Here we go with chapter four! As of now, I think this is my favorite chapter I've written. I think it's so much better than my rewrite of Yin Yang Twins. Thanks to my Creative Writing class for teaching me how to write something that flows naturally. Even though I have a clear idea of how I want the story to play out, I'm mostly making it up as I go and seeing what thoughts come to me as I write and finish each chapter.
Also, if there are any readers that don't know when I post a new chapter, follow me or the story so you can get notified when I post.
PrincePacman47: I hope you're not trying to figure out the entire plot of my story before I get to the main points. Hehehe. Just kidding. But if you have any theories for what could happen, I'd love to hear them.
Morro threw the blanket off from around his shoulders, got up, and ran to his parents. His mother, Bonnie, wrapped one arm around Morro's neck and placed her other hand on the back of his head. His father, Wyatt, wrapped his arms around his wife and son, pulling them into a tight family hug.
Morro was sobbing, crying against his mother's shoulder while she gently stroked the back of his head. He felt one of his parents kiss the top of his head as he heard them both crying. His mother pulled away, looking down at her boy, and kissed his forehead, side of his head, and cheeks several times over and over.
"Mom! Mom, I'm not a little kid! Cut it out," he said, laughing and crying all the while.
"Morro, I have not seen you for over fifty years. I am going to kiss you as much as I want," Bonnie said. She continued her kissed, but Morro didn't mind this time. He missed his mother's kisses. He couldn't describe how much he wished she had given him a kiss on his forehead before he lost them.
"Alright, Bonnie. That's enough. He's not five anymore," Wyatt said, wiping away his tears. The family of three separated from their embrace, and Wyatt rested his hand on Morro's shoulders, getting a look at the young man his son had grown into.
"You're absolutely perfect. Look at you. I've missed you so much, Morro," he said. Wyatt wiped away Morro's tears and kissed his forehead.
"I thought you said I'm not five anymore," Morro said. His father chuckled.
"I know. I just missed you so much."
"I missed you both too," Morro said. Wyatt took his wife and son's hands and lead them to the couch. The three sat down, with Morro in the middle, Bonnie on his left, and Wyatt on his right.
"Morro, I want to see this as we're together again. But I know that your father and I are still dead," Bonnie said.
"I know, Mom. I wish this was all real. But it's what you guys were trying to do last night," Morro said. Bonnie and Wyatt's eyes widened, and they looked at each other in shock.
"You had a witch do a dead-to-dead connection spell!? But why didn't it work when we asked for the same thing?" Bonnie asked. Morro bit his lip and shifted in his seat.
"It worked because I didn't have a dead-to-dead spell performed. It was a living-to-dead spell," Morro said. The room went quiet. Only the crackling fire was heard.
"Morro... does that mean," Wyatt said. Morro nodded.
"I'm alive." Bonnie covered her mouth with her hands, tears filling her eyes once again.
"H-How? We heard about you entering the Departed Realm a few years ago. How are you alive?" Bonnie asked.
"I had friends that gave me another chance. I've been living with them for about two and a half months. That's why your spell didn't work right. You thought I was still dead," Morro explained. Bonnie cried and hugged Morro, overjoyed that her baby boy had his life back.
"Mom, it's okay. You guys don't have to worry about me too much. I've been doing well for myself." Bonnie pulled away and wiped her tears.
"That's wonderful, Morro. When the spell didn't work last night, we were worried we may never see you again," Wyatt said. Morro smiled and hugged his parents.
"I thought I'd never see you guys again after that stupid worm tore you guys away from me. And, saying that you heard about me arriving in the Departed Realm, I'm just going to go out and say that you probably know what I did." Morro's tone quickly shifted to regret when he saw his parents exchange the same sorrowful expression.
"Yes, we know, Morro. But this is not the time to talk about your actions during that event. If you decide you want to explain why you did what you did, that will be your decision. Your mother and I will not force you," Wyatt said. Morro smiled and rubbed his eyes, trying to fight against the tears that wanted to fall.
"Thanks for being understanding about it. But, you both deserve to know. There... There was a girl involved and-"
"Oh~? A girl?" Bonnie teased, causing Morro to blush.
"It's not like that! She's just a friend! The point is, the Preeminent called for me one day and told me her plan to be freed from her prison. And she wanted me to lead the mission. I told her I didn't want to, but then she turned things on to my friend. She was visiting then, and two ghosts grabbed her, pulling her away from me.
"The Preeminent gave me a choice: follow her instructions and continue with her plan, promising that no harm will come to my friend. Or refuse to go through with her plan, and she would kill my friend. At that point, my friend was the only person who cared about me, and I was not ready to lose her."
"You did those things to save your friend. So you sure there's nothing more between you two?" Wyatt said. Morro glared at his dad, blushed from embarrassment, and crossed his arms.
"Yes, I'm sure!"
"Oh sweetie, we're just teasing," Bonnie said.
"I know, and I don't like it," Morro said. Bonnie laughed and kissed Morro's forehead.
"We just never got to see you grow and mature. Instead, all I see is that little boy curled up in your mother's arms, tired out from a long day of playing in the snow," Wyatt said. Morro relaxed his arms and smiled.
"Yeah, I miss those times. That was the best day of my life... then it all went downhill," Morro said. Bonnie wrapped her arms around Morro and rubbed his back.
"Well, even though we can't physically go back to the day before all hell came loose, there is something in the kitchen that may remind you of that day," Wyatt said. He stood from the couch and walked into the kitchen. Morro heard dishes clattering against each other and some liquid being poured into something. Wyatt returned to the living with three bowls and spoons, handing one to Morro and Bonnie. Each of the bowls was filled with a steaming red stew.
"Is this..." Morro trailed off, looking at his dad. Wyatt nodded.
"It's the stew from that night. And there's hot water in the kettle if you want hot chocolate later," Wyatt said. Morro smiled and happily started eating the warm stew. It was just as good as he remembered it. The vegetables were soft, and the meat was tender. Morro felt like he was a little kid, enjoying the wonderful time with his family.
"Now I feel at home," Morro said. The family of three enjoyed the stew, quietly listening to the crackling fire. At some point, Morro ended up leaning his head against Bonnie's shoulder with an arm0 and taking off his combat boots, curling up on the couch. Wyatt gently rubbed Morro's ankle while he and Bonnie looked on at their not-so-little boy.
"You look like you could fall asleep," Bonnie said. Morro chuckled.
"It kinda feels like it. But it's like mid-day in reality," he said.
"It's night here. You could sleep if you wanted to," Wyatt said. It was dark as night in the shared reality of the living-to-dead connection spell.
"I don't know how long this whole thing lasts. And I want to spend all the time with you guys as possible," Morro said. Bonnie and Wyatt smiled.
"Well, the witch we spoke with when we asked for the initial spell said that it only lasts five minutes in real-time but will last for as long as we want unless someone triggers something for the connection to stop. So we have all the time we want to spend together," Bonnie said. Morro smiled.
"We could spend all the time in the world with each other if we were together. I've missed you guys for fifty-two years. I don't want to be without you anymore," Morro said. He sat up from his laying position and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Morro felt Wyatt rest his hand on his back, and Morro looked up at his parents. He expected to see comforting smiles on their faces and for them to comfort him after all the years he spent alone. But instead, he saw worried expressions shared between them.
"Mom? Dad? What's wrong?" Morro asked.
"Morro, we've missed you very much too, and we love you with all there is, but we just can't be together again," Bonnie said with a heavy heart. Her eyes turned glossy as tears built up and rolled down her face.
"But..." Morro said, trailing off.
"Morro, we know that you went against fate when escaping the Cursed Realm. But, unfortunately, word spread quickly through the entire Departed Realm. We don't want you to get yourself in trouble again by trying to be with us again," Wyatt said.
"Dad, ever since I was given my life back, I've been fighting every single day to prove that I am not the same person I was when I released the Preeminent. I risk getting arrested for the things I've done. I'm already in trouble. Now, I just want to be with you guys," Morro said. He stood from the couch and started pacing back and forth.
"And if you try, that might not be a part of-," Bonnie said before Morro interrupted.
"If something is supposed to happen because of destiny, why was it destiny that you guys were taken away from me when I was so young!? Why was it destiny that that damned snake killed me!? Why was it destiny that I was sent to the Cursed Realm!? Why was it destiny that I suffered in what is basically hell for FOURTY FUCKING YEARS!? Why was it-" Morro stopped when Wyatt stood up and grabbed him by his shoulders.
"Morro... What did you say?" Wyatt asked. Morro was silent for a moment before talking again.
"Sorry about the cursing. It just-" Wyatt cut Morro off this time.
"Morro, you're almost an adult; I don't care if you curse. I was talking about what you said about 'that damned snake.' What did you mean by that?" Wyatt asked. Morro's eyes widened, and it felt like he stopped breathing for a moment. Then, finally, Morro sighed, and his face fell. He pushed his hoodie aside and lifted up his shirt, revealing the pale, thin scar on his lower abdomen.
"Pythor got me around the start of the Serpentine War. He cursed me," Morro said quietly. Bonnie stood from the couch and stood beside Wyatt, covering her mouth with her hands. Neither parent could take their eyes off of the scar gracing across their son's stomach. Tears ran down Bonnie's face, horrified by what she saw. Wyatt dropped his hands from Morro's shoulders and turned away. He took a few steps away, and when he got closer to the table beside the couch, he stopped. Then, Wyatt grabbed the small table in a fit of rage and threw it across the room. The table hit the wall with a loud crash, and the oil lamp that sat on the table fell to the floor.
"WYATT!" Bonnie yelled. Wyatt paced around, his hands curled into tight fists.
"It's one thing for that snake to go after your mother and I. It's another to go after you! And not only did he kill you, but he also purposefully separated us by sending you to the Cursed realm!" Wyatt yelled. Morro was quiet and dropped his shirt.
"I just don't understand. What did we do to Pythor that he would do these things to us?" Morro asked. He walked across the room and picked up the table Wyatt threw. As he did, Morro heard his parents whispering to each other but couldn't hear what they were saying.
"What did you say?" he asked, walking back towards them and setting the table down. Bonnie and Wyatt exchanged the same worried expression before looking at Morro.
"Sit down," Wyatt said. He and Bonnie sat on the couch, and Morro sat in between them.
"What's wrong," Morro asked.
"Morro, we wanted to tell you when you got older, but we just never got the chance. Pythor coming after us was not the result of a one-on-one conflict. It was a conflict that has been going on between the wind elemental masters and the Anacondrai tribe for centuries," Bonnie said.
"What? What do you mean?" Morro asked. Morro felt Wyatt rest his hand on his shoulder, and he turned to him.
"A very long time ago, the first elemental master of wind formed a bond with the first Anacondrai general. As a result, the Anacondrai became a powerful asset to the elemental masters. But something went wrong. We don't know what, but a fight broke out between your ancestor and the Anacondrai general. This fight ended with your ancestor killing the Anacondrai general. Because of that, the Anacondrai tribe declared war against anyone with the wind element," Wyatt said. Morro's eyes widened in shock, and his mouth fell agape.
"What?"
"That's why your father and I were so protective of you when you were young. Of course, we were terrorized by the thoughts of Pythor hurting you. But, we did whatever we could to protect you," Bonnie said.
"So this has been going on for centuries? Everyone on Mom's side of the family has been hunted down by an Anacondrai," Morro said, looking at Bonnie.
"Yes, anyone with the power of wind and anyone connected to them. Specifically spouses and children," Bonnie said.
"I knew what I was getting into when I married your mom. Before we got married, your mom tried to push me out of her life so I wouldn't have to be involved in the war. But I chose to stay and protect your mom," Wyatt said.
"A part of me still wishes that you had listened to me. What I had to go through with having my powers was not something you deserved," Bonnie said. Wyatt stood up, had Morro scooch over to the left, and sat in the middle. Wyatt wrapped his arms around Bonnie and kissed her cheek.
"Don't say that. This isn't something you or Morro deserve either. I sore to you that I would keep you safe. I just wish I could've done more so Pythor couldn't hurt you," Wyatt said. Bonnie smiled and kissed Wyatt's cheek.
"Mom, Dad, stop. Your kid is right here. Stop being gross," Morro said. Bonnie and Wyatt smirked mischievously at each other and kissed. Morro groaned and curled away from his parents, covering his eyes.
"Stop!" Bonnie and Wyatt laughed.
'We're just teasing, Morro," Wyatt said. He pulled Morro into his arms and wrapped his arms around his wife and son.
"So, Morro, what do you want to do now? We've been here a while," Bonnie said. Morro leaned against Wyatt's shoulder and shrugged.
"I don't know. I really just want to spend as much time with you," Morro said.
"Well, maybe you should go home," Wyatt said.
"But..." Morro said, tailing off.
"You have a new family that, from what you've told us, cares about you a lot. We know you will be okay without us. You seem to have been doing well for yourself even after you lost us," Bonnie said.
"It's been great to see you again after all these years. And we're glad that you were able to reach out to us," Wyatt said.
"Wait. I completely forgot. Why did you guys try to reach out to me in the first place?" Morro asked. He sat up from his potion on the couch and became worried when he saw the worried expressions on his parents' faces.
"Morro, no matter what, don't come to the Departed Realm. Recently, word has spread throughout the realm that someone or something from Ninjago has found its way into the realm," Wyatt said. Morro's eyes widened, and he went quiet.
"Some have seen the invading individual and have claimed that they are Serpentine. I think you can guess what we're implying," Bonnie said. Morro couldn't say anything for a few moments.
"Pythor," he said. Bonnie and Wyatt nodded.
"No. No, no, no! I need to help you guys! I don't want him to hurt you guys again!" Morro said, raising his voice.
"Absolutely not, Morro! We tried to get in touch with you because we thought you were in the Departed Realm, and we wanted to know that you were safe. However, now that we know you are safe and that Pythor can't get to you, we do not want you to put yourself at risk trying to help us," Bonnie said.
"No! You guys are dead, but he can still find a way to hurt you! I-"
"Morro, no! Your mother and I will figure out what to do about Pythor if it even is him. We don't want you to risk yourself for us," Wyatt said.
"Who else would it be!? The Serpentine are mostly peaceful! It's Pythor that is still hostile!" Morro yelled. Morro stood up and started pacing in front of the couch. His breathing increased as he started having a panic attack. His parents stood and tried to calm him down.
"Morro, it's going to be okay. We'll be okay. Please just calm down," Bonnie said. Morro took some deep breaths until the panic attack ended.
"I just don't want anything to happen to you. I can't just stay in Ninjago knowing that you guys could be in trouble," Morro said.
"Morro, you've grown up without us for the majority of your life. We'll be alright. Just go home to your family," Wyatt said.
"How can I go home if my family is split between realms!? I've got a family in Ninjago that I've graciously been given even after all the damage I've caused them, and I have you guys in the Departed Realm! I can't feel like I'm home when something's missing!" Morro said on the verge of tears. Bonnie held Morro in her arms and kissed the side of his head.
"We know you're worried, but we will be okay, Baby. Whatever happens, your father and I will take care of it. We're just happy that you're safe," she said.
"But you need to go home. We can't stay here forever," Wyatt said.
"I want to, though. Here, I know you're safe, and you can't get hurt. I'm scared that something will happen to you guys if I can't help. I just want to be a family again," Morro said. Wyatt walked away from Morro and Bonnie and over to where the calendar hung on the wall.
"Morro, this isn't real. I know it feels that way, but it's an illusion. I know you're scared, but this has to end." Wyatt grabbed the calendar page that had the date: December 9, 1966.
"No!" Morro ran towards his dad, knowing what he was going to do. Bonnie grabbed Morro and hugged him.
"It's okay, Baby. It's okay," she whispered into his ear while Morro cried.
"I'm sorry, Morro. But this has to end. Don't come to the Departed Realm. We love you," Wyatt said. Wyatt tore off the calendar page, changing the date to December 10, 1966.
Morro screamed as horrific images flashed in front of his eyes. He saw his parents' deaths all over again. He could hear his own child-like screaming and crying. Morro screamed out, begging for his parents to help him. But no matter how much or how loud he yelled, no one could hear him. Then, everything went dark.
The ninja waited in the monastery courtyard until Morro woke up from Cassie's spell. Autumn sat close by Morro while the others were standing around doing whatever. Cassie was flipping through her spellbook with Lloyd looking over her shoulder at the book out of curiosity.
"You don't know much about magic, do you?" Cassie asked. A slight smirk spread across her face when she saw Lloyd's embarrassment. Lloyd smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck.
"No," he said. Cassie chuckled.
"It's okay. It's a bit complicated for people that aren't around it every single day. But I'd be happy to give you and your friends some witch help if some rando tries to take over Ninjago if you ever need it," she said. Lloyd smiled and nodded.
"Hey, Cas? What does it mean when the weird purple marks on his forehead turn red?" Autumn asked. Cassie looked over at Morro, and the three marks had indeed changed from purple to red.
"That just means he's going to wake up," Cassie said. Everyone smiled and surrounded Morro, waiting for their friend to wake up from the spell.
Morro jolted awake with a gasp and scream. He was hyperventilating and shaking. Everyone immediately became worried, and Autumn grabbed his shoulder, trying to calm him down.
"Morro! What's wrong!?" Autumn asked in a panic. Morro was silent, breathing heavily.
"Morro, what happened?" Cole asked. Still no reply. Everyone was worried and called out to him.
"Morro?"
...
"Morro?!"
...
"MORRO!"
I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. It's a very wholesome chapter compared to what is coming up for the story. I also liked the last three lines of the story because I was imagining it as the camera slowly zooming in on Morro's terrified and hyperventilating face with the voices around him becoming quieter and echoed, but still holding the urgency. And with the very last line, I imagined the 'screen' going black and a very distant yell. If you can't tell, I like imagining how the nonexistent camera would behave if my story were on screen.
And again, I'm probably going to start the next chapter the same day I post this one because all the ideas are fresh in the brain.