Morro's POV

     The most tortuous thing about the enclosed prison was the obstacle it put on sleep. Mika told me to just lean up against a bar, but that was uncomfortable. Then again, she was probably used to it by now. I ended up just standing in the cell, trying to ignore the throbbing headache building behind my eyes.

      I couldn't really tell what time of day it was down here. I had gathered that this realm had different day cycles than Ninjago, but that knowledge didn't help me in figuring out how much time had passed since they stuck me down here. No one came to bring us food. No one came at all. The only other presence in the cell was the ever-stoic Oni guard, who still wouldn't even blink when I tried to summon my powers and failed.

      There was no wind down here, nothing for me to grab onto. I was too weak to make my own breezes, and I still wasn't sure how much power remained in me after my experience in the Departed Realm. Besides, how would wind help me incapacitate a full-grown Oni and get the cell's door open?

     I leaned against the bars while Mika snored away. Nothing in the world could make me settle down enough to sleep anyway. Malevolence was going to use Harumi as a pawn to get rid of the Ninja. I knew Harumi had changed a little bit, or why would she willingly be a princess again? But was it enough to keep her from getting the revenge she had wanted all her life? I didn't know. The thought hurt more than a thousand sleepless nights.

     With every evil act, she chipped away at her sanity. With every guilt filled moment, she let go of reality. My visions in the Departed Realm. Everyone had them. They were always about her. I saw it. I saw what she was willing to do to fix herself. To heal that chasm within her heart. I was all too afraid that killing the Ninja would set her over the edge. Harumi might just lose it completely.

     I could see that spark in her, that spark that knew what she was doing was wrong. Back in the Departed Realm I had wanted her to change to help keep us safe. Now, there was no reason for me to wish for her to be better. So, why did I still want her to be released from all the pain she bottled away? Why did I still want her to let go of her evil and finally live in peace?

     Maybe I related to her more than I realized.

     The prison door slammed open, causing me to leap backward and slam my head into the bars again. Mika's snoring ceased immediately.

     Four Oni guards walked into the large space in the middle of the prison. Two of them started messing with chains near the back. I heard Mika sharply inhale and start to move as far away as possible.

      Then, a dark figure strode into the prison. My jaw dropped in awe as I took in its appearance. It looked part dragon, part Oni, part human, and part something else. It was all to strange. Darkness radiated off of it like light from fire. I wiggled back, feeling the immense chill that came with it. A familiar chill.

      Malevolence grinned at the cell. "Enjoying your playmate, Mika?"

      She looked nothing like an Oni. So, why was she their queen?

      Mika didn't say anything. I couldn't even tell if she was glaring at Malevolence, since she was so far back in the bars.

      "Your silence says more than you intend." Malevolence said. She turned to the guards behind her. "Get the boy secured. I knew putting him in her prison was a good idea."

      The Oni guards forced open the cell doors and yanked me out into the open. I tried my best to struggle, but that was hard to do when you were being slammed against several hard metal bars. I was gagged and had ropes around my hands before I could even process that I was out of the cell. Mika yelped as more guards reached in and forced her out of her cell. I watched as they fastened chains to her waist, ankles, and wrists. They never let go of her in the process, holding her above the ground.

      Something was nagging me in the back of my mind. Why did they put the bars in the cell so close together? Why weren't they letting go of her? I knew she could make portals, but she would have escaped already... right?

      The guards attached Mika's chains to some more chains that were coming in from the roof. I looked up to see a patch of the roof had slid into the wall, which left a gaping hole in the ceiling. Slowly but surely, Mika slowly began to rise with the chains. It was a tortuous sight to see. An innocent old woman being lifted into the air by her wrists and ankles. Mika struggled, but that didn't get her anywhere. Once she was a few feet off the floor, the guards let go of her.

      I lunged forward, but the Onis' grips were like iron. What were they planning to do? Drop her from the roof and kill her?

      "I don't know why you still try to get out," Malevolence called as Mika rose into the roof area. "It results in the same thing every time."

      I hated the lightness to her voice, as if she were discussing a game of tag. I clenched my teeth to try and feel for wind, but the result made me want to pass out from exertion.

      "I can only hope that one person did their job wrong," Mika spat.

      "Hope is for people who know defeat is inevitable."

      How cruel. How absolutely cruel. I thrashed against the guards' grips, trying in vain to rip free so I could strangle Malevolence. She played the game of power well; doting on those she thought would help her and punishing the rest. Yet, she needed Mika and she kept her locked down here for hundreds of years. Malevolence doomed Mika to suffer for years on end just so she could exploit her power. I clenched my teeth as the guards kicked the back of my knee joints.

      For Mika's sake and Mika's sake alone, I would find a way to rid this world of Malevolence.

      I listened to the chains rise higher and higher. When they finally stopped, the Oni stepped away from the area where Mika had been lifted up. Malevolence grinned as one of the guards pulled a switch.

      The chains dropped.

      Mika hurtled towards the floor.

      I cried out in shock, the musty gag getting in the way of any real noise.

      Spots entered my vision, white hot with anger. That's when I realized that everything was glowing white. It wasn't just my rage. It was a portal.

       The chains had stopped right before Mika had hit the ground. She fell limp in their hold, too weak to fight anymore. A giant portal had opened right beneath her. My jaw dropped open as Malevolence cackled.

       Out of the portal rose dark shapes. Mika was lifted back into the air, blood dripping from her wrists into the swirling blue light below. The figures rose above the light, their violet eyes glowing with triumph. I went slack with shock.

      Everything clicked in my head. The reason Mika hadn't used her power to escape was simple. She had to fall in order to open portals. The closed bars kept her from having any space where she could trip herself. The guards didn't let her go because they couldn't risk letting her fall. The mechanism in the roof was there to make her drop but not let her fall through the portal she created. It was ingenious, but it made me want to throttle Malevolence even more.

       The biggest Oni of the rising figures looked like a leader. Giant horns sprouted from his head. He was about a whole face taller than the rest of his companions and he wore a long, tattered cape. His staff was even bigger. He looked like a real Oni king. So, why was Malevolence the queen?

      "Omega." Malevolence greeted him.

      The Oni bowed. "My queen," Omega rasped.

       "Have you found any alternatives to the plan?"

      Omega stood up. "They are weak, my queen, and gullible. They will think we are using the Realm Crystal to get in."

      Malevolence's grin never faltered. "We will be using it as a gateway, but what those rainbow-colored idiots don't know is that I have a secret weapon." She glanced at me. "They will be dead soon anyway."

       "Should I gather the forces for our first attack?" Omega asked.

       Malevolence gestured for him to stop, then looked up into the roof, where Mika had risen again. "How is the disturbance doing? I feel it weakening."

      Mika didn't answer, her eyes were glassy from the pain she was currently enduring. But what I noticed the most, however, was that her arms were flexed tight in resistance. She would do whatever it took to irk Malevolence.

      Malevolence seemed to realize this because she immediately turned and swiped at me. I yelped as a wound started to bubble up on my arm. Blood didn't come up, only some thick purple substance.

      "Answer me!" Malevolence demanded. "Or do you want to see him poisoned to death?"

       I bit my tongue to keep from showing Mika how much it hurt. We had to resist Malevolence. My eyes went wide as the purple substance traveled through my arms, carrying a thousand needles of pain with it. I started to violently shake as the agony bubbled up my throat.

      "What?!" Malevolence shouted into the ceiling. I looked up from floor, realizing that I had missed Mika's reply.

      "The disturbance is fading, my queen." Mika's broken voice drifted down from where she was chained up. The light of the portal was fading as Omega's group left the prison.

     Malevolence looked pleased. "Good." She turned to the guards holding me up. "Take him upstairs. It is time I meet with our asset. She has a very important decision to make."

      I was shoved forward as a platform was lowered from the hole in the ceiling. It was a good thing the guards were holding me, since I probably would have collapsed if they didn't. I could see my veins slowly turning the same purple shade as the wound.

      Moments later, I was stuck in an enclosed space, this time barely being able to see anything. The hole in the roof (now our floor) had closed. My gag kept me from talking, and Mika was too busy trying not to show the amount of pain she was enduring. After a few minutes of silence, I heard the door downstairs open. The prison below had brightened, and the guards beside us bristled.

       "Princess Katsuki." Malevolence started cheerfully.

       "Your Highness," Harumi greeted her with a determined voice. It was colder, and it gave me hope that Harumi might have found Malevolence out.

      "Yesterday you were given a choice, now it is time to tell me your answer."

      "I have made up my mind."

      "I hope it was an easy choice." Malevolence's voice was sugary sweet, like a manipulative parent. "Your parents deserve to be avenged."

      "Yes, they do." Harumi's voice was still tight.

      "So, it's settled then? You'll kill the Ninja for me?"

       I tried to yell through my gag, but one of the guards lunged to strangle what was left of my voice away.

     "I wasn't finished." Harumi's voice was sharper than iron. "My parents deserve to be avenged, but I have more than one motivation driving me away from this plan. You wish to conquer all sixteen realms, including Ninjago. I made a promise to Emperor Garmadon that I would help him fight to keep his father's realm. I don't care what you do or say, I'm not going to turn on him. He was the only—well, one of the few people who actually cared about me after everything happened. So, let me make this clear, Your Highness: I will not help you. Slather me in makeup and threaten me all you want. I will not help you. Let Morro and I go and stay out of Ninjago."

     Malevolence started to laugh. It was an ugly laugh, almost sounding insane. "A promise to Garmadon?! A promise to protect Ninjago?! You're starting to sound like the very thing you still hate."

     "I promised him to fight against a darkness. He knew you were coming. He knew you wanted to conquer his father's realm. He had to reach his true potential so he could stop you." Harumi hissed. "I don't care who I sound like right now. If I've learned anything in these past few weeks, it's that you stick with your allies. Garmadon loved me like a daughter. He was my ally, and I'm sticking with him."

      The room's temperature dropped, whether it was Malevolence or because of the poison, I didn't know.

      "That is your final choice then?" Malevolence asked, her voice bland. I knew that tone.

      "Let it be the death of me if it may." Harumi's voice was filled with resolve. "Now, where is Morro?!"

      "He's here." Malevolence said, her voice growing darker. "He enjoyed his stay very much. As will you."

      Harumi yelped from somewhere downstairs.

     Harumi!

      I cried out to her, struggling to break free of the bonds. But the effects of the poison clouded my judgement. The Oni guards descended upon me faster than I could hope to move. This time, they didn't hit lightly.

      "Goodbye, princess." Malevolence spat as my consciousness started to fly away. "I have a Realm to conquer."

      A cold, malicious laugh echoed through the walls. I closed my eyes as my situation faded away. It was all too painful to bear.

>(<>)<

Mistake's POV

     They never came.

     I knew it probably took a day or two to heal from dehydration, so I was patient. The mountains contained a rainforest of monsters, a place to hide from the scorching view of the five suns. With the last of my strength, I had flown to the top of a taller mountain and spooked a few creatures out of the cave they were hiding in. The littler ones knew they stood no chance against a full-blooded Oni, even when she was almost completely devoid of strength.

     The only way to survive out in the open was through little sleep and even littler amount of sunlight. The moon was weak here, but that was what the monsters needed to survive. It was what everyone here needed to survive. This world was filled by the darkness of the balance that sustained the world and living by the darkness was the only way to make it through.

     I didn't mind living by the moonlight. It reminded me of my time with the Oni, before Ninjago had come along and torn my reality to shreds. I never realized what true freedom and love felt like before the First Spinjitzu Master had created that realm.

     It felt strangely satisfying connecting with nature once again. There was a waterfall not far from my cave, where giant squid-creatures swam. The trees were filled with poisonous blats, which scurried as far away from me as possible when I captured one for my dinner. The quills sticking out of their faces weren't much of a problem since that wasn't where the meat was.

      After the Oni invasion in Ninjago, I had spent countless hours just trying to survive through the gorgeous landscapes of the realm. Those days weren't as hard, after a while I scraped together a garden and home. It took forever for technology to rise enough to create the massive Ninjago City, and even longer for me to settle into living like an 'up-to-date' citizen there. I wasn't a caveman by any means, but I did live off of the basics. The simplicity of a life without wars and dead kings and broken hearts was attractive in a way I had never experienced before.

      Day two. Well, day two by this realm's timespan.

      I knew this would go wrong. I knew she would probably trap them after finding out about Morro's powers. I knew the Oni couldn't be trusted with her still in charge.

      I should have stopped Enmity from taking them away, but Harumi was so sick, and Morro wouldn't be able to live with himself if he lost her right after we came back. Besides, even then I was too weak to fight him off.

       Besides, even I hadn't been sure Malevolence was there in the first place.

       I figured that out by keeping a close eye on the Oni patrols that came through the desert, making sure no one found their way into the underground world. They were all too organized. The guards dressed the same and acted in perfect unison. Oni thrived on disorder and chaos. Organization just wasn't our thing. The only thing we organized were attack parties and who should live in which stronghold. Disorder made life more interesting. Even the teas in my tea shop were out of place. It made it more fun to play hide-and-seek with the tea bags, plus I got to aggravate the customers by making them wait.

      Day three.

      I was getting anxious. The patrols still came and went at a normal rate. They didn't abnormally stop or get bigger. It didn't matter how I tried to convince myself that everything was fine though. I could remember the days Malevolence took over all too well. It was a slow fade. By the time she was at the throne, it was too late to be upset.

      I sat down outside my stolen cave, trying to calm my raging thoughts. I closed my eyes and counted my breaths. In, out. In, out. Simple. Smooth. Efficient. Meditation was the key to peace. It would relieve me of my stress and worry.

      Inhale.

     "Quit worrying so much, Mistake."

      Exhale.

      "I'm sure you are going to pass."

       Inhale.

     "Just like I am. We'll fight dragons together!"

      Exhale.

      "Quit being silly. Now that Malevolence is queen, she wants the graduates to take patrols to other realms. She doesn't care about the Dragon War."

      "Of course, she does." He faltered. "Every Oni knows the Dragon War comes first. She just wants us to get more resources from other realms."

      "Are you sure about that, Enmity?"

      "Not really, but I'm trying to be positive."

      I ignored him. He put a hand on my shoulder. "Look, Mistake, I know you wanted to fight in the Dragon War—"

      I shoved his hand off. "Not just a fighter. I wanted to be a general. It's been my dream ever since I was little. I've worked so hard and sacrificed so much for that goal. In King Atrocity's time, passing this exam would make me qualify to be a general's intern. Over the course of a few months, I would learn the ropes and then take on my own squadron to control. Now that 'Queen Malevolence' is here, passing this exam will get me nothing but a ticket to a different realm. I feel cheated! I wish Malevolence had never come."

      Enmity looked shocked, lashing out to cover my mouth. He waited until my steam died down to remove his hand. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Watch your tongue, Mistake, you know what happens to rebels around here."

       "If you are my friend, you'd care about my feelings." I retorted, lowering my voice for his sake. "Being a general was your dream too. You said we were in this together. Now, you act like whatever she gives you is perfect."

       Enmity stammered nervously. "I did want to be a general, but I really meant... I only wanted to become a general because...well... I wanted to be with you."

      I was speechless.

      "I've already gotten back my test score." He said, turning away from me. "Queen Malevolence wants me to observe the Seventh Realm's territory. She says it might have a better terrain for us to live on. Here it's dangerous for young Oni."

      "You," I started, not being able to wrap my thoughts into words. I still couldn't quite get over his confession. "You're leaving."

      "Yeah," Enmity offered. "Look, M, I really want you to live your dream. I really do. But positivity aside, you are probably going to be assigned to something similar to me. We aren't going to see each other that much anymore. So, enjoy what you have. We can still be happy that way. Sometimes... we have to stop reaching for the things we want and be satisfied with what we are given."

      "When did you change, Enmity?" I said, feeling heartbroken. "You always told me dreams were worth fighting for, even if I had to fight a sea of dragons."

      "Everyone's changed, M." He looked at me sadly. "We just didn't know it until after King Atrocity died."

       I stared at the desert below, unwanted tears leaking out of the corners of my eyes. I had a family once. I had a friend, a school, and a goal. I listened to Enmity and played my part. Then, Malevolence sent me to Ninjago to convert or kill the First Spinjitzu Master. That was when I recognized that I had changed.

       Day four.

       I sat in front of a fire, roasting a jackalope. I was lucky not to get stabbed while trying to catch it. My limbs aren't what they used to be. I guess I was becoming more desperate as time passed. Normally I steered clear of the little aggressive creatures. Today, though, was different. I needed a challenge to draw my attention away from worrying about Malevolence.

      The jackalope tasted plain, dry, and overcooked. I may have been taught how to avoid several different monsters' attacks, but I had never been taught how to cook them. While chewing the meat on a skewer I had made from a stick, I heard footsteps.

       No foot made that sound unless they were some type of...

      "Hello, Mistake."

       I threw the skewer at the person's face faster than a skilled ninja. They simply stepped sideways as the skewer hit the cave wall behind them and clanked to the ground. My eyes narrowed at this new person. He definitely wasn't an Oni. He was darker skinned human, with blue-grey eyes and an innocent smile. I immediately didn't like him.

       "Who are you?" I growled.

       "I'm not an Oni," he held up his hands. "I promise."

       "I know that." I glared at him for labeling me as an idiot. Of course he wasn't an Oni. His eyes weren't the right color.

       "My name is Erasmus." The man said, "I knew you would be here."

       "How do you know me?" I asked, still wary.

       "How do I know you?" He laughed. "I know many people. I write many people. I am, in a sense, many people."

       "I may not have my skewer, but that doesn't mean I can't silence your vague mouth on the spot."

       "I am not crazy, Mistake, I assure you of that. And you wouldn't kill me because I know too much."

       "Liar," I hissed. I was still in my Oni form, since it didn't take any extra energy to hold my natural state.

      "No lie," Erasmus said, smiling. "I'm from the Cloud Kingdom. I am the apprentice to the Master Writer."

      "The Cloud Kingdom?" I added warily, "Explain how you got here then."

      Erasmus sighed, pacing back and forth. His steps did not take on a pattern, rather he walked in a strange formation that seemed almost random. "Every realm has a sister realm." He started, looking at me. "I assume you know that."

      I bit my tongue to keep from saying something sarcastic.

      Erasmus grinned, as if I were humoring him, and continued. "When one falls, the other falls. When one rises, the other gains power. Both flourish off each other. This realm you see here, the Realm of Monsters, is the sister realm to my realm, the Cloud Kingdom."

       My brow furrowed.

       "The Cloud Kingdom is peaceful. We have ended up on the imbalance of good, so our nation has thrived with virtue. We write out the destinies of others and govern other realms with joy. Our only problem is our lack of inspiration. We are content with what we have, and it is hard to come up with more. The Realm of Monsters, however, is on the imbalance of evil. Darkness lurks here, and where darkness is, horror follows. Terrible monsters prowl this place at night, leaving no one safe from their chaos. The people here survive by living underground. Unlike us, this Realm is filled with brilliant minds who create the inventions of tomorrow. We thrive off each other; they inspire us, and we write them safety. We are stronger together."

       "And?" I couldn't see how repeating information I already knew would help me understand how he was here.

       "Sister realms can easily access each other. That is why I can travel here and back."

       "I still don't see the reason to bring me into this," I grumbled, my stance relaxing. He didn't appear like he was working for anyone.

      "Dear Mistake," Erasmus shook his head, as if dealing with a young child. "You have every reason to be brought into 'this'. In fact, you brought yourself into it the minute you decided to go back for Morro and Harumi in the Departed Realm."

      "How do you know about them?" My guard was back up. I should have been suspicious about how he knew about the Departed Realm, but if he really did know who I was, then he would have known about my death.

      "How do I not know about that? Their legacy is infamous because their scrolls were burned."

      "Burned? Scrolls? Do you ever say anything that isn't cryptic or vague?" I snapped.

      His smile tightened. "When I say scrolls, I mean the scrolls we write each person's destiny on. When the scrolls are burned, we cannot write anything else on them. The person has to choose their own destiny."

      "So, someone burned Harumi and Morro's scrolls. That's what happens when you play with fire in a paper filled room. I still don't see how this has anything to do with me."

       Erasmus stopped his erratic pacing. "No, Mistake, quit being difficult. I know you don't trust me, but let me assure you, we do not burn our scrolls. We don't have fire in the Cloud Kingdom. The light from lamps and the sky is enough. It is a grave sin in our world to destroy a destiny scroll. You see, several years ago, someone snuck into our buildings and stole several destiny scrolls. They wrote in them and burned them. Whatever the destiny of those people is completely up to the thief."

      "You can't write a new scroll because that will make another one of that person come to life." I started to understand.

       "Your scroll, Mistake, was one of those scrolls stolen. Your destiny to sacrifice yourself for Skylor was already written. There was no evidence the thief wrote anything more."

       "Then you don't have to worry about me."

      "No, Mistake. You were destined to go to the clouds of light and live eternally in happiness. Instead, you help rogue villains escape and wait for their return. By doing that, you have inserted yourself into the prophecies that surround them and have made me believe there is a greater purpose for your return. One that neither the thief of myself had thought of."

      "Harumi and Morro... are part of a prophecy?" They were just two broken villains trying to find the courage to be better. Just like me after I betrayed my kind. They weren't part of any grand scheme. I doubted either of them wanted to be part of a grand scheme.

      "No. They were both affected by the robbery. Both the Princess Harumi and Morro's scrolls were taken and altered. We in the Cloud Kingdom had intended for them to stay in the Departed Realm. But the thief wanted differently. I will have to meditate on it before I know exactly why."

      "Great, anything else? You said I had a 'grand plan' or something."

      "Oh, yes." Erasmus said. "Queen Malevolence plans to attack Ninjago."

      "Surprise," I muttered.

      "Her army will be defeated and eventually, she will be as well."

       Malevolence deserved to be beaten into a pulp.

      "Malevolence rules the Oni. She has kept them in shape for hundreds of years. Without her, the remaining Oni left will fall apart."

      "We thrive on disorder." I stated. It was a maxim among the Onikind.

      "You had a monarchy in place before Malevolence took over. The Oni still need to be led. They need to be kept out of trouble. They will need hope for a better future."

      "Find some relative of the dead king." It was a preposterous idea, but I said it anyway.

      "The only relative of the dead king needs to be somewhere else. The Oni need you, Mistake." Erasmus said.

      "What do you mean, the only relative of the dead king?! I thought they were all dead."

      "And I thought the rumors that some survived were common knowledge. We are not here to talk about Oni culture, Mistake. We are here to talk about you and your place in the world."

       I huffed. "Fine."

       "You wanted to be a general, now you must be a leader. You have a good heart, Mistake. You will put the Oni in their place. They will listen to you." Erasmus pointed to my heart, his eyes flickering with knowledge. He probably knew more about my people than I had ever discovered.

      "I'm a traitor in their eyes." I protested. I couldn't leave Ninjago behind. It was the only thing in the world I still loved.

      "Who would they rather have, you or Malevolence?"

      I didn't answer. Erasmus started to turn around, back from where he came.

      "Well, my way home is closing soon. I need to be off. I could take you with me, you know. Even if you do decide I'm not who I say I am, at least the Cloud Kingdom has better living spaces." He started walking off, towards the side of the mountain. "It would be a lot more relaxing to wait for your friends there."

      "They aren't my friends." I grunted. "So get out of here."

      I'm not going anywhere.

      He smiled, as if reading my mind. "They will not find you here anyway. They will join me soon. They are part of a much bigger destiny, remember?" Erasmus tapped his forehead. "I would know for certain, since I write these things."

      I glanced back at the vast desert and exhaled. It wasn't much of a choice. The man smiled at me as I begrudgingly made my way towards him.

      "Do not worry about Ninjago, Mistake. I am sure that one day it will find its peace, and that you will along with it."

>(<>)<

Harumi's POV

      I leaned against Morro, trying to absorb his heat. I shivered violently, but I felt cold and hot at the same time. Sweat poured down my face, ruining whatever makeup the androids had applied earlier. I should have been happy at that fact, but I was in too much pain to care. Morro trembled beside me, both of us feeling the effects of Malevolence's poison. I was happy to still be alive, yet I was angry enough to still want to throttle her.

     I had refused Malevolence's deal. I had passed up the chance to punish the Ninja for some sort of honor. It was the stupid rule Morro had taught me inadvertently. Allies are the most important thing. If you're going to be better, you rely and care for those you trust. I didn't know where Garmadon was or how he was doing, but I knew I had to stick by my promise to keep Ninjago safe from the darkness.

     Malevolence reacted violently, as I assumed she would, but I didn't get far before she caught and poisoned me. Apparently, she had barbs of poison on her arms. She personally locked me in a small, stone cell where the only light drifted in through the cell door's window. Only a few minutes later, after the pain set in, Morro was thrown in there as well. He had been unconscious at the time, but over time he had slowly drifted into a half-conscious state.

     While I still had some strength, I did everything in my power to try and escape. No amount of effort could force the door open, and there weren't any air vents or cracks in the wall I could exploit. Morro kept muttering an unintelligible word over and over, tossing and turning in a feverish fit. Even if he still did have wind after the Departed Realm, he was way too weak to use it.

      In about three hours, silence filled the halls. The pain of the poison intensified to a level where I could hardly stand. My body jerked in uncontrollable spasms, forcing me to sit down beside Morro to try and stop myself from getting hurt.

      We huddled close in the dark, trying to get through the agony. I didn't need an explanation to know Malevolence had locked him away while I was treated like royalty. I didn't try to get him to explain what had happened while I was gone playing the princess. I just leaned on him, trying to find a way through the pain.

      Mistake was right. The Oni could do horrible things. Now we were going to either die of poison or starvation in this tiny cell. I suddenly wished for the Departed Realm. At least there I didn't have to suffer pain until the demons took me to the chasm.

       I let out a weak laugh at the thought. Morro leaned his head against mine, his mutterings forming a comprehensible sentence. "I... I couldn't save h-her." He whispered; his voice filled with sorrow.

     A spasm of pain washed through me. I curled up into a ball, shaking. "You did... you did s-save me, remember? We're alive n-now."

      Morro sobbed; the effects of the poison were seemingly making him delusional. "I told her... I t-told her that I would save her too. I failed and she's... she's g-going to die."

      I hated comforting people. But Morro was in pain. My pessimistic and logical side said dying was inevitable, so why not give him one last moment of comfort before everything crumbled to dust? I had been acting like a princess for days anyway.

      "It's going to be okay." I said as gently as a fever-filled voice could muster. "M-maybe Mistake... maybe Mistake will c-come—"

      His hands were soft, like all the calluses had been scrubbed away. I squeezed the one he winded around my fingers, trying to hold my own delusional sobs in. For some strange reason, the simple point of contact had comforted both of us.

      "H-harumi?" Morro whispered. "I'm p-proud of you."

      I was startled by this. His voice sounded stronger, as if he actually knew what he was saying now.

      "Y-you didn't accept t-the offer."

      "I couldn't let Ninjago fall."

      He smiled at me. "There is... there is one l-last thing I wanted to t-tell you. Sometimes... in order to m-move past a... past a cycle of destruction... one must... one m-must be able to forgive... those who put them there in the... in the f-first place."

     I didn't answer, pressing what might be his last words against my heart. Morro was the only fragment left of companionship. I had to hold on for him. Yet, red spots seeped into my vision as another spasm took its vicious hold. The only thing I could hear was our shivering. Things started to fade into the painful black of unconsciousness. I heard a faint noise outside. Probably Malevolence wanting to watch us die.

     "Harumi? I th-think I'm—"

     So dark... so painful... so far away...

     I slumped against Morro's collapsed form, letting the darkness take hold.