Lloyd's POV

     The Bounty's air seemed stale even though my friends had been living in it during my stay at the hospital. It felt too clean, too lifeless. Even my bed was perfectly made, without a wrinkle or pillow out of place. Normally, it was a mess, a victim of Kai and Cole often shoving each other around. My chest twinged with each step I took, but it was a minor feeling compared to the relief of returning home. I had trust fallen on my bed soon after I saw it, only to get yelled at by Nya for putting my recovery in danger. The next few days were filled with warnings from my friends to not push myself too hard. However, it was difficult to just sit around after being in the small hospital room for weeks.

     Only a day into life back at the Bounty did Cole bring up emptying out Morro's old room. Apparently, none of them had touched it after the battle, partly out of respect, and partly because there was no need to. Now that Seliel spent her time sleeping in the Bounty's library, I assumed Cole wanted to give her decent set of living quarters. We hadn't told Harumi about the plan since she was still in a pretty fragile state.

     Cole had brought the cleaning supplies and I had brought a trash can. When we opened Morro's old door, we both immediately froze in shock.

     The bed was made. The closet was emptied out. Even the small desk in the corner had everything perfectly aligned on it. It was like Morro had known he wouldn't be staying in the room again. We cautiously entered, feeling incredibly suspicious. A thick layer of dust coated all the furniture, but other than that, everything was immaculate.

     On the bed there was a sack with a note attached to it.

     "Don't let her have these." Cole read it aloud, tearing through the bag to find Morro's old clothes and toiletries. He pulled out a chessboard and stared at it. "He had a chessboard?"

     I had moved over to the desk, which still had a pot of dried out ink sitting next to a letter. The only reason I had noticed it was because a single chess piece sat upright on the desk. It was a wooden pawn, intricately carved from an unfamiliar type of wood. I set down the trash bag to examine the piece, only to find a letter underneath it. I blew the dust off of the top of the paper.

     Harumi.

     I peered at the dirty envelope which encased Harumi's name in intricate letters.

     "What is that?" Cole asked from across the room, putting Morro's old items back in the bag.

     "It's a letter." I stared at it, suddenly realizing that Morro probably wrote this. "It's for Harumi."

     Cole muttered something inaudible as his gaze switched from the paper to the bag.

     "So, he packed everything up and wrote her a letter. I mean, it's almost like he knew he was going to—" Cole looked up in shock. "Wait a minute, do you think he knew?"

     I stared at the letter again, trying to make sense of the reality it presented us with. "I think we should give this to Harumi."

     "We have to read it first. If she gets her hands on this..." Cole sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Harumi was literally on death's door after she heard Morro died. If she learned he might have known and didn't tell her..."

     I shook my head. As much as Cole's point was logical, somewhere inside me I knew it was wrong to keep this from her. Morro had written this for Harumi; it wasn't our place to pry on his last words. "We're going to give this to her, and if she pleases, she can tell us what it says."

     Cole started to protest, only to stop at the look on my face. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."

     He was right about Harumi. The minute she carefully opened the letter and started reading the contents, her face paled to an unhealthy shade. By the time she put the papers down, she was shaking. Before any of us could ask what Morro had written, she had fled to her room. She didn't come out of it for the rest of the day.

     I passed by her door at least three times that afternoon, debating whether or not I should check on her. I wanted to; there was some nagging feeling inside that wondered if I could do anything to help. I convinced myself every time that trying to talk to her would only make everything worse, but that didn't stop the guilt.

     I was the reason Morro was dead.

     If I had been more cautious, if I hadn't led the Overlord to believe I was the son, then he wouldn't have dragged me off. If I had never been dragged off, then Harumi wouldn't have resorted to her extreme plan and Morro wouldn't have had to rescue her. I often wondered if she cursed me in her head for what happened. Would she take it all back to save Morro's life?

     Even more often I wondered if I had been honest, if I had told her I was the Light, would it have changed anything?

     Why did I care so much about what she thought about me all of a sudden? I was aching with each step I took away from her. I wondered if she would reject me if I tried to make things better. She had saved my life, without much thought to her own. She knew she was the Oni, yet she was willing to give it all up to save me.

     Why?

     I had done nothing but ignore her. My heart hurt every time I thought about us, so I shoved her presence away just to clear the aches in my chest. Yet, she still at least attempted to right our temporary alliance. She apologized and she meant every word. She even went as far as to trust me with a groundbreaking truth that she herself could barely stand.

     She trusted me.

     She trusted our alliance enough to die for me.

     Why?

     They brought her back so she could heal you.

     My grandfather's voice leeched into my head, causing me to stop my pacing around the kitchen. It was late in the evening; most of my friends were playing video games in the entertainment room. I had claimed I was hungry, though it was only an excuse to see if Harumi had ventured out of her room to grab something to eat.

     She hadn't.

     You must remember, Lloyd, you are a light to this world. Face your fears.

     Face my fears. I glanced at my reflection in the microwave's door, reevaluating my life choices. I was hiding things from everyone. And if anyone deserved to know the truth, it was Harumi.

     I had to tell her I was the Light.

     And, more importantly, I had to apologize.

     I got to work on making a small meal, even taking extra time to prepare her favorite tea, Earl Grey with cinnamon. The only reason I knew that was her favorite was because Morro used to tease her constantly about it. Apparently, he had bet she wouldn't try such a disgusting combination, to which she responded by downing the whole cup of tea. She actually liked it and would make references to the bet every time she drank the tea afterwards.

     I arranged the plate and silverware into a perfect table setting and spent an extra fifteen minutes trying to fold a cloth napkin into something resembling a paper crane.

     By then the dumplings had cooled, so I had to spend even more time trying to make everything perfect. Then, I realized I was stalling and forced myself to go to her room.

     When I knocked on her door, there was no response.

     "R—Harumi?" I stuttered, clearing my throat as I realized how nervous I sounded. "It's Lloyd. May I come in?"

     Silence.

     I tapped the door once more with my knuckles, before slowly turning the knob. There was no yelp to keep out, or a force slamming the door, so I assumed it was safe to keep going.

     "I brought dinner in case you were hungry." I tried to force a smile, but it vanished when I took in the condition of her room.

     The bed was unmade, the large mirror that sat against the wall had been shattered, and the floor was covered in a mess of clothes and shards of glass. Harumi sat on the floor, leaning against the side of her mattress as she quietly sobbed.

     I gently flipped on the light switch, setting down the tray of food on the cabinets next to the door. Then, I made my way through the maze of an upended knapsack's contents over to where the white-haired girl was sitting, my mind screaming at me the whole time that this was a terrible idea.

     She didn't move, didn't blink, didn't acknowledge my existence. I could hear the shakiness of her breaths, like each one cost more than she could give.

     "H-how... how are you doing?" It was the best thing that came to mind in the moment. I surprised myself with the thickness of my words.

     I actually cared.

     She didn't answer, but I didn't really expect her to.

     "Look, I'm not going to play around here. I came in here to say... what I mean is that... I guess I..." I sighed, squeezing my forehead in attempts that it would force words out. "I never really thanked you for saving my life."

     Harumi's stare flickered down to the letter that she was desperately clutching.

     "I never really understood why you did it, and I still don't. Then again, there are a lot of things about you I don't understand." I took a deep breath, finding it much easier to speak when I didn't watch her to judge her reaction. "My grandfather told me in the vision that you were brought here to heal me. I didn't believe him when he said it, since everything about you makes me feel... c-conflicted. But it kind of makes sense now.

     "I know any of my friends would sacrifice themselves for me in a heartbeat, but a sacrifice as big as that coming from you? I haven't been the best person when it comes to how I've treated you. I know we had a temporary alliance and all that, but that was temporary. I didn't mean for it to expand into this. You didn't have to save me, and yet you still did. And as much as it confuses me as to why you did it, I can't even begin to express how grateful it's made me. At least in that circumstance, you've made me feel whole again." I glanced over my shoulder. "Thank you."

     Harumi blinked, her head slowly righting itself from its crouched position.

     "I get that you're probably mad at me. If I hadn't been so reckless, then none of this would have happened. I'm not the son, and I shouldn't have led the Overlord on. I'm so sorry, Harumi, I'm so sorry that he's gone. I'm so sorry that I caused it. I've ruined your life, even after you trusted me enough to save mine."

     I blinked back the burning in my eyes, not even daring to look in her direction. Only silence followed my words, but I could sense her subtle movement. She was probably getting up to move away from me.

     "Lloyd."

     I turned to meet her watery eyes. She gingerly pushed the letters into my hands, retreating before her fingers could brush mine.

     "I think you should read it. Someone... someone needs to know." Her voice was small, unsure.

     Yet still so trusting.

     I smoothed out the folds in the paper, bracing myself for the words that would follow.

     My dearest Harumi, the letter started, filling me with an inexplicable dread.

     It's hard to know how to start this. If I play this like a formal letter, you're probably going to hate me. If I casually shrug off what happened, then you're going to scream at the paper until your voice gives out. I don't know how to say this, which is weird because words normally come so easily. At least, they used to. Until I met you, I mean. I guess I'll start there, since—

     The original phrase was crossed out, replaced by a darker font that stated, I did promise to tell you everything after the battle. I'm sure it's after the battle now.

     The letters returned to their normal shade, which meant he probably added in the previous addition after he originally wrote this.

     I love you. I don't know exactly when it started. You reminded me of myself when we first met; you inspired me to try to help you. That protectiveness I felt upon seeing you morphed into something even I didn't expect.

     I didn't say anything about it, because I was afraid that it would mess up how far we'd come. You actually cared for me and trusted me. If I had told you what I felt, would it have ruined everything that had sprung between us?

     When we came to Ninjago, your feelings towards myself became obvious to me, and I realized this was a fight I would not win. I wanted you to be happy more than anything else, so I stayed in the background.

     Remember how I said in order to stop a cycle of destruction, you had to forgive those who put you there in the first place? You did that, Rumi—may I call you that? I've longed to for the longest time, but was always afraid to try it. I guess it doesn't matter now—anyway, you made me so proud when you worked towards reconciling with him.

     I know he's always been special to you; I just hope he gives you as much love as you deserve.

     Another thing I've been hiding for a long time is what my pieces of the destiny scroll said. If I'm being honest, I only didn't tell you the second part because it heavily tied into what I've said before regarding my feelings towards you. The pieces are enclosed in this letter so you can see I'm not lying now.

     They did say I was going to follow you back to Ninjago, but they also said I would show you the greatest love. For reasons stated above, I didn't want to bother you with this. When it became obvious to me what this part of the scrolls meant, I know I started acting guilty. Because the greatest love is to... is to die for someone.

     When I realized what this meant, I couldn't tell you. I was the only thing you had left to lean on, the only thing you treated like family. If I told you I was going to die for you, you'd either lock me in a cage so that wouldn't happen, or you'd mentally collapse again. I wanted you to be happy with me during my final days. That's all I've ever wanted since I met you, Rumi. I just want you to be happy.

     Don't blame yourself for this.

     It wasn't your fault.

     This had to happen for the good of the world. I'm satisfied in knowing I did everything I could to protect you. Bansha's last request for me was that you be the one I was able to save. And I did save you. Don't cry over this, Rumi, because my death has only reassured me that my final wish has been granted.

     I'm running out of paper, so let me just say this: it might seem like you can't get rid of the 'cycle of destruction.' You might question who you are, or why you even deserve to still be here. But the most important advice I have left is to let go. Forgive yourself, even if it's not for something you did. Let go of that anger and bitterness, because at the end of the day, those are the things holding you back from true peace.

     Don't feel like this will end you. Because it won't. I will be here, if not in spirit, then in memory. Hold onto those you have left and keep fighting. Remember the prophecy. If all else fails, you can still hold on to that.

     Don't cry, don't hate yourself, don't let this break you. You can find that happiness you've been searching for. I believe in you.

     With much care from your best friend,

     Morro.

     I stared at the paper in my hands, shaking as the gravity of the words sunk it. He really did care about her. He was everything to her. And it was my actions that killed him.

      My heart started aching in my chest again; the throb had become so foreign that I had almost forgotten it was there in the first place. Slowly, I turned my attention to the two other burnt pieces of crisp paper.

      The Master of Wind will follow the princess into Ninjago.

      He will show the greatest love to the princess.

      All he wanted was for her to be happy. I could feel Harumi shift beside me, and I tentatively handed back the letters. She was no longer crouched in the fatal position, rather she was sitting upright, carefully judging my reaction. We locked eyes for nearly a second, but it was enough to nearly cripple me with the force of my own guilt.

      There was... something inside of me. Something that had never died, no matter how much I suppressed it. Something that I had never truly come to terms with, even if it was important enough to decide my entire future.

      I just hope he gives you as much love as you deserve.

      Who had Morro meant by 'he'? Morro obviously was saying Harumi didn't love him, so who could she possibly have feelings for?

     My blood went cold when realization dawned on me.

     Harumi still loved... me. After everything that had happened between us, she still loved me. Even after years of heartbreak and suffering and endless pain. She still cared about me. She cared about me enough to save my life.

     "Do you regret it?" My voice cracked with the words. They were barely a whisper, but she heard them all the same.

     Harumi hugged her knees, trembling as she tried to steady her voice. "No, I don't. And I'm a traitor for saying it." Her fists clenched as she pressed them against her forehead.

     "He loved me." Her rage cooled into a numbness; her eyes glazing over with an unbearable amount of sorrow. "And I let him down."

     The silence that followed her words thickened enough for me to start massaging my heart. She was breaking all over again, and it seemed like there was nothing I could do to stop it. Getting on my feet, I made my way over to where I had left her dinner, gently retrieving the lukewarm cup of tea before returning to her side.

     I attempted to offer it to her, but her voice snapped back, colder than ever.

     "How can you expect me to drink tea, when I don't even deserve to be alive?" She ran a hand through her hair, angry tears running down her face. "It was my sacrifice, not his. I should be the one dead. I just... I just couldn't let you die, Lloyd. He—he didn't deserve to die! The emperor and empress, the other ghosts, none of them deserved to die, and I killed them all anyway. Bansha was right; there is no breaking free of the cycle of destruction."

     "Morro's death is not your fault, Harumi, it's mine." I set down the tea in front of her. "So if you need to commit some act of epic revenge to feel better, I'm right her—"

     "It's not your fault." She snapped back, her fire quickly snuffing out as soon as she took in my face. "I-it's... it's..."

     Her expression changed. A burst of color returned to her eyes, temporarily giving her visage a glimpse of life. She glanced at the letters, rereading some part of them before gently saying, "I don't think it's anyone's fault."

     "What?" I blinked in surprise.

     "He wouldn't want me to blame anyone. It's not right to honor his memory by trying to find someone to hate. He always believed I could be better; I promised I would try to be better. Besides, I don't think anything you do, Lloyd, will make me hate you again. Frie—allies don't hate each other." She attempted to laugh, but just ended up sobbing into her own sleeves.

     I did the only thing I could think of.

     I let her lean on me as she let go of all the grief she'd been suppressing. All the pain and misery she was carrying on her shoulders, I let her share it with me. I was there to support her, not only because it was the right thing to do, but also because... because I loved her.

     I loved Harumi.

     I just hope he gives you as much love as you deserve.

     Morro just wanted Harumi to be happy.

     I just wanted Harumi to be happy.

     In that moment, I knew I needed to do.

     "Harumi?" I asked, waiting until she looked up to continue. "If you... if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. Don't think you need to bear this burden alone. Allies are always there for each other, okay?"

     "Okay." She whispered, finally picking up the cup of tea. Her lips perked up when she tasted it, which immediately made her flush an unnatural shade of red.

     I felt my own soreness fading at the sight, the throbbing in my guilty heart quietly fading forever into the strength of my resolve. I presented her with the rest of her dinner, wishing her a good night before making my way over to the door.

     "If you need me, you know where to find me." I said.

     "Thank you," she responded before I closed the door.

     "Anytime, Rumi. Anytime."

>(<>)<

Harumi's POV

     I surprised everyone when I showed up to breakfast the next morning.

     I could scarcely believe it myself, but there was something about last night I couldn't shake from my mind.

     Hold onto those you have left and keep fighting. Remember the prophecy. If all else fails, you can still hold on to that.

     Morro wanted me to keep going by using the very same words he had asked me to promise him before the battle. He wanted me to hold onto what I had left. Yet, I had been so focused on what I lost that I had barely realized what I needed to keep going. Morro sacrificed himself so I could complete the prophecy. I had to be strong so I could bear the son.

     It hurt so much to even try to recover after the battle, and everything had gotten so much worse after I read the letter. All I could hear was Bansha's voice in my head, repeating her last words over and over.

     He loves you. Don't let him down.

     I had always thought she was talking about Lloyd. I had been blinded by emotions to think clearly about what she meant. Bansha probably didn't even care about Lloyd. She hadn't even interacted with him more than a few times. Unless her visions let her watch us together in Ninjago, how would she have known he might still love me? I had traced my finger over Morro's words, letting them sink into my soul. No, Bansha hadn't been talking about Lloyd at all.

     She had been talking about Morro.

     He loves you. Don't let him down.

     Morro loved me, and I let him down. It was hard to face reality after that.

     Yet, Morro knew he was going to die, so he wrote me the letter. He kept his promise to tell me everything, even though it probably pained him to do so. His behavior the night before the battle was so concerning, yet I could understand it perfectly now. Morro had done it all so I could be happy. He didn't want our last moments together to be filled with premature grief.

     He told me not to cry, and yet that was all I could do when I tried to make sense of his words.

     Hold onto those you have left and keep fighting. Remember the prophecy. If all else fails, you can still hold on to that.

     I had to keep going. I had to hold onto what still remained. I had to keep going, not for myself, but for the future of Ninjago.

    When I trudged into the dining room and felt ten pairs of eyes on me, I immediately wanted to flee. I wanted to crawl back into the timeframe where sitting down to eat wasn't a big deal. The timeframe where Morro would offer to shield me with inane chatter. But Morro was gone. And everyone was still staring at me.

     My eyes instinctively flicked to Lloyd, who looked just as bewildered as the rest of the Ninja. Then, he gave me a soft smile and patted the bench next to him, discreetly scooting over to make more room.

     I made my way over to the open spot, trying not to read anything into the silence. Sure, I looked like a mess. My hair was tangled because I hadn't brushed it, my clothes were wrinkled from my constant tugging at them. Frankly, I hadn't cared about my appearance when I decided to leave my hovel of a room, but now, with everyone's eyes on me, I felt like I should have at least showered in the bathroom down the hall first.

     Lloyd was the first to break the quiet by asking Skylor if her and Kai had set a date for their wedding. I was infinitely grateful that he hadn't started by pestering me with questions. Skylor replied saying the wedding was a week from today, and no criminal mastermind coming into Ninjago to attack the city was going to stop it. Kai snorted at the comment, which caused the juice he was sipping to go down the wrong hole. By the time the whole incident was over, the table had forgotten about my presence and was back to laughing a joking as usual. Yet, I didn't miss it when Lloyd's fingers grazed my own, reminding me of his words the day before.

     Don't think you need to bear this burden alone.

     Even though I was broken, even though everything was foggy through the grief, somehow my heart still managed to flutter.

     Later, I decided to clean my room, though was a hard thing to do. For one thing, my stomach hurt when I leaned over too much. It was unfamiliar to feel the twinge from where my stab wound was still scarring up, since for so long I had only been focused on the pain in my heart. It was even harder to look at the cracked mirror, since I was the one who had broken it in the first place.

     I remember it was soon after reading the letter. After the numbness of shock had faded, my anger flared up. I had paced around the room, wondering if this was all a lie.

     Morro had known and he hadn't told me. He had known, and he didn't try to prevent it. He knew what this would do to me, and he still allowed me to go through the experience. I had been deceived by everyone I had ever known and loved. Why was everything always a lie?

     Seething, I had knocked my knapsack onto the floor, relishing the dull pain that accompanied spilling its contents all over my room. Insane bits of laughter slipped through my lips, the only noise my broken soul could manage to make.

     But when I saw myself in the mirror, I was drained of my fury.

     The red on my face.

     The white of my hair.

     The black of my clothes.

     "Physical pain can only hurt so much," my reflection taunted me, its form shifting in my own temporary madness. "I intend far worse."

     Then what do you want? Lloyd's voice echoed through my memory, taking me back to when I had said the words. The time when I had been the one to taunt him. The time when I decided that breaking his heart was the only way to fill the void in my own.

     "I want you to feel the emptiness I feel! When your father is reborn, he won't be the man you recognize. His soul will be gone, and I want his cold hands to destroy you!" My reflection grinned at me, its bright blue eyes gleaming with a familiar hue.

     A destructive hue.

     You're a monster! I'll never feel what you fe—

     I screamed, swiping a couple of sharp hairpins off of my nightstand and throwing them straight at the mirror.

     It splintered into a hundred different shards as the pins bounced off onto the floor.

     Oni.

     Monster.

     We can't break our cycle of destruction.

     I paused, panting as I took in my shattered appearance. In that moment, I was nothing better than the villain of the past. I was the Quiet One all over again, taking my grief out in all the wrong ways. I had collapsed on the floor, sobbing in an incontrollable mess. Every time I lost someone I loved, I turned back into the cold-hearted villain I once was. It seemed like nothing could change.

     How are you doing?

     I had thought the prophecy was the only thing I had to keep going for. But, after last night, I wondered if there was more to hold onto than I originally realized. Lloyd had come to check on me because he cared. He let me grieve with him; he unknowingly pushed me to see the errors in my thought processes.

     I needed to keep fighting for him as well.

     I picked up the different articles of my ninja suit, determined to wash them before the day was over. My abdomen ached, but I continued to clean. I picked up everything I had knocked over. I straightened the cracked mirror and moved its stool back into place. I even swept the entire room to make sure all the glass was gone.

     There was one article I had been avoiding; it was still lying on the ground, unattended.

     My knapsack.

     There was something about looking at it that twisted my insides the wrong way, and I didn't know why. Maybe it symbolized leaving things behind. Maybe it symbolized adventure. Maybe I was afraid to put it up and cement myself to this place forever.

     "Hey, Rumi?" A voice sounded from outside the door.

     When I opened it, I found Lloyd rubbing the back of his neck. "Er, hi, um..." He cleared his throat. "Zane and I were going to bake some cupcakes and we were wondering if you'd like to join us. It might be a nice distraction if you wanted to do it."

     That wasn't the only time he started inviting me to participate in the group. He often stopped by my room to ask if I wanted to help out with chores, join in the morning stretches, or perhaps wanted to join in as the Ninja played the latest Fist to Face game. I still found it hard to interact with anyone, even Lloyd, but I forced myself to accompany him most of the time. The other Ninja were never cold; they didn't mind when I stayed silent.

     When Lloyd was alone with me (which was more often than I expected), he would spend most of the time filling in the silence with conversation. It was a stark contrast to the quiet boy who was determined to shut down any of my attempts at conversation in the past, but it was nice to hear his soothing voice again.

     I agreed to attend Kai and Skylor's wedding.

     It wasn't because I wanted to go, but rather I thought Morro would have appreciated me showing them support. Nya lent me one of her kimonos to wear, since I didn't have a set of nice clothes. While wearing formal attire had made me shudder before, it actually felt kind of nice to wear something new. 

     The wedding was held in a large temple in the south section of Ninjago City. The whole place had been laced with ribbons and golden flowers. With the light of the chandeliers, the whole building felt like it came straight out of a fairytale. Hundreds of people showed up. The pews were filled to the brim with citizens, either benefactors to Skylor's company or fans of the Ninja who happened to get a seat. Only the first few rows were filled with actual close friends and family of the two betrotheds. I stood in a front row pew next to most of the Ninja. Jay, Nya, and Maya were on the other side, along with all of Skylor's friends.

     When the lights brightened and the music slowed, Ray escorted Skylor down the aisle. His usually tired face was aglow with delight, but I was sure everyone didn't notice him next to the gorgeous bride. The lights illuminated Skylor's bright red hair, making it look like a living flame on her head. Her off-white dress added to the mystical effect of her hair, making her look less like a human and more like an ethereal fairy. Her own face with set with happiness beyond measure. As she passed, I could hear sniffles from Jay, Nya, and Maya, each of their eyes watering with tears of joy.

     In my pew, I could practically hear each ninja radiate an aura of jubilance. Lloyd's eyes were fixed on his best friend as Skylor joined him on the stage, blooming with so much joy I thought I'd seen a glimpse of life in the clouds of light. Somewhere during Skylor's walk down the aisle, Seliel had taken both Cole and Lloyd's hands. PIXAL reached out to Cole's other hand, one of her hands already being held by Zane. I hadn't really paid attention to this until Lloyd completed the chain by gently weaving his fingers in mine. Right then, in the light of so much joy and love, I felt my own lips twitch up into a soft smile. Somehow, I was blissful simply because everyone else was.

     We watched as Kai and Skylor exchanged their vows. They promised to be together through thick and thin, through sickness and suffering, through every obstacle that might upset their path.

     "Until death do us part."

     My smile faltered. They would be together until death did them part. They would love each other until death did them part. They would lean on and support each other until death did them part. Death would void the vows, void the commitment. Death.

     Morro loved me and he died.

     Did that mean I was still tied to his memory? Did that mean I was still tied to his shadow? Or was a I free to move on, to discover my own path in life? We had never said any vows, yet I felt tied to him in ways I could never explain.

     Until death do us part.

     The afterparty was a blur. Somewhere in the wedding cake being served Seliel ate six pieces, prompting Cole to try and best her record. While both of them were shoving down cake, a lot of people were dancing in the wide floors of the auditorium. Jay was showing off, his skills drawing quite a crowd. Lloyd invited me to join him in the dancing, and the time in his arms felt magical. Almost unreal.

     Maybe completely unreal. 

     When we all returned to the Bounty that night, I found myself staring at the sturdy knapsack until dawn coated my room in a rosy light. The knapsack was like a manifestation of something inside of me that I didn't yet understand, and it was filling my mind with so many questions.

     What did this life give me? Was I happy here?

     I was staying with the Ninja simply because it was the only life in Ninjago I could fathom. They would feed and shelter me, in return to my helping them fight the Overlord. They would laugh, smile, and try to help me get over the loss of my best friend. I went through the motions of being an ally, and while I did appreciate it, I still felt the gaping hole of grief never truly filling. I lived this life because it was the only one I knew.

     What about Lloyd? What if I lived this life for him?

     I loved him. I loved his smiles and chatter; I loved the grace of his walk and the warmth in his heart. I had loved him for longer than both he and I realized. The time he spent with me always made me jubilant inside, as a thousand pressing emotions broke free and filled my whole being with the sparks of a blooming romance. Sometimes my heart forgot its pain in his presence and decided to focus on a feeling I couldn't discern. But what if that love was superficial? What if what I felt towards him wasn't love at all?

     That's all I've ever wanted since I met you, Rumi. I just want you to be happy.

     Morro was willing to die for me even though he knew I did not return his romantic feelings. That signaled a different type of love, a deeper one. A love that saw beyond the surface of personality and glanced at the inner beauty, at the potential of the person.

     It was in the moment I knew Lloyd was going to die that I felt something spark inside of me. Something beyond the aspect of merely being attracted to him and his goodness. The spark gave me a deeper love, a love that would sacrifice everything for him, just so he could continue to live on. I knew Lloyd was a hero. I knew even if I failed, he would always be there to light up the world with his goodness. The world needed him more than it ever needed me.

     That spark of truer love still existed inside of me, but it was eclipsed by the feelings of a lesser love. A lesser love that had made me forget what true love was.

    Surprisingly, in the midst of the swirling thoughts voices arose. They were born of nothing of my own memory, yet I could hear them as clearly as I did when they first reached my ears.

     You will meet your light in time.

     You are the Oni.

     Embrace who you are.

     So many people had been with me throughout this journey. My adoptive parents, Morro, my own parents, they all were there for me, even when I didn't deserve it. Through them I knew many truths and lies; through them I had changed. Even though I could acknowledge this fact, the question still remained, burning holes in my mind.

    Embrace who you are.

     But who was I?

     Was I still a game of masks and lies, trying to hide my true self behind the image of a scared little girl?

     Was I a destructor, an Oni who was only not locked away because she played an essential role in the prophecy?

     Was I nobody without the roles I had played, someone only to be remembered because of the destiny set upon my shoulders?

     You are the Oni.

     I knew for certain that part of my destiny was clear. As the Oni, it was my duty to find the Light and raise the son. I still had no idea who the Light was, which meant I needed to go find him. That meant my destiny wasn't here, flying with the Ninja. My destiny was out in the world, finding the one who would complete my part in the prophecy.

     If I was going to be a good and honest mother, then I had to be devoted to whoever the Light was. I couldn't be trapped in a loveless marriage constantly longing for someone else. I had to let go of my feelings for Lloyd, no matter how far that pulled the remains of my heart apart.

     He was there for me when my whole world was falling apart; I knew that I was slowly latching onto him just like I had latched onto Morro. He was my anchor, and I needed to set sail.

    I needed to get away from this life, not only to find myself and my destiny, but also had to properly process my grief.

     That's why the next morning at breakfast I stood up and proclaimed I had to leave.

     Instead of looking surprised, the Ninja stared at me in confusion.

     "You were never required to stay until all of us were done eating," Lloyd gently said from beside me, making my chest twist with resolve.

     I shook my head. "No, I need to leave the Bounty."

     "Where did you want to go?" Zane asked as he picked up a cluster of noodles with his chopsticks.

     "No!" I insisted, wondering why they were all so dense. "I need to leave permanently. I need to forge my own way in life without help here."

     Now they all looked shocked. Lloyd reached up to grab my hand, I assume to try to get me to talk this out reasonably, but I pulled my arm away. His eyes flashed with a hurt I couldn't bear to look at. He probably thought he failed in his consoling job.

     It was Nya who spoke first. "When?"

     No arguments erupted from the table; all eyes simply turned to me.

     "As soon as possible." I said. I looked at the gathered Ninja. "You all are okay with this?"

     Jay stood up. "You deserve to lead a life of your own after everything you've done for us and Ninjago. Feel free to take anything you need."

     Nya got to her feet beside her husband. It was amazing how close in height they were. "I didn't trust you before, but you've proven yourself. If you ever need us again, be sure to call."

     For the first time in forever, the water ninja's eyes were not filled with contempt.

     "Just give us the coordinates and we'll take you to the place you want to go." Cole spoke up, standing up from his spot at the table. "I wouldn't have trusted this at all in the past, but too many things have happened for us to hold onto old prejudices now. You're one of us, so if you need a break, we'll be here for you."

     I smiled, feeling fuller than I had in days.

     Once I told them where I wanted to be dropped off, I was told it would take a little under an hour to arrive.

     I spent the first few minutes repacking my knapsack. I had packed it before I went to breakfast, but there were things I didn't need to bring. I was wearing my Cloud Kingdom garb, the clothes smelling great after I washed them the day before. I had packed my ninja gi in the bag, but now I pulled it out, leaving only the undershirt and boots behind. The gi brought back too many memories, ones of pain and battle. My fingers grazed the armor I wore as I removed it as well.

     The blood had been scrubbed away, yet the dents and scratches from swords still remained. Just looking at it I could smell the iron tang of blood in the air and the throbbing in my stab wound return. I placed the armor on top of the gi, determined to never see it again.

     The other thing I decided to leave behind was the pawn from Morro's chessboard. It was the only object that had accompanied his letters. I thought Morro was trying to be symbolic when he left this for me, saying that even though we were pawns in the thief's game, we could still carve our own paths. Maybe he was trying to remind me of the sacrifices that had brought me this far.

     I pressed a gentle kiss against the pawn's round head, gently setting it on top of the armor. The only thing of Morro's I would keep is his letter, and that I promised myself only to look at every now and then. No more holding the memories close. Morro had given me strength, and he believed in me to move on. I had to hold onto that.

     I went into the kitchen next to grab some food. After researching places to stay, I had found a city hidden within the mountainous regions west of Ninjago City called Sherim. I wanted to make sure the Ninja wouldn't know exactly where I was staying, so I asked them to land the Bounty far away from the city. It would take a couple hours' worth of walking to get where I wanted to go, but it would be worth it in the end. The remote town would offer me another opportunity at a simple life, one where I could find myself and finally be at peace.

     I didn't hear the door open as I shoved a parcel of crackers into the knapsack. I didn't even realize someone had come into the kitchen until I heard one of stools behind the counter being moved.

     When I turned around, I found Lloyd leaning against the marble, his eyes watching me with concern.

     "Do you have to go?"

     "Yes." I looked away, trying to shove down the aches in my heart. I zipped up the bag.

     "Was it something... something I did?"

     "No."

     "Then why do you want to leave?" His voice was so hurt I couldn't stop the flow of words that sprung up in my throat.

     "I want to leave because I don't even know myself anymore." I refused to allow grief to clog my voice. "I need to go to find out who I am. I've basically lost everything since I died: my friends, my family, and my entire identity. Who am I outside of the masks I've worn? I don't know, and that's what I would like to find out."

     "We can help you find that here." 

     "You don't understand. It's essential I learn to find myself. I need to be able to cope with life because I won't be spending it here." My voice faltered. "I need to find the Light and fulfil my half of the prophecy. I can't be tied down by anyone, even if it's someone's memory."

     "What if you don't find him out there? You've come such a long way since the battle, and you're doing better every day. You don't need to leave to find happiness. We can help you find yourself here. Besides, when you have multiple people looking for someone, they can get the job done a lot quicker." Lloyd fidgeted with the edges of his sleeves. There was something in his voice, something that was starting to make me suspicious.

     "If I can't find him, I'll come back. But I need to leave for more than the reason to look for the Light. As I said before, I need to find myself so I can properly move on from the loss."

     "I understand, it's just... it's just..." His voice was desperate, as if his mind was whirling to find some sort of excuse. "Please don't go."

     "I need to figure out who I am if I'm going to embrace who I'm meant to be." I crossed my arms, trying to hold back the storm of thoughts that agreed with everything Lloyd said.

     "But... we... us... I..." Lloyd looked down, his cheeks flushing. He seemed to be out of options until he clenched his fists and forced himself to meet my eyes.

     "I love you. The last time I realized that you left us for a very long time. I don't want you to leave me again, especially after I feel like we've just finally been working towards being more than... temporary allies." He barely whispered the last words, his voice carrying the weight of so many piling emotions.

     My jaw dropped open, rendering me speechless.

     Almost immediately a million butterflies erupted from the pit of my stomach, filling my entire soul with a warmth I was trying to banish. He had no idea how long I had longed to hear him say that. He had no idea how much pain it was going to cause me to reject him.

     "I-I... I can't." I dragged a hand down my face, hating, hating, hating myself for every single word. "Please don't do this to me."

     Hurt flashed through his face, an expression that had dented my heart since I first saw it in the Oni Temple years ago. "You can't? Or you won't? Rumi, Morro flat out said it in his letter. You still love me, and I still love y—"

     "I know!" My voice was failing me. Words were failing me. I needed to quit dancing around the truth. "...but I'm already tied to another. I'm the Oni, remember? I'm destined to marry the Light. I'm not... I can't choose you when the fate of the world rests on my marrying the Light. It's not easy knowing I'm going to be trapped in a loveless marriage. I don't need to fantasize about what could have been between us."

     He stared at me for a second, then bit his lip and looked down. His cheeks were flushed again with that color I recognized from long before.

     He was hiding something.

     "That's the thing," Lloyd said after a minute, tearing his hand through his hair, "I'm the Light."

     "What?!"

     "Before you start accusing me of making this up to keep you around... I-I've known this for a while."

     "You've known this for a while?! How long have you known?" I didn't know how to react to his statement. He'd known he was the Light? Why would he hide something so important to my life—scratch that, our lives—from me?

     His voice was barely audible. "My grandfather told me—"

     "You've known since then?" I screeched. "You told me nothing important to the prophecy was said during that meeting."

     "I didn't figure it out until later—"

     "That doesn't excuse it!" I turned away, leaning against the refrigerator for support. "All this time you've known. All this time you've known I was the Oni and you didn't think to tell me. Do you know how long it took me to make peace with the fact I'd probably end up marrying a stranger? Now you're telling me this. Why is everyone always lying to me?"

     I couldn't even look at him; he seemed to be grasping for something to say.

     "I was scared." Lloyd finally murmured. "I didn't know who the Oni was, and I was scared of spending the rest of my life with someone I probably didn't know. If I just didn't tell anyone, then it wouldn't be real. When I found out you were the Oni... I didn't really know how to proceed. I still didn't know if I could trust you." He met my eyes. "But I do now."

     My eyebrows furrowed. "Don't lie to me. I am sick and tired of lies."

     "I'm not lying!"

     "You say you love me. You say you trust me. But you don't. What you feel for me is nothing beyond the emotions of your heart."

     "I thought love is an emotion."

     "Emotions are constantly changing and shifting. You might think you love me now, but what happens in five months when that fuzzy feeling wears off? You don't truly love me. Morro taught me that love is more than the warmth in your heart. It is a bond of loyalty and trust. And you don't trust me."

     "I literally just said—"

     "You'll never fully trust me because you don't understand—" Realization hit me so hard I yelped. "—you don't understand my point of view!"

     Lloyd tilted his head, but I wasn't paying attention to him anymore. I dug through the knapsack I had packed, feeling around for the very important bag of tea, still unused after so many months. I hurried across the little kitchen, grabbing a mug of hot water and emptying the entire bag of Memortea in there. The water swirled and shifted colors until the water became a murky orange. I triumphantly set the mug down in front of Lloyd.

     "Drink it." I ordered. When he hesitated, I added, "You said you trusted me, so trust that I'm not trying to poison you."

     Lloyd met my eyes again, his look full of determination. "I do trust you." He downed the mug in one gulp.

    Suddenly, the world started to get shaky. I remembered Erasmus' instructions at the last minute as the looming effects of the tea started to take over reality. I grabbed Lloyd's hands and pressed his fingers against my temples. I pressed my own fingers against his, drawing our foreheads close enough to touch. Nausea swept through me as the world spun faster and faster, until the effects of the Memortea dragged both Lloyd and I under.

>(<>)<

Lloyd's POV

     Everything was dark. I knew my eyes were squeezed shut, but no matter how much I willed it, they wouldn't open. I wanted to thrash around and break the connection with Harumi simply because I couldn't control this reality. I loathed being trapped in a pitch dark blackness with no way out. The dark stirred an endless stream of memories that didn't want to surface.

    When I tried to move again, my body did not obey.

     I was unmoving, with my eyes still squeezed shut.

     I tried screaming.

     Still nothing.

     What was happening to me?

     I felt my eyelids stir; they started to flicker open. Two figures stood above me, both of them blurry in the half-light. I was so tiny and helpless compared to them. When one of the figures reached down to pick me up, a surge of warmth ignited in my chest. It was an unfamiliar feeling, yet I had known it my whole life. Somewhere through the fog of this new reality I recognized that I loved these two figures whole-heartedly.

     It was strange, this vision. I was apparently in the form of a child and could only think and feel what it did. Every emotion, every cut, scrape, or bruise, every time the child stubbed their toe, I could feel it. In the fog of this vision I could faintly hear my own thoughts racing, but apparently the child couldn't. Often, I'd scream with my whole mind for them to do something, but they wouldn't hear me. It was almost like I was living another life.

     For a long time, the child remained helpless, being fed and clothed by the two figures from before. I recognized them as my parents. It was hard to keep my thoughts racing with the child's simple emotions overpowering my own, so I allowed myself to slide into the mindset of the baby. If this vision really was harmless, then I would return to normal once it was over... right?

     It was during the toddler years that the days started to seem longer. The world sharpened into focus, objects around the small place became more apparent and interesting. As I explored my living area, I felt another core feeling stir. This was my home.

     My 'parents' were two plain figures who filled me with so much warmth I thought I might burst. The father was ginger haired and always smiling. His dimples would light up his bright blue eyes. The mother's dark hair hung naturally curly even when the toddler threw food at it. Sometimes I would get mad at them for making me take naps or eat disgusting baby food. But, underneath the silly emotions of a developing toddler, I truly did love them more than anyone else in the world.

     I learned I was a girl—excuse me, the toddler's eyes I saw life through was a girl. She was a somewhat adorable adolescent, with straight blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Eyes that looked very similar to her father's.

     The days stretched on. This vision wasn't a quick walkthrough of the child's life. I stayed with her through every second of every day. My time as a toddler seemed endless, but before I knew it the girl had started to grow up and the family announced we'd be moving to the big city.

     Life had begun to take an interesting shape. This girl was leaving her friends behind to move into a stuffy apartment. While she was sad to leave behind her old town, as long as she was with her family, she was happy. At this age, life was so much more interesting. She played with dolls, drew various pictures of a familiar looking ninja, and loved to play games with her mother and father. As days passed, one thing became obvious. She was a normal kid with a normal life.

     When her next birthday came, I was overjoyed to add the last ninja doll to her collection. It was a green ninja, like the one that had been spotted hanging out with the others. I was delighted with this doll and treasured it dearly.

     Right as the girl had gotten immersed in her pretend game with the ninja, the apartment building shook. The mother and I held our breaths, but the shaking continued. Through the window, we could see a giant set of scales slithering by the building.

     Only chaos followed this event.

     The parents rushed me to the elevator, only to find it wasn't up yet. They ran to the stairs, only to find those obliterated by the snake. When they returned to the elevator, there wasn't any room left. I was shoved into the elevator, filling it to the brim, as my parents promised they'd be there when I got down.

     They weren't.

     Somewhere in the mess the girl had broken her arm, but I didn't care. The parents were gone. My whole being broke into a thousand pieces of unimaginable pain.

     Everything was numb afterwards. The Emperor and Empress adopted me later, yet I couldn't bring myself to harbor any affection for them. No one would fill the hole the parents left.

     The numbness never faded. The Emperor and Empress' cold attitudes towards the girl's upbringing didn't help the matter, turning grief quickly into rage. The burning pit inside of my soul continued to grow, until I pushed beyond the limits of the palace to recruit a band of bikers. The only desire in my life was bringing back the hero that avenged my parent's deaths. I hated everyone else.

     I spent endless days plotting the master plan of bringing back Garmadon. When a year had passed with little violence troubling the ninja, I knew it was time to execute my plan. I had one of my lead henchmen take a bunch of lower ranks and steal the first Oni mask. I planned for the Ninja to come to the palace to take the second, and that was when I'd eliminate them with the bombs. I'd get rid of the Ninja, the Emperor, the Empress, and anyone else who might trace the source of violence back to me.

     But when the Ninja came, everything started to unravel.

     I had gotten so used to seeing life through the girl's eyes that I forgot I was a being beyond it. When I saw my own face joke and smile with the girl, it was strange sight. It was even stranger to feel what the girl was feeling while I did it. Something was happening inside of the girl that started to twist her vision. She kept me close to her, trying to win my heart yet simultaneously slowly giving hers away.

     I tried to break free of the vision once again. It was getting too weird to see myself falling in love with myself. Somewhere beyond the present vision, I knew what was coming next. I wanted to be free of the pain I knew there was to come. However, the vision held on with a grip of iron, refusing to let me break free.

     I watched myself break as she betrayed me. I felt the triumph of raising Garmadon and taking over the city. She thought she was saving them. Yet, I could also feel the hole in her heart, the hole that no amount of power and false righteousness could fill. She needed an anchor, someone to lean on and call family again.

     Garmadon offered to fill that role, so her purpose was fulfilled. She knew the Ninja were resisting, but it wouldn't be long before the Sons of Garmadon took them all out. It was when the building collapsed that she started to realize she might have been looking at it all wrong. My own green eyes met the girl's, still filled with love even after everything else.

     When the darkness of death filled the girl's being, I had become too curious to try and break free again.

     The adventures that followed were extraordinary. I met Morro, started my path to change, and witnessed friendship and loyalty stronger than any truce. Good allies were a rare commodity; one should hold onto them when they find them.

     I escaped the Departed Realm, met Malevolence, and learned about my destiny to return to Ninjago. During my time in the Cloud Kingdom, I found myself growing incredibly close to the Master of Wind as we continued to live a normal life. When Morro and I finally arrived in Ninjago, I was met with expected coldness. Somehow, the green ninja's coldness made me ache more than I realized.

     We worked started to gain back trust and fought back Malevolence's scheme. I felt the pain of the revelation of being the Oni. I felt the bond between Morro and myself continue to grow until he had filled up the hole in my heart with his friendship.

     Then, it was all ripped away again.

     I realized I needed to hold onto his words, and the words of so many others, and find myself. It was the only way to the girl he believed in. Maybe once I finally let go of my past, I could be at peace with what happened. Maybe then this messy life would finally turn back to the way I had always longed for it to be, simple and quiet.

     The green ninja didn't want me to go. He wanted me to stay, for reasons I both agreed with and wanted to disagree with to spare myself the pain. I decided to show him everything, so he'd understand. Once he saw the reasons, he'd let me go and let me have this peace.

     I gave him the tea and let him drink it. Then, everything faded to black. The darkness was familiar to a mind beyond the girl's; a mind that was slowly coming back to its senses.

     Only then did I feel the effects of the tea stop.

     Only then did I gain full control of my body and mind, suddenly detached from the girl I had lived life through.

>(<>)<

Harumi's POV

     Lloyd stumbled back, falling off the stool and onto the floor. Similarly, I lurched back against the counter, holding my head. It was then that I remembered Erasmus' words.

     Remember this: the more tea leaves you put in the water, the more the person will see. Half the packet should show enough.

    I had given Lloyd the full packet of tea. He hadn't just seen my adventures in the Departed Realm forward. He had seen my entire life. I slowly lifted my eyes and inched to the counter.

     Lloyd was sitting on the floor, massaging his forehead. When his green eyes met mine, something passed between us too deep to understand. He had lived my life. He knew me, body and soul. He knew every emotion that had passed; he knew every inch of the hurt and pain I had endured. He understood me like no other, simply because he had been me.

     Lloyd cautiously got to his feet, trembling about as hard as I was.

    "Do you understand now?" I whispered, not sure what to say.

     He nodded, his eyes never leaving mine.

     The kitchen door slammed open and PIXAL poked her head through. "Harumi? Zane has requested that I inform you that we will be at your destination in about ten minutes. He thought you should know in case you needed to take care of any final arrangements." She disappeared through the door as soon as I half-nodded, heading back to help land the Bounty.

     Lloyd was still staring at me; he was probably recovering from the shock of seeing through my eyes for so long.

     Or... perhaps he was finally seeing me in a new light.

     I had to break the staring to grab my knapsack.

     "I don't think I'll ever fully understand you." Lloyd said lightly, his voice still a bit wobbly. "But, as surprised as I am to admit it, I'm okay with that."

     When I turned back around, he managed to give me a small smile. "I'll be waiting."

     I nodded in thanks, a flicker of a truer love shining in my heart.

>(<>)<

The mountainous region of western Ninjago stretched into the horizon, breaking the rising sunlight into fragments to shine across its rocky plateaus. I stood near the handrail of the Bounty as it began to land, my knapsack fastened to my back and my heart in my throat. Behind me, the ninja gathered on the deck.

     I felt the bump as the Bounty landed, leaving me just steps away from a new life. Yet, I couldn't leave without saying goodbye.

     I turned to see them all spread out, standing in a sort of line across the deck. All of them were hesitant, as if they weren't sure what to say. I started towards the end of the line, where Wu stood next to Jay and Nya.

     I held out my hand to Wu. "Thank you for giving Morro a chance."

     He seemed momentarily confused, but eventually reached out and shook it. "I have seen many changes in my life. You are a truly remarkable person to go from what you were to what you are now. I wish you best of luck on your journey."

     I bowed slightly. "Thank you."

     I faced Jay and Nya next, holding out my hand once again. "Thank you, Jay, for seeing the light in Morro and I even when you had every reason not to. Thank you, Nya, for being so loyal, even to the point where it went against your very nature to hate me."

    They shook my hand and thanked me for my words.

     I went down the line in the same fashion.

     I thanked Cole for staying with Lloyd and me when we were injured, since no one else would. It was his words that continued to give me strength in recovery; it was his steady presence that was honest even when everyone else was ready to lie.

     I thanked Zane and PIXAL for their strength and determination in the face of the Overlord.

     I thanked Seliel for not judging Morro.

     I thanked Kai for giving me a chance and showing me true perseverance.

     I thanked Skylor for showing me what true joy looked like.

     When I got to Lloyd, I held out my hand to him like I had with the others. Lloyd stared at it for a second, then stepped forward and pulled me into an embrace. At first, I was so surprised that I froze up on the spot. After I felt the care in his arms, however, I sank into him whispering the same thing I had told the others.

    "Thank you."

    I had not even realized how much I missed loving gestures. My parents had given them to me for the longest time. The emperor and empress were hesitant to touch me, so I never received love in that way from them. Touch became a rare thing. Morro had provided some love through it, but I had never realized how much it meant until now. I didn't understand the gravity of it until I was embraced by the one person I loved more than myself.

     Now I knew how much love there existed between us. Now I knew that no matter how many pieces I had shattered his heart into, he was mended now. He was fixed. He was ready to fulfil his destiny.

     "For what?" Lloyd asked. His voice was strong, full, whole.

     "For being there for me."

     I pulled away from him to keep things from getting awkward. The strange thing was, I didn't feel conflicted in my heart and my face wasn't flushed. It kind of felt... perfect. I stared at his hands, which were somehow holding mine.

     "I will come back." I quietly promised, lowering my voice so that only he could hear.

     Lloyd squeezed my hands, gently tucking a loose strand of my hair back behind my ear. He gave me a soft, trusting smile before letting go. "I know."

     I walked over to the ladder that had been dropped over the side of the ship, ready to walk out into the unknown. I waved quickly to the Ninja, not wanting to see their expressions over Lloyd's goodbye. The ground was rocky and hard beneath my thin soles; I could feel the hot air from the Bounty's thrusters blasting at my legs. But the ground was steady. I needed steady after so much confliction.

     I trekked down into the flourishing region until the rushing air wasn't all I could hear. Only then did I notice the Ninja were calling out goodbye. Their voices were kind, like they were saying farewell to a friend.

     They cared.

     After everything, they were ready to support me through every step of my journey. We had become more than enemies. We had become more than allies. The Ninja were finally ready to be my friends. The mere thought planted a seed of warmth in my heart. They cared about me; they were something I could forward to seeing again.

     They were something I could hold onto. 

     The range of nature below me was scarce, with a few trees littered here and there. The cool mountain air tickled my skin as I started down. The breezes in the air were playful, almost as if they were greeting my presence. It would be about an hour walk to get down to the village hidden in these mountains. There I could be isolated. There I could be free.

     Free to discover who I was. Free to accept who I'd been. Free to accept who I'm meant to be.

     The Bounty rose off the mountainside, slowly ascending back into the clouds. The Ninja's calls had quieted; they had probably left the deck to start piloting it. Yet, I could still feel eyes on me. And when I turned one last time to look at the past, I saw him.

     Lloyd.

     The boy I had broken. The boy I had fixed. The boy with whom I was meant to be.

     His luminous, hopeful, loving eyes met mine, and he offered one last wave. He mouthed goodbye once more.

     Lloyd.

     I offered a shy wave in return, then turned to move on.

     No more looking back at the painful past. No more plotting, threats, and deception. No more hiding, weakness, or broken pieces. It was time to hold the past and mend it together with my future. It was time to embrace who I was, what happened, and move on. It was time to truly change into the character who would describe my future. The road ahead was rocky, but I still had to hold onto what was left.

     The wind swirled around me, whispering a language I couldn't grasp. In a brief moment of ecstasy, I imagined the breezes had come from Morro. Perhaps this was his way of sending a final goodbye.

     He may have been gone, but I still had his memories to hold onto. He would never truly be gone as long as he remained in my heart. I couldn't help but grin at the playful winds.

     It was almost strange how many things were different now. When this journey started, I was broken. Broken by loneliness and betrayal. I was teetering at the edge of death, scared, regretting, hurt. I was a villain who had gone too far.

     Now, I was held together. I was held together by Morro's memory. I was held together by Lloyd's ever-steady love. I was held together by all those I had learned to forgive. I was standing on a steady mountain with a clear vision of what my future could be. I was not scared of the destiny that once was the very source of my fears.

     I was no longer the Quiet One.

     I was Harumi.

     I was the Oni; I was the future of the prophecy to save Ninjago.

     I had been broken, but I was not scared to change.

     When I let the wind ripple through my hair, I knew I was not falling. I was not forever gone. Not forever forgotten. Not dying, but very alive.

     How things had changed since I was last departed.

End of Part 4.