Yay, I'm on time for once! :D Also, I am SO CLOSE to FINALLY catching up with review replies! (Though I still have to reply to Getting to Know You reviews... -_-;)

Also, my glasses broke, so I'm posting this chapter with my face three inches from the screen and it's still not close enough ;-; #thestruggleisreal

Special thanks to: WindNinja333, KyraPlays, Inimidesert, MightyShipper, GameCubeGirl1, TheKittenQueen, Ebony umbreon, Wolfjem, RandomDragon2.0, Fxreflies, Katla1, whycan'tIfindanamethatfits, JBomb217, ColeLoverGirl, TheYellowNinja, SpiritDragon, Guest, Dinofaure, Jadestorm, Angel Star Ninja, Drawkill Vear and Lycaran, and Watcher321! Thank you all sooooo much! :D

Replies to guest reviews:

MightyShipper: Aw, thank you so much! You have a wonderful day too! :D

JBomb217: Nya is pretty awesome :D Hm, all good thoughts! We will see... ;D We'll check in with the dream team this chapter! :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D

ColeLoverGirl: RIGHT?! This sibling duo needs more appreciation! XD Yay! I'm so glad you thought it was cute! And, you'll have to wait and see... ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D

TheYellowNinja: Haha, I'm glad you liked the heaviness! I thought it was appropriate for the setting :/ And, yes! Kai and Nya have made up and they have each other to get them through this :3 Oh my goodness, that is a HUGE compliment! Thank you so so so much! I have written *some* original stuff (though I don't think it's that good ^-^;) and being a published author would be like a dream come true! Though it's not the focus of my career, I don't think I'll ever stop writing :3 You just really made my whole day! :3 Thank you SO much! :D

SpiritDragon: Good guess! We will see ;D I'd definitely go crazy down there :/ Haha, she probably would have lost her voice if she were human, but since she's a ghost, she can pretty much go forever O-o Haha, anybody would think Nya was crazy for wanting to get sent down there ON PURPOSE! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D

Guest: Haha, that's a pretty good summary of the chapter! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D

Dinofaure: Aw, thank you so much! Here you go! XD

Jadestorm: Yay, I'm so happy you thought it was cute! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D

AngelStarNinja: Hm, I don't think I've read that one! Probably the same basic concept though XD Thank you so much for all your reviews on so many of my stories! They're definitely appreciated! :D

"-just saying, consider it, Morro."

Lloyd woke up slowly, once again struggling to gather his bearings. The first thing he became aware of was that that was Wrayth's voice- Wrayth, who had possessed him and laughed at him last night. Automatically, Lloyd's fear got the better of him, and he kept his eyes closed and tried to maintain a deep, rhythmic pattern of breathing so Wrayth and presumably the other ghosts would not know he was awake.

The second thing he was aware of was that his head was resting on something somewhat soft- certainly softer than the rocks he remembered falling asleep against- and warm.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his arm- a strong, comforting, human hand, and so it had to be Morro's- and that's when he realized.

He was sleeping with his head in Morro's lap. So, not only had he cried in Morro's arms and had a borderline panic attack after a ten second possession, but now he was- without even an ounce of scorpion venom in his blood- cuddling the wind master. No wonder Morro had described him as fragile and gentle the day before.

Pretending to be asleep would then put off the humiliation that would be forthcoming… but also allowed him to listen a conversation that he was obviously not meant to hear.

"No, guys," Morro said now, his grip tightening almost imperceptibly on Lloyd's arm. "I can't… I can't be like how I was. I don't like who I am when I'm with you guys. I mean, you saw the way he looked at me. Like he was scared."

Lloyd felt guilt wrap a fist around his heart and squeeze. Here Lloyd was afraid Morro was being pulled toward his old ways when, really, Lloyd was the one pushing him away.

"Exactly," Bansha argued irritably. "We saw the way he looked at you. Like you're less than. He doesn't see you like we do, Morro."

"None of them do," Wrayth reinforced earnestly. "I mean, I saw you with the other ninja, too, Morro. They don't even seem to like you."

"They do," Morro countered, though if it sounded weak to Lloyd, it certainly sounded weak to the others. "Why else would they want me to become human again?"

"Pity, probably," the Soul Archer answered unsympathetically. "They probably see you as a charity case to inflate their own egos. But, you can't be something you are not, Morro. And, you were always a better ghost than you were a ninja."

Morro was silent.

"Ghoultar want Morro to be happy," Ghoultar stated mournfully. "And, Ghoultar does not think Morro is happy now."

Lloyd couldn't stand it anymore. After everything Morro had been through and all the hard work he'd put in, these ghosts were trying to poison his mind, turn them against each other, and convince him to throw away his second chance at life. Now instead of feeling scared of Morro's so-called "friends," Lloyd felt nothing but a burning rage toward them now.

In order to put a stop to this attempted brainwashing- and so they wouldn't catch him eavesdropping- Lloyd stirred and groaned, as if he was just waking up.

"Get back," Morro ordered the others. "Don't be so close when he wakes up."

There was some shuffling (and maybe a grumble or two) as the ghosts moved farther away, and only then did Lloyd open his eyes, sitting up and rubbing them in an attempt to avoid acknowledging the position he had woken up in.

"Lloyd," Morro addressed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Lloyd replied immediately, perhaps a little too cheerfully considering the circumstances.

Morro raised his eyebrows ever so slightly, the beginnings of a smile touching his lips. "Okay… good. So, um, what do you want to do about the others? Do you want me to tell them to leave?"

When Lloyd didn't respond immediately, choosing instead to study Morro's face for a moment, the wind master continued haltingly. "I mean, what Wrayth did was, you know, unacceptable, but honestly, I don't think they meant any harm. It's just how they mess around. But, if you want me to tell them to leave, I will."

Lloyd thought. After everything that had happened last night, Lloyd should have wanted to say yes, hands down, no questions asked.

But, then. Then, it had become about something more than two factions squabbling over the attention of a mutual acquaintance. It was about the way these ghosts had slandered his family. It was about the way these ghosts were trying to take Morro away from them.

It was about the way Morro had protected him.

It was about Lloyd protecting Morro now.

"No, it's okay," Lloyd replied. "I know they didn't really mean anything by it."

Morro's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Lloyd shrugged nonchalantly. "They can come."

Because Wrayth and the others had become more than an obstacle. They were a challenge. And, Lloyd was ready to stop attempting to fade into the background.

He would show them what this "butterfly" could do.

"And then Bansha just went off on this guy! I mean, you should have seen her, Morro! I've never been more terrified in my entire afterlife," Wrayth finished, eliciting laughter from Morro.

Whereas Lloyd normally would have stayed trailing behind the back of the group trekking through Gem's jungle, silently stewing over the fact that Morro seemed so much more comfortable with his former friends than he had at home, this time the Green Ninja was determined to take the initiative.

So, Lloyd boldly marched up to Morro's side- conspicuously between him and Wrayth- and slung a friendly arm around the wind master's neck.

"Hey, Morro, remember when we here the first time and Zane almost got eaten by that giant venus fly trap?"

"Oh, yeah!" Morro exclaimed, laughing even harder than he had been before. "That was honestly pretty scary. Oh, and then when Kai got chased by those freaky mosquito things…?"

As the two of them continued to reminisce, Lloyd flashed a triumphant smirk at Wrayth, who was grinding his teeth as he seethed at the interruption. Lloyd refused to feel guilty, though; Wrayth had done his fair share of interrupting and diverting the conversation the day before, and turn about was certainly fair play.

Lloyd made sure to keep up the pattern throughout their jungle journey. Anytime there was a lull in the conversation or one of the other ghosts had been hogging it for too long, Lloyd intervened, choosing instead to discuss something ninja or human or present-day Ninjago related so he could all but exclude the ghosts.

Morro seemed oblivious to Lloyd's true purpose but… pleasantly surprised by the attention and effort the Green Ninja was showing him. And, Lloyd realized that they were missing… this in Ninjago. He couldn't remember the last time he and Morro had held a civil, pointless conversation like friends would.

Maybe he was scared Morro was a ticking time bomb because Lloyd was treating him like one. Maybe Morro shut down and clammed up and refused help because he didn't feel like he had a brother to help him.

Well, that was going to change, Lloyd decided as he shoved Morro playfully after the wind master had made a snarky comment. He may have come out of his coma two days before, but Lloyd felt like it was only now that he was truly waking up.

Finally, by late afternoon, Gem's castle had come into sight.

"Wow," Bansha, who was near the front of the group, commented, sounding begrudgingly impressed. "This is not what I expected from a place usually described as worn down and decrepit."

All of Lloyd's doubts of whether the Lost Souls had reappropriated Gem's old castle disappeared as soon as the face of the building came into view. The first thing that registered was the color. Whereas Lloyd remembered Gem's castle as being faded and dark with sprawling ivy, now the stone blocks were shiny and glistening as if freshly polished. Flower pots hung at almost every interval, blooming with all the colors that had originally been confined to Gem's walled garden in the back. More flowers swarmed the base of the castle, as if the entire building was resting peacefully on a flower bed.

Not only that, but the palace was obviously no longer abandoned. The security before had relied almost entirely on Gem's own faith in her mind control abilities, but now sentries patrolled the (repaired and no longer crumbling) battlements- and by the way they were ogling the mismatched group of travelers approaching the closed drawbridge and front door, Lloyd and the others had been spotted, the news of their arrival no doubt being spread.

This was confirmed when the front door beside the drawbridge swung open before they reached it.

And, Lloyd came face to face with his father.

"Lloyd?" Garmadon all but whispered, blinking rapidly as if unable to believe his eyes.

Lloyd responded by hurrying to close the distance between them and crushing his father into a hug, not caring that the ghosts saw this rather butterfly-ish display of affection, though he made sure not to let the tears collecting on his eyelids fall.

Garmadon responded by laying his arms gently on Lloyd, like he was afraid his son was an illusion that would disappear as soon as he looked it at it too hard. When Lloyd remained solid and here and present in his arms, Garmadon squeezed him to his chest with a vigor that made Lloyd wheeze with breathlessness.

"Lloyd, what are you doing here?" Garmadon asked softly. "Where are the rest of the ninja? Who are your… friends?"

Lloyd laughed nervously as he pulled away from his father. "It's, um, kind of a long story, but we can explain."

Morro cleared his throat, leaning around Garmadon to try to peer into the interior of the castle. "But, first, where's-"

Gem had burst out the door before Morro could even finish the question, colliding into his chest with all the force her little legs could muster. He caught her and swung her around before pulling her close to his chest, both of them laughing with a child-like giddiness as they embraced for the first time since Gem had forced Morro through the Rift of Return without her.

That is until Gem smacked him lightly in the face.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, trying to come off as irritated and failing miserably when her grin gave her away.

"Ow!" Morro exclaimed, acting as if he had been slapped by a giant rather than a six year old ghost. "Nice to see you too!"

Gem gasped softly, poking Morro's cheek repeatedly. "You're so much squishier as a human!"

"That's good. Wouldn't want to fall below my quota of squishiness."

"Anyway," Garmadon cut in irritably. "I want a very good reason for you to endanger the Realm Crystal like this. Let's go inside. But…," lowering his voice, he asked only Lloyd, "These ghosts… Are they trustworthy?"

Lloyd glanced at Wrayth and the others, waiting rather impatiently for the reunions to end so they could get back to business. They obviously were devoted to Morro, if their efforts to get him to stay in the Departed Realm were any indication. Besides, Wrayth had saved them back at the Bone Keeper's, and aside from their rather rowdy disposition, none of them had done anything truly evil. Even Wrayth's brief possession came off as more of an unfunny joke rather than a malicious act.

Besides, Morro would be disappointed if his friends had to leave now...

"Yeah," Lloyd whispered back. "They're good."

So, the six of them were ushered into the newly renovated castle where they saw even more evidence of upkeep: polished floors, handmade and professionally made decorations, ghosts passing in and out of rooms, and the dull roar of noise that had been missing before.

They were led into a small, elegant dining room with a long table and enough chairs for all of them to sit down.

And at that exact moment, Dr. Julien, Corrine, Lydia, and- Lloyd almost squealed with barely contained giddiness- Cliff Gordon burst into the room.

"Where's Zane?!"

"Where's Cole?!"

"Where's Jay?!"

"Alright, alright," Garmadon cut in, holding his hands up placatingly. "Let's all just sit down and discuss this calmly like the adults we are."

And, as soon as they were settled around the dining table, Lloyd did just that, beginning with the attack that had put him into a coma- which made Garmadon blanch- and ending with the others being taken forcibly into the Bone Keeper's employ- which made the other parents blanch.

During the retelling, Gem continuously poked Morro, apparently delighted by his newly acquired flesh and bone, and Morro responded in kind. Wrayth and the other ghosts appeared just as bored by the retelling but restrained themselves from being as distracting as Morro and Gem.

Finally, Lloyd finished. "...and, that's why we came. We need the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone to get him to release the others."

"Well, of course," Lydia said, fuming. She reached down the front of her shirt and pulled out a necklace. Lloyd's eyebrows shot up when he realized that it was the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone attached to the chain. Though, it made sense that Lydia would keep something as valuable as the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone within her sight at all times. "I can't believe he- Ugh, that jerk's really sunk to a new level, taking my baby like that."

"Are they okay?" Corrine asked apprehensively, wringing her hands. "I mean… Do you know what he's doing to them?"

Lloyd reached across the table to accept the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone from Lydia, which he stored carefully in his pocket. Sadly, he shook his head. "No idea."

"Don't worry," Garmadon said confidently, reaching over to pat Lloyd on the back comfortingly. "They're strong. They'll be able to last until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Corrine repeated shrilly. "What do you mean tomorrow?"

"Lloyd and Morro, at least, need to rest and get their strength up," Garmadon explained calmly. "When is the last time the two of you had a good meal?"

"They ninja will be okay, Corrine," Dr. Julien reassured, patting her hand. "Garmadon's right. Our children are even stronger than we know. They'll be alright."

Lloyd and Morro shared a look, as if silently weighing their options… when Lloyd finally sighed and nodded at his dad. "Fine. We'll leave in the morning."

Lydia clapped her hands, pasting a friendly smile on her face though it didn't diminish the worry lines. "Well, let's get you all some food then! And, in the meantime, you guys can introduce us to your other friends!"

Dinner was… surprisingly very jovial. Though Lloyd assumed it would be awkward with the two wildly different factions of ghosts, after Wrayth, Bansha, Ghoultar, and the Soul Archer had been introduced, they were as polite and friendly as school friends being brought to his house for dinner for the first time. Lloyd was almost a little annoyed that they didn't justify his disdain for them further and made him wonder why they didn't feel the need to show him the same cordiality.

They spent most of the time catching each other up on the happenings in both Ninjago and the Departed Realm, the respective parents asking after their children's wellbeing, while Gem and Morro continued to tease each other and bicker as naturally as if Morro had never left. Lloyd tried to memorize every interaction with his father, tried to commit each and every smile and laugh to memory, tried to ameliorate the ache in his chest that never really went away no matter how much time passed.

But, when darkness fell over the jungle, dinner was long finished, and Lloyd felt his eyelids getting just a little bit heavier, they decided to call it a night.

"Follow me," Dr. Julien offered, standing with a polite smile. "I can show you all to some guest rooms."

The four ghosts and two humans stood (though Morro did not set Gem down, and Gem did not complain about being dragged along.) Once Lloyd had said goodnight to Garmadon and passed into the hallway-

He was stopped by Wrayth. The others continued on, and Lloyd almost wanted to call after Morro who was utterly preoccupied with Gem.

"Listen, Lloyd," Wrayth addressed somewhat sheepishly, his eyes directed at the ground. The Green Ninja started, this being the first time Wrayth had ever addressed him by name. "I, uh… Just wanted to say, you know," the ghost coughed in discomfort. "Sorry. About last night. I didn't… I didn't think." He laughed ruefully. "Morro always says I need to use my head more."

Lloyd stared. Honestly, he… didn't quite know what to say in response to this… rather earnest apology. "Um… thanks, Wrayth." In the face of this, Lloyd started to feel a little bad that he had acted as such an obstacle between Morro and the other ghosts now. "It's… It's okay."

Wrayth offered half a smile to the Green Ninja before wrapping a friendly arm around his neck and leading him onward. "Good, I'm glad we got that sorted out." He laughed, slapping Lloyd on the chest amiably. "I mean, if Morro likes you, you can't be all bad."

Lloyd was utterly and completely shocked and blindsided by Wrayth's 180 personality change. Wrayth had hated him from the minute he had laid eyes on Lloyd, and now, suddenly he was… actually being nice? Maybe the possession last night had been a wake up call for the both of them? Maybe Wrayth recognized that Lloyd wasn't going to give Morro up without a fight and took "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" to heart?

Whatever it was, Lloyd was glad to finally not have to feel like Wrayth was shooting him death glares behind his back.

By the time they caught up to Dr. Julien farther down the hall, Bansha, the Soul Archer, and Ghoultar had disappeared into their individual guest rooms, and Morro and Gem were excitedly giggling on the floor of Morro's room as the latter threw an armful of paper and crayons on the floor for the Ultimate Coloring Extravaganza, apparently.

"Ah, there you two are," Dr. Julien greeted, the fond smile remaining on his face from when he had been watching Gem and Morro fight over the right to use the purple crayon before closing the door. "Wrayth, you can have this room, and Lloyd, the room at the end of the hall is free."

"Thanks," Wrayth said, nodding in acknowledgment as he headed into the room beside Morro's. "See ya, Lloyd."

Lloyd, still unable to accept the fact that Wrayth was actually being civil with him, headed toward his own room in a daze.

"Lloyd," Dr. Julien called just as the Green Ninja opened the door to his guest room. "I know we discussed this at the dinner table, but… Zane. Is he really doing alright? He was struggling with some things the last couple of times I saw him." The old ghost chuckled. "And a father can't help but worry."

Lloyd hesitated. Zane had been struggling? With what? Why hadn't he come to one of them? He had seemed perfectly happy the last time Lloyd had talked to him.

The leader sighed. First Morro, and now Zane. Lloyd was really starting to feel like he hadn't been being the brother he needed to be.

"He's good," Lloyd replied noncommittally, offering a reassuring smile. "Zane's the best, and I'm sure that he and everyone else are doing okay at the Bone Keeper's. Like you said, they're strong."

Dr. Julien grinned. "Yes, they are. Well, I'll let you get some rest then. Goodnight, Lloyd."

"Night," Lloyd reciprocated before entering his guest room. It was the first time he had been alone since waking from his coma, but suddenly, the last thing Lloyd wanted to do was be alone. Talking about Zane like that just brought the intense pang of loneliness rushing to the surface, and Lloyd felt a sudden and intense yearning for his brothers and sister, like he was a little kid again, wanting somebody to hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay. Lloyd was the leader, but he was nothing without his team and that had never been so painfully obvious before.

Lloyd collapsed onto the comfortable bed that smelled fresh, as if it had just been cleaned. He groaned into his pillow. He missed them. It was as simple as that.

Not to mention the fact that he had no clue what they were enduring at the Bone Keeper's. The cold and calculating ghost was certainly not the ninja's biggest fan, so who knew what acts of vengeance he could be wreaking on Lloyd's siblings with them at his complete mercy.

Plus, it was all Lloyd's fault they were even in that mess in the first place.

He turned onto his back, watching the ceiling dejectedly. Just until tomorrow, he reminded himself, wishing he could send that same comfort to his siblings. He had the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone now, so it was only a matter of time. To reassure himself of this, Lloyd patted his pocket-

And, cold horror washed over him.

Lloyd reached deep into his pocket, pulling it inside out before doing the same with the other one. He ripped the comforter and sheet off the bed, running his hands all along the mattress. He got down on his hands and knees, inspecting the floor, peering under the bed and dresser and nightstand.

It wasn't there.

The Bone Keeper's Soul Stone was gone.

Lloyd ran his hands through his hair, trying to quell the panic rising within him. How could he be so stupid? How could he have lost something as precious and valuable as the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone, the key to all of his siblings' freedom?

Focus, Lloyd, he snapped at himself. Taking a deep breath, he tried to retrace his steps. Lydia had handed him the Soul Stone before dinner. Lloyd had slipped it into his pocket then. They had headed to their rooms, and Wrayth had-

Lloyd froze.

"He actually tried to pickpocket me," Morro had laughed as he explained to Lloyd how they had run into Wrayth at the train station. "He's actually pretty good at it. Not as good as me, of course, but still pretty good."

Lloyd had never felt more stupid. Here he was again, being tricked by someone with a smile and fake friendliness, just like Pythor. Of course Wrayth hadn't changed his tune. He just needed to get close enough.

Immediately, Lloyd rushed from his room, rage and embarrassment fueling his sprint, and burst into Wrayth's.

Where Ghoultar and the Soul Archer were securing a rope to the bedpost and feeding it out the window.

And, Bansha was holding the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone up to the moonlight filtering in from the window.

Wrayth groaned, tossing his head back in exasperation.

"You just have to ruin everything, don't you, green bean?"

Oh NO! BETRAYAL!

(Don't worry if you're confused- everything will be explained next chapter ;D)

Thank you soooo much for reading! :D