Cole dashed from door to door down one side of the decrepit hallway while Morro trailed more slowly down the other. Even though Cole wasn't sure where they could find Yang, he was ready to search every room in the temple until they did.

Where exactly would one perform a ceremony to return to the living realm? Cole asked himself. Now that he thought about it, it actually sounded more like a basement sort of thing. But that couldn't be right, because he had already seen Sensei Yang come upstairs . . .

Cole threw open another set of doors and was elated when he saw a handful of Yang's students before realizing that the sensei himself was nowhere to be seen.

At first, they appeared to be just as stunned as Cole, which was the most emotion he'd seen from them all night.

"Heyyy . . . So any chance you want to tell me where Yang is opening the rift?"

The ghosts drew their weapons.

"So that's a no?" Cole held up his restricted hands, trying to think of another way to stall when Morro appeared behind him.

"Great, let's just invite the whole temple, why don't we?" He yanked on the back of Cole's gi and slammed the door shut.

"Okay, so next time I'll be a little more – Whoa!" A ghost leapt at them through the door, hacking and slashing. Cole ducked, but stumbled backwards into Morro. They both hit the ground as more ghosts charged from the room.

"Watch where you're going!" Morro shoved him off and stood to face Yang's students as they emerged through the door.

"Forget them, let's just go!" Cole said. He cast a glance down the hall, hoping they could make a break for it. But then, he thought, Yang's students knew the temple better than they did, so how far would they get?

"You can run, but I'm going to fight!" Morro said.

"We're still handcuffed, we can't take them all on! There's no time!"

Morro ignored him. When the first ghost swung, Morro ducked beneath the sword and maneuvered around them. He ripped the staff from another ghost's hands and smacked them over the head with it before sweeping the first one off its feet.

Cole gave in and, whipping into a tornado of Spinjitzu, he caught the last two by surprise. He threw them into the wall and they fell to the ground, unconscious. At least when they were holding weapons, they were easier to fight, since they couldn't disappear on him as easily.

Morro bent down and traded the staff for the sword. "Hold your hands out."

"Why?" Cole did as he said but shrank back when Morro lifted the sword over his head. A sharp swing brought it slicing clean through the chain linking Cole's cuffs.

Cole marveled at his hands. The thin metal around his wrists would still cut off his powers, but at least now he had his mobility back. "Huh. I think I may have underestimated you, Morro."

Instead of taking the compliment like a normal person, Morro muttered, "Wouldn't be the first time." He handed the sword over.

Cole lifted it high. "Whatever. I just think that bringing you along was one of the better decisions I've made all night."

Once Morro's hands were freed – well, free-er – he swung his arms to loosen them up. The chain rattled on his cuffs. "Glad someone's happy."

Cole was about the set out again in search of Yang, but then he heard the ghosts voice from afar.

"Hurry up!" the old sensei was saying. "I haven't got three thousand years!"

"There he is!" Cole pointed to the opposite end of the hall, to a staircase that led to the upper levels of the temple. Yang's ghostly figure was just drifting around the corner.

Morro sprinted in that direction, but Cole called him back. "Hang on! I know where he's going! I've got a faster way.

Cole had seen the little archway built into the side of the wall the first time they passed by it. He jogged back to where it was and knelt to the floor, lifting the door to reveal the dumbwaiter cart inside. "C'mon, this leads straight to the top floor."

Cole crawled inside, but Morro lingered. "Yeah . . . I'll just take the stairs."

"You won't catch up that way! This is faster."

"Are you kidding? There isn't any room!"

"Sure there is, me and the guys all crammed in her last time, now get your ghostly butt in here."

Morro scowled and Cole expected him to take off, but instead he just grumbled as he hunkered in next to Cole. Pulling on the rope, Cole started to draw them up. It wasn't so bad. At least it was better with two people instead of four.

"Can't you go any faster?" Morro whined.

"It might if you helped," Cole shot back.

Morro took the rope and helped him pull. "What's the plan when we get up there?"

"Dunno. I'm winging it. Usually when I'm with the others, it's kind of hit or miss as to whether we have a plan or not. A lot of the time we follow Lloyd. But I started out the night with no idea how it would go, I might as well end it the same way."

"I don't know how I let you buffoons beat me," Morro grumbled. "Everything I've seen from you tonight just proves that I should have won."

"Don't take it too hard. We've fought loads of bad guys, and they all had good plans, but every one of them failed in the end. But you'll always be a stand-out villain to me. I'll always remember you as the whiniest villain we've ever fought."

Morro grit his teeth and gave the rope another sharp tug. "I'd gladly send you through that rift just so I can properly kill you myself."

"Tough talk for someone who just admitted to defeat." Cole was saved from having to hear another bitter reply when the cart thunked against the top of the shaft. They both moved to get out at the same time, which didn't work too well. Cole rammed into Morro's shoulder, and Morro shoved him away.

"Hold on –"

"I was getting out first!"

"Well I already opened the door!"

They ended up falling out of the dumbwaiter, landing in a heap on the dusty floor. Morro rolled over with an exasperated sigh.

"If it weren't for these stupid cuffs, I could have just phased through you. But you couldn't wait for one second – "

Admittedly, Cole wouldn't have thought of phasing even if the vengestone wasn't blocking their powers. He wasn't like Morro, he'd only had a few months to get used to his new abilities, and sometimes he still forgot what half of them were.

Cole pushed himself up and picked up his sword. "Let's just get this show on the road." He planned on peeking around the corner just to assess what lie ahead. But when he looked, a handful of ghosts were already headed straight for them!

Cole jumped back. "Heads up! More incoming!"

Morro seized his sword and ran out to meet them. His blade clanged as it met with those of Yang's students. Cole was right behind him, pushing forward with sharp blows. Morro bowled through a handful and Cole somersaulted over their heads. He disarmed another ghost, taking their sword so that he held one in each hand.

"I'm coming for you, Yang!" Cole had made it to the end of the hall, and he scrambled up the ladder to the attic. Inside, the wood glowed green under the light from a single window. Yang was there, waiting, Yin Blade in hand.

"It's over!" Cole said, holding both swords out. "You don't have any more students. You're all alone!"

"Oh, I am not alone," Yang said with a smile. "Not at all!"

Out of nowhere, a dozen more ghosts appeared. They seemed to leap out of the woodwork, from behind every pile of junk that had been crammed into that stuffy attic. Morro Airjitzu-ed in just in time for them both to be surrounded. Yang didn't appear to have any shortage of minions. But Cole had no shortage of determination, either.

By the light outside, he knew that the eclipse had arrived in full, and so had Yang's big opportunity. It would be over soon, and so would the nightmare. But not if they didn't stop him in time. All they had to do was hold out a little longer and keep him away from the eclipse until it passed.

Easier said than done.