Wisps: Recollection (Ninjago X Reader)

26. * Stixx and Stones *

Dust particles shimmered gold and silver in the noon sunlight. It's a quiet, warm, and stuffy library, perfect for cozying up with an old scroll or book by a window, picking up the woody scent of inked paper. Morro didn't appreciate it. He snatched a scroll from a shelf teeming with many and tossed it to the tile. "Morro. Pick that up."

"Not what we're looking for." You placed the coiled paper where it belonged. He peered at a hanging scroll. Painted on the parchment is an elder perched on a tornado. It stretched from the lofty pillar supporting the dome to a vacant glass case. "Master Yang's scroll– where is it?"

The hooded librarian spoke in a monotone, "Oh, yes. Master Yang will be sorely missed. His teachings will always be-" Morro grappled with the neck of his robe.

"Where is the Scroll of Airjitzu!?" You pried Morro's fists off, and he snarled at the frightened man. Feral as a dog with rabies, you might as well just call animal control.

"Hey, chill." You yanked him by his scruff down to your level, his sneering lips falling into a begrudging frown, eyes a notched-down glare at the librarian.

"Eep! It-It was st-tolen a few da-days ago by that thief they c-caall Ronin-"

'Of fucking course. Why wouldn't it be.' Morro's off before the man can finish his sentence and you're following close to his tail again. Errand run after errand run, when would it end?

"Uh, excuse me." Morro stood in a martial arts stance; he was going to deck one of them–

"Can we get your autograph?" The other hooded guard nodded enthusiastically.

"Autograph?" Morro relaxed his posture.

"It's a signature," you stifled a giggle at his confusion. They presented him a notebook and he scribbled on it messily.

"Yeah, you're the green ninja, right? Mind if we get a selfie?" He whipped out his phone, the camera flashing them, and startling Morro. He ran out again, pulling his hood up.

'One of these days I'm tripping him so he doesn't run off without me.' The librarians turned their attention to you.

"Excuse me, we kn-know you're busy, but where did you get that mask?"

"Only one was carved like it–!"

"Wait a second...this one has metal workings." He squinted at the cast iron lining the fractures. It must've thrown them for a loop, their whispers hushed.

"No time for chatting. We have a thief to find." Morro tugged you out into the hallway, letting you feel a little lost in something you weren't ready for yet.

...

You sat under a sakura tree, far apart from the campfire mocking you with its flames. The cold as well. The air swirled around. The breeze was lukewarm, tinged with the firewood scent. It should bring comfort... All it does is clog your throat, stifling you with the obscuring smoke of that night. You can't tear your eyes away. A numbness made your hand twitch, cold as the blood that– "I'm back." Your eyes blinked up at him, more kindling in his hands. The fire was dying... He kept feeding it, blocking the flame. When he turned around, he found you were still in your spot, a little further this time. A question ticked on the tip of his tongue– you could tell with how he watched you, carefully picking his words: "Why do you sit so far out? I noticed it last time I started a fire. I didn't bring it up because you walked away–"