Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

                               I

                          Oblivion

                         —————

        I don’t know where the story ends…

             Never turning back again…

                   As I drop into…

                       Oblivion…

Soon after the ninja escaped Chen’s island…

The sickening venom of the transformation still ached in Garmadon’s bones as he watched the camera feed on the screen of the Samurai X cave.

Hundreds of violet serpents clad in gleaming armor swarmed the small settlement with vicious fury, and the spectators miles away unable to do anything.

“Chen…” Garmadon remarks with a seething rage. His old mentor’s scheming had come to fruition after years of toiling away on that island. Now both the ninja and the elemental masters are struggling to keep up with them.

If only he could find that scaly tail of his himself, he’d ensure that Chen would do no harm to any living soul ever again, pacifism vow or not.

A gentle hand laid on his arm, dragging his attention away from the monitor. Soft hazel eyes filled with concern met his and melted the anger away. 

“Darling..” Misako spoke “as much as I’m sure any of us would like to be out there helping, it’s imperative that we stay behind and assist in coordinating the others.”

She carefully took Garmadon’s still clenched hand. “You know him best, dear. You can do the most from here.”

Meeting her gaze, he knew she was right. They were already scrambling for any kind of foothold against Chen after the break in at Krypterium. Without knowledgeable intel backing them up, it would become an uphill battle all too quickly.

Speaking of the devil, he shall appear, as the monitor flickers for a moment before a fanged purple smirk outlined by a thick goatee appears on the screen.

“Ah! Wonderful to see all of you in one place! Yaknow, this makes it a lot easier to pass on my vaguely hidden threats!”

“What is it this time, dad?” Skylor storms in hissing.

“My daughter! Skylor! You look so gorgeous with those pearly white fangs! Why don’t you tell papa where the ninja are hiding their little base of operations, and we can call it even with your whole ‘rebellious phase’?”

Skylor scoffs. “Yeah, sure I’ll tell ya. It’s in nunya.”

“Nunya?”

“Nunya damn business.” She retorted with a bite.

The hall goes silent for a brief moment as something flashes through Chen’s expression behind the screen. A piercing gaze of righteous anger directed right at his daughter, who now visibly shook and cowered under the weight of his glare. Garmadon couldn’t believe that a parent would ever look at their child in such a manner.

His previous fury returned as he stepped -or moreso slithered- into Chen’s view to give him a piece of his mind.

“Do you simply intend to gawk and laugh at us like a fool with nothing better to do with his time, or do you actually have an intention for this interception.”

“Oooo, Garm. I didn’t realize the years in the underworld would be enough for you to finally grow a spine!” Chen spoke with amusement.

“And speaking of, is your self centered brother around here? It would probably be best for both of the idiotic descendants of the first master to be present for a front row seat to their downfall.”

“I see the Anacondrai transformation has done little to enhance your lackluster bite, Chen.” Wu interjects, moving to stand by Garmadon’s side.

“Ohoho! Bold of you to stand side by side. If only someone were to air out some of your dirty laundry.” Chen chortles before turning to Garmadon.

“My former pupil, don’t you desire to know what exactly your brother did while you were trapped in another realm? To your own son?”

That gave Garmadon pause for a moment before he retorted “There is nothing you can say that we’ve not already made peace with. My brother has his faults and I have mine.”

“Not even if you learned that your own flesh and blood was willing to abandon your son with the serpentine? On multiple occasions actually! Haven’t you wondered why it took him so long to finally contact you to help in his rescue? The fact that your son spent weeks in captivity before you were even made aware!?”

It felt like freezing water had been poured down his back. Impossible. Garmadon found himself looking over to Wu, who had lost all of the color in his face at a rapid speed.

“Wu!?” Misako cried accusingly, clutching Garmadon’s arm for support.

The bearded man simply tilted his head downward, his brimmed hat obscuring his facial features as they contorted in conflict.

“Well it seems I’ve done my job! Toodaloo, LOSERS” Chen laughs hysterically before cutting the feed.

The tension between the two brothers was palpable, and only after a few seconds did one finally make a move.

“Brother… I-“ Wu was cut off as Garmadon raised a quivering fist and struck the former in the jaw with an audible crack.

Like a crack in a damn, everything else came flooding in at full speed. Garmadon could hardly process his emotions as flaming words were spat off a forked tongue. Nya Smith -the samurai- quickly stepped between the two and separated them while Misako hurried to pull a fuming Garmadon away from the scene. 

The entire time, Wu could only hold a hand to his quickly brushing cheek and blankly stare into the bottomless fury that flared in his brother’s own gaze.

——————

Lloyd wasn’t expecting the stagnant tension in the Samurai X hideout when they returned. Having been focused on the planning for The Corridor of Elders, he could only catch glimpses of the animosity between his father and uncle that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Not to mention said animosity disappearing without a trace when addressed.

The green ninja finally managed to corner his mother after the meeting to ask about the situation, and when he heard about the events that transpired, he rushed to speak with his father.

He found Garmadon packing a large number of mystical looking equipment into a satchel before slinging it onto his shoulder, bumping into his son as he turned for the door.

“Ah, Lloyd! No need to fret as I have already packed all of my supplies and-“

“Dad.” Lloyd interrupted, crossing his arms. “You know exactly what I’m here to talk about.”

The former warlord's cheery facade remained for but a moment more before dissolving into a weary grimace. He groaned. “Look, son. You had nothing to do with this issue. In fact, you were the primary victim of his incompetence. Therefore, this needn’t burden your shoulders.” 

“Dad-“ Lloyd interjected again. “Uncle had his reasons, and in the end we all made it out fine! That-“

“That doesn’t make it ok, Lloyd!” Garmadon hissed through fanged teeth. “It doesn’t change the fact that my own flesh and blood once thought of you as disposable enough to abandon in the claws of those snakes. My own son, used as fodder!” He heaved a sigh.

Lloyd took the moment to embrace his father, whom he felt melt into the contact and return the gesture. “I’m not asking for you to forgive him yet. Just-“ he bit his lip “Just leave a talk like this for later. Once both of you can communicate clearly.”

“I-“ Garmadon hesitated. 

“I- I suppose I could put aside this for a moment. But only for your sake.”

Lloyd hummed his approval. “That’s all I ask of you, dad.”

——————

“It has to be one of us…” Garmadon echoed in revelation. Remembering back to all those years ago, banishing the Anacondrai generals to the cursed realm. The shared burden of the brothers taking the responsibility of completing the spell and ushering the verdict.

Now, all this time later, karma has truly come for its reckoning.

“One of us must take their place.” Garmadon said to the shell shocked face of his brother.

It only took a few seconds before one of the two volunteered, and it broke Garmadon’s heart.

“I will do it.” Wu said with such conviction, Garmadon had no doubt that his decision was final.

“What!?” Lloyd cried incredulously. “What do you mean- you can’t be saying your gonna-“

Lloyd looked desperately at his father, pleading “Dad, tell him he can’t! Tell him that there has to be another way!”

The broken cries of his son tore at his resolve, threatening to spill out Garmadon’s own pleas of disbelief. But he could only return Lloyd’s gaze with a look of defeat.

Lloyds betrayed expression burned into Garmadon’s mind as he turned back to his master. “Uncle please! You can't- you’ll die!!!”

The words echoed through the microphone on Lloyd’s earpiece, bringing a cacophony of distress and disbelief from the other ninjas that quickly soured into a firm denial. Yet despite this, Wu still took the leather bound spell book from the tiny claws of a miniature Pythor.

Lloyd’s face contorted into rage and tears pricked at his eyes. Ripping his cowl back on, he dove off the side of the bounty into the fray below.

“Lloyd-!” Wu called after him, only for a trembling hand to pull him back. The master turned to meet the eyes of one of his closest friends quivering with unshed tears as Misako pulled him into a tight hug, fierce enough to knock the wind out of his chest. Finally released from the embrace, she gave him a bittersweet smile before taking the spell book in her own hands and moving over to a still frozen Garmadon.

“Brother, please-“ Garmadon pleaded, despite knowing it would do little to change the outcome. Wu walked up to his brother and took an outstretched hand in his own. “We both know that you have much more to live for at the moment, brother. Meanwhile, I have several acquaintances on the other side due for a visit.” Wu responded with a half hearted laugh.

“I have many regrets in this life. Unfortunately, many of them were my failures as a teacher to my students.” Silently, Wu removed a small folded piece of paper from his robe and pressed it into Garmadon’s hand.

“May it be in this life or the next, I only wish that one day you will forgive me for my negligence.”

Garmadon looked upon the melancholy expression his brother wore, the face of a man who has seen his own world crumble far too many times. He threw himself forward to embrace his brother, desperately clinging to this moment.

Finally, he choked out, “-I may not be able to forgive you now… but till the end of time, you will always be my brother.”

Removing himself from the embrace, Garmadon slipped the piece of paper into his pocket before taking the tomb of spells from his wife’s hands. Together, they both stood before Wu as Garmadon chanted the first words.

“Komodo, nicktu, demic tara…”

A wince of pain drew his attention from the pages as a dim green light enveloped Wu, slowly lifting him from the deck of the bounty with his face scrunched in pain.

He stammered out the next words.

“K-Kenji, suveris, toto-demada, c-cursono, neeboro”

The wince turned into a cry as a rift was ripped open from the sky above the ship, a sickening green in color with a chill blowing out into the humid desert heat. 

Suddenly, several thumps were heard behind them. As Garmadon turned to fight, he was shocked to see several figures in multiple colors land on the deck of the ship and quickly tear off their cowls, followed closely by a figure in heavy metal armor.

He was met with the disheartened faces of the ninja, Nya, and Lloyd all looking up at the contorted face of their beloved master.

“Sensei, please.” Stepped forward Cole. The boy’s amber eyes ached with hurt.

The master merely turned his gaze down to his students with a smile. 

“I had sought to bring peace to this world and rid it of all troubles. But I hadn’t realized that I would pass down that ideology to you all, my beloved students.”

Several soft sobs were heard from the ninja as Garmadon turned back to the incantation on the pages with bleary eyes.

“actu, cursono, neeborro.”

The tears in his eyes clouded his vision as he stammered over the last sentence, his heart hammering in his chest. Only for a pair of hands to reach over and gently take the book from his trembling grasp. 

Garmadon turned to meet his son’s weary gaze, offering a weak smile in support as he took the book in his own hands and stepped forwards. Grateful, Garmadon laid a hand on his shoulder and took his wife’s trembling grasp in his other.

Lloyd spoke the final words. “Sono, hokido, bo-rock!”

With a final cry of pain, Wu was dragged through the rift. The chill winds emanating from the portal ceased abruptly.

“Is he..?” Nya spoke with a weak voice.

“Did it work?” Jay piped up between soft sobs.

Finally, several dozen ghostly serpents came pouring out of the rift, descending onto the army below with a bellowing war cry.

——————

“Your brother was truly an exceptional man.” General Arcturus addressed Garmadon before wandering over to Lloyd, sharing a conversation for only their ears.

As many celebrated their victory and others grieved their losses, a wisp of a specter fled the scene.

A voice followed after this ghost.

“Morro…”

The ghost continued to follow the path of the gales, reveling in the feeling of the wind for the first time in years. 

This ghost, none the wiser to the events that had transpired mere moments before.

He almost felt alive.

———————

Chapter Text

II

Awaken

The voice begins to call you 

While you hunger

A taste a destiny you’re searching for

Awaken, Awaken

The fight is at your door

Take up the cause.

—————

   Garmadon sighed, his back aching from moving so many boxes. A cacophony of cardboard boxes littered an empty storage room in the bottom hull of the bounty, where the master sat on top of an old dusty stool in the center.

It almost felt too soon, being only just over a week since the battle at the corridor of elders.

It seemed too premature to be boxing up his brother's belongings from his room in the monastery.

Admittedly, he was having a much harder time grieving than he let on from the surface. He just supposed, living the life he has, that his method of mourning was different.

Nonetheless, it still hurts the ninja for their former master’s personal items to be left around their home.

Young Kai Smith even experienced a panic attack at the lingering smell of Wu’s signature incense.

Now they were boxing it all away to collect dust in some attic.

Garmadon couldn’t stomach the sour feeling rising in his throat.

His son, poor Lloyd, refused to even enter the Monastery of Spinjitzu anymore, opting to stay in Garmadon’s dojo instead.

The Smith siblings were the closest to Lloyd, trying to comfort him while processing in their own ways.

Cole Brookstone and Jay Walker had taken some time to visit their own families, no doubt wanting to cherish some precious moments with their loved ones in such a difficult time.

Zane Julian had actually accepted an offer from Misako to spend some time at an archeological dig site, not so subtly attempting to take his mind off of things.

Despite everyone’s turbulent emotions, they had all seemed to agree to leave Garmadon to his own devices.

To give him space.

Garmadon wasn’t sure to feel disappointed or greatful.

His personal time was short lived by the abrupt opening of the door, a figure carrying a tower of boxes stumbling in. From behind the tower, the voice Nya called out, “Care to lend a hand?”

Garmadon scurried over to assist the young woman in gingerly placing the boxes down on the floor, her brow caked in sweat.

“Whew! That should be the last of the boxes from the monastery.”

Garmadon chuckled brightly, “Thank you, Nya. This would have taken me all day had I done it by myself.”

Nya returned his look with a smile. “No prob, Sensei G, wouldn’t want you to be stuck with all of this heavy lifting on your own. Let’s get this stuff out of here.”

The two move to exit the room when Nya’s foot catches the corner of a box. Garmadon’s reflexes manage to grab her just before she joins a pile of boxes being sent crashing to the floor.

Several of the boxes burst open, spilling the contents out onto the floor.

“Aw, cmon!” Nya groans, to which Garmadon places a hand on her shoulder. 

“No need to worry. We just need to get these back into their boxes and then we’ll be off.”

The two bend down to begin cleaning up when something catches Garm’s eye. 

A large wooden box with an ornate symbol carved into the top.

A familiar symbol.

Garmadon fumbles for a moment, quickly pulling a crumpled piece of paper from his cloak. 

The same slip of paper that Wu left to him.

His erratic movement caught the attention of Nya, who was now also looking at the box with interest.

Finally unfurling the slip of paper, Garmadon finds the same symbol crudely drawn onto it in ink, with one word written under it.

Regrets

Nya and Garmadon share a look, glancing between the paper and the box, before the latter finally gets the courage to open it.

The first thing he saw inside was an album. A simple red color with silver trimmings. Garmadon removed it from the chest, opening it to find the faces of people he never thought he would see in this life again.

Many of the previous elemental masters were displayed in these photos, with Wu and Garmadon present in most of them. Scrawled in neat handwriting underneath each photo were the names of every person present.

Nya gasped and pointed to an image on the bottom of the first page. “That’s my mom!” She exclaimed.

Garmadon looked at the image she had pointed to and found the face of a familiar woman looking back, her expression caught between mid laughter.

“Ah, yes, Maya Smith, the master of water.”

There was a pause before a voice suddenly screeched next to him.

“ WHAT?! ”

Garmadon clutched the side of his head, skull ringing from the loud noise. The raven haired girl quickly apologized and checked to make sure the graying master was ok before continuing her astonishment.

“What do you mean my mom was the master of water???”

Garmadon returned her shock with a quizzical look. “I would have thought Wu had told you by now.” 

Realization set in with a groan. 

Wu had always been a cryptic one.

Sometimes not even Garmadon could figure out what his brother was saying.

But why? his mind provided. What reason was there to keep this information from her ?

“Ah, it seems my brother may have kept many things close to the chest.”

The girl's face deflated in disappointment, clearly unsatisfied with the answer.

“My apologies, Nya, but I’m sure my brother had a reason for keeping this from you.”

She nodded solemnly before expression lighting up again. “Does this mean I might be the next master of water? I get to have cool elemental powers?!”

The change in mood did well to brighten Garmadon’s own grim attitude. “Yes, it’s quite likely. I’d be happy to mentor you, if you would like.”

Nya’s eyes seemed to light up with stars at the offer. “Heck yeah! Oh the guys are gonna be so jealous when they find out.”

The raven stood to shake off her building excitement as Garmadon turned back to the album in his lap.

Many other photos brought an ache to his heart at the sight of so many old friends.

Most of whom were long gone by now.

Turning a few pages, Garmadon was shocked to see a face he hadn’t expected.

A familiar young boy with olive skin and black hair, a single green highlight prominent on his bangs. He wore a dusty yellow and gray gi and seemed to be bouncing up and down in the image.

Garmadon had almost forgotten about the young master of wind, Wu’s first student.

He had only met the child a few times, since it had been during his time learning under chen. Only his brief visits to his brother had given him the chance to meet him.

Morro, he believed his name was.

In the next photo, the young boy was shown flying a kite without a string attached to it, a look of awe and amazement on his face. Wu could be seen just on the edge of the frame, eyes filled with pride.

What happened? Garmadon thought. 

During their time apart, Wu wrote many letters about his experience teaching the boy as his first student. They were close, his brother even referring to the child as “almost like a son to me.”

Then the letters abruptly stopped.

So did the invites for visits.

When Garmadon had finally returned from his training with Chen, the boy was gone, the halls of the monastery empty and desolate. The one time Garmadon had thought to ask his brother about the child, Wu shut him out completely, locking himself in the dojo and refusing to talk to his brother for days.

And well… with that reaction and Garmadon’s growing issues with the sickening venom in his veins, he never thought to ask again.

Now, looking at how many simple yet cheerful photos of this boy decorated the inside of the album, the old master couldn’t help but wonder where it had all gone wrong.

Looking back inside the box in front of him, Garmadon was actually shocked to find the same dusty yellow gi from the photos folded and pressed neatly into the compartment, with a note on top.

Somehow, Garmadon could tell this letter was not addressed to him, but chose to take it into his hands and read it anyway.

‘ To Morro, my dear student.

Our time together may have been some of the best years of my long life, and I am honored to have spent it with a young man I have come to consider as a son.

Though, with how I treated you in the past, I understand if you feel otherwise.

If you are reading this, then I suppose you have finally come home, however…

I was not there to welcome you.

There are many things I could say, countless apologies to speak, but I do not wish to waste any more of your time, So I will only say one thing.

You have never, not once, ever stopped being my student. Whether it be across the realms and to the ends of time, you will always have a place with me.

Goodbye, My son.

-Wu’

Garmadon paused, shocked and confused.

What had happened between this young man and his brother to elicit such a heart wrenching note from a man that, throughout Garmadon’s life, was not known for such deep condolences.

Something that Wu had apparently caused.

Brother, what did you do?

“Hey, Sensei G!” A voice called out to him, shaking him out of his stupor. “Everything packed away? We’ve got the engines ready and fired up to go!”

“Uh- yes, Nya, just one moment.” Garmadon stammered. He rushed to place the gi, letter, and photo album back in their places inside the box before closing it and scooping the remaining items into their respective containers. 

Just as he was about to leave, however, he took one last look at the ornate wooden box, before doubling back and tucking it under his arm.

Leaving the storage room, the chest in his arms felt like hundreds of pounds of weight on his shoulders.

Strangely, despite the air tight cabin halls of the bounty, Garmadon swore he could feel an eerie chill creep down the back of his neck.

Chapter Text

III

A Dangerous Thing

There’s no end to the fall

You keep on getting better

I keep forgetting

There’s no love in the end

——————

  The chilling breeze running through his body did wonders for the permanent ache that persisted on the phantom scars of his ghostly form.

Even if he couldn’t physically feel the wind, it was like greeting an old friend, one who was eager to catch up.

If there was one thing that Morro missed from living, it was flying through the mountains like this.

Nothing but the open empty expanse between him and the horizon.

A pang rang out through his skull as a grim reminder of his current situation. He groaned and flew over to a nearby mountain peak, perching on top and rubbing his temples.

“I remember our contract, my queen.” He internally bemoaned.

As a second in command to an army of ghosts, you would think the title earned a little bit of leniency when it came to work, but nope .

“I understand, I’ll be getting to work as soon as my agreed time is up.” Morro responded to a silent murmur in the back of his mind. He made a deal for some free time in the overworld before getting his hands dirty and by the FSM he was going to use it.

Once the migraine finally faded away, the ghost returned his focus to the air flowing through his permeability form, how it seemed to dance and sing in his presence. He found himself letting free a chuckle or two, amused by the wind’s enthusiasm.

We’ll come on then. He urged the breeze. We don’t have all day.

With that, he took off into the horizon again, leaving behind the dread and worries of a soul binding deal that weighed heavily on him like an iron chain.

————

“We’ll come on then, Lloyd. We don’t have all day for the legendary green ninja to spend on the floor.”

Lloyd groaned as he returned to his feet, still sore after getting knocked to the ground multiple times.

“Can we take a break, dad?”

Garmadon leveled his bo-staff at the blond. “It’s  ‘Sensei’ while we’re training. And how do you expect our newest ninja to learn through sub par lessons?” He gestured to the side where Nya sat in a plain white gi with a smug smile plastered onto her face.

Off to the side, the other four were running through the regiment that Garmadon had assigned earlier that evening, each of them with decreasing amounts of success as they continued.

“It has been well over two months since you have properly been accustomed to your usual training schedule, and what better way to kick you into shape than a trial by fire.” Garmadon cheered enthusiastically, hitting a hidden switch on the side of a support beam.

All of a sudden, dozens of obstacles and other training equipment sprung out of the floors and walls.

Seriously? Lloyd bemoaned internally. 

“Oh you’ve gotta be kidding me!” Jay howled. “I’m more dehydrated right now than Cole’s ‘homemade beef jerky’”

“HEY!” The earth ninja cried in offense, only for his brunette partner to place a tired hand on his shoulder and shake his head. “Don’t fight it man, just start the course.”

Lloyds turmoil groaned in his gut. Is the secret training courses shtick just a common occurrence in this family???

Aside from the brand new death trap that the five ninja were now stuck running drills through, Garmadon’s dojo was developing quite nicely. 

In the mornings to afternoons, Garm would teach simple self defense classes to local villagers and children. Once the sun went down and the ninja came back from assignments, it was their turn in the dojo with Garmadon.

Of course, unluckily for them, Garm was not a lenient teacher.

The training course was going as painful as usual when, all of a sudden, a small balloon of water was sent flying into the side of Kai’s head, sending him tumbling off of a balance beam.

“HEY!” Kai shouted in indignation, glaring at the smug face of the culprit.

Nya had been developing steadily with her powers, despite not having prior training or the assistance of a golden weapon. Though, of course, she still struggled with maintaining control.

That’s why she was levitating water balloons to hurl at the ninja instead of solid orbs of water.

“Always be prepared for any danger.” Garmadon spoke in a sagely tone while the boys panicked and rushed through the obstacles trying desperately to outrun the water balloons.

“Oh c'mon guys, I thought you were parched?” Nya cackles maniacally as she sends volley after volley towards the ninja.

“MERCY! MERCCCYYYYY!” Jay cried out just as several dozen balloons nailed him in the side, dousing him in water and sending him tumbling to the ground.

————

A thick mixture of various scents bombarded Nya as she walked into the small tea shop. She reflexively gags and plugs her nose, trying to block out the overwhelming smells.

“Ah! My apologies, Nya. I’ve been intending to air out the shop while I unpacked but I suppose I forgot.” Misakos voice spoke from behind the counter, standing to reveal graying auburn hair tied up into a tight bun.

“No problem Mrs. G. All good!” Nya insisted, though still firmly holding her nose closed until she pried open the nearby window.

Misako's laugh sounded like the ringing of a bell. “I just hope the smell can diminish before our grand opening.”

Nya joined her in laughing. “Well you better be ready for customers coming in by the truckload. Sensei G just sent the guys out to advertise for Steep Wisdom in the city.”

Misako flushed. “Oh! He didn’t need to do all of that! I'm sure the boys have better things to be doing.”

Nya hollered even louder. “Oh trust me, Mrs. G, they don’t.”

Stocking the shelves with more tea leaves, Misako questioned the young ninja. “And where is Lloyd? Is he also out helping to spread the word?”

“Nah. Apparently they got a call down at the museum for a break in. Lloyd claimed it was a good idea to ‘get used to missions’ again, but I’m pretty sure it was just to get out of manual labor.”

Misako sighed, climbing down her step ladder. “One of the many things that he gets from his father, I suppose.”

“What?” Nya asked incredulously. “No way!”

“Oh, yes.” Misako assured. “The stories I have about that man-“

“Shall not be spoken on this fine evening, will they?” Garmadon jokingly threatened as he walked in through the open door. 

“Oh, dear, you know I was kidding. Besides, those aren't even the worst of the tales I could share.”

Garmadon stammered in shock while Nya cackled. “Oh WOW Mrs, G. I guess we know where Lloyd gets his sass from!”

Garm guffaws in offense “I’ll have you know that I am quite smooth of tongue myself.”

“As smooth as sandpaper, maybe.” Misako utters under her breath, bringing a red flush to the master's cheeks while Nya’s laughter begins anew.

“Well- I just simply came in here to drop off the last of the boxes from the truck order, but it seems I’m not as appreciated here as I thought.” Garmadon huffed as he set down a long rectangular box onto the counter and turned on his heel to the exit.

“Oh dear, you know I love you.”  Misako chided, circling the counter and wrapping the man in a tight embrace. “Even if it means keeping your ego in check every now and again.”

Garm scoffs but shares an affectionate glance with his wife, adjusting himself to wrap the woman in a hug of his own.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt your lovey dovey time, but what exactly is this?” Nya cut in, standing over the now open box on the counter to reveal a long glass display case with an empty stand.

“Oh! I almost forgot about that!” Misako exclaimed, breaking free of the hug and rushing behind the counter to retrieve a long object wrapped in cloth. Unfurling the fabric revealed a well worn-out staff of bamboo.

“Isn’t that-“

“-My fathers staff…” Garmadon finished Nya’s question, the man shuttering as chills wracked through his body. “I’m surprised my brother kept it all of these years.”

“Well, no matter who it once belonged to, Wu specifically asked for it to be displayed as a family heirloom. I figured what better place than the tea shop made in his memory.” Misako declared, gently placing the relic inside the casing and lifting it to an open shelf on the wall just above the doorway to the back of the shop.

“Well, since you're here now, Sensei, why don’t you help out stocking up the rest of the shop?”

“Aha, I’d love to, but I believe it’s almost time for my evening classes, so I’m afraid I will have to leave that to you wonderful ladies!”

As Garmadon walked out, he could hear Nya affirming Misakos earlier claims with giggles and whispers, but the master couldn’t shake the growing dread pooling in his gut, taking a second look at the faded yellow staff that sent a jolt of fear through him.

——————

Chapter Text

Does the swallow dream of flying?

I won’t go

Making mountains

Out of molehills

Anymore

———

So This is the green ninja? Morro thought to himself, shifting his spirit around inside the body of the security guard.

So carefree and lackluster, he was the least intimidating opponent Morro had ever seen. Forget being the prophesied hero, you're telling him this is supposed to be the son of the warlord Garmadon?

Not that he’d met the villain himself, but the stories painted a much more terrifying visage than what his offspring seemed to inherit.

And yet, this kid was supposed to be Wu’s star pupil.

The envy churned in his gut, accelerated by the thrumming pain behind his eyes that urged him to complete his mission.

As they entered the storage room of the museum, Morro resolved to give his old master a taste of real power once he confronted him for the staff.

In the meantime, he had a brat to take care of.

——

As the last of Garmadon’s evening class departed from the dojo, the lingering dread from earlier in the day still pricked at his back. The swirling grey of the sky above him did little to calm his unease.

Looking just shortly down the path, he brighted slightly at the sight of a few cars parked next to the new building on the property. A small but quaint tea shop.

Steep Wisdom as Wu once mentioned. A plan for retirement that the old master once shared with Misako, and now she felt obligated to realize that dream in his stead.

The small moment of peace was abruptly shattered as a truck came careening into the center garden in front of the dojo, a large teapot sign plastered to the roof. 

As the old master rushed down the gravel path to the vehicle, four familiar figures stumbled out in a daze.

“What happened to you four?!” Garmadon exclaimed to the young men, the commotion drawing out Misako and Nya, as well as a few customers, from the tea shop.

“Something weird is going on!” Jay exclaimed, leaping out of the car and quickly falling flat onto the ground in his frantic rambling. 

“We were advertising for the shop with our powers-“ Kai began, wincing at the glare from Garmadon for breaking his one rule before continuing. “When all of a sudden, our powers just go haywire.”

Zane emerged from the other side of the car, alarmingly holding several pieces of metal that had apparently broken off from his body. “Our elemental abilities suddenly began malfunctioning before stopping completely. Due to our powers deep connection with the golden energy, the reasonable conclusion is-“

“Something happened to Lloyd.” Cole finishes, emerging from the driver's seat.

A wave of dread overtook Garmadon, stumbling backwards into an approaching Nya, who wore a look of concern seeing his pale expression. 

“ What do you mean? ” A stern voice to his right spoke out, the source being an unnaturally livid Misako. Looking into her eyes, Garmadon could see a brewing storm not so different from the dark clouds gathering overhead.

A tempestuous gust of wind suddenly swept through the courtyard, carrying the presence of an ominous figure suddenly looming atop the garden walls. 

“It means you should be afraid .” A distorted voice spoke under the stranger's hood, who’s raised hand seemed to guide the billowing air currents up to a large windmill off in the distance.

In an instant, before anyone could react, the wooden fan was ripped from its base and began hurtling towards their group at jaw dropping speeds.

“LOOK OUT-!” Cole screamed, urging the others to scatter as he leapt to face the flying terror head on.

Only too late did he remember that his powers weren’t working properly.

Cole barely managed  to cover his forearms in a thin layer of earth in a feeble attempt at protection before the blades crashed into him, sending him flying across the garden.

“ COLE! ” Garmadon heard Kai yell somewhere behind him.Frantic, Garmadon quickly turned to Misako. “Use the van and get the civilians to safety.”

Misako responded with a nod of understanding, despite the fear still etched into her expression. She was quick in ushering the panicking customers into the steep wisdom truck before hurriedly rushing out the front gate, completely ignored by the still looming stranger.

The figure simply stood on the top of the wall, hands at their side with a tilt to their head under their hood, an almost curious demeanor for a disguised attacker.

The master and ninja were quick to recuperate, despite their weakened powers, and stood facing the new threat head on. Even Nya, the ninja in training, had brought out a pair of samurai X chakrams from First Master knows where.

“Who are you?” Garmadon questioned curtly.

The hooded figure clicked his tongue in annoyance, hands tucked into his pockets as he leapt down from the wall with a flash of wind slowing his fall. “ I’m not here for you. Just tell me:” Another billowing current of wind blasted the group of ninja, carrying the weight of heavy words. “ Where. Is. Wu. ”

It was as if the world stopped for a moment. The wind slowed to a gentle breeze as the tension in the air grew thicker by the second. Garmadon could feel the bitter malice from his students behind him at the besmirching of their old teacher's name, and the old man couldn’t lie about the boiling pot of anger now ignited inside of his heart.

Was this an old enemy of Wu’s? Was this another part of his brothers ‘regrets’?

Regardless, there was only one answer to give.

Stepping forward, Garmadon folded his hands behind his back and met the black shadow of the figure's face with a seething glare. 

 “I am Sensei Garmadon, son of the First Spinjitzu Master, and brother to Wu. No matter who you are, nor what business you have with my brother, you will have to take it up with me.”

Silence. Quiet enough to hear the emerging crickets as the sun set on the horizon…

Then laughter.

Quiet snickers quickly turned into hysterical laughs as the stranger threw their head back in laughter, finally drawing back their cloak to reveal…

Garmadon’s blood went cold. Colder than it ever was with the devourer's venom coursing through its veins.

It was Lloyd . His son . But… it also wasn’t.

The old man could hear the gasps of appalled and shock from the other ninja as he frantically searched the face of the person standing before him.

It was Lloyd. Now, with slick black hair, jagged green markings under his eyes, and a pair of wild yellow pupils the size of pins shaking with hysteria, it was something else.

Someone else

“…I’ll ask you again.” Garm hissed out through gritted teeth, barely keeping his fury down. “ Who are you, you vile phantom , and why do you have my son? ”

At this, Not-Lloyd raised his eyebrows in surprise, a twisted grin morphing his face and raising his hands into a slow clap. “Not bad, old man. Wasn’t sure you’d be the type to recognize a possession just off a glance.”

Chills like ice water ran down Garmadon’s back as he recalled that feeling of helplessness.

Back when he was under his control

“Let’s just say I have experience.” He finally chokes out.

“Well then, this will be easier than I thought!” The possessed man announced with faux cheer before he leapt forward, a blast of air hurtling him towards the master as he tackled Garmadon backwards and flying through the doors of the teashop.

“SENSEI!”

——-

Chapter Text

Bury a friend

What do you want from me

Why don’t you run from me

What are you wondering

What do you know?

——

The intense smell of tea leaves flooded Morro’s frail senses, still not used to his borrowed body as he reeled back from the counter he had rammed the spinjitzu master into.

Shaking himself from his stupor, he turned to see Garmadon quickly recovering, leaping behind the counter and arming himself with the first thing he could find.

That being a ceramic pot of lavender. 

Morro found himself frantically dodging containers of dried leaves, herbs, and even heavy kettles. 

Shouting from outside directed his attention to the front entrance, now missing its doors. Just before the group of ninja could charge in, Morro flicked a strong wind to send a shelf crashing in front of the broken doorway.

“Just you and me now, old geezer.” The master of wind goaded, directing his attention back to Garmadon, still behind the counter and now out of ammo.

“All you gotta do is tell me where-“ He began, pausing in stupor as his gaze drifted above the elder. A shining redwood case with a glass lid that displayed…

The staff

Garmadon was quick to pick up on Morros diverted attention and followed his gaze. Both pairs of eyes on the bamboo staff, the two launched themselves at the case.

Garmadon, being closer, easily knocked the stand from the wall and retrieved the old weapon, turning it against Morro and swinging a blow that the ghost barely managed to block.

Grabbing the end, the two were locked in an intense tug of war behind the counter as further commotion ramped up outside.

“Who would have thought my old master would leave you of all people to protect a relic like this. The Wu I knew was never one for second chances” Morro spat out, the name leaving a sour taste in his mouth.

He watched Garmadon’s face twist with anger as the man ripped the staff from his grasp and sent Morro flying into the wall with a hard blow to the chest.

“And just who are you to speak so ill of my brother?” The master questioned, his eyes narrow with suspicion as he gazed at his opponent.

The ghost watched as something clicked in Garmadon’s mind, his expression melting into realization.

“You're a master of wind, and you know my brother… ” he hesitated. “Are you... Morro?”

Hearing that name again, spoken from the mouth of a living person and not the eerily soft whispers of her voice… 

“Yeah.” He scoffed. “That’s me.” 

Just as Morro raised his hand to catch the older man off balance with a gust of wind, a large object suddenly crashed through the wall of the tea shop.

——

Garmadon watched in shock and slight horror as a truck came crashing through the front entrance of the shop, hurtling the possessed Not-Lloyd into the back of the shop.

He looked up to see Misako at the wheel, brows furrowed in anger that promptly relaxed when her eyes met her husbands.

“Thank goodness.” She sighed in relief before turning and breaking open the passenger door with a swift kick. 

He didn’t need any instructions as he rushed into the car seat. Just as he saw the green cloaked figure stumble out of the storage, the truck was already reeling itself backwards.

The sudden sharp turns of the vehicle left Garmadon remembering why he didn’t ride with his lovely wife very often.

Anchoring himself to the seat with one hand and the other with a tight grip on the staff, he turned to see the rest of the ninja in the back of the truck, all suddenly turning several shades too pale.

“We should head to the bounty! It’s by the river behind the dojo.” Nya directed, pointing at a thin dirt road to the side of the shop. 

“What!? No way! We need to take down whoever that was and figure out what happened to Lloyd!” Kai loudly protests, already turning to jump out of the car before a long bamboo staff suddenly blocks the door.

“That won’t be necessary.” Garmadon interjects. “That person is Lloyd. He’s been possessed.”

An awkward second of silence passes before Jay responds with what everyone was thinking. “ WHAT??! ”

A loud boom resounding from inside the tea shop urges Misako to slam the gas pedal to the floor, sending their truck flying down the dirt path.

Through the side mirrors, the old master catches glimpses of a green and black figure hurtling after them, only stalled by the abundance of trees along the trail.

“We must slow him down!” Zane insisted, gesturing to Kai as the two leaned out the windows on  either side of the van.

Weakened, the two couldn’t do much aside from hurling wisps of fire and snow, but it was something. Jay let out a cheer as he watched a snowball nail their pursuer in the face, causing him to crash into a tree.

The enemy decently distracted, the Steep Wisdom van managed to careen violently into the open cargo bay of the parked Bounty.

Immediately, Nya and Jay leapt out of the vehicle and beelined for the navigation deck as the rest of the group gathered on the bow of the ship.

It’s not long before a large green form rises from the canopy of trees, Garmadon’s heart aching as he recognizes his son’s elemental dragon under the darker and ghoulish influence of its new rider.

The once gleaming green scales were now dull and tipped with a sickly yellow, tattered grey fabric cloaking the body with a foreboding shadow, and gleaming crimson eyes that shone bright enough to see even from such a distance.

The Bounty, already airborne, blasts into the sky at a speed that leaves the deck bound passengers stumbling for footholds as the ghostly dragon begins its chase.

A firm hand grasps Garmadon’s shoulder and he turns to meet eyes with Misako, pain and confliction etched deep into her expression. “ Please tell me what’s going on. What’s happened to our son?”

“DUCK!” Nya abruptly shouts, Garmadon pulling Misako below deck as a violent burst of air rattled the entire ship.

Rushing to the inner storage room of the Bounty, the old master gave a swift explanation. “I believe a ghost, someone Wu used to know, has taken over Lloyds body. Whatever the case, he is determined to take my fathers staff.”

“The staff? Why would he-“ She pauses, before taking a closer look at the bamboo pole in her husband's hands. She rips it out of his grasp and rushes over to a small table in the corner of the room.

As Garmadon followed closely behind her, he watched in silent fascination as Misako honed all of her attention onto the strange intricate grooves in the sides of the wood. 

He always found her passion for ancient history beautiful to witness.

Another crash from above shook the walls of the flying ship, sending several boxes crashing down around them. He could hear shouts from the ninja.

His ninja.

He shared a brief glance with his wife, who only nodded in return. 

She could handle herself. His students needed him.

Garmadon once again sprinted through the halls of the bounty, bursting onto the top deck just as a blur of blue crashed into the wall beside him.

“Jay!” He exclaims, bending down to raise up the young man who was clutching his side with a hiss of pain through his teeth.

He turned to where the master of lighting had been thrown from only to meet the yellow eyed gaze of the person that should have been his son.

“Give it up, old man! You're not even half the master Wu is.” That cocky voice grated at his ears. 

Just before Morro could lunge at him, a figure in red tackled the ghost, clutching him tightly by the shoulders.

“Cmon Lloyd!” Kai struggled. “This isn’t you, fight back!”

Morro only laughed in response. “He can’t hear you, silly little ninja! The only one in control here is ME!!” 

With a shout, the possessed boy threw himself and Kai into the air before crashing through the floor of the bounty with a sickening crack .

Jay and Garmadon both rushed forward while Cole leapt into the newly formed hole without hesitation, smashing through the debris.

Peering over the edge of the new opening of the ships deck, Garmadon watched as the black ninja traded blows with the enemy, Kai laying unresponsive nearby.

Just as the Spinjitzu master was about to jump down, the ghost sent forth another blast of air, barely missing Cole by an inch.

Unfortunately, that meant the attack landed on the far wall of the hull instead, blasting open a hole in the side of the ship.

Right next to the unconscious master of fire.

“NO-!” Cole yelled, throwing himself over to the splintered opening just in time to grab Kai’s hand as he flew out of the ship.

Garmadon finally shakes himself out of his stupor, leaping down to help his two students only to be intercepted by those yellow eyes once more.

“What will you do, Sensei ? Will you hand over the staff to save your students? Or… ? ” Morro threateningly raised another hand, aimed squarely at the earth ninja’s back.

Garmadon’s breath caught in his throat. “ Please don’t do this. I understand your angry with my brother and-“ 

A fierce glimmer of hatred sparked in those unstable eyes. “YOU don’t understand ANYTHING !” His words were laced with so much anger that it took the old man aback. 

Before either could say anything else however, a nearby door slammed open. There, Misako stood with a powerful fury he had never seen before.

“You want the staff so bad? GO GET IT!” She spun around in a tornado of silver before hurling the bamboo pole out the gaping hole in the hull of the bounty.

“No-!” Morro screamed in a panic, leaping out of the ship after the old relic.

Their foe gone, Garmadon and Misako rushed to pull the two young ninjas away from the opening of the ship.

Cole heaved a sigh of relief as Kai finally stirred back into consciousness, but Garmadon couldn’t keep his eyes off the clouds below.

His chest constricted around his heart watching the small speck of green hurtle downwards before a flash appeared, the ghostly form of a dragon flying off into the mountains.

His son was gone.

Someone had his son.

Reality finally began sinking in as adrenaline faded  from his system, being replaced with cold dread and fear.

“He has Lloyd- He has Lloyd- He has Lloyd -!” The old master begins gasping between short breaths. Two pairs of young eyes filled with concern as a familiar presence suddenly envelops him in a tight embrace.

He blinks the tears out of his eyes to meet the gaze of the woman he loves, her face contorted in a familiar kind of pain. The very same excruciating pain he feels is suffocating him.

“We will get him back.”

Before anyone could say anything else, a violent lurch of the ship sent them all stumbling as a commotion arose on the top deck.

Kai and Cole are quick to rush up the steps with Garmadon and Misako following close behind, only to be met with Nya, Jay and Zane all frantically trying to manage the Bounty’s controls.

“What’s happening?” Garmadon questions, approaching the frazzled new master of water as she desperately fumbled with a panel of buttons.

“Ok so in not so great news, one of our engines went out in the attack. Not to mention with the giant hole in the ship destroying the vacuum pressure, there’s a pretty good chance we’re gonna crash.” Nya recounts.

“There’s also THAT! ” Jay yelps, pointing everyone’s attention to the front of the ship, where they watch as they seem to be approaching a shadowy form.

Said shadowy form is quickly identified as a mountain .

“Uh- sis? Now would be a great time to bust out one of those upgrades you're always working on!” Kai stammers out nervously, already clutching tightly onto the guard railing.

“WORKING ON IT!!” She screams, quickly directing the masters of lightning and ice over to the steering wheel.

The old master swears he can hear the young girl mutter a prayer under her breath before she shouts. “Hold onto your asses gang!”

Everyone is quick to scramble for a handhold just as Nya slams her hand onto a large button and the ship jerks forward at frightening speed.

Nya, Zane, and Jay all latch onto the steering wheel and pull , the Bounty suddenly ascending at a sheer incline.

A boom shakes the ship as alarms start blaring in the navigation center.

Garmadon finds himself sending his own silent prayer to his father just as the Bounty manages to crest over the top of the mountain with a crunch as the hull scrapes the side of the peak.

From there, it’s quite literally all downhill.

——