AN: *checking reviews throughout the break* IT'S BEEN TWO WEEKS, WHERE ARE MY REVIEWERS?!
*checks Thursday night to find ten reviews in one day*
Bless you, FFF, I've missed you. :')
Review Replies
2240713356: Wu and Garmadon arriving BEFORE Morro? You think I'd make it that easy?! NEVER
phetiamwantip: As the author, I am legit worried about the boys using the teapot when Abby's not in the room, because... c'mon, it's a wish-granting genie. And they haven't met Nadakhan yet, so they don't know how big of a NO-NO that is. But also as the author, I don't want to be dealing with Morro AND Nadakhan at the same time, so for now, anything dealing with Skybound is just... getting pushed over here. *pats the post-Possession chapters*
FirstFandomFangirl: Hon, thank you so much for all the fun reviews, although I did have to go back over some of the older chapters so I could figure out what you were talking about at times, lol. For replies, I'm just gonna hit the highlights:
- IM SORRY I KEEP FORGETTING TO GIVE LLOYD HUGS HE WILL BE GETTING MORE IN THE FUTURE
- No romance in this fic, sorry; got too much of it in my others. :)
- Yes, "Ninjargon" is the real name of the Ninjagian language, lol, you can google it.
- "Ghostmadon" is a plot bunny that's been nagging me since I read OTTWCD and I just had to make it a thing. ;)
- Yeah, girl, you're canon! XD I refuse to take credit for the Allied Armor loophole.
- I actually got writer's block on that Minecraft oneshot, I'm sorry! :'( I swear, I'm gonna finish it at some point, tho.
We had to be careful once we reached the area around Ronin's shop. Jay had the hood of his cloak tugged up to hide his face, and we moved slowly, keeping alert for any sign of Morro or other hostiles. I scanned the area as we arrived, but I didn't spot Kai at first. It wasn't until Jay nudged me and pointed to a small alley between some buildings that I saw him. The Fire Ninja was half-hidden in the shadows, another cloak over his head as he leaned against the wall. He looked mysterious and shady, fitting in perfectly with the town's atmosphere.
The brunet perked up as we approached, stepping out from the shadows so we could see his hopeful face.
"You guys here to take over?" he asked, his voice hushed as we joined him. I nodded.
"Yep. We also got a call from Sensei Wu; he said he and Garmadon are all right and are on their way here."
"Anything about Lloyd?"
I shook my head regretfully, "Only that what we already suspected is true. Morro's possessing him. The Senseis have no idea how he escaped."
Kai growled under his breath, "That creep. I swear, when I get my hands on him, I'm going to beat him out of Lloyd myself!"
"Oookay, tiger," Jay said, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace, "Don't forget, Morro or no, that's still Lloyd's body. He's still in there… right?"
He cast me a doubtful look, which I responded to with an encouraging smile, "Yeah, he's still in there. And we'll figure out how to get him back, all right? Morro can't keep him from us forever."
Kai grunted, "Not if he wants to keep all his limbs."
A startled snort escaped my throat, and the brunet grinned.
"Anyway," he said, rolling his shoulders as though to shake off the tension, "I guess I'll head back. Can't let you guys have all the fun with Airjitzu."
"Call it Cyclondo!" Jay suggested as Kai slipped past us. The brunet paused and glanced back, giving me a confused look. I just rolled my eyes.
"Don't ask," I muttered, "Let us know if anything comes up with the girls or the Senseis."
"Will do," the boy replied with a nod before he turned away. In a moment, he had vanished into the twisting streets of Stiix.
The second Kai was gone, Jay let out a breath, "Soo… now what?"
"What, never been on a stakeout before?" I teased as I moved further into the alley Kai had abandoned, "We watch and we wait. Morro's got to show up soon."
"I know that," the redhead retorted as he followed me, "I just mean, like…" He made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat, "Never mind."
He leaned against the wall in Kai's place, propping one foot up and crossing his arms. I chose to sit on the ground, my back resting against the opposite wall. Immediately, I could see why Kai had chosen this position. Not only was it facing Ronin's front door, but it also gave a clear view of the surrounding area. We could see down most of the branching streets as well as a good bit of the rooftops, so Morro couldn't sneak in from above.
For a while, nothing happened. Jay got fidgety and started pacing the alley, muttering to himself under his breath, but I tuned him out. I focused instead on watching the people around us, drinking in their appearances and mannerisms. I liked studying people and using them as bases for characters in my stories. I wished I had a notebook so I could write down details. For the moment, I did my best to commit my favorite characters to memory.
A good half-hour passed, and my legs were starting to ache from sitting on the rough wood, so I stood up to stretch out my legs. Jay was going on some tangent about girls and relationships; I guessed his thoughts had brought him to Nya. I debated whether or not to engage the boy in the conversation when a flash of movement caught my eye. Lifting my gaze, I spotted a shady figure moving across the rooftops. His head was covered in a black hood, and he was dressed in an unmistakable, evergreen gi. A tight feeling seized my chest, and I sucked in a breath.
"Jay," I said quietly, but he didn't notice as he rambled. Louder, I repeated, "Jay!"
"Hm?" He seemed to snap out of a daze, blinking at me in surprise, "What?"
"He's here," I hissed back, not taking my eyes off of Lloyd—Morro—as he flitted across the rooftops, landing on Ronin's shop. The ghost—possessed boy?—seemed to pause and look around, and I instinctively ducked behind Jay. Thankfully, it appeared he didn't see us. With a single swift movement, Morro punched a hole in the roof and leapt inside the building. When he was gone, I took a deep breath and exhaled.
"Let's go tell the others," I said, turning to Jay, only to find that the Lightning Ninja was not beside me. Panic briefly exploded in my gut before I saw the cloaked boy leap from the roof overhead, sailing over to Ronin's shop. He somersaulted as he landed and rolled right up next to Morro's hole. I stared after him in disbelief; what was he doing?!
His intentions became clear a moment later as he crouched next to Morro's hole and peered down into the shop. He didn't seem like he was going to jump inside, and I realized he must be trying to find out what Morro was up to. While I could see why this was helpful, I also felt a flash of irritation. There was no way I was going back to the hideout without him. What was I supposed to do now except follow?
Making sure no one was watching, I hurried over to the shop and pressed myself against the wall. I didn't dare risk opening the door to listen in on the conversation, so I instead stationed myself beside a window and carefully peeked inside. By the front desk, I spotted Morro. He had his hood pulled down now, and my stomach twisted painfully when I saw his face. It looked so much like Lloyd, but… it didn't. His skin was a sickly, unnatural green, and his hair was pitch black. His eyes, usually so vibrant, had darkened to a deep, almost black sort of green. His expression was so hard and mean that I felt a shiver of fear run up my spine. I decided right then that I hated seeing Lloyd possessed.
Behind the counter stood Ronin. The two men were talking… or at least, that was how it looked at first. Ronin said something, and Morro slammed his fist against the desk, causing the older man to flinch. Ronin's expression turned into a nervous smirk as he raised his hands in surrender, and his mouth moved as he spoke. Whatever he said didn't seem to make Morro any happier, and the wind master pushed away from the desk in a gesture of frustration. Panic speared through my gut as he turned around abruptly, and I ducked out of sight. I stood with my back flat against the wall, holding my breath as I strained to make out any noise from inside.
It took me some time to pluck up enough courage to poke my head back around. Every second, I feared Morro would be facing the window and see me. Just when I was about to peep inside again, the door flew open with a bang. I yelped, then immediately regretted it as I witnessed Ronin being tossed through the door, hitting the ground hard.
"I… I'm telling the truth!" he stammered, scrambling away from the door as Morro stalked out after him, "They took the Scroll and some teapot and scrammed; I don't know where they went!"
I held my breath, frozen, as Morro stopped no more than a yard from me. If he so much as turned around, I was done for. Unfortunately, Ronin spotted me easily. Our gazes locked, and I shook my head frantically as his eyes widened, but it was too late. Morro must have noticed the man's expression, because he whirled around. I almost dropped to the ground in pure terror.
"Crud," I whispered. Morro looked just as surprised, but the expression quickly morphed into a cruel smirk.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in," he taunted, taking a step toward me. Before he could grab me, I heard a loud, "HEY!" from above. All three of us looked up as Jay leapt down from the roof, spinning his nunchucks as he glared at Morro.
"Didn't Sensei teach you better than to pick on girls and old men?" the blue ninja challenged, taking a defensive stance. Ronin looked offended by that statement, but he didn't get the chance to comment as Jay pounced at Morro with a cry of, "Run, Abby!"
I didn't hesitate to obey the order as I took off, making for the street that would take me to the hideout. I knew Jay wouldn't last long against Morro, and I had to get the other guys. Perhaps all four of them could throw Morro off long enough for us to escape.
The wind picked up, whipping my hair into my face and howling in my ears as I ran. I stumbled and glanced back to see Morro standing in the center of a whirling gale that acted as a shield against Jay's attacks. The blue ninja was struggling to get through the wind, while Ronin and the other residents of Stiix scattered. Though I feared for Jay's life, I didn't stay to watch the battle. I darted down a side street, where the buildings shielded me from the wind somewhat. I hadn't made it more than a couple of steps before a familiar scream rang out, and I skidded to a stop, glancing behind me in horror. Above the buildings, I saw a small figure go flying through the air, his cloak ripping off him.
"Oh my gosh… Jay!" I shrieked, unable to look away as I tracked the boy's flight across the sky. At the last minute, I saw a light spark around him, and his fall slowed enough that he was able to land on a rooftop, apparently unharmed. I breathed a sigh of relief, only for my chest to seize again as I heard an inhuman screech. Something big, green, and glowing rose into my vision from the direction of the pawn shop; Morro's elemental dragon.
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before Morro found me. I had to get back to the hideout now! Tearing my gaze away from the dragon, I took off again. The gale still roared over the town, and the winds pounded against me, slowing my progress. I heard the dragon give another screech, pained and furious. My heart leapt into my throat, and I wanted to cry. Was this what being in a horror movie felt like? Because I did not like it.
It was difficult for me to keep up with where I was going as I twisted through the maze-like streets. I turned a corner, only to be met with a dead end where I thought there had been an opening. Breathing heavily and still fighting with the wind, I backtracked and tried a different side-street. After some running, however, I stopped. Nothing looked familiar. I was on the verge of panic, with the sound of the dragon's roars in my ears and without any sense of where I was.
A flash of green flitted overhead, and I flinched as I ducked under a nearby canopy. My heart raced as I pressed my back against the wall, trying to recover my breath. I had no idea where I was, and with Morro hunting me… Was he hunting me or Jay? I didn't know anymore.
Abruptly, the wind stopped. I sucked in a sharp breath, my mind racing with the implications of this. Had he decided to resume the search on foot? Had he found Jay, or had he given up?
A minute passed, and nothing happened. I realized I needed to go back to finding the boys. Whatever Morro had done, the dragon was gone. I had to find my way back to Ronin's shop and from there to the hideout, preferably before any unsavory characters started revealing themselves.
I waited until my heart had stopped racing before I pulled myself off the wall. I kept my eyes and ears peeled for any sign of an enemy; nothing. For a split second, I thought I was in the clear. Then, as I stepped out from beneath the canopy, a figure dropped from overhead. I instinctively screamed and stumbled back, but I wasn't fast enough. Before I could react, Morro dashed forward and caught my arm in a vice-like grip. I couldn't even bring myself to fight as I stared at him in horror, watching his expression twist into a triumphant sneer.
"Gotcha."
AN: UH OH
