Morrotober Day 5
Prompt: Temporal Displacement
Summary: A possible ending to “A Wish to be Great.” A teenage Morro returns with Kai to the present.
(Read this first if you want the context. Thank you ao3 user Books_4nd_C4tS for the idea.)
Morro watches as Kai grips the weapon of time in his hands, staring at it like it contains all the answers to his problem. Maybe it does.
“So this is it?” He asks as he watches Kai come to a decision. He refuses to feel hurt, to feel bitter. He’s known that Kai would leave him– the guy’s been saying that the minute Morro met him! And yet, Morro still feels the sting of betrayal.
Kai had made Morro want to be good. To be a Ninja that would help Ninjago, and not become a cursed spirit that only harmed it. Kai had told him his future, barely told him how to prevent his future, and was now abandoning Morro to the wolves– and Wu. That wasn’t fair.
Kai looks at Morro, “I guess so,” he says. Morro nods in silent resignment, frowning as he turns away.
“Unless…” Kai muses, sounding thoughtful. Morro turns back around, shoving down the hope rising in his chest. Maybe Kai has changed his mind and decided to stay after all!
“Yeah?”
“I mean the timeline is already skewed up,” Kai shrugs, “Do you want to come with me?”
Morro blinks. Then he blinks again. He hadn’t thought of that possibility. Was that even allowed?
Then an even worse realization enters his mind. “You want me to come with you to a place and time where everyone knew me as an evil ghost?” He clarifies, and Kai, the bastard, bursts into laughter.
“Just thinking about their faces is enough to send me into an early grave.”
Morro frowns, “So why are you suggesting it? And stop laughing,” he snaps, annoyed at the older man.
“Sorry, sorry,” Kai says, readjusting his sling to wipe a stray tear from his face. “Look kid, I’m just giving you an option. Whatever you do, you’re going to be great and I trust that you’ll do the right thing.”
Morro feels a lump growing in his throat and he swallows.“But coming with you to the future?” He asks. “Won’t your friends hate me?”
He hates that his voice cracks, and hates that he cares about these people that he’s never met before. But Kai stops laughing and looks at Morro, his face turning completely serious.
“They might at first. But you haven’t done anything wrong. Once we explain and give them time to process, I’m sure they’ll come around.”
Morro sincerely doubts that, but he still finds himself nodding along. “Okay,” he says, clearing his throat. “I’ll come with you.”
Kai’s face doesn’t change, “Are you sure this is what you want?” He asks, and Morro shrugs, swallowing back his fear.
“If I stay here, I don’t know if I can be good.” I don’t know if I’ll die and end up in the Cursed Realm. “At least with you, I think I can learn,” he says, refusing to meet Kai’s eyes. Maybe he was scared to confront Wu. Maybe he doesn’t want to be alone.
He doesn’t know why he doesn’t want to stay in his time, but Morro wants to come with Kai, the one person who never seemed to care who Morro was supposed to be. Or even what he will be.
The future Master of Fire stares at him for a long moment, before shrugging. “If you’re sure,” he says and holds out the weapon. “Come hold this. Let’s see if the timeline’s intact.”
Morro does what he says, and his vision is filled with an electric green. When he blinks, he’s no longer in the forest underneath the mountain, with its tall trees and melting snow. He’s in a… swamp? A swampy place, filled with vines, and too many small orange snakes for Morro’s liking.
“Where are we?” He mutters, and Kai claps a hand on his shoulder.
“Morro,” he says, just as a group of Ninja appear in the distance, a vibrant green ninja in front. “Welcome to the future.”
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