb thing that came to his mind. It looks good. He thought, interrupting the memory as the other Ninja found him. He felt the Master of Fire utter a small thanks, also appearing to feel embarrassed. If briefly, Morro suddenly felt as if he were being unnecessarily invasive. So they jumped ahead a bit.
Morro tossed a rock at the stupid Grundle, feeling as if he could rip the thing in half with his bare hands. He felt blinded, and he could barely feel the ground below his feet as he ran. Wu pulled him up to safety, and he began to chastise him. Empathetic rage oozed through him as Wu had the audacity to downplay them—uh, that was, Kai—as being dangerous, telling him that he should not reach his full potential. Of course he would be dangerous, he was the Green Ninja! Or, he deserved to be. Regardless of what destiny might have said. Because destiny was wrong.
It was wrong.
Heat, it was hot. It was boiling hot. Morro had never felt such terror, ironically frozen in place as the white hot hand of death crawled up to him. He was exhausted, he was burning up. His feet burned as he jumped across the rocks, Lloyd in his sites. Lloyd, it was him. It was his fault. Destiny had chosen that little brat over them. They were screwed over, ridiculed, mocked, belittled for this. He died for this. He died alone for this. He was alone. Nobody had cared to think about his wishes, what he’d wanted. Wu had simply written it off as destiny, simply expecting it all to evaporate. The pride, the years spent training, the sleepless nights fantasizing about not being alone…
No one understood. Not in this life, or in the next. Morro was alone. His new Master knew what she wanted, what was best for them all, but she didn’t know how he felt. Not truly. No one did, no one would. No one else would feel the pain in his fists as he trained. Harder. No one else would feel the fear he felt, being alone again. No one else would feel the sting when his brothers used his desperation as fodder for jokes. No one else knew, no one else cared. It was Kai’s burden to bear, silently, alone.
Morro ebbed out of the Red Ninja’s body, feeling oddly heavy for an apparition. Kai scrambled back against the bars, his chest heaving as he panted. Neither of them looked at each other. Not at first. They simply needed time to process. Because, the concept that someone else knew what it felt like, was so foreign to the both of them.
“I’m sorry,”
Morro almost didn’t hear what the other said. “What?”
“I’m sorry,” they met eyes. “I’m sorry he—Master Wu, I’m sorry he got your hopes up, and then he didn’t care.” He averted his eyes. “I’m sorry nobody does.”
Silence stretched between them for a few seconds.
“I’m sorry, too.” The words slipped out before he could stop them.
So, he slipped out, before he could stop himself. Before he could register Kai’s reaction. He sank through the floor of the cage, hurriedly passing through the door. He crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes, hunching over slightly. He might’ve gagged, too, had he retained such an ability.
“Morro?” He snapped his head as the raspy, strainwd voice of Bansha called his name. He straightened his posture, resorting back to his typical sneer.
“What do you want?” He lashed, refusing to look her in the eye.
“To know what has upset you,” she craned her neck to look at him. “You can’t let anything a worthless mortal says intimidate you, not with what’s at stake. Would you like me to…humble him? He will be much more tame, once he feels blood pouring out of his ears.” She snickered.
Indescribable fury shot through the Master of Wind, and he was suddenly halfway across the room. He grasped her collar in his hands, snarling in her face.
“What upsets me, Bansha, is that destiny thinks it can hold me down.” He harshly released her. “And you will do no such thing. I require the prisoner to be intact if I am to fulfill Master’s goals.”
“Forgive me, Morro,” she wheezed, bowing her head.
Morro released a low hum, turning away from her.
“We’ll leave for the Wailing Alps soon,” he said. “Prepare the others, and the Mech.”
“As you wish,” the ghost said, and she was gone.
Morro leaned with his back to the door, debating going back in. Had Bansha minded her own business, he might have done so. But he decided against it, for the time being. He’d see Kai again, soon enough. They had a mountain to climb together, after all.
Together. That word was unusual for him. What was happening? He had no qualms being alone. He enjoyed it, as a matter of fact. Isolation was safer than the other option. He scrunched his face in disgust. He must be growing soft. And why? Because he saw a stupid little orphan who wanted to be the Green Ninja, too? Preposterous. He should be angry. There was only one Green Ninja, there could only be one. It would be him, he would be alone.
The image of Kai wearing that gi flashed in his mind, and he lowered his head. He was so hopeful, so desperate to prove himself. Only to get stomped out, and then derided on top of that. Passed over for someone else, his dreams forgotten. He felt that pain. Every day. It drove his every action, he was aware of it every moment. He had been angry. Angry at Bansha for decrying him, someone who had already been unfairly robbed of such a destiny. It was almost like she had insulted him, and not the Red Ninja.
He made a noise similar to an exhale, floating up and away from the door. He’d find his stance on the Red Ninja later. As of now now, he had a journey to prepare for.
Chapter 2: Alike
Summary:
literally just a shit ton of red flags, i don’t know what else to tell you.
Notes:
i originally had 2 chapters planned, but i think my concept requires 3. oh well, more fic for you <3
separate fandom but OH MY GOSH STONE OCEAN RELEASE!!!!! FINALLY!!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It wouldn’t stop replaying in his head. He shut his eyes, the excitement made his body feel warm. It was finally going to happen, he would meet his destiny. Disappointment was not nearly adequate enough a word to describe what fell through his body as he opened his eyes. For the millionth time, he opened his eyes to the same, depressing outcome. The Golden Weapons lay, still, on the ground. He looked to Wu, the man who had taken him in, for guidance. He got none. His Master turned away from him, coldly. Asserting that destiny had spoken, intending for that to be the end. The end. No acknowledgment to the countless days and nights spent training. He just had to swallow it, swallow his pain and pride without any affirmations. He had to move on with the realization that he would never be good enough.
No, it…this wasn’t right. Familiar, yes, but it wasn’t right. It wasn’t him. Kai opened his eyes, his hands pressed firmly against the sides of his head. Again, again, again, it played through his head. He watched, through Morro’s eyes, seeing what he had experienced before through his own. It was disorienting, to undersell what his mind was going through. It was like stepping out of his body and into someone else’s, then he was being forced to re-witness things he’d rather forget. Twofold. Man, this sucked. He’d buried these things for a reason, and he intended for them to stay that way. Forgotten, banished to some unkempt corner of his mind, no longer his concern. Just like what Wu did to his first student.
Kai inhaled sharply, whipping his head back and forth. Was that…the ghost talking? Was he still lingering in his head, after how disastrous their excursion to the Cloud Kingdom had been? Was that what this was? Some sort of twisted, masochistic punishment for Kai doing everything in his power to help Lloyd and the others? Was Morro that depraved? Willing to use even his own trauma against him, as a means of getting him under control? The questions raced through his mind, almost as quickly as his heart rushed. He curled up against the bars, attempting to steel himself. Are you this cruel? He thought desperately, out into the inescapable prison that was his mind. There was no answer.
Gradually, he realized how stupid he was being. Between no smarmy remarks, and the fact he had control over his body, there was no evidence he wasn’t alone. He rested his hands against his eyes, attempting to take slow breaths in order to cool down. He could practically feel the reactions his friends would have, if they were here. Nya would punch his arm, Cole would chide him for not thinking, Jay would make a joke about it, and Zane would point out the reasons he was being stupid, and Lloyd would tell them all to move past it, after chuckling a little at Jay’s dumb joke. Kai smiled a little thinking about it. He missed them, he missed his family so much. It had felt good, despite the mental agony it took, managing to break through Morro’s possession and see Lloyd. Just long enough to give him the upper hand, and encourage him. His little brother had looked determined as ever. In that moment, Kai was beyond sure he would make it home safely. In the meantime, it had been good to see a beloved friend again. He could certainly use a friend, right about now.
“Good evening,” Morro said smoothly, his head rising through the floor of the cage.
Absolutely not what he had in mind.
Kai rolled his eyes. “That’s a matter of opinion, isn’t it?” He turned away from the ghost, wanting nothing more than for either of them to just evaporate.
“Aw, what’s wrong, Snippy?” He easily passed through Kai’s body, smirking like the devil as he peered into his eyes. “You sound a little frustrated,” he blinked rapidly, dramatically. Kai narrowed his eyes.
“I mean, I’m not the one who lost the Sword of Sanctuary…oops, I mean, I guess, technically I’m the reason it’s gone.” Kai surprised himself, at how coyly enraging he sounded.
Morro’s smirk twisted in a way that would definitely make a baby cry. “How sweet of you to remind me, of the reason I’ve come to see you.”
“Oh?” Kai raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, I don’t have a spare one laying around. If you noticed, I don’t even have pockets,” saying that last bit gave him an odd sense of deja vu, but he brushed past it quickly.
“This isn’t about the sword. That will come to us, to me, in due time.” He brushed the notion away with a single, transparent arm. “I’m more interested in how you managed to lose it.”
Kai couldn’t help but smirk himself. “Why don’t you ask the Green Ninja about that one, buddy?”
The energy in the room took a nosedive, and it was dead silent.
“This isn’t about that one,” Morro growled churlishly, after a few seconds. “This is about you, Kai.”
“What, me?” It was the Red Ninja’s turn to blink dramatically. “Good to know you care.”
An odd expression flashed across the ghost’s face, fleetingly. “Always have something to say, don’t you?” He murmured, his eyes suddenly focused on the bars behind Kai.
“Yeah,” he shrugged. “I’m a handful.”
Morro slowly closed his eyes, the smirk returning to his face. He opened reopened them, a dangerous glint in each lens. “A handful, yes.” He rose slightly, so that he towered a few inches above Kai’s reclined form. “You take pride in that, don’t you? Acting in such a way, pretending like you’re the one who has the power here. Well,” he chuckled. “I can assure you, you do not.”
Kai was silent a few seconds, trying to form the proper response. “Whatever floats your boat,” he settled on, shrugging again, in attempt to appear nonchalant.
“Look at you, proving my point like a good, little Ninja.” Morro crossed his arms, his eyes smoldering as he looked down on him. “You’ve done half the work. I can pick up the rest of your slack, from here.”
“I don’t follow,” Kai shifted away from him, slowly.
Morro followed his movements, slower still. “You’ll see soon enough, I think.”
“Look…” Kai trailed off, his tone a mix of warning and scared.
“I am,” Morro tossed back at him, crawling forward. He leaned in suddenly, far too close for comfort. “I am looking. I’m trying to…” his eyes swept back and forth, briefly, eventually settling on Kai’s own. “I’m trying to understand.” His voice was low, quiet. Like they were children at a sleepover, up far past their curfew, trading their secrets in hushed voices as to not alert the adults in the other room.
“Understand what?” Kai asked, his voice just as low.
As if he didn’t know.
The two of them shared a long, wordless look. Kai felt as though they were in a vacuum, a void, where nothing and no one existed except for them. In a sense, maybe that was true. Right now, it was just them, and what united them. That was it, that was what Morro wanted to grasp. Admittedly, it was what Kai wanted to as well.
“How someone else could possibly fathom the agony I was forced to bear alone.” Morro’s voice was even quieter. The children were desperate, now more than ever, to remain unheard.
Kai shut his eyes, almost physically recoiling at the boldness of such an ugly statement. And it was ugly, only because the truth of it raked through his body like a hot blade.
“And why you retain such loyalty to those who wronged us. You,”
Kai’s eyes snapped open, fiercely.
“Leave them out of this,” he warned, still whispering.
Instead of saying some snide remark about hitting a nerve, Morro averted his eyes. He looked at the bars behind Kai’s head, again. A favored default.
“You can’t run from that fact forever,” he whispered simply. “It’s going to catch up, and it’ll hurt like a bitch when it does.”
That response caught Kai off guard.
“They didn’t ‘wrong’ me,” he snapped quietly. “It wasn’t their faults I wasn’t chosen. Not Lloyd’s, not anyone’s.”
Morro’s gaze swept back to meet his own. “Maybe not,” his words were hushed and even. “None of those foolish Ninja are in charge of destiny.” He reached forward, placing his hand into Kai’s arm.
“See? You get it,” Kai stared apprehensively at their connection. Morro did not advance further, nor did he pull away.
“But that’s not to say they haven’t ‘wronged’ you, Kai. Even if you choose not to see it.” Both of them remained uncannily still. “Or…should I say, even if you try to ignore it.”
He proceeded forward without warning, giving Kai no time to process as he was knocked out of control yet again. Get out of here! Leave me alone. It was a moment of panicked weakness, Kai had caved to his fears. As brief as it was, it was all of the confirmation Morro needed to move ahead. Alone? Ignored? Do you really want to go back to that, Kai? Do you wanna go back to that pain again? It took Kai a few moments to discern the reality that such a thought had come from the ghost, not him. And that beyond terrified him.
Aw, you’re scared? Out came that twisted sadism. Kai had no trouble deciphering who that came from, this time. Don’t worry, Kai, I’ll be here to hold your hand through it.
He was holding something, but it wasn’t a hand. It was heavier, and feeling its weight made his blood rush. No! He thought, the horror and embarrassment dawning on him. No, please! Not this again. There was no way to describe the way he felt when he used the Staff of Elements. Euphoria, elation, pure, cathartic bliss. He used it adeptly, organically, as if he were intended to wield such awesome power. He disarmed Clouse with a mere flick of his arm, freezing him solid. He protected and freed Lloyd, barely making an effort to do so. It felt so good, like his soul was rising out of his body. It was vindicating, all of his efforts leading up to now, this very moment, where he could wield such unending power with ease.
Wow. Morro’s astonished presence cut off the memory. Is that what it feels like?
Yeah. Despite the conversation going on within the cage that was Kai’s head, he still felt like they were whispering. It is.
That’s worth it all. Kai could feel the justification oozing over from the other’s soul. He didn’t know how to think—if he should agree, or disagree—so he didn’t. So, that’s what we’re after. That’s what it feels like!
What you’re after. Kai corrected, managing to reign in an ounce of nerve.
Yeah, right. Morro acknowledged. Or, was it something else?
You done? He challenged, feeling some of his confidence return. You had your fun?
No, the ghost sent back. I still have a point to prove.
Let it go, Morro. He seethed. Just, let it all go.
My, my! It appears the Master of Fire has gotten his second wind. How fitting. How about I knock it right back out of you, hmm?
Try it, stupid. See how far you get.
There you are, Snippy. I missed you.
Fuck off. What more could he say? Honestly.
That’s it? That’s all I get? I feel scammed.
Boo-hoo. Cry me a river.
Amusement radiated from the ghost. It boiled Kai’s blood. I think it’s time for me to use a visual aid. Kai felt as if his heart were collapsing. Let’s see…wow, I have a fair bit of material to work with. Wonderful. Where to start, where to start?
You’re enjoying this, Kai bristled.
Of course I am. Now, shush.
Mega Monster Amusement Part. It had been awhile since he was here. When was this, exactly? Wait, he knew exactly what this was. Oh, no. Not this. These things were buried for a reason. Jay, Cole, and Zane laughed, they were all laughing at him. All distancing themselves from the idea of wanting to be the Green Ninja, claiming they never had. Maybe they really never had in the first place. Maybe it was just Kai, struggling to reframe his delusions. Trying, desperately, to reimagine that he was not alone in the obsession that had almost driven him insane. Maybe this memory wasn’t a memory, but merely a fantasy. Not unlike his hopes of becoming the Green Ninja. He always wondered, when he remembered that day. That was why it had to remain buried.
You didn’t imagine it. Morro’s presence sliced through the memory, dissipating it. You aren’t crazy, I promise you aren’t. There are many who have wanted to be the Green Ninja, but…few who are ambitious enough to deserve it.
Kai didn’t know how to respond to such…validation. So, he didn’t. But he did hold onto it, grasping to the notion that even one person wouldn’t laugh him off, like he was some sort of joke. It felt, well, it felt nice.
“Hey, remember when Kai thought he was the Green Ninja?” Jay said, as they all ran through the jungle. They laughed as a group, even Kai. It was silly, after all. Never mind everything else.
See? Morro’s energy was through the roof. He was mad, Kai could feel it. He was so mad, and he was so mad for Kai? That did not make sense, but…it was nice, someone else angry at a perceived injustice he’d experienced. It was so nice. You’re a scapegoat to them. As long as they can pretend they never wanted to be the most powerful being in Ninjago, they will continue to treat you like this.
How do I know that even happened? He snapped, guilt flashing through him. How do you know that even happened? I probably made it up. It’s just a joke, let it go.
Yikes. Morro seemed genuinely taken aback. Do you really think like this?
Kai pretended like that didn’t dignify a response.
This might take more effort than I thought.
Told you. Was Kai’s impulsive retort.
“I wasn’t that whiny,” Kai scoffed, attempting to distract from how ashamed he felt, for ever thinking he could be the Green Ninja.
“No,” Zane stated. “You were worse.” Kai chuckled at that.
He’s right, you know. I was worse.
I bet you were. Time to try something else, then.
“Perhaps it is best you do not reach your True Potential, or else someone could get hurt.”
That’s what Wu said about me, too. Morro’s anger levels rose higher still.
Kai was suddenly in an unfamiliar place. A forest, somewhere, a long time ago. His arm was grabbed, and he was yanked to face a very young, very angry-looking Master Wu.
“All you do is whine. Whine, whine, whine about how you’re not the Green Ninja. You disregard your own power, but perhaps that is for the best. After all,” he released young Morro’s arm. “Who knows who you’d hurt, if you managed to reach your True Potential?”
Anger stabbed through Kai, in tandem with the bewilderment and rage emanating from Morro.
He chose to say that to you. To us. It felt as though Morro were screaming. After all this time, too. He hasn’t changed. He won’t change. And yet, you choose to align yourself with such a man. Why, Kai? I don’t understand.
Look, because. Just because it, because he, you know, well— Kai’s brain moved like a cyclone. He didn’t think about this, not ever. He had no thoughts, no answer, not even a quip. Concepts, ideas, memories, pictures. They all moved just outside of his reach, passing him by much too quickly in the chaos to be of any use. He was stuck, he didn’t know. He just didn’t know.
“It scares me,” Kai was shocked back into reality by the hushed sound of the ghost’s voice. Discernible, true, outside of his head. Morro sat in front of him, his face sober. “How much I understand.”
Kai crawled backwards, trying to shrink into the bars of the cage. Morro did not pursue, but he stared at him long and hard.
“No answer? I see. Well,” he stood up, and Kai flinched.
“Please,” Kai covered his eyes, trying to make his body seem as small as possible. “Not, not again. Please. I don’t think about these things for a reason. I don’t like this, I don’t like the way things have turned out, I don’t know. I don’t—just, please. I just want to be alone.”
He opened his eyes to find he was alone in the cage. He sighed with relief, the breath sharp and swollen in his chest. Okay, it was okay. He was going to do what he always did. Those things would go back into the corners of his mind, and he’d forget about them. He’d move forward like nothing even happened in the first place, it would be okay. He took a few deep breaths, defaulting back to his usual self. Charming, witty, handsome. He was back, Kai was back, and he wouldn’t trip up again. He couldn’t. And he never should have in the first place. Not for anyone, but especially not for some maniac ghost who was planning to overthrow the planet.
Even if said ghost had opted to empathize with him, as opposed to turning his experiences into a joke, like everyone else seemed to.
Kai shook his head, clearing it of those thoughts. No, he told himself firmly. Bury them, then keep them like that. It doesn’t matter. Just let it go. So, he did. He chose to think of his sister, Nya. Of his friends, Zane, Cole, Jay, and Lloyd. Lloyd especially. Kai smiled to himself. He was some kid, that was for sure. Out of anyone on this whole planet, he was glad Lloyd turned out to be the Green Ninja. He hoped he was holding up well, Nya too. He was a wreck without all of them, that was for sure. He was sure they were functioning well and good. They weren’t like him, nobody was. And that was a relief. He wouldn’t wish his own mind on anyone.
“Hello again.”
Nah, this was getting straight-up ridiculous.
“Hello,” he greeted evenly, looking around. “I don’t see you anywhere.”
A gust of wind blew the back of his shirt up, causing Kai to jump. Morro laughed, standing on top of the cage with something in his hands.
“Scared the life out of me, jeez.” Kai couldn’t help but chuckle himself.
“Not yet, I haven’t.” Morro descended, tossing a bottle of water and a small bundle at Kai.
“Is there a draft in here?” Kai said, reaching for what the ghost had dropped.
“No, you’re crazy. Can’t you see? There are no windows.”
They both struggled to not laugh. Kai uncapped the bottle, lifting it to his mouth. Morro chortled a little, causing Kai to giggle, making the water he was drinking come out of his nose.
Morro shot back, hovering just outside of the cage. Kai narrowed his eyes, but he thought nothing of it.
“So? What’s this for?” He opened the bundle, a little surprised to find fresh-made buns. They were even still steaming.
“Don’t think too deep into it,” Morro said dismissively, staring off into space. “I need your strength for what’s to come, that’s all.”
Kai smiled, taking another sip from the bottle and shrugging. “Thanks,”
“Whatever.”
He sank his teeth into one of the warm buns, closing his eyes. He hadn’t realized how long he’d gone without a meal. “I don’t suppose you payed for these?” Maybe it was the starvation talking, but the filling was heavenly. Not as heavenly as the ones made by Skylor, from Master Chen’s Noodle House, but it would do for now. Skylor. He needed to call her.
“What are you talking about? I bought them with all of my hard-earned money,” Morro scoffed.
“Fair enough.” Kai took another bite. Not like it was his first time eating stolen food. Yet another thing that needed to stay buried.
Morro didn’t leave, but he wasn’t watching him eat, either. He just stayed, leaning casually against the cage bars, his back to the Master of Fire. Kai finished the first bun, regrettably having only two more to savor.
“Don’t you have some ghost stuff to get up to?” He asked, going in for another bite. A small one, this time.
“Yes, there’s some cabinets that need to be opened and closed at 8PM sharp. No, idiot, or else I wouldn’t be here.”
“Mmm,” Kai swallowed. “Why are you choosing to spend your free time, here, with me?”
Morro let out an exasperated noise. “After all the time I’ve spent in your head, I still can’t figure out if you’re actually this dense, or if you’re feigning it.”
“Well, you know,” Kai shrugged. “Gotta keep ‘em guessing.” He took another bite, chewed thoughtfully, and swallowed. “You didn’t answer my question, you know.”
“Oh, so you are that dense.” Morro pressed his hands to his temples. “Wonderful.”
“If I want to be,” Kai lifted the empty water bottle to the ghost’s back, as if he were toasting.
There was brief silence. “You’re not boring, I’ll give you that.”
Kai smirked into his meal. “See? What’d I tell you about good looks and depth.” He finished the second bun.
“I see,” Morro murmured. “You’re doing it again.”
“Again?” Kai bit into the final bun. “I’m handsome all of the time, get it right.”
The ghost scoffed again. “Is this just a waste of my time?” He groaned.
“If I want to be,”
The ghost slowly turned to him, his expression unreadable.
“Fitting, for it to be all smoke and mirrors with you.” He grasped the bars of the cage, slowly sliding down them until he and Kai were level. “But you can’t fool me, not to man who was literally just inside your mind.” He reached forward, patting the other’s head. The Red Ninja shuddered, the movement all too familiar to what Chen had done. He needed to tread carefully.
“If either of us are the fool here, then it’s you.” He took another bite from the bun, staring Morro directly in the eyes as he chewed. “I gave up on my disillusions of grandeur, if you hadn’t noticed.”
Morro shut his eyes, his foxish smirk from earlier returning. “You know what I said? The other day, about wanting the green brat, but having to settle?” He opened his eyes, and they burned like the inside of Torchfire Mountain. “Forget that. I’ve definitely gotten my hands on something far more valuable.”
“How so?” Kai said evenly, considering another bite. “I’m not anything special.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Kai.” Morro gripped one of the bars, staring at his own clenched hands. “You’re far more special than anyone else has dared let you believe.”
“Oh, here we go.” He took a large bite, chewing stiffly, and swallowing. “‘You deserve to have the power,’ that sort of thing? Yeah, screw off. You might as well be talking to a wall.”
“No,” Morro said plainly, shaking his head. “Not like that.”
Admittedly, Kai was confused. “Then…what?”
Morro sprung quickly, as agile and calculated as an apex predator. He grasped Kai by his unkempt, stiff hair, yanking his face upwards so they had no choice but to stare into each other’s souls. His eyes glistened like droplets of venom.
“Look at you,” he rasped. “So young, so misguided, so alone. Such a familiar site,” he pressed a cold palm to Kai’s cheek, causing the other to grimace. He tried to grab the ghost’s arms to pull him off of him, but his efforts were futile as his hands passed straight through. “I would’ve thought Wu would’ve been wiser than to repeat the same mistakes again. Yet again, that old fool as made a fool out of me as well.” He released Kai’s hair, though he continued caressing his cheek.
“Stop that,” Kai growled, jerking away. “He didn’t make those mistakes again, he knew I could deal with it.”
“Mmm,” Morro turned his head, grabbing at the bars again. “Maybe, for once in your life, you should consider the idea that you’re not personally responsible for everything that’s gone wrong in your life.” He released the bars, slipping through them with ease, leaving Kai trapped. “I’ll let you think about that, for a little while. When I come back, I expect you to have dropped this ‘dense’ act. It doesn’t suit someone of your caliber.”
Morro heard no response as he walked away. That meant Kai was thinking, good. At the very least, that made one of them. He passed through the door, shutting his eyes, concentrating as he leaned against the wall. He knew he could be rash, impatient, even careless. His Master had disciplined him for such things many a time. He shuddered. But this may be his most impulsive move in awhile. And it didn’t even make much sense for him to be doing such a thing, not really. He just needed a Master of Spinjitzu to enter the tomb. Kai was a very disposable part of his Master’s larger plan, he shouldn’t be investing so much time and energy into him.
But…it was hard not to be at least a little intrigued, learning that someone was like him. Learning that destiny had screwed over another, casting them aside, like they were worthless. Well, he wasn’t worthless. And he would prove destiny wrong.
Maybe, he could even do it twice.
Notes:
*falls over and dies*
this one took awhile, apologies
i’d love to read your thoughts! (plz comment, ily)
Chapter Text
Everything was falling into place. Ronin had brought them the Sword of Sanctuary. Soon, the Ninja would be completely out of his way; burnt to a crisp in the very same cavern he, himself, had perished in. The last thing Morro should be right now was upset. But he was. He stared at the sword, its reflection empty and unspeaking. He didn’t even know why he kept glancing at it. Paranoia? Like the stupid Ninja could even try. Answers? Well, there were none. There were never any answers, nothing made sense. The blade gleamed in the twilight, his only company besides the howling winds outside. He shut his eyes, allowing the eerie sound to fill him. To distract him from what was to come. It didn’t work. First, he had to puppeteer Ronin in order to misdirect the Ninja. Then, he would go to the actual tomb, and he’d have to use Kai to—
Morro released a gust of wind, blasting the sword across the room so that it stuck to the wall. He drifted tepidly over to it, pulling the thing out, sending a flurry of splinters to the floor. Kai. That was why he was so upset. The disposable part of the plan, never even intended to be here in the first place. Morro grimaced at the thought, thrusting the sword harshly into the wall yet again. No, he refused to think that way of the Red Ninja. He refused to be like everyone else. He was different, he was special. That was why he was going to be the Green Ninja, and not Lloyd. He’d show them, he’d show everyone what it looked like. To overthrow destiny.
He grabbed the sword, sliding it into place on his back as he drifted upwards. Right, Ronin. The Ninja. And then he could dump destiny. He floated past the room Kai was being held, and he stopped. He had some time to sort things out. So sure, why not? He set the sword down, phasing through the wall. He quietly ascended, poising sneakily just under the cage. He started to swing it, gently, back and forth.
“There a draft in here?” Kai yawned.
“No, you’re crazy.” Morro stuck his head up through the bottom of the cage, grinning wickedly.
“Mm, guess so.” The Master of Fire was curled up on his side, head resting on his arm. “What’s up? Kinda tired, trying to nap.” He shut his eyes.
Morro phased through the rest of the cage, laying down on his side next to the Ninja. He said nothing. Kai opened his eyes, jerking backwards when he saw the ghost.
“Bro, stop that.” He yawned again, stretching, pulling backwards against the cage bars.
“But it’s fun,” he pouted dramatically, inching closer.
“Did you come in here just to scare me?” Kai asked, forcing himself to sit up.
“No,” Morro admitted. He looked up at the other. “Have you dropped the ‘dense’ act, like I told you to?”
”I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kai winked, stretching as he smirked.
The ghost rolled his eyes. “Do I need to dig in there for a straight answer?”
The smirk fell from Kai’s face immediately. “No,” he said quietly. “I dropped it.”
“Good, good.” Morro nodded. “I respect you too much to allow you to continue to demean yourself, in that way.”
Kai scoffed, crossing his arms as he leaned back, closing his eyes. “I’m sure,”
“Mmmm,” Morro hummed, sitting up and moving closer. “What do you mean by that?”
“I dunno,” Kai tossed his shoulders into a shrug.
“Don’t lie to someone who can rip the answers straight out of you.”
Kai opened his eyes, exasperated. “I just…the respect thing, what you said. I find it funny, I guess, is all.” He turned away from the ghost, staring at nothing.
“Why do you find it funny?”
Kai turned his head down. “This probably sounds pathetic, but you’ve seen the worst of me, at this point. So it doesn’t really matter,” he chuckled nervously. “I’ve been a prisoner, for however long it’s been. Be it in my own mind, or in this cage, it doesn’t matter. But this is the least isolated I’ve felt in years. Isn’t that sad?” He chuckled again, though it ended with a soft whimper. He coughed to cover it, but Morro heard it loud and clear. “I guess it just makes me wish—think, it makes me think that, if things were different, we could’ve been friends.”
Something about that sentence made Morro feel like his chest were tightening, somehow. It spoke deeply to him, as someone who had never been close enough to be called a friend, in both his life and after.
“Sometimes I feel like this would be easier if you just laughed me off,” Kai murmured, still turned away. “Like everyone else does, instead of actually…listening. Wow, I’m pathetic. What’s wrong with me today?”
Morro was silent for a few seconds. Contemplating. “You should know this already, I’m nothing like everyone else.” He slipped through the cage, grabbing the bars, positioning himself to look into the Red Ninja’s eyes. “And neither are you.”
“I’m so, very special.” Kai rolled his eyes. The ghost narrowed his.
“So bitter,” he said, his tone that of understanding, over chastisement. “Tired of being passed over and stepped on, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know,” he turned away from Morro again, pulling his legs into his body. “I don’t know anything.”
Morro closed the distance between them silently. He sat down next to Kai, and they both stared at the cage bars in silence.
“You don’t have to feel that way, not anymore.”
Kai shut his eyes. “Oh, here we go.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know you are. Look,” he turned to the ghost, determination burning in the depths of his dark eyes. “I’m not interested in joining you, helping you, or looking the other way while you hurt my friends. I’m just not.” He stood up, stiffly walking to the bars of the cage, grabbing them, looking out into nothingness. “So, save it.”
Morro took a few seconds, weighing his options. He could play along for awhile, that would be fun. But it would also give Kai the chance to flip things. He decided to be honest, and backtrack a little. “I don’t believe you.”
“Oh, no? Why is that?” His voice was low. “What possibly makes you think I’d be willing to betray them? For even a second? Look into my head, if you want. You will see the truth.”
“That’s not what I was talking about,” Morro stood directly behind him, staring into the back of his head. “I believe in your loyalty, however misplaced it is. You keep saying that, keep saying that you don’t know. And I simply don’t buy it.”
“‘Misplaced.’” Kai angled his body towards the other, ever so slightly. His eyes glinted with pain, desperation. “You have no idea.”
“I’m probably the only other that does have an idea, Kai.”
Kai’s grip tightened. “Everything’s just so familiar with you,” he mumbled. “It’s unnerving.” He turned away from the ghost again.
“What do you see in me that’s so unnerving, Kai?” He slunk closer. “What is it that you…recognize?”
“Stop saying my name like that.”
“Why, Kai?” He leaned through the other’s shoulder, side-eyeing him with a blithe expression. “Why does it pain you to answer a friend?”
“Let’s get something straight,” Kai walked backwards and away, glaring daggers. Oh, this was about to get interesting, wasn’t it? “We’re not friends.”
Fun indeed! “Awh, but—but, you said you wished we were friends.” He stuttered. Pathetically, mockingly.
”If things were different, I said. I said that, if things were different, then maybe we could have been friends.” Kai corrected sharply, pointing at the Master of Wind. “But guess what? Things aren’t different. You still intended to kidnap Lloyd, you still aim to curse this world and whatever lies beyond. That’s not the type of person I would willingly spend time with. We’re not friends.”
“Gee, Snippy,” Morro looked down, taking a tentative step towards the Red Ninja. “Telling me off…I didn’t know you actually had it in you.”
”Don’t call me Snippy!”
“You don’t want me to call you by your name, you don’t want me to give you nicknames, you keep changing the subject and dodging my questions. If I didn’t know any better,” he approached the other with feigned timidity, moving so that they stared into each other’s eyes. “I’d think you didn’t want to talk to me.”
“What ticked you off?” Kai crossed his arms, breaking their eye contact by turning away again. “If you aren’t going to use my body against my friends right now, then get out of here. Leave me alone. Don’t talk to me.”
Morro smirked at the other’s silhouette. Kai was beyond scared, he could feel it. He couldn’t blame him, as amusing as he found it. No one had ever been successful as this, at disarming him so. Most everyone stopped when they reached the walls the fascinating Master of Fire had carefully built up. Everyone, except for himself, of course. That was because no one else was worthy. No one else could figure him out, nobody but Morro. Because Morro was naturally the best there was, which was why he was going to be the Green Ninja.
Because he knew, and he was worthy.
“I wanted that for us, too.” Morro retained his modest pretenses. “At least, at first I did. There can only be one, right? There can only be one Green Ninja—“ Kai shrank in on himself a little, barely noticeable. But Morro noticed. “—there can only be one who was unfairly denied that position. And he’s me, there can’t be another. There just can’t be. I’m alone, I’ve been made to suffer alone.” Kai constricted his form a tad more. “But that’s not true, Kai. Don’t listen, you don’t have to be alone in your silent agony again. We don’t have to be.” He snaked his arm across the Red Ninja’s shoulders. “Don’t listen to destiny, we’re too powerful. Too unpredictable. Wind and fire cannot be tamed, not truly. Not by anyone, not by any force. We can’t be controlled, we’re dangerous, and destiny doesn’t like that.” Morro gestured off into oblivion, pointing to the bigger picture he was focused on. Kai would understand, they were alike.
“That’s what you think,” Kai murmured, pulling away. “Morro, to say you’ve been getting screwed over is extremely reductive. You have suffered, and you still do. And I know what you feel, I know, I know. I do, I think we’re both very aware of that. We’re both aware of what it’s like, to be alone. We’re aligned in that regard.” His eyes were piercing as they stared into Morro’s own, as opposed to through his body. “But we’re different, too. We’re so different. And I feel like you’re sectioning off those parts of us, just completely.”
Morro narrowed his eyes calculatingly.
“You saw inside my head. You know how lonely I am, I was, how lonely we were.” And are, presumably. “But you skipped over the most important person in my life.” He shut his eyes. “Nya, my sister. She looked out for me. When I was alone, I never am for long. Because she’s there.” He opened his eyes again. “And you didn’t have anyone like that. You searched for something like it in Wu—“ Morro’s fists tightened. “—and he failed you. What’s worse, he made no attempt to rectify it. And I’m so sorry, Morro. I’m sorry you’ve suffered, and that you still do. I’m sorry you’re alone, but,” he extended his hand. “You don’t have to be.”
The ghost was…shocked at just how backwards things were turning out.
“I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you aren’t alone in your agony anymore, Morro. Because you don’t deserve that. You deserve better.”
It was Morro’s turn to shrink. He didn’t like this. “So…you just expect those Ninja to accept me with open arms? After this? Please!” Not like he was even considering such a notion, in the first place. Just humoring the outlandishly theoretical.
”Not at first,” Kai shook his head, his hand remaining outstretched. “Not for awhile. I have a…friend, a friend, someone I hold dearly to my heart that would allow you to stay with them, if I asked. And I’ll vouch for you, I’ll fight in your corner, I’ll fight for them to understand your worth. Then, things will be different. We will be friends.”
Morro looked at the cage bars just behind Kai’s head. “Your misaligned loyalty is weirdly sweet, Kai.” He managed. He needed more, something, anything to throw back. “I’d like to see it aligned properly, someday. Soon. But in the meantime, I don’t need your pity.” He extended his own hand, giving Kai’s wrist a halfhearted slap. But they both held their hands, suspended in place.
“I don’t pity you,” Kai’s tone was desperate. “I see you, I see the potential that Wu almost killed in you. That potential remains, and it can’t be stomped out. Come on, Morro, let’s be friends.” Kai moved his hand forward again, his movement gentle, like the flutter of a moth’s wings. “No more being alone, either of us.” He urged.
Morro’s hand twitched, and he yanked it swiftly, back like he’d touched hot coals. “You’re a clever one, Snippy. I’ll give you that.”
Kai smirked. “Thanks.”
“Whatever.”
There was silence for a few moments, as the two collected their thoughts.
“There’s more to life than that relentless obsession, you know.” Kai’s eyes flashed to either side, appearing embarrassed. “Take it from someone who’s lived it. If I hadn’t given it up, I wouldn’t be in the place I am now. I would never—“ he chuckled. Genuinely, not out of nervousness or humiliation. “I would never have considered being friends with him. And now, he’s my closest one. Lloyd Garmadon is my best friend.”
Lloyd. That word. Hearing it was like coming into complete, realized conscious after days of fevered haze. Rage lanced through Morro, and he chased the rest of his stupor away with the clenching of his fists.
“That brat,” he oozed. “It’s him, it always comes back to him.”
Kai’s hand fell limply to his side. “He’s not a brat.” He took a step back.
Morro turned sharply to the other. “Oh, he’s not?” He spat. “That hapless, stupid little toddler. I worked to become the Green Ninja. We worked so hard, we earned it. All that miserable worm had to do was be born, and he gets the title dropped onto his lap. He didn’t try, he didn’t earn it. He didn’t earn being the Green Ninja, he didn’t earn your loyalty, he didn’t earn anything he has! But he has it. He has it all, and I have nothing.”
“Lloyd didn’t ask to be the Green Ninja, you know.” Kai snapped. “I’m certain that, unlike you and me, if any of us could choose, he would reject that identity entirely.”
“That’s exactly my point!” Morro shrieked, flying upwards a few feet. He hung off of the top of the cage, glaring up into nothingness. “He has no ambition, no grit. He’s soft, he’s a child. He should not be the Green Ninja.”
“I’ve learned that’s not for me to speak to. What I can speak to is Lloyd’s character. He has more determination than almost anyone else I can name. He’s as strong as they come, stronger, even. He’s bright, and he has time to learn even more. He is more, he’s so much more than either of us could ever dream of being. That’s what I’ve realized, after giving up my delusions. I have the privilege of looking after a kid like that. And that is why I rest well knowing I am not the Green Ninja, and that Lloyd Garmadon is.”
Morro wanted to throw his companion clear across the cage, knock some sense into him. Or hurt him enough to shut him up. But he didn’t. He clung to the top of the cage, as silent and patient as a spider, thinking. Formulating his next words, his next actions. Lloyd, the ever-mocking thorn in his side. So good, so pure, so heroic. Just like those other Ninja, he could do no wrong. No wrong.
Except…that wasn’t exactly true, was it?
Morro smirked, allowing himself to float down a few inches. He’d found the other Ninja’s transgressions, the side nobody wanted to acknowledge. Not even Kai, who considered himself to be one of them. That was it, that was all he had to do. He just needed one thing, one tiny, little failure to tear down the facade Kai kept of the brat in his mind. Should be easy enough to find. A breeze, one might say. Morro chuckled, launching himself backwards into the body of the other.
What the HELL, Morro?! What are you doing?
Helping you see eye-to-eye with me, Snippy.
Releasing the Serpentine? Purposefully disrupting the Ninja’s daily lives? No good, these were boring. He needed something more…personal. Something that cut far deeper than Kai would ever admit, to himself, or to anyone else. There had to be something in this hell, at least one experience where he—
Don’t you think about it. Kai warned. Morro could physically feel the other getting queasy as he uncovered the exact thing he had been looking for.
Me? Kai, you’re going to be the one thinking about it. Hopefully, this will end our little round of tug-o’-war with a bang.
Numbness. That was what he felt as he went into the Slither Pit. Every round was too easy, he floored any would-be challengers within seconds. He didn’t bust open his knuckles, he didn’t bruise his arms or legs, he didn’t even suffer a punch to the face. He felt no pain, he felt nothing. He’d felt nothing since Zane’s death. Part of him wanted to, but he washed that part down with a cup of “juice” after every knockout. He didn’t want to feel anything, ever again. He’s been foolish enough to let himself. Let himself love his brothers, and now, one of them was gone. He would never make that mistake ever—
“You shouldn’t drink too much juice. It’s filled with more sugar than you think.”
“Oh, it’s you.”
Stop this, Morro. Kai begged. Please.
“The team needs you, now more than ever.”
“Who says the great and powerful Green Ninja needs a team? You seem to be holding down the fort on your own.”
Morro!
Kai.
“I get it, Kai. You’ve run out of bad guys to fight out there, you’ve got to come to a place like this. But where’s the honor in that? Where’s the Master of Fire?”
He really doesn’t understand you, does he? Morro pretended to realize.
Shut up.
“It’s the Red Shogun now. And what about the Master of Ice, huh? He’s gone, but I’m still here. Who cares about honor?” He finally vocalized the horrible thoughts that had plagued his mind since Zane’s sacrifice. And… “It should have been me. I should’ve been the one—“
Lloyd cut him off. “You always thought you should’ve been the one.” The disappointment in his tone was unmeasurable. “First, it was being the Green Ninja. And now this. When are you going to think of someone other than yourself?”
Kai’s mind disconnected, as it always did, when he came back to that. He never knew what to do with this information, how to apply it. He tried, he tried so hard to not be horrible and selfish. He did, but it was never good enough.
“When are they going realize you’re not the version that they made up in their heads?” Morro held him inches off of the ground, the only thing preventing him from collapsing limply onto the floor. He was angry and confused as he continued. “I don’t know how they continue to see you in such a way. Especially after ever, waking moment you have devoted to them. It’s not fair, Kai. It just isn’t.” He stroked some of the other’s stiff hair out of his face. “It’s almost as if they choose not to see you for who you truly are.”
Kai looked entirely disoriented. He lifted his hand, a weak attempt to stop the other’s movements of comfort. He shut his eyes, pressing his lips together firmly.
“And they made fun of you for being the delusional one.” Morro uttered disapprovingly.
“Don’t,” Kai sat up, moving away from the ghost. “Just, don’t. I don’t,” he pressed his palms into his face. “I don’t think about these things for a reason.”
“Because it conflicts with the idealized brotherhood you’ve made up in your head?” He scoffed. “I take it back. I see why they call you delusional.”
“Just, shut up.”
“They know you’re delusional, Kai.” Morro made sure his tone was gentle. “They don’t care, not now that your delusions have ‘shifted’ to serve them.”
“I said shut up.”
“I don’t think what they think. I don’t think you were delusional, or whiny, or that you only think about yourself. Because you’ve shown me otherwise and, unlike them, I will acknowledge what is front of me.”
“Shut. Up.”
“They want you to retain this mindset you have, Kai. Because the people you call your friends know they can benefit from it, without giving you anything in return. This is Wu’s doing, no doubt about it. He cultivates these backwards, twisted mindsets, because they are useful, as fodder to him. But I broke free,” he moved closer to Kai, sliding in silently next to him. “And I want to help you do that, too. I don’t want you to keep living a life where you must delude yourself into being happy. You deserve more than that, so much more.” He grabbed Kai’s hand, pulling him to a standing position. The Master of Fire stared straight ahead, pretending like he wasn’t listening, when he was hung on the ghost’s every, single word. “And that’s why they’re not worthy of your loyalty.” He whispered into the other’s ear. “That’s why Lloyd isn’t worthy of being the Green Ninja.”
“Lloyd is the most worthy of being the Green Ninja,” Kai said, his tone devoid of conviction. “You and I are not.” He squeezed the ghost’s hand ever so slightly. Clinging to the connection, through what was clearly a very fractured and unhealthy mind.
“Mmm,” Morro leaned forward, grabbing the other’s chin with his free hand. He forced him to look up, off into the distance, at the ever-elusive bigger picture he’d had his sights on since before his death. “You’ll change your mind.”
“You think so? Love that for you,”
”I know so, Snippy.” Morro chuckled. “You’ll change your mind, you’ll see. When you watch someone like you, someone worthy, claim the title of the Green Ninja. And you’ll no longer have to wish for our friendship in a time that never was. We already share an understanding that nobody else ever could. We will be friends, Kai.” He asserted, and his hold tightened. “Perhaps, we can be student and Master. You will unlearn the lies driven into your head, I will make sure of it.”
“In your dreams,” Kai muttered. “I will never be your student, or your friend. Never.”
“I don’t buy that.” Morro said simply, pulling away. “When the world is cursed, and when those you called your friends, when those who you have given your time and effort to, finally justify abandoning you, come and find the Green Ninja. I’ll welcome you, as my student, with open arms. And,” he leaned in close, raking claw-like fingers through dirty hair. “I’ll even let you wear the green gi, whenever you want, and I’ll never berate you for it.”
Kai shut his eyes tightly, no doubt remembering. Morro grinned like a fox in a henhouse. Got him.
He turned to leave. “There’s something I have to do, real quick. And then, we have a tomb to raid together.”
Notes:
okay…erm, mAYbe i feel like doing a mini epilogue. would that be something you guys might want to see? LMK! ILY BYE!
Chapter 4: Afterthought
Summary:
(epilogue.)
Notes:
past fruitcasket was a fool. “ah, yes, 2 chapters is definitely enough to capture my vision about traumatic bonding! i’ll write a quick two-parter and be done with it!”
…yeah.
this last installment really isn’t all that necessary, but i’d never pass up the chance to pour more salt into my reader’s wounds! (ily guys i swear im just a cruel monster too)
hope u enjoy <3CW:(?) 4 nudity. nothing nsfw (ever.) it is related to a mental breakdown. so look out for nakey and that, ig.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Kai had never felt relaxed, not a single day in his short life. But that was what he was supposed to be doing now, relaxing, recuperating. Resting up alone while everyone else celebrated Nya’s insane victory—was he ever proud of his sister—against the Preeminent. He rolled stiffly onto his other side, clutching the covers close to himself, fleetingly wishing he had more pillows. He should be celebrating, too. Even privately. The ordeal was over now. He had control of his body again, he was free.
He turned onto his back again, staring blankly up at the ceiling, trying to ignore what was probably his unkempt hair scratching gently against his chin. He sat up, scratching it harshly. There was no hair in between his hand and face. He laid back down, trying to quell the sudden thought that the sensation had been a touch.
How could it have been a touch? You’re alone.
Kai sat straight up, his spine exploding into a canvas full of pins and needles.
Morro? He thought, a part of him scared, another relieved. Are you here? Where are you?
No answer.
Kai swallowed, slowly laying back down. Of course it wasn’t Morro, it couldn’t have been. He’d watched the ghost die, dragged into the sea by his vengeful Master. He shut his eyes tightly at the memory. It wasn’t Morro. It was just him making things up again. So stupid. He felt another phantom touch. Gracing across his shoulders, this time. Scratch. Feel the “touch” somewhere else. Scratch. Feel the “touch somewhere else…
Eventually, the scratching lost its potency. So he resorted to stripping things off. Maybe it was his pajama shirt collar, making him remember what it was like to be caressed? The sensations persisted, and now he didn’t have a shirt to blame. Maybe it was his blankets brushing against his neck? He did feel kind of hot, so those went next. Okay, he felt really hot. His pajama pants were tossed onto the growing mound of linens at the bedside. Still hot. He flipped his pillows over, squishing them with exhausted rage when that didn’t help things one bit.
He was suddenly aware of everything. Of how his grip on the pillow made his fingernails hurt. Of how the individual fibers of the bedsheets felt against his shins, forehead, and chest. Of how uncomfortable his vertebrae felt. Of how painfully aware he’d suddenly become that the waistband of his briefs was just a little too snug. Off, he needed to take it off. Everything needed to go away. He was hot, he was so hot. He practically levitated off of the bed, straightening his spine, tearing off his underpants and tossing them away, somewhere. He pressed his hands to his temples, suddenly overcome with the urge to rip out all of his hair. Maybe that would help him cool off?
He lowered unconsciously into a squat, palms over his eyes, fingers raking his hairline. His skin felt hot, his eyeballs felt hot, his bones felt hot… What was going on? Was this some previously undiscovered side effect of being a Master of Fire? Or, in desperate need of a distraction, was he just imagining it, like he had everything else? He was panting, now. He needed to cool off, he needed to punch something, he needed to throw his body against the wall. He needed to do something! Or…or he would…or…
He looked up, just long enough for a beam of moonlight coming through the window to catch his eye. Quickly, he moved to it, cracking a nail as he pushed the thing open. Cool air flooded the room, and Kai collapsed next to the window. He pulled his knees into his chest, hyperventilating, trying to concentrate on the refreshing breeze ruffling his hair and nothing else. It kind of worked, after awhile. And then the shame hit him. He shouldn’t be reacting like this, it was pointless. A dangerous overindulgence in things that were to remained locked away. He was being silly.
He was alone, Morro was gone. He was back with his sister and his friends. The friends he was fortunate enough to actually have, not anyone he wished for in some alternate timeline. Where things were different. He stood shakily up, embarrassment filling him when he saw the state of the room. He found his underpants first, swiftly yanking them back on before he began cleaning up the rest of the room. He picked up the bedsheets, frustration filling him when he realized one of the corners were torn. Way to go, Kai. He finished making the bed, deciding to deal with it later.
A particularly cool gust of air filled the room. He couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
“Is there a draft in here?” He murmured.
No answer.
He slowly inhaled, and exhaled, turning to the window. He walked over to it, sitting on the sill, and closing his eyes. The wind blew gently against him, cooling him down. He didn’t feel too hot anymore, and he could form cohesive thoughts. He was grateful for some time alone, for the space to pick up the pieces and restore the Red Ninja everyone was so familiar with. Everything was going to go back to normal, he just had to lock some old memories away again. Maybe some new ones, too.
Everything about what had happened with Morro had to go. Amnesia during the actual possession did a good chunk of the job for him, mercifully. But beyond being forced to harm his siblings, the conversations needed to go, too. Everything Morro knew about him would die, again, with the ghost. He would never speak of them to another soul, ever again. Not like he’d intended to have such brutal heart-to-hearts with the Master of Wind in the first place, but it was a thing that had happened. And it hurt, it had hurt so much. Acknowledging the existence of such thoughts, or fantasies, or memories, or delusions, or whatever they were. And being forced to confront such things directly was a whole, deeper level of hell.
Kai found himself longing for something different. A different life? Different circumstances? Different friends? He wouldn’t say. He couldn’t think about it, he couldn’t allow himself to. He couldn’t acknowledge the ever-growing feeling of discontentment, the burning desire for something in his life to change. Because that would mean saying he didn’t like his life, which wasn’t true, obviously. He loved Nya, and Lloyd, and Zane, and P.I.X.A.L., and Master Wu, and Cole, and Jay. Because that would mean there was a possibility that things could have been different, that he didn’t have to feel so alone. And selfish. And unrecognizable to himself. And horrible.
Because that would mean Morro was right.
He opened his eyes, looking down at his hand. Almost instinctually, he lit a small flame on his palm. The wind blew against it gently, making it dance carelessly into the night, the oxygen even making the flame a bit bigger. What if things were different? What if Morro were here, now, and they were friends, like he’d said? What if Morro was right? Would he have responded to their stupid wind joke? Would they be talking, or just sitting in silence, content in not being alone together? He liked that thought. No dragging up bad delusions, no joking around, nothing between them except for their deep understanding. Was that what peace felt like? Would he finally know what it felt like, to be relaxed, if the only other person who knew what it felt like was with him?
Of course, the absurd theoretical had no answers. No responses, not even a humor. Because Kai was bitterly, utterly alone. There was no Morro to either clap back or sit in silence, he was long gone. There was no one else left who knew their shared pain, except for him. And he would never share their secrets, never betray their unspoken alliance. He could never do such a thing.
’’Unspoken alliance’’?
A swift gust of wind blew his fire out, swiftly yanking Kai back to reality. He realized he was being ridiculous again. Morro was going to destroy everything, this realm, and all that lay beyond. It was Kai’s duty, as a Ninja, to stop him. He’d wanted to kidnap Lloyd, for crying out loud! And probably kill him in some brutal, horrible way, too. Because he’d blamed Lloyd, a kid, for something outside of his control. And that was not someone Kai wanted to be.
Things were not different. They were not friends, not even allies. Not in this timeline, and probably not in any.
As much as he didn’t want to, he thought back to what Lloyd said at the Slither Pit. “When are you going to think about someone other than yourself?” The question still stood, unchallenged. Yes, when? He wasn’t doing that now. He was spoiling himself with thoughts of ending his misery, by way of befriending someone who had sought to curse everything. That wasn’t a fair trade for Ninjago, for his sister, and friends.
The Green Ninja was right, as per usual. Kai should know, he watched the kid give up his childhood and family for Ninjago’s sake. Unlike his own failed attempts at selflessness, the Green Ninja was truly altruistic. He pushed back that familiar wave of jealousy, the one that always washed over him when he realized he would never be like Lloyd. No, it was why he could never. Lloyd was selfless, and content, and heroic, and reasonable. Kai was selfish, and jealous, and dangerous, and delusional.
Maybe that was why he had gotten along so well with Morro.
He stood up, slowly shutting the window, aggravating his cracked nail, so he was forced to stop when it was only halfway closed. The wind blew gently across his bare torso, and he shut his eyes. Something had to change, he couldn’t continue on like this. He needed to change, at least something in him did. What could change? What could he do different? How could he be a different person?
But Morro said he should be different, and that wasn’t right. It couldn’t be, Morro couldn’t be right. What was he supposed to do? Not change? Kai’s exhausted mind worked backwards, frantic, as he spiraled. Morro had to be wrong, but Lloyd had to be right. He felt as if he were running in opposite directions, while simultaneously getting sawed in half. What could he do? What can I do?
No answer.
He hesitantly reached to shut the window the rest of the way, leaving it open by a sliver. He didn’t want to admit to himself that he found the wind comforting. He convinced himself that it was a reminder, a warning against becoming like its former commander. He slowly turned, nursing his injured nail, walking to the bed and laying down.
He had no idea who he was, what he wanted, if he should change or not. So, he was just going to forget about it. Tomorrow, he would strut confidently into the training hall, and he would pretend no such things had ever happened. He would never be like Morro, and he could never be like Lloyd. He would be Kai, the Master of Fire, and he would fight with honor for Ninjago, and for his friends. Things were going to go back to normal. Like nothing was different.
I wish I was different.
Kai fell asleep with wind filling the room.
Notes:
presented to you by blood, sweat, tears, and 31 cans of red bull.
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