Without the Sword of Sanctuary, Morro is at a loss for what he should do - the Preeminent's plan never included him losing the sword. The queen herself is losing patience and is starting to regret putting Morro in charge of the mission. Luckily, or maybe unluckily, depending on how one looks at it, Soul Archer is able to contact Ronin and use him as a mole to figure out where the Ninja keeps the sword.

--------------------------

The skiff dragged along the snow, carving a deep incision into the otherwise flawless white blanket.

For Morro, it was only a kaleidoscope of sky and snow and wood. At one point he might've lost consciousness, which he didn't even know was possible because he was a ghost, for starters.

And then the world finally stopped spinning and all he could do was lie on the snow, ignoring the faint stinging sensation as it started to melt and burn away at his skin. He stared up at the sky: bright blue with fluffy clouds drifting past. It was so peaceful, and he wanted to rest.

He closed his eyes. The impact had left him breathless, so to speak, and he thought about how quiet it was. How, with the other ghost generals absent, he was able to let himself connect to his element.

He decided that he was going to lie here. At least until one of the other ghosts found him. He technically could summon them, he had the Allied Armour, but that would take too much energy. The armour was also somewhere in the wreckage that was the skiff, which meant more searching. And he didn't want to drag himself through the snow even more.

He wanted to let his body dissolve into wind, just like he'd done when he first stepped through that portal. He wanted to fly around, free from the restraints that the Preeminent had placed on him. But he couldn't just yet.

He had learned that becoming his pure element was the highest potential any Master could achieve. And he had done it, more or less. It was because the Preeminent had drilled him ruthlessly into training every waking moment of his time spent in the Cursed Realm. It was because he spent any spare time not training honing his wind powers. And the day he managed to travel through the Cursed Palace as a strong gust of wind was the day the Preeminent awarded him with the position as her most trusted general.

The thought of the Preeminent sent his mind reeling. She would be so disappointed if she heard him think these things. She would throw him into a pool of water and then give his position to another ghost who wasn't worthy like he was.

His bubble of peacefulness and silence was harshly shattered by a piercing scream of "MORRO, WHERE ARE YOU?" It was enough to make his head spin even more.

Before he could think of dragging himself up and away, he spotted the familiar green glow of the other ghosts. The first thing he saw was the long, curved bow that Soul Archer always carried; then Bansha's dark red tunic; Wrayth's chain (still pulsing with light and energy).

Morro blinked, his blurry vision finally correcting itself back to normal. He sat up, bracing his head in his hands.

"I am going to hunt those Ninja down," he declared, cracking his neck and wincing as he felt something similar to bones snapping in place beneath his skin. "What happened to them?"

"They took Ghoultar," Archer said. He slung his bow across his back and helped Morro up. "They have him in a Deepstone cell, inlaid with Vengestone."

"How the fuck did they even do that?" Morro grumbled. "Unless they melted the stones--"

"What's next?" Bansha asked impatiently. "Our boat is gone, they have the sword, Ghoultar is gone and--"

"Let me think for a moment," he snapped. Then he remembered to do his "breathing" exercises. "I'll come up with something."

"Is it one of your genius plans?" Wrayth asked. His tone of voice suggested that he was remembering Morro's first plan of impersonating Lloyd to steal the Scroll of Airjitzu.

"No."

Morro ran a hand through his disheveled hair and glared at the boat wreckage. "We fix the boat first," he said after a moment of silent contemplation. "Then we get the sword back."

"How?" Soul Archer floated forward. "And what about Ghoultar--"

"Ghoultar will be fine," Morro said dismissively. He decided to not acknowledge Ghoultar's weakness for food, puffy potstickers in particular. "And Soul, try to contact Ronin again. He still needs to pay off his debt doesn't he?"

"But you said it was paid off when he gave us the scroll--"

"He needs to pay it off, doesn't he?" Morro asked again, his eyes flashing with anger.

Soul Archer quickly backtracked and nodded. "Of course."

"Then it's settled." Morro felt a bit of his energy and motivation come back and he spoke with slightly more purpose than before. "Bansha, Wrayth, start fixing the boat. Archer, try to find a way to contact Ronin. I saw him help the Fire Ninja, he must know about the sword."

"What about you?" Wrayth asked.

Morro swallowed the doubt and uncertainty that was slowly creeping up on him and said, "I'm going to the Cursed Realm." He didn't waver despite his eyes betraying his fear. "It's about time I updated the Preeminent on our mission. Bansha, open a portal for me."

***

Few people in the Sixteen Realms knew of the Preeminent's appearance. Most know her as the monstrous creature with tentacles sprouting from every surface with a giant green oval in the center that served as the eye and entrance to the Realm.

Morro was among the majority. He never met the Preeminent when she wasn't in that slimeball form, as he called it. Nor did he ever not see her entire being shrouded in mist, with only the green eye visible, glowing harshly in the dim lighting.

He knew Soul Archer had seen the Preeminent's "real form". He also knew that when asked, the ghostly archer just said that "she was terrifying" and refused to elaborate anymore.

At least this gave Morro a hint of preparation, however little that may be. He stepped through the portal and muttered thanks to Bansha. She along with the other ghosts wished him luck, which was appreciated since he was going to speak with the most feared entity in the entirety of the Sixteen Realms.

The portal closed behind him with a soft whoosh. He suddenly felt the cold, unfamiliar feeling of dread and fear settling on his shoulders.

:Morro: The Preeminent's smooth, yet slightly disdainful tone of voice was enough to make him stop in his tracks. :How is it that you've met the same unfortunate fate as Wrayth and Soul Archer?:

"I didn't die!" Morro snapped before remembering that he was a ghost and was, in fact, dead. "I mean...I didn't get vaporized by water, if that's what you mean."

:Then why are you here?: The Preeminent's anger felt almost tangible, like it would wrap its tendrils around Morro's neck and strangle him the first chance it gets. :You should be focusing on the mission:

"Yeah..." Morro found himself rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh, we've hit a setback."

:My strongest, most trusted, and feared general: the Preeminent said slowly. :Hit a setback and came running back in search of guidance:

"I'm not--"

:Then spit it out:

"The Ninja have the Sword of Sanctuary," he said. "I...I've failed."

:And what am I supposed to do about it?: The queen's voice drew closer and Morro could see the silhouette of a tall, imposing figure with a sort of crown on their head, walking toward him.

His fear mounted and he remembered what Soul Archer said about the Preeminent's form that virtually no one saw. "She was terrifying" was the Bow Master's exact words.

The first thing Morro saw were panels of flowing, dark green fabric with hints of bright teal flashing whenever light struck it. Then he heard the rattling of chains, the hiss of cloth dragging along the ground, the soft footsteps that made him want to run.

He steeled his nerves and met the queen's eyes. The eyes that glowed with a harsh green light that displayed raw power and authority. They were sunken, the skin around them tight and wrinkled, like life had been sucked from her skin. He imagined that the Preeminent could merely glance at someone and they'd pledge their undying loyalty to her on the spot. Given that she was the Queen of the Cursed, that idea wasn't too far off of what she was capable of doing.

The Preeminent had chains shackled to her wrists. Dark teal and green chains that clicked together every time she moved. They stretched back into the fog, back further into the hazy, wispy smoke that drifted around the throne room. She had more chains draped across her torso, secured at the center with a dark green circle link. A wide belt circled her waist, secured by a green gemstone. Her hair was in long, thick braids with a few wispy strands floating around her head. A few chains also floated around her, as did tendrils of bright and dark green smoke. The crown on her head was a messy, fractured jumble of spiritstone and smoke, like she'd wrenched some part out of a pillar and placed it on her head. Knowing the Preeminent, she probably did just that.

The eyes unnerved Morro enough that he took a step back.

:This is your mission, Morro: the Preeminent said, her voice still soft as ever. :Unless you want to stay here, and I'll give this job to another ghost?:

Her mouth never moved as she spoke. Actually, she had no mouth at all. Instead, there was a ragged, stitched-up scar where the mouth should be. That might be even more terrifying than the glowing eyes.

"No!" Morro cried. "I can do this. I will do this."

:Then what are you still doing here?: The Preeminent bent down so their faces were eye-level, which didn't help Morro's anxiety. Smoke and dust brushed his face, Her voice rose in pitch as she shrieked, :GET BACK TO IT!:

Tendrils of smoke and ash shot toward Morro and he barely managed to roll out of the way and into an alcove. Green flames and teal smoke consumed him as he was transported back to Ninjago.

A portal swirled into existence above the village of Stiix and Morro's eyes bugged as he realized where he was. A scream ripped itself from his throat as he fell from the blue circle, directly toward the calm, glittering oceans below.

***

Bansha waved her hand and shut the portal almost as if she couldn't wait to get rid of it. Just as it closed, she heard a faint rattling of chains and shuddered. That was no doubt the Preeminent and she was glad that she wasn't in the Cursed Realm like Morro was.

"We're not going in there?" Wrayth asked. He was picking through the boat wreckage, tossing broken planks aside. He cheered with delight when he spotted a piece of slightly dented blue armour and put it on. "Wow, the Allied Armour!"

"We're not facing the Queen, we have to fix the boat," Bansha said.

"We're leaving Morro in there alone with her?" Wrayth asked again, clearly worried about his friend. "I got vaporized by water and I didn't even dare step into the Cursed Palace. And you opened a portal straight to the throne room for Morro."

"Accident."

"Sure, keep telling yourself that."

The ghosts floated around, waiting for Morro to maybe appear beside them in a flash of light. He never appeared.

"Yes!" Soul Archer suddenly exclaimed, startling the other two. He quickly composed himself. "Ronin is on Stiix. He says he has information for Morro." He sounded smug, triumphant.

"I'll wait for Ghoultar," Bansha said. "I'll open a doorway when he gets here." She hummed something and a portal swirled open. Wrayth and Soul Archer stepped through and she immediately shut it.

As if the portal closing was a cue, Ghoultar wandered through the trees, a few take-out bags in his hand. He was humming an upbeat song and his walk had a slight bounce to it.

"Blade Master?" he inquired. "Where are other ghosts?" Without stopping, he held out a bag and a delicious scent wafted from the opening. "Puffy potstickers?"

"What?" Bansha's eyes moved from the bag to Ghoultar with confusion. "How did you even--"

The skeletal ghost shrugged, opening a bag and tossing a dumpling in his mouth. "Ninjas give Ghoultar food."

"Excuse me?" Bansha was willing to bet her afterlife and her ethereal blades on the fact that the Ninjas didn't give Ghoultar the food. "The Ninjas hate us. They won't give you food."

"They give Ghoultar food." the older ghost insisted.

"And you took it?" she asked incredulously. "We're ghosts, we don't need food."

Ghoultar didn't answer her and pushed past, disappearing into the fourth portal that Bansha had created that day.

***

[Two hours earlier]

A ball of snow and ice crashed onto the Bounty's deck, promptly exploding and throwing Ghoultar into the mast.

The skeletal ghost sat up, grabbing his rice hat and plopping it on his head as he looked around. It was chaos up on the mountain. He could see explosions of snow and elemental power, as well as feel strong gusts of wind ripping through the air. The Ninja and ghost battle was no longer his concern.

He decided to explore the ship. He'd never been on one before, even in his former life. Or maybe he had, he couldn't remember much except for the Cursed Realm. He'd been the Preeminent's faithful general for so long he lost count of the years.

The ship was painted dark red and had light birch wood flooring. It was simple and the design carried an oriental flair. The rooms had small metal tags on the doors, indicating what was inside. He looked for the kitchen and wasn't disappointed when he found it.

He guessed that one of the Ninja must've also loved cooking, for there were exotic spices, fresh fruits and vegetables of every kind, and an assortment of plates and bowls and pots to use. Without thinking, he grabbed the nearest pan and whatever ingredient he could reach and fiddled with the stove. Unlike the usual fire-heated stoves he remembered using, these had knobs and dials that turned and pointed to numbers ranging from 1 to 10.

Ghoultar lost track of time as he stumbled around the Ninja's kitchen, intending on making the one dish he never got to taste in his former life. The one dish that sent him to the Cursed Realm: puffy potstickers.

It was strange, to make the very dish that had been meant for him to taste, but had been tampered with, resulting in his death. He never got over it. He never forgot the slightly bitter aftertaste as he bit into the dumpling and ended up collapsing onto the ground, spasming and shaking until he fell still. Then he'd woken up in the Cursed Realm, with the Preeminent laughing and cackling beside him. He remembered that she had a plate of potstickers hovering around her and felt some stab of anger as she ate them, clearly trying to rile him up.

Stupid cyanide-laced dumplings.

At least these ones weren't going to be poisoned. And if they were, the poison wouldn't affect him.

"What's going on here?"

He whirled around, crashing into a stack of shiny silver pots.

A bamboo stick was pointed at his face and his eyes (they're really just orbs of light suspended in his sockets) shot up. The Ninja's sensei and an older woman were glaring at him. To the side, a girl wearing a samurai outfit held a long, "S" shaped blade in her hands.

"Hello?" he said almost hesitantly.

"The ghost is cooking," the girl said almost as if she couldn't believe it herself. "Why is the ghost cooking? He's a skeleton."

He wasn't sure why they were glaring at him. He hadn't done anything to them, it was mostly Morro. He was only cooking. Just as he was about to voice this fact, something collided with the back of his skull and he fell face-first onto the floor.

He could feel himself being dragged. To where, he didn't know. He just wanted the ringing in his skull to stop. Then he was thrown, his body colliding against something solid: deepstone.

"What is Morro planning?" the girl asked angrily. She shoved a hand close to the cage and a sphere of water appeared, burbling and spinning.

"Ghoultar don't know!" the ghost said, turning his back on the three people staring at him. In truth, he did know a bit, but Morro disclosed very little, as did the Preeminent. It was mostly about the Realm Crystal, and those three clues that Bansha had been deciphering.

"Really?" the girl stepped even closer and growled angrily. "We know he wants the Realm Crystal, so why not start with that?"

"Ghoultar not know the Realm Crystal," he said, and it was true. "Ghoultar no talk from now." Then he clasped his hand over his mouth. "Uh...oops, Ghoultar talked."

The Ninja's sensei, the woman, and the girl exchanged glances.

"I'm gonna go," she said, leaving the room and disappearing.

"What's he planning?" the sensei asked. He seemed more calm and patient, though that could easily be a ruse. "What does my former student want?"

"Morro said he's the student of no one," Ghoultar said. "He only follows the Preeminent--" The glowing orbs that were his eyes widened and again, he clamped a hand over his mouth. "Oops."

"The Preeminent?" the woman asked. Then she held out a plate that contained the golden-fried dumplings that Ghoultar was trying to make earlier. Only these were perfectly cooked, probably also seasoned to perfection, he could tell. "Tell us, and we can give you these--"

"What does Ninja want to know?" the skeleton asked almost immediately. He wanted those puffy potstickers. There was even the sweet and savoury sauce that usually accompanied the dish and--

"Sensei Wu! Misako!" The girl had run back in, out of breath and eyes wide with happiness. "They're back! They have the sword!"

Sensei Wu and Misako had run from Ghoultar's cell, dropping everything, including the keys.

It took a bit of maneuvering, but he managed to snatch up the keys. The lock clicked and the door swung open. "Ghoultar is free!" he cheered before remembering that he had to be quiet.

He was about to leave, but he couldn't just leave all that food there. Not when he probably prepared some of them. Straightening his rice hat, he gathered as much of the food as he possibly could and dropped it all into take out bags from a restaurant named Master Chen's Noodle House. He committed the name to memory. After the Preeminent seizes control of Ninjago and the Sixteen Realms, he was going to go there for a celebratory dinner.

***

Soul Archer took in the interior of Ronin's pawn shop, floating around and occasionally picking up things that he thought were interesting. There were few things that really caught his interest.

Ronin was nowhere to be seen, as expected of the man.

Coward, Archer thought. Even when I met him before, he always took the easy way out.

He turned to the other generals, who were busy with redecorating the building to fit their tastes more. And by decoration, it was really just Wrayth and Bansha hanging up pieces of torn green cloth, putting up lanterns and candles, and even building a throne to mimic that of the Preeminent's. It seemed like his friends missed their home, if they could call the Cursed Realm their home.

"This village is built on water," Bansha said with a hint of uncertainty. "If these supports crumble, we'll all die." Her eyes fixed onto Archer's quiver, now fully restocked with arrows he'd stolen from the shop. "Can your arrows do something?"

He nodded and stepped outside, taking care to not be seen. With practiced confidence, he drew an arrow from his quiver and fitted it to the bowstring. Raising it at a forty five degree angle, he let go. A faint scream could be heard as the arrow thudded into a Welcome to Stiix sign in the far distance. Even from his position, he could see the arrow's power leaching into the wood, turning everything a ghostly green. To his surprise, not a single one of Stiix's villagers noticed anything bizarre.

"The village has the power from my arrows infused within the wood," he announced as he stepped into the building once more. "It's safer than before."

"Good," Bansha said. "We just have to wait for Morro--"

A loud scream could be heard from outside, followed by "CURSED REALM, WHY?" Then there was silence and--

A splash was heard, as was someone shrieking. There was also some barely audible hissing.

Wrayth, recognizing the voice, immediately phased through the walls. He came back with Morro, shivering and trembling, fear showing clearly in his eyes. The Wind Master was holding onto his arm like he was in pain.

"Morro is back," Wrayth said, pushing the leader forward. "He almost fell into the water."

"I know that Wrayth." Morro spotted the makeshift throne in the corner and made a beeline toward it. He sat down, one leg crossed over the other while his arms rested casually on that of the throne. He leaned back. It was like this chair had given him his energy and a sense of arrogant pride back. "This is nice. Bansha, where's the boat?"

Her mouth dropped open and she glared at him. "I opened four portals today, and now you're asking about the boat?" she snapped. "The boat is ruined. It's broken beyond repair. Just get a new one."

"Portals are your thing though, so they should be easy to conjure up."

"No, you stupid, thickheaded child," Bansha shot back. "Singing is my thing, just like yours is the wind powers and Wrayth's is his chemical obsession."

"Ghoultar found a boat."

The other four generals turned and spotted Goultar waving at them. He must've slipped out without anyone noticing.

The boat was larger than the skiff, which made sense as they were in a village built entirely on water. It was long, slim, and had a tall mast with a billowing sail. It was dark green and purple, with bright yellow accents along the hull. Ghoultar was standing at the bow, his rice hat placed over a torn and slightly flattened captain's hat. He was clearly proud of himself.

"It's a nice boat, yes?" he asked, waiting for the others' reactions.

"It's...good," Morro said, not used to giving compliments. Though secretly, he was impressed with the scale, design and size of the boat. He'll admit that Ghoultar had an eye for these things. That, and food.

"Celebrate?" Ghoultar asked again. His eyes shone, quite literally, as he imagined a celebration with delicious food that was not poisoned. The daydream was shattered by Soul Archer asking "Why would we celebrate getting a boat?"

"Because Ghoultar has food."

Archer raised an eyebrow, exchanging glances with Wrayth. That certainly explained why Ghoultar was late. He probably ran all the way to Master Chen's Noodle House and back, if those take out bags said anything.

"But we're ghosts," Wrayth said, confused.

"That's exactly what I said," Bansha added. "We don't need food, we--"

"Ghoultar also has something that the Ninja called bubble tea." It seemed like he was determined to let Morro give everyone a break, which was nicely appreciated.

Even Morro himself perked up at the mention of bubble tea. He remembered how, if he was particularly well behaved, or if he or any other student managed to successfully complete a martial arts routine, Sensei Wu would treat them to bubble tea.

"I suppose we could take a break," he said begrudgingly. He didn't mention how he wanted the bubble tea. "The Ninja don't know we're here, so we could take this moment to relax for a bit."

When they returned to the shop, they found Ronin whistling cheerfully as he stood behind the counter, rummaging through whatever it was he had back there.

"Never mind the break," Morro said upon seeing Ronin. "Soul, you said he had information?"

"Ye--"

"Ronin get over here." Morro practically dragged the man into the circle of ghosts. "So? What information do you have?"

For a moment, Ronin looked like he wanted to say something else. Wrayth started to examine his chain, letting his weapon glow with a soft light. Bansha also cleared her throat, as if she wanted to prepare herself for singing. The mercenary evidently went with the path that would keep him the safest. That is, he told Morro what the Ninja had discovered.

"The ninja have figured out the last clue," Ronin said. "The skull represents the tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master. The Sword of Sanctuary can reveal that location on a map of Ninjago."

"And do you have the sword?" he asked. "You do realize that if you give me the sword, your debt to Soul Archer would be paid off and he'd remove the curse on your soul."

From the side, Archer mumbled something about how the debt was already paid off when Ronin unwillingly provided them with the Scroll of Airjitzu. Morro purposely ignored him and continued to glare at Ronin.

"I...don't have the sword." Ronin muttered. "I don't know where the Ninja keeps it--"

"I don't care how you do it, but GET ME THE SWORD!" Morro snapped, his patience finally snapping. A gale tore through the shop as if to prove his point.

Ronin didn't hesitate to scramble to his feet and bolt out of his shop.

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wooo another chapter yay!  Read below for some of my thoughts while writing:

Morro being able to dissolve his body into wind: more lore for ninjago bc we don't get any explanations for some things like the nya becomes the ocean thing. like can everyone do it? in my story, yes they can, it's just hard

Also human Preeminent? yes pls
*screeches of excitement and stuff*
*AHAHAHAHHA THIS WAS SO FUN TO WRITE! PREEMINENT HEADCANON YESSSSS*
I will be posting some art of the human Preeminent once I'm done drawing it

also hc that ghoultar is actually a food critic or maybe a chef, but he died of poisoning (ahem someone tried to murder him and then hide the body). idea that puffy potstickers were the last thing he had, which is why he was so keen on eating them in the

Btw, this is what I headcanon the Preeminent's human form to be like. Drawing done by me.