#dragonform fics

Chapter 1

The stillness of the night was first shaken by a rabbit tearing through the grass, then shattered as a small herd of deer crashed through the undergrowth. These were not nocturnal creatures, nor was it wise for those who were at the bottom of the food chain to be anything other than silent. Yet here they were, wide awake, whining, and very nervous, their gazes darting about fearfully.

Elsewhere in the forest, a lone wolf stopped to sniff the air, but he was not hunting. He came to a clearing and shrank back, his ears flattened against his head, his teeth bared in a snarl at an invisible enemy. He lifted his head to the moon, and his growling intensified.

The moon shone down in its serene fullness, isolated from the unease below. A wisp of green drifted across its pale face and dissipated. The white radiance of the moon seemed to intensify for an instant, and then its edges began to take on a green tinge.

Below, the wolf howled, then turned tail and fled in terror back into the safety of the darkness.

*****

The alert came as the Ninja were about to head out. The Mechanic had attempted a breakout at Kryptarium Prison, and Warden Noble had sent the distress call.

Jay groaned. “Not now, not today! Who knows how long this’ll take?”

“I bet the Mechanic did this on purpose,” added Cole grumpily. The Earth Ninja was normally not one to anger quickly, but his fuse had gotten shorter ever since he was turned into a ghost. “Picking a holiday of all days for his shenanigans.” He punched his translucent fists together in frustration. “I’ve got half a mind to just ignore him. We have other things that need our attention.”

But Kai was already talking over him. “Lloyd, it’s a holiday. We have things we wanna do. Do we all really have to go? Can’t just one or two of us maybe, oh I don’t know, just go put the Mechanic back in his cell while the others get on with what we were doing?”

“But Kai, our task will require minimal manpower to complete. I estimate that we will only need -” Zane began, before Kai shushed him.

“We don’t know how bad things are over at Kryptarium, so we’d better have all hands on deck. Our business will have to wait,” Lloyd decided. He turned to Master Wu. “I promise we’ll be back in time.”

Master Wu nodded. “Be careful.”

The six Ninja raced out of the monastery, leaving Wu to gaze after them. He had never admitted it, and probably never would, but every single time they left on a mission, he worried that it was the last time he would ever see them. All it would take was one wrong move - one small mistake. He was painfully aware that as the one who had gathered them and trained them, he was the reason why their lives were constantly on the line, and the responsibility weighed heavily on his heart. But, he told himself, they had learned well. Each of them, alone, was perfectly capable of holding their own; as a team, they were by all measures a force to be reckoned with. As long as they stayed together, they would be all right.

He raised his face to the midday sun, squinting against the harsh glare. Soon, it would begin its descent, but for now, it blazed high above Ninjago, its reign unchallenged by cloud nor shadow. The air in the monastery hung almost unnaturally still. Wu let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

For now, there was nothing that could be done but to wait.

*****

Jay whooped as his jet did a barrel roll above the other ninjas’ vehicles racing over the Sea of Sand. “Look out, kids!” his voice crackled over the communication link. “Jay is here to save the day!”

“Yeah, and what are we, chopped liver?” Kai groused.

“Jay’s just excited he managed to get the Supersonic Raider Jet,” Nya said, amusement in her voice.

“Yeah, I still don’t understand how you got that, Jay,” Lloyd said in mock jealousy.

“Uh, because I called dibs,” Jay sniffed. “Guy who calls dibs first gets it, right, Cole? …”

No response. “Cole?”

Cole’s Rock Roader was trailing slightly behind the others, and he had been unusually quiet as he focused on maintaining a solid grip on the steering. But now, his hands were beginning to slip through the controls.

“No. No,” he breathed shakily. “Come back. Come… No.” He struggled to maintain his grip, his hands clutching thin air as he fought back rising terror. His vehicle began to veer off course.

“Cole! He’s drifting off again!” Nya shouted.

“I’ll get him,” Jay responded as he turned his jet around. At that moment, the Rock Roader mounted a sand dune and launched itself into the air, narrowly missing Jay.

“Cole! Look out!!” Jay yelled.

Cole grunted as his vehicle landed. His body solidified momentarily, and he slammed on the brakes. The Rock Roader fishtailed to a stop.

“S-sorry, Jay,” Cole’s voice sounded shakily over the communicator. “I -”

“Whew, buddy, I know you're a ghost, but I'm still in the living world, and I'd kinda like to keep it that way,” Jay quipped. He tried to keep his tone lighthearted, but he still regretted his words the moment they left his lips. That had gotta hurt. Something was off with his best friend, but he wasn’t sure what.

“Heads up,” Lloyd said then. “There’s something out there.”

A blurred form was speeding on the horizon - something that looked like an oddly-shaped car.

“It’s the Mechanic,” Zane reported, his eyes digitally magnifying his view. “And he’s in some sort of getaway vehicle heading northeast. He’s going fast.”

“Where did he get that in prison?” Kai exclaimed.

“That’s not important,” Lloyd said impatiently. “Right now, we need to stop him. Jay, we’ll need the boost from your jet. Kai, Nya, with me.”

“I’ll keep him in our sights,” Zane said, already pulling ahead.

“Right! Cole…?”

“I… I think I’ll sit this one out,” came Cole’s subdued response.

“Roger that,” Lloyd said. “Ninja, fire all engines.”

The combined power of their engines gave them a speed boost that none of their vehicles could have achieved alone, and they rapidly caught up to the fleeing Mechanic. It was a short fight; the Mechanic was alone, and his getaway vehicle turned out to be a truck slapped together from mismatched parts and modified for speed. He was pushing it to its limit, so that by the time they reached him it was already beginning to sputter. Without his usual mechanical backup, the professional criminal was outnumbered by the Ninja and quickly overpowered.

“Not one of your best plans, Mechanic,” Kai noted as they waited to hand him over to the authorities. “What possessed you to try breaking out of prison without getting some backup first?”

“Har de har har,” the Mechanic scowled. “It’s the Day of the Departed. I figured everyone would be distracted by the festivities. Guess you ninja just have no respect for the departed.”

“It’s because of you that we were pulled away from our preparations,” Nya shot back, annoyed. “How’d you even break out, anyway?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” sneered the Mechanic.

“Save it, Nya,” Lloyd said. “Here comes Warden Noble.”

The warden ambled over as they loaded the recaptured criminal into the back of a police vehicle. “Thank you for coming over on such short notice,” he said. “We’re short-staffed today because of the holiday, so we needed to call for backup. You could say we’re working with a… skeleton crew.” He guffawed at his own joke. The ninja chuckled politely.

“I hope things go smoothly for the rest of the day,” Lloyd said. “And that you and your team get some time to celebrate the holiday yourselves.”

Noble’s face sobered. “And you as well, young ninja. It’s an important tradition to honor those who have left us.”

“Don’t forget the candy!” Jay interjected, rubbing his hands in anticipation. “Best part of the holiday!”

“Yes, well, we need to go, Warden. Thank you.” Lloyd bowed, and the Ninja turned to leave.

With the waving warden in their rearview mirrors, Nya let out a sigh of frustration. “That took a whole chunk of our afternoon. We’re gonna be late if we don’t hurry.”

“Then we’d better hurry,” Lloyd answered with a sly smirk. “Ninja, fire all engines! … Again.”

Their vehicles shot forward into the desert, leaving a cloud of dust to settle gently behind them. It all but obscured the black Rock Roader, slowly trailing behind the others, as if its driver didn’t trust himself not to lose control of the car - and his own form - again.

*****

It was beginning to get dark by the time they reached Ninjago City. The streets were lined with festive lights, and children could already be seen excitedly running about showing off their costumes to one another, or hoarding the candy that was so ubiquitous during this festival.

Master Wu was waiting for them on the steps at the entrance to the Ninjago History Museum when they arrived. He held up a hand to forestall their flustered apologies. “I’ve taken care of the lanterns,” he informed them. “You need not worry.”

“Thank you, Master Wu,” Zane said. “A Day of the Departed celebration is incomplete without a lantern.”

“That is correct. But come, we will carry out the observances later. For now, we must not keep the curator waiting.”

As if summoned by Master Wu’s words, a man emerged from the darkened museum entrance. His long gray mustache seemed to glow against his garish red suit in the rapidly fading sunset. “Welcome, welcome!” he cried enthusiastically in a peculiar accent. “Ninja, Master Wu!”

“Dr. Saunders,” Wu acknowledged him cordially.

“Oh, please. We are all friends. You must call me by my first name, yes? Sander, yes?”

“Dr. Sander Saunders?” Kai whispered to Nya in disbelief. Nya snorted back a giggle.

“It is very good of you to invite us for this exclusive after-hours tour of your new exhibit, Dr. Saunders,” Master Wu said, as they all entered the museum.

“Oh pish-posh, is nothing! You are the famous Ninja who make it possible, yes? Otherwise, we cannot have…” The curator paused for dramatic effect before a tall marble archway, and waved his arms in a flourish. “The Hall of Villainy!”

The ninja looked about them in awe as they shuffled through the entryway. The hall was lined on both sides with wax figures that looked amazingly real, and disturbingly familiar: Kryptor, his metallic body giving off a cold gleam in the dim light; Kozu, his red armor making him look larger than life; Chen, in a surprisingly accurate replica of his mechanical throne, with its array of buttons; even Samukai, his glass eyes glowing red deep in the recesses of his wax skull. And at the far end of the hall was Morro, Master Wu’s own ex-student. Though he cut a slighter, more human figure than the other statues, his features were fixed in a cold stare that proved even more unnerving than any of the other villains.

“Poetic, is it not?” Dr. Saunders chortled. “Checking this out! You are very lucky ninja! A sneak preview of scary exhibit, on scary holiday, with scary moon!”

“The rarest Yin-Yang eclipse,” Master Wu noted.

“Yeeessss, the eclipse tonight. There is magic in the air!” The curator’s voice echoed ominously in the hall, but then he waggled his fingers in a comically mystical gesture. “Boogily-boogily!”

“It’s… every villain we’ve ever faced,” Kai said aloud, looking around him. No one missed the fact that his voice had cracked just a little. It was one thing to have battled and defeated every one of these villains; it was quite another to feel surrounded by them, and on a night such as this.

“Not every villain,” Cole said. He had been inspecting the placards that accompanied each figure with interest, but now his attention was caught by an alcove off to the side, where a portrait hung above a display case. The man depicted in the portrait was clearly an aged master of martial arts, distinguished by his straw hat and long, bushy black beard. However, his black eyes seemed strangely hollow, and had the odd power of almost trapping the viewer’s gaze. Also, he looked… familiar. Very familiar. Cole found himself unable to look away, almost hypnotized.

“No, not every villain,” Dr. Saunders was saying in response to Cole. “We have many more to unpack. But come this way! As we proceed further on the tour you can…”

Cole wasn’t listening. He tore his eyes from the portrait with an effort, and his gaze fell on the museum label under it.

Portrait of Master Yang

Although known to some as the master without a student, Kodokuna Yang will be remembered by most as the creator of Airjitzu, the most powerful martial art in history.

The start of recognition he felt was accompanied by a sense of - not quite hatred, because there was very little in the world that Cole actually hated, but there was something definitely personal in what he felt toward the man in the portrait. “Remembered as the creator of Airjitzu?” he said aloud to no one in particular. “Well, I remember him as the one who turned me into a ghost.” He curled his translucent fingers into a fist in front of his face, and then his eyes drifted down to an odd-looking artifact in the display case beneath the portrait. It looked like a mace on a chain, but the implement at the end looked like an Aeroblade. Its sharp blades showed no sign of wear, and there were inscriptions on its surface that Cole couldn’t quite make out.

“Hey, uh, Dr. Saunders?” he called out. “What’s the story on this thing?” He laid his hand on the glass, intending to point to the artefact, but his hand simply passed through. Of course.

He turned, but Dr. Saunders hadn’t heard him. “Interesting question!” he was saying to Kai. “Some weapons were not designed for battle, but rather for ceremony or magic rites. We can usually recognize them by how intricate the designs are, and they often have symbols or spells carved into them.”

“Like that one over there? Nya queried, pointing in the direction of Yang’s portrait.

“Exactly!” the curator replied, delighted. “You have a good eye, Nya.”

“Her?” Cole sputtered indignantly. “I’m the one who spotted -”

He stopped abruptly. The group was now moving towards the portrait - towards him. Except they didn’t stop when they got to him. They walked straight through him. No acknowledgement of his existence, no apology, nothing. In fact, Dr. Saunders was still elaborating on the relic: “The Yin Blade belonged to Master Yang, and it is said to possess much dark magic…”

They don’t hear me. Or see me.

It’s like I… I don’t exist anymore.

The color seemed to drain from the world. It had finally happened, the thing he had been most afraid of ever since that fateful day he had emerged from the Airjitzu temple to find his corporeal body gone. He was fading from the real world.

A sudden burst of anger surged through him, and he spun around to level an accusing finger at the portrait behind him. “It’s all your fault!” he cried at the black-bearded old man.

And then, as if in response, he heard a voice echo in his ears.

“Cole…”

He shrank back, staring around him wildly. He knew that voice. The last time he had heard it was the last time he had been whole, he had been - human… But it was impossible!

“Come, Cole…”

Cole cast a pleading look at his fellow ninja, who were still listening politely to Dr. Saunders’ droning exposition on the history of Airjitzu. “Uh, guys,” he quavered, “tell me you’re hearing this…”

They gave no indication that they heard him. Dr. Saunders was now gesturing to the artifact in the case below the portrait. “...which is why it is sealed in this case made of Clearstone,” he was saying, “the hardest substance known to humans. Impenetrable by any living being.” Kai visibly stifled a yawn from the back of the group.

“Cole,” the voice echoed again. There was no choice but to face it himself. He turned to face the portrait squarely.

“Yang,” he responded, with an effort to keep his voice from trembling.

“Close the circle,” the Airjitzu master said, his voice like a half-remembered memory.

Cole wasn’t sure he had heard clearly. “Close the circle?”

“Close the circle…”

“Close… the circle…” Cole could feel himself being drawn in by the spectral voice. For a moment, the museum seemed to fall away. The portrait of Yang blurred and swam before his eyes.

With a gasp, he broke the trance. The portrait snapped back into immobility. Yang’s voice fell silent, and the museum came back into focus.

The ninja weren’t there.

How - ? Cole hurried to the window. The group was already bidding Dr. Saunders farewell outside the museum.

“Thank you so much for such an informative tour, Dr. Saunders,” Master Wu said, shaking hands with the curator. He turned to his students. “The customary concert that marks the culmination of the festival will be held in the city square tonight. It is fortunate that tonight, it also coincides with the eclipse's peak, so that should be quite a spectacle for us. But first, we must go forth and honor those we have lost.” He paused briefly, and his eyes passed over the group of ninja, as if searching for something. But the moment passed, and he resumed his thought. “Those who have departed,” he said, solemnly. He bowed to Dr. Saunders, and they turned to leave.

“Hey!” Cole yelled, a sudden fresh fear gripping him. “Hey! Guys! I’m still here!” He unthinkingly stretched out his hand, which passed easily through the stone walls in front of him. He gasped and retracted his hand, staring at it. Was it just him, or did it look even less substantial than before?

He let it drop to his side. The ninja separated to make preparations for their respective observances, waving to one another and calling out festive wishes as they left. Dr. Saunders turned too, presumably to tend to his own observances, and was soon out of sight.

Cole was alone.

“I can’t believe they just left without me,” he said aloud to the empty hall. “They don’t realize I’m gone.” He held up his right hand again. It glowed faintly in the gloom, just barely visible. He closed his eyes, the despair settling about him like a suffocating fog. His voice dropped just above a whisper.

“Maybe… maybe I am gone.

Chapter 6

They made their first stop at the Four Weapons blacksmith shop. As Lloyd brought the Destiny’s Bounty closer, they could see Chen and his cronies moving some distance away from the shop.

“Leave them,” Wu said shortly. “We have to find Kai and Nya first.”

“There!” Morro pointed. Two figures were crouched in the shadows behind the shop. Fearing the worst, Lloyd docked the Bounty, and the three of them rushed towards the Four Weapons.

Nya was the first to look up and spot them. “Lloyd! Master Wu!” she exclaimed, relief evident in her voice. Then she saw Morro, and her hand went almost instinctively for her weapon before she realized that he didn’t seem to be the aggressor.

“Morro’s here to help us,” Wu said hurriedly. “I can vouch for him. But what happened here?”

Kai lay against the wall of the shop, groaning and holding his side. “I’m okay,” he said weakly. “Just had the wind knocked outta me.”

“Chen showed up just as we were about to go join you,” Nya explained. “We thought we could handle him, but he had his people with him, so we were outnumbered. And the weird thing is, nothing we could do could hurt him at all! Not Spinjitzu, not our powers - “

“It was like there was an invisible shield around them,” Kai groaned. “We took advantage of the smoke cover from his explosives to beat a hasty retreat. Master Wu… what happened?”

“Dark magic,” Wu said tersely. “Yang has the eclipse on his side. We have to find the other ninja first and regroup.”

“Before Yang’s allies get to them first,” Morro added.

*****

Zane’s eyes flickered, and then their steady blue glow returned. He sat up, feeling his chest and shoulder. His left arm felt strange, but otherwise seemed mostly functional. Most importantly, the power core that made up his heart was intact.

It had been a calculated risk, but one he was fairly certain would work. He had, of course, anticipated that Cryptor would aim at his heart as the killing blow, so he waited until the very last possible moment to shift his position just enough that the bolt went through a relatively less vital part of his chest. Then, he simply played dead. Much as Cryptor liked to claim that the two of them shared the same programming, Zane had come to a realization: he was willing to forego his pride for a greater goal, such as pretending to lose in order to survive his encounter with the seemingly invincible Cryptor, so that he could fight another day. On the other hand, it would never have even occurred to Cryptor that such a ruse could be possible. That was the fundamental difference between them.

He rose to his feet, scanning his environment warily. The nindroids were long gone, but there was now a new sound, a faint hum that grew steadily louder. He would have hidden himself, but he knew that sound well. His face broke into a wide smile as he spotted the familiar shape of the Bounty landing in a clearing, followed by his friends emerging from among the trees.

“Zane!” Wu exclaimed, hurrying up to him and grasping him by the shoulders. “What happened to you?” His worried frown deepened as his eyes came to rest on Zane’s wounds.

“I'm fine,” Zane said, forcing his voice to sound as close to normal as he could. “I fought Cryptor, but he had his nindroids with him. And - it’s strange, but my attacks had no effect on him. I had no choice but to let him think that he had won, in order to effect my escape.”

“That’s actually pretty clever, given what you were up against,” Morro noted.

Zane turned quizzical eyes on him. “I sense that you have no enmity towards us, but I am not sure I understand why,” he said.

“I’ll tell you about it later,” Morro said, slightly uncomfortable. “For now, we need to find Jay - and fast.”

*****

The junkyard was eerily quiet. The ninja nervously picked their way through the piles of scrap until they came to Ed and Edna’s trailer. The door hung open, swinging slightly in the night breeze, the lights inside still blazing brightly, almost invitingly. A half-sliced crumb cake stood on the counter, ready to be served. But nobody was there to eat it.

“That’s not… normal,” Kai said nervously. “It’s not normal, right?”

“Spread out,” Lloyd ordered. “Search the junkyard. And holler if you see any sign of Jay or his parents.”

It was Nya who eventually spotted the lone figure crossing the desert towards the junkyard. Her heart leapt as she recognized him. “Jay!” she shouted, waving him over.

The other ninja gathered as Jay arrived. He looked exhausted, and by the state of his clothes, he had clearly been in a fight. “It’s okay,” he said, in response to their concerned faces. “My parents are safe.”

“You managed to hide them?” Lloyd asked.

“Actually, they hid me,” Jay admitted. “Guys, I have the ghost story to end all ghost stories. You’ll never guess what happened!”

“The possessed mannequin of a mortal enemy from our past came to fight you, and he was weirdly invincible, but you managed to escape,” Kai intoned.

Jay’s face fell. “Wait, this didn’t only happen to me?”

“We all battled different enemies,” Nya explained. “Kai and I fought Master Chen. Zane fought Cryptor. But the common thing was, all of our powers and Spinjitzu didn’t work at all against them.”

“That’s exactly what happened!” Jay exclaimed. “I mean, for me it was Samukai, and he tried to kidnap my mom, but then he said that it was really me that he was after. I tried my best to fight him, but guys - it was impossible. We were outnumbered and nothing I was doing was working against them. But then my dad showed up in this exo-mech suit thing that he had built in his spare time and rescued me. Then he just grabbed me and Mom and sprinted off into the desert. That’s how we got away from Samukai, and I only came back because I thought… well…”

“You thought Samukai would destroy the junkyard, and you couldn’t sit by and let that happen,” Nya finished for him. She put an understanding hand on his shoulder, and he smiled at her gratefully.

“That’s great and all,” Morro cut in, “but time is of the essence.”

Jay stared at him. “Wait, you’re on our side now?”

Morro chose not to respond. “The peak of the eclipse is passing. Your enemies will be back to destroy you. And, there’s one more thing. Yang’s plan wasn’t just for us to defeat you and take your place. He wants to return to the living too, and he tricked Cole into helping him to open a rift to allow him to return to Ninjago.”

“Cole? But Cole is…” Jay trailed off in confusion, looking around him.

“Cole’s not here,” Zane realized, with growing horror.

“We forgot about Cole!” Kai exclaimed with a gasp. The ninja exchanged looks and saw their own guilt mirrored in one another’s faces. How could they have forgotten one of their own?

“If it’s Yang, then they must be at the Airjitzu temple,” Wu said. “To the Bounty!”

*****

The moonlight was now completely gone, everything pitch black.

Cole could taste the bitterness in his mouth. This was it - Yang was going to cut the Rift open and return to the living world with his students. The villains would return to Ninjago, this time without the ninja to protect them. And Cole would be bound to this rotting old temple for all eternity, just another forgotten spirit forced to roam its corridors restlessly, unable even to turn to death as an escape.

He wondered, somewhat morbidly, what would happen once he faded completely away. He would probably leave no body in the corporeal world, so no one could even remember him that way. Would he still be able to feel anything? Happiness, sadness, pain? Would his powers pass to someone else? For that matter - since he couldn’t feel the earth any longer, did that mean his powers already lay in some stranger’s hands?

He felt a pang of anguish at that thought. His powers, as far as he knew, had been transferred to him from his mother, Lilly. She had trusted him to use them to stand against those who were cruel and unjust. And now… he had lost them. More than that, he had lost his friends. He had let himself be used. He hadn’t been able to stand up to anyone, or anything.

I’m sorry, Mom. I couldn’t do anything.

Oh, Cole. Did you think that your powers define you?

His head snapped up, sharply, and he gazed wildly, blindly, into the darkness. He had not imagined that voice. He had heard it, as clearly as if she stood beside him. But there was no one there. Even in the deep gloom of the temple, he could tell that the only person present was one of Yang’s rotating roster of students who acted as his ever-constant imprisoner. For a moment, he wondered if he had completely gone over to the other side, such that the departed were now speaking to him.

Even so, what did she mean? His powers didn’t define him. Then what did?

Then it struck him. The promise that he had made to his mother - he had made it when he was a child. He had been powerless then. But she had already trusted that he would - that he could - do the right thing.

All right, Mom. I got it.

He shifted his weight, and the chain tethering him to the wall rattled slightly. He wasn’t sure what dark magic Yang had used to produce a chain that could hold a ghost, but even in his predicament he could feel some curiosity about how that worked. If the chain could hold him… and if the weapons that Yang’s students wielded were also reinforced with the same dark magic…

It was worth a try.

Cole gestured to get the attention of his guard. “Hey! Hey.” The student looked at him uncuriously. The face was obscured by a white hood, but he could see enough of the eyes to tell that it was a young man. He tried again. “So I didn't get your name.” He paused, but the student said nothing.

Right. I got nothing to lose. He decided to press on. “Okay, I'll just call you Chuck. Look, Chuck, I know you think you're Yang's student, and maybe you were once, but now you're his prisoner. Don't you see?”

Chuck shot him the briefest of annoyed glances, but remained silent.

“He's not your friend. He's your captor. You’re all free to leave, but not him. He’s just keeping you here to serve him. You gotta shake off his spell. Then, we can stop him. Together. You and me.”

Cole’s plea seemed to have struck something. For a split second, doubt flitted across Chuck’s face. But then the irritation came back, and he moved threateningly towards Cole, pointing his spear at him.

“Well, you made your decision,” Cole shrugged. He leaned back and launched himself feet first at Chuck. His feet connected with Chuck’s face, which actually surprised him - with how much he had been fading, he wasn’t actually sure he could make contact with anything at this point.

Chuck staggered backward, shaking his head to clear it, and then he lunged at Cole with a snarl. As Chuck swung his spear at him, Cole ducked. The spear missed him and the chain, but it did shatter the ring that held it to the wall. And just like that, Cole was free to move.

“Guess I'm working solo, Chuck,” Cole quipped. He dodged Chuck’s clumsy attempt to stab him with the spear, and brought himself close enough to the student to knock him down with a solid roundhouse kick to the back of the head.

Cole stole a quick glance out of the window. A small sliver of green was becoming visible in the inky sky. The peak of the eclipse was passing. He didn’t have much time left.

Chapter 4

Cole glared about him moodily, shifting uncomfortably in his restraints. His hands were still cuffed, with a long chain between them, attached to a ring in the wall above him. Standing around him were Yang’s disciples, hooded and masked, only their hollow eyes visible in the darkness. Cole decided to give it one last attempt, and addressed the students.

“So guys, what say you help me out? You know, student to ninja?” Nothing. They stared at him, their expressions unchanging and unreadable. “Hello?” He waved a cuffed hand in front of the nearest student’s face in exasperation. “Look, I know Yang's your master, but how can you be on his side!?”

As if summoned by the mere mention of his name, Yang materialized out of nowhere. “Your pleas are useless,” he said smugly. “My students are loyal to no one but me.”

Cole studiously ignored him. “Come on, guys. Yang is, like, the definition of evil.”

That apparently hit a nerve with the black-bearded old master. He shouldered his disciples aside until he was face to face with Cole. “An ignorant student must be taught,” he spat, “and since you currently have no master, I will teach you. In the old teachings, yang is always good. It is the light to the dark of yin, the heat to the cold, strength to the weakness. But good was simply not good enough for me. I always aspired for greatness. I dedicated my life to the study of the martial arts. I mastered them all, and even created my own. Airjitzu was my first achievement, but it was nothing compared to what I would discover next.

“My studies revealed the existence of the Yin Blade, a weapon whose magic was so powerful, it was said to hold the key to eternal life. Control that magic, and I'd be forever remembered as Ninjago's greatest master. So I set out to find this mystical weapon, and after five years of relentless searching, my research finally uncovered its location. I retrieved it, and began learning to master it. The power of the blade exceeded all of my expectations. It could revive plants… insects. Immortality was so near. It was time for the ultimate test... myself.

“But something went… wrong. So while I will indeed live forever, it is only as a ghost, cursed to haunt this once-proud temple as Master of the House. Never able to return... Until tonight, thanks to you.”

Cole forced himself to meet Yang’s eyes. “Thanks to me? How?”

“You said it yourself.” The scorn on Yang’s face was abundantly clear. “There's magic in the air. On the Day of the Departed, when there's a Yin-Yang lunar eclipse, the Yin Blade can cut the Rift of Return. So… thank you for this.”

“You’re not welcome,” Cole said flatly. “And you won’t get away with it. I’m supposed to meet my friends soon. When they see that I’m missing, they’ll come for me.” He tried to sound convincing, but he didn’t believe a word of what he was saying.

Neither did Yang. He howled with laughter at Cole’s words. “See that you’re missing?” he cried. “Ha! Look at you. You can barely even see yourself!”

It was true. In the gloom of the eclipse, Cole’s form was a mere outline. He could no longer ignore the fact that he was rapidly fading away, and he could do absolutely nothing about it. He groaned audibly in defeat.

Yang’s delight in the young ninja’s torment was palpable. “Besides,” he said, in a tone that made it clear he was deliberately twisting the metaphorical knife, “you’ve caused quite a few problems for your friends.”

Cole raised his head wearily as the black-bearded master began to weave his magic. Dimly, an image began to resolve itself in front of them: a vision, woven from the seemingly endless depths of Yang’s dark powers.

*****

At their parents’ blacksmithy, having completed their observances, Kai and Nya made ready to return to the city centre to meet up with the others. As they left the shop, Nya looked up wistfully at the sign above the door, which their father had carved himself. “It feels strange being back in our parents’ shop after all this time,” she murmured, half to herself.

Kai gave her a sidelong glance. He knew that she could get pretty moody during this time of the year, and their decision to observe the holiday at their parents’ shop this year could have added to it. But she seemed quite calm, if somewhat pensive.

He let his gaze drift towards the signboard as well. It was still clearly legible despite evident weathering, and that was testament to his father’s craftsmanship. Four Weapons, it read. “Nya?” he asked tentatively. “Do you ever think we’ll find out what happened to them?”

“I could tell you,” a new voice sneered behind them. “But you have bigger things to worry about right now.”

Brother and sister dropped instinctively into attack positions even before they had even registered who the newcomer was. Nya’s eyes widened. “Chen?” she gasped.

Kai thought quickly. They were unarmed, but this was a blacksmith’s shop, after all… He ducked back into the shop, grabbed the first two swords he saw, and tossed one to Nya. Together, they faced the ex-noodle magnate. “I don’t know how you’re back, Chen,” he said, hefting his weapon in his hand, “but it’s two against one right now.”

“Is it?” Chen smirked, as he moved his mechanical chair into the moonlight. That was when Kai and Nya saw the ten Anacondrai cultists who had previously been hidden from view by the huge contraption. That definitely changed things.

Chen punched some buttons on his armrest, and panels in his chair slid aside to reveal an array of projectile weapons.

Kai gulped. “That is not good.”

Nya’s expression hardened. “We can still take ‘em. Let’s go, Kai!”

Together, they launched into Spinjitzu, intending to first take out the cultists. But to their surprise, instead of making contact and doing damage, they simply bounced off their enemies.

“What the -” Kai sputtered as they tried again. “Our Spinjitzu’s not working!”

“It’s like they’re protected or something!” Nya shouted back. “I can’t even touch them!”

“Well, let’s see if they can stand the heat!” Kai let loose with a rapid succession of fireballs at the nearest cultists, but they seemed to simply absorb the flames. “They, uh, they can stand the heat,” he conceded.

Chen crowed with delight. “This time, ninja, you can’t win,” he declared, firing a couple of small homing rockets which Kai and Nya only just managed to dodge. “Goodbye!”

“Nya!!!” Kai screamed. He raced to close the short distance between himself and his sister and threw himself on top of her, just as Chen fired a volley of rockets at them. Their figures disappeared in a thick cloud of smoke.

Chen cackled maniacally.

*****

It had probably been no more than an hour, but it felt like a lifetime had passed before Zane roused himself from his reverie. Such was the curse of a digital memory. He could view any event in his past in perfect detail, like a recording. Which it in fact was, but unlike a projection on a screen, he could literally relive those events in his mind. For the past hour, he had been with his father, Dr Julien - learning from him, going on long walks with him, just sitting quietly in the middle of Birchwood Forest.

But, as real as it felt, it was still just a memory.

He looked up at the sculpture of Dr Julien that he had fashioned out of ice, and felt peace in his heart. “I’m happy, Father,” he said quietly, knowing that it was what the old inventor would have wanted.

There was the sharp bzzttt of an energy bolt, harsh against the stillness of the forest, and then Dr Julien’s serene expression was shattered as the whole statue crumbled to reveal Cryptor standing in the branches of the tree above it. “Oops,” the nindroid said sarcastically. “Did I hurt your dear old dad? Or should I say… our dear old dad?”

Zane had no weapons, but he didn’t feel like he needed any against this - copy - of himself. He willed throwing knives of ice into his hands and faced the other nindroid squarely. “You do not belong here,” he said firmly.

“Are you sure about that? After all, you and I are of the same design. Dr Julien’s design.” Cryptor’s visible red eye glowed with malice.

“But he did not make you, so he is no father of yours,” Zane retorted.

“Perhaps. Shall we see who is a better build?” Without warning, Cryptor fired again, but Zane had already anticipated it and rolled out of the way while returning the attack with his throwing knives. Yet just as Zane had anticipated Cryptor’s moves, so too did Cryptor foresee Zane’s attack, and he avoided it easily.

Then Cryptor gave a signal, and out of the depths of the forest came a dozen other nindroids. Zane’s heart sank. He had been fairly confident facing Cryptor alone, but a dozen nindroids meant too many variables for him to calculate their moves with any accuracy. Meanwhile, they only needed to direct all of their attention on him.

Still, he had to fight. For Ninjago, for the other ninja. For Dr Julien, his father. He had to fight.

He used all of his ice powers to freeze the other nindroids, then turned just in time to block a flying kick from Cryptor. They dueled, but once again, they were evenly matched.

No, not evenly. Zane was rapidly draining his energy holding the nindroids off while fighting Cryptor. Without a weapon, he had to rely only on his own martial arts and Spinjitzu abilities, whereas Cryptor was fully armed. He could not last long.

Zane saw the mistake coming before it even happened, but he was unable to take the necessary measures to stop it. His hold on the other nindroids began to slip even as he countered an attack from Cryptor. He hit Cryptor with a Spinjitzu move, hoping against hope that it would keep his clone down long enough for him to refresh the ice holding the nindroids.

It was not. His Spinjitzu felt oddly ineffective as it connected with Cryptor. Even so, Zane chose to take the risk of taking his attention off his adversary. That was the mistake.

“Enjoy the Departed Realm,” Cryptor snarled as he took aim.

Zane tried to dodge, but he was exhausted, and his reflexes were too slow. The shot hit him in the torso, and down he went.

Cryptor stood over him. “Say hello to dear old dad for me,” he said, before raising his weapon and firing one more time.

*****

It was no secret that Jay always looked forward to visits with his parents at their junkyard, and this was no exception. If anything, it was especially pleasant to reminisce about old times during this festival of remembrance.

Ed and Edna, on their part, went all out to pamper their only son. Ed brought out the family albums, while Edna cooked up what could only be called a feast. Jay stuffed his face full, before going to sit outside the trailer with his father while his mother prepared dessert.

Fifteen minutes had passed before it dawned on Ed that his wife was taking an awfully long time to plate up dessert. “Edna, dear,” he called, “not that I want to put any pressure on you, but is that crumb cake ready?”

No response. Jay felt a sudden chill go down his spine. His mother never failed to respond to his father. He stood up, intending to go inside and check on her.

Before he could do that, the door to Ed and Edna’s trailer crashed open. Samukai stood framed in the doorway, with Edna slung over his shoulder, bound and gagged. “Guess who’s back?” the Skulkin announced with relish.

Jay pushed his father behind him protectively, and then clenched his fists as lightning began to crackle around them. From behind the trailer came more Skulkin warriors, fanning out to advance on them from all sides.

Still, Ed found it in himself to reassure his wife in perfectly calm tones: “Don't you worry, Edna. I'll take care of those piles of bones.”

Edna somehow managed to work the gag out of her mouth. “Oh, now, Ed, be careful. Dr. Berkman says not to strain.”

“I’ve got this, Dad,” Jay said almost automatically, but inside he was bursting with pride at his parents’ bravery. They were the best parents in the world, and he was not giving them up to someone like Samukai. “I have no idea what you want with my parents,” he shouted at the Skulkin general, “but you’ll have to get through me first!”

“Oh, it’s not your parents I want, Jay,” Samukai said, the permanent grin on his skeletal face seeming even more mocking than ever. He tossed Edna’s bound form to Ed, who managed to catch his wife just before she hit the ground. “It’s you!”

At his cue, his minions charged Jay all at once. He unleashed his lightning in response, careful to strike only his enemies, and making sure it was brief enough to knock them out without killing them. Not that he was sure that skeleton warriors could be killed…

It was moot, however. They didn’t even so much as flinch. His jaw dropped.

Samukai saw his opportunity and seized it. “Grab him!” he yelled. Two of the Skulkin caught his arms and pinned them behind his back before he could recover.

“Run!” he yelled at his parents, and they did. Samukai appeared to ignore them entirely, his attention focused solely on the Lightning ninja. He grinned as Jay tried to blast his way free, only to realize that his lightning had no effect on the Skulkin whatsoever. This was too easy. He made a motion, and his underlings began to drag the struggling ninja away.

*****

Cole’s features twisted as he was forced to watch his friends’ fates. “What have you done?” he cried in anguish to Yang.

“No, Cole,” Yang replied serenely, “what have you done?”

It was true. His friends were in danger, maybe even dead, because of him. He suppressed a sob. “How?” he half-whispered hoarsely. “How could I steal the Yin Blade and release all those ghosts?”

“You were scared you were departing, and that your friends had forgotten you,” Yang smirked. “So I took advantage of your fragile mental state to trick you. And, like a moth to the flame, you came to me with the Yin Blade. Oh, but you weren't literally asking, were you?” He laughed at the Earth ninja’s despair. “Give up, Cole. You're by yourself. There's no one to help you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a rift to open.” He turned to his students. “Watch him, just in case,” he ordered them.

Chapter 7

The concert was coming to a close. The grand finale this year was timed to coincide with the peak of the eclipse. The stage lights would dim enough to let the audience light their lanterns and raise them to the moon, in a symbolic gesture of yang against the darkness of the yin. Then, as the eclipse passed, the whole event would conclude with a fireworks show, and everyone could go home.

The end of the concert by itself would normally be something that Lou looked forward to every year, the culmination of the day’s festivities. This year, with the eclipse, it was set to be the memory of a lifetime.

So why did he feel so - afraid?

For the hundredth time, he peeked out through the curtains, his eyes scanning the crowd for he didn’t know what. The last act had just taken the stage to thunderous cheers. The moon was almost completely obscured, casting the world beneath in an intense green glow.

“Why the long face?” Dareth’s voice intruded on his thoughts. “Our act’s over. You don’t need to keep acting like we’re going on for the first time.”

“I… don’t know,” Lou said slowly. He still hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that he was missing something. He was about to let the curtain drop when something in the gloom beyond the edge of the crowd caught his eye.

Another… crowd?

He squinted, confused. “Dareth,” he said in a hoarse whisper. “What is that?”

The manager of the Royal Blacksmiths stuck his head through the curtains to get a better look. When he withdrew, his face was white as a sheet. “Stone warriors,” he gulped. “A whole army of ‘em!” He clutched Lou’s arm. “We gotta get out of here!”

“What? What about the others? The concert?” Lou protested, but Dareth’s panic had put him beyond reason at this point. In fact, he barely seemed to notice that he was pulling Lou behind him as he ran backstage, out of the concert and into the night.

*****

The inky darkness appeared to have blotted out not only the moon, but the stars as well. Nya flew the Bounty lower than usual, using its onboard navigational systems and her own limited ability to see the landmarks on the terrain beneath them.

As they flew over Ninjago City, they heard the booming thud of the music before the concert even came into view. When it did, however, they were shocked to see not only the massive crowd that had turned out for the concert, but also what looked like an equally massive army of Stone Warriors descending slowly upon the unsuspecting celebrants.

Jay pointed out two figures heading away from the concert. “Hey, isn’t that Dareth?” he exclaimed. “And - Cole’s dad?”

“Dareth!” Lloyd yelled. The self-styled Brown Ninja looked around him in confusion, before he finally thought to look up at the flying vessel slowing to a hover above him.

“There are Stone Warriors coming towards you!” Lloyd shouted, waving in the direction of the approaching army. “You need to stop them!”

“Me? Why can’t you do it?” Dareth hollered back.

“We need to save Cole!” Lloyd responded.

Beside Dareth, Lou gave a start, as if he had been jolted by a sudden realization. “Cole!” he exclaimed. He grabbed Dareth by the shoulders and shook him hard. “Dareth, you heard him. You can stop the Stone Warriors! Let the ninja go!”

Dareth straightened and puffed out his chest. “Why, of course. You can count on the Brown Ninja!” He waved the Bounty off grandly, his previous fears completely forgotten.

As the Bounty vanished into the dark sky, Lou turned to his companion. “You, uh - you do have a plan?” he asked, somewhat apprehensively.

Dareth’s brow furrowed as he thought hard, giving the impression that he was unaccustomed to such strenuous mental activity. Then, he snapped his fingers. “The Helmet!” he cried.

“The… helmet?” Lou echoed, puzzled. But Dareth had again grabbed him by the arm and was now hauling him in the direction of the museum. He let himself be dragged along, torn between his worry that the Stone Warriors would reach the concert before they did, and his fear for Cole’s safety.

And somewhere, behind both of those, was a sense of deep guilt and confusion at having somehow forgotten his son.

*****

“There it is,” Nya announced. “The Temple of Airjitzu, dead ahead.”

“Did you have to say that today?” Jay asked plaintively.

“Say what?” Nya responded flatly, with the air of a teacher staring down a misbehaving student.

“You know, dead ahead? Dead… departed… and today is…” Jay ran out of steam. “Aw, forget it.”

They all gazed at the temple just faintly visible in the distance. No one wanted to voice it, but the thought was in all of their minds: what if they were too late?

It was Zane, ever level-headed, who broke the silence. “We need a plan. It would not be wise to go in unprepared.” He turned to Morro. “You mentioned that you would lend us your blade. However, there’s only one of you, and we are up against multiple adversaries, each of them with their own Departed Blade that renders them almost invincible.”

“That’s right,” Lloyd cut in. “While you’re busy fighting one of them, we won’t be able to hold off the others for you.”

Morro held up his weapon thoughtfully. “You do have a point,” he conceded. “I maybe didn’t think this through.” A slow smile spread across his face. “Then again… we do have one other advantage. And if we play our cards just right, this Day of the Departed might still be a day for celebration.”

*****

Cole paused in a hallway to catch his breath. It was a weird feeling: do ghosts need to breathe? Did that mean he wasn’t dead? Or was he becoming ever so slightly more solid? He wasn’t sure, but thinking about it helped to keep himself from spiraling into an endless loop of what-ifs.

He turned a corner and found himself face to face with two of Yang’s disciples. “Um… hey?” he tried.

They went for their weapons and lunged at him, and though he dodged them with ease, he knew he couldn’t last long with his movement limited by the chain that still connected his wrists. Well, if it worked once…

“Hey, let’s not be hasty,” he said aloud to them. “This isn’t a fair fight. I’m handcuffed.” He held out his hands with an almost innocent air.

They took the bait, and this time Cole was able to time it so that their blades landed squarely on the chain. “Ah, so you might want a few more guys,” he quipped, as he grabbed the arm of the student nearest to him and flipped him heavily onto the other disciple. As they both lay stunned, he picked up their swords and continued on his way. Cole, 3; evil possessed students: 0.

It really hadn’t been a fair fight. Even in pairs, Yang’s students posed little threat to Cole, as incomplete as their training seemed to be. For a fleeting moment, he even felt moved to empathize with them: there, but for the grace of the heavens, go I. The ninja had been fortunate enough to complete their training under Master Wu. But Cole was also realistic enough to know that if Yang’s students had been properly trained, he might never have been able to handle them so easily.

He gathered himself and pressed on. The hallway led to a walkway that ran the perimeter of a rooftop, and there in the middle, bathed in the sickly green glow of the eclipse, stood Yang himself, still furiously swinging his Yin Blade in his attempt to open the Rift that would allow him to pass back into the world of the living.

Cole gave himself no time to hesitate. He broke into a dead run and tackled Yang. The Airjitzu Master unleashed a string of blistering curses as his ritual was interrupted once again.

“It’s over, Yang,” Cole yelled as he struggled to pin the old man’s arm. “You’re all alone.”

“Oh, but I’m not alone,” Yang grated at him. “Not - at - all!”

At some unseen signal, more of his disciples emerged onto the rooftop. Cole eyed them warily. He could definitely take them on in small groups, but all together, they could - and did - present a challenge.

Yang took the opportunity to strike at the momentarily distracted ninja, and though the blow did not connect, it succeeded in putting some distance between them.

“What’s the matter, Yang?” Cole taunted, some of his old confidence returning. Yang clearly saw him as enough of a threat to summon his students for backup. “Too afraid to take me on by yourself?”

“Too busy,” Yang snarled. “The eclipse is beginning to fade, Cole. Just like you.”

It was as though the old master knew exactly what buttons to press to stop Cole in his tracks. He couldn’t help but glance at his own hands - and true enough, he could barely even see their outline.

Yang cackled at the horror on the Earth ninja’s face. “It’s over, Cole,” he mocked him. “You’re all alone.” He swept an arm grandly towards the edge of the roof. Cole’s eyes followed, and what he saw made his blood run cold. Outside, in the temple courtyard, were the looming figures from the museum’s Hall of Villainy, but moving. Samukai, Chen, Cryptor - they were all there. The other ninja were nowhere to be seen.

If the villains were real… then the visions that Yang had shown him were real.

Were his friends really… gone?

He fought back the sudden tears that blurred his vision. He couldn’t let himself think about that. But, like the proverbial pink elephant, once the thought had intruded itself into his mind, it would not leave so easily.

Kai, Lloyd, Nya, Zane… Jay. Master Wu.

I’ve failed all of you. No, worse… I caused it. All of this. I did this.

And all because I was afraid of being forgotten.

He felt the fight drain out of him. It was pointless - there was no way he could take on Yang, his disciples, and the Hall of Villainy all by himself. Especially not when he was literally fading away.

Maybe… it’s better to just give up.

He raised haunted eyes to Yang, who smirked at the agony he had caused the young ninja. The Airjitzu Master gestured shortly to his disciples.

Chapter 5

Lloyd was always grateful for the statue of Garmadon that had been added to the looming sculptures along the canyon known as the Corridor of Elders. This was a sacred site, having been created by the First Spinjitzu Master himself, and it was fitting that his elder son would be given a place among the giants of history. However, Lloyd knew that not all would see his father as someone to honor. Still, Garmadon had departed not as the evil being that he had become, but the wise teacher that Lloyd originally looked up to. He was forever grateful for that fact.

He and his mother, Misako, had lighted the traditional lantern in front of Garmadon’s statue, and watched it float away as they released it. The lantern symbolized their memories and wishes being taken to the Departed Realm. It comforted him to think that somewhere, his father could see the lantern, and know that his wife and son still remembered him.

He turned and embraced his mother for a time, wordlessly. Then, with Misako wiping silent tears from her eyes, they turned to leave, to rejoin Wu at the monastery.

Except they didn’t. At the end of the canyon, blocking their way out, stood Pythor.

Lloyd wasn’t sure how to react at first. The Anacondrai had last parted with the ninja on fairly cordial terms, even if not exactly the best of friends. So Lloyd wasn’t entirely certain why Pythor would be here, on this night of all nights.

The Anacondrai obligingly made clear his intentions as he held his staff aloft in a threatening gesture. It gleamed a strange malevolent green in the waning light of the eclipse. “Greetings, Green Ninja.”

“Pythor?” Misako gasped.

Lloyd stepped in front of Misako protectively. “What are you doing here?”

“That’s not very polite.” Pythor chuckled, a dry rasping sound. “You could at least say hello.”

“Lloyd, be careful,” Misako warned.

“It’s ok, Mom,” Lloyd said, trying to sound reassuring. “He’s uh… he worked with us last time.”

Pythor rolled his eyes. “Oh, you remembered. You know, when we last met, I decided to help you and your father defeat Chen. Do you remember why?”

“Something about how if anyone was going to take over the world, you’d rather it be you,” Lloyd replied warily.

“Well, yes. As it happens, I found a way to make it… me.”

Pythor launched into an attack before he had even finished speaking, but Lloyd’s guardedness meant that his defences went up reflexively. He followed up smoothly with a counterattack, tossing crackling green orbs of energy at the Anacondrai. It should have at least stunned Pythor enough to allow Lloyd and Misako to escape, but nothing happened. Pythor grinned as Lloyd’s power dissipated harmlessly into the night. “Keep it coming,” he encouraged. “One of these might even hit me eventually!”

Lloyd knew better than to do that and exhaust himself. His powers didn’t work, and he had his mother with him. Though he knew that she was more than capable of holding her end of a fight, this was no ordinary foe they were facing. Something was weird with Pythor, and his instincts told him fighting was going to be futile.

So, he did the one thing Pythor didn’t expect him to do. He grabbed Misako and ran.

Pythor was caught so completely off-guard by the Green Ninja’s sudden retreat, that by the time he thought to give chase, they were too far away for him to catch up easily. He shook his staff angrily. “Coward!” he yelled. “You’re making it too easy for me! Come back and fight!”

Lloyd took no notice. Misako was running beside him, and he could tell she was asking him questions, probably about Pythor, but he didn’t hear what she said, and he didn’t reply. He was too preoccupied with the intense need to get his mother to safety, and then get back to the monastery as soon as possible to warn his uncle.

*****

Wu had long finished the last of his tea, but he still sat gazing pensively skyward. The eclipse was almost at its peak, with the white of the moon almost fully obscured by green-tinged darkness. The eclipse was an exceedingly rare occurrence, and he knew that everywhere in Ninjago people were pausing in their celebrations to gawk at the celestial phenomenon.

The Yin-Yang eclipse was so called because of how it called to mind the traditional concepts of yin, the dark, and yang, the light. But for those who studied such things, they understood that neither was superior to the other. Children often interpreted the eclipse as a drama: the light being swallowed by the darkness, but later prevailing as the eclipse passed. Wu, however, understood better than anyone else how neither was intrinsically superior to the other, and indeed both the yin and the yang were needed for the world to remain in balance.

His reverie was suddenly broken when he became aware of a presence behind him: a presence that made his blood run cold, though he tried to keep calm. Aloud, he said, “An eclipse is always an omen, but is this one good… or bad?”

“Bad,” Morro replied, as though he had always been there. “Very bad.”

Wu closed his eyes. The simple movement was the only betrayal of how deeply moved he was to hear this once beloved voice that he had never thought to encounter again. “Well, Morro,” he said quietly. “How have you returned?”

“The question is not how, but why.” Morro moved into view, and in his hand was the Sword of Sanctuary, glowing the same strange green glow as the eclipse. Wu tensed, ready to defend himself.

At that moment, the whine of an engine cut through the night. Lloyd’s Sonic Raider Jet came into view and landed in the courtyard, coming dangerously close to crashing into the monastery walls. “Uncle!” the Green Ninja cried as he hopped out of the jet. Then he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Morro.

Wu stood, staff in hand, and faced his former student resolutely. “We have fought twice before, Morro, and although it pains me, I will do so again if I must.”

Morro glanced from Lloyd to Wu in consternation. “No, you misunderstand me. I’m not here to fight you. I’m here to warn you.”

Wu and Lloyd exchanged confused looks.

“It’s true,” Morro insisted. “Master Yang has put your team in terrible danger.”

“Master Yang?” Lloyd exclaimed. “It was Pythor that I met! And what’s more - I couldn’t even touch him! Even my powers just melted away!”

“It’s the Departed Blades,” Morro noted, holding his own sword up. “Yang brought a group of us back from the Departed Realm to help him in his plan to return to Ninjago and attain immortality. He imbued our weapons with dark magic that would make us impervious to all attacks. But he said that it would only last until the eclipse ended, unless we destroy the ninja and take their place in the living world. We were to catch each of the ninja alone, because you always work best together. This was our one chance to defeat you and claim our revenge.”

“But you didn’t,” Wu said, visibly moved this time. “You chose instead to warn us.” He clasped his hands together in a gesture of gratitude.

Morro bowed his head in acknowledgement. “We have to hurry,” he said urgently. “The other ninja will be facing their foes any time now, and they’ll find that their attacks won’t work - ”

“But how can we help them if we can’t attack our enemies either?” Lloyd interrupted.

“My guess is that a Departed Blade might be able to repel Spinjitzu or even your powers… but I doubt it can withstand another Departed Blade.” Morro smiled.

“You’ll fight alongside us?” Wu asked.

“I will,” Morro replied without hesitation.

*****

Cole watched as Yang paced the room, muttering curses under his breath. The old master had been waving the Yin Blade around for some time now, but whatever he was doing seemed to have limited success. Good, thought Cole savagely. It occurred to him that he could further limit that success by talking more and distracting Yang.

“Hey, Yang,” he called out. “Give it up. You’ll never succeed in… what are you doing, anyway?”

Yang gave him a disgusted glance. “I told you. This is the one night that I will be able to cut the Rift of Return with the Yin Blade. Now, silence!” He returned to his task, but it was evident that his concentration had already been broken.

“Well, I wonder why it’s not working? Could be too early, maybe? Does the eclipse have to be at its peak? Is it at its peak now? Or has the peak passed, and it’s too late to cut the Rift now?” Cole was beginning to warm up to his new goal. His spirits began to lift again, and he actually felt much better now than he had been at the museum.

Yang whirled on him, holding the Yin Blade inches from his face. “One more word from you - !”

“And you’ll what? Kill me?” Cole scoffed. “I’m already a ghost, if you haven’t noticed.”

Yang got a hold of himself with an effort. “That is the very reason I haven’t already sent you to the Departed Realm directly,” he ground out through clenched teeth. “I need you here. As a ghost.”

“What possible reason could you have for yet another ghost in this ghost-infested temple?” Cole wanted to know.

Yang’s smile was malicious. “Because, when I finally cut this Rift, I and my disciples will step through and become human again. And we will finally be able to leave this temple, because it will have a new master. Soon, we won’t even need those chains to keep you here. You’ll be imprisoned here, as I was, bound to this accursed temple for all time.” His smile widened. “Still want to continue trying to distract me from my work?”

Chapter 3

The Temple of Airjitzu dated back to the Edo era, so it was said, and many stories remained of its former occupants, including the Master who had developed the martial art that now gave the temple its name. What was not so well explained was what kept it afloat, on the outskirts of Ninjago City. Nevertheless, its mysterious ability to remain airborne only served to add to its ominous reputation, and people usually were only too glad to steer clear of it.

But not Cole, and certainly not tonight. He stopped his vehicle just beneath the floating temple, and without a second thought he used Airjitzu to reach the temple grounds. It looked deserted, exactly the way it was the day he had left it as a ghost. The towering main pagoda cast an imposing shadow against the now green-tinged moonlight. There was no hint of anyone, ghost or not, in the temple.

Cole marched up to the entrance of the pagoda and pushed the large doors open. Inside, the temple glowed an eerie green, lit only by the moon. He mustered as much bravado as he could and shouted into the darkness. “All right, Yang, show yourself!”

He waited a little, and when there was no response he yelled again, “You hear me? Show yourself!”

“No need to be so loud, young ninja.” The voice was the same as the disembodied one in the museum, but it sounded closer, more substantial. “You’ll wake the dead.”

And Yang emerged from the shadows, his spectral form taking on the same green glow as the moonlight. He still had the long black beard and he still wore his straw hat, and his eye glittered from underneath it. Cole suddenly felt a chill down his own ghostly spine.

“You received my message,” Yang said, clearly pleased.

“I got it all right,” Cole said, trying to inject confidence into his voice. “And I got one for you. It’s from the business end of your own weapon.” He brandished the Yin Blade like a talisman, hoping that Yang couldn’t sense that he didn’t have a clue how to use the relic. He hadn’t actually really thought about what would happen if Yang were to show up, only a vague notion that he could maybe try to bargain with him, the blade for Cole’s human form…?

But the Airjitzu master’s gaze was transfixed on the weapon with hungry eyes. “The Yin Blade,” he said with what sounded like a sharp intake of his breath. “How did you get it? It was encased in Clearstone. That case is impenetrable.”

“Not to a ghost, which I am, thanks to you,” Cole snapped. He still very much remembered the terror and despair he had felt when he first realized he was a ghost, or when he was forgotten at the museum.

“What are you going to do?” Yang queried tremulously.

That was the one question Cole had hoped he wouldn’t ask. The Earth ninja gestured vaguely out of the window. “There’s magic in the air. You know, eclipse and all?” He waved the Yin Blade again, in what he hoped was a threatening manner. “I need you to make me human again. Or else say goodbye to your beloved blade.”

“Please, where’s your holiday spirit?” Yang said, and all traces of nervousness disappeared from his voice. “It’s the Day of the Departed. And you should celebrate it… since it’s now your holiday too.”

“What do you mean?” It was Cole’s turn to sound nervous.

“I mean,” Yang almost purred, “that I can’t make you human. So you might as well consider yourself one of the departed that your friends would be holding a remembrance ceremony for. That is - if they even remember you.”

Time seemed to stop. Then, dimly, Cole realized that he was screaming in rage as he charged the Airjitzu Master, the Yin Blade in his raised fist. He no longer knew what he was doing, or why. He just wanted Yang to… stop.

But at the last second, Master Yang smoothly sidestepped him, and the Yin Blade came down upon a large vase-like vessel behind the black-bearded old man. It smashed into pieces, and Cole whirled around to face Yang again.

Yang began to laugh, an unsettling, extremely unpleasant laugh. It was enough to snap Cole out of his rage. “What?” he demanded. “What’s so funny?”

“This. That.” Still chortling, the old man gestured to take in Cole and the shattered remains of the vase. “All of it.”

A terrible realization dawned on the Earth ninja. “What’s happening?” He spun around again to stare at what he had thought was just a decorative vessel.

Amongst the broken pieces, a strange light was forming, its hue and luminosity matching that of the eclipse. Even as Cole watched, it levitated to the nearest window and streamed out of it, breaking up into several strands as it did so, and then it vanished into the distance.

“What was that?” Cole gasped.

Master Yang smiled a twisted smile. “You should never have played with dark magic, boy. This Day of the Departed shall be remembered as my Night of the Return. And now,” he held out his hand, palm up, “the Yin Blade, if you please.”

Cole quickly withdrew, holding it behind his back and away from the Airjitzu Master. “Yeah, I don’t think so.”

Yang smiled again. “But I do.”

And then Cole realized that they were not alone. The ghostly figures of a half-dozen people dressed in white martial arts gi had materialized around them. Yang’s students, probably.

To his credit, Cole did put up a fight. If he had been his normal self, he might even have beaten them. But he was still reeling from the realization that he had been manipulated by Yang, he was exhausted from fighting to control his insubstantial self, and he was without his powers. Even his Spinjitzu was of limited use against Airjitzu performed by six of Yang’s disciples. Before long, he was overpowered and they moved to disarm and cuff him.

“Excellent work!” Yang exulted. “Bring me the blade.” His students dutifully complied. Cole helplessly watched his last chance to become human again vanish as Yang held the blade triumphantly aloft.

He had never felt as alone as he did now.

*****

The Ninjago History Museum was shrouded in darkness, in still contrast to the concert now in full swing in the plaza nearby. The attention of the Ninjago citizens was fully drawn by the evening’s celebrations, and so no one noticed the beams of green light arriving at the museum and filtering through the glass windows.

Inside the Hall of Villainy, the beams of light individually coalesced into orbs, which settled into the wax figures lining the walls.

Morro awoke first, his limbs moving stiffly at first, then more naturally as he got used to movement. He gazed about him, confused, as the other waxworks came to life.

Samukai, his wax bones now taking on the dull gleam of real ones, turned to face Wu’s former student. “Who are you?” he demanded.

“I should ask you the same thing,” Morro replied evenly.

“I am Samukai, Skulkin general, fearsome master of the ax.” This declaration was made with absolute certainty, said in the same tones one might use to say the sun would rise the next day, or that the sea was made of water.

Even so, Samukai had his detractors. A four-armed warrior in full samurai armor took clear offence at the Sulkin’s self-introduction. “Ha! Fearsome?” he scoffed. “You call that fearsome? I am Kozu, destroyer of all foolish enough to challenge me. This is what I call fearsome.” He sliced a nearby decorative pillar in half for emphasis with the Elemental Blade in his hand.

“Yeah, so how did you do against a guy who destroyed you?” a black and silver nindroid called mockingly across the hall.

Morro watched with equal parts amusement and bemusement as the self-styled fearsome foes began squabbling among themselves. Nearby, the statue of an old man, dressed in garish silk robes and an oddly ornate snake headdress and seated on a throne-like chair, came slowly to life. As soon as he got over his confusion at being back in the world of the living, the old man immediately began stabbing at buttons set in the armrests on his chair. In response, the chair began to inflate, then deflate, then eject fortune cookies, and eventually grow a pair of mechanical legs. All this while, the old man muttered to himself and cackled in delight every time the chair produced the desired reaction.

“What is going on here!?” Samukai yelled, as the old man’s now mobile chair ambled across the room to crash into the wall next to him.

“Well,” the nindroid said derisively, “the skinny man in the silky robes can’t control his chair, and -”

“Not that,” interrupted Samukai impatiently. “I mean with us! Why are we here? Who are all of you?”

“Perhaps,” Morro spoke up, his relatively quiet voice cutting through the clamor of the other brash voices, “he can explain.” He pointed towards the alcove opposite them, where the portrait of a man he recognized as Master Yang was emanating an intense green light. Everyone turned to look.

Like a funhouse mirror, the portrait appeared to waver, and then gain depth until it felt like the Airjitzu Master himself peered out from the gilded frame. His glittering black eyes swept the hall, taking in all of the wax figures that had been animated by his dark magic.

“I greet you, one and all,” he said, his voice sounding unnaturally loud in the hush that had fallen over the Hall of Villainy. “My magic has brought you back from the Departed Realm to Ninjago, as I believe each one of you has… unfinished business.”

“Ohhh, you can say that again,” an unfamiliar voice chimed in. They turned to see an Anacondrai at the entrance to the hall - an astonishing sight by himself, the Anacondrai being all but extinct. But this Anacondrai had somehow found his way into the locked museum.

“What are you doing here, Pythor?” the four-armed samurai asked in a hostile tone. “You’re not from the Departed Realm too, are you?”

“Oh, heavens, no, Kozu,” the Serpentine hissed. “I was just looking for this.” He went up to a mannequin that was evidently meant to represent himself, and reached for the weapon in its hand. “My Anacondrai Staff. It has a certain sentimental value to me, you know. But then I overheard this gentleman, and I must say he sounds… persuasive. Do excuse my rude interruption, sir,” he said to Master Yang. “Please continue your most fascinating speech.”

“As I was saying,” Yang said, a certain annoyance beginning to creep into his voice, “I have brought you - or most of you - back from the Departed Realm. I would like to see you succeed in each of your respective endeavours. But, there is a catch.”

“A catch?” the silk-robed old man screeched. “What do you seek? Jewels? Power? I have power aplenty!” He pressed a button, which caused his chair to whirl wildly until he got it back under control. “I’m all right,” he said to no one in particular.

“I seek nothing that you can provide, Master Chen,” Yang said coldly. “But I would appreciate not being interrupted. There is a catch, because my dark magic can only work for the duration of the eclipse, which is already almost at its peak. In another two hours, it will be over, and you will return to the Departed Realm. Unless…”

“Unless?” Chen prompted.

“Unless you destroy the ninja who destroyed you.”

There was an immediate buzz among the villains, which Yang silenced with a single gesture. “Each of you holds a weapon. I have infused these weapons of yours with the same dark magic that currently allows your figures to be animated by your souls. With these Departed Blades, you must destroy the ninja, and then you will take their place among the living.”

“I’m not even departed, and I like this plan,” Pythor declared.

“What about you?” the nindroid asked Yang. “Aren’t you departed yourself?”

“Thank you for your concern, Cryptor, but I have my own plan to return to Ninjago.” The Airjitzu Master smiled, but his smile had no warmth in it. “And when I do, I’ll need allies, not enemies. That’s why I need you all. The ninja are dispersed around Ninjago, absorbed in their own observances of the holiday. Together, they can - and have - defeated each of you. But on their own, you have a chance. You will have your revenge.”

The inhabitants of the Hall of Villainy roared their approval. Yang nodded approvingly, and then his presence vanished, and his portrait resumed its painted gaze.

“We’ll have to split up and each take a ninja,” Pythor decided.

“I have a score to settle with the blacksmith’s brats,” Chen spat. “The Water ninja and her brother are mine!”

“Lloyd,” Pythor hissed. “I destroyed the father - well, more or less. It’s finally time to destroy the son.”

“I’ll take Zane,” Cryptor growled. “There can be only one of us.”

“Master Wu,” Morro said quickly, before anyone else could. “We left things… unfinished. I will settle our debt, once and for all.”

“What?” Samukai groaned. “That leaves only the Lightning ninja, but there’s two of us.” He glanced at Kozu, but the four-armed samurai was standing stock-still, listening. The dull thump of music from the concert could be heard. Kozu’s eyes narrowed. “They are celebrating,” he noted. “I will give them something to celebrate. Keep them occupied.”

“Then it’s settled,” Pythor said with satisfaction. “Although… the ninja won’t go easily. Perhaps we could use some help?” He grinned and pointed towards an adjoining chamber which had been cordoned off.

“The Hall of Sidekicks,” Cryptor noted.

“Convenient, isn’t it?” Pythor laughed. “I have a feeling this is where our Departed Blades will come in handy.”

As they trooped off to raise their minions, Morro turned to face the moon outside. It was now high in the sky, glowing that strange unnatural green, and more than half of it was now in shadow.

Chapter 2

Though officially a holiday to be celebrated, usually through a grand concert held at the end of the day in the heart of Ninjago City, every Day of the Departed held a somber note for the citizens of Ninjago. It was a day for honoring their ancestors, for remembering those who have been lost, and for appreciating those who are still here, their nearest and dearest.

Normally, for Cole, he would have spent the evening at his father’s place, lighting a lantern for his mother, Lilly. But, this time, he didn’t show up.

For Kai and Nya, it meant returning to the Four Weapons, their father’s blacksmithing shop, to light a lantern for their lost parents. For Zane, it was his annual return to Birchwood Forest, to the hidden workshop of Dr. Julien, where he would create an ice sculpture of the man he considered his father and place a lantern in his hand to light his journey in the Departed Realm. For Jay, it was to spend time with Ed and Edna in their junkyard, grateful that he still had them, at least for that year. For Lloyd, he traveled to the Corridor of Elders with Misako to release a lantern for Garmadon. And for Wu, he would sit alone at the Monastery of Spibjitzu to raise a cup of remembrance tea to his father, the First Spinjitzu Master, and his lost brother.

Lou waited, patiently at first, then with growing anxiety. It wasn’t like his son to ghost him without a word. Sure, some days Cole would be busy with his ninja duties even on important occasions, but he always made time to contact his dad to let him know if he was coming. But not this time.

He stayed until it was time to get ready for the concert, and even then Lou got up with extreme reluctance, still hoping that Cole would appear at the last second. He lighted the lantern for his wife on his own, and hung it next to her portrait on the mantelpiece. For a moment he stood, gazing at her dark features, so much like their son’s. He mouthed a silent prayer. Watch over him, Lilly, wherever he is.

For now, though, his own duties called. The Royal Blacksmiths were slated to perform at tonight’s Day of the Departed concert. He hurried down to the city square, where the rest of the quartet were already doing their vocal warmups backstage.

“There you are!” Dareth’s voice, gratingly loud, rang out from behind him. The ex-dojo owner had decided to branch out into showbiz, and his first move was to appoint himself the manager of the Royal Blacksmiths. The Blacksmiths, on their part, had never had a manager before, but they agreed to give it a try. The situation was currently in the “teething problems” stage, but otherwise no one had any complaints.

“Sorry I’m late, Dareth,” Lou apologized. “My son was gonna meet me before the show to light a lantern, but…”

“Ah, kids,” Dareth said with an airy wave of his hand. “Always lettin’ you down. That's why I don't have 'em. Not ‘cause Gayle keeps turning down my marriage proposals, even though I'd make an excellent provider,” he muttered. He turned and signaled to the other Blacksmiths. “Hey, guys? Hey, listen, cut it out. Can’t think in here with all the bro-bro-goo-goo stuff.” To Lou again, “Anyway, it's a good thing your manager is here to help you focus on the important things.”

“What could be more important than family?” Lou asked with some exasperation.

“A paying gig for a festival audience, for one. That’s our cue.” One of the backstage staff handed Dareth a microphone, and he winked at Lou and the Blacksmiths. “Have a good show, boys.” With that, he went on stage to announce the Royal Blacksmiths as the opening act.

Lou peeked out at the audience. The night was still relatively young, but there was already a sizeable crowd, and more were gathering. And he hadn’t even done his warmups!

It would be fine, he’d gone in cold before. He was a seasoned performer, after all, so he could handle anything thrown his way. And the show must go on…

There was something he was supposed to remember, something - or somebody - that he had meant to look for in the crowd… but who? Somebody important…

And then it was his cue, and he jogged out onstage to the cheers and applause from the audience, everything forgotten except for the first song of the night.

Overhead, the moon rose into the inky sky, reflecting the light of the sun onto the celebrants below. But the yang of the light was not to beam upon Ninjago for long.

*****

Cole didn’t know how long he sat alone in the Hall of Villainy, and he didn’t care. He had wandered the rest of the museum at first, mostly to avoid the Hall of Villainy and that portrait of Yang in particular. But after a while he came to feel like some lost spirit haunting the ancient artifacts of the museum, and he didn’t like the thought of that. He returned to the Hall of Villainy because it at least felt new, unlike the other parts of the museum. Here he sat, alternately feeling sorry for himself and wondering if he had, indeed, departed at some point, and whether he was now doomed to haunt the museum forever.

The other thing was that he couldn’t feel the earth. Sure, he could still walk - feel the ground with his feet, move about and so forth. It didn’t quite have the weight that he was used to when he was alive - when he was whole, he reminded himself firmly - but his feet didn’t sink into the ground, and he could move about much as usual. The problem was, he couldn’t feel his Earth powers. Where he usually felt a connection to the earth that he could draw upon when he needed to, there was now a hollow silence, like a phone line that had gone dead. It was a deeply uncomfortable feeling.

Initially, when he had emerged from Yang’s Temple of Airjitzu as a ghost, he hadn’t felt much different physically. Slowly, he had gotten used to the fact that he had to avoid water, and that he could phase through things. Over time he found that he could almost control it. But lately that control seemed to vanish at the most inconvenient times, as it did when they were pursuing the Mechanic through the Sea of Sand. And now - now, he wasn’t sure anymore what he was. A ghost, certainly - but one that not even his friends could see or hear. Less than a ghost.

Eventually he mustered enough energy to rise to his feet again. He raised a tentative hand to the stone walls once more, and as before, his fingers slipped through the rough blocks like water. He concentrated hard, willing his hand to become solid again. He thrust his arm out and watched as it disappeared into the solid wall up to his shoulder. Well, at least it looked like he wasn’t going to be trapped in here.

He took a deep breath - not that he really needed to breathe - and plunged into the wall, to emerge on the other side as if he had merely stepped out of a doorway. He hated the feeling of passing through solid matter, but he was out now.

And - now what?

From the other side of the museum, he heard the cheers of an approving crowd as music swelled. He recognized it immediately as one of the Royal Blacksmiths’ newest songs.

Dad!

He had completely forgotten that he was supposed to meet his father for the day’s observances. And now his father must be at the concert, wondering why his son hadn’t shown up.

He sprinted the short distance to the stage set up in the city plaza. The Blacksmiths were already starting their second number. Cole started to push his way through the gathered audience, but decided against it. He couldn’t bear the feeling of just passing through other people. Instead, he waved his arms madly from the back of the crowd. “Dad!!” he screamed. “Dad!!! Can you hear me!?”

There was no response, of course. The music was too loud, and Lou was immersed in his performance. But more disturbingly, no one next to Cole turned to look at him, either.

Cole stopped, fighting back a wave of panic. What now? He trudged back to the museum, running through various scenarios in his mind. He could look for the other ninja… But what if they didn’t acknowledge him, the way the crowd at the concert had completely failed to respond to him? He didn’t think he could bear that. What about Master Wu? Surely he knew something about this. But the thought of his own master not realizing his existence was even more painful to Cole.

That left only one option.

He marched up to the museum’s entrance and through the locked double doors, straight to the Hall of Villainy and the alcove with Yang’s portrait. There, below the portrait, the strange artifact sat in its glass - no, Clearstone - case. A small placard that Cole had not noticed before identified it as the Yin Blade, a sacred relic used primarily for mystical purposes. More importantly, it was one of Master Yang’s most prized possessions.

Bingo.

He was normally not one to take things without permission, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He reached for the Yin Blade, and his hand went through the Clearstone easily. Now came the hard part. He closed his eyes and focused his mind, using the calming techniques that Wu had taught him. It had to be just… right…

His hand solidified briefly, just enough to grasp the Yin Blade, and then both his hand and the relic became translucent as he drew the artifact through the Clearstone.

And just like that, the Yin Blade was now in Cole’s possession.

He glanced out of the window. The full moon was high enough in the sky to be visible above the rooftops of Ninjago City. More importantly, the moonlight already seemed to be taking on a slightly greenish cast. He didn’t have much time.

At least, with the Yin Blade in his hand, he felt a little more substantial, more like his old self. He found that he could even touch the door of the museum before he phased through it. And if he could touch a door… then he could drive his Rock Roader.

Five minutes later, he was in the vehicle, which he had left parked around the corner what felt like a lifetime ago. The plan in his mind was only half-formed at best, but it was his best option at the moment. If Yang had turned him into a ghost, then it was entirely possible that Yang was the only one who could reverse it. He was going to find the Airjitzu Master at the Temple of Airjitzu, and use the Yin Blade somehow to force him to make Cole human again.