Hey guys here again with a new chapter. So sorry this took so long it's just that s much crazy stuff has been going on I guess I just got super distracted.

ItsYoGreenGirl - Thank you! Also great job on your new chapter of It Takes Two. People go read her story she's an awesome writer. Also yeah we about to get some back story for our resident angsty wind master

Phetiamwantip- Thank you hope you like this new chapter!

Chapter 19

"Do you know how to read?"

ForgottenFamily

"Yeah of course, I'm not an idiot" Morro replied staring Wu in the eye with as much as conviction that was possible for a fourteen year old whose face was stuffed to the brim with noodles . The boy's increase in training hours, had caused his appetite to increase greatly.

"Oh? If it's alright may I ask how? I know it must have been difficult considering your previous circumstances. " The blond man asked, sparing a small glance back at the wind master, before turning his attention back to the stove where a rapidly heating up tea pot innocently sat.

Swallowing his food down in one gulp, Morro bit his lip, whilst lowering his hands beneath the table so Wu wouldn't be able to see his tightly clenched fists.

'D*mnit! Why does he always have to keep pushing!'

Back when the blond man had first taken him in he wouldn't have dared questioning Morro on anything this personal ,but that was a while ago, before the wind master even knew he was destined to be the green ninja, savior of Ninjago.

As a tense silence began to settle between the two like a blanket, Morro's mind began to frantically stitch together a lie that would get the blond man to back down. He couldn't let Wu know that he was illiterate, if he knew he would see him as just some stupid street rat who had no chance of being the green ninja!

'C'mon think, think, think!' The wind master mentally told himself.

When it appeared his sensei was about to spare Morro another over the shoulder glance, the boy panicked and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"My mom!"

The blond man startled before turning around completely so that he was staring wide eyed at his student.

Steeling his nerves, Morro continued, hoping the trembling in his voice would be perceived as his emotions getting out of control and not fear of his lie not being believed.

"She...she taught me before,...before...she...died." The wind master decided to fake a cough hoping it would make him sound more genuine. "She told me that...that was the only thing she had left to give." Morro finished, silently cursing himself for not being able to force tears out of his eyes. It would have been nice to be able to add that extra touch just to be make sure there was no way Wu couldn't believe his little fib.

His sensei , as naively trusting as always returned the black haired boy's lie with a sympathetic expression before closing the gap between them and wrapping his arms around the teenager's shoulders in a tight hold.

Startled at the contact, and the fact that it was Wu who was giving it to him (considering the blond man had usually refrained from this kind of thing unless Morro initiated it himself) the wind master could only stand there frozen for a few moments before suddenly his frantic thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Wu's voice.

"I'm,...I'm so sorry Morro." If possible the blond man seemed to squeeze the wind master even tighter. "I know that must have been hard for you to reveal, but...I want you to know I appreciate how much trust you have placed in me. My mother was also taken from me at a young age and... I can't imagine how I would have survived without my brother and father."

Morro sucked in a breathe when his sensei paused briefly to card a hand through his thick raven locks. "I want you to know that, you don't have to worry about surviving this pain alone anymore, I'm here for you now and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon."

As these comforting words were uttered Morro's mind finally caught up with reality and he was able to tentatively return the blond man's embrace.

The two stood like this in silence for a while until finally Wu decided to release the black haired boy when the familiar whistle of a burning teapot pierced the air. Without any preamble, his sensei quickly turned back around to attend his precious tea.

As soon as Morro was relieved from the man's gaze, he couldn't help allowing a brief feeling of relief to wash over him.

Still though, anxiety began to fill his mind as he thought up a thousand and one theoretical scenarios in which he wouldn't be able to hide his illiteracy from his 'caretaker', and as a result this once in a life time ticket to escaping his meaningless , poverty filled life would be snatched away with the wind never to return.

After all how could Wu believe him to be the green ninja, savior of Ninjago if he knew how stupid Morro really was.

'No.! The wind master mentally snapped at himself. 'I'm NOT stupid and no one can tell me otherwise.' He determinedly thought. 'All I need to do is show Sensei how much I want this, he won't be able to deny me once he sees. I just...I know he won't. He'll see.'

ForgottenFamily

"Uh hey everything okay?"

Morro startled slightly as Lloyd's voice sliced through his memory like a katana. Raising his head up so that he could stare into the blonde's emerald green irises, the former ghost attempted to speak.

" uh...I.."

The wind master paused lowering his head down to stare at his shaking hands as he struggled to come up with something to say. His mind felt like it had been caught up in perilous whirlwind.

Then suddenly an idea appeared.

'Just tell him the lie you told Wu all those years ago.'

Yes, that was perfect, that would surely get the blonde off his back. Feeling Lloyd's eyes on him, Morro looked back up to face the green ninja. The lie was on the tip of his tongue all he had to do was utter it.

" Well, I...you see..."

'What are you doing!' The wind master mentally screamed at himself. 'Why are you hesitating just say it.'

"I...I..."

Morro couldn't understand why it suddenly felt like his tongue had turned to lead. He had lied to his sensei, the only person who ever gave a sh*t about him with as much as ease as one might tie their shoe. Yet right here and now, lying about something as trivial as this just seemed too,...meaningless.

'It's because it is pointless' A voice whispered inside Morro's head. 'Can't you see how pathetic this all is, what's the point? To save what little pride you have left well what's the point of carrying any pride at all now, it's not like-'

"Uh hey Morro c'mon can't you just...say something?"

Morro ignored Lloyd's question because it was at this moment an epiphany came to the wind master and he could now see everything clearly.

'Back then when I lied to Wu, I was going to be the green ninja. I was going to have a purpose!'

This realization made Morro tremble as he began to fall deeper into this familiar mental rabbit hole. Everything he did, he did because he believed that he was going to be someone. Someone important, special. His suffering would have meant something. It wouldn't have just been meaningless because it would have served the purpose of making him stronger and tougher so that he would be all the more ready to take up the mantle of the green ninja.

Even when he was sent to the cursed realm, even when the blonde brat had been given the gi instead of him, there was always that hope, that determination that fueled every fiber of his being. Now though...now it was gone. There was nothing left. It's almost funny, Morro believes he actually felt less like a shell of a human being than he was nothing more than an angry vengeful spirit. At least then, he wasn't so...pathetic

'Now look at me,' He thought bitterly. 'I'm nothing. What am I even doing here?

As a mountain of emotions the wind master had tried so hard to suppress, suddenly came toppling down inside him, he wasn't sure what to do or say. He could vaguely hear Lloyd trying to talk to him again, but it sounded as nothing more than static to the former ghost. The world around of him seemed to fade away as a less than pleasant mantra began repeating itself over and over again inside his mind.

'You're patheticpatheticpatheticpatheticpatheticpatheticPATHETICPATHETICPATHETIC!'

Morro couldn't take it anymore. He had to get out there. Out of that room, out of that stupid cottage. He had to leave right now!

Without warning, the former ghost mindlessly shoved Jasper off his lap and shot to his feet. Not even chancing a look at the shocked expression no doubt present on Lloyd's features, Morro wasted no time in breaking into sprint out the bedroom door. As he ran down the hallway, the wind master felt himself sink even further into his mind, so much so that he didn't even register the fact that Koso wasn't there to scold him or the sound of Lloyd footsteps as the blond hastily tried to follow him.

Wanting to lose the green ninja, Morro mustered as much energy as his thin body could manage before he sprinted out the cottage's entrance. The thick grass of the meadow nor the darkness surrounding him could slow him down.

He didn't care if Koso would soon be after him, he didn't care how stupid he must look running mindlessly into the pitch black night, all he cared about was getting as far as away from everyone and everything that he possibly could.

Maybe,...maybe then he wouldn't feel so,...

...PATHETIC.

ForgottenFamily

"What just happened?" Lloyd asked aloud as he stood frozen in the kitchen eyes stuck to the front door Morro had just run out of. The green ninja felt so stunned he briefly wondered if this was some weird dream he was having. Then again though, this whole scenario should be some wild fever dream in the first place ,but that was beside the point.

Jasper seemed as equally confused ,but not for long because the suddenly his nose twitched and then without any preamble the Nira wolf took off out the front door into the night, most likely intent on catching up to the wind master.

Before Lloyd could even think to stop the animal, he realized he hadn't heard a word from-

'Koso?!'

Lloyd turned around and scanned every inch of the small kitchen. Shockingly though he could find no trace of the sedge hat wearing man.

Throwing a hand to his forehead, the green ninja let out a confused groan as he mentally questioned.

'Where the hell is Koso!?'

A beat of silence passed before out of nowhere, as if he had heard what Lloyd had been thinking, Koso's silhouette appeared in the front doorway as he entered the cottage.

"Well that took longer than expected oh well at least now I can-" Koso paused his monologue, most likely so he could take in the strange sight before him.

"Okay," Koso said with a less than subtle hint of exasperation. "I'll give you three seconds to explain to me why-"

"Morro ran off!" Lloyd blurted out cutting the sedge hat wearing man off.

Koso's eyes widened in alarm as he slowly allowed that statement to sink in.

"What? What do you mean he ran off?"

"I mean, he just took off. No warning, no...anything!"

Letting out a tired sigh Koso, pinched the bridge of his nose, whilst closing his eyes in an obvious display.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing! I was just talking to him and-"

"Okay, okay when did he take off?"

"Just now! Didn't you see? Where were you?!"

Koso's eyes shot open as the question left Lloyd's lips as a look of surprise graced his angular features.

"That is none of your concern. All you need to be worried about is not planning any foolish escape attempts, while I go get that little ungrateful brat!" The teal eyed man explained as he began to turn around and head out the still broken front door.

"What?! Wai-"

Without so much as sparing the blonde an over the shoulder glance, Koso raised his right hand into the air, sufficiently silencing the green ninja.

"As I said don't even think of running away, I don't have time to make another barrier ,but I think this should serve as enough of a nice incentive for you not try anything." With that Koso snapped his fingers and Lloyd's wrist were suddenly adorning a familiar pair of vengestone bracelets.

"Hey!" Lloyd shouted in frustration as the harshly cold metal was already beginning to make his skin itch.

Lowering his hand once more Koso replied with a shrug saying. " My apologies ,but I can't take any chances. Just know that if you try running off like Morro, you won't get far on foot and I'll catch up to you in no time and if that happens," Koso paused to give Lloyd a fierce stare that made the green ninja feel as if those sharp teal eyes were peering into his soul. "let's just say I might not be in a pleasant mood."

With that Koso disappeared out the doorway into the cold black night

Thank you guys for reading and sticking around for this story. Sorry again it took so long to update and I know this chapter is short ,but I promise the next one will be longer. Also all of y'all be careful and stay safe!