"No, no, please, no! DON'T LEAVE ME! You've got to fight this! You've got to remember!" Morro's eyes shot open, as his sound sleep was suddenly pierced by frightened cries coming from the room the Ninja Pups were all sharing as their bedroom. A surge of panic bolted through him, as he realized that the one crying was Skye. He dragged himself out of bed and groggily dashed towards the cries. He let out a noisy yawn and rubbed his eyes sleepily as he ran, his mind racing with frightened imaginings of what could be happening with his connector and adopted sister to make her cry out like that. He was so panicked by what was going on that he didn't even see Kito's skateboard lying directly in his path—until it was too late.
Swoosh! BANG! "OW!" the Wind Ninja cried out as he hit the floor with a sickening thud. He'd stepped on the end of the skateboard without realizing it, and it had slipped out from under him, sending him crashing onto his back so hard he saw stars. Oh, ouch—yep, I'm going to have quite the bruise by morning, he thought to himself. Being mortal again certainly had its drawbacks—being capable of injury just one of them. Then again, if he had to choose between being bruised and battered or running the risk of being disintegrated, he'd go with being bruised and battered. Then he suddenly remembered why he was out here as the cries of Skye steadily increased in pitch. Shakily standing and craning his back to deal with the pain, he quietly tiptoed into the adjacent room, creeping around the sleeping forms of the pups as his nerves tensed more with every step. As his eyes darted around the room, frantically looking for Skye, his gaze suddenly fell on the young cockapoo tossing and turning in her sleep, as she sobbed frantically, "Morro! No! Come back! Come back!"
"Skye!" Morro whisper-yelled, putting a hand on the pup's shoulder. At the sudden touch, the pup immediately woke, panting, her eyes wide with sorrow and fright and wet with unshed tears. At first, there was a look of confusion on Skye's face, but then it was replaced with one of utter fear and anguish as she whispered, "Morro? Oh, Morro!" The Wind Ninja was suddenly startled by Skye hugging him tightly, like she never wanted to let go. If Morro hadn't been so distressed over Skye's grief, he would have given a slight smile. Clearly, their relationship had changed a lot since they had first met.
His eyes stung with hot tears as he recalled those days. He hadn't always been on the Ninja's side. Far from it, actually. And he had done many things in those days—which, for the most part, he was not proud of in the slightest. Controlling Lloyd's mind and using him to obtain the Realm Crystal—not to mention unleashing the Preeminent on Ninjago—was definitely not on his list of fond memories. What was even worse was the fact that he'd used his biological sister's entrapment in the Ethereal Divide to justify his actions—which, at best, was nothing but a flimsy excuse.
And then there was Skye. The one pup who, instead of losing her powers, became Supercharged. The pup he shared both power and pain with. The one who had been hurt the most by his actions, all because of her power bond to him and the fact that she had known of his existence before he ever revealed himself—both reasons that resulted in the other Ninja and pups distrusting, or worse, rejecting her. Granted, if the situation had been reversed, he didn't think that his friends would have trusted him either. Just the whole mess of "guilt-by-association" would be enough to make anyone look suspicious. Even if that one was totally undeserving of those suspicions.
And it did not help matters when Skye was called to be the Windrider—a role she wanted nothing to do with—a role that meant she'd have to accept that she shared power with the very enemy the Ninja and Ninja Pups had been called to fight against. Yet, she still had chosen to accept it in the end—even though it meant putting not just her powers, but her life on the line to save him—to give him a second chance to walk the path of light. The very thought of that kind of undeserved sacrifice had, to put it simply, confused him. For days after she had rescued him, he had puzzled over it, as he aimlessly wandered the Land of Lost Things. How could she ever forgive me? How could she be so willing to save me that she would put her own life on the line to do it?
Now, however, it made sense. Because she had demonstrated the same love towards him that he had towards his sister, Sylph. A complete, unconditional love that was willing to do whatever it took—even to the point of laying down one's life—to make sure that someone else was okay. A love that would not cringe at confronting another if at all necessary. A love that would endure—a love that nothing, not even death, could quench. Not a spur-of-the-moment, feel-y kind of love, but a pure, self-sacrificing love that would stand strong no matter what.
And when he had realized that, he discovered he could show that love too. And he did.
When he was given a way to come back to Ninjago, he chose to use it to help the team rescue Cole and Rubble, stop his father Yang from permanently rifting the fabric between life and death, and save the realm from a giant sea serpent with the power to control anyone through fear.
When he regained his mortality during the Clash of Powers, he chose to side with the Ninja and the pups to help them defeat the League of Villains.
When the Overlord attacked Ninjago for what seemed like the bazillionth time, he had rescued Nya and Zuma, become bait for the Crystal Council (not fun!), and helped the team find all seven Golden Weapons (yes, there were seven), all before transferring his powers to Skye and the other Ninja Pups to stop the Overlord from corrupting his Wind power and the other Elemental Powers.
And when the team had discovered that some Black Tiger from the Wyldness was kidnapping Elemental Masters and using their powers to accomplish his evil schemes, Morro had been all too eager to volunteer his help—although he was still sore over the fact that there was another Master of Wind besides himself.
And now, as all these memories came flying back, he realized anew what Skye meant to him. If she had not given up her powers—had not risked her life to save him—he shuddered to think what would have happened—not just to him, but to Ninjago and, by extension, the Merged Realms. And that was exactly what drove him to consider Skye as another sister—if it was possible for humans to have pups as (adopted) siblings.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of Skye continuing to sob, and as his lip quivered with emotion, he wrapped his arms more tightly around the young cockapoo. (At least now he could touch water without having to worry about being disintegrated.) For several moments, he didn't say a thing—just laid his head on Skye's, feeling her soft, fluffy fur stroking his cheek as he sought to comfort her. Then, as Skye's sobs began to subside, he asked softly and tenderly, "Nightmares again?"
Skye gave a sorrowful nod before stammering, "You don't know how glad I am that you're here, and that you didn't—you didn't…"
"Didn't what?" he replied, wondering what she was trying to say. That's when the flood of tears really came. The poor Wind Ninja's gi suddenly was all but thoroughly soaked with tears as Skye sobbed, "Oh, Morro, I'm scared—I mean really, really scared. What if you go back to the way you were before? What if—what if you forget the team? What if you forget me? I don't want to have to fight you again!"
Yikes. This was worse than he'd thought. Clearly, her scars from when they had first fought went deeper than he'd realized. "Skye—I promise, those days are over." he exclaimed, raising his head and looking her straight in the eye. "I am never going back to the way I was before. I am never going to turn against you or the team again. Not now, not ever." Then he cocked his head to one side in confusion. "Why do you say this? Does it have to do with your nightmares?"
Skye gave another silent nod, sniffling loudly before answering, "I keep having dreams that you'll forget about me. I keep dreaming that I'll be in some kind of danger and…" Her voice suddenly threatened to crack as she sobbed, "You'll abandon me! You'll forget all about me and leave me to…to…"
And then her voice finally broke as once again, she burst into tears. "You're like family to me, Morro! And I don't want to lose you, like Master Wu did!"
"Skye!" Morro shouted before he could stop himself. And then he realized that that had come off the wrong way. "Skye." he said again, softer this time. "Master Wu did not lose me. I chose to leave. And that was the biggest mistake I have ever made in my entire life. But things have changed—I have changed. And there is nothing that can ever deny that. More importantly, we are connected, and connections don't break, no matter what happens. No matter what may come, I'll always be your song if you'll be my star."
Skye was confused. "Huh?" she asked. "What do you mean?" Morro's answer was to slowly pull away from Skye and get to his feet. Then he used his Wind power to pull her to her feet and gently yet firmly drag her by one paw along behind him. "Morro, where are you taking me?" the cockapoo asked with a giggle.
"You'll see soon enough." he answered, grinning from ear to ear. Several moments later, the two were standing in a small glen looking at a softly glowing golden flower bud almost as big as Skye. "A flower?" the pup questioned. "Why a flower? Not that I don't like flowers, but I don't really get why—"
"Just wait for it." Morro interjected. "Wait for it. Wait for it. Wait." Suddenly, the rays of the full moon fell on the blossom, and as Skye watched, she gasped in wonder as the golden bud unfolded to reveal a beautiful, fragrant golden lily that seemed to glow like a star in the darkness of the night. Tears sprang to her eyes as she gasped, "It's…it's so beautiful. I think I might cry."
"I always tear up at seeing one of these, too." Morro quietly spoke. "They bloom only once every seven years, on the night of the wolf moon."
"Wow." Skye breathed. "That's…that's amazing." Then she turned and looked at him, her brow scrunching in bewilderment as her confusion returned. "But what does this have to do with stars and songs?"
"Look up." the Wind Ninja directed, pointing upward at the night sky twinkling with so many stars the sky seemed bedazzled. Skye followed his gaze, her mouth falling open in wonder at the sight. "See all those stars?" Morro continued. "They're always constant, always there—even when we can't see them. Now listen." he instructed as a gentle breeze swirled past. Skye closed her eyes and concentrated hard on the sound of the air swooshing past her. "I don't get it. All I hear is the wind."
"Listen closer. What do you hear?" Skye listened more intently, and then her eyes opened as she gasped in wonder, "A song! I hear a song! I don't know what song it is, but it seems so familiar somehow."
"That's the star-song. I've never been able to find out why, but it seems Wind Elementals can hear it if they listen closely enough."
"Wow." Skye exclaimed again. But Morro wasn't finished. He then turned back to the lily and continued, "And that blossom over there? That's also called a star-song."
"That's so cool!" the cockapoo replied. "But I still don't get it, Morro. Why are you showing me all this?"
Morro gazed upward for a few moments, thinking back on memories of the past, both the good and the bad. Then he turned and looked back at Skye, softly speaking, "When Sylph and I were younger, there was this song we used to sing about how we'd always be there for each other, ready to guide each other and give each other joy—of how our love would hold us together, you know, as brother and sister."
Putting her front paws on Morro's legs, Skye asked, "Will you sing it for me, please?"
"Of course." he replied, grasping Skye's paws in his hands before sitting down on the ground. The pup flopped down beside him as he softly, thoughtfully began to sing,
A song of joy,
A star to guide—
Winds of power,
Flame of light.
When love-light comes,
The dark must flee,
For then we remember
Family's key.
I'll be your song if you'll be my star.
Love binds us close whether near or far.
And when trials come, I'll help you remember
Who you are.
Yes, I will be your song
If only you will be my star.
Awestruck tears glistened in Skye's eyes, and her little puppy heart throbbed with wonder at the love in Morro's voice as he sang. In that moment, it seemed absolutely impossible that there had once been a time when the sound of Morro's name had filled her with dread and not joy. How in all the Merged Realms could she keep from embracing him right then and there, as she whispered, "Thanks, Morro. That means a lot to me."
"Hey, what are friends—and adopted brothers—for?" the Wind Elemental replied, as he gladly returned the hug.
"You forgot to mention connectees." Skye piped up, and the two shared a laugh at that. Suddenly, the hair on the back of Morro's neck stood up as he and the Wind Ninja Pup heard low snarls coming from behind them. Panicked, the two quietly sprang to their feet and fearfully turned around to see a whole pack of black wolves with sickly purple eyes creeping straight towards them. The pair slowly began to back away, as the growls and snaps of jaws suddenly grew louder and the wolves got ever closer.
"Um, Morro," Skye exclaimed, her voice trembling with fright, "I know wolves don't normally attack humans—or pups—but these ones don't look too friendly."
"You're right." he answered, his panicked breathing rapid and shallow as he backed away as quickly as he dared. "I'm starting to think we might want to—"
"RUN!" the two screamed as one, before making a bolt for it. Instantly, the wolves gave chase. The barks and howls of the pack echoed mournfully in the night as the boy and pup dashed away as fast as their legs could carry them. Where they were headed they had no clue. The only thought they had right now was the thought that they had to get away as fast as they could.
If they had but known that the danger before them was even greater than the danger behind!
Skye's heart pounded in her ears as she desperately struggled to keep up with Morro, whose strides easily made up three of her own. She risked one look behind her and immediately shouted, "They're gaining on us!"
"Just keep running!" the Wind Ninja shouted back. For several minutes, the air was filled with nothing but the growls and snarls of the wolves, Skye's frantic pants, and the occasional cry of "Run! Run!" from Morro. It seemed as if the wolves—who were so thin that either one of the two could have counted each and every rib the beasts had—would never stop pursuing them. Then, as Morro risked his own glance behind him, he saw that Skye's fur was slicked down with sweat, and her strides were becoming slower by the second. Eventually, he realized, she'd get too tired to run any longer—and the wolves would show her no mercy.
"Hang on!" he yelled, before using his Wind powers to fling her forward through the air. She screamed as she arced through the sky like a projectile. As the ground slowly rose to meet her, she suddenly spotted a deep, mist-filled pit up ahead! Fortunately, her own Wind powers gave her enough momentum to just barely clear it. Grabbing at a limb jutting out of the rocky cliff, she scrambled quickly onto solid ground—just in time to see Morro heading straight for the pit's edge!
"Morro, look out!" she screeched. Too late! The Wind Ninja tripped over a large rock and tumbled headlong into the pit with a frightened shriek. "MORRO!" Skye screamed, as the wolves that had pursued them skidded to a stop halfway from the edge. Realizing they had lost their prey, they turned tail and slunk away in sullen defeat.
But the little cockapoo did not notice any of this as she gazed out over the edge, crying once again, "MORRO!"
Fortunately for Morro, the pit was not as deep as it appeared. In fact, after he had recovered from his fall, he noticed that the pit was more like a cove as he stood on shaky legs. There was so much mist about that he could barely see anything. But this was no ordinary mist. It appeared to be lilac in color—which was strange in and of itself—and there was a weird fragrance to it. He couldn't exactly pinpoint what the fragrance was like, but as he stood there—not bothering to consider that breathing the mist in could prove dangerous—the scent was strangely strong and heavy, almost like perfume in its thickness.
A sudden thought of I need to get out of this cove prodded at the back of his mind as he slowly staggered over to one of the cove's rocky cliff walls, feeling strangely dizzy and lightheaded, like he'd been underwater for too long. An odd sleepiness crept over him as he weakly reached up one hand to grab at a large root jutting out of the cliff wall. His hand fell short as his eyelids drooped heavily and he fell to his knees in the grass, a drowsy darkness calling to him as the mist began taking its toxic toll. Maybe…maybe it wouldn't hurt to take a quick catnap. And before his mind could make any sort of protest, he felt himself falling over as strange shadows gently pulled him under, drawing him away from the waking world…
"MORRO! MORRO!" Skye continued to shriek, darting back and forth along the pit's edge, searching desperately for any sign of her connectee. "MORRO!" The strange lilac plumes of the mist that swirled below her suddenly cleared for just a moment, and the Wind Ninja Pup gasped as she caught a glimpse of the Master of Wind lying motionless at the bottom of the pit. At first, her mind reeled with panic as she saw that his eyes were not open. But then she saw his chest gently rising and falling, and she breathed a shaky sigh of relief as she realized that he was merely asleep. Why he would be asleep she didn't know. But what she did know was that somehow, she had to get him out of there. The walls of the pit looked too steep for him to clamber out of there on his own, and there was no other way out of there that she could see with all the mist about.
But she didn't trust that mist. Not one little bitty-bit. There was something about that odd lilac hue that just didn't sit right with her. A lilac mist—it seemed familiar somehow, but she couldn't quite put her paw on why. All the same, it could be highly dangerous to leave Morro in there for too long. But how could she get him out without being affected herself? And then she remembered her Power-Shield.
"Power-Shield!" she cried before a glowing pink aura appeared, illuminating her entire form. A tingling sensation told her that her temporal immunity to dark forces was indeed active, but it wouldn't last long, so she needed to act fast.
Without a moment to waste, she cried, "RUFF! Windrider Wings!" A pair of glowing pink eagle's wings appeared on her back before she called on her Mighty Whirlwind, flying ten feet into the air before shrieking "Pup Dive!" and diving downwards at an incredible speed. Piercing through the cloud of mist like a rocket, she dove into the pit (which, in reality, was a cove), gently pulling up before skidding to a stop at the bottom—just a few feet from where Morro lay, bound fast by unnatural slumber. Rushing over to him, she snagged him in her whirlwind and flew upwards as fast as her wings could carry her. A strange dizziness suddenly began to flood her mind, and she panicked as she realized that her Power-Shield was fading!
And then—yah-HOO!—she had burst through the mist once again with Morro in tow, just seconds before her Power-Shield gave out completely. She flew away from the cove for several minutes before gently dropping the unconscious Wind Ninja on the ground and crashing to the ground with a sickening thud. For a few minutes, she just lay there, panting with exhaustion at how much power she'd had to use, waiting patiently to catch her breath again. Then her thoughts turned to—
"Morro!" she cried, dashing over to his still form. "Wake up, Morro!" she whisper-yelled, gently shaking him. "Wake up!" A few moments passed before Morro groggily pried his eyelids open. His irises glowed with a strange lilac hue before slowly changing back to their natural emerald-green shade.
"Morro!" Skye gasped in relief, as the Wind Ninja's eyes slowly darted around in slight confusion as to what had happened to him. "Are you okay?" the cockapoo added, her voice tinged with concern.
"How in all the realms can such small things be so loud?!" Morro groaned to himself. An odd dizziness greeted him, and his eyelids felt strangely heavy as he slowly sat up, one hand to his aching head.
"Are you okay?" Skye repeated before adding, "You fell." There was a slight pause before she asked, "How do you feel?"
"Cold…dizzy…a bit lightheaded…and my vision's a little blurred."
"Huh, makes sense." Then Morro murmured, "Um, Skye?"
"Yes?"
"Did you happen to notice which direction we went?"
"Are you kidding?! I was way too busy worrying about getting away from those wolves to even think about directions!" Then Skye's face fell with concern. "Why—why do you ask?"
"Um, Skye," Morro exclaimed, "I think…I think we may be…lost."
"Are you sure?"
Morro groaned suddenly as a bolt of pain shot through his forehead. "Yeah, pretty much. I…I don't recognize where we are at all."
"That—that's okay." Skye stammered. "We can just call the others to just come and pick us up and—" Her voice broke off as a sudden fritzing noise filled the air, and a miniscule shower of blue sparks emanated from the communication device Morro wore behind his right ear.
"Please tell me you didn't smash your comm when you fell." she whispered worriedly.
"I'm afraid so." he murmured, as his eyes went slightly milky, unnoticed by Skye.
"Well, there goes that idea." the pup commented. "But I'm sure we'll be okay. We just got to—" Her statement was interrupted by a crash of thunder, and the two looked up to see huge black storm clouds rolling in above them, white streaks of lightning flashing here and there as they went. A small whimper escaped Skye before she exclaimed, "Uh-oh. Looks like a big storm's moving in. We'd better get to shelter before it starts to—"
"POUR!" both of them cried out as one for the second time that night, as the heavens decided to open, pouring buckets of rain down on the field. Morro clambered to his feet, and the two made a break for it, searching for any sort of shelter they could find before they were all but drowned by the rain. If Morro had still been a ghost, he would have been dead by now.
Finally, their cry for shelter was answered, as the two ducked into a small cave in the side of a grassy hill. Skye skidded to a stop at the top of a ridge before Morro suddenly crashed into her from behind, and the two rolled uncontrollably down the steep incline before coming to a stop at the bottom. Fortunately, neither was hurt by the tumble they'd taken.
Skye staggered to her feet, fur drenched with water, and gave a long, vigorous shake before Morro suddenly cried out, "SKYYYYYYYYEEEEEEE! I'm soaked enough as it is!"
"Sorry, Morro. Pup instinct." Then the cockapoo turned and gazed around at the cave, taking in her and Morro's surroundings before giving a small huff and exclaiming, "Well, looks like we're stuck here for a while. And I think we're too deep in the cave for my Pup-tag to work."
"Maybe you could—AH-CHOO!" Skye's dripping-wet fur suddenly stuck out from the slight shockwave of Wind power that had exploded when Morro sneezed. Then she let out a startled gasp when the Wind Ninja slumped over suddenly and a shiver shook his entire body. "Morro!" she cried out before running over to him. Placing one paw on his forehead, she was shocked by how much heat emanated from it. He was soaked to the skin and clearly running a temperature. All that rain must have caused him to contract a severe flu—or worse. Good thing there was a stack of forgotten furs lying in a corner in the back. Could this have been some hunter's den at one point in time? Skye wondered to herself as she ran over and grabbed the edge of a rather large fur in her mouth. She nearly gagged at the taste but managed to keep from getting sick as she half-pulled, half-dragged it over to the feverish Wind Ninja shaking with unnatural cold on the floor.
"Th-thanks, Skye." he stammered as the pup threw the fur over his form, and the shivering slowly began to subside. Skye gave one disgusted cough and replied, "No problem."
Then Morro closed his eyes once again for some rest—but not before the milkiness suddenly grew slightly stronger, and the dangerous effects of the strange lilac mist began to grow stronger with it.
Five days later
Lightning crashed and thunder rumbled as torrents of rain poured down outside the cave's entrance. Yet while the storm raged violently outside, it was but a mere shower compared to the fright-filled storm within Skye's heart, as she sat in front of the small campfire she'd made just days before. Hot, stinging unshed tears swarmed the cockapoo's eyes as she gazed into the brightly flickering yet joyless flames, no sound filling the air except for Morro's drowsy breaths as he slept. He'd been fighting a high fever and chills for more hours than Skye could count. That rainstorm hadn't shown him any more mercy than the mist had. The mist…that strange lilac mist…
But that wasn't the worst of Skye's worries. For her nightmares were swiftly coming true.
Morro was slowly losing his memories.
At first, it was just small details, like how Cole had to be the worst cook in the entire Merged Realms—or how clumsy Marshal could be sometimes. But as the hours passed, the Wind Ninja began losing not just small details but huge gaps of memory, as if key moments in his past were being snatched away from him.
The more time passed—and the milkier his eyes became—the more memories he forgot. Skye had tried to get him to remember the moments he had lost by telling him everything about his past that she could think of, but to no avail.
But what could be causing this? This definitely wasn't the first time a Ninja had forgotten his or her past. Zane had been memory-wiped and rebooted more times than Skye could count, both on purpose and by accident. Nya had completely forgotten her own identity twice after merging with the sea. Even Wu had lost his memories for a time after he was de-aged by the Reversal Time Blade. But this…this was different—because Skye had no clue why this was happening.
And this wasn't just another Ninja she was thinking about. This was Morro. This was her connectee.
More to the point—this was her brother.
But why? Why was this happening to him? Why?
The mist…the mist…
Why am I thinking about the mist?
And that's when the horrible truth clicked in Skye's mind. She suddenly recalled Kirby telling her of a strange lilac-colored mist that caused everyone who breathed it to slowly lose their memories, to the point that they would completely forget who they really were. Could this be the same mist?
It had to be. It couldn't be anything else.
But how could she change this? Was there any cure—any way to reverse its toxic effects?
And then the bitter answer flashed into her mind.
There is no cure.
What? No, that…that can't be right. There's got to be a way! There's got to!
But what?
A sudden yawn broke through Skye's thoughts, and her eyelids drooped with exhaustion. She'd been up all hours of the night, trying to ensure that Morro was all right—that he would be safe.
But he wasn't safe. Not in the slightest. And there was nothing she could do abou—another yawn escaped her, and she struggled to keep her eyes open. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to catch one or two winks of sleep. Or three…or four…her eyelids finally drooped shut, and the cockapoo slumped to the ground as the shadows of slumber pulled her away to the world of dreams…
Just as a very sick and very confused Wind Ninja awoke.
Morro slowly pried his eyes open. His head ached even more than before, and his mind felt strangely…fuzzy…and blank. Like he was somehow…missing something…
But what? What was missing? What had he lost?
And then he noticed that there was something wrong with his sight. It was strangely cloudy, like there was some sort of…mist…blurring his vision.
Mist…
And that's when the panic came. His breathing suddenly became unnaturally shallow, as the truth dawned on him.
His memories…they were fading…slipping away from him as he fought to keep a firm hold on them…
His whole body trembled as he struggled to hang onto the few memories he still had left. Thoughts, feelings, names, visions, voices swirled through his mind, slipping away faster than he could cling to them.
"This isn't right! You did this! You told me I could be the Green Ninja! You made me believe!"
"But why? Why do you want to be the Green Ninja so badly? Why?"
"It's the only way to save her—to save my sister. I lost her long ago, but now I have a chance to get her back!"
"You could never do it alone, now, could you?! Weak—always needing others! I, on the other hand, need no one!"
"That's not true! What about Sylph?! Is this what she would want? For you to destroy Ninjago just so you can save her?!"
"I don't understand. Why would you risk your powers—risk your life—to save me—after all I did to you—and the Ninja—and Lloyd?"
"Because I believe in second chances, Morro. That is why I was called to be the Windrider—because I have the power to give you a second chance. I didn't realize that before, but I do now."
"I didn't come here to fight you—I came to warn you. To warn you both of Yang's plan."
"Then tell us. What has Yang done? What is his plan?"
"To rift the fabric between life and death. To trigger a Great Return."
"What?!"
"But that's not all. He's also made you forget two of your own. And one of them is already slipping away."
"Slipping away?" Gasp. "COLE AND RUBBLE!"
Forget…slipping away…
Why are my memories slipping away?! Why?!
A memory flashed into his mind—a vision of him in his wind-wolf form, standing at the edge of a cloud, looking into the horizon…
Whirling around in surprise when the sound of CLANG-CLATTER-BANG-CRASH met his keenly-tuned wolf ears…
Giving a sudden gasp of delight when the one figure he'd never dreamed of seeing again emerged from a crowd of trashcans…
Shifting into his human form again with great delight as he whispered the figure's name…
"Sylph?"
"Morro?"
"SYLPH!"
"MORRO!"
The two of them rushing forward…the warmth of their embrace…the surge of power that emanated from them as they stood there, not wanting to let go…
His panic suddenly spiked even more as the memory suddenly faded from his mind…No, no, please, no! I can't lose this moment! I just can't!
Another memory suddenly rushed through his mind…the one he had held the closest to his heart…
The horrible shock of realizing that the Preeminent never intended to tell him how to free Sylph…
The second when he finally let go of his selfish ambition in order to save another…
The moment in which he found his True Potential…
"You took everything from me!" Morro screamed at the top of his lungs, slashing at the Preeminent over and over again. "My home! My family! My life! My sister!" The Preeminent tried to crush him with a long, sickly-green tentacle, but he was quick to employ an upper block with his sword. "But I will NOT let YOU TAKE SKYE!"
As he finished his statement, his eyes suddenly glowed with a silver light, and his body—transparent though it was—shone with a silver-green aura. With a mighty heave, he threw the tentacle to the side, and as Skye retreated backwards, away from the Preeminent, the sword fell to the ground with a loud clang. A massive blast of silver wind power then burst from Morro's hands, its power forming a whirlwind all around him, its mighty strength pushing the Preeminent back. The hideous creature could not stand against the power of Morro's wind and was swiftly pushed closer and closer to the water.
"Morro." Master Wu breathed in wonder. "It looks like…you've just discovered…your True Potential!"
True Potential…Skye…
Desperately, the Wind Ninja clung to the pup's name like a lifeline, fearing that if he let go, he'd lose all that he was, all that made him unique…
Skye. Skye. Skye. Skye.
His hold began to slip…this memory too fading away from him…
Skye…Skye…Skye…Sk—
"NO!" he cried—before bolting upright and bursting into heartbroken tears.
The hazy darkness of peaceful slumber was suddenly pierced by a heartbroken cry, and Skye's eyes shot open as she heard someone break down into a flood of sorrowful sobs.
It took her a few seconds and a handful of blinks to realize that that someone was Morro.
And in that moment, her own little puppy heart all but burst with sorrow.
Morro—her friend, her connectee, her brother—was crying.
How long had it been since she'd heard Morro crying?
A sudden sob escaped her throat, and she too burst into tears as she cried, "Morro!" and rushed over to the trembling Wind Ninja, shaking with uncontrollable sobs. The cockapoo all but leaped into his arms, and he welcomed her embrace, stroking her fur in repetitive circular motions as tears streamed down his fever-flushed face. For a few moments, the two just sat there, too grieved and distressed for either one to say a word. The strange yet intriguing green hair streak that stood out against Morro's black shaggy mop drooped mournfully in front of his face, and he weakly raised one hand to brush it behind his ear before attempting to wipe the tears from his eyes. When Skye looked up at him, she let out a strangled gasp as she realized just how milky his eyes were.
Worse, any glimmer—any spark—any sign of recognition was completely, utterly absent from his gaze.
"No." Skye breathed. "No, please. No." Tears rolled uncontrollably down her cheeks, landing in Morro's lap. All that time…all those memories…and now they were gone…snuffed out by the mist.
Morro's voice cracked as he struggled to speak, to remember the name of the pup that lay curled up in his lap, sobbing uncontrollably into his gi. But no matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't recall her name. I know her name. I know her name. But what is it? What is her name? What is her name?!
And that's when the tears and heartache reached the tipping point. "I…I don't understand!" he stammered. The pup looked up, startled by his outburst. "I know you from somewhere—but I can't remember where! I…I can't remember anything! And the worst part is," His voice threatened to break as he sobbed, "I don't know why!"
Hot, stinging tears poured unbidden down his cheeks as he buried his head in his hands, trembling with great sorrow and grief. "I keep trying to remember, but it feels like there's this…block in my mind that I can't get past. I…" His voice all but faded as he murmured, "I can barely recall my own name."
Skye suddenly found herself all but smothered as Morro clutched her tightly to himself and sobbed, "I just…want…to remember!"
Remember…
Remember…
A memory of something Morro had said to her before he had ever been infected by the mist suddenly flew into Skye's mind.
"We are connected, and connections don't break."
Connection…
Remember…
The whole thing was like a puzzle, a puzzle only Skye could find the pieces to. But what were the pieces—and how did they go together?
And that's when it clicked.
"No matter what may come, I'll always be your song if you'll be my star."
A song…a star…THAT'S IT! THAT'S THE ANSWER!
And in that moment, Skye knew what she had to do. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and, in a slightly throbbing voice, began to softly sing the song that Morro had given to her on the night of the wolf moon.
A song of joy,
A star to guide—
Winds of power,
Flame of light.
When love-light comes,
The dark must flee,
For then we remember
Family's key.
And then something happened. As Skye's shaky voice slowly became strong and steady, streams of pink light began swirling around the two, and the milkiness of Morro's eyes suddenly began to fade away as the cruel grip of the lilac mist began to slip.
I'll be your song if you'll be my star.
Love holds us close whether near or far.
And when trials come, I'll help you remember
Who you are.
Yes, I will be your song
If only you will be my star.
The pure emerald-green of Morro's eyes returned, and Skye's heart gave a tiny leap of joy as her connectee—her brother—breathily echoed her aria.
I'll be your song if you'll be my star.
Then his gentle tenor was happily joined by Skye's own fluty soprano as the two embraced each other tearfully.
Love holds us close, whether near or far.
And when trials come, I'll help you remember
Who you are.
Yes, I will be your song
If only you will be my star.
Joyful tears glistened in the pair's eyes as their voices softly harmonized one last time.
My star.
For a few moments, there was a wonder-filled silence as the two simply held each other close, like they were truly brother and sister. Then Skye gave a small gasp as Morro whispered, "Skye?"
"Morro?" she asked in awe, wondering to herself, Can it be?
And then—oh, joy—it was! "I remember, Skye. I remember it all!"
"MORRO!" The young pup simply couldn't keep her joy contained, as she suddenly gave Morro the biggest hug a Ninja Pup could ever give. The Wind Ninja was a little stunned by the sudden embrace, but his shock was quickly quenched as he gladly returned it. Skye's voice seemed choked up by her tears of sorrow and joy combined as she stammered, "You…you really remember…everything?"
"Yes! I do!" Morro half-cheered, half-sobbed. "Your song…it worked, Skye! It worked! My memories, they've…they've all come back!"
And indeed, he was right. For nothing—not even a dangerous mist—can quench the purest love—a love that endures, no matter what.
Suddenly, their attention was drawn by faraway voices calling their names over and over again.
"Skye?"
"Morro?"
"Skye?"
"Morro?"
The two Wind Elementals knew those voices anywhere. It was their friends, the Ninja and Ninja Pups! Letting go of Morro, Skye screamed at the top of her lungs, "Ninja! Pups! DOWN HERE! WE'RE DOWN HERE!"
In a matter of moments, the entire team had come rushing down to where Skye and Morro were in the bottom of the cave. Skye barely had time to blink before she was all but smothered by a sea of Ninja Pups puppy-piling her.
"Um, guys? I'm glad to see you too, but could I please have some air?"
The others all apologized before letting Skye get to her feet. Then Skye noticed that poor Chase looked about ready to burst. "Okay, Chase!" Skye finally exclaimed. "Spit it out. What's the matter?"
"Skye, please, whatever you do, DON'T YOU EVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!" exploded out of the poor German Shepherd before he flushed red with embarrassment.
"He just about flipped when he realized you were missing, dude!" Zuma whispered to Skye—a comment which made her blush slightly in return. She'd know for a while that Chase had a bit of a crush on her.
"Seriously, what happened to you two?!" Lloyd then exclaimed, looking just as worried as Chase. (Being the leader of the team, he always panicked when one of their own went missing.) "We've been searching for you for five days!"
"Five days?!" Morro repeated in utter shock.
"Yeah, you missed a lot." Skye answered before turning to Lloyd and saying, "Sorry, Lloyd. We got lost and our comms were out."
"Well, look on the bright side." Kai commented. "At least we found them before things took a turn for the worst."
"You could say that." Morro replied, winking at Skye. Skye secretly winked back, knowing full well that the team would never believe what the two of them had just gone through. Well, at least some of the team wouldn't believe it. Kirby might—he'd already known about the mist and its dangerous effects. And Zuma, Cole, and Rubble might at least listen. But as for the others, well…that was up for debate. Especially Chase—believing things without seeing evidence has never been one of his strong suits.
Chase, however, caught the wink and immediately asked, "You didn't really answer Lloyd's question. What actually happened to you two?"
One look and both realized they were thinking the same thing. "Like we'll ever tell." the two Wind-wielders exclaimed as one.
"Let's just go home." Skye added. "I've been dying to taste one of Arin's snowberry pies again."
"One snowberry pie coming right up, Skye!" Arin eagerly replied. He knew how much Skye and the other team members loved his snowberry pies.
"Did someone just mention snowberry pie?" Rubble asked in delight. "Yum!"
Everyone shared a laugh at that. Then the team turned to climb back out of the cave to where the Bounty had landed nearby. Zuma, Chase, Skye, and Morro were the last ones to leave the cave. As Chase helped Skye clamber out of the cave, he asked once more, "Are you sure you're not going to tell any of us what happened down there?"
"Maybe someday, Chase." Skye replied. "But for now, I'm just thankful that I could be Morro's song—and that he could be my star."
"Huh?" Chase and Zuma exclaimed as one. But Skye and Morro simply shared a knowing smile—before the two adopted siblings prepared to head back, with closer ties than ever before.