The shadow frowns slightly. The figure in green still watches the rooftop intently, refusing to break his hard gaze even as he follows the Master of Ice out of the courtyard. Then, open-mouthed, the Green Ninja locks eyes with the individual he sought out amongst the other faint shadows.
Of course he saw me. Of course he had to keep on interrupting what was never his business to begin with.
To Morro's own surprise, these thoughts about Lloyd are wrought with guilt and disappointment, far from the apparent hatred in the other boy's eyes. The ghost refuses to move from his position, even as the intense green eyes warn him away. Then, Lloyd leaves, still keeping pace with the oblivious nindroid ahead of him.
Nearly an hour later, the ghost still perches stubbornly on the roof of the old temple. All this time, and Wu has yet to exit the building. Only a minute, Morro decides, all that it will take for an apology. Or was it a question? Certainly not one he was eager to ask directly. Morro shudders, freezing in place as the sensation ripples through his ghostly form.
Did I just... shiver? Impossible, I'm already among the dead. I can't experience the cold, and I can't experience fear.
Just like the years of training spent with Master Wu. Strenuous, desperate at times, but only because he himself made it so. And eventually, quite devoid of any "lesser" emotions. Fear had been cut out of the ambitious boy's life, and shortly afterward so had his only source of comfort and protection.
I know he thanked me after the last time...
Morro shudders again. Of course, this time, it was most definitely his imagination. He has nothing to fear from his own thoughts.
But would he really be pleased to see me still here in Ninjago? What if he wants me far from his precious Green Ninja?
Simple thoughts, and yet they manage to wrench out his ghastly, transparent heart each time they reappear. Turning angrily, the ghost leaps from the temple roof, closing his eyes to the wind around him. And leaving both his questions and answers, his fears and his hope behind.
~~~
Lloyd closes his eyes bitterly to the wind and its memories around him. Zane, still completely unaware of his change in mood, waits patiently nearby, monitoring the many gauges and switches of the Bounty's controls. More patient and serene than the legendary Green Ninja knows he will feel for quite some time.
What does he want? I know that Master Wu was excited to see him on the Day of the Departed, but now he has no excuses to be in Ninjago of all places. I can't help but see why he wasn't chosen to be the Green Ninja. He hasn't done anything to deserve that title.
Standing straighter, Lloyd turns stiffly away from the ship's prow. Facing the planks of wood beneath his feet, his memory has no trouble conjuring up memories of a dark fight on the worn planks of Stiix. Nor the individual who tore him up inside, with more rage than fear. He grasps the hilt of his blade. Not much good against a ghost, but perhaps good enough to send a message.
No, I need answers. I can only fight him after he pushes me to it, and for that I'll need a suitable weapon. Lloyd sucks in a breath, surreptitiously wiping sweating palms on the hem of his emerald gi. I need answers, and I'm not going to stop until I find them.
His stance immediately softens as he remembers that while he does not yet have the answers he searches for, he already has answers to what Wu would expect of him. Answers, and still a whirlwind of questions, both for himself and for his uncle.
"How can you learn to forgive someone?"
Lloyd practically whispers the words, the soft spoken nature of the question smoothing over any tremble in his voice.
The wind around him does not answer, instead pitching the Bounty to the side. With the telltale groan of wooden planks, it tilts, wavering towards the edge. Below, the sound of running feet accompany the panicked motions of both Lloyd and Zane. And then Destiny's Bounty, the second fastest and second best of any ship to set sail, plummets out of the sky.
"Zane! What's happening?"
The nindroid shakes his head in panic, desperately gripping the ship's wheel. "I have no idea! The only thing that would account for this would be an impact of tremendous force!"
What if this is because of... No, blaming him isn't right. Even when it would be pretty convenient to pin the blame on someone else.
Lloyd dashes to lean over the ship's starboard side, reeling slightly from his frustration and the dizzying sight of clouds zooming upwards. Then he sees it: the ugly, huge gash, torn from the ship's hull, and likely damaging some of the thrusters or engine pieces.
Well, this day just keeps getting better. I can't even begin to figure out how to stabilize this while we're falling through the sky. Where's Nya's cool and calm approach when you need her?
"WHY is the ship FALLING out of the SKY?!"
Lloyd winces, immediately regretting that final thought as it crosses his mind.
"I don't know what, but something hit our starboard hard enough to damage one of our engines. It appears that we will have to take emergency measures and prepare for a crash landing," Zane adds quickly, peering in the same direction as Lloyd. "It would be impossible to fix that now."
"Yes, as we continue to fall out of the sky," Nya growls. "I kind of figured that. Lloyd!"
"Y-yes?"
"Is there anywhere in the village we were headed towards that would be safe to crash? An open field? Anything?"
Lloyd stands stock-still, pulling together the images in his eyes and his mind. The village they were headed to, and had nearly arrived at, consisted of more mountains than anything. Sharp rocks littered the peaks, and rough outcroppings formed stone bridges and spires trailing along the area's front. An impassable fortress, he recalled. Except for...
"Wait, if we can hold out long enough, there's an area past the mountain itself that we could land in. The mountain has two main peaks, right? If we time it right, we can slide between them instead of risking traveling over it, and then work from there."
The other ninja all look to one another, squinting at the wind stinging their eyes. All of them except for Zane, who has resumed his earlier frantic attempts at slowing the heavy craft's descent. The speed has indeed slowed, but not enough to prevent the inevitable. Only to give them a chance at shifting the outcome of a deadly situation.
Only a few minutes later, the clouds break. Now the ground pulls closer even faster, despite the remarkable strength of the Bounty despite a faltering flight. The jagged peaks materialize, too close for comfort, but close enough to pass.
"Yeah!" Jay cheers. "Looks like we're going to make this after all!"
The other ninja immediately echo this comment with audible sighs, relaxing their tense stances aboard the still dropping ship.
Huh. I know the Bounty will need repairs after this, but maybe it isn't as bad as it—
It isn't a loud, dramatic bang so anticipated that the ninja all hear that makes them freeze, adrenaline coursing through their veins in an instant. It's the lack of. The complete silence coming from the formerly roaring engines, as the descent takes an even more unfortunate turn: down.
"I THOUGHT YOU SAID—AHHHH!"
Further shouts are cut off by the immense crash of wood. Each splinter is pulled back from the powerful wood, easily crushed by the stone's strength. The mast topples first, pitching the ship to the very side that was ripped open mere minutes ago.
"Everyone, below deck!" Zane bellows, voice grating and more metallic than usual.
Obeying, Lloyd sprints along with the others to roll under the fallen mast to the rooms below.
"Scatter!"
Another command, this time he can't be sure who yells it. It makes sense enough to the Green Ninja, who darts away from Kai to take shelter in the closest cabin.
I'm sorry. It's the first thought that crosses his mind, and it takes a moment for him to realize that he means it. I'm sorry that I sometimes feel so much hate, and sometimes I try to put myself above everyone else. I'm sorry that I claim a title that I don't entirely deserve. I'm sorry I can't always be the hero.
The ship continues to break against the mountain, the mountain that must be enclosing the craft from all sides to twist it apart so jarringly.
I know I need to forgive, and I'll figure out how to do that. I hope.
It was both too quiet and too loud. The only noise was the terrible crunching resounding all round, canceling out any other words from Lloyd's friends or anything else. Everything was happening as nothing happened. And still the world falls apart around him, threatening to drop him too.
Goodbye, Dad.
Destiny's Bounty explodes into a million pieces.
Vaguely, Lloyd notices the blurred figures running towards him and the debris blocking the rest of his field of vision. Two of them, unidentifiable through the haze of pain in the young man's skull.
I guess I'm still alive.
He knows the thought should come with a greater sense of relief, but even that fails to push through the excruciating pain. Instead, with a numb mind and body, Lloyd stares at the two figures. The sun's light, while only multiplying the ache in his head tenfold, is the only sensation holding back the dark curling at the edge of his vision. The light, also, the teen notices, brings the features of his rescuers into focus.
The first figure to reach him is a girl around his age or slightly older, a beautiful girl to be sure, but still only a stranger. Not one of the few people Lloyd so desperately wishes were there at the moment to distract him from the pain. This fact doesn't erase any gratitude for the girl when she pulls away the worst of the wreckage, freeing him.
The second figure... Lloyd draws in a breath, barely able to believe his unfocused eyes. The action causes him to fall back again, ribs screaming in agony. The second figure is right there, gently lifting his head. Then, he hears a string of comfort and relief that he couldn't be happier to hear.
"Lloyd? Please be alright, please be alright. He's alive. My son's alive. Hold on a little longer, help is on the way. Thank goodness you're okay, I can't lose you too."
"Mom?"