it's been so long

Review replies:

Samantha: I made a post for that because the person who requested it sent the same thing twice, and I wanted them to know that I heard it.

Guest: hECK I forgot about it when you sent your most recent message thank you for reminding me

KRR: Hey ;P

This is a lot like one of the chapters I'm going to write for Despair, which I think is why I forgot to write it. Got distracted by Despair. :p

"Goodbye, Sensei…" Morro thrust the Realm Crystal into his old teacher's hand, letting go of his last handhold and letting himself be dragged into the sea. The last thing he felt was agonizing pain, then there was nothing.

But… he was alive?

The first thing he heard was breathing. Slow, peaceful breathing. After a few minutes he realized it was his own. Slowly, the ghost opened his eyes, registering the pale-green stone underneath him. The Cursed Realm? Startled, he sat up straight, looking around him in shock. How did this place still exist? The Preeminent was the heart of the Cursed Realm, without her…

…maybe she wasn't dead yet? Maybe the Realm would vanish, any second now. He waited for a few moments. Everything was still here. Slowly, he got to his feet. If he wasn't dead, then… what was he going to do now? There was no way he could attempt another attack on Ninjago, and, frankly, he didn't want to. There was no way the other ghosts would help him, not after his first defeat, and he didn't think he had the heart to try again even if they would. Slowly, he turned towards the exit of the tunnel and began to walk.

Alive

Morro stood on the edge of the bridge connecting the two sides of the abyss outside the mountain, staring out at the Cursed Realm. Cold, dark, but familiar. He had been here for more than twenty years. He almost preferred it to Ninjago at this point. The ghost glanced down at the pitch-black expanse below him, wondering what it would be like to jump in and never come out.

Probably pretty boring.

Slowly, Morro crossed the bridge and began to head down the stairway. He needed a goal. He needed something to focus on. His plan to escape and become the green ninja had kept him sane for all those years. He need something, or he would go mad. Looking up, the ghost's eyes fixed on a mountain halfway across the Realm. There. He would climb to the top of that mountain, then try to figure out what to do with the rest of his eternal afterlife.

Alive

It took Morro three days to cross the Cursed Realm. He walked for two days and two nights without rest, staying far off the beaten path so he wouldn't cross paths with any other ghosts, before collapsing mid-step as the sun rose on the third day. He only managed to sleep for a couple hours before waking again and proceeding on his way. When he reached the bottom of the mountain, he decided to stop and rest, as he'd rather not fall asleep on the stairs up and topple off the mountain.

It took him a long time to go to sleep. He hadn't eaten in days, and his stomach was starting to bother him. It didn't matter. He couldn't really starve to death, but the hunger pangs would bother him for a while. He didn't dare show his face to the other ghosts, they would most likely just lock him up. The ghosts here were ruthless, and they would show no mercy to someone who had failed them like he had. He would just have to go hungry, probably forever.

On the fourth day, he began the climb up the mountain. Like the last one, this also had a convenient flight of stairs, probably chiseled into the side hundreds of years ago. As he climbed, he noted the miles and miles he could see for. It sure was high up here. If he jumped and just glided for a while, how far could he go? Halfway across the Cursed Realm, at least.

He stopped in a little alcove halfway up to rest. If not for the cold feeling of hopelessness filling his corrupted soul, he might actually enjoy himself. It had been a long time since he had had a chance to do literally anything he wanted. He was always restricted by rules, or deadlines, or just… he was the general. He couldn't just run off and climb a mountain. He had responsibilities.

After a short nap, he started on his way again. The despair in his heart had faded significantly since he had gotten a good night's sleep, and he didn't feel so much self-loathing now. He wasn't just trudging mindlessly along, either. He was seeing the sun, and the clouds, and the little plants that grew up through the cracks in the rock. He felt almost… happy.

"Almost" being the key word here.

At midnight, he reached the end of the trail. At the top was a small cave, where there was nothing of use inside of, and a small flat area outside. The ghost boy decided to spend the night outside. As he stared up at the sky, trying to spot the stars through the green mist, he wondered again what to do next. He was trapped here, and he didn't dare show himself to the other ghosts. His life was over.

If only he could die, so it could be over for good.

Alive

A loud crash jerked Morro out of his slumber, and his head snapped up as he scrambled into a defensive stance. After a few moments of silence, he blinked blearily, rubbing his eyes as he relaxed his stance, looking around. Nothing out of the ordinary. Probably a rockslide or something. Except… was that light coming from inside the cave? That wasn't there before. Slowly, he stepped into the cave, cautiously moving down the tunnel towards the light. Looks like there had been a rockslide, alright. When he turned the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Hovering in the air in front of him, just inside the opposite wall, was a large, swirling portal.

if only I could shake this accursed writer's block (read: laziness)

~FFF