Cole had possessed Jay quite a few times by now. The first time he had tried eating it felt like Jay was waking up, so he stopped early, leaving a confused Jay in the kitchen wondering if he had started sleep walking again. But Jay seemed particularly out of it today, so Cole was trying again, maybe a drink would be more relaxing?

He carefully and quietly prepares a cup of hot cocoa, careful to stop the kettle before it beeps. The smell coming from the mug was divine. Even if he didn't drink any, it was worth it just for that smell!

He pulls up a stool to the bench and sits there with the mug in his hands soaking in the aroma, waiting for it to cool enough to drink. Eventually he takes a small sip and a wave of warm comfort flows through him. He wraps both hands fully around the mug, soaking in the warmth as he continues to sip at the drink.

"Jay, what are you doing up so late?"

Cole's calm instantly shatters, replaced by terror as he locks eyes with Lloyd standing in the doorway. He freezes, feeling Jay starting to stir, there was no way Jay would sleep through an entire conversation with Lloyd, and no way he could successfully fake being Jay for an entire conversation either… which left one option. Bail.

Cole pushes the cocoa to the side, then leans over the table, laying Jay's head on his arms, he didn't want Jay to fall and hurt himself if he was still asleep. He then leaves Jay, turning invisible as soon as he possibly can, holding his breath, backing into a corner, waiting to see if his gambit paid off.

Jay had been dozing. Not fully asleep, but only mildly aware of what Cole was up to. He had been getting pretty tired lately, which did make it a bit easier to stay mostly asleep during the possessions. When he stayed calm, Cole stayed calm. It was still super weird to him, the way emotions leaked through. Jay did his best to bottle up the fear, the disgust, until after Cole had left. Cole didn't need that. There was a strange empty sadness that always accompanied the possessions, but by the time Cole left it had normally faded, not completely gone, but reduced. So it was working, it was helping. Which meant Jay wouldn't say anything, wouldn't do anything to jeopardise his friend's respite, regardless of how it made him feel.

So he was dozing, doing his best to ignore it, get used to it. The smell of cocoa wafted through his nostrils, which made him long for rain. Miserable weather outside always made inside seem even cosier by comparison. His mind drifts through memories of cocoa, and rain, and sitting in his parents caravan, when a burst of raw panic interrupts.

He pulls his attention back to his body, seeing a glimpse of Lloyd in the doorway before Cole lays them down on the bench top and leaves him, cold shiver running up his spine, and that weird snap in his mind as all his muscles return to his control, foreign feelings vanishing from his mind. Whatever panic remained was completely his own.

Jay jerks slightly when Cole leaves, then sits up slowly, blinking and looking around, Lloyd had walked over from the doorway, and Cole was nowhere to be seen. "Huh?" he says, mind still sleepy. "What time is it?" Had Cole stayed in me right through to morning? Is that why Lloyd is here?

Lloyd looks at Jay with a frown. "It's the middle of the night. Um, were you asleep just now?"

Jay blinks a few times. How much had Lloyd seen? If it was anyone else, he might have considered telling them, but not Lloyd. After what Morro did to him, yeah, he couldn't find out about this.

Jay shrugs. "I guess so? I've been sleepwalking a bit lately." He gives an impressive looking yawn, to emphasise his point.

Lloyd's eyes dart to the drink. "You can make cocoa in your sleep?"

Jay realises that coming up with lies while half asleep probably wasn't the best idea after all, but was in too deep now. "Huh. Neat." He pulls the drink over and takes a big sip. "That's not bad." It was too sweet, just how Cole liked it, but still nice enough. "Do you want one? Give me a minute to fall back asleep, then I'll make yours." Jay closes his eyes and lies back down on his arms with another yawn.

"Oh no, you're not sleeping here, come on." Lloyd starts to drag him to his feet.

"At least let me finish my drink!"

"Ok, fine." grumbles Lloyd, pulling up a stool beside Jay. "Are you, um, feeling ok?"

"I'm fine!" assures Jay. "I used to sleep walk all the time as a kid. Just be glad I haven't peed in any cupboards."

"Ew, gross!" Lloyd sticks out his tongue in disgust. "Why would you pee in a cupboard?"

Jay shrugs. "Looks the same as a toilet when your brain is switched off."

Lloyd chuckles slightly. "Yeah, please don't do that!"

Jay nods, and gives a comforting grin. "I'll try my best." He is overtaken by yet another yawn before sipping at the drink. "You know, Cole probably made me the cocoa, he normally looks out for me if I'm wandering around at night." That was a more believable lie than making cocoa in his sleep right?

"Right… Cole."

Jay realises his mistake too late, drawing attention to Cole wasn't a great idea. "Forget me for a moment, what are you doing up?"

Lloyd shrugs. "Just a bad dream."

"Morro?" Jay notices Lloyd is wearing his deepstone. He usually puts it on after dreaming about Morro.

Lloyd nods, picking at his fingers. "I'll be ok. Just wanted some air."

Jay nods before finishing the drink. "We're all here for you, if you want to talk about it."

"I know. But I'm ok, it was just a dream." Jay lets out yet another yawn. "And you need to go to bed!"

"I guess I do." says Jay as he wanders over to the doorway. "Don't stay up too late." he says sleepily to Lloyd before leaving the kitchen.

Lloyd sits there listening to the footsteps making their way along the hall, continuing to pick absentmindedly at his nails. The way Jay had looked at him when he first came in. He had seen that eerie ghostly glow about him. But Morro wasn't here. Morro isn't here. He echoes that line, a mantra of safety in his head. Another ghost then? But why sneak onto the bounty just to make a cup of cocoa?

Cole.

The thought hits him like a truck. Cole would never… would he? The air feels like it is getting thinner, his breaths taking just a bit more effort. Lloyd clutches at the deepstone, making sure he has it on, eyes darting around the room, searching for a ghost, searching for Cole. How could he neutralise the threat?

Vengestone.

Wu's research had revealed that vengestone blocked a ghost's abilities similarly to an elemental master. Surely they had some vengestone cuffs somewhere on board? He jumps up from his seat and races out of the room. Heading to the storage room, frantically shifting through crates of weapons and supplies and gadgets. But there isn't any vengestone, so he keeps searching.

"Lloyd? Are you ok? What are you looking for?"

Lloyd freezes before slowly turning his head to face the doorway, he sees Cole standing there, hovering, not wanting to come too close.

"I… um. Vengestone. I can't find any." he stammers, turning back towards the box, seeing a tear splatter onto his hand. The breathing was getting hard again.

"Vengestone? Why would a boat load of elemental masters keep vengestone around? It makes us all feel like crap. Why do you need some anyway?"

"Because you possessed Jay!" Lloyd spits out the words, knuckles going white where he grips the side of the crate.

Cole hesitates before speaking. "I can explain."

Lloyd whips his head around to look at Cole once more. He admitted it. FSM he was really hoping he was wrong. "Why? Why would you do that? You promised..." Lloyd's voice was cracking, more tears making their way down his face.

"I promised I would never possess you." clarifies Cole, but he knows it is a cop out. "I'm not hurting him. Ok? I would never do anything if it was hurting anyone."

Lloyd frowns at Cole, betrayal all over his puffy face. Jay had said something, I've been sleepwalking a bit lately. "You've done this more than once." It wasn't a question, rather a realisation. How long has this been going on?

"Yeah." admits Cole guiltily. "But he doesn't even know. Please don't tell him. Please."

Lloyd shakes his head in disbelief. Did Cole really think he would keep this secret? "Why?" Cole still hadn't explained the reason for this alarming behaviour.

"I'm fading." says Cole glumly.

Lloyd pauses, a tiny tug of sympathy encouraging him to let Cole explain.

"I can't feel anything." He passes his hand through the doorframe. "Just a bit of pressure. It's not enough. No hot or cold, no rough or soft. No smell, barely any taste… my heart doesn't beat, I can't even breathe. I'm forgetting what it feels like to be alive. The more I forget, the harder it's getting to stay. I don't know what else to do? Wu told me to accept it… but he doesn't understand what this is like. I'm sorry, ok? I don't want to, I just… ugh. I need to feel something. Those three sips of cocoa were the best thing that has happened to me all week." He finally turns back to Lloyd. Most of his rage has melted away.

"You're fading?"

"Yeah, I think so. I dunno, everything is just getting harder…" Cole holds his hands in front of his face, trying to assess if they are dimmer than normal.

"Why Jay?" asks Lloyd. It was getting a bit easier to breathe, now mostly convinced Cole hadn't turned evil, the curse altering his very essence.

Cole lets out a small sigh. "Because he's the one who's least likely to hate me for it. Like, it couldn't be you. Not after Morro. Kai took the whole Morro thing pretty hard too. But Jay… I thought about asking him, I really did. But, I dunno, I wanted to see if it would help first? And then I thought that knowing might hurt more than the possessions themselves?" Cole lets out a sigh. "If it's hurting him, I'll stop. Ok? You have my word."

Lloyd frustratingly slams the lid back on the crate. "Fine! I won't tell him. Yet." He pushes it back into the corner and takes a step towards Cole. "You don't have to hide how you're doing from me, just because I don't like ghosts." Lloyd pulls at his sleeve.

"I just, didn't want to hurt you either." says Cole sheepishly. "You've been through enough."

"And your sacrifice helped save me! You all talk about being protectors of the green ninja, but I want to protect you too."

Cole gives a half smile. "Yeah, I know you do. Which is why you're going to be a great leader."

"And you better stick around to see it."

"I'll try my best."

The next day Lloyd goes to see Wu.

"Come in Lloyd, it is lovely to see you."

"Uncle." Wu puts down the scroll he is reading, sensing uncertainty in his nephew's voice. "It's Cole. He's fading. We need to do something."

"I know." says Wu.

Lloyd blinks in surprise. "Wha- but Cole said you told him to give up? Accept it?"

Wu nods. "I thought it would be better for his mental state to live in the moment, learn to make the most of it, instead of clinging to potentially false hope. Cole should accept that right now, he is a ghost. And we should keep searching for a way to turn him back."

Lloyd looks more closely around the room, it was messier than normal, scrolls scattered around. Wu had often been missing training sessions, instead getting the ninja to take turns in leading them to develop leadership, however Lloyd now suspected it was to give himself more time to study.

"You never stopped searching…" he says with relief.

"Of course not. Ninja never quit."

"What can I do?"

"You can look after Cole."