"Y/n!" Misako cried from the courtyard. "They're back!"
I perked up from where I was stocking shelves before ungracefully stumbling down the short ladder and skidding out of Steep Wisdom, ignoring Ronin, who had taken to annoying me relentlessly.
Jerk.
The first thing I noticed was that Cole was slightly transparent. I tripped over my foot in shock, staring at the ninja who had a tiredly despondent look on his green-hued face. I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn't find the words. What on earth..?
"We got the scroll," Kai said wearily, holding the old parchment to the air halfheartedly. He glanced at me, dropping his gaze to Lloyd's hoody that I was swamped in, before closing his eyes and turning his head away. Any hope I had left slithered away. That look only meant one thing.
"You saw Lloyd..?" I asked, though it was more for a confirmation of my suspicion. Kai nodded smallishly. "But... no sign of him."
He nodded again. Cole detached from the group, stalking into the shop with taut, tense shoulders. I raised my eyes to the sky, exhaling a heavy, despairing breath.

"And Cole?" I was hesitant to ask. Nya answered for the rest of the group.
"Turned into a ghost while getting the scroll," she informed with a small shake of her head. I shakily sighed. Everything was suddenly going downhill. The period of sunshine had all but disappeared. What happened?
"Sorry, Y/n," Jay said with a soft voice as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "We all know how much Lloyd means to you. You didn't sign up for this."
I weakly smiled at the lightening master.
"Too late to back out now," I meekly joked, though I didn't feel like laughing. "I'm invested. It'll be okay though, right? Lloyd will come back to us?"

Instead of an answer, there was only silence. My fake smile faded while my eyes dropped to the ground and I played with the sleeves of Lloyd's hoody as I scuffed my foot. I swallowed disappointedly.
"Right," I said, my voice only just above a whisper. Garmadon and Wu entered the courtyard at that moment, both men holding grim expressions. Misako found her way into Garmadon's arms as they shared a tender hug for their missing son.
"We mustn't let Cole's situation shatter the team's resolve," Garmadon said, though it was more of an order, speaking over Misako's head. "You haven't lost, we are still in this race. So, we might be a day behind Morro, that does not mean that gives you ninja an excuse to slack."
Jay made a sound of exasperation.

"Garmadon is right," Wu agreed with a nod, though his eyes looked tired and weary. "No time to rest, you must get changed into your new gis and learn Airjitzu as quick as you can. Come, ninja, we'll board the Bounty and get her ready for air. Y/n, can you get Cole?"
I soundlessly nodded, retreating back into the shop and ignoring yet another half-hearted remark from Ronin.
I walked down the hallway, having to shove back Lloyd's hoody's sleeve so I could gently knock on the door and peek my head in.
Cole was slumped on a couch, staring at his ghostly hands. I felt a twinge of sympathy for him in my stomach. He didn't deserve that, nobody did, but especially not Cole. He's such a nice person.

"Hey," I said softly, stepping into the room fully. My hand slid from the door, hanging limply by my side. I nervously swallowed, but I couldn't quite pinpoint what I was nervous about. "Are you okay?"
Cole's eyes dragged up to meet mine. He didn't look amused. I bit my lip sheepishly as I tentatively took a seat on the couch.
"Okay, sorry," I said guiltily and rubbed the back of my neck. "That was a stupid question..."

I didn't know what else to say from there; what could I say? He'd been turned into a ghost. That's not an everyday happening, I had no idea how to react.
Cole was the first to break the silence.
"Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it," he said with a depressed voice. I glanced over at him questioningly. "Saving Ninjago, I mean. We put our lives on the line, get possessed or turned into ghosts and half the public still think we're a waste of space and not worth the time of day. I- I don't care about glory, but I wouldn't mind a little appreciation. Time after time, we save Ninjago from whoever wants to take over it. One day, we're going to fail. I can't help but think maybe this is the day."

I paused. Cole was... questioning the universe, and who wouldn't when they were just turned into a ghost? I didn't know what to say, but I had to say something.
I glanced down at my lap, where Lloyd's hoody was bunched up excessively around my hips. He'd know what to say. He'd be the one to raise the morale of the team, bring their spirits up and keep them fighting for Ninjago 'till the day was done. He'd be all smiles even if the odds weren't in their favour, he'd emit hope and positivity and a 'we can do it!' vibe that nobody else would ever be able to match. He was the shoulder for the team.
And he was gone.

My gaze raised to Cole, whose fists had clenched and he was staring at the ceiling with a defeated look. He needed Lloyd's positivity.
I was no where near a match, but I'd certainly fucking try.
"Don't say that," I said, my voice wobbly. I tried my best to keep it steeled and firm, determined. "Of course it's worth it. Sure, maybe the people of Ninjago are oblivious to what you guys go through to keep them safe, but look out at the city, seeing the kids playing and the smiles - isn't it worth it? Yeah, we've... lost Lloyd, and we don't exactly have a leg up against Morro, but shouldn't that make you even more determined? If you're not fighting to save Ninjago, then fight to save Lloyd. Fight to save your brother, your best friend. He can't do it alone - he needs you, Cole. We all do."

Cole dropped his gaze from the ceiling to mine. I have a feeble shrug.
"Besides, you may be a ghost, but think of all the stuff you should be able to do - go through solid objects, disappear, possess things? That's hella awesome!"
Cole cracked a grin. I felt an accomplished swell in my chest. It worked? Holy fuck it actually worked.
"Thanks, Y/n," he said with an appreciative, genuine smile. "I needed that. You'd be a good team leader."
I bashfully shrugged before tugging the hoody.
"Lloyd's been rubbing off on me. I suddenly feel a lot more wiser," I joked, before breaking into a sad smile that faded when I glanced down at the green material. Cole sent me a curious look.
"You really love him, don't you?" he asked. I sheepishly shrugged, the small smile returning to play on the corners of my lips. My cheeks heated, but I gave up caring about dignity.
"Yeah," I replied with a hushed voice, lifting my gaze to Cole. "So you're stuck with me whether you like it or not. C'mon, we're boarding the Bounty. Let's go kick some butt and bring home Lloyd."

Cole chuckled before standing with renewed positivity and hope. I grinned, for once not feeling useless in this drab time as I leapt to my feet and guided Cole to the back of the now closed up shop, where the Bounty was waiting.
"Finally," grunted Ronin as he pulled in the rope after Cole and I stepped onto the deck. I rolled my eyes but didn't recriminate.
The rest of the ninja were scouring over the scroll, mumbling and muttering as they soaked in the knowledge the parchment held. Cole's smile faltered.
Instinctively, I went out to reassuringly pat his shoulder. Unfortunately, I forgot that he was a ghost and my hand went right through him. It felt like pushing my hand through cold soup. We both shuddered at the odd sensation before Cole sent me an alarmed look.
"Sorry," I said quietly, a little shocked. He just turned and disappeared under deck.

Fuck, I thought. It was going so well. Maybe I'm not so cut out for the leader position like he said I was. Not that I would ever be.
I sighed, collapsing against the guard rail and pulling my knees to my chest as the Bounty took off. There was a exclamation of acknowledgement from Kai as he stood back and leapt from the ground while kicking his leg out to spin. He went relatively high, but apparently nothing exciting happened, as Zane shook his head and Nya laughed. Kai grumbled while Ronin clambered up to the crows nest to jest and talk them down. Classic Ronin.
Kai tried again, trying to grab the billowing red flag atop a flagpole. He grunted with exertion, but failed every time. He fell to the deck with a yelp.

"Aw, just short," said an unapologetic Ronin as he lounged on the crows nest. "Like your temper, Kai!"
I frowned as Kai snarled from the ground. Jay pushed him aside.
"Let me try!" he said cockily. "I'm for sure a better Airjitzu'er than you, Kai!"
Kai crossed his arms.
"Oh, yeah?" he challenged. Uh, oh. Testosterone. "And when did that happen?"
"Like now!" Jay exclaimed as he launched from the deck. To my curious surprise, a rush of blue surrounded him as he leapt in the air. However, it dissipated before he could grab the flag, and he fell back down onto the deck with an 'oof!'
"Oh, yeah," Kai said sarcastically as Jay scrambled to his feet, embarrassed. "That was so much better than me."
"I- it was!" argued Jay with a red face, glancing at Nya. I got to my feet, crossing my arms as I approached the team and settled down on a crate beside them.

"That wasn't Airjitzu." Ronin said with cynical amusement. "That was fail-itzu."
"Or stupid-itzu," commented Kai.
I groaned.
"Don't amuse him," I begged as Ronin cheekily laughed. "He's insufferable as it is. And shouldn't you guys be, I don't know, supporting each other?"
Kai shrugged. Jay rolled his eyes. My expression dropped. Assholes.
"To master the powers of Airjitzu," Wu said as he appeared out of nowhere. "We must uplift. Not put each other down, Ronin."

"Sorry, Sensei," Kai apologised, Zane and Nya nodded. "You're right," Jay commented.
"Are you kidding me?" I threw my hands into the air. "I just said that!"
Zane patted my shoulder as Kai snickered. I slumped, crossing my arms with a darkened scowl.

"You closed shop for a week," Ronin said as he bit into an apple he had stored in his pockets. "You gotta let me have some fun. Aren't Nindroids supposed to be precise? Why doesn't Zane try and see if he can break this fail-itzu streak."
Zane glanced down at his new gi that the others changed into while I was talking with Cole. He frowned.
"These new suits are heavy," Kai said with a scowl, probably voicing Zane's thoughts. For some reason, the Nindroid hadn't said anything ever since the group arrived back home. "Why can't we just use our old ones?"

"These are embedded with deepstone," Garmadon explained as he appeared on deck. "They will protect you from being possessed."
Jay shrugged.
"Yeah, well, maybe the name 'Airjitzu' isn't uplifting enough?" he suggested. "Maybe we need something more inspiring like... cyclondo!"
Jay launched from the deck with a grunt. The blue air surrounding him in a cyclone-shape was stronger, and Jay flew over the flagpole, overshooting it.
"Miss. Again!" chortled Ronin. To my amusement, Jay snagged the apple from Ronin's grasp on the way back down. "Hey!"

Jay struck the landing, straightening before laughing smugly.
"Cynclondo!" he grinned cockily before taking a bite out of the apple. I grinned. Served Ronin right.
Nya touched my shoulder, gaining my attention. I turned my head to her.
"Is Cole okay?" she said worriedly. I sighed.
"It was going great, but I think he needs more support. Probably not from me," I answered with a sad frown. Nya nodded in understanding.
"I'll go talk to him," she said. I smiled weakly at her.
"Good idea," I replied. She nodded before disappearing underdeck.

"Misako's set up a debrief below deck," Garmadon said, making the others stop attempting to master Airjitzu. "You ninja can have a break and while we try to figure out the next part of the prophecy."
Ronin scampered down from the crows nest and threw an arm over Kai's and my shoulders. I scowled but did nothing, knowing that if I said something it would just turn into an argument. We didn't need that, the atmosphere was strained as it is.
We clambered down the steps and entered the bridge which had its shades drawn and a projector set up. I took the first chance I could to duck out from under Ronin's arm.

Once everybody had piled in, Misako turned on the projector.
"Now that both Morro and you have Airjitzu, it's time to turn our attention to the second clue," Misako began. Her voice was a little strained. It looked like she had been crying.
I dropped my gaze, playing with the hem of Lloyd's hoody. If I felt horrible losing Lloyd, I'd hate to know how his mother felt. It must be terrible. I really felt for her. "The sword in the cloud."

The projector clicked to another inked image of a sword. It resembled the original one in the prophecy, but wasn't close enough to be considered the same.
Zane spoke.
"Me sense tell me it could be many a swords," he said with a prominent pirate's accent. I choked on my breath, sending Zane a wide-eyed look. Jay caught my gaze and I instantly grew suspicious of the amused look on his face.
"Thar be the Fire Sword, the Sword of Destiny, the Golden Cutlas."

Kai turned his head to Jay with a perplexed look.
"I thought you said you fixed his voice?"
"I did," Jay snorted, a wide grin on his face. "And then I made it better!"
I shook my head in exasperation as Misako continued showing different images of swords and Zane kept annotating. Cole whispered my name.
"Yeah?" I replied in a hushed voice.
"I'm sorry," he said, "for, y'know, running out like that. I know you didn't mean it."
I blinked in surprise before shaking my head.
"It's fine," I said. "I should've been thinking. I'm sorry. Did Nya talk to you?"
Cole nodded before smiling. He looked a little bit embarrassed.
"Yeah," he replied. "Thank you two. You both really made me feel better."
I smiled softly, tilting my head and shrugging it off.
"What are teammates for?"

"... and to add to your colourful account, there are many more swords," Misako said. "But it wasn't until Morro and his allies commandeered Nya's old samurai mech that it all became clear."
Misako clicked to an ink image; an exact replica from the prophecy.
"It's the Sword of Sanctuary, protected in the Cloud Kingdom."
Ronin, from where he was leaning against the back wall with crossed arms, huffed amusedly.
"Cloud Kingdom?" he said with a disbelieving tone. "I know every square inch of Ninjago, there ain't no place called The Cloud Kingdom."

"You're right," said Garmadon. Everybody turned to face him. "It's isn't in Ninjago. It's in a parallel realm that can only be reached through the Blind Man's Eye."
I felt my gaze widen. Parallel realms? That couldn't be right, could it? Parallel realms only existed in fantasy, didn't they?
Though, to be fair, I thought ghosts didn't exist until one possessed Lloyd.
"The Blind Man's Eye?" Nya said with a shocked voice. "You mean the powerful storm cyclone above the clouds? But its altitude is far too high for the Bounty to reach!"
Misako took over, providing a solution.
"Unless we ascend the tallest mountain in Ninjago," she said, clicking to a new slide. "The Wailing Alps."
"Yes, The Wailing Alps," echoed Wu as he paced to the front of the room to point at the top of the mountain on the image. "When the Blind Man's Eye passes its peak, you five ninja will jump into the eye of the storm using Airjitzu to cross over into Cloud Kingdom, to take possession of the Sword of Sanctuary."

I stood to attention, uncrossing my arms in awe.
"You mean they're going to go into another realm?" I said incredulously. I held a hand to my forehead as it metaphorically spun. "And here I thought a couple of days ago that algebra was the most complicated thing in my life."
"Whoawhoawhoa, Sensei, you're throwing around some big words here," interjected Jay. "But I think you got one wrong; it's cynclondo, not Airjitzu!"
The others groaned at Jay. Cole rolled his eyes before turning his head to Wu.
"So this Sword of Sanctuary that we're after, what makes it so special?" he asked.
"It's special because reflected within its blade, you can foresee your opponents next move," he explained.
"And whoever gets it will have a huge advantage," continued Misako.
"So it is imperative that the sword does not fall into Morro's hands," finished Garmadon.

Misako turned off the projector.
"Lights please."
Nya flicked the switch, turning the lights on.
"This about more than finding the next clue to the Spinjitzu Master's tomb," Misako said. She turned her head to Garmadon and took his outstretched hand in hers. "This is about saving our son. You cannot fail."
"Then let's gear up," Kai ordered, a determined smile on his face. "We have one big mountain to climb."

While the boys and Nya got ready for the expedition into another fucking realm (I was still having trouble wrapping my head around that), I grabbed my suitcase my mum brought over for me and dragged it from the bridge and into the hallway. I passed Misako on the way, who directed me to take Lloyd's room, which was the furthest from the bridge.

I'd never actually seen Lloyd's room before. He told me over the phone during the team's three weeks away that the Bounty was his first home - apart from one at some place called Darkley's. I hesitated, placing my hand on the wood before pushing it open.

The room that greeted me wasn't anything like his one at the Monastery. It was very plain, only a bed with a green duvet pushed into the corner and a dresser against the opposite wall. To my surprise, the lower half of the walls were covered with colourful crayon doodles. When I got closer to inspect them, I realised they were of the ninja. The Green Ninja himself was prominent more often than not, surrounded by comic book-like dazzlers and the words 'the great green ninja!' scrawled messily underneath it. The e's were the wrong way round. There was still a packet of Crayola crayons on the dresser.
Oh my god, I thought as I brought out my phone and took pictures of the doodles. These are adorable.
I wondered how old Lloyd would've been when he drew these - ten? Eleven? Possibly even twelve? I almost squealed. Super cute!!

"Hey," came from the door. I turned my attention from the messy doodles to Ronin, who was hovering at the door. "They're about to launch. You coming?"
I blinked in surprise. Ronin was being nice?
Huh. I guess he wasn't all that bad after all.
"O- okay," I said quietly. "I'll be there in a second. Thanks, Ronin."
He just grunted. My surprise disappeared. There he is.
I took one last look at the doodles before getting to my feet and following Ronin down to the hangar of the ship, where five mechs for the five ninja were hoisted and waiting for use. When I got there, the ninja were already inside their respective snow mechs. Cole looked a little apprehensive.

"Without your mechs, you'll never be able to survive the extreme conditions on your own," Garmadon explained as the ninja got themselves ready. I glanced out the window before instinctively shivering at the sight of the mountain being absolutely covered in snow, even in the middle of summer.
"I've also installed headsets into our hoods for easy communication," Nya piped up from her mech. "Try it out."
Jay cleared his throat.
"Tell me, Zane," he said. "How tall is this mountain?"
Zane answered, much to the lightening ninja's amusement.
"The precise elevation of the Wailin' Alps be well over three leagues and twenty-eight fathoms."
Jay snorted at Zane's pirate accent.
"Zane's so much cooler!"
I caught Nya's gaze and we shared an amused look. Boys.

"Remember," Ronin said seriously, taking me by surprise yet again. "Once you get to the peak, you'll only have one shot to shoot the Blind Man's Eye. Don't miss."
Misako took my hand in hers.
"I don't know guys," Cole said with a sigh, looking uncomfortable in his mech. "You had time to practise. Maybe I should sit this one out."
"Don't even think about it," Kai took the words right out of my mouth. "You may be a ghost, but you're still part of the team."
Jay piped up.
"And if it weren't for you getting the first clue, we wouldn't even be here."
"We all need you," I inputted.
"So what're gonna do, Cole?" Nya asked. "Are you in or out?"

A determined expression settled over Cole's face. I felt a smile grow over my lips as he grabbed the mech's handles with a firm grip. He pointed to Ronin.
"Open the hangar doors."
Misako guided me to the wall to hold onto something. Garmadon and Wu did the same.
"Opening hanger doors," Ronin announced as he switched a lever. The floor of the hull fell open. An alarm blared. A cool blast of air rushed into the hangar, making me shiver.

Jay whooped with excitement.
"Is anybody else getting a tingling feeling?"
"Yeah," said Kai as he stared at the mountain we were flying over with an offhanded look. "Frostbite."
"Drop 'em!" ordered Ronin. Garmadon hit a button, releasing the mechs into the air and dropping them from the ship.
"Ninja-snow!" they cried a pun, making me roll my eyes with amusement and a fair amount of unsuppressable worry.
"Let's get to the bridge," Garmadon said as he ushered us up the stairs after Ronin closed the Hangar doors. We scrambled up the steps, still harbouring goosebumps from the frigid air. I went straight to the screen displaying the position of the Peak and where Blind Man's Eye was when we reached the bridge.
"The Blind Man's Eye will be passing the peak in four hours," I said over my shoulder. "Do you think they'll make it?"
"I have no doubt," Garmadon said as he patted my shoulder. "Don't worry, Y/n. They've been through worse."
Worse? How on earth are they still alive? What did I get myself into?

"Just out of curiosity," Ronin piped up from where he was leaning against the table. "Why is it they call it the Wailing Alps?"
Misako looked up from the controls, providing an answer - like she always does.
"Because when the unnaturally strong wind gusts blow through the canyons, it creates a wailing sound," she said, walking up to the window and looking forlornly down as the five mechs clambered up the mountain through the snow. We were lucky it wasn't snowing. "They say some gusts are strong enough to blow someone clear off the face of the mountain."

"Right," said Ronin, who furrowed his eyebrows at Misako's answer. "No trouble at all."
I hissed a breath through my teeth as I gazed at the peak of the mountain, way, way up and shrouded by clouds.
"Piece of cake," I said with a squeaky voice.
Garmadon approached the window, staring at the ninja with a knitted brow.
"Do you think Cole will be alright?" he asked. "He doesn't have complete control over his new body."
I pursed my lips as the mechs continued to ascend the mountain. Cole was lagging behind, but the others would stop occasionally and wait for him to catch up. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I knew that they would be encouraging him.
"I haven't known the ninja long," I said. "But I know that no matter what, they'll support Cole. He'll be fine. Do you think Morro's here?"
Wu stroked his beard in consideration as he stood next to his brother.
"We cannot see him, but that does not mean that he is not on the mountain. The ninja must be vigilant, and ready in case Morro decides to attack."
I sighed, placing a hand on the chilly glass. Even inside the Bounty it was uncomfortably cool. The heaters did little to nothing to thaw our fingers.
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

"Snap!" I slapped my hand on the pile of cards in the middle of the table. Ronin groaned in defeat, lolling his head back.
"Lost to a little girl," he complained. I chuckled, ignoring the jibe and scraped the cards towards me. "I'm losing my touch."
"Keep up, old man," I sneered playfully. "You can't catch these hands."
Ronin snorted, shaking his head.
"You're such a loser," he said. I sent him an amused, pointed look.
"The amount of cards I have compared to you disagrees," I challenged, gesturing to my significantly larger pile of cards. Ronin rolled his eyes.
"We're playing snap," he said. "It's not exactly an accomplishment."
I pointed to him with an index finger.
"That's exactly what a sore loser would say."

Ronin scoffed, turning his head to glare out the window like the baby he was. He suddenly sat up straighter, pointing at the mountain.
"Whoa. How are they going that fast?"
I glanced over at the mountain where a single mech - Zane's - was scrambling up it with a speed almost unmatched. My eyes widened.
"I- it must be Cole," I said in awe before my lips pulled into a grin. "He's found his second wind."

Ronin glanced across the room at the screen showing the peak and the storm. He grunted.
"Well they're cutting it close," he said. "The Blind Man's Eye will be touching down shortly."
"They'll make it," Garmadon said, standing from where he, Misako and Wu were drinking cups of tea. The mech disappeared into the clouds. All that could tell us of their position was the glowing red beacon on the screen.

Within another twenty minutes, the beacon disappeared.
"Their beacons," I asked, growing worried. "What happened? Where did they go?"
"They made it," Wu answered from the window, his voice proud. "They've crossed over to the Cloud Kingdom."
Misako sighed with relief while Garmadon and Wu shared relieved smiles. I slumped against the wall. Ronin fist-pumped the air.
A large snowball fell from the mountain and crashed on the ground below.

"What was that?" Ronin asked almost comically. We raced over to the small observation deck off the bridge and poked our heads over the rail. A green mech was crashed on the snow with a greenly figure stumbling around it. I frowned.
"It's a..." Ronin said with a confused blink.
"Ghost?" I finished with a tilt of my head. Ronin leapt down from the observation deck. He landed on the actual deck before releasing a deepstone cage we managed to have made before the trip and threw it over board. It sailed down, caging the ghost. He yelped in surprise.
"Fresh catch of the day," Ronin joked.
"Bring him aboard," Wu ordered. "I want answers."
Ronin grunted as he hoisted the cage back onto the deck. I watched apprehensively as he did so, glaring at the ghost suspiciously. Misako placed her hand on my arm, staring at the ghost with an unreadable expression.

"Come," Garmadon said as he placed a hand on each of our shoulders and guided us away from the deck. "Ronin will put the cage below deck. We can ask questions there."
I was reluctant to be within sight of that ghost, but my want for answers outweighed my fear. Ghost or not, I'd do anything to get Lloyd back.
A few minutes later, the cage was dragged into an empty room. The ghost rattled the bars, wailing a spine-shivering squall. I tried to not look afraid.
"Deepstone bars," informed Garmadon with a nod of his head. "You're never getting out of here. Now tell us; what's in the tomb that's so important?"
"What does Morro want?" Wu asked.
"Is Lloyd okay?" I said.

The ghost snarled.
"Ghoultar never talk!" he exclaimed, before realising his mistake. "Oop, Ghoultar talked. Uh, Ghoultar never talk from now on."
The ghost crossed his arms almost childishly. Any preconceived ideology I had of ghosts being terrifying and unstoppable flew out the window. I sighed. This 'Ghoultar' fellow was a joke.
"Oh, I'll get him talking," Ronin said darkly and held up a large fidget spinner- wait no that was a... shuriken? I really needed to get Lloyd to tell me the difference between weapons.
Wu held a hand out in front of Ronin, preventing him from doing any harm to the ghost. Could you harm ghosts? Maybe I should get Morro to teach me about that.
"No, Ronin," Wu shook his head. "We must find another way to get answers out of him."
Ghoultar mockingly laughed. Misako frowned.
"Let him laugh," she said, raising her chin. "The ninja are already in Cloud Kingdom and well ahead of Morro. Let's just hope they can find the Sword of Sanctuary before it's too late."

"We must use our time wisely," Wu nodded to Garmadon. "We'll try to decipher the last of the clues. As for Ghoultar... keep an eye on him, Ronin."
Ronin nodded as Garmadon, Wu and Misako left the room.
"Don't worry, old man," scoffed Ronin as he glared at Ghoultar. "I got him."

As soon as the three were out of earshot, Ronin turned to me with a mischievous grin.
"Wanna throw things through him?"
I squinted my eyes and pursed my lips.
"My gut says no, but I'm feeling petty," I said as I grabbed a bouncy ball and darted to one side of the cage. "You're on."
Ronin laughed as I launched the small blue ball through the bars. It passed through Ghoultar and Ronin went to catch it, but it emerged on the other side a sickly green shade. It passed through Ronin's hands and the wall. It fell right out of the Bounty.

Ronin and I shared a wide-eyed look.
"Well," he said abruptly. Ghoultar snickered. "The more you know."
I weakly laughed, sending Ghoultar a weird look.
"Aw, man. That was Jay's," I winced. "He's gonna be pissed."
"How about some music, then?" Ronin suggested as he plugged a scrappy-looking phone into a speaker. Ghoultar pondered for a second before vigorously nodding.
Ronin pressed play. The ghostbusters theme began to flood from the speakers. I sent Ronin a disbelieving look.
"You're kidding me."
"Nuh-uh," he said with a grin. "This is happening."
"I hate you so much."
"The feeling's reciprocated."
I wanted to groan in exasperation, but movement in the cage caught my attention before I could do. Ghoultar was dancing.
I sent a disbelieving look to Ronin, who looked as equally baffled. He leant back in his chair and threw his legs onto the table.
"Ghoultar did good?" Ghoultar asked before laughing.
"Hah, with basic vocabulary? Not so much," Ronin said. "But bein' big and nasty? You deserve a medal."
There was a vibration from my pocket. I excused myself and pulled out my phone. It was Naomi.

"Nomi!" I greeted as I closed the door behind me. "How's it going?"
"Same old, same old," she sighed. "Hey, do you want go to the park today? It'll just be you and me, though - Claire and Aaliyah are out on a double date."
I grimaced. What could I say? 'Sorry, can't right now - my crush's been possessed by a ghost and I'm currently in the midst of saving Ninjago from other ghosts, can we try next week?'

'Very funny,' Namoi would reply before hanging up and telling Aaliyah and Claire that I've finally gone off my rocker.
No thanks.
"Sorry, Nomes!" I cried. "I'm busy... most likely for the rest of the week."
"Oh," replied Naomi. "That's cool."
"Sorry," I apologised again.
"It's fine!" reassured Naomi. "Seriously. Hey, I gotta go. I'll catch you later."
"Yes!" I agreed with a nod. "Later, Nomi."

I ended the call just as Misako, Wu and Garmadon returned carrying plates of food.
"Bribery," commented Garmadon when he caught my bewildered look. I blinked in surprise.
"Oh."

Well the bribery failed.
Kai caught us in the middle of it. His voice exclaimed through the Bounty's speakers.
"Come in, Bounty, come in!" he said, panicked. "Hope your jets aren't cold, 'cause we're comin' in hot!"
Wu dropped his plate of shrimps and rock melon.
"The ninja!" he said, as if it were already obvious. "Everyone to your stations."
We have stations? I thought as I discarded the plate of pancakes I was holding on to. We raced out the door and into the bridge, everybody pitching in to get the Bounty in the air.

We launched just as Misako pulled up a screen of the ninja. They were sliding down the mountain on makeshift skis and snowboards made of wooden planks. They were chasing after a ship that held Morro, his friends, and a particular sword.
"Morro has the Sword of Sanctuary!" Misako cried. I felt my heart sink. Oh no.
"We know what Morro wants with the tomb," Kai continued. "He's after a crystal that can unleash the Preeminent to curse the sixteen realms."
Preeminent? Was I the only one who doesn't know what that was?
I glanced at the other's faces.
Apparently so.
"Then we must work together to make sure that doesn't happen," Garmadon said seriously.

Wu nodded to Misako.
"Get us into the action, Y/n, do you know how to shoot a canon?"
I paused in shock.
"I- no!" I exclaimed.
"Well, it's a good day to learn on the job," Ronin said as he grabbed my hand and pulled me out onto the deck. I went to argue, but Ronin caught me off by shoving a water balloon against my chest. Thankfully, it didn't burst.
"Look, sweetheart," began Ronin. "Do you want to save your boyfriend or not?"
I hesitantly nodded with my wide-eyed gaze.
"Great," he said before taking the water balloon and storing it in a canon. "Now shoot."
I blinked, gently placing my hand on the canon and wincing, expecting it to suddenly explode on me. Ronin rolled his eyes before taking the canon next to mine and expertly shooting at a ghost. He missed, but it did frazzle the ghost.

"Shoot," he ordered. I gulped before aiming at the ghost's ship and pressing the fire button. The water balloon went sailing, crashing against the deck of the ship but doing no damages.
"That's it, there you go," encouraged Ronin. "Do it again."
I sent him a look. He sent one in return. I sighed, grabbing a water balloon and stuffing it into the barrel of the canon.
"Aim for Morro."
"But won't it hurt Lloyd?"
"A mild sting, at best."
I exasperatedly sighed. Ronin really was no help. I aimed the canon at Morro and fired. At the last second, the ship jerked to the side from a protruding rock and caused the ballon to crash against Jay's makeshift sled. He exclaimed in indignation.
"Sorry!" I called.

I went to stuff another water balloon into the canon, but I was stopped by Ghoultar suddenly swiping at me with his scythe. I gave a strangled gasp as I leapt back and toppled to my butt. Ah, shit, I thought as I raised my arm to shield me as Ghoultar brought back his scythe.
A fidget-spinner-shuriken made of deepstone flicked between Ghoultar and I. He grumbled but jumped over board, anyway.
"Thanks," I said breathlessly as Ronin helped me to my feet. He grunted.
"Anytime, kid."

I scrambled to the rails and poked my head over the side. The ghost's ship was below us and I easily spotted Lloyd's body. He turned to Ghoultar with a scowl.
"You big oaf!" Morro snapped. "How are you slowing us down? You're a ghost!"
"Ghoultar likes puffy potstickers," Ghoultar guiltily replied.

Wu leapt onto the anchor. Garmadon released it, and he fell.
"Need a lift?"
Jay, Cole and Zane leapt onto the anchor. Kai waved them off.
"Go!" he said. "I can catch them."
The anchor lifted from the mountain, bringing the four up. I watched Kai while biting my fist nervously. What was he thinking?

He pulled out his shuriken-deepstone blade (that I later learnt was called an aeroblade) and threw it at the ship.
"Watch out!" Morro cried as he and his friends ducked. The aeroblade sliced the ship's mast, making it topple over.
Kai and Morro began to battle. Morro obviously had the upper hand with his wind element, but Kai was determined.
They soon disappeared around the mountain.
"I've lost sight of Kai!" Jay exclaimed worriedly as they clambered on deck.
"Keep following them!" Wu ordered.

The Bounty accelerated, following after them. Everybody was searching for the ship.
A flash of black and green caught my eye. I watched just as Kai knocked Morro down against the boat, the Sword of Sanctuary in his grasp. He suddenly used Airjitzu while Morro was dazed, and I soon figured out why.

The ghost's ship flew over a cliff before falling through the clouds. With Lloyd in it.
I felt my chest contract as I watched Lloyd fall from the mountain. My nails dug into my palms as I stared, horrified, at the spot where he had just been. Behind me, the others congratulated Kai for taking the Sword.
Something flicked in my head.

"How could you?" I suddenly exclaimed, shoving through the others to snarl at Kai. I felt somebody grab my arm but I shoved them off. I pushed a stunned Kai in the chest. He stumbled back a step, surprised at my sudden burst of anger. "Lloyd was- he- the mountain! He fell! And you didn't save him!"
"Whoa, easy," soothed Jay. He was the one who grabbed my arm, and he did so again, pulling me back a few steps from Kai. "Morro's the master of wind, remember? Lloyd... he won't die."
"I did what I had to do," Kai answered with a sad frown, regaining his senses. "I didn't want to let Lloyd fall, but Jay's right."

I felt panic squeeze my chest painfully tight.
"And if he's wrong?" I asked feverishly, knees trembling. My breathing shuddered. "What if- what-" I couldn't imagine a life without Lloyd. Having him possessed was hard enough, but gone forever? I didn't want to even imagine what it would be like.
"It's okay, Y/n," Nya said, taking my hand. I diverted my panicky gaze to her. "Trust us. He'll be fine. We'll get him back."

I clenched my eyes closed. Of course they knew what they were doing. How long had they been ninja, how many times had they saved Ninjago? Lloyd's the Green Ninja, he won't die.
I swallowed thickly, shaking my head. I regained my dignity, sending an apologetic look to Kai.
"Sorry," I mumbled to Kai with a wipe of my eyes. "I- I panicked."
Nya rubbed my arm soothingly.
"C'mon," she said as she guided me below deck. "I think you need some rest."

Feeling quite stupid and silly about how I reacted, I nodded my head.
"Yeah," I agreed as Nya walked me to my new room, Lloyd's old one. I sighed, glancing at the crudely drawn ninja.
"I think so, too."