Morros' POV:

I groan and open my eyes. My hands are steaming slightly from fighting a damp YN. Thankfully, I didn't come in contact with enough water to send me back to the Departed Realm, but I still wince to think about how it could've ended.

A small moan from YN makes me sit bolt upright. I look around for her, taking in my surroundings as I do so. We're in a frigid wasteland of snow and ice, and it's very cold.

Then I spot YN lying motionless by a large outcropping of rock nearby. I get up and run to her, praying that she's still breathing. To my greatest relief, I see the gentle rise and fall of her chest, and I know that she's alive.

Then I hear a grunt from somewhere beyond her, and I freeze. A black nose pokes out from behind the rocks and sniffs at her, then the creature emerges out into the open. A bear.

Don't make any sudden moves. I tell myself. I slowly summon my twin swords into my hands and prepare to charge it, but it notices me. Its eyes widen when it sees my weapons.

An unknown voice speaks to me. "Whoa-whoa-whoa! I just got this form! I'd prefer it if you didn't poke it full of holes, strange glowing person! I just wanted to help this young woman!"

I whirl around, but I see nobody. "Who said that?" I ask.

"I did!" The voice answers. I'm shocked to realize that the bear is the one who is talking to me! It sighs. "My apologies, I didn't stop to consider that you may not have encountered Formlings before."

"Formlings?"

The bear sighs in exasperation. "The simple answer?.. Shape-shifters, strange glowing person."

"Shape-..?" The bear transforms into a human teenager. I'm stunned beyond belief.

"I'm Kataru." He says, extending a hand towards me.

"M-Morro." I hesitantly shake his proffered hand.

"Well, M-Morro, what are you and where did you come from? And what happened to her?" He gestures to YN.

"No, it's just Morro. I'm a ghost, we're from the Realm of Ninjago, and she's been possessed by an evil ghost who's also a witch, so she stole a magic crystal that has the power to traverse Realms.." I take a breath. .."Speaking of which, where the heck are we now?"

"The Never-Realm." He replies, looking absolutely bewildered. I don't blame him, I know that it's a lot to take in. But then he shakes himself with a remarkably bearlike movement and gives me a mischievous grin. "I know a surefire way to wake her up." He morphs back into his bear form.

"I don't like the way that you said that."

He ignores my comment. "You may find this strange, but I guarantee you that it will work."

"This is all just too strange!"

"You've got that right!" Kataru agrees. Then he sticks his tongue into YNs' ear.

Her eyes snap open and she jumps upright. "What?!"

I'm taken aback by the bear-boys' bold action, but pleased that it worked. Kataru backs away from YN as I step closer to her. "YN?" I ask her tentatively.

Her eyes flare with hatred. "YOU! You incessant, meddling boy! You fool! Why can't you just stay away?!" She rants at me, screaming.

"What's wrong with her?" Kataru asks me, his eyes wide again.

"She's still possessed! You need to get-!" Bansha uses YNs' power to create an orb of water and is about to throw it at me, when Kataru slams into her from the side. Bansha loses her focus as she's sent flying, and the water splashes onto the snow, narrowly missing me.

I use my wind to fly to her, and I pin her to the ground with one of my swords. I draw the other one back, preparing to strike, when she looks up at me with huge, innocent eyes. "You wouldn't hurt me, would you, Morro?"

I lower my weapon. "No, I wouldn't." I whisper.

Bansha lunges at me, kicks one sword out of my hand, and grabs the other. Then she points the remaining sword at my chest. "You should have given up."

"Ninja never quit." I growl at her. I quickly touch the Crystal, and a portal immediately appears beside us. I push YN in, and then I jump in after her.