"Look at you, my little academic."

I whined when somebody grabbed the book I was reading, hands following it like a child who'd gotten their favourite toy taken away. Lloyd chuckled at my pouting expression as my legs slipped from the rock I was sitting criss cross applesauce on.
"Give it baaaack," I whined, reaching forward. He simply placed a hand against my forehead and I was beat.
"'Twilight'?" Lloyd spoke the name from the well-loved little paperback aloud, thumb keeping my place in the book. "Isn't this what you told me about before? The werewolf imprint thing?"
I sniffed. "Yes." Twilight was my guilty pleasure, so sue me. I had a thing for it since I was twelve.
"You're into werewolf boyfriends?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow at me with an amused grin. "You're such a cliché."
"I'm a cliché?" I scoffed, reaching out again for the book. He lifted it away and I groaned in defeat. "You should take a look in the mirror. Besides, it's actually a vampire boyfriend, not a werewolf, so shut."

Lloyd snickered, opening the yellowed pages with his fingers and scanning the words. I watched his face, cheeks beginning to burn. It wasn't my fault that I was a hopeless romantic for star-crossed lovers. I was just born that way.
But then Lloyd started reading the book out loud, hand on my forehead softening until it was just resting atop my hair.
"'I don't want to have to explain it to Charlie.' 'Oh, right,' he grinned. I hesitated, my hand on the door handle, trying to prolong the moment," Lloyd began, voice a melody that instantly had me hooked as he spoke. "'Bella?' he asked in a different tone - serious, but hesitant. 'Yes?' I turned back to him too eagerly. 'Will you promise me something?' 'Yes,' I said, and instantly regretted my unconditional agreement. What if he asked me to stay away from him? I couldn't keep that promise. 'Don't go into the woods alone.'- smart. That's smart. I like this dude."
"Are you an Edward kinnie?" I teased, raising an eyebrow. He handed me back my precious book and I took it carefully, hugging it to my chest.

"I don't know what that means," Lloyd admitted before giving a shrug. "But sure, I guess."
My grin grew wider.
"You should watch me train," Lloyd suggested eagerly, leaning forward and pressing his hands on the rock on either side of my thighs. "I'll throw in a few special moves just for you."
"To show off?" I snickered, brushing away a bit of grit that had found its way onto his cheek. He hummed. "I'm fine, thank you. I want to savour this sun while I can."
"Oh, your loss," he hissed in mocking disappointment. "'Cause it's definitely going to get hot and sweaty and I absolutely will be taking my top off."
"Tempting," I snorted, tapping his shoulder with the book. "But I can get you out of your shirt whenever I want."
He gave a chirpy laugh, cheeks flushed red.
"Besides," I continued with a smile. "I'm helping Jace and Isla put out the washing. It should be done soon."
"Reading and doing the washing?" Lloyd echoed incredulously before giving a shake of his head. He straightened, fingers slipping from the rock. "I didn't realise I was dating such a loser."
"You're the one who fell in love with me," I pointed out, opening my book back to where I'd left off.
"That I did," Lloyd sighed before changing the subject. He hooked his thumbs through the belt of his gi leisurely and I tried not to have a romantic panic over the attractiveness of the simple move. I stared hard at the words. "What are you wearing tonight?"

My brow furrowed at the sentence I reread for the third time.
"What's tonight?"
Lloyd crouched before me. He placed a finger on the top of the book and gently pushed it down with a pout. My eyes followed the word I was stuck on.
"Day of the Departed," Lloyd reminded and my gaze jumped to his in shock. Already? Today? With everything that's happened recently, I totally lost track of the date. "Yin-Yang eclipse, too. Only happens once every three-thousand and something years."
"Oh, uh..." I struggled to think before giving a shrug. "Dunno. Jeans and a shirt, I guess."
"Er..." Lloyd scratched his chin in awkward disagreement. "I guess you do your celebration differently."
"We just make a lot of food and pay our respects, I guess," I said, putting a bookmark in place as Lloyd crouched before me, because it was clear that he wasn't going to let me read while he was around. I leant my hands back on the rock. "Why? What do you guys do?"
"We have a festival," Lloyd replied, looping his arms over my knees and resting his chin on them.
I blinked.
"A- a festival?" I repeated, just to make sure I heard him right. "As in a whole festival?"
He nodded. "For my grandad."
"Oh, right," I said, it suddenly making more sense. Of course there'd be a big celebration for the first spinjitzu master. He made the world we were walking on. "What do you usually do in it?"

Lloyd hummed, picking up a rock and brushing his thumb over it. He stared hard and it cracked in two. He carelessly threw the pieces over his shoulder, as what normal teenage god-born boys do.
"We make a lot of food, too," Lloyd replied. "Pray in the garden before walking up to the shrine on top of the mountains and leaving offerings."
"So, uh... what should I wear?" I asked nervously, thinking back through the clothes I brought with me from home. It was mainly just sweats and sweaters, and a few items of Lloyd's that I'd acquired (stole) throughout our relationship. He shrugged nonchalantly.
"A kimono."
"A kimono?" I echoed in disbelief, feeling my heart drop to my stomach. "I don't have a kimono! I don't even know how to put one on!"
"I'm sure Nya will let you borrow one," Lloyd reassured with a chuckle. "This'll be fun, our first day of the departed together. We can set something up for you, too. The monks usually go their seperate ways after we get back from the shrine."
"Are... are you sure I'll allowed to come?" I asked nervously, thumb brushing the edge of the book, pages soft with age. "It seems like a pretty big deal."
"How many times do I have to remind you that you're part of the family?" Lloyd murmured, threading his fingers through the hair on the side of my head. I softened into his touch. "Of course you're welcome. I think my mum's excited to help you play dress up, too."

I gave a small laugh.
"What, you don't let her dress you up?"
"Not in the way she wants. You're the daughter she never had," Lloyd shrugged and my amused smile softened into genuine bashfulness. He shuffled closer to press a gentle kiss to my forehead and I melted even more.
"People keep adopting me," I murmured and Lloyd barked a laugh.
"I can attest," he sniggered, pressing his forehead against mine with a grin. "My dad adopted you on sight."
I giggled, lifting my fist between us in triumph.
"Score."
Lloyd opened his mouth for a chuckle before we were interrupted by Jess. Her hands were nervously grabbing the front of her robes.
"Uh, master Lloyd," she began, sweating. "We finished with the Mistress of Silence."
"'Finished'?" I echoed, glancing from the monk to Lloyd. He tensed. "What..?"
"Thanks, Jess," Lloyd murmured and she gave a quick nod before scurrying off. He caught my expectant gaze and sighed. "I didn't want to tell you. Not yet. Didn't want to stress you out."
My brow furrowed.
"We wanted to get answers," Lloyd elaborated, threading a lock of my hair around his finger. "To see if she was the mole."
"Do you think she is?"
He shook his head. "It was too easy."

"Well... what if it isn't somebody in our close group?" I suggested. Lloyd's green eyes jumped to mine. "I mean, that's what we'd expect right? Axon said they'd be right under our nose but maybe we don't even know them personally."
"Lloyd!" Jay called, poking his head out of the dojo. "We're back into it!"
Lloyd stood, my hair slipping from his finger and landing back into place.
"We can talk about this later," he murmured. "And about the serpentine. We can discuss the truce when my uncle's next free."
I nodded. Lloyd hovered, eyes dipping to my lips. They widened into a smile.
"You gonna kiss me goodbye or just stare?" I teased.
"Ha-ha," he said dryly before giving me a kiss. I leant up into it and the book began to slide from my lap. Lloyd caught it before it could hit the ground.
"My hero," I sighed when he handed it back to me. He snickered, brushing his mouth over my forehead.
"I know you call me your werewolf boyfriend but-" Lloyd unsheathed his fangs in a sultry grin, eyes half lidded in shrouded delight as he leant his forehead against mine. My stomach twisted. "I can play vampire boyfriend, too."
"Damn," I sighed, dipping forward to kiss one of his fangs. "Twelve year old me would be so jealous of me right now."
Lloyd snorted, smile curling wider in amusement.

"No," I shook my head, continuing. "I prefer my dragon boy boyfriend. And said dragon boy boyfriend is going to get his ass handed to him by his uncle if he doesn't return to training."
He whined but pulled away, hand dragging through my hair.
"'Till later, my love," Lloyd faked a cry before stumbling over Kashu. "Oh, shoot, where did you come from?"
"Dork," I snorted while the three-legged puppy dropped his chin on my leg for pats.
"I'll leave the doors open just incase you want a peek," Lloyd smoothly winked, regaining his dignity as if the stumble never happened.
"Oh, very merciful of you, thank you," I said with a roll of my eyes.
"I love you!" Lloyd called, already halfway across the garden.
"Oh, my god, go," I stressed, catching sight of Isla and Jace's amused grins as they made their way to the washing line. My cheeks burnt with blush and I averted my gaze back to my idiotic but sweet boyfriend as he pulled back the large sliding doors to the dojo and sent me a thumbs up.
Kashu whined. I patted his head.
"I know," I agreed, as if his puppy noises made coherent English. I stood, making my way towards Jace and Isla while he stumbled along beside me. "He is a dumbie, isn't he?"
Turns out Lloyd made more use of the open doorway than I did. I was intent on my task of helping out the monks, since I kind of lived at the monastery too and should really do my part with upkeep. Lloyd, however, didn't care if he wasn't focusing.

"Lloyd's staring," said Jace with a grin. I hummed, smile tugging my lips as I pegged up Nya's gi.
"When is he not?" Isla countered with a snicker. Kashu played with a ball that Jace rolled with his feet. "That boy is totally head over heels."
"Did you find anything from Kami?" I asked, ignoring the feeling of Lloyd's stare. I wouldn't give in. She shook her head, unfolding a damp robe and smoothing it out on the line.
"Just empty threats and the repeated phrases that there were more where she came from," Isla muttered before flashing me a bright grin. It was obviously forced. "But don't worry about it! Master Lloyd and the others will handle it. Your life will be back to normal before you know it."
"My life is hardly normal anyway," I murmured, caving and glancing at Lloyd. He brightened when he caught my gaze, giving me a big wave. Zane smacked the back of his head, probably demanding the leader to pay attention. "Not since I met Lloyd."
"Well, Lloyd's life has never been normal," Jace piped up, making my eyes jump back to the monk. Kashu tugged on the bottom of his robes with his little puppy teeth. "But I certainly think you've made it more bearable for him."

I dropped my gaze, returning to my task. I couldn't hide the smile that the blossoming in my chest caused by Jace's words.

🍃🍂👻🍂🍃

"Oh, damn," I said to myself when Nya pulled open her closet doors. The number of kimonos she had hanging from the rail was vast. Definitely more than I had fingers and toes.

They were all heartbreakingly gorgeous. Red silks with gold or sometimes blue embroidery. Flowers ran up the skirt of one. Leaves curled around the corset of another.
"When you live in a monastery, you find too many occasions to just have a couple on hand," Nya snickered. "They're all handmade by Zane. He's quite the designer."
"He really is," I said quietly, fingers brushing over a stitched design of stylised water.
"You should start building your collection," Nya grinned, resting her cheek against the door as I stared in awe at the gorgeous gathering of ultimate skill. Zane, you absolute mad lad. "If you're eventually moving in. Y'know, permanently."
"That won't be for a long while," I snorted, gently pawing through the kimonos as I admired them. Nya remained silent, not believing my words. I don't think I believed them, either.

Nya's collection of kimonos were certainly stunning, but Misako didn't seem convinced.
"Do you not have another colour?" she asked, going ultimate barbie mode on me. Her hands styled my hair absentmindedly, trying to make up her mind about which to choose. I let her do it, knowing that I'd be totally useless if I tried to do it myself anyway.
"Not really," Nya sheepishly scratched her cheek.
"Curse this colour coordinated household," Misako sighed. "Maybe I have something tucked away."
She began to lead me to her and Garmadon's room, Nya following. At this point, I was totally lost on what to do. I was just there for the ride.
"Oh, I see," Nya grinned when Misako revealed her own admirable amount of the traditional outfits. "You wanted them to match."
"I am a simple woman, Nya," Misako replied as she pulled out a green kimono with a golden dragon curling up the back. Matching flowers in golden thread drifted up the bodice from the hem. "I enjoy simple pleasures - such as my son and his girlfriend in matching clothing. What do you think, Y/n?"

"I think it's wonderful," I said in awe, taking in the gorgeous dress.
"Didn't you just mutter about us being a colour coordinated household?" Nya giggled.
"I may be a hypocrite," Misako admitted as she gently tugged me towards the standing mirror. "But I stand by my morals."
She held up the kimono in front of me and I blinked in surprise at how attractive the dress looked, even hanging limply from Misako's outstretched hand. I could see myself in it. Maybe I'd feel more like part of the family if I wore it?
"Totally personal preference," Nya piped up. "But I wear long pants and a thermal underneath. It's freezing up at the shrine. You'll thank me!"
I shot her a grateful smile.
"Well, no point of dillydallying," Misako announced, dropping the kimono into my arms and handing over some more parts of the outfit. My eyes widened at the intricate pieces that she piled on. Oh, god. Oh no. "You should go get ready. I think Lloyd and the others are still setting up the garden."
"Wa- wait," I began, panicked, but Nya had already darted off and Misako had closed the door to her room, needing to get ready herself.

I stood in the middle of the hallway, brows pulled right up to my hairline from the powering sensation of being totally overwhelmed.
"I'm screwed," I squeaked to myself before waddling to Lloyd's room to get changed, anyway.
Twenty minutes later and I was still only in my thermal and a pair of thick, woollen pants that I usually wore for lounging around in the winter. My eyes stung with frustrated tears as pieces of the outfit surrounded Lloyd's floor. That was where he found me.
"... you doing okay?" Lloyd asked hesitantly, unsure whether to be amused or worried as I sprawled on the floor. My eyes were bloodshot at my total inept ability of putting on a kimono.
"No," I whined, sniffling as I sat up and set him a defeated, pitiful look. "I never thought I'd see the day where mere material would get the better of me, but here we are."
Lloyd did laugh at that. It was soft and sympathetic.
"C'mon, stand up," he said in a kind voice, grabbing my reaching arms and pulling me to my feet. "I'll help you."
"You will?"
"Of course, sunshine," he smiled, patting back my messy hair from where I had ruthlessly tore my hands through it in agitation. "Can't leave a damsel in distress, can I?"

I huffed but didn't argue, letting him assess the pieces of material that sat around us. He picked up the largest piece of material and held it out for me.
"Arms," Lloyd ordered, so I slipped into the green robe. His eyes found the golden dragon design and he grinned a little, shaking his head.
After folding the edges of the kimono across my body, he tied it with the simple golden sash before tugging the front of the kimono to hide it. A second sash went beneath my bust, firm but not tight. At least Lloyd let me breathe with it. Above the two sashes, another piece of material was tied.
Lots of sashes. Lots of tying. I watched Lloyd's face as he concentrated, tongue peeking out from his lips. He finally stepped back and appreciated his work.
"Comfortable?" he asked, green eyes jumping to mine. I nodded. "You look out of this world, doll."
"Shut," I said, but blushed heavily anyway. I pointed at my face. "What do I do with this?"
"Don't ask me," Lloyd said, raising his palms. "Make-up is Nya's division. Now, scoot. I need to get ready-"

"Have you seen Cole?" Jay asked as he burst into the room. "He's been missing all day. Can't find him anywhere."
"No?" Lloyd shook his head. He glanced at me. "You?"
"Can't say I have," I replied, brows pulled tight with worry. "Should I text Naomi?"
"Please?" Jay asked, worriedly wringing his hands. I grabbed my phone and shot Nomes a quick text. "Zane mentioned that he may have accidentally gotten spilled on by water or stepped into a puddle or something-"
"But that would mean that he's gone," Lloyd interrupted. "Really gone."
"I know!" Jay pitched, voice wavering. "And now I can't stop thinking about it!"
My phone buzzed and both ninja glanced at me. I shook my head after reading it, worry straining my voice.
"She hasn't seen him today."
Lloyd set his jaw, green eyes darkening at the seriousness of the situation. He turned to Jay.
"Gather the rest of the team," he ordered, to which the Lightning master nodded before quickly slipping from the room.

"Wh... what do you think happened?" I asked, clutching the skirt of the kimono in tight fists.
"I don't know," Lloyd shook his head, licking his teeth in stress. "Dammit, we should've been more aware! Of course he'd find today difficult! I'm so stupid!"
"Y- you can't blame yourself," I tried to reason, but it was like talking to a brick wall. It bounced right off of him, having no affect. My gaze hardened. "I'm coming with you."
"What?" Lloyd snapped. "No, you're not!"
But I was already untying the kimono from around my waist.
"Like hell I'm staying at home while Cole's missing," I said, pulling off the kimono and putting it on his bed. I set a hard stare on Lloyd, making sure he knew that this was non-negotiable. "He's my friend, too."
Lloyd's jaw tensed but he didn't argue.
"Put on something warm," he said, a round-about way of giving me his permission (not that I needed it)(okay, well maybe I did. He is the team leader). "It's freezing outside."
I nodded, grabbing a green hoody from his desk before following him towards the entrance of the monastery. I tugged it over my head just as we reached the driveway, where the others were gathering. The yin-yang eclipse made the moon a sickly green. It made me shiver.

"Ninja," Wu greeted, calm as ever despite the situation, like normal. Beside him stood Garmadon and beside him stood-
"Morro!" Lloyd seethed, pushing me behind him and calling upon his power. I stared over Lloyd's shoulder, wide eyed. "You're supposed to be gone!"
"And yet, I stand before you," the master of wind said with a Cheshire smirk. His eyes caught mine and they hooded. "Pet."
"Don't look at her," Lloyd hissed, the swirling orb of green energy growing larger in warning.
"Lloyd, calm down," Garmadon soothed. "He's here to help."
"He tried to kill Y/n!" Lloyd argued. "I can't believe you'd trust him!"
"I didn't try to kill her," Morro shot, bristling. "It was merely a means of distracting you. Besides, I've changed."
"You've changed-" Lloyd scoffed, but was cut off by his mother.
"This isn't about you two!" Misako snapped. "This is about Cole. Morro, tell them what you told us."

With another heavy glance my way and an audible growl ripping through Lloyd's throat, Morro turned to the rest of the team.
"Master Yang tricked Cole into helping him open a rift to return to Ninjago," he began, voice stiff. Lloyd still stood between me and him, shielding me from view. "Tonight is the Yin-Yang eclipse. Its power can open a rift that opens to the departed realm; that's what let me come back. If a ghost from this realm goes back through that rift, they can return to living as a human. But if not..."
"Then he's a ghost forever..." Kai whispered hauntedly.
"Worse," Morro muttered. "He disappears altogether. A ghost you cannot see. Yang hasn't opened the rift yet but I have no doubt that it will be soon."
"Then we must be quick," Wu ordered. "To the Bounty! They must be at Yang's Temple."
The senseis and Misako set off towards the flying boat settled deep within the forest. The ninja followed after sending Morro cautious stares. Lloyd and the ghost remained rooted, glaring at each other. Morro's dark eyes dropped to mine.

"Shall we, pet?" he asked, bordering on purring. Lloyd's grip on me tightened. "Or is your boyfriend too controlling?"
"You can only wish," Lloyd muttered. "But you can never have her."
"We shall see," Morro grinned coyly. "The night is still young."
"OkAY-" I pulled myself from Lloyd's grip and crossed my arms, jaw set in rage as I stared at the boys. They each shared the same glowering glares. "I am not a toy to be fought over! I thought you knew better at least, Lloyd."
His face twitched in annoyance. I was too tired for this bullshit.
"Can we just... forget all this?" I exhaled sharply. "We're here to get Cole back. So let's get him back."
"You're right," Morro said, suddenly looking a lot more pleasant. "I'm sorry, Y/n."
But the look in his eyes betrayed his apology. Lloyd could see that. He was practically murdering the already dead man with his red eyes alone.

Morro walked past, arm brushing against mine as he followed the others. A second growl thundered from Lloyd's chest, pupils slitted like when he had attacked Axon. I shivered at the expression on his face.
If looks could kill. I finally, truly understand that term.
But Lloyd knew that this was a mission. Return Cole home, first and foremost. Deal with Morro afterwards.
"C'mon, kitten," Lloyd gnarled softly, eyes still digging into Morro as his hand whispered at the small of my back. The new nickname had me thoroughly tossed, stomach feeling like a tumble dryer, and I briefly wondered if it was due to our new ghostly ally.
I swallowed dryly, letting Lloyd snake his tough fingers through mine and pull me after the others. These new developments had my mind spinning.
"We should tell Morro about Axon," I murmured, feeling Lloyd's grip squeeze mine subconsciously. "And would you stop it with this attitude?"
"I don't care," Lloyd grunted, conveniently stepping around my request for him to calm down.
"That's not fair," I shot a look at him with narrowed eyes. "You're not yourself."

"Shit, Y/n!" he barked a harsh laugh, sharp eyes dropping down to me with an unfeeling smile. No, unfeeling wasn't right - he was certainly putting emotion behind it. But it was of hatred and malice and it made me scared. I didn't know who stood before me. "The guy possessed me and loves you! Excuse me if I'm a little on edge!"
"... you could still be kind," I murmured, eyes dropping to my hand in his, which had started to go red and numb from how tightly he was gripping me. He promptly released my hand.
"Maybe I'm not kind," Lloyd's voice tumbled with growls and snarls and for the first time, he truly sounded like an Oni. His pace quickened. I struggled to keep up. "Maybe I'm not who you think I am."
I stared at the side of his face as we walked. It was scrunched into a look of pure hatred - a rage unparalleled. The red in his eyes were almost black.
"He was still tricked into death by Axon," I reminded quietly as we clambered up the ladder onto the bounty. I silenced when Morro himself stood at the top and Lloyd almost lost it. I could feel his yearning to rip off his 'contender's' head emitting from him in waves.
He truly was only hanging on by a thread.

"Y/n," Morro greeted with a smile as he held out a hand to help steady me as I stepped over the railing. I held my breath as my hand landed in his, not willing to be rude. Would this be a catalyst? Or would Lloyd continue to simmer in barely-contained dark passion?
It turned out to be a mix of both, as he swiftly leapt onto the deck like an enraged animal, feet landing only a breath after mine did. His arm yanked around my waist and I was roughly pulled away. I gave a surprised gasp at the unsuspected motion, feeling as if the world had been swept right out from under me.
I teetered, head spinning as Lloyd caged his arms around my waist. I gave a quick scan of the deck as the Bounty rumbled to life, lifting into the air.
The rest of the team were inside. Blondie was glaring at the ghost, who returned it without hesitation.
This wasn't good. This wasn't okay. If Lloyd and Morro were to get into a fight-
I didn't get a chance to finish that thought. Lloyd pressed a hard, hurried kiss to my lips, grip sure to leave bruises upon my hips. He tugged me deeper into him and I felt my heart jump in response, exploding with heat as my chest swelled at the desperation in his kiss.

I inhaled sharply when his hand slid under my shirt, calloused palm gripping my waist tightly enough for me to shiver. Mind blank and totally lost to the world, my hands slid up to tangle in his hair and pull him closer to me, deepening the kiss. My eyelids slid open briefly to find him looking out the side. I was too caught up in the sensations to comprehend it.
This is fine, I thought to myself while Lloyd grew more intent at working his mouth into mine. This is totally fine, I thought, when his tongue swiped across my bottom lip and I parted without thinking about the reaction my simple agreement would cause. A possessive snarl erupted from Lloyd's mouth into mine as he pushed his tongue through my lips. The feeling was foreign, but not unwelcome, and new sparks of bliss I hadn't felt before erupted along my veins. My knees weakened at the heated breach, heartbeat catching in shocked lust. This was new. Deeper. Intimate. I nearly lost my head from the enticing warmth that dripped through my body. Everything was tingling. I felt like I was on another plane of existence.
Lloyd pulled back, red eyes dilated and gauging my foggy expression, still teetering from the intensity of the kiss. Mouth gaping with heavy breaths, I stared at him in confused ecstasy, slowly blinking. His red gaze looked smug. Triumphant. My eyes shot to the side when I suddenly remembered where we were.

Morro was no longer to be seen.

My breath caught in my throat at the display Lloyd had egged on. I stared up at him, still reeling in bliss but pissed all the same.
"What was that?"
"Making sure he knows who he's messing with," Lloyd muttered darkly. My fists clenched in his hair.
"Lloyd-"
"You didn't have him inside your head," he pressed, snarling, fangs glinting in the green moonlight as he stepped closer into me. I shivered at the proximity. "You didn't see the- the things he wants to do to you."
I swallowed, suddenly feeling incredibly vulnerable. Lloyd's hands on my waist burnt, scorching my skin. My own hands dropped to his chest.
"But... but didn't his feelings for me stem from you?" I asked nervously. Lloyd's eyes dropped away and I felt my entire soul slip through my mouth at the connotation. "O- oh."
His dark eyes found mine again. I shuddered under his gaze, a shaking lamb to a prowling coyote.
"W- what things do you want to do to me?" I asked quietly, somewhat bold until the words slipped from my mouth.
"Sunshine-"
"What things, Lloyd-"
"You know what kind of things I want to do to you," he whispered darkly, breath brushing against my ear. I felt my brain error in time with my abdomen coiling something hot and foreign.

I was glad that the railing was close behind me, because I stumbled back into it with legs of jelly. My hands grabbed at the rail to keep me from totally eating shit as I stared at Lloyd's red eyes as they bore into me, no, through me. Pierced my very essence. I couldn't find a breath inside my lungs.
Cheeks burning at the meaning behind his words, I shivered as the air from flight made my hair tumble across my face. It wasn't enough to chill my heated body but it tried.
Lloyd's face fell with regret, fangs returning to their normal length. He struggled to keep his red irises at bay, forcing the green to hide them.
"Sorry," Lloyd murmured while my chest heaved from the adrenaline that had drop kicked me from his confession.
"W- what for?" I stammered, searching his eyes before they turned away, hiding.
"I shouldn't have said that," he said softly.
"D- don't be ashamed," I blurted, cheeks impossibly hot. It felt as if I'd start melting from the inside out. "I want you. As- as much as you want me." I even found myself wholeheartedly believing my words.
But Lloyd wasn't convinced. He just shook his head in self-resentment as he began to make his way inside the bounty. I watched him leave, frozen to my spot, and wondered to the heavens above how the hell I managed to land myself in these kinds of situations.

Giving a shaky sigh, I stood and tested my legs. I seemed stable enough, so I hurried inside. The wind had started to chill me and I wanted to get warm before the lingering heat of Lloyd's kiss disappeared and left me totally freezing.
The others were all inside the bridge, Morro included, hurriedly discussing the actual problem that had presented itself before us; Cole's disappearance. I took my seat beside Lloyd at the little table and felt the short space between us prickle with electricity. I wasn't sure if that was residue of the recent confession or his powers playing up.
The trip to Yang's temple was almost half an hour down south. Half an hour with Morro stealing glances and Lloyd's fists tightening on the table. Misako gave me a sympathetic look. It seemed almost as if she felt my pain, been in my kind of position before.
"You alright, Y/n?" Kai asked, first to notice my unease. Lloyd tensed and Morro's cutting gaze landed on me once more. I gave a terse nod, not trusting my words.
"I... I think we should address the, uh, ghost in the room," Jay began, blue eyes flittering amongst everyone that sat around the table. They turned to Morro. "You knew Axon before you died."

Morro looked taken aback.
"How did you know?"
"We spoke to him in custody," Nya piped up from the wheel. "He... he told us some things. Plans of his."
Morro's eyes squinted. They could've been black, or maybe a nice chocolate brown. The green transparency kept his eye colour secret.
"What plans?"
"He used you," I spoke up quietly, spilling the words nobody else wanted to. My eyes drifted up to his. "He hinted to you that the tomb might be in the caves of despair and timed it with the geyser's eruption. All so you could return as a ghost and possess the green ninja."
Morro's eyes narrowed, shifting through memories. His face slackened. He looked ill.
"I... I trusted him," Morro breathed, gaze dropping to the table. "He played me like a fool. I died just so he could... get revenge?"
"Nothing but a pawn," I whispered. He grimaced. "I'm the same."
This time, he winced. It seemed that Axon at least told him of that part of his plan.
"I c... I can't believe it," Morro whispered, horrified. "I thought of him as an ally when to him, I was just another chess piece on his board. I wasted my life, trusting him."

My heart ached, despite myself. I reached out with a hand and placed it on his shoulder in reassuring support. Morro or not, nobody deserved what he went through. He was just playing Axon's game and blind to it - the mind master was the real enemy, not the heartbroken ghost in front of me.
I bit my lip and shuffled closer, slipping my arms around him. He stilled, frozen, before he returned the hug furiously. I wondered how long it'd been since he'd been hugged. I wondered how long it'd been since he felt okay.
"I'm so sorry," I whispered, voice thick. He inhaled sharply, pressing his face into my neck. "You didn't deserve that."
In another life, perhaps he could've been an ally to us to help take Axon down. In another life, he could've been a good friend. But fate had dealt its hand, as cruel as it was.
I pulled back but he held steadfast. It took a warning, animalistic growl from Lloyd to finally get him to slip away.
"I'm going to check the bolsters," Jay murmured into the silence that followed. He slipped from the table and that began a chain reaction of people drifting off to do their own thing. Even Nya put the bounty on auto-pilot, slipping from the room. There was still twenty minutes until we arrived at the temple, after all.

I could feel Lloyd's glare boring into the side of my face as I sat between him and Morro. The spot he loathed me to be in. However, the only thing left on my mind since the situation with Axon had been spilt forward was the taste of Lloyd on my tongue and the stinging of the bruises on my hips. I shouldn't love them, but I do.
He should know better than to question my loyalty.
"Thank you, Y/n," Morro said quietly, the first thing spoken in a long, dragging five minutes of silence. "You give good hugs."
I smiled small, because I didn't know how to reply to that.
"Would you go back through the rift to be human again?" I asked, changing the subject while I could because Lloyd's building frustration was starting to become suffocating.
"Probably not," Morro hummed. I tilted my head to the side.
"No?"
"No," he sighed. "The only reason I'd want to be human is to be with you, and, well-"
His gaze flickered to Lloyd, puffed up behind me and growling like a guard dog. Meanwhile, I ran his reasoning over and over in my head, holding the weight of those words in my palm.
Oh, fuck. This was the gravity of it?
Oh, my god. Take me back to the days of when boys would run away from me because of my father's status. At disheartening as it was, that was so much easier to deal with than this.
What happened to my life? I'd say 'I grew up' if it weren't for the fact that it was something far more visceral than that.

"Too bad," Lloyd muttered, voice as sharp as shattered glass.
"Too bad, indeed," Morro agreed, holding Lloyd's glare. "Say, Y/n. If it were me in the gi, in the prophecies. Would you fall in love with me then?"
Lloyd bristled. I faltered, at a loss for words.
"I- I don't... but that's so many different factors-"
"A simple 'yes' would suffice." His grin was curling. "You haven't been with anyone else have you, pet? What if Lloyd's lacking in being a boyfriend? How could you tell?"
My brow furrowed. "What?"
"I can give you a second experience," Morro crooned, eyes dark. "Then you can see what you're giving up on by sticking with him."
"Back off," Lloyd hissed. I stared at the ghost, stunned.
"Why?" Morro taunted. "What are you going to do, kill me?"
"I'll find a way," Lloyd threatened.
I felt breathless. Blow after blow straight to my chest. The air in my lungs felt like molasses, heavy and thick and left me struggling to see straight. The boys were still bickering back and forth but their words were watery and far away.
I stumbled upright and they silenced, watching as I left the table.

"Wait, sunshine." Lloyd caught my wrist and I glanced back at him. His eyes genuinely looked apologetic, holding enough emotion that would usually make me crumble. "I'm sorry."
I glanced between Lloyd and Morro as they stared back at me. Exhaustion settled heavily between my eyes.
"... I'm going to hang out with Nya," I murmured, slipping my arm from Lloyd's loose grip. His face fell. I left the room before I could cave.
But as soon as I stepped out into the hallway, Nya was returning anyway and my escape was foiled. It seemed that we were approaching our destination.
"Boy problems?" she guessed. I closed my tired eyes and nodded, giving a sigh. "Then let's distract you. Yang's Temple is t-minus five minutes away. We need to get everyone ready for whatever we might face. For Cole, right?"
I smiled. My problems could wait; this was far more important.
"For Cole."
Lloyd and Morro were still at each other's throats when we returned to the bridge. I kept my eyes to the side, ignoring them. Nya was far more ruthless.
"What are you, five?" Nya hissed, throwing a mug at Lloyd. He barely caught it, eyes wide in shock. "Can't you tell that you're making her uncomfortable? God, you boys are fucking dense."
"Can I date you instead?" I whined to Nya, much to Lloyd's discontent.
"Honey, I so would just for your sake," the water mistress sighed before leaning into the mic for the comm to get the rest of the team. "It's go time, laddies. Get to the bridge. Also Jay, Y/n is now an honorary part of our relationship."

Nya turned back only to be met with Lloyd's glare. She gave a nonchalant shrug.
"Be a better boyfriend," she said simply. Morro snickered so she directed her glower onto him. "And you don't be a dick."
"I wasn't!" he defended.
"You were," Lloyd muttered. Jay burst into the room.
"Y/n's what?" he asked, confused and frazzled.
"Nothing," Nya chimed. The rest of the team wandered inside. "We're approaching the temple now. Get onto the deck but be prepared for anything."
"Stay inside," Lloyd ordered me.
"Nope," I said as Jay grabbed my hand and lead me onto the deck, quick to pick up on the tension. God bless Jay.
Yang's Temple seemed like a place a ghost would haunt. It was also on a floating chunk of land, which was certainly something. It didn't surprise me as much as it would have six months ago. I truly was getting desensitised to nonsense things.
"Is that... Cole?" Zane asked as we peered down at the roof of the temple. His ghostly form was battling another ghostly form. A rift, dark purple and flickering in nature sat in the sky, illuminated by the green of the eclipse. The wind was heavy, tossing the ship around in the sky and making me grab onto the rail with tight fists. Lloyd stood beside me.

"We have to help him!" Kai shouted.
"I can't bring it any closer!" Nya argued from the wheel. "The wind's too strong!"
"Not me," Morro raised his hands in defence. His eyes flickered to the rift, where some ghosts were already slipping through and returning human. None were Cole.
"You should go, Morro," I urged quietly. "You can still live a life."
"What's the point?" he chuckled dryly. He tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear, keeping it from blowing in the wind.
"There's plenty of reasons," I pressed. "We can... we can be friends."
"There would be nothing more agonising than only being your friend," he murmured. Lloyd was glaring at him from over my head. Morro swallowed. He looked pained. "But I appreciate your offer."
Below, Cole's fists began to glow orange, a power he hadn't had before.
"The rift is almost closed!" Wu warned, making my face crumple in pain.
"Morro, please," I begged. "I'm not worth it!"
"What is he doing?" Jay asked, the others in another world. "Is he... is he talking to Yang?"
"You don't realise how worth it you are," Morro shook his head, smile playing on his lips.
"Cole!" Kai yelled over the loud wind. "Get to the rift! You gotta pass through the rift!"
"Cole! It's now or never!" Jay screamed.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Cole Airjitzu to the rift. At least he was good. He was okay, but the rift was growing smaller and smaller, shrinking in size, sealing Morro's fate.

"Lloyd's lucky to have you," Morro said quietly. "Don't let him hurt you."
With a kiss pressed to my forehead...
he was gone.

Lloyd was silent as I stared at the spot where Morro had truly disappeared from. The others were calling for Cole, who had yet to return. But the rift was closed and Morro was gone for good. The bounty landed before the temple.
"... Y/n," Lloyd began hesitantly, voice sympathetic. I spun on my heel and dug myself into his chest, fingers clutching the front of his gi. I didn't cry. I don't think Morro would want me to cry for him.
"It feels like it's my fault," I whispered into the front of his gi. His arms tightly wrapped around me.
"It's not your fault," Lloyd disagreed softly. "This was what he wanted."
"I- I should've done more- I should've-"
"Hey..." Lloyd held my cheeks and guided my face up to his. "Sometimes... sometimes you can't save everyone. I'm sorry, princess."
I pressed my eyes shut tight, arms tight around Lloyd.
"Is everyone alright?" Misako asked, stopping when she saw Lloyd holding me. "... he's gone."
"Yeah. We're okay," Lloyd nodded slowly, hands rubbing my back. "Where's Cole?"
"We don't... know," Garmadon said, voice catching.
"He was too late! He's gone forever!" Jay cried. "I'd give anything to have him back"
"Anything?" Cole's amused voice came from a distance. I pulled away from Lloyd, both of us staring out where his voice came from.
"Anything!" Jay whined.
"Even the sonic radar jet?" Cole grinned as he leapt into view from behind a boulder, skin and flesh and all. "Oh, and do my chores for a week?"

I cried in joy at the sight of Cole's beaming face - alive. I'd never seen him so happy.
"Cole!" Lloyd exclaimed in delight as we rushed into the big group hug that had formed around the earth ninja. Cole laughed brightly. A green, glowing scar sat beneath his black fringe.
"Hey, guys! Look at this scar, I match with Lloyd now!"
An exhilarated laugh slipped from my lips.
"Oh, my god," Kai gushed. "Wait until Naomi sees!"

Cole had never looked so excited.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

Bentley shifted in Naomi's driveway, as green as the eclipse. My feet were tucked on top of his neck while Lloyd sat behind me, arms tight around my waist.
Cole nervously knocked on the front door.

It opened to show Naomi's little brother with a toothbrush in his mouth. Cole bent down to the little guy, speaking quietly. James yelled into the house before returning back to where he was probably watching some Lego show of some kind.
Naomi was talking on her phone when she arrived, face pulled tight in frustration. She glanced at Cole and then glanced again, phone slipping from her hand.
My happy smile matched hers, though the one on Naomi's face stretched far wider in shock and disbelief. She began to cry, holding his face in her hands, as if she needed to make sure that he truly was standing in front of her and was no longer a ghost.
I looked away when Naomi leapt up to press a relieved, loving kiss to Cole's lips, hugging him close.

Today really was bittersweet.

Cole gave us a thumbs up before letting Naomi lead him inside, probably to finally meet her parents for the first time that he was able to. Lloyd gave him a wave in return.
"Let's go," he murmured into my neck. I nodded, legs slipping back down into position for flight. Bentley took off, the night air cold as we flew. We landed at home and the moon was still a bright green.
"Ah, there you are!" Wu said when we entered the monastery. "We're just about to go up to the shrine. There's no need to change. We can do that next year."
I was handed an orange lantern, symbolising the respect we held for our deceased ancestors.
The trek to the shrine was long but Lloyd's hand in mine made it bearable. The green glow of the moon flooded the marble shrine in a ethereal emerald.
I whispered the names of my departed into the lantern, eyes closed as the fire that Kai lit inside flickered warmly against my face.
I added Morro's name to my list.

Lanterns floated amongst the eclipse and the stars, orange amongst green and silver. We watched them float, each holding a million names and a million lives. A bowl in the shrine with lit with fire, the flames crackling and licking the night sky.
I was exhausted by the time we got back down to the monastery.
"How are you feeling?" Lloyd asked gently when we strolled back to his room from after a later dinner.
"Tired," I sighed, lifting his hand to press a kiss to the back of it. "But... content."
"That's good," he hummed, stroking back some wayward locks of hair into place. "Think you'll sleep like a baby tonight?"
"The babiest of babies," I answered and he smiled, linking an arm around my shoulder to press a kiss to my hair.
"Morro was right about one thing," Lloyd murmured as we stepped into his room for the night. "You really don't know your own worth."
"What?" I asked. He pulled me onto the bed, laden with blankets for winter.
"You're worth more than the sun," Lloyd whispered as he cupped my cheek. I went to disagree but he captured my lips with his in a sweet kiss. My argument flew out of my mouth in the mere shape of a small sigh. "You're the reason I live, now."

"Lloyd-" I breathed, eyes fluttering open as his red gaze stared into me. "I'm not that-"
"You are," he corrected quietly. The spark in his eyes faded a little. "When he asked you about what you'd miss out if you stayed with me..."
"I know," I grinned teasingly. "He was pretty tempting-"
Before I could even finish that sentence, I was thrown onto my back. I gave a gasp of surprise at the impact while Lloyd crawled over me with a dark glare in his eyes.
"You wanna finish that sentence, kitten?" Lloyd muttered, hands latching onto my arms and pining me down. I swallowed tightly, staring up at him with wide eyes. I was acutely aware of the feel of his knees on either sides of my hips.
"Are- are you... we-"
He stilled, mind jumping back with me to the confession on the ship. My breath lodged itself in my throat, thick and heavy and full of anticipation.
"No," Lloyd shook his head, grip softening on my arms. "Not tonight."
I didn't know whether I felt relieved or disappointed at his denial. I think the disappointment vastly outweighed the other. Actually, maybe I was in denial when I said that relief was even evident because I certainly didn't feel it.

My hormones were a crazed, horny mess and goddammit that sucks because I knew I wasn't ready and that Lloyd wasn't, either. A small, selfish part of me begged for my legs to wrap around his waist and pull him closer, tempt him to change his mind, but I squashed it back like a bug.
It can wait. We have an eternity.
"Maybe you should say that when you're not above me," I breathed, a little bit of the bug slipping out before I could stop it. Lloyd grinned, huffing amusedly through his teeth. He didn't reply but his hand did reached up, slipping from my arm. But instead of placing it against my cheek like I was expecting, he rested it against my chest. My heart fluttered fast, struggling to keep up with the intimacy of him hovering above me and his gentle touch as he felt my heartbeat. My breath caught at the weight behind the next few words that slipped into the air between us.

"This is enough," Lloyd whispered.