Morro's POV

     Harumi sat next to me, hugging her knees. We watched the horizon together. There was a hazy red glow from chasm smoke and a faint sound of screaming from far beneath the flames. Blocks in front of us was the giant white demon.

     Everyone in my company soon realized this giant demon was no ordinary 'I will chase you until I catch you' kind. In fact, it just picked one building up after another, surveying each one very slowly. It would send in its little demons in the building to catch anyone hiding inside, then destroy the building with a giant beam that came out of its head. Everywhere it moved, the city slowly crumbled beneath it. It was slowly destroying the Departed City one building at a time, and it looked like nothing would stop it.

      Quite a few days passed since it first appeared. They had been very peaceful ones. All the demons who usually patrolled the Departed City were helping the big one search each individual building. We hadn't been chased in about a week, if this realm worked in Ninjago time. It was hard to tell when there was no day or night. Wrayth and I had been able to scratch out a chess board into the floor. We'd been using random objects to play chess and checkers. I hadn't had this much relaxation since life.

     Harumi's gaze never faltered. She was silent, just watching the giant demon do its work. She barely talked anymore. She never really talked before, but when she did it was always in an angry or challenging manner. Now, she seemed to be sad, defeated, or contemplating. I didn't know which. The encounter with her adoptive parents really shook her.

     I took a quick peek back at the roof door. We were still doing lookout patrols, even though no demons were coming for us anymore. I always stated that it was better to be safe than sorry, just in case a miracle happened, and the mega-demon stopped destroying the city. The others started to complain that lookout duty was unnecessary, so I took most of the shifts to quiet them down. I never took a lot of shifts before, and now I realized just how boring lookout duty could be. There was literally nothing to watch or talk about. Most of the time I just sat in silence by myself since the others didn't want to 'waste their time'. I had Harumi sitting with me today, but it seemed she had no desire to speak to me. I was getting anxious just sitting there.

     "How much longer until he gets to us?" Harumi asked softly, making me jump inside. I hadn't expected to hear her voice.

     She knew what I knew. Every building that had been searched was destroyed. They were going to catch us eventually. It looked like no one could run from the chasm forever. I had just been foolish enough to think I could have.

     "I don't know," I confessed. She tensed, her head drooping down with her next exhale. Underneath that mask of authority, she must be so scared. Even I, who had seen many terrible things in my lifetime, was terrified when I thought of being tossed to the flames of unending torture. I always had a hard time in these situations where I was supposed to comfort someone. The whole concept was foreign, since no one ever needed it in the Cursed Realm. I gently laid a hand on her shoulder, hoping she wouldn't try to slap me.

     "I'm sorry I had to drag you into this," I said. Inside, I really was sorry. I had no idea this was coming. No one wanted to be thrown into the fires of a second death. I thought I could outrun the inevitable, but it seemed there really was no such thing as hope here.

     Harumi turned her head away from me, her white hair falling over her face. She never bothered to tie it up. "I chose this path."

     "I thought I could protect you."

     "You were being heroic. I don't deserve it." She sighed, tilting her head back up. "I deserve to be in there."

     I knew she meant the chasm. From the tone in her voice, I could only guess she had given up. I knew the others had the same level of hope for the future. We had seen to many allies lost to the demons, and we had to suppress any grief we might feel, lest we get caught as well. I led this rag-tag band of villains. My failure resulted in them being lost. If anyone deserved to be punished, it was me.

     "Everyone deserves a second chance," I said, trying to steady my rushing thoughts and gently slipping my hand back to my side.

     She smiled sadly. "I wish that was so."

     My eyes turned back to the monster. Its forehead would catch the right angle and flash. I wondered if the blast came from some sort of object on its head. Maybe it was a crystal. Harumi and I slipped into silence for a little bit, while my mind raced.

     Crystal.

     The Realm Crystal.

     Sensei Wu.

     My order to kill him.

     My return to the living.

     My refusal to kill him.

     I was banished back to this Realm, still with the weight of the chasm on my shoulders.

     My good act in Ninjago wasn't enough to save me.

     Maybe no number of good acts are enough to save me.

     "Sometimes I think about... what happened. They forgave me even though I didn't deserve it. Does that mean... if I try to do better... other people will forgive me too?" Her cheeks were pink; her eyes glazed with memory.

    I blinked hard, reality stepping back into place. Harumi was looking at her fingers, which were fiddling with her dusty sleeves.

     "They're good souls, Harumi," I said as gently as I could. "They forgave you because they're perfect. Not everyone is perfect."

     "You used to be villainous, but here you're a kind of decent person sometimes. It's possible to decent, right?"

     "I had a redeeming opportunity." I murmured in reply. It was pointless to try to get her to change now. It wasn't like we'd be able to keep our emotions placid and escape the chasm with the mega-demon slowly destroying the Departed Realm. I didn't want to get her hopes up anyway. Harumi eyed me curiously.

     "Two years ago, in Ninjago time, I was given a chance to become whole again. To return to Ninjago and save myself from this fate."

     She turned to face me, wanting to hear the story.

     "The Departed Realm was opened, and I was able to escape. I was told by Sensei Yang if I killed the one who destroyed me, I would become living again. I chose to go after Wu, but I refused to kill him—"

      "Why?! You could have escaped the chasm!"

      I looked at her sadly. "He gave me a second chance. It was my time to change for good. I guess that's why I'm a kind of decent person now."

     She looked confused, as if she didn't understand why I would give up so much for some integrity. We slipped back into silence as she tried to make sense of my choice. Suddenly, Harumi's head jerked up. "Morro, you just said the Departed Realm was opened!"

     "Yes?" I didn't see where she was going with this.

     "So, there is a way to escape!"

     "The Rift of Return doesn't open for another two thousand years. We can't travel out of here. We won't last that long with the mega-demon coming."

     "It's possible to escape, though." Harumi got to her feet. "And I know exactly who can get us out."

     "Who?" She had me quite curious now. If I could get myself and my friends out of here, perhaps we could find more time to escape the fate of the chasm.

     She smirked at me, tossing the hair in her face over her shoulder "Someone who has magical teas that can do magical things. Let's just say she's powerful. Thanks to my fath—Emperor Garmadon, she's dead. So, we can find her here."

     "Mistake," I breathed. I knew who she was. Wu took me to see her when he went to buy tea. I was so little back then.

     Harumi nodded. "I'll get Ghoultar to take our watch. If there is any hope of escaping, we have to find her."

     "Then, let's go tea hunting." I said.

>(<>)<

Harumi's POV

     I guess I should have expected Morro to pull some crazy stunt before we left. He insisted that he surround the building the others were hiding in a wind vortex, to throw off any scent that might occur if they got into a scuffle while we were away. I could see the strain doing so put on him, but Morro didn't seem to care. While most people would think he just didn't trust his friends, I saw it as that he didn't want to lose them. He made them repeat the escape procedure before we left, which none of them said with enthusiasm. When they finally shoved us out of the door, Morro finally seemed ready to look for Mistake. He still looked back over his shoulder every few seconds, even when the building was out of sight.

     More and more people were walking in the streets of the Departed City now. Morro and I tried to take a shortcut through the city's sewers, only to find the them filled with the black torture demons. We would never go down there again. I think everyone else had the same idea.

     Many of the citizens were glaring at everyone they laid eyes on. Like me, they were broken, hollow shells of people, looking for something to hate. They hadn't eaten since they died. They hadn't bathed since they died. All they breathed in was smoke, all they felt was the weight of guilt and dread. Just like us.

     But now, we had something they didn't. We had hope.

     Morro steered me away from the individuals. "Don't talk to them," he whispered as we hurried along, "they aren't who we are looking for."

     I trusted him to know who to talk to and who not to talk too. He had been here far longer than I have. As much as I wanted to snap back at him for being demanding, I could see there was no point in doing so. It was better to let him continue in his insipid mindset of 'I'm the leader.'

     We walked on for a while. I noticed the crowds of bad souls were thinning as we got closer to the inner city. It was like they didn't want to be there. It only took me a few minutes to find out why. I know we were beginning to reach the inner city because the sound of wails was fading, and the scent of food was growing. My mouth watered at the smell of fresh cooked pot roast topped with a beef gravy. I desperately scanned the area, my stomach rumbling loud enough for Morro to hear, but no food was to be seen. Morro told me it was the curse of dying a bad person. You could smell what the good people had but you couldn't see or eat it. Now I understood what torture it was to stay here.

     I saw the good people as they bustled around in the streets. In front of us was a plump lady, chewing on something we couldn't see. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright and merry. She was talking to another good person, the chef who made her food no doubt. He was smiling, his hands holding some sort of spice, I guessed, because he began to wave it over the counter of food smells. I stared at them longingly. I wanted to eat. My whole body was weak with hunger. Unladylike drool formed at the edge of my mouth.

     Morro was practically dragging me now as we walked through the lane of good people. All around us, they were laughing and dancing. Good souls waved around ribbons invisible to us, they ate food that we could only smell, and they wore fancy clothes that we would never have. The curse of dying bad. Could it get any more torturous? I wanted to get out of this place, just so I didn't have to be constantly reminded of what I was.

     Morro led me up to a man driving a cart that smelled strongly of hot dogs. "Excuse me," Morro started.

     The man stopped and looked at us. His grin stretched to his eyes. "You're newcomers, aren't you? That must be why you're so skinny. Here, let me get you some food."

     Morro declined it. "That's not what we're here for, sir."

     "Nonsense," the man said, "we need to celebrate that the monsters are gone. They used to roam the streets, but now they have disappeared. Here! Have some hot dogs." He dumped something into Morro's arms. Morro, since he died bad, was immune to the prospect of food.

     The plate slipped through Morro's uneasy grip and crashed onto the floor. I assume the food went everywhere, but I couldn't see it. All I saw the shattered plate and the man's frightened stare.

     "You're not good," he stammered, his smile slowly fading.

     Morro sighed, swiping his feet to push aside the shards of the plate. "No, I'm not."

     The man shrunk away, shaking. "You're what brought the monsters here in the first p-place!"

     Morro's nostrils flared angrily. "Listen here, I am another dead soul, just like you. I'm not here to hurt you unless you want me to try. All I want to know if that if there is a lady here named Mistake."

     "Please don't hurt me," the man whimpered.

     "Where is Mistake?" Morro repeated, his voice growing dangerous. A lot of the other souls had started to notice and were whispering to each other.

      "S-she lives in the old tea house down the block. She doesn't like visitors; I wouldn't recommend going to see h-her."

     "Thank you," Morro said curtly, his dark green eyes betraying his frustration. He turned and grabbed my arm. "Let's go, they don't like us here."

     I huffed, my voice dripping in sarcasm. "I noticed."

>(<>)<

"What do you want?"

     Morro hadn't even stepped inside the building before harsh words rang out at us. Morro held open the door for me and we both stepped inside quietly. Mistake had her back to us. She was sorting something on the decayed shelves behind her. The store smell strongly of tea, so I assumed she was stocking some tea bags. The door clicked shut behind us; a small bell we couldn't see ringing.

     "I said, what do you—" she turned to see us and dropped whatever she was holding. Specifically, she saw me, and her violet eyes flashed.

     Before my eyes, she began to transform. Black horns sprouted from her head, her face slowly melting into its original Oni form. "Did you come back here to gloat?" Mistake hissed, leaping across the counter. "Isn't it enough to stand there and smirk as your Emperor killed me or do you need to brag about it too?"

     Morro stared at both of us with quiet astonishment as I stepped back to avoid the slinking demon. The word no was on the tip of my tongue. Part of me wanted to stammer and hide, the other part of me wanted to yell at her.

     "We come with no evil intentions," Morro said, visibly shocked by Mistake's transformation. He obviously didn't know she was an Oni, yet I could tell most of his surprise was directed at the new knowledge of my evil deeds. I didn't care what he thought of me, so why did the look in his eyes hurt?

     Instantly, regular Mistake was back. The transformation happened so fast I could have blinked and missed it. She smiled. "Morro! It's been forever. I thought I recognized you, I just wasn't sure. You've grown so tall."

     Morro's cheeks flushed. At least he wasn't glaring at me anymore. "Hello, Mistake."

     Her dimpled smile vanished as she took in his appearance. "My, my, Morro. I thought you were better than that. Now you're allying yourself with this type."

     I glanced at Morro uneasily, knowing exactly what her latest comment meant. I still wasn't sure how they knew each other, but at least she wasn't trying to attack him. He flinched at the scolding and the distrustful glare Mistake was now giving him.

     "Mistake," Morro started, "we need your help."

     She laughed coldly, going back to her counter. "Oh, first you pair up with my killer and now you want my help."

     "Emperor Garmadon killed you!" The words burst out of mouth as I joined in the glaring.

     "I would have gotten past him unscathed if it weren't for you, Quiet One."

     "Enough!" Morro stepped between us. "If you've seen the mega-demon, you know what the Departed City is in for."

     "What it is in for? Ha! You mean what your kind is in for."

     Morro flinched at her venomous words but didn't shrink back. "It's destroying the Departed City, Mistake. All of it. It will reach your part of the city soon, then we'll see what happens to all the good souls who aren't ready to go to the clouds of light."

     She sniffed, taking another step forward. I stepped back. "Like I care. I know where I'm going eventually. Besides, right now, living in this place is just like it was in Ninjago. Running a tea shop with a bunch of idiots for neighbors."

     "Please," Morro's voice had taken a pleading tone. I had never imagined him begging someone to do something. He had always seemed so confident in his decisions. "We want to try to change our fate. Please tell me you have a tea that can transport us out of here."

     "Even if I did, I wouldn't let you use it. You say 'change' but what you really mean is 'escape.' If I let you out of this torturous prison than you will attack Ninjago again. I'm not about to let my friends have trouble." Mistake stepped up right in front of us, within arm's reach.

     "What can we do to change your mind?" My mind was whirling with excuses and lies I could say to get the tea out of here.

     Mistake barked out a laugh. "Actually change. If you can prove you're good and that you won't bring upon more kings of shadows to Ninjago, if you can prove you aren't just acting right now, then I will show you how to leave."

     "We are willing to change!" Morro pleaded with her. "All of us have done so much—"

     Mistake took another aggressive step forward, startling the words out of Morro. Both of us stepped back to avoid the hissing old lady. Except, this time we stepped out of the shop. Neither of us realized it until too late.

     "You might be," Mistake said, her violet eyes flashing, "but she isn't. That's why my end of the deal is secure. Because Harumi will never change. She will always be a lying, treacherous snake. A princess on top and a demon underneath. So, you won't be coming back. You won't be bothering me again. Accept your fate, Morro. Or come alone. I'm not taking her."

     She slammed the door in our faces.

>(<>)<

Morro's POV

     "Harumi!" I called, running after the white-haired girl. The street we had passed through earlier was now barren. I could see, out of the corner of my eye, good people peeking out their windows to see if we were gone. Word had spread pretty quickly of our presence here.

     Harumi ignored me, picking up her pace. I followed her through the streets streaming with bad souls until the wind vortex I had created earlier was in sight. Seeing the weakening vortex helped me remember my power, so I used them to speed myself up. I practically glided across the streets, and gave one final leap to land in front of her. My hold on the wind relaxed, leaving me almost breathless. I didn't understand why using my power had such a strain on me now. When my feet hit the floor, I braced myself for another temper outburst.

     "Why?" Harumi demanded, out of breath from walking so fast. "Why do you insist on trying to speak to me twenty-four seven? Why can't you just stay out of my business for once in your insignificant life?"

     "When you told me you would join us, you entered under my protection and care. I am obliged to help you stop emitting strong emotion smoke—"

     "If all you care about is not being caught, then why don't you just go back to Mistake?!" She roared, trying to get around me. I moved side to side to block her furious stunts.

     "No," I said firmly.

     She realized she couldn't get around me, and sighed, running a hand through her long white locks. "Why not? You want to outrun them. You don't technically have to take care of me. I don't need your protection."

     "Yes, you do."

     "I do not! The only thing I get by hanging around you and your gang of filthy friends is a constant reminder that I'm your little student. That I'm lesser. Why don't you just get your friends and leave me alone?"

     "You don't understand—"

     "Oh, I don't understand, huh? Yeah, like I don't get the feeling of what's going to happen to me if I don't run from the chasm." Harumi put her hands on her hips, sweat making her face paint streak down her face.

     "No! Just listen for two seconds!" I shot back, "You act like my only loyalty to you and the others is a contractual agreement. Those other ghosts, they are my friends. I protect them because I care."

     "You care about them? Then why don't you go and take them back to Mistake?" Harumi tried to turn away.

     "Quit being difficult!"

     "YOU'RE BEING DIFFICULT!"

     "Harumi, listen to me—"

     "No."

     Harumi tried to get around me again, but this time I caught her arm. She yanked her arm, hoping to free it, but my grip was like iron.

     "Listen to me."

     She shut her mouth and looked away, ready to run the second I let go.

     "You don't know how many ghosts we've lost to the demons. There used to be so many of us, but now... there's barely any at all. I want to escape the Departed Realm so that they can escape what's coming. So that they have a chance to redeem themselves. We all used to destroy and pillage and be so wicked for fun. But, look where we are now—"

     "Yeah, don't even try that." Harumi muttered, trying again to pull her arm away. "They're just being good to survive."

     "Maybe, but I used to be bad. People can change, Harumi. I want you to escape, because I care about where you're going to go. I'm not just trying to be a leader, Harumi, I'm trying to be your friend. So, have faith in yourself. You can change."

     "You don't believe that."

     "Yes, I do."

     She looked at me with glassy eyes, and when I let go of her arm, she didn't run. Harumi tucked her arms around herself, staring at the ashy concrete road. A scream echoed out into our silence, too far away to be someone we knew.

     "What if I don't know how to change?" Her voice was so soft I could barely hear it.

     "Then, I can teach you."

     "What if I can't?" Harumi stepped forward menacingly. "What if I can't, and you have to choose between me and the chasm? I'm not your friend; we're barely even allies. Why would you have any reason to choose to stay with me?"

     I met her eyes calmly, the perfect words reaching my brain. "Because I'm trying to hold onto what I still have left."

     Harumi stepped away in shock at the familiar words.

     "Isn't that what your adoptive parents wanted you to do?" I whispered.

     "Yes," she breathed; her voice so faint I could barely hear it.

     I reached forward, my hand stopping before it could touch her shoulder. "Then we stick together, okay? I'm not going to leave anyone behind on purpose. Not for all the freedom in the world."

     "You'll regret this." Harumi's stare turned cold. "Staying with your other friends, you would have had hope that Mistake could whisk you away. Now, you'll have nothing."

     "I'll have you."

     Her face twisted into some sort of weird expression. I assumed she wanted to slap me for my cheekiness. When she shouldered past me to enter our hideout, I let her. I could tell she was hopeless; that she didn't believe she could change. It was easy to despair, especially when all hope seemed lost. But I was not so easily persuaded.

     I had been able to change. My friends were able to change a little bit, even if it wasn't much. Why then, would I despair that Harumi could change? All I could do was help her the best I could, and maybe she would see the hope I carried within me. Maybe she would embrace it too.

     Standing on the road, I felt the whole city shake. Cracks burrowed themselves into the sides of buildings. Screams pierced the air as more demons took their victims down below. The mega-demon was coming. Yet, with all the darkness surrounding me, I felt lighter than ever. I had hope for a brighter future. My friends, Harumi, and I would escape. I would never let that hope go.