Hiya! Sorry for the long time without an update. Life happened, college has been taking up most of my focus (though I managed to finish out my fall semester strong!), and I keep getting distracted by other ideas (for this story and others). But here's Chapter 3!

Enjoy!

~~~~

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

Everyone screamed as they beheld the monstrous figure looming over them. Jay and Nya clung to each other in terror. Kai pushed the two of them behind himself, dropping into a very shaky fighting stance, the flame in his hand flickering wildly. Cole had dropped to the floor, covering his head and quaking, muttering frantically in Spanish. Lloyd was cowering behind Zane, while the nindroid seemed to be as frozen as his element.

Morro was nowhere to be seen, but Cole peeked through his arms and thought he saw a hint of green from behind Kai.

The Oni made no further moves, just stood there, looming over the terrified ninja...before its shoulders began to shake. A familiar chuckle filled the air before the Oni reached up, pulled off its hood—revealing silvery-gray hair—and pushed back its mask, revealing a familiar face.

"Boo," Sensei Garmadon said, a mischievous smile on his face.

The group let out a collective sigh. "Dad," Lloyd gasped, clutching at his chest. "Holy crap, that was—"

"WHAT THE EVER-LOVING FUCK, GARMADAD!" Morro shrieked, floating up so he could point an accusing finger at the disguised sensei. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?!"

Garmadon's smile grew a little wider. "Well, it is nearly Day of the Departed," he replied. "I thought I would follow my son's lead and play a few tricks."

Nya huffed, letting go of her death grip on Jay. "Well, you definitely mastered that. That was a good scare!"

"Indeed," Zane agreed, letting out a slow breath. "I feel as though I experienced the nindroid equivalent to a heart attack."

"Seconded," Cole said, uncurling so he could sit down, a hand over his heart. "Er, well, minus the nindroid bit. Díos mío, my heart's still racing..."

"You managed to scare Morro, Dad!" Lloyd exclaimed. "That's awesome!"

"NO THE FUCK IT'S NOT!" A pause. "AND I WAS NOT FUCKING SCARED!"

"Then why are you screaming?" Jay asked, still a little pale but starting to smile.

"I'M YELLING AND IT'S BECAUSE I'M FUCKING FURIOUS!"

"I'm pretty sure I heard you scream along with everyone else," Kai said, starting to smirk. "Also, you were absolutely hiding behind me."

"I did see something green..." Cole added quietly.

Morro's face turned a dark shade of green. "I-I-I-FUCK YOU ALL! AND MEGA FUCK YOU, GARMADAD!"

Everyone had a little laugh at that, further embarrassing the ghost and making his face darken further.

"Was this why you asked us to come to you, Sensei Garmadon?" Zane asked once it was relatively quiet again.

"Well, in part," Sensei Garmadon admitted. "But I did truly want some help. Or, well, I specifically wanted young Morro's assistance."

"After that fucking display? Go to hell," Morro snarled, crossing his arms and turning his back on Garmadon.

"Aw c'mon, Morro," Kai said, reaching up to (gently) punch the ghost in the arm. "You gotta admit he got us good!"

Morro became intangible, making the red ninja's punch phase right through him. "I admit nothing," the ghost growled, looking murderous.

"...would an apology make you reconsider?" Cole lightly suggested.

Morro flipped him off, which was answer enough.

Sensei Garmadon sighed. "A shame," he said, looking faintly disappointed. "I thought adding some special effects would instill some drama into the story. Alas, if Morro does not wish to help..."

Morro's expression twitched for a split second. "...what kind of effects?" he asked, voice flat but everyone could hear the hint of curiosity in it.

Garmadon started to smile a little. "Well," he said, turning to face the ghost. "I was thinking of adding some smoke effects, but I need someone who can manipulate it just so..."

"Going for something spooky, huh?"

"Yes, exactly. In addition, if the wind blew in such a way that, say, it howled and produced other noises...."

Morro started to smirk a little. "I'm listening..."

~~~~~~

It was fully dark when a gong gently sounded from the monastery. All of the activity at the party ceased before everyone started making their way towards the sound. Kids, shaking with excitement (and likely the remnants of a sugar rush), raced through the doors, giggling and gently shoving each other.

"This way," Misako gently directed the large crowd to the monastery's big inner courtyard, where small cushions had been arranged in a semi-circle in front of a big, currently unlit fire pit. "There's no need to rush, there's plenty of seats."

Cole, who was sitting with the others in the back-and-center of the make-shift amphitheater, watched as the other seats steadily filled up. He caught a glimpse of Takeshi, Lucas, and Mateo as the trio sat in the front row, giggling and jostling each other in a joking fashion. Sensei Wu was seated in the back towards the left, where Misako joined him once everyone else had been seated.

"Decent crowd," Kai murmured over the quiet chatter of the audience.

Jay was bouncing in his seat, looking excited. "I can't wait for the story to start!" he gushed.

"Jay, you have already heard the story," Zane gently chided. "Or were you not paying attention while Sensei Garmadon and Morro were practicing?"

"I was!" the blue ninja cried, slightly indignant. "But they only did a few parts of it and it was mostly just the beginning anyways!"

"Jay has a point," Nya said, coming to her boyfriend's defense (and earning her an adoring look). "If they looked that good in practice and it's just the first part, imagine how good it's going to look towards the end of the story."

"Fair point," Zane conceded, smiling. "I retract my former statement, then."

"Guys, shhh," Lloyd shushed him. "I think it's showtime!"

Cole was about to ask him how he knew when there was a quiet fwoosh. The quiet chatter quickly died as the fire pit suddenly came to life, an emerald green flame shooting up into the sky.

Flying off to the side, unseen by everyone except for the ninja, Morro had his hands held out. He flicked his right hand, and a short burst of wind made the fire in the pit dance wildly—enough so that Cole almost missed the small smoke bomb that rolled in front of the pit.

Murmurs from the crowd gave way to a gasp when the bomb went off, and white smoke—aided by another subtle breeze from Morro—billowed up in a giant plume. A dark shape began to grow from behind the smoky veil, tall and sinister looking. A shadowy, clawed hand reached out towards the audience, making several people yelp in fear—

—only for a smaller, more normal looking hand to pierce through the smog. The hand swept to the side—Morro doing the same movement with his arms in tandem—and the smoke followed the movement. Sensei Garmadon emerged, the smoke curling around him like a long-lost friend. He still had his costume on, but his Oni mask had been pushed up and to the side of his head, exposing his face.

The former evil lord looked at his audience, smiling slightly. "Good evening, everyone," he greeted, his voice soft but loud enough that even in the back, Cole could hear him clearly. "I welcome you to this place, and thank you for allowing me to entertain you this evening." He clasped his hands in front of him, his smile growing wider. "Now, before I begin, I wish to ask you one question...does anyone know what is happening in just a few short days?"

"Day of the Departed!" a little girl immediately answered, leading to some chuckles from the rest of the audience.

Sensei Garmadon laughed too. "Well, yes, that is true," he allowed, smiling kindly. "But not quite what I was going for."

Takeshi raised his hand, waiting patiently for Sensei Garmadon to call on him. "My dad said that there's gonna be an...an eclipse," he said, pronouncing 'eclipse' carefully. "He says that it's gonna look like the moon's disappeared!"

There were murmurs at that, the kids especially looking awed and a little spooked at the prospect of the moon vanishing. Sensei Garmadon smiled wide, and nodded at Takeshi. "You are correct," he said, making Takeshi beam in pride while Lucas and Mateo bumped shoulders with him congratulations. Sensei Garmadon patiently waited for them to calm down before turning back to the audience. "There is indeed a lunar eclipse scheduled to occur on Day of the Departed. For those who do not know, a lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, earth, and moon are in alignment." He held up both of his hands, curled up into fists and moved one slowly behind the other. "The moon moves behind the earth, into its shadow, and the earth blocks the sun from reflecting its light onto the moon. This makes it appear as though the moon is slowly disappearing from the night sky." He lowered his hands and clasped them behind his back. "Lunar eclipses are rare, and to have one fall on Day of the Departed is rarer still. In fact," he lowered his voice to a hush. "The last time a lunar eclipse occurred on Day of the Departed was one thousand years ago...."

At some unseen signal, Morro flicked his hands, causing the smoke to rise up and roll forwards, obscuring Sensei Garmadon from view. The crowd let out soft gasps at that. The gasps grew louder when, under Morro's careful command, the smoke started shaping itself. A figure made of smoke, with a hat similar to Sensei Wu's on its head, formed. It held up a hand, as if waving hello.

"One thousand years ago," Sensei Garmadon spoke, emerging from the smoke and waving a hand at a smoky figure. "My father, the First Spinjitzu Master, wandered over the land he had created. After he had defeated the Overlord, he led the people of Ninjago and for a time, there was peace and prosperity in the land."

The smoke shifted to reflect the events, the smoky FSM puppet wandering over the land, defeating a cartoonish-looking Overlord (which caused many people in the audience to laugh), and eventually helping other shadowy people form large towns and villages, houses springing up from the smoke. Even though it was all fake, the whole scene seemed to radiate with calm and peace, and Cole made a mental note to tell Morro just how well he was doing. It was a testament to the ghost's mastery of his element to make the performance come to life.

"However..." Sensei Garmadon's voice broke through the relative calm, and the audience gasped as the wind blew and the smoky image was erased. "It did not last long."

The smoke darkened, the cloud it formed growing spikier and more sinister. Smoky figures emerged, with long claws for hands and gaping mouths full of pointy teeth. The wind howled, only adding to the evil atmosphere.

"Dark spirits, the souls of those barred from the Departed Realm, roamed the land," Sensei Garmadon said. "They attacked anything and anyone, intent on inflicting their pain on others."

The smoky villages were back, but they were quickly overrun by the dark figures of the evil souls. Cole winced as he watched the dark cloud overtake a shadowy villager, absently rubbing at his scar in sympathy.

"My father pushed them back, sending them to the Cursed Realm over and over again. But the barriers between the realms, though strong, still had cracks—weak points where those damned souls could slip through. And try as my father might, he couldn't seal the cracks from the outside...."

The smoky FSM returned, sending the dark cloud of evil spirits flying back and down, into a small dark orb that represented the Cursed Realm. The orb had small 'cracks' made of dark smoke webbing the edges and the FSM figure paused and tilted its head in consideration. Then, it jumped and snapped its fingers, as if it had had an idea.

"So, he decided to try it from the inside." Sensei Garmadon held up a fist. "He gathered up small bits of power from all the realms and condensed them. The combined power grew strong and hardened, forming the shape and appearance of a polished gemstone." He lowered his voice. "This became known as the Realm Crystal."

The smoke-puppet FSM pulled in brightly colored smoke into one of his hands, seemingly concentrating before the smoke congealed and formed into the shape of a big gemstone. The kids in the crowds let out gasps of awe at the sight of the 'Realm Crystal'. Gem in hand, the FSM puppet vanished in a cloud of colored smoke, only to reappear in the 'Cursed Realm'. With a wave of his hand, the shadowy beasts were forced back and the 'cracks' were sealed.

"With his new tool in hand," Garmadon intoned, as the shadow puppet FSM 'teleported' back out. "My father was able to move between realms with ease, and with his other power, seal any leaks and cracks in order to keep out evil spirits." He paused. "However..."

Morro flicked out his hand and the smoke swirled around, obscuring Garmadon for a second. Suddenly, the smoke-puppet FSM leapt out of the smoke, followed quickly by another smokey figure. The crowd gasped as the smokey figure climbed on top of the FSM, reaching for the Realm Crystal in his hand. The FSM held out a hand and blasted the figure away in a burst of colored smoke...only for another figure to leap out and attack him from behind. The FSM blasted them away as well, but a collection of dark, smokey figures crowded around him.

"Others heard what my father had accomplished," Garmadon continued, stepping out from the smog. "They attempted to snatch the Realm Crystal from him, in order to use it for their own, selfish desires. My father held them all off, but that only made them bolder. Until one day...one of them attempted to make their own."

The scene vanished again, only for a new figure to emerge. At first, Cole thought it looked like an evil Wu (and he was about to make a mental note to scold Morro for that later). But after a moment, he remembered who it was supposed to be.

"A man, known as Master Yang, had spent several years amassing a vast collection of knowledge," Garmadon said, gesturing to the new smoke figure. "He had done research on the formation of rifts between our world and the realms of the dead, and had noted that the rifts were more likely to form during select celestial events and around certain times of the year." He lowered his voice. "And the times where they were most prevalent...were around Day of the Departed."

Several gasps came at that, mostly from the kids. Morro swept out his hands, the wind manipulating the Master Yang puppet into a thinking pose. Just like the FSM puppet before him, 'Master Yang' perked up before spreading out his hands. A long, thin rod made of dark smoke formed in his grasp and—with a quick flick of the wrist from Morro—greenish smoke formed on one end, forming a jagged, teardrop-shaped blade.

"Utilizing this, as well as several rare materials he had collected over the years, Master Yang crafted a special weapon. The blade of the device was made with a special stone, one said to have been left behind by my father after he had expended an extraordinary amount of power." Garmadon clasped his hands in front of his chest, looking grave. "This terrible weapon became known as...the Yang Blade."

The name sent a shiver down Cole's spine, and set the crowd off muttering. The smoke-puppet Sensei Yang held the Blade aloft, seeming to laugh maniacally.

"With his new weapon in hand, Master Yang set off to wait for Day of the Departed, so that he might test out its powers." Garmadon disappeared into the smoke, as 'Master Yang' started running towards the west. Behind him, the puppet of the FSM appeared, looking troubled. "At that time, however, my father received a horrible vision. A lunar eclipse was going to occur on Day of the Departed. If Yang managed to use his weapon as it was occurring... disaster would befall Ninjago."

The smoke FSM puppet held his head in his hands as if in fear before abruptly turning and sprinting in the same direction 'Master Yang' had gone. Said man was standing on a hill, blade held aloft.

"As Day of the Departed dawned, my father went after Master Yang. As the sun began to set, he finally caught up to him and tried to tell him not to use the weapon."

The FSM puppet ran up to the base of the hill where 'Master Yang' was standing, holding out a hand. The Master Yang puppet seemed to falter, the Blade in his hand seeming to dip some. Then, his hands clenched and he seemed to shout at the FSM.

"But Master Yang's lust for knowledge and power overtook him," Garmadon said. As he did, Morro swept out his arms. The smoke above the two puppets rippled and separated, revealing a circle of pure white smoke. Almost immediately, a deep black circle of smoke started creeping up on the white one. "As the lunar eclipse reached its zenith...Master Yang struck with his Blade."

The puppet Master Yang slashed the air in front of him with his blade, just as the smokey 'moon' was totally eclipsed. Almost immediately, a green glow overtook it, sweeping out and covering the entire scene. A jagged, dark green crack appeared where the Yang Blade had slashed.

"A rift, bigger and wider than any that had come before it, opened. From the other side, spirits of the deceased rose up and exited the rift." Garmadon's expression grew even more grave, as dark, smokey, sinister-looking figures gathered in the middle of the rift. "That's when my father realized just what the Yang Blade had done...and how dangerous it was."

A shadowy figure broke free from the crowd and exited the rift...and the crowd gasped as the dark smoke that made up the puppet grew lighter, matching that of the FSM and Master Yang puppet.

"The Yang Blade had not just opened a rift straight into the Cursed Realm...it had also returned those wretched spirits to life."

The crowd burst into gasps and shouts of dismay. 'The FSM' and 'Master Yang' looked at the revived spirit in shock, who appeared to be laughing maniacally. The spirits still on the other rift shifted, before another stepped out, 'revived' in an instant.

Then another stepped out. Then another. Then two more. Soon, the spirits surged out from the rift, all clamoring for violence and blood. 'Master Yang', faced with the wave of revived spirits, dropped his blade and fled.

'The FSM' did no such thing.

"Terrified by what his creation had wrought, Master Yang ran away. My father, however, held his ground and fought against the horde."

The crowd 'ooh'ed and gasped as the FSM puppet fought against the wave of revived spirits, Morro expertly weaving the smoke into a dynamic, epic scene.

"My father was powerful," Garmadon narrated. "But even he struggled against the sheer numbers of those revived, cursed souls. For a moment, it seemed as if he would be overwhelmed..."

The crowd gasped as 'The FSM' quickly became buried underneath a massive pile of writhing bodies. Cole found himself leaning forwards, completely immersed and invested in the story.

"But, just as all seemed lost, something miraculous happened." Garmadon waved a hand, and the smoke near it, guided by Morro, shifted into a whole legion of smoke puppets. Some had swords, others pitchforks and torches. All looked ready to fight. "The nearby villagers, seeing the battle taking place, bravely fought alongside my father. With their aid, he was able to turn the tide."

A cheer went up as 'The FSM' broke through the pile of bodies he had been buried under and resumed fighting.

"Until finally, as the eclipse entered its ending stages and the rift sealed itself..."

The crowd watched with bated breath as 'The FSM and his reinforcements fought against the revived evil spirits. Slowly, but surely, the spirits were pushed back. As the 'moon' came back into view, the FSM attacked one last time...vanquishing the last of his foes.

"...they emerged, victorious." Garmadon grinned.

The crowd cheered, many clapping. Garmadon waited for a few moments before holding up a hand for silence. "After the battle was over, my father went after Master Yang and seized the Yang Blade."

The smoke swirled, showing just that. 'Master Yang' cowered before 'The FSM', who was looking over him angrily.

"Angered by his foolish and cowardly actions, my father punished Master Yang with a curse: never again shall he leave his monastery. He was to remain there until he had understood the folly of his ways." Garmadon's voice dropped and his expression grew grave. "They say that even to this day, Master Yang's spirit remains, haunting his monastery and rotting along with the knowledge he collected. Too proud to admit that he made a mistake, he will never know rest nor peace."

A flick of Morro's hand, and the smoke puppet of Master Yang was blown away. Cole couldn't help but shiver as it happened, a twinge of pain going through his scar. He made a note to find out where Master Yang's monastery was supposed to be and avoid it like the plague.

"As for my father," Garmadon's voice took on a lighter tone. "He hid the Yang Blade in a secure place, keeping it away from anyone who might wish to use its power. With the aftermath of the battle leading to record low numbers of evil spirits wandering the land and wary that someone might try again to replicate the power of the Realm Crystal, my father kept its use and presence extremely private, until to the public, it became nothing more than mere myth. Even I am not sure what its ultimate fate was. Perhaps my father destroyed it; perhaps he hid it as he did the Yang Blade. Whatever the case, the Realm Crystal has been lost to the mists of the past..."

Garmadon paused, smiling at the crowd. "Many of you may wonder if the story I just told was true. To that, I will just say this." He gestures with his hand. "Somewhere out to the west, secluded somewhere along the coast, there is a village known as Stiix. They say there, the people tell tales about my father, and how he and their ancestors defeated more than a thousand spirits, revived by the Yang Blade and the eclipse's power. They say that parts of the village were built on the very ground where the fight took place. And they say that there, on every Day of the Departed, they celebrate the success of my father against the Yang Blade's might...under the light of the Yin Eclipse."

Garmadon bowed his head, smoke rolling over him and obscuring him from view. Morro waited for a few moments before sweeping out with his arms. The smoke, guided by the wind, swirled away...revealing an empty space where Garmadon had been.

There was a pause before one little kid started to hesitantly clap. Another joined in, and soon everyone was applauding. Garmadon popped up from...somewhere, smiling and bowing. "Thank you," he said quietly. "Thank you all for listening."

Cole was standing and cheering, his friends doing the same. "Awesome job, Dad!" Lloyd yelled, grinning.

Cole couldn't help but look up. Morro had floated closer to the ground, his arms crossed but something satisfied and even proud in his stance.

"Well done, Mark," Cole murmured, smiling.

If only everyone else had seen what his friend had done. Then he'd be getting applause too...

Ah, well. Cole and the others would make sure that Morro knew that he had done an excellent job.

~~~~~

One of the challenges of kinda-but-not-really following canon is introducing new information along with the old without it getting boring. Hopefully Garmadon's story was as interesting to you as it was in my head!

Also, Morro is NOT controlling the smoke directly. He's controlling the wind and having it blow the smoke into all of the different scenes and things, which is technically MUCH harder. He's not the Master of Wind for nothing, y'know.

See you guys next time! :D