"Thank you for coming back to steep wisdom." Misako said as she handed an order to a customer.

"Here's a little something extra." She gave the man a small bag as thanks. The man bowed and walked to the door.

"Woah, woah, were a business, not a charity!" Ronin exclaimed, taking the extra bag away from the man.

"We're here to make money, not friends!"

The man turned back to Misako.

"Uh, thanks and, come again." She waved.

"I hope."

Nya stared at her reflection in the pond behind the shop. She got frustrated and hit the water, making the reflextuon all messy.

"I'm not quitting! I'm just taking a break!" Nya shouted as Ronin approached.

"You have to get me out of here!" Nya pleaded.

"I thought you can't go until your training is done." Ronin said.

"Besides, I have a business to run." He added.

"If I'm gonna help the ninja, it's gonna be as Samurai X!" Nya exclaimed.

"Take the bounty." Ronin suggested. Nya caused her brow.

Oh, I see. Don't wanna bring too much attention. Wu's my partner, I'd never do anything behind his back!" Ronin exclaimed.

Nya pulled out a sac of coins.

"I'll take you right after we close." Ronin said. Nya smiled. A girl bribing a man. Nice.

. . .

"Ah. All right, so there's no way out of the Haunted Temple, but at least all the commotion's died down." Jay sighed as he paced around the room they first gathered in.

"Yeah, we just gotta get through the night together. Show Yang we're not scared." Kai clenched his fist. The clock chimed again. The four jumped.

"It's just a clock." Cole said.

"We're not afraid of time, but we are afraid of not getting outta here in time. Oh my gosh, why did we spend the night in a haunted temple?!" Cole shouted.

"EVERYONE! GET AHOLD OF YOURSELVES!" Zane cried.

"EVEN IF MY VOLUME WASN'T STUCK, I'D STILL HE YELLING AT THIS DECIBEL!" He exclaimed.

"Zane's right. What are we doing? We need to toughen up. We're ninja!" Cole thrusted his hand up.

"We already missed out on the Airjitzu the first time, we can't let this opportunity pass." He finished.

"Uh, guys?" Kai asked. He spotted a strange painting of the sea that seemed to be moving.

"Are paintings supposed to move?" Kai asked, his voice wavering. Jay tapped his hand in the frame. Water started to spill out.

"Why would you touch the scary picture, JAY?!" Cole shouted.

"I didn't know it would do that, COLE!" Jay shouted back. Clearly, Jay hasn't seen Narnia. Kai ran to the door.

The room started to fill with water.

"It's locked!" Kai shouted, pulling the door nob.

"As iron sharpens iron, sensei sharpens student."

There it is again. Yang's voice and stupid saying.

"Oh, great, back for round two." Jay folded over.

"Water. I'm afraid of...water." Kai started hyperventilating.

"We're all gonna drown!" He pulled on the door harder.

"It's all in your head, Kai. He's trying to scare us out so we don't get Airjitzu." Jay said as he held onto a floating table. The water was half way up the room. Cole resurfaced from the water.

"I dunno, tastes poetry real to me." Cole said.

"WHERE'S KAI?!" Zane shouted. The three looked around the room. Kai was still underwater, pulling at the door. Eventually, he got it open and they four came flooding out, along with the water.

"Well, that wasn't refreshing." Kai said.

"First the haunting, then water. What's next?" The black ninja exclaimed.

"That's it. He is testing us. Don't you see, Cole's afraid of Ghosts, and Kai's afraid of water!" Jay concluded.

"As iron sharpens iron, Sensei sharpens student. He's making us face our fears." Kai said.

"Which means whatever he throws at us next, we have to face together." Cole said.

"And this time, no running away."

"Or swimming away." Jay added.

"Fine, but time's running out and if we don't figure out a way of staying in this together, none of us are gonna get out alive." Kai sighed.

. . .

Ronin's airship Rex took flight with Nya tagging along. Ronin placed the sac of money Nya had given him into a safe.

"Pretend you didn't see that." Ronin went to the piloting seat.

"Should be at the Samurai X Cave shortly. Make yourself comfortable." He said.

"For someone so desperate for money, you sure have a lot of it." Nya said.

"Let's just say I owe someone a large debt." Ronin responded.

Silence....

"Unless you like awkward pauses, do tell." Nya spoke up.

"I made a few bets in my life, and if I don't pay off the Soul Archer, my soul's going to the Cursed Realm." Ronin answered.

"And you think cashing in on our farm will save your hide?" Nya asked.

"You're a real gentleman."

"Save it, sweetheart. Unlike you, I don't have a ninja support system. It's me and me alone." Ronin looked at his sensor.

"Speaking of which, who else knows about your secret cave?" Ronin asked.

"No one. It's a secret." She replied.

"Well, it looks like we're not alone." Ronin said. Nya gasped. The entrance to her cave was open. The two carfuly crept down.

"Morro's here?" Nya asked, hiding behind one if the rocks.

"He has Airjitzu already. Why does he need my stuff?" She whispered. There were three ghosts hovering around the mechs, and one was upsidedown, in front of Morro.

"That must be Neran." Nya concluded.

Neran flipped over Morro and jumped on his back. Morro ducked down and turned back to face the ghost as he was upsidedown again.

"Tell them how to use it." Neran said.

"

I dunno how, I don't use mechs, I fly." Morro replied.

"They fly, don't they?" Neran landed on his feet.

"Yes, but I don't-- Okay, you-- I'm under pressure." Morro said.

"So then stop being under pressure." Neran replied.

Morro started at him.

"Okay, I'm also under pressure, so I'm not that good at advice any more." Neran quickly said.

"Okay, they're acting strange together. He's like a child." Nya said.

"Meh, they work well together." Ronin said.

"Did you know, Morro had really tight knots?" Ronin added.

"He never nedded tied my hands up before, so no." Nya replied.

"Oh, well, Soul Archer's here too. We should leave." Ronin started to pull Nya away. Nya ripped her hand from Ronin's grip.

"I can't help my friends as a water ninja, I can help them ad a samurai!" Nya silently shouted. She pressed a botton on her bracelet.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Ronin sighed. Nya dawned her helmet. One red mech fired up and Nya quickly jumped in the cockpit.

"Hey, Morro." Nya said.

"Hi, Nya. How long were you here?" Morro asked.

"Long enough."

Morro placed a hand over his mouth.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry you had to watch." He said.

"Well, sorry to crash the party, it's always nice talking to you, Morro but you have to stop here!" Nya drew her katana.

"Get her!" Soul Archer shouted. The three new ghosts started to attack.

"No, wait--" Morro looks to his side. Neran was gone again.

"Argh, where do you even go?" Morro asked himself.

Nya swung her sword but it only went through the ghosts. Ronin pressed his back against the rock as Nya backed up. He ran off.

"All right, maybe my weapons can't help." Nya admitted.

An Aeroblade came flying at Soul Archer's arrow.

"But this can." Ronin explained, catching the blade.

"Ronin." Soul Archer growled.

"Yeah, that's the name. Don't wear it out." Ronin pulled his arm back.

"Give me the armor!" Soul Archer shouted. Morro slowly reached for the allied armor, the blue chest plate peeking out of his sling bag.

"That's the allied armor! He's gonna call for reinforcements!" Ronin exclaimed.

"That, I can deal with." Nya fired a small bomb at the chest plate.

"You're gonna blow up your friend?" Ronin asked.

"...." Nya paused. Morro pulled the armor out and there it in the air, it exploded, destroying the armor and causing a bright light.

"Nice to know you care about me." Morro said.

"......." Nya said.

The ghosts where on an all out attack against Nya.

Morro took a step but his legs gave out and fell to the ground.

"What....?" Morro wiped his head. He was tired.

"AAAAAHHH!!" Nya had gotten ejected and landed on the ground. Ghoultar had possessed the mech and made it their own.

"We can't fight 'em all." Ronin said pulling NYa to her feet.

"We gotta leave!"

"No! They're not taking my suit!" Nya shouted. Ronin picked up Nya over his shoulder.

"Then I'm taking you." He started to run up the stairs. Ronin dodged a swing from the ghost mech's sword and continued to run.

"We mustn't let then get away!" Soul Archer exclaimed.

Ronin whistled his call as he ran. Soul Archer and Bansha rushed after them.

"Morro, get up." Neran pulled Morro to his feet.

"You even okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. Just.... Tired...?" Morro replied. Neran too his staff and extended it into a glider.

"You gonna go after them?" He asked.

Morro stared at the glider.

"Sure." He took it.

Ronin was almost at his ship when Morro came gliding out and landed on the ship before them.

"Okay, Nya listen." Morro held his hands out. Nya jumped away from Ronin.

"What are you doing?!" She yelled.

"What do you mean?!" Morro shouted back.

"Destroying the tea shop, taking my stuff?!" Nya said.

"Okay, they took your stuff." Morro pointed to the ghosts behind them.

"AND WHO TOLD THEM THE LOCATION?!" Nya shouted.

"You listen to me so, I can tell you what's going on!" Morro shouted.

"Man, I feel like I'm getting déjà-vu." Neran appeared beside Morro.

"And, who are you to Morro?!" Nya shouted.

"I'm--"

"No, I don't care!" Nya interrupted.

"Okay."

"Nya, listen!" Morro shouted.

"I'm just doing this to find--"

"I don't want to hear your excuses!" Nya shouted.

"I just want you to wake up!" She shut her eyes.

Rain started to poor down. Neran stepped closer to Morro.

"Can we leave, cane we leave, can we leave?" Neran asked. Morro held his hand out from the shelter of Ronin's ship. Actual rain. He looked at Nya and had a mix of feelings.

The other ghosts took shelter in the mech.

"Morro, can we go?" Neran asked. Morro looked to Neran tugging on his gi and nodded. Neran disappeared in the blink of an eye again. Morro jumped up and sum minded his dragon. Now, just aimlessly flying. The ghost mech following.

"Rain? In the middle of the dry season?" Ronin asked.

"What luck, right?" Nya shrugged.

"That ain't luck, sweetheart." Ronin said.

"Face it, Nya. You are the Water Ninja."

. . .

"All right, no matter what happens, no one can run away." Cole tugged on a rope that tied the ninja together.

"We're in this together." He said at the end of the line. Jay next to Cole, then Zane and Kai at the front.

"Haha! Ain't no thang but a Sensei Yang. Let's find him and get that Airjitzu." Jay shouted.

"Just so we're not surprised, Zane, Jay, what sort of things are you afraid of?" Kai asked.

"AAH!" Zane shouted as he looked back.

"I THINK I KNOW WHAT I'M AFRAID OF!" Zane continued. The others turned their heads to see. The master of wind. Standing at the end of the hall, staff in hand.

"AHHHH!" The ninja screamed.

"Are you kidding?! I don't wanna fight him now! I'm not ready! He's gonna beat us up!" Jay shouted.

"Wait a minute." Kai stopped.

"Why are we afraid of Morro? He's our teammate." He said.

"Yeah, but he's really skilled, scary when he's angry, and ridiculously powerful for no apparent reason known to even him!" Cole listed.

"Oh, there is that." Kai stepped back.

"Okay, okay, wait." Jay said.

"If we can't fight him now, how are we supposed to convince him to wake up from what he's doing?" Jay asked.

"Right. We need to face him head on! Let's get him, guys!" Cole shouted. They started running and Morro flipped his hood on and turned the corner.

The ninja all fell because of the rope tied around their waists.

"We weren't fast enough." Cole said standing up.

"There!" Kai pointed. Morro turned the corner again.

"Alright, let's step together!" Cole shouted.

"One, two, three, one, two, three." Cole counted. Kai stopped and the line halted.

"Ow!" Jay shouted, running into Zane.

"He went up there." Kai pointed to a ladder leading up to an attic.

"Uh, attics. Definitely near the top of the list of things I'm afraid of." Jay said. The ninja all took a brief pause before climbing up.

Morro was at the end of the room, sitting on his knees like it was a tea ceremony.

"He's just sitting there." Jay said.

"What do we do?"

"I dunno." Kai said.

"Well, go talk to him, Jay."

"T-ARRRGH!" Jay punched Kai.

"You talk him!" He shouted through his teeth.

"We're all gonna talk to him." Cole said. The ninja slowly walked up. When there was a bright flash.

"Aahhh!!!" The ninja jumped back. Sensei Yang was floating where Morro had been.

"As iron sharpens iron, Sensei sharpens student. You have passed the test." Yang said.

"Huh? Then you'll teach how to do Airjitzu?" Kai asked. Yang pulled out a scroll.

"Only those who see things through will reap the benefit of the reward." He gave it to Cole.

"That's not the only thing we see through. Why is it I can see through my hand!?" Jay shouted. Yang laughed.

"Now you will join my students." Multiple students in gis and hoods showed up behind them, chains connecting their hands.

"He's not just their mentor, he's their captor." Cole exclaimed.

"The new dawn's upon us. Get out of here before the clock's last chime, if you can." Yang warned.

The ninja screamed and ran down the attic ladder. They fell ontop of each other.

"WHY DID WE TIE OURSELVES TOGETHER?!" Zane shouted.

"There's no time to complain, we just have to move!" Cole exclaimed.

"One, two, three, one, two, three."

The sun was noe visible and the clock started to chime. The ninja were just about to reach the door when Cole and into a post and dropped it.

"The scroll!" Cole shouted. He untied his rope and ran to get it.

The clocked finished chiming.

"My hand!" Kai exclaimed.

"I can see my hand!" He shouted. Jay marveled at his solid hand and looked back to a loose end of a rope.

"Where's Cole?" He asked.

"Don't worry, I got the Scroll!" Cole waved it in the air. His voice sounded echoed. The ninja gasped.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Cole asked.

"You didn't make it out in time..." Jay said. Cole looked at his hands.

"I'm..." He started.

"I'm a ghost...."

~ ~ 保つ ~ ~

I slowly walked into the clearing and found him there already.

"What today? You look drained." He said.

"I promised to not show real emotion." I said.

"Uh, what?! That's dumb!" He exclaimed.

"Tell me why."

"My true potential." I said.

"I unlocked it, but I hated the way it happened." I finished. His face was telling me to keep going.

"We were under attack, then I unlocked it, I got so mad. Nearly tore the place apart and... Really hurt someone." I informed him.

"So, you got mad, and almost hurt people. Like- seriously hurt." He recalled. I nodded.

"Then, that experience lead you to not show emotion." He continued. I paused for a little, the nodded again.

"That's stupid." He said.

"Keeping things in is never good."

~ ~ 保つ ~ ~