Wisps: Recollection (Ninjago X Reader)

27. Caution to the Wind

A stifling atmosphere bathes the grounds of the Temple of Airjitzu. Chippings sludged off the walls. Paint mottled and left blank flecks of weathered wood as damaged as the planks nailed to the windows. Under the temple's bridge stretched parched dirt and patches of withering grass. Bare trees jutted their arms to the dark sky, their fingers grasping for moonlight. Squint past the doom and gloom, and it is a comfy place to spend–

"No way in hell are we camping in that creepy-ass temple." You've rid houses of spirits before working for Joe, but this one... Oh boy, this one rivaled the oppressive and foul aura the Overlord had.

"Yeah, not doing that." Morro stayed in the shelter of the woods. "Old geezer creeps in his temple with his students he turned ghosts."

"Yang can do that?"

"Surprised aren't you? Not sure how he did it, but it might have something to do with her..." He trailed off, hitting you point blank with an impatient huff when you brushed him off. "Ugh, you can't keep running forever. You're going to find out, curse or not." Morro grumbled, "I'm going to get firewood, you set up camp."

"We're staying here?!"

"We're good. He's bound to his temple, can't do much to us over there. When I get back, we start training your Airjitzu."

"You're asking someone, with zero FUCKING experience in martial arts, to learn Airjitzu."

"It isn't zero, you have some experience... You forgot it all, huh?"

"Muscle memory is the only thing keeping me alive." Sometimes it fails all altogether and scars are all that you get.

"Carve Airjitzu into your muscle memory then. And don't slack on it like you've been doing." You grumbled a taunting reply. "I heard that!" Foliage swallowed him into the woods and you taunt him again. You're alone once more. You eyeballed the temple, daring anything to seep out and ambush you. Nothing stirred, so you continued making a clearing–

The atmosphere from the temple coiled beside you.

"How on Ninjago, did you become so weak?" A shallow, sharp breath and you raised a palm to blast the old ghost. The next thing you see is the poor excuse for grass and dirt as dry as the bones that probably littered this place. You think you feel straight on your spine, the pangs spasming. This fucking dickwad tripped you! "How disappointing. Is this what is left of her?" You spat out a blade of crumbling grass, shooting wisps at him. That proved to be as ineffective as your previous "attack". He performed Airjitzu, a whirlwind of steady power that sucked the wisps into it. You fight for control of them, and their out of your grasp as they explode in all directions. Wisping away, the ghost settled on a branch. You picked your arms close, guard further up. This was Master Yang. The Master of Airjitzu. "I feel ashamed for her just staring at you," he tutted from the treetops, waiting for you to perform another pathetic attempt. Unsteady, foreign movements sink into your muscles and show that you didn't know what the fuck you were doing. "What a horrible waste of time."

A scream rustled through the forest– You sprinted straight into the direction of his agony, the winds howling past your ears.

"He does sound pained, doesn't he?" Yang's ghastly taunt echoes out, "The grounds certainly have a strengthening magic over spirits!"

"Morro!" It further panicked you to the bone when it all fell silent. You scream back to the silence: "Morro!!!" It was weak. A raspy, tired thing that yelled your name. "I hear you!" You followed where it came from, brambles and their spikes hooking for your skin and clothing, uprooting their vines to stall you. Darkness caved in, the clouds overhead coming in from the desperate pull of the wind. Your wisps lashed out for you to see, hearing Morro. Wounded– he sounded like a wounded animal with his whimpering. Firewood is strewn on the forest floor, Morro folding into himself on the grass. His chest heaved under the heavy armor, each breath straining under it. Lloyd fought for control with the help of the temple grounds and the armor. You need to get him out of this place. You yanked Morro to his feet, slinging his arm over your shoulder. He went slack in your hold. "H-Hey–!"