A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you like the story so far.

Seven of them sat around the table in the middle of the room, Morro hovering awkwardly behind them. He was pointedly looking away from Aura, who was still huddled in a blanket in the chair closest to the fireplace.

Lloyd had the scroll laid out on the table, everyone straining to look at it at the same time. At first, Aura didn't know what to make of it. She saw circles and numbers and lines in a messy scrawl impossible to comprehend. It also didn't help that she was trying to read it upside down.

"What is this?" Jay asked the question everyone was thinking of. Morro began to say something, but stopped.

"It looks like a diagram about portals," Lloyd squinted down at the paper. "Morro was actually right, I think." The ghost sighed with relief, and Aura began to think that he hadn't known much about Bansha's plans either.

"What are all the numbers, then?" Kai leaned back in his chair, throwing his leg onto Cole's lap, who promptly shoved it off. "What are they trying to count?"

"The scroll appears to contain a series of incomplete equations," Zane stated. "They might have been trying to predict when the portals would appear, as it seems to be relatively random. However, if the instability between worlds can be quantized, then they might be able to find the optimal window to summon an army."

"I'll pretend I understood that last part," Cole nodded. "But if we can figure out when the portals will appear, then we might be able to stop it from happening, right?"

"Perhaps," Zane agreed. "Perhaps not. Again, the walls between realms are unstable. If we can't stop it, then we may have to fight the ghosts ourselves."

"Could you finish the equations?" Nya asked. Aura was thinking the same thing. "So we could track the portals? We might still need to suit up, but at least we'd be warned in advance."

"I can certainly try," Zane said. "There's also something else here." He pointed to the corner of the scroll, nudging Lloyd's hand to the side to reveal a couple of messy sentences. "A message, I think." Jay grabbed the paper, bringing it closer to his face.

"I can't make out what it says," he complained, passing it to Nya.

"It seems to be in another language," she said. "Not one I'm familiar with." Zane sighed.

"I can try to do both, then," he offered. "I'll decode the message, and fix the equations, although they may take longer."

"Thanks so much, Zane," Lloyd sank back into his chair. "You're the best."

"I'll stick around if you need any help," Cole said, even though he would end up being more of a hindrance. The rest of them stood up to give the android space to work, Aura included. She glanced around the room before following Nya, not sure where she should be going.

She ended up wandering into her room, settling down on the edge of her bed.

Now that I'm alone, Aura thought. I can finally try to work through what just happened. She lay flat on her back, strands of her hair coming loose from its braid.

Morro is absolutely different, she acknowledged. Again, it's been much longer for him since the island than it has been for me. I could have sworn he didn't even recognize me at first. She scoffed at her own thoughts.

Why should I give him a second chance, after everything? He's the reason I've been torn from my family, the reason I'm here in the first place. Trusting him will lead me to my death.

Then again, I have no choice but to cooperate with him so the ninja can defend their world. They won't put their jobs and lives on hold for my problems when they have their own to handle.

I wonder what he's thinking right now, if he has some ulterior motive. Even if it has been three years, can a person really change that much?

And then, the question arose that had bothered her from the moment the first whispered word had slipped into her mind.

If he wasn't truly evil to the bone, then why would he kidnap me and oppose the ninja in the first place?

On the other side of the monastery, a ghost lay on the floor, contemplating everything that had happened. Old memories rushed through his head

Blood in a vial. A heady sense of power in my veins. The Preeminent. A portal appearing before I was ready.

I remember everything now, he realized. How could I have forgotten? How could I have forgotten that I ripped apart a girl's life and abandoned her in the dark?

Because you thought she was dead, some inner part of his consciousness told him. You thought she was gone forever, and you repressed the memories. You thought that chapter of your life was closed, and time and death helped you forget.

I won't do it again, he vowed. I won't let my greed and ego get the better of me. I'll do whatever it takes to make this right, with Lloyd and with Aura. He lifted himself off the floor, leaning against the wall.

"All I can do is continue keeping my promises," he said out loud. "Lloyd can protect himself, but I'll still take his side if Bansha attacks. Aura, on the other hand… I promised myself I'd protect her as soon as I realized who she was, and I'll keep that promise no matter what it means for me."

If only I had come to my senses earlier, he thought ruefully. If only I had treasured what Wu gave me, if only I had never run away to my doom.

If only.

Zane converted the numbers he had written to letters, smiling with satisfaction when he began to decode a message. Earlier, he had devised an algorithm based on word and letter patterns as well as the language databases he had stored in his memory banks that would hopefully unearth the meaning of the scroll.

He called out to everyone else as he wrote down the final words, briefly considering using the speaker system in the walls that Jay had built as a joke.

The rest of the team came racing into the room, Aura and Morro trailing behind them hesitantly. The ghost and the girl refused to make eye contact, putting as much space between them as possible.

"What does it say?" Jay was bouncing with excitement, Kai and Nya beside him.

"Well, I must inform you, it is a rather poor translation," Zane said upfront. "It doesn't make too much sense, but we've worked with less. See for yourselves."

Lloyd turned the paper toward himself, eyes flicking over the words.

"Care to share with the group, Lloyd?" Cole bumped his shoulder, trying to see the message for himself.

"Good and evil. Light and darkness," Lloyd read aloud. "Well, that's pretty straightforward." He looked back at the paper. "Two hearts… from… one."

"I had to fill in missing words with my best guess," Zane said. "There wasn't too much to go off of."

"Two hearts from one," Nya continued. "To channel the… other? From another… restoring with power."

"Destroying them with their power," Kai interjected. "That says destroying, not restoring."

"Actually, I'm not sure which one it is," Zane admitted. "I couldn't tell from the context." Cole repeated the entire message.

"Good and evil. Light and darkness. Two hearts from one, to channel the other from another, restoring—or destroying—them with their power."

"It sounds like a prophecy," Aura whispered from behind them.

"You're right," Nya said. "It definitely does."

"That sounds accurate, actually." Morro was hesitant to join the conversation, but thought what he had to say could be helpful. "Bansha has a tendency to follow old magic, and this definitely seems like something she would dig up."

"Great," Kai groaned. "Now we have a prophecy to deal with on top of everything else. Zane, how are those equations coming along?"

Aura, feeling like an intruder, decided to leave and go to the makeshift library, hoping to find something else that could help.

I'm not needed here, she thought glumly as the others bickered behind her. I'll only get in the way.

Morro watched her intently as she exited the room, escaping her notice.

I can't dwell on the past, he decided. All I can do is make the right decisions in the present.

Kai and Lloyd were arguing again. Little did they know that they had an audience.

"What is she still doing here?" Kai sighed. "We can't be responsible for civilians, Lloyd."

"We are responsible for civilians," Lloyd said stubbornly. "That's in the job description."

"Yeah, Ninjago civilians. She's not even from this dimension. She doesn't belong here."

"Well, what do you want us to do, then?" Lloyd tried not to raise his voice too much. "Send her off somewhere else?"

"Yes!"

Unbeknownst to them, Aura was huddled outside the doorway, listening intently to their conversation. She had happened to be walking by a few seconds earlier and heard her name, and couldn't help but eavesdrop. If they're talking about me, I want to hear it, had been her reasoning.

Now she was regretting it.

I knew they didn't want me here, she thought. But it still hurts to hear. She realized she was missing what was happening, and tuned back into the sounds around her.

"We had my father staying on our ship the first time he was evil," Lloyd continued. "We literally have Morro staying here right now."

"Yeah, for a reason," Kai retorted. "We already know to keep our enemies close, but there's no point in keeping Aura here. She's not part of the team, and she never will be."

"I know that!" Lloyd said indignantly. "You think I don't know that? I'm not saying make her a ninja, Kai, I'm saying that we should give shelter to a homeless civilian with nowhere else to go." Aura's heart jolted at that.

Homeless civilian. I never thought of myself like that before, but I guess it's true.

"Besides, it's our fault that Morro escaped in the first place, remember? When we sent my father to the Cursed Realm?" Kai winced, knowing that the incident still ate at him.

"I know," he deflected. "But why are you being so attached all of a sudden? Are you in love with her or something?"

Lloyd only fixed him with a stony glare that said are you kidding me right now?

"Just saying," Kai kept going, "Remember what happened the last time you let in someone you thought we could trust?"

"I'm not in love with her, and Aura isn't Harumi," Lloyd snapped, although Kai had hit a nerve. "She's harmless."

I guess I am harmless, Aura thought from behind the door. Don't know too much about Harumi, but I'm assuming she betrayed them. As if I could fool them long enough to do that.

"Whatever," Kai shrugged. "You're our leader, and I trust your judgement." He walked out the door, and Aura quickly dove to the side out of his sight. Lloyd followed after him, both of them out of Aura's earshot.

"I value your input," he said, jogging to catch up with Kai, "But she stays."

As she trudged back to her room, Aura tried to calm her simmering anger.

I don't know why I'm feeling like this.

Actually, I do, she thought. It's not my fault I was kidnapped! I was at the wrong place at the wrong time! They chose to rescue me, and now they're complaining about me staying? Not that I'm ungrateful, but isn't this part of their job?

Then again, I'm not one of their people. And I'm sure they're used to sorting out their problems pretty quickly. Who knows if they've ever had to entertain a guest outside of a life-or-death battle scenario.

I guess that would be pretty annoying.

Though she tried to talk herself down, it wasn't working. She still felt adrenaline thrumming within her, a strange need to prove herself.

"I want to show them," she said. "No, I want to show myself that I'm capable of doing something other than taking up space. At least that I can defend myself."

How would I go about doing that?

She recalled the fateful night when her life had gone awry, stars twinkling above her as she was pulled into a swirling portal.

If I could do it all again, she mused. Would I have been able to stop him?

Only one way to find out. Her heart beat faster as she made an impulsive decision, and she raced through the rooms of the monastery. She was going to seek out a ghost, and not even her own common sense could stop her.

Do I have a death wish? She thought as she felt her pulse in her eardrums. Perhaps. Maybe I am seeking out my own destruction.

She skidded to a halt outside of the doorway, spotting Morro leaning against the wall inside.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Her heart was much steadier than expected, although her breathing was harsh and abrupt.

Aura entered the room without a second thought, her need to expel her pent-up energy clouding her judgement.

Morro's eyes widened as he registered who had entered the room.

"Aura?"

He still spoke softly, as if not to startle her. "Are you okay? What are you doing here?" She clenched her hands into fists to stop them from trembling.

"Fight me," she said shakily.

"What?!" She closed her eyes and opened them again. I'm not there anymore. I'm safe. It's been three years.

"I said I want you to fight me." Her voice was thankfully more stable now. Morro curled into himself slightly.

"Why?" he asked, moving away from her. She almost laughed at the sight. "Why would you want me to do that? I'm not going to hurt you, and I definitely won't attack you."

"But I want you to," Aura repeated, shivering. "Please. I need to know… if it could have been different." She met his eyes, green and strangely vulnerable.

To say that Morro was confused was an understatement.

What in the world is she thinking? his internal dialogue screamed. And what should I do? I just promised myself I would protect her, and obviously attacking her goes against that. But if she wants me to do something, I also don't want to turn her down.

He looked back at Aura, taking in her trembling limbs and steady gaze. She's going to seek out a fight, whether someone gives her one or not. He turned towards her fully. Maybe I should agree. I can just go easy on her and hope it fixes whatever mad urge has overcome her.

"Okay," he finally said. Aura had been watching him think it over. "Weapons or no?"

Am I really doing this? Aura thought. "No weapons," she had said. "But you can use your powers. And don't go easy on me."

Now, as she stepped back into a fighting stance and raised her fists, she regretted every moment in her life that had led her to this one.

I can't do anything about it now. Her heartbeat sounded like elephants stampeding through her mind.

Morro was standing still, so Aura made the first move and lurched forward, aiming for his jaw just as she had done three years ago. He blinked in surprise before quickly phasing out of existence. This time, she was ready for it, and retracted her punch before it could pull her to the ground.

Why isn't he attacking? He must have sensed her frustration, and materialized behind her, shoving her shoulder. Aura lurched forwards but caught herself, using her momentum to spin around and aim a kick at his ear. She was fast enough that it actually connected, pushing the ghost to the side.

She could tell that Morro was shocked she had actually managed to hit him. He started attacking her in earnest with gusts of air, which was exactly what she had been trying to evoke. Aura dodged the first few blows, but one punched her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her with considerable force.

Aura flew back and slammed into the wall, sliding to the floor as she lost her grip. Ugh, she groaned, lifting a hand to her head. That hurt. Her mind went blank with fear as she saw the ghost still approaching. Suddenly, she was in another time, another place.

A hand, outstretched. She covered her head and flinched away from him, bracing for a blow.

"-ra? Aura?" An urgent voice, a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay? Please say something." She opened her eyes slowly, not realizing she had squeezed them tightly shut.

"You stopped," she said without thinking. Morro didn't seem to follow her train of thought, trailing over her prone figure with worried eyes. He wanted to reach out and make sure she was intact, but he was also hesitant to touch her.

"I'm sorry," was all he could say in the end. "I swear, I didn't mean to throw you like that."

"It's fine." She turned away, bracing herself against the wall and trudging out the door.

"Wait!" Morro called out after her. Aura froze.

"What is it?"

"What were you trying to accomplish?" He was back to whispering again. "Why did you do that?" She broke, not being able to hold it in any longer.

"It's not fine," she cried out. "I failed. Even with what I know now, I would have still ended up here." Her legs wobbled beneath her, and she sank to the floor, not caring anymore if Morro attacked her.

Finally, he seemed to understand.

"No," he interjected. "No, you're wrong." She glanced up. "Listen." He crouched down to her level. "You can't blame yourself for this. I'm the only one to blame."

I should have defended myself, she thought stubbornly, still wary of getting close to him. And why am I seeking comfort from the one who hurt me? Has he really changed that much in three years?

"Why," she choked on a cough amidst her sobs. "Why did you do it?" She locked eyes with him. "Why did you kidnap me?"

Now Morro was the one who looked like he was going to cry.

"Tomorrow," he murmured. "Ask me again tomorrow, and I'll tell you everything."

That evening, they went their separate ways, both of them tossing and turning as they tried to guess what the other was thinking.

A flash of brilliance as the dawn broke heralded a pencil scribbling on paper.

"I did it," Zane said with satisfaction as he looked down at the completed equations. "So that means the next portal will be opening in…" He inhaled sharply. "Two weeks. We have two weeks to prepare for battle."

A/N: If you leave a comment it would make my day :)