AN: Remember when I said I would try and get back to my regular posting schedule? I was wrong. My posting schedule is shot. Have a chapter.

Review Replies
phetiamwantip: Lol, good! I was worried that chapter might be too fast-paced or confusing, but I'm glad you liked it!

2240713356: I didn't want things to go EXACTLY like canon in case I accidentally started using it as a crutch, so yeah, a major difference for me was freeing Lloyd, lol. I had originally planned for Abby to get kidnapped much later, but I realized it wouldn't give her the time she needed with Morro. This earlier capture ended up making things way more fun anyway.
And don't worry, Kai's fine. Mostly. XD

WafflesAndLifeProblems: Thank you so much, you are so sweet! (Love your user, btw) If you like this fic, I'd highly recommend Oh the Things we could Do by FirstFandomFangirl. It's a Morro-centric OC/self-insert that was my main inspiration for this one.
This fic is going to be a long one, so I hope you stick around!

FirstFandomFangirl: My sister was sitting next to me as I read your reviews, so she got to hear all the fun stuff, lol
- Hehe, ofc Abby got nabbed, why would I have it any other way?
- You can snipe Morro, he is being a turd XD
- Abby can't lie to save her life, OF COURSE she's going to tell the Ninja the truth
- "SHUT UP RONIN" XD
- Jay's fiiiinne... Probably...

Before we left Stiix, I tried twice to catch Morro off guard and escape. The second time, I almost pushed him into the ocean. This made him lose patience, and he threatened to really make things miserable for me if I tried anything again. He didn't need threats to scare me, though. I didn't want to kill him. Despite everything, I still felt a strong desire to save him.

We didn't talk much during the trip inland. There wasn't anything to say. I wondered how Morro was able to summon his dragon, since I was pretty sure Wu hadn't taught him while he was alive. Then I remembered how Lloyd was able to learn Airjitzu from sharing a body with Morro, so I assumed it worked vice-versa.

It was night by the time we reached Ninjago City. Most of my terror had run its course, leaving behind a lingering sense of dread. So much had happened in just the span of a day, and when Morro decided to stop by the museum, I knew things were only going to get worse.

Sure enough, it turned out the wind master was planning to steal the Allied Armor to bring in reinforcements. At first, Morro didn't want to let me out of his sight, but I was hungry, tired, and annoyed. I ended up bugging him so much that he locked me in a bathroom while he retrieved the Armor.

I tried to break the door down, pick the lock, or call for help, but nothing worked. I finally had the bright idea to write an SOS on the mirror with the hand soap, though I wasn't sure how much good it would do. I had told the Ninja everything they needed to know about how to get the Realm Crystal. I just needed to figure out how to stall Morro.

I was struggling to stay awake by the time Morro came back for me, the Allied Armor adorning his chest. We left the museum, and despite my best efforts, I found myself dozing off. When my head settled on his cold shoulder, I vaguely felt him tense up, but he didn't say anything. Part of me wanted to stay awake; it might help for me to know where we were going from here. But another part of me knew I would need my strength for whatever lay ahead. And I was so tired…

I think I spent the rest of the flight in and out of sleep, but I couldn't be sure. Time blurred together. When I finally woke up for good, it was morning. I could tell by the soft light that filtered through the window of the room I was in. At first, I wasn't sure where I was or how I had gotten there. As I started to become more aware of my surroundings, however, my memories returned, accompanied by a twisted knot of dread in my gut. Instantly, I wanted to bury myself under the covers and pretend for a few moments that nothing had happened, but the aching emptiness in my stomach urged me up.

I was surprised to find I was in a building at all, much less in a bed. Granted, it was nothing more than a small, thin cot that made my back ache… but it was still something. I readjusted my glasses before I stood and stretched out the kinks in my body. As I started pacing to get feeling back into my limbs, I assessed my surroundings. The room I was in was small and had little furnishing; just the cot and an empty, overturned dresser in the corner. There was no lightbulb or switch to be seen, and thick cobwebs hung from the ceiling.

Must be abandoned, I thought with a small sense of relief. At least this meant Morro hadn't chased anyone out of their home. The glass in the window was broken, and for a split second, I wondered if I could escape that way. When I went to investigate further, however, I found the window was boarded up from the outside. The gaps were large enough for light to stream through, but not enough for me to wriggle out. With a soft huff, I went to inspect the door instead.

Of course, the door was locked. I didn't know what else I had been expecting. I tried the knob once before I let it go. Instead, I pressed my ear to the door and listened. I could hear muffled voices from the other side, and though I couldn't make out any words, I recognized the voices; Morro had summoned his allies.

For a moment, I strained to hear any details of the conversation, but it was no use. With a soft sigh, I returned to the other end of the room and flopped down on the cot. My stomach grumbled, and I hugged my arms around my middle. I hadn't eaten anything since noon yesterday, and I was starving. I hoped Morro planned to feed me soon… The way the thought worded itself in my head made me mentally recoil in disgust. This was not a situation I ever expected to find myself in; kidnapped, a prisoner… alone…

Before my emotions could spiral any further down, I heard the voices growing louder. I stiffened, then shot to my feet as the doorknob jiggled. The door swung open, and Morro stepped inside, smirking at me.

"Hey there, princess," he said, "Finally finished with your beauty rest?"

My empty stomach churned, and I pressed my lips together tightly. I wanted to shoot off some smart retort, but any reply I had died on my lips when I caught a glimpse of a pale, green figure behind Morro. When I didn't answer, the wind master jerked his head, "Come on. I want to introduce you to my friends."

He stepped aside, leaving the doorway open as he watched me expectantly. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, and my throat felt dry as I stared at the faint, sickly glow emitting from the room beyond. I really didn't want to go out there, but it wasn't like I had much of a choice.

Quickly, before I could chicken out, I forced myself to walk forward, slipping past Morro into the main room. I froze as four, cold pairs of eyes turned to me. I recognized two of them on sight. Ghoultar was a big guy, easily distinguishable by his wide-brimmed straw hat. Probably the most jarring part about him was that he was mostly skeletal; his skull head grinned at me so eerily that I had to look away. Bansha was the other one I knew immediately, given her slim, feminine figure. Her face was obscured by a hood, but her pupil-less white eyes were piercing and shrewd. It took me a second to tell between Soul Archer and Wrayth, as they seemed to have similar body builds and outfits. It was the tell-tale hints of their weapons—a quiver slung at Soul Archer's back, and a coil of chain draped across Wrayth's shoulder—that gave them away.

I wanted to be brave, but the weight of the hostile stares was overwhelming, and I found myself looking at the floor, unwilling to move. Behind me, I heard Morro shut the door before his cold grip was on my wrist, and he yanked me forward. My chest was tight, but I made myself peek up as the wind master spoke.

"This is Abby, everyone," he said, pulling me to the center of the room, "As it turns out, she knows the future and she's going to be helping us. Isn't that right, Abby?"

He said the last part in a warning tone, squeezing my wrist. I clenched my jaw hard and lifted my head, leveling his glare with a look of my own. I didn't think it was particularly angry or defiant; I was way too scared for that. But I didn't answer him either. Morro's eyes narrowed, but a scoff from Wrayth distracted him.

"This girl knows the future?" he sneered skeptically. He strutted forward, the chains across his chest jingling in a strange, echoing way. My throat tightened at the gleam in his eyes, and I shrank closer to Morro. Wrayth stopped, appraising me with a shrewd eye, "She doesn't look like an oracle. She doesn't look like much of anything."

"Maybe not, but I know what I'm talking about," Morro snapped, and there was an edge to his voice as he glared at Wrayth, "She helped the Ninja intercept me when I tried to capture the Green Ninja. She knew exactly where I was going to be and when. More importantly, she knows how to find and navigate the First Spinjitzu Master's tomb."

"I can't help you by providing shortcuts, if that's what you mean," I muttered under my breath. Morro snapped his gaze to me, and I focused on his face, trying to block out the other ghosts around us as I continued, "I told the Ninja this too. All I saw of the tomb's location was an X on a map, and it was hardly a full view. I can't give you anything like concrete coordinates; you'll still have to follow the clues left by the First Spinjitzu Master."

"Is that so?" Morro hissed dangerously. He yanked on my arm, and I released a small, startled gasp as I stumbled against him. My breath caught at the cold glitter in his eyes, "You better not be lying to me, Abby. You know how this will go if you try to trick me."

I became acutely aware of the unraveling fabric wrapped around my left hand, damp and sticky. Sucking in a soft breath to calm myself, I looked straight into Morro's eyes and said with the most level, honest voice I could muster, "I'm telling the truth. I could give you a broad, general area at best, but nothing specific enough to locate the tomb. Everything I know has to do with all the steps in between."

"Why not just possess her?" Wrayth butted in again, and Morro shot him a poisonous look.

"What an excellent idea, Wrayth," he snipped, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "I never would have thought that. Here," he shoved me forward, and I staggered just short of bumpinh into Wrayth, "Why don't you give it a try? Tell me what you find in there."

I whipped my head around to give Morro a disbelieving look, but he only crossed his arms and gave Wrayth a challenging glare. The other ghost in question seemed flustered, as though unsure of how to react to Morro's response. After a second, however, his expression hardened, and he huffed, "Fine. I will."

"Wait!" I gasped as Wrayth grabbed hold of my arm. His grip was tight, much tighter than Morro's, and I twisted against him vainly.

"Don't," I blurted out before the ghost could plunge into me, "Please, it hurts; it'll hurt both of us!"

Wrayth scoffed harshly, "Do you take me for a fool? Possession doesn't hurt. Although it can be uncomfortable, especially when you struggle."

"Wrayth, please," Bansha piped up, sounding exasperated, "Obviously, there's something wrong with her if Morro hasn't possessed her yet."

"Stop letting him bait you," Soul Archer added, eyeing Wrayth with visible disdain. At this, the chain master hesitated, and I thought his allies' advice might actually make him listen to me.

"Come on, Wrayth," Morro taunted, "Don't tell me you're scared of a defenseless girl."

Wrayth's gaze sharpened, and he shot the ghost boy a nasty look as he snapped, "I'm not!"

Without another word, he dove at me, and I gasped as ice flooded my body. I dropped to my knees, hugging my chest and squeezing my eyes shut as the cold turned to heat, and my body burned. Somehow, the pain seemed even worse than I remembered. My skin was on fire, my chest was tight, I couldn't breathe… A whimpering cry ripped from my throat as I clawed at my arms, trying to do something, anything, to get rid of the fire.

BAM!

Light flashed, and an invisible force threw me flat on my back. I lay there with my eyes shut, trying to catch my breath. My skin prickled, and I felt sore and weak. As my ears slowly stopped ringing, I realized how silent it was around me. A little scared, I blinked my eyes open, only to find the ghosts in various stages of shock. Bansha and Soul Archer were staring at me, while Ghoultar was helping Wrayth get up from where he had been blown across the room. Morro was the only one who seemed calm, still standing with his arms crossed as he gave Wrayth a smug look.

Wincing at the ache in my body, I pushed myself into a sitting position as Wrayth roared, "What was that?!"

"That," Morro said, tilting his head toward me as he gave Wrayth a condescending look, "Is what happens when you try to possess her."

"Hate to say I told you so…" Bansha rasped dryly. With a feral growl, Wrayth shook off Ghoultar's grip and straightened up.

"A little warning next time might be nice," he grumbled in Morro's direction.

I did warn you, I thought, but I didn't bother saying it aloud. I stayed on the floor, hugging my knees as I listened to the ghosts.

"What exactly was that?" Bansha asked as Wrayth and Ghoultar rejoined the group, "I don't think I've ever seen anything like it."

"You tell me," Morro retorted, "You're the expert on magic, Bansha; what kind of protection does she have?"

The ghost woman shot Morro an irritated look, but she said nothing as she stalked to me. I eyed her warily, but she only made an impatient gesture and ordered, "Get up."

I frowned but obeyed, pushing myself to my feet. My legs still felt wobbly, but I had already mostly recovered. Without a word, Bansha began to circle me, poking and prodding in uncomfortable areas. I flinched away from her, making a small protesting noise, but I didn't verbalize my objections. I waited patiently as she made her way around, muttering indistinguishably. She finally stopped in front of me as she murmured aloud, "No sign of any charms or talismans…"

She regarded me thoughtfully for a moment before she closed her eyes and started to chant quietly. I stiffened as a pale, greenish cloud accumulated near my feet, rising up to spiral around me. It was cold and made my skin crawl, and I didn't like it one bit. I flapped my hands to shoo the fog away, and Bansha stopped chanting. To my relief, the cloud dissipated, and the uncomfortable sensation faded. I turned my attention back to Bansha as she narrowed her eyes at me.

"I am not sensing any spells, enchantments, or curses," the sorceress said finally, looking at Morro, "And she wears no protective charms. Whatever she is doing, it is outside of my realm of understanding."

I'm not doing anything, I wanted to protest, but my mouth stayed shut. I watched the ghosts silently and warily. Wrayth still looked frustrated by his embarrassment, while Ghoultar stared at me with shameless curiosity. Morro's expression pinched, and he gave me an irritated look, as though my inability to be possessed was personally offensive. Soul Archer, I noticed, had an odd look on his face. It was difficult to tell with his mask, but the look in his eyes was suspicious and thoughtful.

"I think I have seen something like this before," he said finally, his tone slow but sure.

"What do you mean?" Morro demanded as he and the other ghosts instantly riveted eyes on the bowman. Soul Archer feigned nonchalance as he adjusted the cuff of his sleeve.

"When I was a child," he began, not meeting anyone else's eyes, "There was a place near my village known as Arawn's Pass. It was said to be haunted by the ghost of a deceased warrior. On a whim one day, a group of children—myself included—ventured into the pass to test if the legend was true. As it turned out, it was. Arawn was a ghost warrior who had managed to escape the Cursed Realm shortly after his death, and he chose to haunt the pass near my village. He confronted our group and threatened to kill us. To make the situation more frightening, he attempted to possess one of the other children, but something went wrong. When Arawn assaulted the boy, he began to scream and convulse. The boy glowed, and Arawn was expelled out of him a moment later, which gave us all the chance to escape."

Soul Archer paused and finally glanced up, locking his gaze on me. A chill ran up my spine at the dark, calculating look in his eyes.

"Arawn," he went on quietly, "Was never heard from again."

A heavy silence fell after that. My mind was reeling with this information, and I was more confused than ever. I had assumed the protection had something to do with how I came to Ninjago, but if it was a phenomenon that had been going on for years, maybe centuries… I had no idea what to make of it now.

"Uh, Ghoultar not understand," Ghoultar said, reaching up to scratch his skull.

"What is it that made the boy in your village different from the rest?" Morro asked impatiently, "I possessed the Green Ninja fine; what is it that makes her different?"

He gestured forcefully to me, and I bit my lip, but I watched Soul Archer over the top of my glasses. Could it be that he had some kind of answer? Would Morro be able to find a way around my protection? If I could be possessed, it would be game over for me and the Ninja.

In response to Morro's question, Soul Archer shrugged.

"Nothing," he replied bluntly, "He was not different from the rest of us. In fact, I always assumed it was something to do with Arawn that did not allow him to possess beings. But… you say this girl has resisted your control as well?"

Morro nodded, and Soul Archer shook his head, "Then I have no answer."

AN: Alrighty, the gang's all here, and y'all get a little more info on Abby's "ghost protection." Don't worry, all will be revealed in time...

Until next chapter!