A/N: Sorry again for the delay! Imma be real, I forgot to post again. Chapter 11 soon, hopefully! I hope you've been enjoying. But like, read it on AO3 if you want to see all the dope art and formatting work and stuff I've done. Also AO3 is on chapter 13. But hey, if you're hell bent on reading on FFN, I'll try not to keep you waiting! Thanks again for reading!

Foggy Skies

First Spinjitzu Master, Jay hated Cole.

That was a lie, obviously. He didn't hate Cole. What he did hate was that idiot's alarming habit of being the one to fall into very deep pits all alone when trying to save lost brothers.

Granted, it had only happened twice so far, but that's a pattern as far as Jay was concerned.

Although, Jay wasn't sure he was much better, seeing as he had also jumped after Cole and Kai. The problem was that Cole and Kai had already hit the ground on the other side of the portal. And Jay caught a glimpse of what looked an awful lot like an explosion shattering the portal-making artifact.

Which had the frustrating effect of closing the portal.

Because of course, right? It couldn't just be easy. To get a Green Ninja back, they had to lose a Red Ninja. To get rid of a ghost, they had to get rid of two.

Now, Jay would have continued waxing philosophically about this deep and totally-not-at-all-dumb dilemma, except for the fact that he was plummeting into a bottomless pit without a magic portal to the Underworld there to catch him.

He had a brief bout of sheer brilliance as he sort of just accepted the fact that he was falling and that it appeared like falling would be his fate for the foreseeable future. Then he remembered that he could fly so like, he got on that.

Unfortunately, his balance was all over the place on account of a nice rainbow of scrapes and bumps (and possibly a broken rib or two, but who's counting) from trying to fight three ghosts at once. Which like, was fine, whatever, except for the fact that he sort of undershot the ledge and also careened into the river when he tried to use his Airjitzu.

So, he was pretty ready to have the boulder roll back down the hill. That is to say, end up falling off the cliff again where he'd have to try and catch himself until it finally stuck. Fortunately, however, they had Nya, and Nya was just the best.

We could be Yin and Yang someday, he thought with fondness in his heart as the river neglected to send him back over the ledge, instead slowing enough that he could take her hand and pull himself back onto solid-ish ground, a bit out of breath.

He would have loved to ruminate more on Kai and Cole and that whole situation, but he had to put a pin in that one, because the room was rapidly flooding, and also quaking from the absolutely insane fight between Cole and Morro. And Zane had more exposed wiring than Jay was comfortable with. So "escape first, angst later" would have to be the plan.

"Go go go!" was all he shouted, barely back on his feet as he took a stumbling start towards the waterfall from which they had entered. He gave Nya a tug on the wrist, which was all she needed to get moving. Zane shifted from holding Lloyd in a bridal carry to supporting him in a sort of piggyback ride. Thankfully, it seemed Lloyd was conscious enough to more or less hold on himself.

In his periphery, Jay saw Nya grab Cole's scythe, which she inserted through the strap for her spear.

So they ran. Now, unlike Cole, Jay had this amazing immunity to water. So when a rock in the ceiling gave out and unleashed a spout of water right in front of him, he could shake it off and just keep running. Unfortunately, to get this amazing power, he had to trade it for a severe allergy to flying boulders. So when a stalactite threatened to crush-slash-impale him, that one was a bit more pressing.

"Watch out!" Nya yelled. Jay lost his breath as she slammed into him just in time to send them both out of the rock's path. They landed on the ground in a heap of person and rubble. And wow that hurt, like a lot. He'd give it an over-under of eighty or so for a broken rib.

Zane was watching them with wide eyes. "Are you okay!?"

"Nya! You're bleeding!" Jay gasped. Which was a bad idea, because he couldn't help but break into an agonizing coughing fit.

Nya's left arm was a bloody mess. "It's fine," she grunted. "It looks worse than it is." She scooped her spear off the ground with her other hand and sheathed it on the strap on her back. "Hurry, let's just go!"

Jay just nodded and took off. He was still the fastest, so he was the first to take a leaping jump through the waterfall they had first emerged from. A moment later came Zane- Lloyd was still on his back, and seemed to be trying to clear his lungs of some stray water. Nya came shortly after.

From there, they ran. Thankfully, the door to Nya's room was still open, and the room itself seemed mostly undamaged. They slowed to a halt in the glowing blue room, and Nya finally collapsed, gasping for breath.

"Think… we're safe…?" She asked, pulling her hood back.

Jay himself was trying to take shallow breaths as he kept a hand on his chest, but that was really a losing battle with how winded he felt. "Not… if you jinx it." He also removed his mask after a moment.

"I believe we are safe for the time being," Zane said quietly, still with Lloyd on his back. "However, we shouldn't rest for long. Lloyd needs a hospital."

"He's not the only one," Jay said with a wince.

Then Jay heard Lloyd's voice, small and exhausted in a way that made his chest tight. "We don't… have time for a hospital. We gotta get Kai and Cole…"

Jay and Nya exchanged a look. "Yeah but… how even can we?" Jay asked. "Where did they go?" He hadn't really gotten a good look at the other side of the portal.

Lloyd tried to speak, only for him to groan in pain. But, credit to Lloyd's insane toughness, he kept talking. "I think I saw… A Ferris wheel. Made of bones or something…"

Okay. That one got Jay. He broke into another painful coughing fit as he tried to stop his chest from trying to explode. He met Zane's gaze with a wide-eyed stare. "The Underworld?!" He hissed.

"That's… what it sounds like," the Nindroid admitted. "I don't have a record of any other location with Ferris wheels made of bones."

Nya pounded her fist into her palm. "Great! There's an entrance to the Underworld in the Temple of Fire!"

"Didn't the Temple of Fire explode?" Jay asked. That was a particularly vivid memory. The volcano behind it erupting into a cloud of fire and smoke that he had been certain killed two of his brothers.

Zane shook his head. "No. It was the volcano behind it that did. We may yet be able to find the entrance."

Lloyd must have moved wrong or something, because he suddenly hissed in what must have been agony- Jay could see his arms seizing up. Those burns were looking painful, too.

Zane paused, allowing Lloyd's pain to pass before continuing. "But first, we all need treatment. The Temple of Fire is more than a day's journey away. We can take the time there for recovery and repairs."

Jay and Nya nodded. It was as good (terrible) a plan as any. Some broken bones weren't anything a good night's sleep couldn't fix.

So they walked back towards the entrance. It felt somewhat anticlimactic, walking back through the tomb in a sort of stunned quiet. They had Lloyd back, but without Cole and Kai, it was hard to celebrate.

After a couple minutes of walking, they reached Cole's room. Nya pursed her lips. "Careful not to trip over the debris."

And there really was a lot of it. The ground was so uneven; little shards of crystal littered the ground like a mountain of caltrops. "Ugh, yeah. Out of all the rooms to be destroyed, it had to be the one full of pointy rocks."

"That's probably ideal," Zane said softly. "The alternative could have been a room of lava." He looked around slowly. "Although, I would have much preferred all rooms staying intact."

"Hey, it'll be fine!" Jay declared. "We've faced worse odds. Just 'cuz his destiny got messed with doesn't mean it can't still all work out."

Hopefully. Because if Cole's destiny was messed up, the last thing Jay wanted was for it to butterfly effect into ruining the rest of their destinies. He liked some of what he saw on his walls.

"Cole's tough," Jay finished.

Nya's lips quirked up into a partial smile. They both jumped a bit as they heard Lloyd mumble.

"He's the toughest… I hope he's okay… he's… he's in danger."

Jay put a hand on Lloyd's shoulder, deciding to ignore how his body protested the action. "Hey, don't worry. Cole and Kai are going to be fine. They're in the Underworld, but that's nothing we haven't dealt with before. I mean- if anything, it should be easy since like, the Underworld was the first thing we dealt with, and we didn't even really have powers then, unless you count making a giant Ferris wheel and…" he trailed off when he saw Lloyd's eyes glazing over. He looked near tears.

"But Morro is there, and he's possessing Kai… Kai and Cole are all alone."

Nya led the way out of Cole's damaged room. "Lloyd, they'll be fine. If anything, I'd be more worried for Morro. No two worse hellions he could be stuck with if you ask me."

Jay couldn't help but snicker despite the pain in his chest. "I mean, I feel bad for anyone that's stuck in a room with Kai. Forget being stuck in a realm full of lava with Kai!"

Zane just gave Jay a perplexed look as they crossed through Kai's entirely too hot room. But they also heard the tiniest of chuckles from their little brother, so Jay considered that a win. He turned his attention to Nya. "How's your arm?"

"Bleeding," she groaned. "The rock just grazed it, I think. Nothing some disinfectant and bandages can't fix." Now that they were in a room illuminated by fire and lava, he could more clearly see how her magenta and cyan suit was stained dark by blood, but it didn't seem like a life-threatening injury. Still, Jay felt bad. "What about you?" She asked, looking him up and down. "You're black and blue."

Jay shook his head. "No, Cole's black. I'm just blue." When Nya just rolled her eyes, he continued awkwardly. "And uh… I'm fine."

Zane, the rat, sold him out. "You have been displaying symptoms of fractured ribs. Assuming the damage isn't too severe, you will need a minimum three week bed rest."

Jay scoffed. "I heal fast, I'll be fine."

"You all heal quickly," Zane corrected. "And I accounted for that in my calculations."

Jay waved him off and welcomed the cool air as they neared Zane's room. "I'll just load up on painkillers and take it easy on the way to the temple. It'll be fine."

Probably. He had this super awesome destiny laid out before him that probably had to come true.

Zane just heaved a world-weary sigh- First Master knows where he picked that habit up, seeing as he didn't need to sigh. "Once we have Cole and Kai back, you will be going to a hospital."

Jay wrinkled his nose. "Okaaaaay, Mom."

The Nindroid gave him a puzzled look. "I am not your mother. You've said that before, though. Is that another expression of some kind?"

"Something like that."

Lloyd huffed again from Zane's back. The mood felt just a bit lighter, which was good.

Finally, they had to pass through Jay's super awesome room. He'd really miss the place. It was pretty cool to think that the creator of the entire realm built rooms just for them. It made Jay feel important in some vague and cosmic sense. And if he was important, that meant everything had to be alright in the end, since he had important stuff to do.

It was a comforting thought, he decided.

After Jay's room came R.E.X.. One thing Jay hadn't accounted for was what a pain it would be to get in to the stupid machine. It required just a little too much movement for his damaged body's liking. But whatever, a few hacking coughs later, he was settled in the back next to Lloyd.

Zane took the controls and put Ronin's ship into the water. Jay wanted to make some quippy comment, but the adrenaline was starting to wear thin at this point, and he really had a horribly good look at his battered little bro.

He was way too thin, for one. Lloyd had always been a pretty skinny thing, almost as much as Jay was. But right now, he was gaunt. Gaunt and bruised and filthy. Worst off were his arms, which had some awful looking burns from the fight against Morro.

Morro was lucky he was already dead, because Jay was really starting to understand the Smith Siblings' Urge to Kill (patent pending).

Lloyd blinked a few times.

Jay sighed. "You should sleep, y'know. I promise I'll try to keep my voice down."

Lloyd lolled his head from side to side. "Mmph… I'll be fine, don't worry about me. It's Cole I'm worried about."

"Hey, like we said, they'll be fine. We'll get him out of the Underworld," Nya assured in a soft and gentle tone.

"He's dying."

Jay wasn't sure whether it was R.E.X. or his own heart that lurched at the statement. Zane went stiff. Jay could see her wide-eyed reflection in the vehicle's window.

He just forced a laugh. "I mean, he's a ghost. That's kind of his thing, now, being sort of dead and whatnot."

Okay, that joke did not land, and in hindsight, he wasn't sure how he ever expected it to.

Lloyd chewed on his lip. "No, I mean… he's dying dying, like the permanent kind."

"Can you elaborate?" Zane asked, and Jay could have sworn he saw some of the Nindroid's wires spark.

Lloyd nodded. "Morro and Ronin were talking about-" he cut himself off. "Ronin! Is he-" Lloyd sat up a little too straight, a little too fast, and ended up hissing with pain.

"Careful, careful there," Jay said in a hurry, easing Lloyd back. "Ronin's alive."

Nya nodded. "Yeah, he's at a hospital and got pretty roughed up, but Cole got him out in time."

The Green Ninja took a deep breath. "That's… that's good."

"Okay, so what was this about Cole?" Nya prodded in a gentle tone.

"Ronin… he was talking with Morro. They said something about Cole being 'unanchored,'" Lloyd began slowly. "Ghosts need something to link to, or whatever. To bind them to Ninjago. Without that, they start… drifting, I think. To the Cursed Realm."

Jay felt a lump in his throat.

"And nobody makes it out of the Cursed Realm…" Lloyd muttered.

"Morro did," Jay said. "So maybe-" he stopped short when he saw Lloyd's expression.

Because Garmadon hadn't made it out.

First Master, for what it was worth, they had tried to get Garmadon out of the Cursed Realm. They tried Traveller's Tea, but it wasn't enough. They tried to find a dragon, but there didn't seem to be any left in Ninjago since Ultra left. They looked into anything that could open a gate with which they could save Garmadon, but nothing came up.

Lloyd shook his head. "The Cursed Realm- it's not just a place. It's alive and it's awful and my dad is there and Cole could go there if we don't-"

Jay wrapped an arm around Lloyd. "Hey, hey kiddo, calm down. I think- I think it'll be okay. Cole isn't going to let some gross evil dimension steal him from us." He looked to Nya for help, but she seemed to be equally as at a loss as he felt. "And uh, hey, tell you what, we can look more into getting your dad back when this is all over. Who knows? If Morro could get out, maybe Sensei G. can."

The Green Ninja squeezed his eyes shut. "It won't work though. She's not going to let them out ever. She let Morro out because he's evil." He put his head in his hands. "My dad isn't evil, my dad isn't evil… Cole isn't evil… He's just a ghost, and he shouldn't be, but because of me-"

"Lloyd, you- Lloyd," Jay said, trying to cut Lloyd off and only succeeding the second time around. "What happened to Cole isn't your fault, you know that, right?"

"He said that too," he replied.

"It isn't your fault," Nya repeated.

Zane nodded. "I concur. Cole turned into a ghost because of something entirely outside your own control."

"He's dead though, and if I had just- the museum-" Lloyd pressed his head further into his hands with a keening whine. Jay felt his chest constrict.

"Cole is not dead," Zane said. "We grieve the dead because they are no longer with us, to be able to interact with us and be a part of our lives. By that metric, Cole is very much so still alive, and we're going to save both him and Kai."

"Not if Morro kills him for real though, what if he's already dead? He doesn't have my power anymore- they don't… What if Morro kills them?"

Jay tapped his hand against Lloyd's shoulder and pulled him a bit tighter. "Man, if we let ourselves obsess over 'what if' every time one of us got into a sticky spot, I'd have gone gray by now. Don't worry, Cole and Kai are fine. They know we'd kill them if they weren't."

Lloyd finally extracted his head from his hands, opting instead to bury his face in Jay's cold, wet shoulder. He ran his hand through his little brother's hair, even if he wasn't quite as good at it as Kai. "Hate him. I hate him so much. How could he do that? If it weren't for Morro," Lloyd hissed the name between sobbing gasps. "Everything would be fine if it weren't for-"

Personally, Jay agreed one-hundred percent. And judging by the murderous look on Nya's face, so did she. Zane was a bit better at keeping his expression neutral, but his grip was a little too tight on the controls.

Jay sat like that with Lloyd for several minutes; all he could really do was let his little brother get it out of his system.

He chewed on his upper lip. They had fought some difficult battles before, no doubt. But not one that left them all quite this raw, at least not since Zane's fight with the Overlord. And even then, it was the aftermath of that fight that had hurt like no other.

Morro couldn't summon the Preeminent anymore, which was good. In that regard, they had won. Ninjago was safe. But the battle wasn't over. Morro was still out there, and Cole and Kai were stuck with him.

And by the sounds of it, Cole was on a timer. They didn't have long until he'd go to the Cursed Realm, a place they had tried and failed to save someone from before.

Figures the moron would keep something like that on the hush-hush.

So, Ninjago was safe, but there was still just so much to do, it felt downright insane to think about. Lloyd needed a hospital. Jay needed a hospital. Nya probably needed one, and Zane needed repairs.

They had roughly a day to dust themselves off and get ready for another fight. Jay took his own shuddering breath, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in his chest. It would have to be enough. They'd done more with less.

Kai would be fine. Cole would be fine. Morro would be anything but fine. It'd all work out, and they could all move past this and fulfill their awesome destinies and have awesome lives.

He thought about what the reflection in the tomb had told him.

He had some things to apologize for, still. When this was all over, he'd need to have a talk with Cole. They'd have an awkward but heartfelt conversation, then go back to playing videogames like usual. Maybe Jay could make him something to help with his ghostiness.

Gloves, maybe. Maybe he could make some gloves out of Deepstone for Cole. Something small that could help him day-to-day. And it'd all be fine.

Lloyd's sobs had reduced themselves to sniffles as exhaustion began to wear on the kid. Hopefully, he'd get at least a little sleep in the time it took to get back to the Bounty. Jay could already feel his own eyes getting heavy. It had just been too many consecutive nights of not quite enough sleep, and the adrenaline had long since been sucked away, and Zane was good at controlling R.E.X..

Everything would be fine, but first they needed to take a moment to rest.

Pixal considered herself to be a very rational being. She did not like to spend too much time ruminating on the illogical, or to fret over things if said worry would serve no practical purpose.

Even still, she couldn't help the wave of relief when Zane finally reestablished contact with the Bounty.

"Pixal? Do you copy?" he said, voice fuzzy and distorted by the distance.

"Yes, I read you, Zane!" she replied in a hurry. From the control room, Misako and Wu's heads snapped up from the scrolls they had been reading.

"Ninja, are you safe?" Wu asked in a rush; he placed his palms on the control panel, as though to close the distance between the two parties.

"Do you have Lloyd?" Misako added with her own hands pressed against her chest.

Zane's response was delayed- something was wrong. "How can we help?" Pixal finally said.

His reply echoed over the Bounty radio. "Lloyd is with us." Misako and Wu lit up, metaphorically speaking. "However, he is dehydrated and malnourished; he has sustained severe second-degree burns along his arms. He also has many bruises and minor cuts and infections that require attention."

Over the camera, Pixal could see Misako wither with each infliction listed. Wu put a hand on her shoulder, which she clasped her own over. "I am glad to hear he is back in your care. We can take him to a hospital when you return," he said in a level tone.

Next came Jay's voice; it was somewhat muffled by distance from the actual communicator. "Uh yeah, about that, hospital is a no-go right now. We lost Kai and Cole."

And before Wu and Misako could ask their plethora of terrified follow-up questions, Nya's voice rang out.

"Not dead! They're not dead! First Master, Jay- seriously!"

"Oh! Crud! Yeah, they're not dead! I mean, Kai is alive. And Cole is the same amount of alive as when we left for the tomb. Probably- we kind of-"

Pixal liked Jay, honestly. He was precious to Zane, and she had witnessed firsthand just how his wit, creativity, and sense of humor could turn around a hopeless situation. But in exchange for those gifts, Jay seemed to be lacking nearly any tact or capability to think about the implications of his words before speaking them.

It was Zane that actually clarified the situation. "The artifact that opens portals to other realms was destroyed. The Preeminent can no longer pass over, but Cole, Kai, and Morro are all trapped together in the Underworld."

"We gotta get there ASAP!" Jay called from what was probably the back of the ship. Distantly, Pixal could make out the sound of coughing.

R.E.X finally appeared on their radar again- they were a couple hours out from where the Bounty was docked. "I'll call ahead for medical supplies. What do we need?"

"We need the items necessary to treat Lloyd's listed ailments. Furthermore, Nya has a large laceration on her arm. Jay likely has some fractured ribs."

"And what about you?" Pixal urged.

"I am fine, Pixal. Thank you," he replied in a fond tone. "It is good to hear your voice."

Fond, but perhaps not entirely honest. Even if he didn't hide the truth out of malice. Thankfully, Nya was there to provide more accurate diagnostics. "Zane here is injured too, but it's mostly surface damage. I'll have him right as rain in no time."

Pixal was already compiling a list. "The Bounty is overdue for servicing after so much long-distance travel. We will stop in a nearby city to restock on supplies and I will begin running diagnostics."

"We don't have time though!" Nya said, sounding agitated. "We have to go for Kai!"

Pixal could see Wu taking a deep breath. "We must not be hasty," he said. "If the Bounty breaks down, or worse, your bodies break down, then the conflict is much more likely to go awry."

"But Morro is possessing Kai!"

Oh. That… was bad. Though "bad" felt like an understatement. It was bad enough that Lloyd was possessed. To lose another ninja to the same enemy had likely taken a toll on the others.

Wu's heart rate accelerated, but he kept his voice calm. "But he is also surrounded by his element. And has Cole with him. For now, we must trust that they are okay."

"Lloyd said Cole's life is in danger, and that he does not have much time left," Zane finally said in a quiet voice.

Misako and Wu exchanged a look. "What… do you mean?" Wu asked apprehensively.

Jay shouted that one from the back of R.E.X.. "Something about anchors! He's gonna go to the cursed realm if we don't do something!"

Pixal had a feeling that Misako and Wu had been hiding something with regards to Cole. The grim looks on their faces all but confirmed that.

However, right now, all they could do in the meantime was prepare for the journey ahead. Fretting over something they currently could not change would be counterproductive.

So Pixal took the beat of silence to speak up. "Zane, do not worry. We will save them both. Can you meet us at the rendezvous point that I am sending? In the meantime, I'm going to make preparations for your return."

"Of course. Thank you, Pixal," he said in a hesitant yet hopeful tone.

The line went dead. "Wu, Misako, would you be able to-"

"Just tell us what you need," Misako said with a kind smile.

"Yes, thank you." It was times like these that Pixal missed having a body. But it wasn't like she had nothing to do in the meantime. "One of Nya's weapon stashes is nearby. The equipment within should be enough to perform maintenance on the Bounty, as well as repair the damage to Zane and the Samurai X suit."

"Consider it done," Wu said with a nod.

"And I'll try to contact the local hospital to ask them to prepare medical supplies," she continued.

"I'll pick them up." Misako was already emptying out her bag to make room for whatever they needed. In the meantime, Pixal set a course for the Samurai X gear.

She missed having a body, but her current state had its advantages. When she was with Zane, she could help him so that he could allocate more of his own attention to more pressing tasks. When she was in the Bounty, she could check its systems as though they were her own.

The thrusters were overdue for a checkup- they were not particularly prone to failure, but they were also a system not worth neglecting. She could feel a sort of interference in one of the steering mechanisms, as well- once again nothing drastic, but still worth addressing. And the recent storms seemed to have put wear on the sail and rudder hinges.

All things that would need to be checked and repaired.

Nya's Samurai X suit had also been recovered and was currently sitting in the cargo hold of the ship, plugged into Pixal's systems. Its left arm and thruster sustained heavy damage in the fall from the Wailing Alps, and needed more than a few fixes.

All of this would cost time and money, and they were short on both.

So, she began making calls.

It rang for a few moments until finally, the owner picked up.

"Mm… hello?"

"How are you feeling, Ronin?"

Pixal could hear him groan, sounding utterly exhausted. "Fantastic. How did you get this number?"

"Cole and Kai have been trapped in the Underworld with Morro, and the others have sustained injuries. We are going to borrow more of your money to purchase supplies for the journey and to perform maintenance on the Bounty. I trust this is acceptable?"

"The hell am I supposed to say? 'No, the superpowered kids trying to stop the end of the world that also saved my life can't use my money to buy life-saving meds and repairs.' First Master, just take the money if you were going to present it like that."

"Many thanks. How is your leg?"

"Still gone. Beats being dead, I guess."

Pixal could hear him stutter over the phone, trying to put together his next sentence.

"Where are y'all anyway?"

"We're docking near the Southern Claw."

"By the little city on the peninsula?"

"That's the one."

He groaned again. "Ugh, look, I got a guy there that owes me one. I'll have him take a look at your boat. Should help speed up the repairs."

"That would be appreciated, assuming you don't plan to double-cross us again," Pixal responded in a pointed tone.

"Right, you guys have so much money for me to pinch. You want the help or no?"

"That depends on what the catch is," she replied. She really had no patience for his games right now.

Ronin scoffed. "The catch is to take the deal before this anesthetic wears off and I get way grouchier."

"Very well. We will be docked in a couple hours."

"He'll be there. If he tries anything, kick his ass and let me know."

"Nice to know your contacts are just as trustworthy as you."

The day had gone by in an agonizingly slow blur. That was the only way Wu could think to describe it. Certainly, there had been much to do. Loading a ship full of metal equipment just wasn't as easy as it had been in his youth. So he hadn't exactly been lacking in ways to distract himself.

However, that didn't mean he was truly distracted. There really wasn't anything that could distract from the knowledge that two of his pupils were trapped alone in the Underworld with his greatest failing as a mentor. Or that the rest of his pupils were on their way back, covered head-to-toe in injuries, yet ready to throw themselves right back into the thick of it.

So, he had things to do. He had pieces of machinery to hook onto a chain and reel into the ship's hold for his students to work with later. But the thought of Jay wiring something when his own bones were broken, or Nya hammering nails when her arm was still full of stitches, or Zane welding metal when his own frame was visibly dented-

It was a distracting thought.

Ronin sent over a mechanic to work on their ship. Wu wasn't sure whether or not he was surprised to see he was a Fangpyre- it was bizarre to see a Serpentine wearing the tools of the trade associated with being a mechanic, but at this point, he didn't question it. To his surprise, the mechanic actually seemed to be quite honest, and even earnest. If slightly disgruntled due to being summoned to work on a flying pirate ship at nearly three in the morning.

It was nearly sunrise when the ninja finally made it to the rendezvous point. As R.E.X. landed on board the ship, Wu tried to brace himself for what he'd see.

It still never got any easier, seeing them return from a battle so battered and bruised.

Lloyd was the first one to grab Wu's attention. But Misako was at his side before he could make so much as a step in that direction. She tried to hug him, only to find herself hesitant to draw too close and upset his injuries. They were about as grievous as Zane had described. His arms looked particularly painful, and Wu wasn't sure whether it was a testament to his nephew's exhaustion, pain tolerance, or both that he didn't act like they were in agony.

Slowly, Misako wrapped an arm around Lloyd's side, taking some of the weight off Zane, who was dented and warped. His wiring was fully exposed in more than one place.

Nya's arms seemed to have been somewhat cleaned up and wrapped in gauze to stop the blood flow, but it was a rush job. She held her new spear tight enough that her bare knuckles were white, and looked ready to pounce at a moment's notice. With her good arm, she was supporting Jay, who was resting his head on her shoulder, body hunched over with exhaustion, and yet, his eyes were wide with anxiety.

All of that was painful to see. Most painful, however, were the two glaring absences.

Wu took a single, deep breath. "I am glad to see you've returned," he said in a quiet voice. "Let's go to the commons room. Misako has prepared some medical equipment."

Lloyd shook his head and tried to push away from his mother. "We… gotta leave for the Underworld." It wasn't Misako that resisted the motion- his own body just seemed to give out on him, and he fell into her arms.

She brushed his bangs out of his face. "And we will, but you need to rest."

"You all need rest," Wu said in a stern tone. He ushered them down the steps to the lower deck, and it was a testament to their exhaustion that none of them protested that time. Jay winced with each step.

In reality, if Jay's ribs were in fact fractured, he had no place being in the fight at all. Nevermind Lloyd in his withered state. At the same time, there was a very real chance that preventing them from joining the fight would hurt them even more in the long-term.

The same had been true when Cole had stumbled out from R.E.X. a mere day prior, eyes hollow and haunted by the brutal choices he had been forced to make- to let Ronin die, or to leave Lloyd with the ghosts. To cut off Ronin's leg, or to let him become a ghost.

He had proposed then that Cole stay behind while the others ventured to the tomb.

"I can't do that, Master. I just… I can't. Look, I appreciate the concern, really. But I can't just sit back here and take it easy while they're off risking their lives."

It wasn't just selflessness on Cole's part, when he said that. It was simple fact. The gross truth was that his children had faced unimaginable loss before, and knew firsthand that the pain of losing another when perhaps you could have saved them was more unbearable than any physical malady.

So the burden of risking a loved one fell on Wu's shoulders. Because he knew that none of his pupils would sit by with two of their own missing.

That evening was a stressful one for Wu and Misako alike. Lloyd needed the most help. Somehow, Pixal and Misako had managed to procure an IV drip for Lloyd. He honestly wasn't sure how; hospitals were very protective of that equipment for a reason. But in this case, he did not dare to ask questions.

Unfortunately, the only ones among them that knew how to insert IV bags were Cole- from his time caring for his mother- and Zane, who had long since downloaded a veritable repertoire of piecemeal first aid skills in case they were in a pinch. Except that Zane was currently sparking and jittery, so he needed to be repaired before Lloyd could be given an IV.

It was like a stack of dominoes. Because the only one still in any condition to repair Zane beyond his own patchwork spot welds was Nya, and her arm was injured. Which left poor Jay, the one with actual broken bones, the last one in line to get treatment. Typically, fractured ribs were not wrapped anymore, since it could restrict air flow and make it more difficult to breathe. Ultimately, Jay had grit his teeth and decided that he'd be fine with just pain medication.

Even still, and perhaps more heartbreaking, none of them ever complained- it was always a bad sign when they adopted that stoicism. Especially as a group. Anxiety and stress were high enough that jokes would do little to calm the restless soul.

There was still much to be done with everyone treated- Nya had tried to sneak off to work on something. Wu had put a quick stop to that, blocking her before she could get beyond the hallway.

"You need to sleep," he said.

"I'm fine, Master," she snapped, trying in vain to sidestep him. Dark bags had carved themselves out from under her eyes. "I need to check on Pix, and I need to work on-"

"You need to rest. You won't do your brother any good if you're exhausted," he cautioned.

"I won't do him any good at all if I can't control my powers. I need to practice," she retorted. "Besides, I'm not tired."

"No, you're not tired. You're exhausted." Wu had seen this particular behavior too many times from Ray. That stubbornness that seemed to spit in the face of physiological needs. "You may feel awake, but I assure you that your body is feeling the strain you are putting on it."

"But Kai is being possessed! I doubt he's getting any rest!" Wu had a suspicion that she didn't mean for her words to come out so loud, because she flinched at her own voice and glanced hurriedly back at the bedrooms.

"We musn't use the sub-par circumstances of others to try and lower our own baseline. Nya, you need to rest. You are going to sleep. We still have a day's journey ahead of us."

Nya glared daggers at him. But she didn't seem like she was able to come up with a retort to that.

Wu sighed. "I intend to summon you all for a special kind of elemental training before we reach the temple. You will sleep, and I will help you after you are rested."

Nya crossed her arms and scoffed. "And when was the last time you slept," she snapped. "Because it's definitely been longer than us."

He winced. She was right in that regard. Nya always had been sharp-witted and sharp-tongued. However, so was he.

"So then, if I go to sleep, I assume you will as well."

Nya furrowed her brow. "But I-" she really didn't have a retort to that, and her exhaustion was starting to win. She slumped over. "Okay, fine."

Wu put his hands on her shoulders- he could feel her tense up before he pulled her into a hug. "We will get your brother back. I promise."

Nya was stiff as a board for several seconds, until she finally melted into Wu's embrace with a shuddering exhale. "Are you… are you sure?" He felt his heart constrict.

"Your brother is more resilient than perhaps even I. I think he will be okay."

And Wu realized… it was true. In this whole ordeal, Kai really wasn't the one for which he was most concerned.

It was the fading ghost facing a mountain of woes.

Nya was thinking that as well. "Master… please be honest." She gripped him tight. "Is… is Cole dying?"

He constructed his words carefully. "In my research… I have seen sources that suggest that he is, indeed, in danger. We were hoping this would not be the case. But we also have no intention of letting his soul drift away."

"Why… why wouldn't you warn us?" she said in a betrayed tone, although she only held him tighter.

Wu ran his hand through her tangled hair. "Because it was something we were not certain of ourselves. And had you known, there would have been little you could have done differently aside from fret even more."

Nya's head went limp against his shoulder. "We could have helped research, or maybe we can find some way to build an 'anchor,' whatever that is- maybe we can-"

"Nya," Wu said in a stern voice. "You are exhausted. You all have been pushing yourselves harder than is frankly healthy. Out of necessity, perhaps, but that still leaves you overexerted. You can only accomplish so much in a day. You must rest before having any chance at saving Cole and your brother."

She groaned. "Ugh, we're back on that one, are we?"

"Until you get some sleep, I'm afraid we have to stay on it." Wu leaned against her, propping her upright as he led her back into the barracks. Lloyd and Jay were, thankfully, fast asleep. Zane was working quietly in the corner on some of his damaged components. He nodded to them.

He would have to talk with them before letting them go on to fight yet another battle. Especially Lloyd. Wu wanted so desperately to speak with him, but right now, he needed rest.

Nya lolled her head back in a gesture that felt much more juvenile than the demeanor she usually put forth- it was refreshing to see, in a way. "Ughhhh… fiiiiine…" she whispered. "I'm taking a shower before I mess my bedding up with blood and dirt, though. And ectoplasm. And Master knows what else was in that tomb."

Wu finally let himself relax a bit. He nodded. "That is fine. As long as you go to bed after."

It was only once he heard Nya exit the shower and make her way back to the barracks that he finally dared to let himself return to his own room. Misako was sitting on her cot, still reading a few final scrolls before letting herself rest.

"You're worse than the children," Wu chided.

She gave him a small smile, not even looking up from the scroll. "You're one to talk."

"Any word?"

She shook her head. "I'm afraid there really isn't much about how anchoring works for ghosts. There just aren't enough out there. Most cursed ghosts aren't like Cole."

"You mean most cursed ghosts aren't kind."

She nodded grimly. "Precisely. There's only one other sample I can possibly think of for anchored, cursed ghosts that aren't in some way malicious."

"Yang's other victims," Wu finished.

"Exactly. Though I hesitate to suggest visiting such a place, considering the memories the others now have of it."

It was a cruel thought- that to get any insight on how to anchor Cole, that they may have to visit the place that damned him in the first place.

"We… will tread that path when we reach it. No sense in worrying about it until after."

Was that not his very own advice? That there was no point to fretting over that which could not yet be changed? He really did need to practice his own teachings, though that could often be easier said than done.

He took a deep, meditative breath. "Until then, we must rest," he said.

"You! You've ruined everything!" Morro screamed, loud enough to echo off the distant walls of the Underworld. Suddenly, a blast of heat and air blew Cole off his possessed brother, sending him flying.

Ow, ow ow ow.

His form hadn't totally dispersed; it didn't seem like a little explosion was going to be enough to kill Cole, but damn if it didn't feel great. Cole groaned and dug his one hand into the stone. He was vaguely aware of that precipitous drop into lava behind him- somehow he had a feeling that lava wasn't much better for ghosts than water.

"No you don't!" Morro said before Cole could try to possess the earth. He picked Cole up by the throat with a superheated hand. Cole could only hiss in pain. "You could have had it all! You're a ghost, and you're an Elemental Master! You could have sat at the top of the Preeminent's new world, ruling over the cursed earth like a god, and instead you ruin everything!"

Cole barked a single laugh and swung himself against Morro, kicking Kai's stomach hard enough to force him to let go. "Sounds more like a parasite, to me. That's all you and the rest of her ghosts are! Feeding off of and hurting others!" Cole called upon his element just in time to create a thin, rocky shield to soften some of the blow when Morro swung at him with the Sword of Sanctuary. He realized with a pang of frustration that he had left his scythe in the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master.

"You're one to talk! You took the Green Ninja's power at the first opportunity! If I'm a parasite, what does that make you?!" Morro demanded- Kai's eyes were glowing an angry green.

Cole looked around frantically for something he could use as a weapon- they were on the main platform before Garmadon's old lair, surrounded by desolate floating islands. He dodged to the side to avoid another concentrated explosion from Kai's hand. The only thing he could see was their old, skeletal Ferris wheel.

It would have to do. Cole ducked and spun and took off running, only to yell as a gust of wind slammed into him, knocking him onto his back.

He once again let himself melt into the earth- only to realize there wasn't much to possess. Unlike the Wailing Alps or tomb, there weren't separate rocks for him to puppet- the entire island was almost entirely a single smooth stone. He may as well have been trying to move a tiny planet.

He collected his body again before Morro could explode him. Unlike the Soul Archer, his missing left arm showed no signs of regenerating, so he'd have to just… figure something out.

"You're no better than me!" Morro pressed. "You really think you have the moral high ground here?!"

"What?! Yes!" Cole said, voice coming out indignant. "You're insane if you think what I did can even compare to what you did! I was trying to save Lloyd and Kai! You're trying to end the goddamn world!"

"Even if it gets him killed?!" Morro took another swipe. Cole could barely backstep in time. His missing arm threw him off-balance.

"Lloyd isn't dead, dipshit!" he shot back, continuing to take steps back towards the Ferris wheel.

"You don't know that!"

Morro was obviously just trying to get into his head, and Cole so wasn't having it. He finally reached the damn Ferris wheel, where he broke off one of the sharpened bones in the cages and held it like a sword.

It wasn't much, and he was basically stuck on the backfoot on account of Morro having that damn future sight sword, but he was also in a body, and Kai's body had limits. He just needed to outlast that. Probably. It was as good a plan as he could come up with.

Nicely done, Cole. You just had a conversation with yourself about not being an island or whatever, then you immediately jump into the Underworld with absolutely no backup.

"You can't win this, Cole! You're outmatched, you're hurt, and she's coming for you! You will be her's!"

"Never! I will never join her!"

He heard a resonant laugh, deep within himself. He shuddered, barely managing to parry Morro's strike. It was powerful, but not a complicated move. He knew that Cole didn't have much of a plan, and Morro was toying with him. Using him to vent his anger.

Whatever, his loss. Cole stomped into the ground, causing the island to quake in protest. Morro lost his balance, giving Cole enough time to correct his stance before Morro came at him with another damn explosion.

O̷̒h̷͛,̶ le̴̛t̸͊ t̸h̵̎è̴ D̶̄i̵͗a̸͋m̵͘o̶͠n̷d̵ t̵̥͘h̸́ŕ̶ô̵w̷͆ h̴̰̍i̶͝s̸̈ t̸a̵͗n̶̒t̴̾r̷͛ū̵m̶̛. Ḧ̸̡́e̵͘'l̸͇̚l̸ b̵͉͘e̶̺͠ w̴̐ith̴̄ u̷͖̿s̶͓͝ s̵̲̓o̷͔̕o̵n̷̳̋ e̸̤͠n̶̂ȏ̴u̵͛g̷͠h̸̕.̷́

Cole went stiff as the singsong voice filled his head. It wasn't like it had been moment's ago- full of white-hot rage. Rather, it was cold and sickly, patient- as though it had already won. He saw Morro's eyes go wide before melting into that awful smirk of his.

"You hear her, don't you?" Morro asked. "The Mother. I suppose you'd have to, judging by those marks on your face."

…Marks? Cole felt his blood run cold, in a metaphoric sense.

"Oh, you didn't notice? They started to appear after you borrowed her power to steal your poor brother's body."

Cole put his hand to his face- he didn't properly register his makeshift weapon falling right through his hand until it was too late, and Morro lunged.

The next thing Cole knew, he was on the ground with Morro on top of him, wearing an expression that didn't belong on Kai's face. He could feel Kai's fire burning through Cole's only wrist. He tried to do something, but his powers didn't seem to be cooperating much at the moment.

Ȟ̵á̴v̷͝e̸͊ y̶o̴͆ǘ̵̞r̵̭͝ f̴͘u̴̧̕ṅ̴̗, T̶͠e̶͘m̴p̸̕e̶͐s̵t.̴̡͆ Ḅ̶͊u̵͋t̸́ n̸̹̈́o̴͠w̶̍'̵̂ș̵̌ ǹ̵ö̸́t̷͌ ẗ̴̜́h̵̍e̸͠ t̸͝ȉ̶m̵̑e̶̍ t̴͇̓ǒ̵̝ s̵̽e̷̓n̵̓d̵́ h̶͘i̸͘m̶ t̵ô̷ m̶̚e.̴̪̿

Morro's eyes went wide, then he scowled. "You lucky bastard," he hissed. "If it were up to me, you'd be rotting in the darkest pit of the Cursed Realm by now."

Cole could almost feel his missing arm give Morro the middle finger.

The scowl then shifted into a truly dark expression. Like, the scary kind of dark, where the entire world seemed to fade away around it. Cole felt his chest get tight as Kai's hand sparked. "Fortunately for me, she did say I could have my fun."

Cole knew what that meant. He grit his teeth as the temperature on his wrist increased- he could feel his form waver and flicker in protest. He slammed his eyes shut, trying to connect to the earth to do something, but maybe he did have a limit to his power as a ghost, because it really wasn't cooperating with him.

He prepared for the worst.

It never came.

In fact, Morro's grip on him loosened. Cole shot out from under Morro and took a fighting stance, because he wasn't going to take anything lying down.

Morro was doubled over. "Gh! No!" he shouted, and it sounded distinctly like two voices bouncing off each other. One of which was damn refreshing to hear.

"Kai! Fight him!" Cole tried, because Lloyd had done it once- maybe Kai could, too.

That's when things got a bit more intense. The ground beneath them shuddered, and there was a deep rumbling below. Cole yelped and flung himself back as a wave of lava slammed into the side of the island, towering overhead before falling back below.

Flames were licking at Kai's clothes, and his eyes were sparking red. "You… don't get… to use… my power to hurt my brother!"

More lava- it wasn't- it wasn't just crashing like waves, it was rising. The lava was definitely higher than before. The air around Kai was warped and distorted as heat radiated off him, strong enough to make Cole wince.

"Kai?!"

Cole vaguely remembered his first trip to the Underworld, so long ago. He remembered it being hot. Like, really hot, seeing as it was directly under an active volcano.

Not only that, but they were in a cave- such places weren't exactly known for their air flow.

Now, Cole didn't know what this conflict would have looked like if they weren't a bunch of superpowered Elemental Masters, but Zane had clearly been onto something when he talked about them being in their element, because right now, Kai was in his, and Morro was anything but.

"Cole! Back up! Back up!"

He didn't really need further prompting to get the hell away from Kai. Even from the edge of the island, the heat was intense. It came out all at once, in one massive burst. It wasn't an explosion, not some intense combination of air and fire. Instead, it was more of an eruption, and the entire realm seemed to roar alongside Kai.

Cole waited several seconds for Kai to calm down- his brother was keeled over by the Ferris wheel, panting for breath. The Sword of Sanctuary clattered to the ground. When he finally did rush over, Kai just about collapsed into his arms.

"Kai…? Are you-"

Cole furrowed his brow. Kai's hair was still black like Morro's, and the anchor marks were still on his face.

But when Kai opened his eyes, they glowed a bright red, same as the day he had first unlocked his true potential. He just gave Cole a thumbs up and a bit of a breathy laugh.

"Never better."

Cole couldn't help the hysterical laughter that tore through his throat. "You always did have a flair for the dramatic. Why can't you ever be early, subtle, and quiet about something?"

Kai scoffed. "That's Zane's job. I'm here to make for awesome dramatic moments by trapping ghost souls inside me at the last possible moment, I guess!"

They laughed again, though it was more like an exhale of tension. Cole took that as a good sign- whatever had just happened to Morro, Kai wouldn't be relaxing if he were still a problem.

I̷ ̷̫͝h̷op̵͛e̵ y̵̜͛o̷͠ŭ̸͓ é̶n̶̈́jo̶͋y̴ w̵̼͊h̴͑at̷̯͝ l̵̦͌it̴t̴l̷͐e̴ t̵͎̀ȋ̴m̷̈́e w̵̱̆i̷̛t̶h̷̕ ȟ̷̰i̵̽ͅṁ̸̺ ỹ̸͚ő̷ṵ̵͐ h̶̙̄a̵̫͌v̴͎̕ē̵͚ l̴e̴̿ft̷,̷̒ m̷̍ẙ̵̰ D̵̝͘i̶̗̚ȁ̵̟ḿ̵̱ŏ̵̧ņ̷̓d̴̮̚. ̸̰̾Bec̶au̶̕s̴̀e̵͋ w̴̓e̸͒ h̵̋a̴v̵̳͆e̶̪͂ w̴̾o̷̳̊r̵̩̀ḵ̴̃ t̵̞̀o̴̗̔ ̵̙̾d̷o̵.̷

Well… there was still that to deal with, and her voice was definitely getting louder. And supposedly anchor marks were starting to appear on his cheeks.

He decided he didn't really care.

Y̴o̸u̴'̷re̵ ̸̈a̷ ̶p̸er̶s̵i̸̇s̶t̵e̸̓n̴t̷ ̵l̵̂i̵t̵t̶l̴e̴ ̵D̷i̷a̸m̸o̶n̶d̴͠.̵͑ ̵B̴u̶t̴ th̸e̵r̷e̵̕ ̸i̴s̵ ̴͐n̶o̷ ̵e̵s̶cap̸in̷g̶ ̸m̷e̷.̸

This has nothing to do with escaping you. I have a knack for making trouble while in chains.

N̴̗̒o̴̰̽n̴̺͝ȩ̷͒ h̶͗ä̴v̵͆ē̸ ẁ̴ǎ̸ñ̶ṫ̵e̷̐d̸̀ ̵t̵̟͒ȯ̸ r̶̚e̷s̵͈͗i̸͔͆s̴͗t̴̉ ̷͊m̵̑ë̵́ be̵͠f̶̽ȍ̶r̷̢̀e̶̿.̵̖̍ L̵e̷͊t̴̗͂ a̴l̶̾on̵e̶ ̶̈́a̵ ̸͘c̴̎h̴i̷̇l̸͝d̶̄ ̷s̴̀o̶͋ y̸̿o̷̓u̷̿n̸̈́g̵͗.̶̀

I'm not a child.

I am the earth.

And the earth would never bend to something like you.