Darkness from Within #1: Twisted Paths (A Ninjago Fanfiction)

Chapter 3

During the next few days, Lloyd constantly tried to press a conversation with Phil. He was bored and lonely, and Phil was the only one around. At first, the Baddie had tried to ignore Lloyd, but as the green ninja's words went on, Phil at last seemed to be opening up.

Lloyd was surprised at the light-hearted nature of the guard. He wasn't anything like how Lloyd thought a Baddie such as Phil would be. Once Lloyd got him to open up, Phil was friendly and humorous, unlike the other Baddies Lloyd watched from a distance. He doesn't fit in, Lloyd thought. Why is he even here?

Every day still, Lloyd awoke to warm food. Although now that he was regaining his strength, the someone who was giving it to him seemed to notice, because Lloyd found that the person now only came during the night while he was sleeping—a time where he couldn't possibly find out who it was.

Now as he thought about this, Lloyd's suspicions rested on Phil. Who else could be kind enough to help care for him? There was no other Baddie Lloyd had seen act that way—and Phil was right outside his door. He remembered how Phil had told the other two Baddies how, one day, Lloyd would get his strength back. And he sounded sure of it—as if he was personally looking to it himself.

Making up his mind, Lloyd went over to the window on the cell door and tapped Phil's shoulder through the bars. Phil turned his head slightly toward him.

"It's you, isn't it?" Lloyd questioned.

Phil looked confused. "What's me?"

"Oh, you know!" Lloyd exclaimed. "The one who keeps bringing me soup."

Phil turned away again. "I don't know what you're talking about," he murmured. "I stand here most of the time—I can't do that."

Lloyd bit his lip. Was Phil lying? Of course he is, Lloyd told himself. I mean, he wouldn't want to reveal himself when he's going behind the Overlord's back like that. "Okay, you don't have to admit it," he said. "But I do want to say thank you."

Phil looked at him. "No," he stated. "Don't say that. Don't say 'thank you'."

"Well, why not?" Lloyd asked.

Phil turned away and didn't reply, as if he expected Lloyd to know what he meant.

But he didn't.

That night, Lloyd decided to try and catch his mysterious carer in the action. Phil can't deny it when I catch him red-handed!

He slipped into the shadows of the cell, watching the door intently. But for a long time, nothing happened. Sleep began to swamp over Lloyd and he had to constantly jerk himself to stay awake. But as the night dragged on, Lloyd felt himself slowly begin to give in to the darkness...

* * *

A sudden clatter jolted Lloyd awake again. The smell of warm soup hit his nose, and he jumped up to see a shadow hurrying across toward the door. Lloyd's eyes widened and he stumbled to his feet. "Wait!" he called.

The person flew open the door and darted out, shutting it closed again so quickly that the only thing Lloyd made out was the whip of long, golden hair. Lloyd gasped softly as he remembered the figure more clearly in his head. It's a girl, he realized. He drew his hand over his face. It's a girl.

* * *

"Well, if it isn't the guard boy. Just the person I wanted to see!"

Lloyd's head turned toward the cell door at the sneer. Furrowing his eyebrows, he walked over to the door and peered out the window, finding the same two men he had seen a few days ago outside.