Way of the Departed

Way of the Departed is a non-canon novel written by Tommy Andreasen on Twitter. It takes place after Season 7.

Chapter 1
It is cold and I am freezing I shouldn't be, because I am not alive. I am in an ice labyrinth. It feels like I have been here before, and it feels like I shouldn't be here. My friends are with me. They are looking at in the walls of ice and discuss what they mean. In their reflections they look different. Older and wiser. They wear the robes of sensei. Jay seems ecstatic that his reflection has an eye patch. He thinks it is cool. Then there is a change in his mood and he seems to be hiding something. We haven't been the best of friends lately. I try not to think too much about it. As I walk up to the ice wall l wonder about my own reflection I look alive again and it doesn't quite make sense. My hands are glowing bright orange, but what really catches my eye something on my forehead. A small green scar. I get really close to get a good look, and realize that there is something moving inside it. It starts to glow. am blinded by light as l stare into an abyss. My friends and have seen many strange things and places, but this one takes the cake. Faces float by in a constantly twisting maelstrom of green. They are hard to make out, but some seem familiar to me, and I hear a voice I have not heard in a long time. It is calling my name over and over. It hurts deep inside, so I take a step back from the wall. But my reflection doesn't respond. He just stands there staring coldly back at me. The scar on his forehead starts to convulse. First just a bit but then more voilently. And then his entire head splits open. It is unbearable to watch, but I find myself unable to look away. The headless body falls to the ground without a sound, but the scar remains floating in mid air. try to turn away, but now I can't move. My friends are still chatting, but it seems like their voices are a million miles away. I realize this is the end. The scar keeps growing and is now as big as me. I just stand there, as it leaves the ice wall. It comes at me and consumes me. Everything goes green.

This is when I wake up. It always is. must have had this dream a hundred times, but l have never told anyone about it. It's my secret and there seems to be a lot of those lately. I am in my room in our home, an old temple floating a three hundred yards above ground. We don't know why. It just did one day. I suspect Jay and Nya knows something about it somehow. The have been really close lately, sometimes playful and clearly in love, but other times they seem bewildered, talk in hushed voices and they seem to be examining the temple grounds. I am happy for them but it's also disturbing. I know something about the Temple of Airiitzu as well: it is still haunted. I could tell the others but it would freak out Jay, so I've kept it to myself. Secrets. Waking up tonight is different though. My room is bathed in a bright green light. It reminds me of how Lloyd's eyes have started changing after Master Wu went missing. He trains alone so intensely, and he is really connecting with his powers whatever it is. He has done well filling in after Master Wu, but the is clearly not comfortable with it. After a few seconds of trying to find the source of the green light, I realize the source is me. The light comes from me. From the scar on my forehead. And that's not the only thing which is different. By the window the ghost of Master Yang floats in mid air. I get the feeling he has been watching me for a while. There is an expression of sadness on his face which l haven't seen since that night on top of the temple. The night he intended to curse me, but ended up saving me. I became mortal again and he chose to remain behind as the the house or tried to save me as I am about to be told After an uncomfortable silence l ask him about my glowing scar. His voice quivers as he speaks and the answer cuts me like a knife. "My dear Cole. That's not a scar it's a rift. And it will open soon. . . ."

Chapter 2
"Cole! Cooole! You're missing training. Hurry up or Lloyd will give us one of his speeches on punctuality, dedication and discipline. I don't wanna listen to one of his speeches on punctuality, dedication and discipline. Coooole!" The shrill voice of Jay cut through the cold morning air like a scythe. It was often windy and cold at the Temple of Airjitzu. That's one of the drawbacks of living high above the clouds. Another was getting up and down. But there were more advantages than drawbacks: For instance one heck of a view! Real estate agent Patty Keys was constantly sending the ninja pamphlets to persuade them to sell. They weren't going to sell, and they were starting to feel really bad for the mail man who had to make the trip up there several times each months. His job hadn't become easier either. Nya had come up with a system by which they could move the floating island to new locations as they pleased. All it took was some very thick chains and the powerful boosters of the Destiny's Bounty. The sad reality was, that the prospect of a temple with an ever changing view, just got Patty Keys even more eager which meant more work for the mail man and his old pedal propelled bicycle. Cole had considered to reveal that the Temple was still haunted to scare Patty off. But he had decided against it for Jay's sake This morning Cole was nowhere to be found. As Jay entered his room, all he found was Cole's neatly made bed, and a note carefully placed on his pillow. Cole was already far away. He had left before sunrise which is pretty early when you live on a floating mountain. He was on foot and carried only a small bundle with some food and necessities (cake) plus his new weapon of choice: a heavy hammer, which had been given to him by his father Lou. Cole was glad that his father had come to terms with him being a ninja, and the gift of the hammer seemed to be the definite approval from him. Cole had become quite fond of it too. Sure it took some getting used to, and it was A LOT heavier than his old scythe, but it seemed very fitting for a Master of Earth wield a hammer.

But that wasn't exactly what was on Cole's mind as he wandered on. He was still haunted by his dream and what Master Yang had told him. I am Yang I used to be known as the Sensei without students. I was very strict about titles back then. Being a Sensei is not something you come by easily, and so others should respect you used to be very strict with my students about such formalities. Now I am but a ghost of my former glory. No longer a Sensei but still the master of the Temple of Airitzu. It is floating in the sky. For a while Iwas extremely confused about it, but since the Ninja moved in, I have obtained a few answers. First I asked Cole, but he was as clueless as was. Jay on Nya on the other hand seemed to know something. I have been able to eavesdrop on them on several occasions, and I have picked up bit and pieces. Apparently events involving the notorious djinn pirate king Nadakhan happened and un-happened, and my lemple becoming airborne is an anomaly of those events. So Nadakhanand is still out there. Wonder whatpossibilities that presents. Is there some special way djinn cheat death? Can a djinn really die? I will need to look into that. I have done terrible things in my pursuit for immortality. acceptance and glory. My fate, bound forever to this temple is a fitting punishment, and lam at peace with that. I still feel shameful sometimes, and hope that I will one day be able to redeem myself to the students l wronged. I have just one student now: Cole. We have agreed to keep my presence a secret for the time being. I suspect that old Wu had some suspicion too. Once he stared intensely at my painting in the main dojo for several minutes, then chuckled and winked at it before leaving. But he is gone now, so only Cole knows for sure. We have discussed at length the nature of our relationship. It is one forged out of necessity. desperately need company. I admit that now. And he still has many questions about his.

own existence having been touched by death in several ways himself There is another reason too. I finally told him last night. Before we met, l foolishly experimented with life and death Now l pay the price. After the incident where l used the Yin Blade and brought a curse onto myself, the Temple and my students, I found myself with plenty of time on my hands. I spent those captive years studying curses and the after life And the place l yearn to go most of all, but never can: The Departed Realm is the most mysterious of all. All of Ninjago's residents who have passed away in the true sense of the word, have gone there. Only a few has ever made it back. Normally, if you can talk about normal when you talk about Realms, travel between them is possible in several ways. But the Departed Realm is different. Incantations, dragons, Realm Crystals, Travellers Tea or back doors are not enough. To access the Departed Realm you need a rift But a rift is dangerous, unstable, seems to have a will of it's own and you have to force it open. You can never be sure of the outcome. I worry about Cole. I don't know what will happen, but Ihave had much time since the last Day of the Departed to think about it. There are many possibilities but none of them are good. Cole is a pawn in it I have no doubt that his dream speaks some truth, and if so he will perish. This is tragic enough, but I fear even more is at stake. What will happen if a rift is unchecked? Will it keep expanding? Will it consume Ninjago just as the it did Cole in his dream? Will the Departed be able to re-enter Ninjago? If they do, how many will there be of them and what will they be? This is a direct result of my doings on the Day of the Departed. was starting to feel that there may have been more good than bad that came out of that fateful night: Cole turned mortal again, my students' curse was lifted and my old lonely temple was cleansed and became the home of the Ninja. But now l see that it isn't so The rift on Cole's forehead MUST be closed!

Chapter 3
It is night and I am tired. Soon I will need to sleep. Surrendering myself to the dream again scares me. The bonfire in front and me crackles. It should warm me but l feel cold like in the dream. For the hundredths time l guestion why I went alone. "Ninja never leave a ninja behind. Work as a team. Trust your friends'. All those lessons Master Wu taught us. Why am I ignoring them? I guess there are some things that you just need to do on your own. Master Wu went alone to confront Acronix at the burned down monastery. Look what that got him Rapidly aging and ultimately trapped in time. I feel like I have failed him. Why am I here on a quest of my own when Lloyd swore we would not rest until we found him again? We have done a lot of searching, but this is not like finding a lost pair of gloves. Master Wu was lost in time, so this is not just a question of where but also when. It could be impossible. Maybe he is not even here yet or has been and no longer is. We all know it. No one has said it out loud, though l have felt Jay bursting to do so several times. Restraint from Jay Imagine that! I guess we are growing older. He is my search partner. Lloyd split us up in the beginning to widen the search. Two in each search party. Jay and I, Kai and Zane, Nya and Lloyd. Jay is good company, if you can endure the constant steam of words coming at you. He keeps jabbering on about the secret identity of Samurai X claiming that he's got it all figured out. He must have guessed on everyone in Ninjago by now. Even someone called Ekosan, though he quickly disregarded that theory and then flat out denied having ever said it. One day he almost assaulted the hapless mail man who was just dropping on yet another flyer from Patty Keys. Admit it! Reveal your secret!, he shouted at him. The poor guy started stuttering something about the obscure practices on how it is decided who gets their portrait on a stamp and who doesn't. In a good/bad cop situation, Jay would definitely be the bad cop. Lloyd saved the mail man that day and apologized. We didn't see him for six weeks after that First we hit the Library at Domu. Jay had all these wild theories about time travel, and theorized that if Master Wu.

had fallen into the past, he would have left a message or a book for us to find there. Fourteen days of intense reading later, we abandoned the book idea. He could have left a message in any way more likely a message on something more durable than paper. Carving on rocks? We then started searching places that held special meaning to him: The monastery where he lived with his brother. The Caves of Despair where Morro had perished. Zane and Kai even hired Ronin to take them to the First Spinjtzu Master's Tomb. Butleaving no rock unturned isabettersaying than something lived out in real life. Just like "We shall not rest until...' That's why we returned to the Temple once in a while: To rest. But we were all restless. So rest turned to training instead We found new techniques and opportunities within Spinjitzu. Ray and Maya couldn't be very helpful either. They had created the Time Blades and we still had one of them. But just the one and no plan. Also Lloyd insisted that it was too dangerous to keep around, so Kai and Nya returned it to the Boiling Sea. It will be safe there only a master of water and fire together can go there After reuniting with Kai and Nya, Ray and Maya went on a tour of Ninjago. They probably still are catching up. Kai and Nya went on for so many years not knowing what happened to them. That must have been hard. And now they have to go through the whole thing again but with Master Wu. I am tired of losing people in my life! I hope Ray and Maya are having fun and I hope that Kai and Nya are sti It is cold and I am freezing. shouldn't be, because l am not alive I am in an ice labyrinth. It feels like l I wake with a jerk. Where am l? I stare into a bonfire oh yes of course I must have nodded off for a second. Man that dream is there immediately. It's like a predator stalking me and just waiting for me to let my guard down. I drink some tea and eat a bite of Mrs. Walker's crumb cake that I brought along with me. It doesn't taste very good tonight though. I'm sure that it is more my state of mind's than thecakes fault, but it tastes like ash still wash it down with the tea. Eating cake is like muscle memory to me. It's just something I do to occupy my hands and mouth some times. I love cake but I think it would be healthy for me to cut back In several ways.

I think about what Master Yang told me. He has told me not to call him master, but it still slips once in a while. Though he is bound to the temple, he can still reach out into the outside world through former possessions of his. Like that painting on the wall in the museum. He was careful not to get my hopes up too much, but he suggested that I would start my search for answers at a village called Nom. I recognize the name, but l can't quite put my finger on it. We were together when he reached out. It took all of his concentration. It was extra hard because of the distance he told me afterwards. Iswear could almost see him sweating. A ghost sweating that's a contradiction in itself. When was a ghost I never sweat. I wonder if sweat would have stung. Ghost logic who can really tell? When he finished he was completely exhausted. He could hardly talk, but said that he had felt a presence in Nom who might be able to shed some light on my situation. I should be able to get there by tomorrow night if I walk all day. But before that, there is one big obstacle in my way, and it's time I close my eyes to face it. I take one last sip of tea, throw another log on the fire and scowl myself for not bringing a blanket. I guess planning ahead is not my strong suit. Tonight will be a cold one. I close my eyes and try to think happy thoughts. I am 5 years old. I see my father and my mother dancing in the moonlight on the terrace in front of our old house. I have been tucked in, but I've snuck out to watch them. I do that often. My dad is so elegant. When grow up l want to a be a dancer just like him. Why would lwant to be anything else in world which so perfect? ............... It is cold, and I am freezing.

Chapter 4
I have been walking for the entire day. The walk is proving more difficult than l had imagined. I didn't get too much sleep last night and won't be able to make it all the way to Nom today. That means another night under the sky without a blanket. It started to rain last night, so tonight I will make sure I have shelter The sun is setting. There is a forest here, which should provide some cover for me. I walk in just far enough so I can still see edge of the forest and won't get lost. A loud animal shriek shreds the silence. I must have disturbed some animal. I continue in. The fire will keep whatever it was at bay. There are logs fallen over here. Some seem to have been uprooted or cut down as part of a battle, but they are rotting and overgrown so it must have been a while ago. I don't worry about it. I just want to get as warm as I can, eat a bit of crumb cake and ready myself to deal with my dream as much as I can.

One of the alarms has been triggered. It is time to go My father thinks I am being paranoid, but ever since those strange time disturbances half a year ago, I have been more vigilant. It was the northern forest alarm. Through my spyglass I see a faint glow from near the edge of the forest It is probably just some traveller, but you can never be too careful. I ask Jerahn to bring my gear As I make my way into the forest, I pass a pile of Nindroids They have been lying here for a long time, and some have started to rust. It's an eye sore. My father really should make sure that they get salvaged. He is the mayor after all. They bring back memories of a different time and remind me that you can never anticipate what the future will bring. But I have to stay focused on the present. There is an outsider in our forest and I cannot take any chances. Silent as a ghost l move in on my target. That is my thing. Stealth and surprise. Though wear metal armour l move with grace. I become one with the shadows and prepare some smoke pellets. In a second I will reveal myself in a display of mystery and magic. Like a phantom returning to Ninjago from a dead.

I watch from the dark. Only one person hunched over by a fire. An eerie green glow emanates from it's forehead. A being of magic? I cannot make out any features. By its side is a large hammer, but it is a special design and not one of the ones used by the quarry people in the west mountains. I will need to be careful. My entrance will provoke a reaction in my target, and in a fraction of a second it will reveal what kind of an opponent it will be. Some freeze with fear. Some run away in terror. Nindroids tend to pause for a brief second as they analyse something that doesn't fit with the logic of their programming That is usually enough time needed to overpower a few of them. Often when reveal myself I won't even have to fight, but I doubt that this will be one of those times. I throw down two smoke pellets hard!

There is a sizzling sound. Instinctively l roll sideways, pick up my hammer and get to my feet in one movement. The entire area gets engulfed in smoke. It is bathed in the green light from my scar. A booming voice commands me "Surrender yourself to the Phantom!. My mind races. Phantom? Does this have anything to do with the rift? Has some henchman of death arrived to claim me? The apparition breaks through the smoke and l barely parry two swords. Gone again l am at a disadvantage here. This is not a good place to fight with a heavy hammer. The space is too confined and I am blind in the smoke am attacked again. block the swords but is kicked backwards. Just as I steady myself I am hit again from the back. The blows aren't that hard. It feels like whatever is in the smoke is trying to disarm me or drive me way, not take me down. It's time to turn the situation around. I drive my hammer hard into the ground. The entire forest shakes. I hammer my fists together hard and build up energy for my spin. The world becomes a blur as l whirl into my Spinjitzu tornado, clearing away the smoke and several of the smaller trees. I come out grab my hammer. This is an arena fit for a fight! Cole?!?'. The voice saying my name is filled with disbelief.

ld heard that you were departed a ghost... gone. I am speechless I did not expect this. Not at all. I am standing in front of a friend that I thought had passed away I have heard conflicting stories about what happened to him, and guess I just assumed the worst. But here he is standing in front of me looking quite alive. don't know what to feel. Surprise, happiness, confusion all roll into one numb lower my swords. He looks back at me puzzled, lowers his hammer and smiles as he speaks. 'Nom! Of course that's where have heard thatnamebefore! Hi Seliel! Still doing the Phantom Ninja thing see!

45 minutes later Cole and Seliel arrived in Nom. The walk had given them plenty of time to catch up on the last few years, and it had been a nice and joyous walk. Seliel had been VERY surprised the hear about Nya and her powers of water. Apparently some charlatan called Lar had passed by the village and convinced everyone that HE was the Master of Water. He had even duped a local publisher to release fake stories about his "legendary" battles. Seliel was furious until Cole reminded her, that she herself was a bit of a con artist. l anyone had the right to call himself a Phantom Ninja, it would have been him. At least until recently Cole had neglected to go into any specific details about his scar or his dreams. All he had mentioned, that his Master had sent him on a mission to meet someone in Nom. Phantom? Cole wondered if the person he was supposed to meet was Seliel. Could the whole "Phantom Ninja' thing have mislead Master Yang to believe that the phantom was an actual ghost who would have some knowledge about the Departed Realm and the rift? Seliel is chatting on about how well Nom has been doing. She is clearly proud of how her father has turned the village's factories into successful manufacturers of electronics. They are even doing business with Borg Industries now, and it is clear that the village is doing well. I am invited to sleep in the City Hall. Seliel says there is someone she wants me to meet tomorrow.