Small Moments With a Ghost

Day 16: Angel/Lullaby

Morro was no one's angel.

Despite how much he wished otherwise, he was far from perfect. He was quick to anger. He held grudges. He could generously be considered 'a jerk'; less generously 'an asshole'.

He was a bitter, jealous person, and his afterlife hadn't done much to change things.

...at least, it hadn't until now.

Morro glanced down at the rec room below where he was floating. Jay had insisted on a game/movie night, but now everyone had fallen asleep in a huge pile on the floor. Kai was in the center, which was fairly typical-the fire ninja was generally considered the 'human heat pack' of the group, much to his fond exasperation, and everyone generally cuddled around him. The only exception was Zane-the nindroid preferred to sleep with only a single thin blanket, but he was still close enough that Cole had an arm draped over his face (how that didn't wake up the ice ninja was a mystery). Jay and Nya were, of course, close together. Despite the fact that the blue ninja was currently doing his best impression of a starfish, he was holding hands with his girlfriend as he slept. Lloyd was squished in between Kai and Nya, two blankets wrapped burrito-style tightly around the Green ninja.

Had anyone asked for Morro's opinion on this motley group even a year ago, he would have been absolutely scathing. They were all kids-undertrained, immature, and for the most part lacking drive. Lloyd would have received the vast majority of his criticism, completely unskilled and undeserving of the Green Ninja powers.

He would have never thought a group like this would amount to much of anything.

But now...he saw so much more. He saw how closely they cared for each other, how tightly knit they were. Despite their relative lack of training, their cohesion as a team was something to be envied at times. Even Nya, new to her powers and abilities as she was, was quickly becoming a capable ninja and an excellent member of the team.

As for Lloyd...

Morro watched as the Savior of Ninjago shifted suddenly in his sleep, a quiet gasp (almost a whimper) escaping his lips. A second later, he saw Kai lift his head-though clearly still mostly asleep-and quickly pull Lloyd closer, hugging the green ninja close and gently rubbing his adopted little brother's back.

A child. A kid had been given the greatest power in the world, and told to fight a nigh-mythical evil. Told to fight his own father to save everyone.

It was a burden Morro would hardly wish on anyone, but least of all a child.

A year ago, without any intervention, he would have been too wrapped up in bitterness and jealousy to notice (or even care...) that Lloyd was still a kid.

Now...

Morro floated closer to the ground. A wave of a hand made the wind whistle, the soft notes of a lullaby emerging from the gust. Lloyd's nose scrunched up before his face softened, his breath becoming more and more even as the nightmare passed.

Morro was no angel; far from it.

But that didn't stop him from trying to be a better person, even after death.

Satisfied that his friends (his family) were all asleep and nightmare-free, Morro resumed his silent vigil.

The wind continued to play its soft melody throughout the night. And if occasionally, a quiet voice would sing a few verses of the lullaby...

...well, no one was awake to hear it.