#ninjago birdcage fic

[flockofcrowsinatornadoofcreation]

hi im not dead

might get back to work on birdcage, feeling morro vibes rn

[dontlookforme00]

Ah right, almost forgot

Fanfic of Birdcage, a Morro fic by @flockofcrowsinatornadoofcreation (or @flockofcrowsinatrenchcoat ??) On ao3 and their tumblr go read it!!

[flockofcrowsinatrenchcoat]

Tag 9 people you want to get to know better!

Thank you for tagging me, @dontlookforme00 ! I don't think I've ever done one of these before, but I'll do my best!

Currently reading:

"Too weird to live, too rare to die" by @bumblebeeenby ! It's a Morro redemption fic that helped inspired Birdcage! It's not completed, but I love it!

Favorite color:

Funnily enough, my favorite color is also green! I prefer olive green or jade green, but I also like greys and browns.

Last song:

Glory days by The Federal Empire! It's a great song, and I love it!

Last movie:

Hmmm. I think the last thing I watched was Ninjago Prime Empire. The last movie was probably... I actually can't remember! Huh!

Sweet/spicy/savory:

I like sweet! I'm the person in my family to put a whole tablespoon of sugar in my tea and sweetener! Spicy and savory are good, especially together, like in dirty rice (my favorite food!)

Currently working on:

Birdcage! It's on my ninjago side blog and on my AO3 account, and it's a Morro redemption fic! I'm also making ninjago themed jewelry for fun!

Tagging:

@galacticmackerel @ratherbeabrcharacter @filibusterfrog @min-play @ilovemorro @nonbinary-morro @ninjawhoa @lloydskywalkers @bumblebeeenby

[flockofcrowsinatornadoofcreation]

Gonna introduce my little brother to Citrusshipping

Gonna do it

I've mentioned the ship to him a few times, how I wanted to include it in Birdcage, but if I remember correctly, he initially voiced displeasure about it. I didn't bring it up again.

An hour ago, he asked me why I don't let him read Birdcage anymore. I told him that it has Citrusshipping and that he doesn't like Citrusshipping. He looked so confused. In the end, he told me he doesn't remember not liking Citrus, wants to read Birdcage, and supports me and my work.

(Keep in mind my parents are strictly anti-gay and would kill me if they found out about Birdcage)

I'm so proud of him.

[flockofcrowsinatornadoofcreation]

*sigh*

I need more citrusshipping songs.

I have several playlists on Spotify related to citrus (one for Birdcage, one for the sequel, and one entirely dedicated to citrus), but they're rather small.

Can anyone help?

[flockofcrowsinatornadoofcreation]

Interest check

Who wants me to draw what Morro looks like in my Birdcage fic?

Since I don't have polls, you'll have to reblog. If I get 15 reblogs, I'll draw Morro. If I get 15 likes on top of that, I'll also put out my Morro headcanons for those interested!

[flockofcrowsinatornadoofcreation]

Birdcage, Chapter 15

Second Child, Restless Child

The Ninja trudge into the living room, collapsing onto various pieces of furniture.

"Well, the trial wasn't too bad," Jay murmurs.

"Speak for yourself," Morro grumbles from the doorway. "I don't even know what community service is!"

Kai waves at him from where he's flopped, half on the couch and half on the floor.

"Relax, dude. You just have to work with us to defend the city. It's only a month. No big deal."

Nya's eyes brighten at Kai's words.

"That reminds me! You'll need a new gi, Morro."

"Why can't I just use my old one?" Morro asks incredilously. Nya smirks.

"Well, it's completely ruined, for starters. Also, it probably won't help your reputation, since it's the one you wore as a ghost."

Morro grumbles at that, but relents.

"So, what color are you wanting?" Nya whips a notebook and pencil out of thin air and begins scribbling something.

He thinks about his options. Green is definitely off the menu, he thinks bitterly before shaking off the thought. He likes black, but that's Cole's.

"Purple."

The Ninja stare at him.

"Purple?" Zane repeats.

"That's what I said," Morro responds gruffly. "Is there a problem with purple?"

"There is an honorary Ninja who wears purple, but he wouldn't mind... would he?" Cole muses. Lloyd sighs and stands.

"I'll call him. It's time we checked on Nelson, anyway."

"Cool," Morro mutters, catching a glimpse of bronze from down the hallway. "Look, I'll talk to you guys later. Just need to do something."

"Sure," Lloyd says. "Take all the time you need."

The smug tone in Lloyd's voice should be ringing alarms for Morro, but he's too distracted to think about it.

He finds Echo in the courtyard, dangling from the roof overhang.

"Echo? What are you doing?"

The nindroid drops from the overhang, landing on his feet. His look of surprise quickly fades to a sheepish smile.

"Hello, Morro. I was climbing the roof."

"Yeah, I can see that," Morro says, shaking his head. "But why are you climbing the roof?"

Echo ducks his head, looking almost shy.

"I wanted to see why you liked sitting on the roof."

Morro hums, wondering why in the world Echo would want to know that.

"Can-" He cuts himself short, but Echo's curious gaze prompts him to continue.

"Can I join you?"

Echo smiles brightly, eyes glowing. Before Morro can contemplate why his heart just skipped a beat, Echo grabs his hand and drags him over to the wall.

"It will be easiest for you to climb here, correct?"

Morro opens his mouth to respond, but stops short as he feels the wind brush past him, tangling in his hair. He hears it whisper a question, and he lets a smile form.

Alright. I suppose we can try.

The wind picks up, greeting Morro as a long-lost friend. His smile grows, and he tugs his hand from Echo's grip.

"Morro? What is-"

Morro doesn't hear that last part, because he's launching himself into the sky.

The breeze whips itself into a tornado around him, cradling him in the eye of a vortex. Morro isn't sure when he started laughing, but it's a wonderful feeling to laugh so freely.

It's a wonderful feeling to fly.

It's over all too soon. His feet touch the tiles of the roof, and he lets the vortex dissipate.

He hears roof tiles move behind him, and he turns to see Echo scrambling onto the roof.

"Morro," Echo gasps, "what was that?"

Morro grins at him, still riding the high of flight.

"An old friend. My oldest. Would you like to meet them?"

Echo stares at him, eyes wide.

"That was Spinjitsu! Zane told me you didn't know it!"

"I do now!" Morro crows, turning his face to the sky. He can hear his element humming beneath his skin, loud after being silent for so long.

"Welcome back, old friend," he murmurs, letting the breeze wreathe past him.

"Could I learn Spinjitsu?"

Morro blinks in surprise, turning to Echo, who looks at him hopefully.

"I mean, it's mostly just Elemental Masters who know Spinjitsu."

Echo's face falls, and Morro scrambles to make him smile again.

"But I do know of a couple people who don't have Elemental Powers and did Spinjitsu, so you have a chance."

The bronze nindroid tilts his head, eyes bright.

"I do recall Zane telling me that Pixal did Spinjitsu with him. Is she who you're referring to?"

"No, actually. I was talking about Misako."

"Who?"

"Lloyd's mom. Wu taught her sometime after he took me in."

"Ah." Echo nods. "Wu does seem like someone who would do that."

Morro smiles fondly, thinking of the day Wu found him digging through the trash.

"Yeah. I guess he does."

"He must be very proud of you," Echo breathes. Morro glances at him, the beginnings of a frown growing on his face.

But then he meets Echo's eyes, and Morro sees grief there. The glow of his eyes is dull, black teardrops collecting at the edges.

"What's wrong?" Morro asks softly, feeling strangely protective of the nindroid before him.

Echo looks away, tears running down his face, dark oil on warm bronze.

"I'm sorry. I did not intend to- I-" Echo cuts himself short with a sob, hiding his face in his hands.

Then -- to Morro's horror -- Echo digs his fingers into his face, creating an awful screeching of metal on metal.

"Hey!" Morro yelps, rushing forward. "Don't do that!"

He pulls Echo's hands away from his face and holds them tight, trying to prevent Echo from hurting himself. The moment he touches Echo, the nindroid shies away, but Morro doesn't let go.

"Echo, look at me. I need to see if you've hurt yourself."

When Echo doesn't move, Morro sighs and places a hand on Echo's jaw, tilting his face to look at him. Echo freezes, making a sound similar to a whistling teapot.

As Morro looks over Echo's face, he tries to ignore the peculiar burning sensation nestled in his chest. He can't help but notice that the curve of Echo's jaw under his hand is warmer than he thought it was.

"Well, I don't see any dents," Morro notes with relief. "You should be fine, but don't..." his voice trails off.

He's just made the critical mistake of looking Echo in the eye.

Sometime between one second and the next, Morro's brain shuts down, the only coherent thought being "Holy shit, wow."

Lightbulbs had just been invented when Morro left the Monastery in his youth. He'd loved the color, the light of them, like a warm candle flame caught in a piece of glass. Going into the nearby town to look at the lights was the last happy memory he had before leaving the Monastery. As desperate as he was to become the Green Ninja, the feeling that came over him as he looked at the warm glow... well, it felt a lot like hope.

Echo's eyes are the exact same color as those damn lightbulbs. Warm, soft, and safe.

Then his brain catches up, and Morro realizes just how close he is to Echo.

Danger! His subconsciousness screams as he jumps back, stumbling a bit on the roof tiles.

"Morro? What's wrong?"

Morro looks at Echo, at his warm glow, at his kind eyes, and does the only thing he can think of.

He runs.

[flockofcrowsinatornadoofcreation]

Birdcage, Chapter 14

Ghost Town

It's been a week since the Ninja found Morro, and Lloyd has noticed something strange.

It doesn't make sense with what he knows about the former ghost. When he was their enemy, he was manipulative, aggressive, and jealous, with an ego to rival Kai's.

But now... Lloyd can't help but wonder if someone switched Morros on them. This Morro is painfully self-deprecating, obviously touch-starved, and reserved.

When he rescued Morro from Kryptarium, Lloyd realized that it's nearly impossible to hate this new Morro. He's just so... human.

Lloyd hoped they could be friends, and he thought Morro felt the same. But when Morro snapped at him after the fight with Kai...

It hurt. It was like the old Morro came back to yell at him more.

Then Morro fell off the roof, and when Lloyd asked him what happened, he had looked at Lloyd with a dull fear in his eyes before passing out from the concussion.

Which was weird, because Lloyd hadn't given Morro a reason to be afraid of him.

Asking the other Ninja did little to quell his suspicions. Apparently, Morro was acting the same as before around the other Ninja; cocky, aggressive, and sarcastic. Wu said Morro's been avoiding him. Pixal said that Morro is rude, then proceeded to give examples. Echo only just met Morro and doesn't count.

When Lloyd mentioned how Morro has been acting around him, everyone looked at him strangely.

Which means that Morro is only acting like that in front of Lloyd.

"Lloyd!"

He jumps, dropping his fork into his plate with a clatter. Looking up, Lloyd sees everyone at the dinner table staring at him with varying levels of exasperation.

"What?"

"We've been trying to get your attention for three minutes," Jay says with an eye roll.

"Yeah, you've been acting weird all day," Cole adds.

"I have?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Yes."

"Definitely.

"Affirmative."

Kai stays mercifully quiet.

Lloyd rolls his eyes and goes back to his food. He has a few bites before noticing the dead silence at the table. Everyone is still staring at him. He sighs and puts his fork down.

"Okay, I'll bite. What am I doing wrong."

"You've been staring off into space, you've been way quiet, and you haven't been responding to our questions," Cole rattles off.

"Not to mention you're avoiding Morro again," Zane adds. "I thought you were getting along with him."

Lloyd flinches. Way to cut right to the matter of things, he thinks dryly. He glances at Kai, who hasn't said a word the entire time. Which is odd behavior for him. Unfortunately, Kai suddenly finds the dents in the worn table before him quite interesting.

Thanks for supporting me, Kai.

As if a switch has been flipped, Kai stands.

"Let's go to the mall tomorrow," Kai says casually, as if he hadn't noticed the conversation about Lloyd's wellbeing.

Nya blinks at him.

"Why?"

Kai rubs the back of his neck.

"Well... I noticed that Echo and Morro keep having to borrow our clothing, and they don't really have any belongings to call their own, so... yeah?"

Kai seems to shrink under the stares from his family. He mumbles something unintelligible before straightening.

"Look, are we going or not?"

Lloyd hums, resting his chin in his hand.

"It's a good idea," he admits. "To be honest, I feel bad about not noticing before. But I have to ask, Kai. Why are you doing this for them?"

Kai frowns.

"I don't want them stealing my clothes."

Upon meeting his family's disbelieving expressions, Kai tosses his hands into the air, blushing.

"Fine! I feel bad about my argument with Morro and want to make up for it. Happy?"

That earns him a couple laughs, but in the end, everyone agrees to the mall trip. After dinner, Lloyd pulls Kai aside.

"What is it, Green Bean?"

"Thank you, doing this for Morro," Lloyd says with a smile. Kai waves him off.

"Don't worry about it. I'm still keeping an eye on him, so don't you think I've gone soft!"

Lloyd laughs.

"Dude, you've always been soft."

Then he turns and runs, knowing full well that Kai is hot on his heels.

▪︎<◇>▪︎

Ninjago City Mall is loud.

Babies wailing, shoppers chattering, machines beeping and clunking; it's overwhelmingly noisy.

Morro winces under the onslaught of sound, feeling a migraine forming. He keeps the hood to Cole's borrowed sweater pulled up and tries to muffle the sounds.

Echo, to Morro's chagrin, bounces between the stores in a blur of excitement.

"Friend Morro! Come look at this one!" Echo exclaims, holding up a brightly colored shirt with stripes. Morro grunts before turning to look for anything that catches his eye in a more... comfortable way.

Where's the black? Literally any dark color will do at this point!

"See anything, bud?"

Morro jumps before turning to glare at Lloyd, who must have snuck up on him with his limited peripheral vision. The one downside to hoods.

Lloyd looks nervous, but doesn't flinch under Morro's glare. Guilt flares in Morro's chest, and he looks away, remembering the way he snapped.

"Not yet," he replies softly. "Everything is too bright for my taste."

Lloyd narrows his eyes thoughtfully, humming. Then he turns away, beckoning to Morro.

"Come on. I think I know what you'd like."

And that's how Morro finds himself walking through a store entirely filled with black and gray clothing. He blinks, then grins.

Now that's more like it!

"Here ya go!" Lloyd chirps. "Shadow Apparel! The best emo store in Ninjago City. Pick out what you want and I'll pay for it."

"Really?"

Lloyd laughs.

"Yeah, Whirlwind. Go crazy." He pauses, then amends his statement. "But not too crazy."

Morro looks at him in surprise.

"You called me Whirlwind."

Lloyd blinks, then hurries to explain.

"Y-yeah, I just... it felt like a good nickname at the time. I won't call you that again if you don't-"

"No, it's fine!" Morro interrupts. "I've just never had a nickname before."

"Oh." Lloyd sounds sad for some reason, but Morro's already turning towards a rack of leather jackets.

About five minutes later, Lloyd speaks up.

"You know, you look different without your eye markings."

Morro freezes, almost dropping the shirt in his hands.

"What?"

"Your eye markings. You don't have them anymore," Lloyd says like he didn't just overturn Morro's world. "Did they come as part of being a ghost?"

"No, I-" Morro pauses. He hadn't even realized that his markings were gone. It makes sense, he supposes, I haven't been doing my morning ritual of applying the eye shadow.

"It doesn't matter," he says, feeling like he's lost an important part of him. If Lloyd notices, he doesn't comment. Morro notices him sneaking something into the bag as they check out, though.

As they leave the store, Morro feels the back of his neck prickle. He sees a shadow move in the corner of his vision.

He whips around-

To see nothing. Just shoppers, milling about.

"Morro?"

Morro looks back at Lloyd, who raises an eyebrow. His face burns as he realizes that he pushed Lloyd behind him protectively.

"What's wrong?" Lloyd asks, mercifully skipping over the fact that Morro was protecting him.

"I don't know," Morro responds truthfully. "It... it's probably nothing. Just had a feeling."

They make their way to the front of the mall, where the rest of the Ninja are waiting. As soon as Kai sees them, he stomps over.

"You guys just disappeared! You could have told us where you were, but nooo, you just run off!"

Morro looks around, leaving Kai to strangle Lloyd. Something catches his attention; a burly man looking at him and reaching for a device on his belt.

He curses. He's been dead for a while, but he knows enough to recognize a security guard when he sees one.

"Guys, we need to get out of here. I've been seen."

Cole glances at the guard, who's now speaking into the device.

"You didn't steal anything, did you?"

Lloyd forces a laugh.

"Well.... I may have... brokenhimoutofprison," Lloyd blurts out all in one breath. The Ninja look absolutely gobsmacked, which would be funny if the guard wasn't approaching them.

"Wha- When?" Zane cries.

"When you were getting Echo, time to run!"

Morro takes that as his cue to make a disappearing act, but a heavy hand clamps down on his shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir. I'm afraid you're gonna have to come with me."

Morro closes his eyes, silently counting to ten. Opening his eyes, he sees Echo looking at him with horror and confusion. The Ninja haven't moved, but Morro can see how tense they are.

They're gonna run.

He turns to the guard with a sigh. A few more guards have appeared behind the first, raising the enemy numbers to five.

"What do you want?"

"Are you Morro?"

Morro makes a big mistake.

He hesitates.

"Who?"

The first guard reaches for something on his belt. Morro tenses, but suddenly Kai launches himself into Spinjitsu and throws himself at the guards. Cole grabs Morro and pushes him and Echo into the middle of a protective circle the other Ninja make.

Morro looks around in confusion. Nya sneers at the guards. Zane looks at them coldly, eyes flashing. He can't see Cole's face from behind him, but his shoulders are squared. Jay's got his nunchaku in his hands. Kai is absolutely thrashing the guards, having yet to come out of his Spinjitsu.

But Lloyd's face is what he focuses on. His eyes are glowing neon, pupils slit, and his too-sharp teeth are bared in a snarl. It's such a stark contrast with the kind expression he usually wears.

It reminds Morro that Lloyd isn't completely human.

His attention is drawn back to the situation at hand when Kai skids to a halt at the front of the protective huddle, glaring at the guards.

"Like hell he's going with you," Kai spits. The guards get back to their feet, reaching for their weapons. The Ninja shuffle closer together, effectively hiding Morro from view.

They're about to fight, Morro realizes. For him.

He opens his mouth to speak, to tell them to stop, to save themselves, to leave him-

But Echo beats him to the punch.

"Wait!" The bronze nindroid pushes to the front of the circle. "Wait. I have a solution."

"Echo, get back!" Zane whispers urgently.

Echo ignores his brother, looking steadily at the guards.

"I have a solution," he repeats. "Are you willing to hear it?"

Morro stares at him, expecting the guards to attack. To his complete and utter surprise, the guards lower their weapons.

"Alright, kid," the first guard says, gesturing to Echo to continue. "What's your solution?"

"What are the crimes you think Morro has committed?" Echo's voice rings out, clear and to the point.

"Kid, everyone knows what he's done," the guard splutters.

"Humor me," Echo replies calmly. The guard sighs.

"Several accounts of arson, property damage, trespassing, attempted murder, and at least one account of kidnapping."

Morro can't help but glance at Lloyd, who subtly shakes his head.

"Thank you for telling me the alleged crimes."

"Alleged? Kid, he actually did the crimes! There's proof!"

"But was he doing so of his own free will?" Echo counters. Morro freezes, feeling the blood drain from his face. He knows exactly what Echo is talking about.

"As a ghost in the Cursed Realm," Echo continues, "You are under the control of the Preeminent. You no longer have the power to make your own choices. Any action you make is only to further the Preeminent's goals, never your own."

"Kid, what are you talking about?"

"When did Morro commit the crimes?" Echo asks softly. When the guard pauses, he smiles.

"He committed the crimes during his time as a ghost of the Cursed Realm. Therefore, his actions are under the responsibility of the Preeminent, not his own choice. He is not to blame."

The guard gapes at him, then sighs, pulling out a device. The Ninja tense, but he waves them off.

"Relax, I'm just calling the commissioner."

He speaks into the device for a moment, nodding occasionally. Then he clips the device onto his belt and drags a hand down his face.

"Alright. You'll have to stand trial, but we won't take you in... yet."

The Ninja break into a cacophony of voices. Morro can't make out the different words, but he gets the idea; they're cheering.

The guards walk away, leading the Ninja out of the mall. As they walk through the huge glass doors, Morro feels a prickle on the back of his neck. He turns, but again sees nothing but civilians.

Echo appears at his side, effectively distracting him.

"Morro? You okay?"

Morro grabs him by the shoulders, shaking him slightly.

"Why did you do that, huh? You didn't need to do that. You could have gotten hurt!"

Echo smiles softly, and something in Morro's stomach does a flip. He drops Echo like he's been electrocuted, marveling at this strange feeling. It's not entirely uncomfortable, but not entirely welcome.

What the-

Why did-

How-

It's just a smile! Why am I reacting this way?

"You are my friend," Echo cuts over Morro's panicked thoughts. "I do not want to see you harmed."

Morro isn't sure how to respond to that, so he does his best.

"Oh... well... thanks? I mean, we still have to stand trial, whatever that means, but.. thanks."

Echo just smiles again and turns away, going back to Zane's side. Morro's stomach flips again, and his hands tingle where he grabbed Echo.

What is going on?

[flockofcrowsinatornadoofcreation]

Birdcage, Chapter 8

Glitter and Gold

Surprisingly, the day passes with no further arguments. Morro stays in the medbay, mostly due to the fact that Pixal stands at attention just outside. He doesn't see hair nor hide of Lloyd for the rest of the day, which is both concerning and a blessing.

It isn't until the sky is growing dark outside that Pixal tries to make small talk.

"I noticed that you have not eaten anything since our argument earlier."

Morro grunts in response, fighting a growing headache.

"Would you like something to eat?"

His headache flares, and he bites back a whine. He forces his bleary eyes to focus on Pixal.

"Your voice is too loud," he croaks.

Pixal frowns.

"My voice is the same volume-"

Her eyes suddenly flash brighter, and Morro's headache grows.

"Are you ill?"

He closes his eyes to block out the light, hissing in pain.

"You are exhibiting behavior that suggest you are ill. I'm going to scan you."

"Don't you dare," he growls through gritted teeth.

"Scan complete. You appear to be slightly malnourished and are suffering from exhaustion, not to mention severe dehydration."

Morro blinks, trying to get his mouth to form the words.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he finally mumbles.

"You are hungry, tired, and thirsty. I will be right back."

Morro blinks, and Pixal disappears. He tries to call her back, but he can't form the words.

He gets to his feet to chase her down. The room sways-

He's dimly aware of being picked up off the floor and dumped on the nearest cot. He turns his head and sees green.

Green. He used to like that color. It's the color of leaves and grass and-

Morro jerks away from the color, nearly falling off the cot. He's moving slower than normal, though, so Lloyd can grab his arm before he loses his balance.

"Get away!" Morro gasps, trying to pull his arm away from Lloyd.

"Would you rather fall on your head?" Lloyd tightens his grip. "No."

"What is going on?" Pixal asks as she walks back in.

"He's trying to fall flat on his face!" Lloyd exclaims. Pixal sighs and sets down the tray she's carrying.

"Morro, please cooperate. If you do not take care of yourself, your condition will worsen, and we may be forced to bring you to the hospital."

Morro doesn't miss Lloyd's wince.

"What's the hospital?" He asks warily.

"You don't want to go there," Lloyd replies with a shudder. "There are mean people who poke you and ask you weird questions and make you swallow bad-tasting stuff."

Morro straightens, eyes wide.

"That... honestly sounds kinda horrible."

Lloyd nods sagely.

"Awful. The absolute worst."

"If you don't want to go to the hospital," Pixal says rather impatiently. "Then I suggest that you cooperate."

He considers her words, eyeing the tray she brought in. He sees some bread, rice, and a cup.

Morro flinches from the tray, staring at the water in the cup. Suddenly, he's drowning again, sinking into the burning ocean.

Someone is shouting, the words seeming to come from far away, as if being yelled down a long tunnel.

Morro snaps back to the medbay, where the lights are too bright and the yelling is abruptly too loud.

"Breathe! Come on, Morro! Breathe!"

"I'm taking him to the hospital."

"No, Pix! They'll turn him in!"

"We have no choice. He can't stay here in this condition."

His lungs burn, and his mind goes numb. Black spots gather on the edges of his vision.

The last thing Morro sees before the darkness overwhelms him is the look of terror on Lloyd's face.

[flockofcrowsinatornadoofcreation]

Yo um

What weapons would an Oni use?

I mean, the Omega uses a staff, and in the sets he uses black katanas.

But what about other Oni?

Asking for an OC :)

[flockofcrowsinatornadoofcreation]

Oh my gosh guys

Thanks so much for the support and comments on Birdcage, I am literally about to explode with happiness.

This fic is the only one that seems to actually want to be written and by god have I had trouble finishing projects.

But you all make me want to keep writing, to keep going on this project. Y'all motivate me!

Thank you thank you thank you!

Also, this is a reminder to get food and water because it is 3:42 pm and I am only just getting lunch and caffeine :)

[flockofcrowsinatornadoofcreation]

@bumblebeeenby I need opinions and I know you ship it, sooo...

@dontlookforme00 as my beta reader :)

[flockofcrowsinatornadoofcreation]

Birdcage, Chapter 6

I was just a kid

Morro winces as Wu pulls the bandage tight. Wu murmurs an apology and steps back, eying his handiwork.

Bandages cover a lot of Morro's torso. A couple of his ribs fractured when Wu pulled him from the air, and Wu had insisted that no, Morro could not wrap his own wound.

Morro hates to agree, but he could barely move his right arm without feeling a lancing pain in his chest.

"How does it feel?"

"Like shit."

Wu tuts sternly at him.

"Language."

Morro bites his tongue to keep from snapping at his old sensei. Since he woke up on the Bounty, he's heard so much cussing from the ninja -- aimed at him, nonetheless -- and now Wu won't let him? Surely he knows that his students talk like that?

"... sorry." A beat. "Kai called me a jackass."

Wu whips his head around so fast Morro hears his neck crack.

"He what?"

"Called me a jackass. He also threw me into the wall, threatened to kill me," Morro adds casually. Wu looks like he's going to explode.

Then he takes a deep breath and visibly wrestles his emotions back under control.

"I will talk to him... I sense there is something else that you wish to say?"

Morro freezes. His mind flits back to the moment Lloyd entered the room.

"I... I don't know what happened. Lloyd walked in the room and told me it's been three years since I was last seen. I guess I panicked, and..."

Wu waits patiently for Morro to continue, and Morro knows he can't get out of this without telling Wu.

"I may have... accidentally... possessed Lloyd?"

Wu closes his eyes and mutters something that sounds an awful lot like a prayer. He pulls a teapot from somewhere and pours a cup, offering it to Morro.

"Tea?"

Morro stares at the cup, flinching away from the steaming liquid. Wu's face falls.

"Ah. Apologies, I was not thinking."

"No, it's just..." Morro furrows his brows. "I just told you I possessed your nephew and your response was to offer me tea?"

"You said it was an accident. I would like to hear the details, if you wish to tell me."

Morro hesitates. Something doesn't feel right about this. If he was still a ghost, he would-

Wait a minute.

"I shouldn't have been able to possess him," he whispers, eyes wide. Wu looks nervous.

"That... is correct. I have never heard of a living human possessing another, but you also came back without being summoned..."

Wu brings his own cup to his mouth, then freezes, eyes wide. He lowers his cup in shaking hands.

"Unless-"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN MY BROTHER?!"

Several people run past the door before Cole pokes his head through.

"Hey, Sensei. We need to borrow the Bounty. We should be back by tomorrow. Lloyd's in his room, so keep an eye on him. Bye!"

Cole disappears from the doorway, and soon Morro hears the sound of the Bounty's engines fade away.

"What?" Wu finally says. "They don't bother to tell me where they're going? At least they're going out and about -- better than lying around doing nothing -- but they should have filled me in!"

His muttering dwindles to a halt. He sighs.

"Unfortunately, I also have to leave."

"Why?" Morro asks incredilously. "Where are you going?"

"What you told me about your return is deeply troubling. I must go to the Library of Domu to see what I can learn about this," Wu explains, looking infinitely tired.

Morro frowns. Then horror dawns on his face.

"You're leaving me here?" he whispers. "With Lloyd?"

"You are both skilled fighters and can defend yourselves against any threat."

Morro groans. Wu completely misunderstood his question.

"Besides," Wu continues, "Pixal is here. She will most likely check on you every so often, so stay in the medbay."

Wu walks to the door, but turns back.

"Oh, and one more thing. Don't antagonize Pixal. She does not take kindly to threats."

"Wait!" Morro yells, but Wu doesn't seem to hear him, walking through the door and out of sight.

Leaving Morro alone in the Monastery with the person he possessed and a possibly violent stranger.

Wonderful.

[flockofcrowsinatornadoofcreation]

Birdcage, Chapter 4

Ghosts that we knew

The Monastery courtyard feels smaller than it used to be.

Morro knows it's the same size as before. The amount of people standing around probably makes it feel more crowded. It was just two people the last time Morro was here, after all.

Then why does it feel like Morro is suffocating?

The feeling worsens as Cole marches him down the hallway toward a very familiar door. As soon as Morro lays eyes on the door to Wu's study, his throat closes up. Cole glances back at him, and Morro realizes that Cole's close to dragging him to their destination.

"No," he manages to choke out. Digging his feet into the floor, he tries to pull his arm from Cole's grip, but only succeeds in annoying the Master of Earth.

"Cut it out, Morro! You and Sensei obviously need to talk, and you're not getting out of it."

"No. No, I can't. No. I don't need to talk-"

Cole slides the door open and all but throws him through.

Morro scrambles to his feet and rushes to the door, but it's already shut. He reaches out to open it, praying that fate will let him.

Unfortunately, his uncommonly disastrous luck has other plans.

"Morro, is that really you?"

The voice sounds tired, more so than the last time he heard it. Squeezing his eyes shut, he can't help but wonder what could have caused that exhaustion.

"Morro?"

Taking a deep breath and trying not to choke on the odd experience of his lungs expanding, Morro turns his head.

And just as Wu comes into his field of view, he sees it.

The window. Just to the left of the door. Within reach.

Morro almost laughs. Is this a joke? Cole says he won't get out of the talk and immediately places an escape route in his path.

Oh, how fate plays.

Wu makes a small sound of distress, causing Morro to turn in surprise. He immediately regrets the action as he meets Wu's eyes.

Wu looks exhausted. He has shadows under his eyes, and his face is creased with stress. But his eyes hold some unknown emotion. Disappointment, perhaps? Pride? Sadness?

Morro feels his heart nearly stop as Wu gets to his feet. Wu takes a step closer. Morro steps back, and Wu's face does something strange.

"Morro, please. I mean you no harm. Neither do my students."

Anger flares in Morro's stomach.

"Tell that to Kai," he snaps. Wu's eyes widen, but Morro can't stop.

"Tell that to Nya. Tell that to Jay. Tell that to Zane. Tell that to Lloyd, too. I was in his head. I saw how badly he had wanted to kill me on the Bounty."

"In fact," Morro's voice raises, "The only one of your precious students who doesn't want to kill me is Cole, the person I turned into a ghost! And even he said he hates me!"

Morro laughs, not bothering to hide the hysterical edge to his voice.

"Everyone here hates me and you have the audacity to say I won't be harmed?" Morro scoffs, inching toward the window. "Sure, old man. I won't be harmed by you, or any of your students, because I'm not sticking around."

Wu tenses as he realizes what Morro is doing.

"Morro, listen to me-"

"No!"

Morro throws himself through the window-

-and falls through the air.

Morro closes his eyes, willing his element to carry him to safety, to bring him anywhere but here.

But nothing happens. He keeps falling.

The spot in his chest where he once felt his power is empty.

His power is gone.

For some reason, Morro feels like laughing. Surrounded by his element but still plummeting to the earth, without a scrap of control to save him while the wind whips through his hair...

He's never felt more free.

Something wraps around him, and he's abruptly pulled from free fall. He shrieks as a sharp crack of pain echoes through his chest.

Morro recognizes the claws wrapped around his midsection. He looks up at the dragon with a snarl. Wu, seated on the yellow dragon's saddle, looks back at him with horror.

"Wu, let me go."

"You can only save someone who wants to be saved."

"I will never let you go. Never again."

Wu reaches down and pulls Morro into the saddle, holding him close.

"Never."

It's not until Wu turns the dragon toward the Monastery that Morro feels tears on his face.

[flockofcrowsinatornadoofcreation]

Birdcage, Chapter 3

Human

Morro blinks at the wall.

Where am I?

"You're on the Destiny's Bounty, about five minutes out from home."

Morro winces. He must have said that out loud.

Groggily looking to the side, he sees the Earth Ninja leaning against the doorframe.

"What-" Morro slams his mouth shut, eyes wide as the memories come flooding back.

He's not dead.

Cole gives Morro a wry smile.

"Don't stress. Everything's fine."

Morro opens his mouth to retort, but stops as the rest of the Ninja file into the room.

He sees green toward the back of the group. His breath catches in his throat.

Lloyd walks in, a confident gait to his step. Morro can't help but stare.

Lloyd looks... older. His hair is longer, and the lines of his face look sharper. It's hard to tell from where Morro sits, but Lloyd looks taller than before.

Then Lloyd looks at him, making eye contact, and Morro freezes.

Lloyd's eyes are glowing green, and his pupils are slitted like a cat's.

Weren't his eyes brown before?

"Morro."

Even Lloyd's voice has changed. It's deeper than before, quieter, with none of that annoying whining.

This isn't the same Lloyd he possessed.

"How long has it been?"

Lloyd narrows his eyes at Morro's words. Morro clamps his mouth shut, surprised. He hadn't meant to say anything!

But Lloyd just looks thoughtful.

"Three years since we last saw you," he replies.

Three years? That's... No. That can't be right.

"You're lying," Morro growls, more of a desperate question than a statement. Lloyd looks at him steadily, not responding.

Lloyd isn't lying. Morro slumps in his chair.

"Where are you taking me?" He asks no one in particular.

"We're taking you to the Monastery. Wu will know what to do with you," Cole responds.

Morro feels his heart stutter, a rather uncomfortable feeling.

"Wu?" He croaks.

Cole nods. It suddenly becomes three times as hard for Morro to breath.

"No," Morro gasps. "No. Not Wu. No. No."

Lloyd takes a step toward him, and Morro panics.

He sees himself in the chair, pale as a sheet and staring at nothing.

Lloyd is yelling. Why is he yelling?

Everything snaps into place just as Lloyd's words register.

"Get out! Get out get out get out!"

"I can't!" Morro wails. "Let me out of here!"

He feels his- Lloyd's body grit its teeth.

Then a push-

Morro snaps back into his own body with a screech. He opens his eyes to see Lloyd collapsed on the floor, his friends surrounding him.

"Lloyd!" Kai cries. "Lloyd, are you okay?"

Lloyd opens his mouth, then shudders, squeezing his eyes shut. He tries again.

"I'm... I'm fine."

Zane's eyebrows draw together, and Jay places a hand on Lloyd's back.

"Lloyd..." Nya begins.

"Who's Harumi?"

Lloyd's gaze snaps up to meet Morro's, pure horror written on his face. He staggers to his feet and all but sprints from the room.

Morro watches him leave -- and his head snaps to one side as pain flares in his jaw. The chair topples over, and he cries out as his head strikes the wood floor. He brings his hand to his head, barely conscious of the fact that the ropes around him had slipped free.

He hisses in pain as he's suddenly grabbed by the collar of his tattered gi and hauled off the ground.

"I'll kill you if you've hurt Lloyd," Kai snarls in Morro's face. Behind him, the rest of the Ninja (sans Lloyd) glare at Morro. Nya looks just as furious as Kai. Zane wears a deathly cold expression. Jay looks ready to shoot lightning from his eyes.

Only Cole looks calm.

Kai shakes Morro. Morro winces as his teeth clack together, worsening his headache.

"Look at me! Don't look at them, look at me!"

Morro closes his eyes in a feeble attempt to hide his fear. Kai roars and throws him across the room.

He screams in agony as his whole body flares with pain. He curls into a ball, trying to hide in the corner. Some part of him hopes that the smaller he looks, the less likely Kai is to attack.

How pathetic.

Morro tenses as he hears Kai come closer, preparing himself for continued torture.

"Kai!"

The Fire Ninja stops just short of kicking Morro as Cole grabs his arm. Kai turns to glare at Cole.

"What," he snaps.

"Let me take care of him," Cole says. Kai glances at Morro, who's shaking in fear with his eyes squeezed shut. He deflates with a sigh.

"Fine."

"Alone."

"... fine."

The room falls silent as most of the Ninja leave. Morro stays curled in the corner, terrified.

Cole has superstrength. If he decides to fight me, I am in no condition to win.

He feels a hand on his back and flinches away, banging his head on the wall again.

"Dude, you really need to stop hitting your head. You're gonna get a concussion like that."

Morro doesn't respond. He hears a weary sigh, and Cole suddenly crouches in front of him.

"You won't possess me if I sit here, right?"

Morro stares at him, but eventually shakes his head. Cole sits against the wall, uncomfortably within reach. They both stay quiet for a moment, each preferring to wait for the other to make the next move.

"It's overwhelming, isn't it?"

Morro closes his eyes, ignoring the way the question makes his eyes sting.

"Morro."

"Go away."

"I can't help you if you won't let me."

That catches his attention. He laughs, more of a wheeze than anything else.

"Why, pray tell, would you want to help me," he breathes, finally sitting up to look Cole in the eye.

Cole doesn't respond. Morro huffs, turning away.

"I thought so."

"Because... I'm the only one who could possibly understand what you're going through."

Morro stiffens. Shit. That's right. Cole was a ghost. Morro made that happen.

Morro also helped Cole change back, but he's not sure if Cole knows that.

"That doesn't explain why you want to help," he snaps. "You should hate me."

Cole's gaze hardens.

"I do hate you. I just know you won't get any sympathy from anyone else besides Wu."

Morro recoils at the thought of seeing Wu again. Sure, they had last parted ways on good terms, but that was when Morro was helping.

Now, he can only be a burden. A disappointment.

"Kai is right," he rasps. "You should just kill me."

Cole visibly pales at that sentiment.

"Don't ever say that," he snaps, horrified.

"Why not?" Morro laughs -- more than a little hysterical -- before turning serious. "I didn't ask to be brought back."

"I don't care! You're back now, and you're not dying! Not on my watch!"

Morro gapes, shocked by Cole's outburst. Cole himself looks surprised by his own words, stuttering something about how Wu would hate it if Morro died.

A smirk forms on Morro's face.

"Why, Cole, it almost seems like you don't hate me."

"I do," Cole snarls. "I haven't forgotten that you just possessed my baby brother. Lloyd's only just started recovering from the first time."

Morro blinks. He opens his mouth, unsure of how to respond.

"I'm..." he begins slowly, "not the worst thing Lloyd's experienced anymore... am I?"

Cole freezes. Morro takes that as an affirmative to his guess.

"I'm right, aren't I? He bore witness to something far more terrible than I. Whatever he has experienced since I last saw him, I pale in comparison."

He suddenly comes to a realization. The way Lloyd didn't panic after Morro possessed him, not until he brought up-

"It's that Harumi person, isn't it?"

Suddenly, Cole is all up in Morro's face.

"Don't you ever bring her up in front of Lloyd," he snarls.

So Harumi's a girl. Good to know.

Morro jumps as Nya's disembodied voice fills the room.

"If everyone could report to the bridge, that would be great. We're home."

"What the-" Morro looks at the ceiling, where Nya's voice originated from. "How...?"

Cole smirks at Morro's confusion.

"Let's go. Wu will know how to deal with you."