(A/N) [Bursts through the door] I LIIIIIIVVVEEE!

First things first, a big THANK YOU to all of the people who gave me ideas for this rewrite of Day of the Departed. Chief among these wonderful people is MidnightShard99, my friend across the planet. This rewrite wouldn't have made it out of my head if it weren't for you!

Now, about this rewrite. It was going to be ten episodes long, but that didn't happen, mostly because I. Can't. Write. Cole. No matter how hard I try. Now the first four chapters are going to be released, the last of which isn't even finished. But I hope you enjoy it anyway. Read!

Episode 1

Day of the Departed

The sun shone hot down on the pink dunes of the Sea of Sand. The sky was turning shades of pink and purple. The rocks in the desert cast long shadows across the ground. Sunset was fast approaching.

Suddenly there was a rumbling sound somewhere in the distance. The rumble turned into a roar, and a large motorcycle tore across the ground. The Raider Bike's driver was a young man dressed in a ninja gi. "Move, move, move! We're running out of time! Pick up the pace!" Kai yelled into his radio.

Another large vehicle, the Rock Roader appeared behind it. "Kai's right, we're already cutting it close!"

Two more vehicles appeared. "Roger that, Cole!" Nya said from the second Raider Bike. "Zane, do you have a read?"

"It may be too late," Zane replied from the Titanium Ninja Tumbler, "unless we break all speed limits! Increase velocity!"

"Already on it," PIXAL confirmed. Another vehicle suddenly appeared out of the dust, Lloyd at the driver's seat.

"Ninja, I've reached the rendezvous point. Where are you?" Wu asked from the screens on the vehicle's dashboard.

"The museum is still five clicks away!" Lloyd answered in his Ultra Stealth Raider Bike. "We're on our way."

Suddenly a small craft caught up to them up in the air. "Look up, kids! Jay to save the day! Race you there, Lloyd!" Jay called from the cockpit.

"I still don't understand how you got the Super Sonic Raider Jet," Lloyd said, shaking his head.

"Uh, 'cause I called dibs! Guy who calls dibs first gets it! Right Cole?" No answer. "Right Cole? Cole?" Still nothing. A sudden realization hit Jay. "Lemme go get him! He's drifting off again!"

Cole looked at his hands. They were fading again. Not another one of these episodes! "No. No! Come back! Come-" he pleaded.

Jay was heading back, only to see Cole's tread assault hurtling through the air straight for him. "Cole! Look out!" He cried. Jay took a quick dive and only just missed it.

Cole regained control finally. "S-sorry Jay," he apologized.

Jay sighed. "I know you're a ghost, but I'm still in the living world, and I'd kinda like to keep it that way!"

"Ninja! Time is of the essence!" Wu exclaimed.

"He's right!" Cole said. "Engage!"

"We have one last shot if we want to make it. Combine for maximum impact!" Lloyd commanded.

The vehicles began to converge and combine. "Locked!" Kai confirmed.

"Loaded!" Nya added.

"And, jet speed reporting for duty, sir!" Jay piped. He lowered the jet and latched onto the combination. Cole and Zane also put their vehicles in place.

"Fire all engines!" Lloyd directed, and they all zoomed off.

The Ninja sped toward the city, tore down the streets and finally skidded to a stop at the Ninjago City Museum. They jumped out of their vehicles and rushed over to Sensei Wu, who was standing on the front steps of the museum. "Sensei Wu!" Jay panted. "Are we too late?"

Wu looked up at the sky where the moon shone bright green. "There may yet be time," he answered.

The ninja raced up the steps. "NINJA-GO!" they shouted, and Spinjitzued inside, Misako and Wu closely following.

Moments later, the Ninja walked out of the gift shop, carrying orange lanterns and now feeling much more relaxed. "Haha! Mission accomplished!" Jay laughed.

"Good thing we got to the gift shop before it closed!" Lloyd remarked.

"Yes," Zane agreed. "A Day of the Departed celebration is incomplete without a Day of the Departed lantern."

"I don't know about you all, but this has got to be one of my favorite holidays! There's lights, there's costumes, but the best part is the candy!" Jay exclaimed. He turned to a kid with a pilot's helmet on. "Go long, kid!" The boy's eyes widened in terror, and he ran to the front of the group. "Hey, what was that?!"

Lloyd put his elbow on Jay's shoulder. "Jay, take it from me," he began, almost as if he were a wise old man teaching him a valuable lesson. It was so dramatic it was comical. "Candy is a child's greatest treasure. No kid is going to be willing to give up that sweet, sugary goodness for free."

"Yes, enjoy the fun and festivities," Wu encouraged, "but never lose sight of the true meaning of the Day of the Departed. Today is about remembrance. We light lanterns to remember our ancestors… and to settle our debts."

"Yeah, got it, got it." Jay babbled. "Lanterns, ancestors, debts, but candy too, right?"

Suddenly a voice that sounded like it had a slight cold came up behind them. "The Ninja! The Master Wu!" The speaker was a man in a red suit with glasses and a very long grey mustache.

"Dr. Saunders," Wu acknowledged.

"Oh, please, we are all friends, ah, you must call me by my first name, yes, Sander, yes?"

Kai snorted softly. He leaned over to his sister. "Dr. Sander Saunders?" he whispered into her ear.

Unfortunately, Dr. Saunders heard it, but didn't seem to take offense. "At your service!" he laughed cheerily. "I am so pleased to be seeing you at this now. We are opening our new exhibit. Come! You see! Come!" He led them over to a set of double doors. Opening them, he announced, "Might I be presenting… the Hall of Villainy!" Everyone gasped. All the mannequins looked very realistic. He pointed to each one and introduced them. "Cryptor!"

"Very realistic," Zane observed.

"Kozu!"

"Uncanny!" Lloyd remarked.

"Chen!"

"Oh, don't remind me," Nya groaned.

"Samukai!"

"…Is he looking at me?" Jay asked nervously.

"Maybe from the past," Wu reassured him.

"And Morro!" Dr. Saunders finished. "Checking this out! We don't just open on Day of Departed. It's Day of Departed lunar eclipse! A special eclipse!"

"The rarest Yin Yang eclipse," Wu informed, looking at the moon chart Dr. Saunders was pointing out. "Unlike most eclipses, it lasts for two weeks instead of one night."

"Ah, poetic, is it not? Scary holiday, scary exhibit, scary moon, there is magic in the air… BOOGLY BOOGLY!" None of the ninja were impressed by Dr. Saunders' attempt at spooking them. However, the exhibit was a different story.

"It's… every villain we've ever faced," Kai breathed.

Cole walked toward a specimen that caught his eye. "Not every villain…." he corrected more to himself than to Kai. He was facing a weapon encased in glass underneath a painting of a familiar face.

"No, there are many more to unpack," Dr. Saunders continued. "Overlord, Golden Master, all the ones who tried to destroy you. Exciting!"

"Uhh, yeah, e-exciting…" Jay agreed nervously.

Cole walked nearer to the weapon and painting. He began to read the description. "'Although known to some as the Master Without A Student, Honakuna Yang will be remembered by most as the creator of airjitzu, the most powerful martial art in history.' Huh, actually, I remember Yang as the guy who turned me into a ghost." Then he called behind him, "Hey, uh, Dr. Saunders, what's the story on this thing?" He put his hand through the glass. "Hello? Dr. Saunders? Anyone?" No one answered.

"Hey, what's that?" Nya rushed over to the case.

"Ah, you have a good eye, Nya!" Dr. Saunders complimented.

"Wha- her?! I'm the one who spotted-" Cole stopped. No one seemed to hear him. In fact… "Hey! Watch it! You guys are walking right through me!"

"The Yin Blade belonged to Master Yang, eh, it is said to possess much dark magic…"

Cole came to a realization. "They don't hear me… or see me… it's like I don't exist anymore… And it's all your fault!" He finished by yelling at the painting.

"Cole… come… come to me…." said a voice.

"Uhh, tell me you heard that?" he asked Jay. Jay didn't notice.

"Come Cole…."

Dr. Saunders was still talking. "…which is why it is in this case made of clearstone, the hardest substance known to human, impenetrable by any living being…"

"…Cole…" The painting called.

"Yang…" Cole responded softly.

"…Close the circle…"

"Close the circle?"

"…Close the circle…"

"Close the circle…" Cole shook his head. Then he realized he was alone. He walked over to the window. To his horror, he saw his friends outside, saying goodbye to Dr. Saunders.

"Thank you so much for such an informative tour, Dr. Saunders," Wu said. They shook hands. Then Wu turned to the Ninja. "Ninja, tonight is the first night of the eclipse. At midnight we will return here for the concert. But first, we must go forth and honor those we have lost… those who have departed. We honor our ancestors because if we never look to the past, we cannot envision the future. On the Day of the Departed, we pause to remember those we have lost, and enjoy our time with those we are still fortunate to have."

Reality came crashing down on Cole. "They don't realize I'm gone… maybe… I'm departed…." As he stood there in the window, watching them go, his sadness turned to anger at a certain someone. Yang was at fault. It was all his fault. And Cole wasn't about to sit here while none of his friends could see or hear him. Cole had never wanted pure revenge on anyone before. It wasn't the way of the Ninja. But I'm not a ninja. I'm a ghost. Cole's fists balled up. He turned to leave. He didn't care about what anyone said; he had a debt to settle.

Back in the Sea of Sand, the other ninja rode away. "See you soon!" Kai shouted to everyone over the noise of the engines.

"Happy Day of the Departed, everyone!" Nya waved. With that, everyone left for their various destinations.

In the Corridor of Elders, Lloyd and Misako lit a floating lantern. After making sure it had enough hot air in it to let go, Lloyd released it. Slowly it rose up into the sky. As it passed Garmadon's stone statue, it cast its warm glow across his face.

Back in Ignacia, Nya held up a lantern in front of Kai. He lit up his hand and used it to light the lantern with a warm red glow. Nya placed the lantern on the table under a picture of their parents, the masters of water and fire.

In the Birchwood Forest, Zane walked toward the ice statue of his father. He placed a lantern in his open hand, and stepped back for a moment of reflection. This was his creator. He touched the snowy floor with his shurikens, and the ice power traveled across the ground and encased the statue with a fresh layer of ice.

Back in the junkyard, Jay sat on a bench outside the trailer where he grew up. They were looking at photos of Jay just after his parents found him on the porch. "Aww…" Edna cooed. "That's when I gave you your first teddy bear."

"Well, yeah, that thing was your best friend," Ed agreed. "You took it everywhere."

Jay laughed at a picture of him refusing to eat peas and carrots baby food. "I never really liked vegetables, did I?" he chuckled.

"We still loved you, Jay," Edna said, her head on Jay's shoulder.

At the mountain on which sat the remains of the old monastery, Wu made tea next to a picture of his father. "I raise this cup of Remembrance Tea to you father," he said, holding up the tea cup. "We never forget."

It was only a few minutes until showtime, and backstage, Lou was beginning to worry. Where was his son? "Cole, Cole where are you? You were going to light a lantern with me before the show!" he lamented. Lou's quartet slid in.

"He still not here, Lou?" Gary asked. "C'mon, put a few notes to it! It'll make you feel better! Bum bum bum bummmmm! Gave you your voice… gave you your soul… gave you your heart, now my heart is goooone…"

The others joined in. "To pieces!"

"Pieces!"

"Pieces!"

"Pieces!"

"Ooo la la la la la oo la la la la la!"

"Ooooooooooooooooooooo!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Just then Dareth entered. "Hey, guys?" he said, trying to get the four performers' attention. But they seemed entirely absorbed in their art. "Hey! Guys, listen!" Still no answer. "Guys. Guys! GUYS! STOP IT!" Finally they finished. "Ah, kids! Always letting you down! That's why I don't have 'em. Not because Gail keeps turning down my marriage proposals even though I'm an excellent provider." He cleared his throat. "Anyway! It's a good thing your manager is here to help you focus on the important things!"

"What's more important than family?" Lou asked crossly.

"A paying gig for a festival audience! Have a good show, boys."

Dareth raced onstage. "Hello Ninjago!"

Lou sighed. What could have happened to Cole?

Cole drove through the desert in his Raider. He had to do this. He drove for what seemed like hours. Dry desert turned to fluffy snow, fluffy snow turned to grassy plains. Finally the visibility dropped, for fog was closing in. He'd have to go the rest of the way on foot. Cole exited the Raider and walked through creepy, skeletal trees until he finally found it. Yang's temple.

Cole burst through the door. "Alright, Yang! Show yourself!" he shouted into the empty entrance hall. He walked further in. "You hear me? Show yourself!"

"Cole," a deep voice suddenly said. Cole looked to the right and saw Yang emerging from behind the staircase. "You received my message. I have something important to speak with you about."

"Really? Well I've got a message for you. It's direct from the business end of your own weapon!" He pulled out the Yin Blade from behind him and pointed it at Yang.

Yang gasped. "The Yin blade! But, how? It's encased in solid clearstone! That case is impenetrable-"

"Not to a ghost. Which thanks to you, I still am!" Cole didn't care if he was sounding scary even to himself. Yang was going to pay.

"W-what are you going to do?"

"There's magic in the air. You know, eclipse and all?"

"Please, where is your holiday spirit? It's the Day of the Departed."

"Uh-huh. And I'm settling my debt!" Cole let out a vengeful cry and leapt toward Yang, blade in hand. But Yang jumped out of the way, and the blade hit a large vase instead.

"You foolish boy!"

"What?" Cole asked. Suddenly the vase began to let out an eerie glow.

"You've broken the seal on the Vase of Wicked Souls Past!" Yang yelled as the light from the eclipse shone a beam down on the broken vase. A sickly green gas started to swirl around inside of it.

"Woah! What's happening?!"

"The consequences of your rash behavior!" Yang responded angrily. Streams of green smoke began to escape from the vase. They slithered out of the temple doors and into the surrounding woods. Quickly they made their way across the land and toward Ninjago City. They weaved through the streets and snaked into the Ninjago City Museum. As they went, the lanterns they passed turned green. The smoke soon made its way into the Hall of Villainy exhibit. Each strand of smoke began to circle one of the villains. At first nothing happened.

Then they all blinked.

(A/N) And it has begun.

So as you can see, it started out almost identical to the actual show. As we continue into the story, things will start to deviate, even as early as the second episode. Unlike any of my other fanfictions, this one will be split into episodes, not chapters. It's a pretty exciting difference for me! As you could see in the last part, Yang isn't going to be evil. You'll see the reason for this later on….

Big announcement: I have a tumblr now! It's called, you guessed it, INFJwriter! Go take a look at it!

On a much sadder note…

Nightprowlers is no longer under my authorship. It has been passed on to my good friend SnowflakeShard. I trust her to make a great final book in the trilogy.

On an even sadder note…

I'm running out of doable ideas for Ninjago fanfictions. I have one other one planned besides this one, but it's still in progress. I'm not leaving FFN entirely, in fact I'm planning an Undertale fanfiction (no, I'm not descending into the hateful part of that fandom). If you like Undertale, that's something to look forward to.

Review please!