After getting back to the Bounty from visiting Sensei Yang's temple, the others went straight to practicing airjitzu. Cole had asked to be alone, and thankfully the others respected that. He didn't want to talk. In fact, he didn't want to do anything except lay on his bed for the rest of forever.

Cole felt vulnerable and hollow, almost like he didn't exist anymore. He held a pale green, transparent hand in front of his face, wishing it to turn solid again. Instead he continued to feel the air pass through his body, like he didn't really exist.

"Most people have this reaction to turning into a ghost." The voice was a woman's, cold and emotionless.

Cole sat up and looked around, tense. "Who's there?"

"I'm not here, and I'm not a who, either. But you may call me The Preeminent." Once again, not an ounce of emotion was in her voice.

Cole stood up. "How are you speaking to me?"

The answer almost sounded rehearsed. "Since you are a ghost, you are mine, permanently connected to me."

"Ok then, go away." Cole said.

"I won't. You could become very useful."

Cole folded his arms. "Well then you're about to be disappointed, because I'm not going to help you."

"Have you ever heard of a good ghost?"

He thought about it. "No, I... I guess not."

"You are mine now. I can make you do whatever I need."

Cole remembered previous times he had been controlled, Skales looking into his eyes, The Overlord's dark matter descending upon him. He slid down to the floor and started shaking. "No, please no. Don't do this to me."

"I give all ghosts the option to do what I say of their own free will. The ones who do receive blessings and higher ranks in my armies."

"So I either do what you say, or you force me to do it? That's not fair!" Cole could already tell he wouldn't be able to fight her possession. She was too strong.

"Curses are never fair. Your first mission is to kill everyone else aboard this ship. Make your decision."

Cole squeezed his eyes shut. No matter what, he would have to fight his friends. It was just a matter of if he would keep existing while doing it, in a sense.

He thought the Preeminent had left to let him think, but then she started talking again. "The others are scared of you. You've always wanted to blend in, but now you're permanently separated. What will your father say? What look will people give you on the streets?"

Cole curled up and covered his ears. The preeminent was voicing what had already gone through his head a thousand times. He couldn't help but agree with her.

Despite plugging his ears, the Preeminent's voice seemed to get louder. "You used to be the strength everyone looked up to. Your power was your greatest pride. Where are you now? A single drop of water, and you're gone. Your friends will have to protect you. You've become a burden."

"Stop it! Go away!" Cole yelled.

"I'm working to bring about a world where you'll fit in. Everyone will be like you. Join me, and I'll make sure you're happy. All of your problems will cease to exist."

Cole tried to ignore her, but he was hooked on her words. Just the thought of his problems going away made him start to relax. No more problems...

The door to his room creaked open. Nya poked her head through, looking concerned. "Cole? Is something wrong?"

Cole gritted his teeth and stood. "Yes, something is very wrong."

He struggled to grab his scythe from beside his bed. His hand kept passing through it.

"Focus on keeping your hands tight," The Preeminent whispered. "Put some strength into it."

Cole looked down at his hands and took a deep breath. Focusing, he curled his fingers around the handle and lifted it, then swung it towards Nya in one fluid motion.

Nya gasped and ducked just in time. The scythe embedded itself in the door with a loud crack. Cole felt a surge of joy at his success in lifting the scythe. He struggled to pull it out while Nya slowly backed away. "Cole! What's going on?"

"Don't tell her the truth," The Preeminent said.

Cole hesitated, then hardened his gaze. "I hate you. I hate you all!" He gave another tug at the scythe and it tore from the wall.

Nya backed up the hallway, keeping her eyes on Cole's. "I'm sorry we weren't able to save you, but this won't help anything. You're probably sad and confused. Please, just calm down."

The concern and caring in Nya's eyes tore Cole apart. "Stop it. You're making this harder!"

Nya paused. "What do you-"

Cole screamed and charged towards her, swinging the scythe again.

Nya rolled to the side and pulled out an aeroblade. "I don't want to hurt you!"

Cole wished he could say the same thing. He swung again, but Nya dodged a third time. She threw the areoblade, and Cole slid to the side just in time. The blade bounced against the wall and clattered to the floor. Cole heard footsteps from behind and turned around.

Kai was running towards them. "I heard fighting. What's going on?"'

Nya put her hand out. "Kai, stay back! Something's gotten into Cole."

Kai froze and looked at Cole. Kai had been looking at Cole with fear ever since he turned into a ghost, but now the look was magnified.

"It's too crowded to fight down here. Get up onto the deck." The Preeminent said.

Cole knocked Kai to the side using his scythe and dashed down the hallway. Nya shouted something and chased after. Cole could hear Kai close behind her.

Cole ran up the stairs and onto the deck, the warm air of the sunny day doing nothing to heat the ghost.

Jay was leaning against the railing of the ship, reading a comic book. He looked up with his usual big smile. "Hey Cole! What's up?"

Cole swung his scythe towards Jay, who screamed and toppled over the railing, disappearing from sight.

Cole gasped, the force of what he had just done weighing on his chest. Nya and Kai ran up onto the deck.

"Where's Jay?" Kai asked. "Cole, what did you do?" The horror at Cole's actions in his voice was apparent.

Cole forced himself to say the truth. "I-I killed him."

Nya put two hands over her mouth. Kai pulled out his sword from his back sling. "Listen Cole, I don't know why you're doing this, but you've got a lot of nerve-"

There was a strong blast of wind, and Jay flew up onto the deck. "Haha! You can't get rid of me that easily. I've learned cyclondo."

Zane walked up to the group. "That was not an appropriate or safe time to pull a prank, Cole."

Cole gripped his scythe tighter. "It wasn't a prank. I have to kill you all."

Each of the other ninja pulled out an areoblade. Cole realized he was surrounded. He held his scythe in front of him and turned slowly, reading to block or dodge. They all stood there for a moment, ready for someone to make the first move.

Jay loosened his stance a bit. "Ok, will someone please explain what's going on?"

Cole took the opening and jabbed his scythe forward. Jay yelped and fell over backwards, a tear in his clothing but otherwise unharmed. Kai threw his aeroblade just as Cole ghosted into the floor. The weapon knocked Zane onto the ground instead.

Cole came up behind Kai and knocked his feet from underneath him, making Kai completely vulnerable. Zane and Jay were still standing up. Nya tried to pull Cole away, but her hand passed right through him. Cole brought his scythe down towards Kai's head as the red ninja screamed.

Then Cole froze, right at the last second. Kai was cross-eyed from staring at the weapon hanging right above his face. Cole's eyes slipped to the scar on Kai's cheek. The thought of adding another wound to his friend...

Cole grimaced and dropped his scythe beside him. "I can't do it."

"So you want me to take over?" The Preeminent asked.

Cole squeezed his eyes shut. "Please, anything but that. Anything."

Kai stood up and dusted himself off. "Um, who are you talking to?"

"Don't tell them," The Preeminent warned.

"It's the Preeminent!" Cole blurted. "She can communicate with ghosts. She wants me to kill you. If I don't, she'll take over my mind and do it herself."

Everyone looked at Cole with similar reactions of shock. Nya shook her head. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"She didn't want me to," Cole explained. His eyes shifted to the aeroblade in Zane's hand. "Zane, you know the logical solution to this. I'm too dangerous to the team now."

Zane looked down at the weapon. "No."

"What?" Cole gestured towards his scythe. "I'm going to kill all of you!"

Kai took a step closer. "Ninja never quit, right? We're not going to give up on you."

Cole took a deep breath. "I don't think you understand. This is an entire realm, inside my head, that wants you dead. I can feel her power. It's too much."

Nya reached out to put a hand on Cole's shoulder, but he took a step away. "No, don't touch me! I'm going to hurt you."

The Preeminent came again. "I'll give you one last chance. If you have trouble killing your friends directly, posses the ship and cause a crash that will kill them."

Cole looked up at the ninja. "I'm sorry guys, but I don't have much left anymore. I've got to protect myself."

He sank into the ship. Possessing it felt strange. He was becoming something that wasn't alive, and controlling it. He felt the thrusters, the sail, the gears, trying to get a feel for how to control it. Possessing something so large took a huge amount of strength.

The Destiny's Bounty was flying over a snow-covered mountain range. Cole dove towards them at top speed, then unpossessed it at the last second.

The boat drove into the mountain with a menacing crunch, wood splintering everywhere. It rolled down the steep side with tons of rock and snow, crashing through trees, then came to a rest at the foot of the mountain. Cole stood up as the dust settled. Nothing human could have possibly survived such a crash. He walked with heavy feet through the demolished Bounty, found his scythe and turned to leave.

"Pixal, could we get a damage assessment? I'm not sure if I'm able to walk."

Cole's heart sank. He wafted through the wreckage, searching for where Zane could be. He finally found him, squeezed between two planks in a position that would break a dozen bones. His right arm had been completely torn off. His whole left side was smashed, his left eye flickering wildly.

Zane gasped when he noticed Cole, and began pushing against the planks with his crumpled left hand, his joints making a horrible screeching noise. A spark popped off his shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure you're stuck," Cole said.

Zane stopped struggling and looked up at Cole. His left eye stopped flickering. "Why didn't you let us help you?"

Cole looked down at the ground. He had never heard so much pain in the nindroid's voice. "I-I just don't feel right. I'm different. I'm one of the bad guys now. Why would you ever want to help something like me?"

Zane tipped his head to one side. The action looked painful. "You don't think I've never felt the same? Cole, we're your friends. How could you forget that?"

Cole clenched his fists. He had made a horrible mistake. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

The Preeminent entered his head again. "Kill him."

Cole looked up at Zane's broken body. He was sorry, truly. But living every day with Zane, being a witness of what he had done to their friends, was a horrible thought. Zane would never forgive him. It was hopeless.

"What's wrong?" Zane asked.

Looking at the barely functioning heap of metal was hard. He had done this. Now he had to do more. "She told me I have to kill you."

Zane's eyes went wide. "Listen, you don't have to-"

The scythe tore into his head with a loud metallic thud. Zane's eyes slowly went dim.

Cole sank to the ground as sobs wracked his soul. How he wished he could actually cry. He regretted everything. He had realized he would rather die than loose his friends, but it was too late. He was alone. He killed them all.

"Good job. Your next assignment is to go to the Wailing Alps, where Morro will meet you." The Preeminent almost sounded pleased, the first sign of emotion he had heard from her. It sickened him.

Cole clenched his fists. "I don't care."

"You want to lose your will?"

Cole drew a shaky breath. "I should have let you take control the first time. I don't have anything left, so take me if you want. I don't care anymore."

A chilling wind with the faintest hint of laughter passed through his mind. "It was all a bluff. I can't make you do anything. I know how to convince people, though. You're one of thousands to fall for that trick."

"No!" Cole put his head in his transparent hands, unable to block the sight of his dead friend and destroyed home. The destruction he had caused seemed to bend closer. He should have been stronger. But it was too late.