It was hard to watch the heart monitor, so I turned my attention to Morro's peaceful face. He looked as if he were only sleeping, even though the coma had lasted weeks. His physical wounds were almost completely healed. However, he wouldn't wake up. While I had been confident in the spirits' words when I first heard them, it was hard to believe them now.

     We had all been picked up only hours after the spirits left, and Morro and Shade were placed in the care of the finest hospital in Ninjago City when we arrived there. I should have been looking at the colorful and strangely technological city with wonder, but I found I couldn't look at it at all.

     There had only been a few hours where the hospital's staff forced me to leave the twins' sides, and those hours had been the longest in my life. During those times I sat with Lloyd and Harumi in the hospital's waiting rooms, the knowledge of where I was slowly sinking in. I was in Ninjago City. It was like a completely different country compared to Shadow Bay.

      What made everything worse was the fact that my linguistic understanding had been impaired. It hadn't stuck me as hard when we were with the spirits (their supernatural presence must have allowed for me to understand the conversations wherein, no matter the language), but as time passed after having my powers taken away, understanding other people became more tumultuous. While before I could easily translate and speak Ninjargon, even trying to form sentences was turning out to be extremely difficult. There were even times when I couldn't understand what Lloyd and Harumi were saying to me.

     Still, I spent as much time as I could sitting with the comatose boys. Both of them had at least two broken ribs, several flesh wounds, and Morro had come severely close to puncturing a lung. The worst part was their ever-peaceful comas, which didn't seem to end even when the doctors assured us the boys' wounds were on excellent tracks for healing.

     Shade was the first to wake, about a week after being transported to the hospital. He simply opened his eyes mid-morning and murmured that he was too hot. Harumi, who had been sitting by him at the time, knocked over several vials of medicine as she scrambled to get a wet towel. The strangest part was that Shade wasn't anywhere near running a fever.

     It didn't take long for him to form coherent sentences, and he bore the fervent questions about the final battle with ease. The only detail he refused to relive was who ended up killing the Overlord. He asked about Morro a lot.

     One day while Harumi and Lloyd were out (the doctors had shooed them away so they could finally get a bath and some sleep), Shade addressed me without any ire in his voice.

     "I think I... apology..."

     "I don't understand you," I pointed to my throat, though I wasn't sure how much that helped. Shade was unconscious during the removal of everyone's elemental powers, and I wasn't sure if anyone had mentioned that to him yet.

     He tilted his head in confusion.

     "Language... doesn't work..." I finally said, hoping my simple words conveyed the message.

     He repeated them to himself before closing his striking blue-green eyes. "Is that why I'm always warm now?"

      I nodded. Blonde hair tumbled over my shoulders; I had been so wrapped up in sitting with the sick boys that I hadn't tied it back up yet.

     "Hmm," Shade thought to himself. He winced as he sat up on his bed, studying the IV attached to his arm. "I'm sorry."

     I could no longer tell if he meant it. So, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. "It's okay."

     "No," Shade struggled to put his thoughts into simpler words, "I was mean, unfairly. I... put my hurt on you. You didn't deserve it. I... hope... I hope you make him happy."

     I met his eyes, still looking for a translation I wasn't going to get. My elemental powers were gone. Understanding his intentions would never come as easily as it had. However, I could see the softening of his face, the true regret in his eyes. I nodded at him, grateful for his words.

     Shade nodded too. A soft smile crossed his face.

      The doctors didn't want Shade moving while his ribs were still healing, so he spent most of his time laying on the hospital bed, watching the box on the wall people called a 'television', or staring at a blank wall. He allowed his friends to visit him every now and then, but Harumi was giving him some requested space. The only times he left the room were when the doctors rolled him out to perform surgeries. They wanted to figure out why he had been in the coma for so long, and if there was something in his blood that would give them the key to waking up Morro. They tried a lot of experiments on Morro too, but none of them ever worked. Days started to slip by as easily as water through a spoodle, and Morro never awoke.

      The doctors allowed all of us to stay in a set of apartments nearby, designed to house families of sick patients. Lloyd, Harumi, and the others slept there. I found myself not being able to sleep. I would wander to the hospital a lot, so much so that the room attendants didn't complain when I asked to watch the brothers in the dead of night. It was routine for me to leave in the evening, then return to the room around three in the morning. I was used to getting up early when it came to fishing anyway.

     I didn't exactly admire the hospital room. It was cold and small, with blank white walls and a single television that I was told was too small to impress. The medical tools appeared more like a tangled web of wires stuck to metal poles. It was a very unfamiliar environment, and I often wondered if anyone went insane having to stare at the sensory-depriving walls for long periods of time.

      My favorite part of the room, however, was the wide window that overlooked the rest of the city. I would sit in between the window and Morro's bed, watching the tiny flecks of cars move across the vast roads. Lights would come on in the skyscrapers' windows, then flicker back to black when the residents left for work or their homes. It was a world so different from the one I had known.

     Morro, as always, was still. Shade was snoring (he normally didn't wake up until around six-thirty), so I was basically alone. I didn't know the date nor time. It had just been too long since I had seen Morro's eyes open.

      This realm is finally at peace. Do you think I would not have the heroes of it live to see what beautiful world they created?

      The heroes were alive, yes, but one was far, far away.

      When will you come back? I wondered silently. Hesitantly, I reached out to touch his limp hand. It was cold. Morro was always cold now. Will you ever wake up?

      There was a lonely ache in my chest, one I kept refusing to acknowledge. I missed my family, yes, but perhaps it was finally time to admit I missed Morro more.

     I was once told the greatest love is to lay down one's life for one's friend. Does that mean I'm in love with you?

     I had known, so clearly in that moment, that he was in love with me. He had denied it in himself for a while because he was ignorant of it. He believed he wasn't good enough to love someone. He believed they could never love him back. I knew all of this, and I kept quiet. It was bad enough I had begun to see him as a companion. We didn't need to handle anything else.

     Yet, when I thought about it, Morro was the one who I told my secret to. I hadn't even told my own siblings, and I told a stranger.

     Tell Morro I'm sorry.

     I trusted Morro. He was the first one that came to mind when I was being led away to die, he was the one who came back to rescue me, he was the one who would have rather died than leave me alone. He loved me and I...

      I...

      Tears welled up in my eyes. It wasn't fair, this cruel world. Why did the prophecy choose me? Why must I bear this pain? I didn't have a choice. It was selfish of me to think that I could choose Morro in some way, since in doing so I'd be dooming the Ninja's mechanical friend to stay in Shadow Bay forever. And I'd lead my family to believe that I was dead. I couldn't do that to them.

     Once Morro woke up, I would demand to be returned to Shadow Bay, and I'd labor to forget about him. Perhaps I could convince him to forget about me.

     If Morro woke up.

     What if he was destined to lay here for a very long time? What if his eyes never opened, and years down the line, he finally peacefully passed away? What if he woke up after I left, and I'd never get to be honest with him again?

     I hated touching people; I really did. It made my skin crawl and my brain shudder. But Morro was different. Morro was always different. I entwined our fingers, wondering what it would have been like in a different situation, a different world. Maybe in that place I could be free to choose my own path.

      That place didn't exist.

      It wouldn't ever exist, and I needed to stop mourning over it. I needed to stand up and walk away before my heart shattered any more. But I was frozen, frozen with my hands still entwined with Morro's, frozen with my heart still beating for him and only him.

     "You once asked me if you were in love with me," I murmured gently, squeezing my eyes shut so I wouldn't cry. "I think you were asking the wrong question. You should have stayed away, Morro. I should have tried harder to... to push you away."

      He didn't respond.

      I reached up to cup his cold cheek, my fingers brushing up against the stubble he'd acquired. His face flashed gently with light, a simple pattern that seemed too exact for a cloud covering up the sunrise. I froze, immediately looking around for spirits, but finding none.

     That's when I caught sight of myself in the window's reflection.

     My eyes were glowing.

     Just like the Songdragons.

     It hit me that while my elemental power had been taken away, my Songdragon half never had. I was still genetically linked to them. And the Songdragons... they could perform magic. They had the power to heal. If I was part Songdragon, then perhaps I could heal as well.

     Desperately, I turned back to Morro, trying to recall how the dragons did it. I remembered their voices, chanting a simple song. The queen, Silvari, had brushed her head against Morro, singing gently until his eyes opened. My hand returned to Morro's cheek, his stone-cold cheek.

     This would look ridiculous, but if it worked, then I might be the luckiest person alive.

      I started out softly, only murmuring the notes. I did not know the lyrics, and my voice was already weakening from strain. It even cracked a few times. I began to sing whatever came to mind, lyrics that spoke of the birds in the mountains, the creatures beneath the lakes, and the healing power of song.

     "Come back to those you love," I wept, continuing until my voice started to dry out. "Come back to me."

     And Morro stirred.

     "Shade, Harumi, Lloyd, Kai, Aureole, Peak, Storm, Carmen," I tried to list who I could remember. "Come back to them. Come back to your family."

     He was still. I could feel the light in my eyes dying. I didn't have much time left until my weak magic ran out. Shaking, I pressed my forehead to his limp hand.

     "Come back to me, Morro. I love you."

      The music in my voice faded, and the magic in the air vanished with it. Only silence followed, a failed attempt. I felt a hole in my chest open up. Grief I didn't realize I carried poured through, causing my nose to run and my eyes to water. I had said the words. I knew I meant them, but saying them meant acknowledging them. It meant acknowledging the one thing I shouldn't do but had chosen to do regardless. I was a terrible, terrible person.

     Morro's fingers twitched under mine.

     "Nors?" his voice cracked. His eyelids fluttered open.

     I flung my arms around him, burying my face in his neck. I could only respond in sobs. He was alive. Morro was alive. He had come back to me.

     Morro groaned from beneath me. I instantly thought I was probably causing him an extreme amount of pain, and started to back up, but his hands were suddenly at my face. He tucked a strand of hair behind my pointed ears, his passive face stretching into a soft smile.

      "Nors," he murmured again.

      I must have been dead to my boundaries because I let him cup my face. He had just come out of a coma after all, and he probably needed something to hold onto. I wove my fingers into his, trying to warm them up the best I could.

     "I love you very much," I whispered when our eyes met.

     He smiled, an adulating look on his face, then frowned. He guided me back to a sitting position (trying to hide his wincing) and studied me with squinted eyes.

     "Nors, I can't understand you," he said. His voice was slightly slurred from sleep.

     It occurred to me that I had been singing/pleading in my native language since my Ninjargon was faulty. I wiped my eyes, struggling to find the right translations. "My language is bad."

     "Huh?"

     I pointed to my throat as I attempted to stifle the earlier tears. He stared at me for a good minute before that light in his eyes brightened with understanding. He may have been slow from his coma, but Morro was always a smart learner.

     "Is that... cold?" he asked. When I tilted my head in confusion, he tried again. "I am cold."

     "Yes."

      He nodded, wincing as he moved his unused limbs. I took his hand again, hoping to provide comfort.

     "Everyone...?"

     "They are fine. Shade is healing. Everyone is doing well." I attempted to guess his questions.

     "Where are we?"

     "Ninjago City. Um... we are at a hospital. You were asleep."

     "How long?"

     "Weeks."

     He paused. "The Overlord?"

     "Dead."

     "We won?"

     "Yes," I said, feeling my cheeks flush as he weakly cheered. His fingers tightened in mine.

     "I love you, Nors." He was staring at me with that adulating look again. Perhaps his thoughts were in a different time, when he first accepted the words and created a force field to save us both. Or maybe he was thinking of just now, when he had awoken from his coma to see me saying the very same thing.

     I had to return to Shadow Bay. I shouldn't be here.

     He saw the shift in my expression and his brows furrowed. "No?"

     "My family," I weakly protested.

     "Until then?"

     "Why purposely... hurt yourself?" I closed my eyes. His fingers began tracing circles into the back of my hand. What good would it do to accept his love if I only had to give it up in a few weeks? It would be a stupid decision that would end up with both of us being hurt.

     "Memories," Morro said. "For the rest of our lives."

     I squeezed my eyes, trying to block out the painful future. Returning to my family seemed so unappealing in the moment. I'd go back to them, and then I'd live out the rest of my restricting life in Shadow Bay: fishing, getting married, and training a family unit to take my place. Morro would become nothing but a faded memory, the one good thing I encountered on my journey to fulfil a prophecy.

      "You will be hurt," I told him.

     "You are worth it."

     Despite myself, I couldn't help grinning at that. Only my sweet, compassionate Morro would agree to do such a stupid thing. Maybe he did care if I had to leave in a few weeks. Maybe he did, but he was only thinking of the memories I'd carry. I knew, simply from the knowledge that he was willing to die beside me, that if I chose to do this, my next weeks would be nothing but bliss. I adored this boy. I didn't want to let him go.

     Morro waited, judging me silently. He wasn't going to push further. He never did.

     I opened his palm in my hands, tracing faint outlines of scars and skin creases. And Morro watched with infinite patience, awaiting my answer. We locked eyes once more, his blue-green ones softening when he noticed my resolve.

     I gently lifted his hand and pressed a kiss against his palm.

     "It seems we have a deal," I said.

It was hard to believe everything was over. Just days after I'd woken up from my coma, Peak and his family had visited me in the hospital. I was surprised to see Uncle Cole and the triplets gathering around my bedside, that was, until I saw Peak.

     The young boy had a farewell in his gaze. He had wished me goodbye and had left with the rest of his family by the end of the day. Mother said they had duties to fulfil as a family, and they couldn't afford to spend all their time cooped up in a hospital. Peak had recovered, and would continue to visit us whenever he could, but right now he had to help Uncle Cole start getting the triplets ready for another year of school.

     School.

     It was hard to think about something as normal as school after being psychologically tortured by the manifestation of darkness.

      I had a lot of things to think about sitting in my hospital bed. It didn't take long for the trauma of the battle to set in, though I did many things to try and desperately avoid it. Most days I would stare religiously at the television screen, willing the dull news to block out the echoes of the Overlord's voice in my head.

      Think about the weather forecast, I told myself constantly, the weather forecast doesn't scream or snap or... or kill.

      The world was a hot and sticky place. When I closed my eyes, the most potent source of my fear was the man who had slumped dead under my snap. I had meant to kill him; that was the worst part.

      I had sworn to never kill another soul, yet that man was dead.

      I didn't even know his name.

      "Krux," Mother finally said after I asked her. "His name was Krux. He was Acronix's twin brother and one of the Time Twins."

      I had felt many things towards my mother over the past few weeks. I was still wary of her dark past, and at some point had rejected the idea of forgiving her altogether. Yet, when I woke up and saw her at my bedside, with an aching tiredness in her eyes and a wet cloth at my forehead, my opinion changed once again.

      "He was a wicked person who tried to take over Ninjago many times. You shouldn't feel bad about his death. He had it coming," Mother rested her elbows on her knees, staring at the bedsheets like they were the most interesting thing in the world. Her voice was thick with memories she didn't want to relive.

     "I still killed him." The words clogged up my throat. "He had a family, people who loved him—"

     "You killed him to save my life. That's noble, Shade, not evil."

     "But—"

     "Would you rather he lived, and I died?" Mother's voice snapped.

     I tensed at her tone, and then we both realized what had just been said. I closed my eyes again, trying not to let my silence let on more than I intended. I didn't want to have killed, but I didn't want my mother dead either. It was too hard of an ultimatum. I could almost hear the Overlord's cackles in the thickening quiet, taunting me for weakness.

     Mother touched the back of my wrist. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said that."

     I swallowed back many retorts and attempted to focus on the present. Mother had stayed with me throughout my coma, giving constant support even though she knew I was distant. That was an unconditional love, a love I couldn't just put away. Perhaps Mother was a terrible person in the past. Perhaps signs of that past still slipped through to haunt her present. But perhaps I could accept that she wasn't that person now, or at least that she was fighting to be better. No one was perfect, after all.

      In my heart I knew I hadn't forgiven her just yet. I still needed time to dwell on the subject, to process it, and to accept it. I couldn't ignore the fact she'd lied to me about myself my entire life, then covered up everything bad about her past. She'd still done so many wrong things. But I was trying to forgive her. I truly wanted to, because she was my mother, and I loved her.

      "Mother," I said quietly, meeting her melancholy eyes. "I... I'm working on... forgiving you."

      She didn't say anything for a moment, she just studied my face. After a second she whispered, "Thank you."

      We sat in silence like that for a while, listening to the clock tick and the heart rate monitors beep. It was close to midnight when Mother stood up.

      "I'm going to guess you need some space." She waited until I nodded to continue. "I'll check in every now and then, but do some thinking, okay? Sometimes the first step to forgiving others is forgiving yourself."

     She kissed my forehead and left the room, leaving me alone with my comatose brother.

      I stayed like that for a while, lying in bed while Morro slept on. Nori was the only one who stayed with us for prolonged periods of time, though she did spend most of it tending to Morro. There was a careful dedication in her movements, along with a patience that outdid anyone I'd ever seen. She was silent with her work, never complaining, even when that 'work' required her to sit by his bedside and wait until the sun rose and fell.

      I recognized the unconditional love in her as well. She truly did care about my brother.

      It was hard for me to watch her. I kept being reminded of Zane. His intelligence and mechanical know-how would have been so useful during several points in our journey, yet we got stuck with a girl who was too timid to learn how to fight properly. It made me angry to see her instead of Zane, and I knew I had taken my bitterness too far. She probably hated me now.

      I couldn't stay mad at her after watching her care for Morro. As much as it pained me to say it, it seemed like my brother had beat me to a good match. They would be happy together. I was at least sure of that.

      So, I worked on forgiving Nori as well. I apologized to her, and she accepted it with as much grace as she could give.

      I remembered waking up one morning to a cracked set of vocals. Nori was attempting to sing to my brother, but it was a futile attempt since she was crying so hard. I turned away from the private moment, closing my eyes to block out her pain. The next thing I recalled was waking up to the doctors' ruckus as they swarmed Morro's bed. Nori was smiling, a grin that stretched across her entire face.

     Morro was awake.

     There was a silent agreement between us to keep the details of the final battle quiet, though I suspected that was mostly because neither of us wanted to relive the memories. Days in the hospital slipped by quickly at that point. All that was left for us to do was wait until our bones had sealed back up.

     Nori and Morro spent their days in an endless conversation. Since Nori had lost her elemental power, Morro worked hard to reteach her Ninjargon. They practiced all day, murmuring amongst themselves like no one else was in the room. I watched them (it was more distracting than weather reports in the news) and found there was a subtle ache in my heart.

     They made it look so effortless. All you had to do was put them in a room together and both of them would start smiling and conversing. Even the times they weren't talking they were reading together, or simply giving their presence to one another while their minds were lost in thought. Morro was happier than I'd ever seen him. I hated to admit it, but I was jealous of that.

      My entire life girls had fawned over me for every shallow reason they could find. No one had ever cared about what I was like under the reputation I held. Seeing my brother with someone who didn't care about his reputation or feats caused a familiar darkness to swell. I wanted someone to love me for me as well.

     The world was strangely normal when we were finally released from the hospital. Since the Bounty was shattered/disintegrated at the bottom of the ocean, Mother and Father rented a large minivan to pack everyone around in. There was a long trip (mostly due to traffic) to get to the middle of Ninjago City, then everyone had to make their way up into Borg Industries for a temporary apartment. PIXAL was ecstatic to see us back. She had been informed about Zane's situation a while back, and assured us she'd been keeping contact with him whenever the weather conditions allowed for clean communication. Zane was still alive, PIXAL informed us, but her unspoken second message was too obvious to ignore. She wanted him back in Ninjago as soon as possible.

     Being on a road trip with the group felt far too casual for activities after saving the realm. Storm, Aureole, and Carmen passed time by playing water volleyball in the community pool at Borg Industries. I paced the apartment floors, wondering if this was truly our reality now.

      It wasn't long before Jay and Nya showed up, each of them even more jubilant than PIXAL upon seeing everyone again. They were bursting with news about Bequeath's baby son. Carmen was the first to interrupt Jay's rants with a loud cough, then she introduced herself as Storm's girlfriend. Once again, my heart twisted in my chest. I could practically feel the Overlord's grin down my back.

      Both Jay and Nya were speechless. Storm started to stammer about how he and Carmen had met, until Jay bear-hugged Carmen until she wheezed for breath.

      "Both of my children happily married! I'm in heaven!"

      "Married?!" Nya screeched.

      It took several minutes for the depth of Storm and Carmen's relationship to be explained to the excited parents, then several more for Jay to finally quiet down from his endless barrage of questions. I don't think Nya and Carmen ever stopped giving each other the death stares over their whole visit.

      Storm and Carmen were a completely different ordeal than my brother and Nori. I had watched Carmen uncomfortably shift when Storm would be overly affectionate. She'd often stop herself from looking my way and would often swallow back her fears before initiating contact with Storm. When they started 'dating', it was obvious that Carmen wasn't completely on board with her new role. However, as time passed, that attitude started to change.

      Storm spent plenty of time getting to know his girlfriend's likes and dislikes. He never pushed himself too far and tried his best to ignore every ounce of unintentional discomfort Carmen showed. Over time she started to be the one to reach out and clasp his hands. She'd laugh with him and stay by his side. By the time Jay and Nya came to visit, they looked like a natural couple.

      I didn't know how they had even gotten together in the first place, but I did know that Carmen seemed to genuinely like Storm now. Storm glowed with pride whenever Carmen came near him, and she blushed when he expressed affection. They talked a lot too, spending most of their times playing video games, board games, or sports together.

      However, they had the same issue Nori and Morro did. Carmen had to return to Kunci.

      It was a very long evening the day Lloyd put his foot down. Jay, Nya, Storm, and Carmen debated how they were going to return her to Kunci. Carmen didn't want to continue being the Midnight Menace, but it would be obvious once she returned who the culprit was. Not only that, but her grandparents would be furious with her mysterious disappearance. Jay, Nya, and Storm agreed to accompany her to town, then they'd have a talk with the mayor on how to best handle the situation. If Carmen had to pay everyone she stole from, they'd work with her to help make up the funds. If her grandparents wanted a lawsuit, they'd fight it with her. Storm's devotion to his girlfriend was astonishing, and it made me hurt even more.

      Soon, both my former best friend and my former lover would be gone too.

      I hated that I was alone. With my brother and friends wrapped up with significant others, I was left to deal with myself. I was a mess of trying to avoid both the past and future. I didn't want to think about the final battle, but I didn't want to think about going back to life either. I was a scattered mess of trying to grip the pieces of my life, and I just wanted someone else to help me through it. Maybe I wouldn't be as confused if I had someone to confide in, like Morro confided in Nori. It hurt being alone and being surrounded by other couples only made it worse.

      Kai had left while we were still in the hospital to get back to Skylor and their business. Aureole had stayed to make sure Morro and I were okay. She was nowhere near as room-stalkerish as Nori, but I was told she did visit often when we were both unconscious. When we woke up, however, her visits became fleeting, almost as if she were afraid to be in the same room as us. After a few days in Borg Industries Aureole informed us that she needed to return to her parents. She decided to go when Storm and Carmen did, since that way everyone could leave together. My heart dropped lower when she uttered the words.

      Aureole had always been there. She was always cordial friend as we grew up together. She was a constant that I couldn't imagine leaving behind. Her leaving just felt too foreign in these precarious moments, too much for me to comprehend. It wasn't like we talked much, but still. Her presence was just... steady. Familiar. Comfortable.

     I was looking for someone who loved me for me. I needed someone to trust, someone to confide in, someone to help me mend the broken pieces of my life back together. And as Aureole started walking away to her terminal in the airport, I realized that the person I was looking for had been right in front of me all along.

     "Aureole!" I ran after her, leaving the rest of my family during their goodbyes with Storm's family.

     She turned, looking radiant in a scarlet overcoat. Her heart-shaped lips were pursed as she studied me curiously. I gulped down air, channeling my charm as I said, "Aureole, I want to confess that I—"

     "No."

      I faltered, "You didn't even hear the question."

     "I don't need to," Aureole replied, her knuckles tightening on her carry-on. "I know you well enough to know what you wanted to say."

     I shook my head. "Aureole, I—"

     "No," she said again, more forcefully this time.

     "Why not?" my voice cracked.

     "You only want me because you think I'm going to fix you." Her voice dropped in volume. "And you haven't gotten around to being angry with me yet for the fire. It's coming, and that's not going to bring about a healthy relationship."

      "I... I don't blame you for the fire." That was miles away in my mind. The final battle had become such a blur even I had a hard time remembering who'd done what in the chaos. "And you don't understand, Aureole. You're the only one that gets me—"

      "No, I don't. You've only shown me that mask of yours for years. I don't think I know the real you, Shade. I only know the version you want people to see." Aureole swallowed, swinging her bag back and forth. "I think the best thing for you to do now is work on yourself."

     "Myself?" I echoed, suddenly feeling really small.

      "Yeah. You need to figure out what you want fixed, then meditate on that for a while. Maybe you could go on a retreat in the woods or something. I'm not exactly sure. All I know is that if I were ever to enter into a relationship with someone, they'd better have a healthy mindset towards themselves. I don't want to be your crutch when you don't even understand yourself." Her harsh words softened with her expression. Aureole turned back to me, stepping forward to put a hand on my shoulder. "Take some time to yourself, okay? Maybe if you come back in a few years, I'll have a different answer."

     Her hands were callused like all of ours, yet they held a comfortable warmth that had me closing my eyes to soak it in. A true, loving gesture. How long had it been since that had last happened to me?

      "How?" I asked, my heart in my throat. "How do I do it?"

      "Perhaps you could start with Carmen," Aureole replied, looking over my shoulder at the gathered group of friends. She stepped back and her hand returned to the carry-on.

      I stood and watched, not exactly sure what to say. There were new possibilities lurking on the horizons of my mind, possibilities I hadn't even thought about until now.

      "I'll see you around," Aureole gave me a soft smile, "Hopefully next time it won't be because the world is ending."

      I laughed, but she didn't join in. She waved and turned back to her path to the terminal. I stood and watched her leave, expectations draining away with each one of her steps. It seemed everyone in my life expected that Aureole and I would get married one day. It was something I half-expected, but now I didn't have to think about it. Aureole didn't love me like that. She didn't think of me as a future husband. At least... not yet.

      A weight I didn't even know existed lifted off my chest.

     And just like that, the Overlord's echoing cackles faded in volume.

      I didn't remember walking back over to the group. I didn't remember asking for a word alone with Carmen, nor did I remember how her face didn't flush at the request. I just recalled words leaving my mouth, and her staring at the floor as she followed me to a gift shop a few feet away.

      "I've been a complete jerk," I said, the sentence tumbling out awkwardly. Oh, how I wished I could be as smooth as before the battle.

      "Yeah, you have," she responded quietly, having no qualms towards being blunt.

     I coughed uncomfortably. "I'm sorry about that. I led you on when I shouldn't have, which wasn't kind of me. I understand if you can't forgive me yet, but can we at least part on decent terms?"

     She studied my face after glancing back at the confused group. "You were a jerk, Shade," she said after a second, "but you're also Storm's friend. I can forgive you for him, since without your ploys, we might not be together."

     It wasn't exactly comforting to hear that, but it was still forgiveness. "Thank you," I said.

     "I hope you find someone good for you someday." Carmen held out her hand, trying her best to smile. I returned her shaky grin and shook it.

      The comment hit harder than expected. I found myself grimacing out her vision. Still, I forced my face into contentedness and followed her back over the gathered families. Carmen latched onto Storm's arm as the final goodbyes were said. Jay easily took her other side, and Storm's family laughed together as they made their way over to their terminal.

     It was hard to imagine Carmen came from a life with no parents, no friends, and no one to love. There she was, walking away with the love of her life and her new family, happy as she could be.

     How did happiness come so easily to everyone else?

      The thought of the future was exhausting. I knew that up ahead my life only held college with adoring fans, then the fight of trying to settle down into a life that could never be normal. I was the son of the Green Ninja. I was the son of Oni and Light. I was the savior of the realm. Even without elemental powers, people wouldn't be so quick to forget that.

     I could see Morro buying a small house somewhere secluded and living there in peace. I knew Aureole would go on to run her parents' company, Storm and Carmen would probably end up getting married, and Peak would be completely satisfied with working a normal job (I think he wanted to be a doctor?). They were fine with leaving their ninja duties behind to live out a mundane existence. Whenever I thought about following them, all I started to get was stressed.

     My life would go on, sure, but I felt like I couldn't just let the past go. I'd have to spend a normal life with the family I loved. I'd have to spend it with the family that I hated. I'd have to spend it interacting with the parents who both lied to me and loved me. I'd have to spend it without the sister I adored, and with the brother whom I had both despised and cared for more than anyone else. I'd have to spend the rest of my life face to face with the reminders that I'd killed a man, that I'd snapped away the realm's biggest threat, that I'd caused so much chaos and destruction.

     And the Overlord's words would always echo in my heart.

     You will be nothing more than a shadow of your father.

      Aureole's advice shouted louder and louder at me as the days went on. Both Nori and Morro were trying to delay Nori's return to Shadow Bay (each of them had their own reasons I didn't care to delve into), while also trying to figure out the safest way to swap her and Zane. Mother and Father spent a lot of their time resting from the stress of the past couple months. PIXAL checked on us when she could, and I'd only seen Cypress once. She'd been protesting against coming to visit us.

      The more I watched my brother interact with Nori, the more certain I became. With Ver gone, he was the only person I still whole-heartedly cared for. I wouldn't be heartbroken if I never saw my parents again, and I certainly had no qualms about escaping the spotlight of the Ninja fans. I decided I would wait until Morro was happily settled somewhere to leave.

      Perhaps in the timespan it took Morro to figure out his place in life I would find someone or something to keep me in Ninjago. Or perhaps I'd come up empty handed, then be free to travel the world. I could go try to find work in Shintaro. Maybe I could travel to the old villages of the Elemental Houses to study history. I wasn't sure where I'd go, or what I'd do, but I knew leaving was the right choice.

      Out there in the wild I could find myself. I could leave the shadows and masks behind and just be Shade for once. Whoever he was.

      Until then, I'd try and work on myself. My future might not be set in stone anymore, but at least I could try to make it as bright as could be.

      It was time to forge my own path and find my own legacy. 

"Can anyone ever leave Shadow Bay without being executed?"

     Noria stopped her reading and squinted at me. "What do you mean?"

     I shifted on the apartment's couch, setting my own book on the nearby coffee table. "Well... is there any way your family could legally leave Shadow Bay? You know... without people being murdered for disobedience afterward?"

     Noria mirrored my actions and sat her book on the coffee table. She was infinitely more graceful with it, carefully closing the book and gingerly placing it on the table. We were on the opposite ends of the couch, giving each other our full attention.

     "It is possible," Nori admitted, "but it's so hard to do that no one ever considers it."

     "How do the—"

    "It's too hard to be considered," Noria shook her head at me, a twinge of sorrow leaking into her eyes. "Please accept that it's impossible."

     I scooted closer, stopping to a second to see her reaction, but she didn't seem to mind. "Can I at least hear it first before I decide if it's impossible?"

     She sighed and leaned her head against the cushion. Nori didn't wear her hat anymore, at least, she didn't wear it when she was with us. Out in public her cautious side emerged.

     "Our world is shaped by contribution," she said, "everything is done to best serve the Grand Master. We all have roles to play to make sure the job gets done. Money is scarce because labor is priceless."

     "I'm not sure I'm following."

     "Each laborer has a specific amount of money they are worth. A chair carpenter is worth fifty thousand tokens. A trade merchant is worth two hundred thousand. The mathematicians in the Grand Master's court spent hours making estimates of how much money each contributing member brings in. That amount of money becomes the member's worth." Nori paused to make sure I was still following. "If the carpenter can give the Grand Master fifty thousand tokens before he dies, then the Grand Master has technically received the chair carpenter's lifetime of labor. The carpenter has paid his life's worth. Therefore, he's free to go."

     I held my hands up. "Basically, you're saying only way to leave Shadow Bay legally is to pay an entire life's worth of money to the Grand Master? How is anyone supposed to do that if they're stuck working the same job throughout their entire lives?"

     "I told you it was impossible," Noria said sadly.

     I wanted to naively believe I could do something about it. "How much money would it take to free your family?"

     "Morro," Nori started, then sighed in defeat. She closed her eyes to do the math, all while I watched in patience. "A fisherman is worth twenty thousand tokens. Five of us would be one hundred thousand tokens."

     I got up to find a phone with a calculator on it. "You keep saying tokens, so I'm going to assume that there is a currency difference."

      We chatted back and forth about different prices to obtain a ratio, then started plugging numbers into the phone. Shade walked by the room during this stage and gave us both odd looks. I laughed, and Nori ignored him. In the end I had a pretty good guess at the amount of money it would take to fulfil my promise to the dead Songdragon queen.

     Around 500,000 dollars in Ninjago City's currency.

     That was more than Zane made per year working full time as a surgeon. I was just a young adult. By the time I saved up that much money, it was likely either Noria would be married, or she'd be dead. It wasn't like life in Shadow Bay was a walk in the park, after all.

     "What are you thinking?" Noria asked softly from her spot on the couch. "I don't understand the look on your face."

     It took me a second to remember reading people was something she used to do with ease.

     "I was thinking about how to save up that much money," I admitted honestly. When I turned to look at her, she was shaking her head.

     "Don't waste your life on me."

     "I promised her I would set you free," I said quietly, opening up my hands palm-up. "And I promise you now that I'll do everything in my power to keep that promise."

    Nori didn't ask who 'her' was. She merely took my open hand in hers and squeezed gently. She knew me well enough now to know that there wasn't going to be changing my mind. She simply accepted my words and offered her silent support. I doubted she believed I could do it, but she was there for me anyways.

     We returned to our reading soon afterward.

>(<>)<

It was decided that we were done waiting to return Noria to Shadow Bay. It'd only been a month since Shade and I left the hospital, which meant it had been almost two months since the final battle, but it still felt like far too soon. Peak had left before I woke up, Storm and Carmen were in Kunci having legal debates, and Aureole was back at her parent's factory on Skylor's Island, continuing her apprenticeship on how to run a company. It was all so very normal.

     It was hard for me to remind myself that my life had to return to normal too. I knew Shade and I had missed far too many classes in this semester of college, so we talked about starting up during the second semester of the year. We spent hours in the apartment picking out classes and virtually talking to advisors, whilst Nori read on.

     When Mother and Father convinced PIXAL and Nya to let them have the Land Bounty for the trip back to Shadow Bay, everything became incredibly clear. We were about to return Nori to her home. We'd get Zane back, of course, but then our last tie to our adventure was gone. We have nothing to do but return to a life of normalcy, with no greater goal to work towards other than graduating college and finding a good job.

     I spent a lot of time in our car ride pondering all of this. Noria sat beside me with her ever-steady presence, giving me peace to think. That described a lot of our final interactions once we reached the mountains. Sometimes we'd walk hand-in-hand, other times we'd be side-by-side. She didn't converse unless I started it (she was working on that), and I was bad at making small talk. I found myself deep in thought about my future and where it might take me.

     If there was one thing that became clear to me over the days we spent driving and camping, it was that I would do everything in my power to fulfil my promise to Silvari. I would Noria and her family to Ninjago City. I wanted to do it because I was a man of my word, but also because I loved the girl.

     Our time together was like a fever dream, almost too good to be true. Noria had allowed herself to open up, so I was able to see her unwavering devotion in full-swing. We prized open communication, choosing each other in the hardest of times, and making sure we spent a lot of time together. While we may not have seemed like a fun couple to the outside eye, we were a steady one. Each day was filled with plenty of reading, conversation, and silence. When I was silent, she didn't bombard me with questions as to why. When she needed to step away to have a second of alone time, I didn't bother her. We were more comfortable around each other than anything.

     It didn't take much time for me to decide that if she was still unmarried by the time I freed her, then I would propose.

     The minute I decided that, my muddled future brightened up into a crystal clear view.

     We reached the lake by nightfall after our fifth day of hiking. Shadow Bay was the closest city; you could hear the guards stomping through the streets as they maintained curfew. Meanwhile, Ominira was alive with lights. Fireworks blasted into the sky as they loudly sang to an unfamiliar tune.

     In the rippling of the waters, the hums of the remaining Songdragons whispered into the cold night air.

     Noria leaned down to touch the water, with the rest of us watched in silence. I stood beside her as her eyes flashed into the waters, and magenta glows responded with flickering. Quietly, a white head poked its snout out of the water and let out a low note.

     Noria chirped at it, a hint of a smile crossing her face. Then, she turned back to the rest of us, her expression turning somber once again. "It will ferry us to the shore, then bring you all back here."

    "No conditions?" Shade asked wryly.

    "No conditions," Nori confirmed.

     "Then let's go," Father said.

     It felt weird to be sneaking through the calm lake on the back of a dragon, but I supposed I'd done weirder things. Mother agreed to stay at the shore since the dragon wasn't large enough to carry us all, and she could act as a beacon to guide the dragon back to our original spot. I could feel Nori's arms loosely wrapped around my torso. She was leaning her head against my back; whether she was too scared to look ahead or trying to sleep, I didn't know.

     Shadow Bay was as silent as the grave. The whole Lower City was devoid of any light, leaving the decrepit houses of the poor folk looking like ghost towns. The only sound in the air was the faint singing from beneath the lake, and the gentle swishes of windchimes hanging on back doors. Nori tensed behind me as we neared the shore.

     She told us to stay behind while she woke up her family. She didn't hesitate to slide into the cold water and swim to shore. I could feel my fingers start to twitch with uneasiness as her small form crawled upon the sand. What if she was caught the minute she stepped inside the house? What if she died before I could tell her my hopes for our future?

     Shade put a comforting hand on my shoulder. No longer was his touch made of ice. He was warmer now, feeling more human than ever. There was a distance in Shade's eyes now, but also an unwavering loyalty. We were brothers, and we would be there for each other until the very end.

     The dragon cooed when Nori reappeared from the house, being followed by four other people. The dragon swam closer to the shore, being careful not to make a sound. As soon as they set foot upon the sand, Shade and Father ran straight to the tall metal figure, embracing him with relief and jubilance. I could spot Zane's wide smile in the dark, a smile that showed no doubt to our eventual return.

     Nori stood behind the reunited friends, her parents' hands upon her shoulders. A lanky boy with dark hair hovered in the doorway, watching us all with a silent scrutiny. Both her parents' faces were darkened with fear, though I didn't miss the way Noria's mother's shoulders loosened with relief. Noria's father held his daughter's shoulders like he was never going to let her go again. They were happy she was back, but more afraid for our lives to show it completely at the second.

     "Thank you," Father said to them as Shade led Zane over to the dragon.

     Noria stepped out of her parents' hold, then walked up to my Father. She held out her hand with a surprising firmness, nodding to acknowledge his previous words.

     Father shook it, smiling as he whispered, "It was an honor to get to know you."

     "Thank you for returning me to my family," she responded.

     She waved next, and I followed her gaze to see Shade waving back. They weren't exactly friends, but they had been getting along better than usual. I think Shade was finally getting over the chip in his shoulder, and Nori was allowing herself to open up on my behalf.

     I didn't even realize she had made her way over to me until I felt the front of my clothes start to soak up water. I returned her embrace, sinking into her like she was my last lifeline. Tears dribbled down my chin and mixed with her hair as I buried my face into the dirty blonde mess. I was letting her go, and it hurt more than I realized.

     There were so many things I could have said. But only one thing mattered.

     I pressed a gentle kiss against the top of her head, whispering softly, "I will come back for you."

     She didn't let go until I did. When I finally pulled away, her face was just as tear streaked as mine. I couldn't help smiling at the similarity. When I reached up to wipe her tears away, she took a hold of my hand. And she pressed her own kiss against it, murmuring, "I know; I trust you."

     Then I felt the fire in the eyes of her father and mother. Even her lanky brother was staring at me like I just whipped a knife out and threatened to take her life. Noria sniffle-laughed and stepped away, giving me one last smile before returning to join the people she loved.

     A piece of me left with her, but that was okay. I didn't allow myself to become depressed. I knew I'd get it back when I came back to free her family. I climbed onto the Songdragon behind Shade, and it surprised us all by taking the sky. Soon, we were soaring amongst a herd of dragons as they wove through the sky. The night air was filled with joyous song, a song that sent tingles of warmth from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

     Shade laughed as the dragons dived and flew in circles. I couldn't help but wonder when was the last time I'd heard him laugh like that. I was glad this side of Shade was coming out. It was nice to see him not trying to be perfect all the time.

     It was ironic that I thought that, since this moment was pretty much perfect.

     We'd gained back our friend.

     We'd saved the world.

     And Shade and I did it without dying to evil.

     We had the rest of our lives to cause mischief, to laugh until our throats hurt, to love until there was none left to give. The rest of Ninjago would go on in peace, experiencing a joy like no other because of what we'd done. People would be happy and blessed. This world had so much to offer, and I felt like I was only experiencing the beginning of it.

     It was hard to imagine before our final fight I'd been hopeless about everything. I thought I was nothing. I thought nothing I could do could ever measure up to Shade. But Shade and I were both flawed, and we could grow from those flaws to keep serving greater purposes.

     It was almost funny how much could change over a couple of months.

     And to think, this was all accomplished by the writing of a prophecy.

End of Part 3.