Wisps: Recollection (Ninjago X Reader)

24. Gravedigger

Choppy tides rolled the boat up and down, rousing you awake to a twilight sky. In a few hours, the moon's journey will be over, engulfed by the tides, and the sun will start theirs. Skyscrapers peaked over the swaying ocean. When did you fall asleep?

"Woke up sleepy head?" A wispy finger poked your cheek. "You okay? Earth to–"

"Wasn't a dream..."

"Wish it was?" You shook your head at his joke.

"How did you find me?" He pointed to the gleaming green inscription on your neck. 'So that's what it is.'

"Your pact with the Preeminent."

"Another one?" He caught the way your expression soured.

"Want to talk about it?" He wanted to dig further into what you buried and guarded. What was rotting inside the decaying casket of withering worms and gorging insects. Your hand knotted the gauze, your teeth chewing the inside of your lip for a taste of rusted iron.

"Can you just talk about the pact?"

Digging paused with a sigh.

"This one was mutual if you're worried about that."

"Right, when am I going to be a mindless zombie?"

"Nothing like that's going to happen silly. Don't tell me you got into one of these."

"Didn't have a choice." You grumbled. "Bet there's a catch isn't there?"

"There's a reason you can't remember much." Morro crossed his arms over his chest.

"I hoped it was amnesia."

"Nope. All we have to do is hold your end of the bargain and if you don't..." You watched how he looked at the waves. One dip in the water and he's gone, swept into the sea. "You'll lose your memories for good."

"Good."

Stunned eyes froze at the unfazed, dead ones.

"What?"

The gap between you and him widened.

"You heard me. Here and underground."

"But, your revenge- Our revenge on Wu! Remember-"

"That's the problem, I can't."

"You're afraid. Aren't you?" Was that it? "You've had bad memories... and good ones too." A breeze ruffled your hair. His smile is somehow nostalgic, and your empty past jigsawed murky spaces. It's alienating how the emotion doesn't match with a past. You loathe how at sea you felt when he beamed at you. It's a feeling unknown, rhythm and reason gone as your mind scrambled for memories as to why. It must have meant something. "A lot of good ones with me."

'I want to believe that...'

"You say that, and I'm supposed to take your word on it?" Why should you believe anything Morro says about your past? Morro saved you – you'll always be grateful for that – but yearning to blindly trust him is asking for a snake to bite you... Hell, what if Clouse was lying this whole time? What if you're not who they say you are? "I need to ask you something."

"What? What is it?"

"I need to make sure..." Maybe this was all a mistake. You couldn't be related to all that. You couldn't be– You can't be. You didn't want to– "Who...who was my mother?"