The Domu Library is sacred. It held much knowledge, including the Scroll of Airjitzu. Curses were one of the many things books and scrolls stored for safekeeping. You had been there so frequently that the clerks and volunteers knew you by name instead of by ghi color. To be fair, you would not be wearing combat gear. A yukata was much more appropriate in a civil environment. The locals at the village you visited as a child always said that to you. It didn't matter that your father trained you in the art of war and bloodshed.
Today, you wore a plain indigo yukata. A breeze gifted by early autumn leaked through cotton and on your skin. It was a comforting chill you were more than happy to bask in if you weren't in a hurry.
You pushed the doors open, unveiling the towers of bookshelves that led up multiple stories. The man up front, Gus, greeted you with a smile. Not once did he comment on who you were, or what you were wearing.
"Welcome back, [Name]," he said. "More research on the haunted temple?"
"Of course. Where else would I go?" you said.
"Boy, that friend of yours must be so grateful you're going this far."
You hadn't told Gus that it was the Earth Ninja, Cole, that you were trying to save. Some things were better a secret from the public. As far as fans of the ninja assumed, Cole would be a ghost for the rest of his days. You sifted through the books on Yang's curse. That was the first part of your research. To break a curse, you had to learn about it.
Back then, Konokuna Yang was merely a strict teacher. His methods were brought down to a single phrase, 'As iron sharpens iron, sensei sharpens student.' His sights were always on immortality. This led him down a path that ended with him and the students living in his temple being cursed. Now, they were specters walking on the temple grounds with Yang as the master of the house. Anyone who entered and didn't leave before sunrise never left.
Cole left the temple grounds with you that day. He became a crack in that little string of ghosts cursed to stay with their teacher. Yang might want to bring him back to that temple. You won't let him.
You pulled out a book adjacent to the curse. 'Artifacts that Probably Cursed our World,' was the title. It was almost too on the nose for it to be an actual book. However, you had to let go of your preconceived notions of literature in the name of research. Auntie Misako did that all the time. You were pretty sure she read this book too. She looked through the section on the Helmet of Darkness.
You opened the table of contents. The artifacts were in alphabetical order. Many of the artifacts were unhelpful. They had nothing to do with the Temple of Airjitzu. You brushed past the Amulets of Wojira, the Teapot of Tyrhan, and the Oni Masks. It was near the end that you found a clue that related to Cole's curse.
The Yin blade. It was a chain with something that looked like an aeroblade at the end of it. The picture etched into the pages gave off a strange aura. A deadly aura. Your skin raised into goosebumps under your sleeves.
'Yang used the blade on the temple roof during a yin-yang lunar eclipse. Legends say that this was how he was cursed as a ghost,' the novel said. You shut the book, echoing your breakthrough to the rest of the library. People's heads snapped toward you. If they were any quicker, their necks would snap in two.
'Do you want to know when the next yin-yang lunar eclipse is?' Tohru asked.
'Is that even a question?' you said. 'It's been months and we finally have our next lead!'
'The next eclipse is on this year's Day of the Departed.'
"I've gotta tell Cole!" you sprung up from the chair you sat at, speedwalking past strangers to check out the book. Finally, living proof to save your friend. You could fulfill your promise to Cole. You'd dance in the rain together when he turns human again.
...
Cole was not there when you got to the bounty, but Nya was. Her fists and feet tore apart the training bots Jay made a while back. Water shot out of her fists, spilling electricity out of the gears and circuits. Her brows were furrowed, teeth grinding as she trained. Her growling echoed off the deck. Water pooled beneath her feet, soaking her sandals. Her short raven hair was messy, parts of it tossed to one side. Her lips pouted at the destruction she created.
Your feet hesitated on the first step. It was like stepping into a warzone. Yet, Nya was your friend. Seeing her like this had become normal as of late. Fuwa flew to your shoulder as a way of support. He chirped for you to go in and talked to her.
"Another rough day?" you asked like you were walking on pins and needles.
Nya's expression loosened. Her eyes were wide when she turned to you, lips parted. She released a soft gasp. That was enough for you to get that she asked what you were doing here. "You could say that," she said. "I got to Dareth's weird filming studio late, but it turned out they filmed without me on purpose. Then, get this, he joked about me doing a segment on how to do makeup!"
"Oh gods," you sighed. "Did anyone get blasted with water?"
"Not today, but Kai tried to punch Dareth. It took everyone except for Cole to hold him back. I'd appreciate it more if we weren't controversial to the public."
Nya slumped her shoulders. On a typical day, this was classic Jiang sibling behavior. Nya's attitude and Kai's fierce protectiveness over her was a combination people didn't like all that much. They would rather they not be close at all. They're vulnerable that way.
"Do you think they're gonna respect me? Or even both of us?" Nya leaned against the railing. Her question was a drop of hope hidden in a fountain of wishes she made throughout her life. Those words, 'both of us,' rained more wishes in your well.
Cole's curse kept you from thinking about the public. Although, you did not care whether they wanted to see you or not. Dareth made the effort to keep the vessel hidden. Your titles reverted to Old Wu's lively little girl rather than the Silver Ninja and Vessel to Tsukigami. You were still called 'The Vessel,' but it hurt less because it was a generalization and not out of praise. Forums online spoke of your powers, but you never read them past the titles. Outside of Clouse, you had only seen 'Demon' circle around once or twice.
Nya didn't take the various titles all that well. She hated being called 'the girl ninja' just as much as you hated being called 'the vessel.'
You approached her. Your head was heavy as it bonked against her shoulder. Your body relaxed. It told you it wanted to rest. Nya tensed. She gazed at you with her cheeks tinted pink. You figured she wasn't used to being touched so casually. "I respect you, Nya," you nuzzled your cheek against her.
"Not an answer to my question, but I'll take it," she sighed.
"By the way, do you know where Cole is? I found something that has to do with his curse and I have got to tell him."
You pulled away from her shoulder. Nya's eyebrows dropped. Her mouth settled in a slight frown. She straightened her back, pointing to the cabins below.
"He's training with Sensei Wu," Nya said. "They started a little bit ago."
"Thank you. I'll see you later," you ran past her and into the cabin. It was quieter down here than outside. The wind could not touch you. No memories could seek you out, plaguing your mind as if what happened in Stixx was only yesterday. In reality, it had been a couple of months. It stuck with the pattern of adventures followed by peace.
You entered the training quarters. It was covered with tatami matting added not too long ago. Incense burned from sticks in a ceramic vase your grandfather passed down to Wu. Your eyes wandered to a few items laid out on a table under the windowsill. A piece of green cloth, a wooden sword, and a kite. They were all Morro's.
Silently, your feet padded toward your father's voice. He sat in front of Cole, who was in a meditative state
"Look inward," he said. "When one is a ghost, one will unlock new abilities."
You hid behind the corridor, although, Wu saw you through an open eye. You clutched the book in your hands, and he knew right away.
Cole's ghostly form hovered a couple of inches above the ground. Then, he faded into nothingness. A gasp softly went down your throat. It was gentle in its shock, letting you process what happened to your friend. He disappeared, and yet he was still there. Cole's physical form returned before you could exhale again.
"Woah! Did you see that? I disappeared! I mean, did you not see me?" Cole said. Bushy brows raised with a rush of adrenaline. A grin painted his features.
"Wonderful, Cole," Wu said. "See, only you can unlock what is truly inside. That will be all for today."
"Really? I thought there'd be more."
"I think there's someone here to see us. More importantly, you."
You stepped out from your hiding place. The book settled behind your back. It was heavy on your fingertips. The air was unease as Cole looked at you. He waited with bated breath for what you wanted to say. It was a clue, yes. However, he was so happy being able to disappear. Was it alright to take that shine away from his eyes? You bit your lip, already knowing your answer.
"Actually, I wanted to talk to my father," you said.
"Oh, could've sworn you wanted to talk," Cole said.
"Nope. Nothing to report."
Cole smiled. His fingers tentatively lifted before retracting into a fist. Hesitation crawled up his skin, reminding him that he was a specter, not human. Quickly, he drew back into insecurity. Your heart jumped into your throat. It vomited out words stuck in it for the past few minutes.
"It's really cool that you can disappear," you said. "It's like when you possessed the snow."
"I know, right?!" Cole quickly stood up. His expression snapped to delight, "I've gotta tell everyone." His shoulder brushed past yours like a breeze. Heat bloomed from the contact like tiny sakura blossoms. The tips of Cole's ears darkening were the last thing you saw before he was out the door.
You stared at it like the action was in a loop. You swung the book so that it was in front of you. Somehow, the curses felt more like curses than blessings.
"Why didn't you tell him?" your father asked. You turned around, the book acting as an anchor for your actions.
"He looked so happy," you said. "I didn't want to ruin it."
"He already appreciates what you're doing, child," he said. "Sometimes, you don't need words to get something across."
That was before you had to hold your tongue to survive Chen's cruelty. You didn't dare complain about the lack of food or spill your blood to take your friends' powers. He only saw it as entertainment, drama. You were an object on display for his cultish desires. Your life was wasted for several months until you were finally a useful tool to him. A part of you said Wu had no right to say you didn't need words.
Wu walked toward the door, gesturing for you to follow him. "Let's take a look at surveillance in the meantime," he said, already knowing you were troubled. You happily followed your father.
It didn't take long for the two of you to find something suspicious. A specter that should have died in Sitxx wanders Ninjago with a ticket. A familiar goatee and burgundy robes appeared in pixels under the camera. They tinted green with death. Clouse.
Are you done staring with pride, demon?
You thought nothing of him that night. Perhaps you should have looked for him after saying goodbye to Morro. Then, you wouldn't have to see him on that camera, mocking you without words.
"Curious," Wu said.
"I'll alert everyone," you pressed the siren tone over the intercom. The others were all in one place, hanging out while Nya continued to train and destroy dummies. They were quick to arrive, although in a curious kind of fuss.
"What's going on?" Lloyd asked. He stepped toward the screen with squinted eyes.
"Yeah, I was so close to beating Zane at chess for once," Jay filtered his voice with sarcasm and an eye roll.
"Nothing just yet," you said. "Father and I just found someone suspicious. My apologies for being hasty with the sirens." You bowed by the waist.
"The footage we found was of Clouse buying a ticket to Stixx. It looks as though he plans to travel back there," Wu said.
"Our old friend, Clouse," Lloyd grimaced. "Looks like the Cursed Realm didn't bring enough of her kids in the water."
"We can help by pushing them in," you said.
"You're right. Let's go see what's in Stixx."
"Are you sure that is the correct choice?" Zane asked. "According to mine and Pixal's database, the denizens of Stixx do not think kindly of us, especially Lloyd and [Name]."
"Don't we have to go to a Grant-a-Wish thing in the Ninjago City Hospital too?" Kai asked.
"Nelson only broke both his legs," Lloyd said. "If he wants to be a ninja for a day, that can be tomorrow."
The problem did not settle, not even when you were up in the sky on your sparrow. Nya's water dragon struggled to steady itself under her control. She was far from falling into the city, but still had a ways to go if she were to master creating an elemental dragon.
City folk cheered for you and your friends. They tried to get the attention of their favorite ninja. Their words passed on like muffled soundwaves to you and them.
"Y'know, the hospital Lil' Nelson is in isn't far," Kai said. "Mind if we stop there? In and out, simple."
"We don't have time," Lloyd said.
"We do if we do not run into any problems," Zane said.
"Sensei says 'Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today," Cole said. "Might as well practice his advice."
"I'll fly ahead to Stixx," you said. "If there's any trouble and you're still at the hospital, I'll call."
"Are you sure?" Jay asked. "Nya or Kai could go with you."
"It's fine. Clouse probably isn't doing anything important."
...
Piles of rubble lined the border of Stixx. Cranes constantly rebuilt the dock and homes people lost. Fishermen grumbled as their boots trekked shaky wooden pathways. Their eyes were watchful for anyone in colored gi, wishing to berate them for what they'd done.
Because of this, you had to go in a much different disguise. Even a yukata would make you stand out. Although, wearing a hoodie and leggings was jarring. Other than wearing something similar on Chen's island, it reminded you of dreams from your previous life. It reminded you of her, Riley.
You took a sharp inhale of fish air before stepping into town. No one greeted you like the first time you arrived to find Ronin. They did not care to be civil anymore. Hastily made action figures of your friends were broken and battered among the rubble.
You passed two fishermen grabbing a drink. A screen filtered with static played in front of them.
"Ya think those news people know about what those ninjas did here?" one of them downed a sip. He looked at his friend with a raised eyebrow.
"Probably not. They come here, destroy our village, and everyone else thinks they're heroes," his friend said. "At least they sidelined the Moon Demon. Wasn't the ghost that started it all her brother?"
Moon Demon? That was new. You supposed it was an ugly nickname created by the people here in Stixx. You did not blame them for their bitter words. You had one final job to do here after all.
A pile of rubble being dug through by thieves and homeless people caught your attention. One of them was a specter against the sun, the only one that was seethrough. He was quick to toss anything and everything aside to find what he was looking for. The hood over his face was a poor disguise for Clouse. You hid behind a large piece of driftwood and watched him pull out a rusty teapot.
He inspected it, nodding slowly, then smiling to himself. He got off the pile of rubble, running into an abandoned building. You ran after him, looking through a cracked window. Clouse admired the rusty shine the teapot provided in the sunlight.
"Finally, the Teapot of Tyrhan," he mused, turning parts of the teapot to form an image. His eyebrows would furrow in frustration when it didn't work.
The Teapot of Tyrhan was in the cursed artifacts book you checked out. It held someone called Nadakhan. He was a Djinn, a creature hailing from a different realm before staying in Ninjago with his pirate crew.
Clouse threw the teapot aside with frustration. However, as he began to walk out the door, a cloud of orange mist filled the corner. It shaped into a masculine body with four arms. One of them had a hook for a hand. The smell of saltwater and sand wafted itself into your nostrils.
"I'm free?" he said. "Where am I? What year is it?" He had no legs, only a tail of mist guiding his movements toward Clouse.
"Nadakhan," Clouse said. "It's you. I've freed the Genie. Or was it Djinn? Oh, what does it matter, I want my three wishes."
"But I must warn you," Nadakhan hummed. "You cannot wish for love, death, or more wishes."
"I know. I wish for my book of spells."
"Of course. Your wish is yours to keep."
A flutter of magic made Clouse's book of spells spring to life. He chuckled as he turned the pages, boasting about how he tricked a Djinn. His goal was not a simple one. That, he should have known. The book turned into a pile of ash before his eyes, lit by a fire.
"My deepest apologies," Nadakhan said. "The book was last burnt to a crisp by a master of fire. Perhaps you should wish for more than a pile of ashes."
"You conniving Djinn," Clouse bit his lip.
"Your second wish?"
"Fine, I cannot find the ninja if I am a ghost. I wish to be mortal again."
"Your wish is yours to keep."
Clouse's hands faded into becoming solid again. His skin was pale and sickly with death coating the blood in his veins. It wasn't long before he could feel the sensation that is touch again, this included pain. Agony laced in his cries of pain. His hands shook as the man pulled the roots of his hair.
"Yes, becoming mortal is quite the painful process," Nadakhan hovered over Clouse's suffering body. "Although, you could wish for that to go away. I would do that for you to end your pain."
"I wish it all to go away," Clouse croaked.
"Your wish is yours to keep," Nadakhan smirked. This was his plan all along. Djinn were known to take the souls of those they make wishes for. Clouse became Nadakhan's latest victim and went into the teapot.
'This is not good,' Tohru said.
'I'll tell everyone else,' you thought back.
'There's no time. He knows you're here.'
'What?'
A presence suddenly grabbed you and brought you into the building within seconds. Nadakhan's face was now up close to yours. He inspected you with his dark eyes, stroking his goatee. Your breath hitched, your heart threatening to hop out of your throat to punch him away. That was until Nadakhan backed away from you.
"Curious," he hummed. "You're human, but someone powerful is living in you."
"Who do you think they are?" you asked.
"From what I can tell, it's someone called Tsukigami. My ancestors have met her before with the First Spinjitzu Master. A shame that I never did."
"That's off the table now. What do you want?"
"Perhaps I'll find my crew after you're dealt with. So, care to make three wishes?"
You quickly pulled a dagger from your pocket. Your arm snapped to make it meet Nadakhan's throat. He smirked, then teleported behind you
"I said, care to make three wishes? Not care to stab me?" Nadakhan drawled.
"She will make no wishes," Tohru's voice echoed throughout the room. An outline of her body flickered in front of you. She floated over Nadakhan with a stare she would only give to her enemies. Nadakhan did not stir in her presence. He merely bowed.
"Ah, Tsukigami, it is quite the honor," he said.
"You have two choices little Djinn," Tohru said. "Leave and find your crew, or die here alone."
"Dying is something I don't want after escaping that wretched teapot. Although, I would like the girl's soul."
"That is not an option. Leave."
"Is that a wish?"
"It is a command. I am not a fool."
"Then I will leave and take the girl's soul another day."
Nadakhan disappeared, yet Tohru's specter stayed. Her gaze softened upon looking at you. The goddess became a simple young woman protecting someone she cared about. You could only sit there, speechless.
"Forgive me for this," the ghost of Tohru's fingertip touched your throat. "I have to prevent his threats from coming true."
"Tohru?" you said.
She drew a crescent moon on your throat before disappearing. You tried to call out to her, yet your voice wouldn't come out.