Darkness from Within #2: Tension Rising (A Ninjago Fanfiction)

Chapter 1

Jay, Cole, and Zane pushed open the door to the hospital room. They were going to see how Kai and Lloyd were doing.

Kai was sitting at the edge of his bed, staring out the window at the sunset. The ninja walked over to him.

"Hey, Kai," Jay greeted.

The red ninja tensed and his head shot toward them in alarm, then he relaxed again once he recognized who they were. "Sorry," he muttered, looking at the sunset once again, "I thought you might've been... someone else."

The three ninja sat beside him.

"Like who?" Cole grunted. "Someone who might attack you?"

Zane glanced sideways at Kai. "Someone like Lloyd?"

Kai looked at his feet and didn't respond.

Jay gave him a nudge. "We're not gonna attack you, Kai!" he snorted. "We're your friends!"

"Yeah," Kai murmured quietly. "That's what Lloyd was. A friend."

Cole and Jay exchanged a glance as if not knowing what to say. Zane nodded to them, and the two walked across the room to check on Lloyd.

Zane gazed at Kai sympathetically. He seemed to be the only one taking this seriously. "Kai, you must know that Lloyd didn't mean to hurt you," he soothed. "He didn't know what he was doing."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Kai puffed. Then he glanced at Lloyd warily, who was lying on a bed not far from him. "I just don't know what he'll be like when he wakes up. Now I know that anything is possible."

Zane stared at him intensely. "You're scared, aren't you?" he observed after a minute's silence. "Scared that you won't be able to trust anyone again."

Kai sighed and rolled onto his back, wincing. He clutched his stomach, which was now wrapped tightly with bandages. "Wouldn't you feel that way, if one of your closest friends gave you a wound like this?" Then he grasped his injured wrist and let out a groan.

Zane looked down. "I guess it is normal for one to have these sort of feelings." Then he gazed back at Kai. "But when Lloyd wakes up again, he'll be back to normal. I'm sure of it. Everything's gonna be fine."

Kai glanced at Lloyd again, tensing uncontrollably. "I hope you're right."

* * *

Garmadon sat with his fingers running through his hair as Wu paced the floor in front of him. The brothers were overly concerned about the whole situation, occurring two days ago.

"This is even more agonizing than the first time," Garmadon sighed. "Because now we don't know what Lloyd will be like when he wakes up."

Wu didn't stop pacing as he replied. "Listen to yourself, Brother. At least now you are sure that he will wake up."

Garmadon shook his head. "And I thought he was weakened by the Overlord," he murmured. "But he seemed just as strong as usual when he attacked us."

"It is the power of anger," Wu said. "The need for revenge is a powerful feeling."

"I can't believe he would hurt his own mother," Garmadon went on miserably. "And his father... his uncle... his brother... It broke my heart. I don't remember Lloyd ever being that cruel."

"Indeed he was cruel," Wu agreed. "But we know it wasn't his fault." He began to pace harder. "This couldn't have been some coincidence. Something must've happened to him over at Baddie Bend."

Garmadon gave an exasperated breath. "Who cares how it happened?" he groaned. "I think the bigger problem is that Lloyd was ready to kill all of us!" He sighed. "That's not the Lloyd I know and love."

"I know this, Brother," Wu pressed. "But there has to be some sort of scheme behind this. And we have to get to the bottom of it before something even worse happens."

"The Overlord couldn't be planning something this complicated," Garmadon scowled. "He may be powerful, but he's also one of the dumbest villains I've ever known." He shook his head. "And that's saying something," he muttered.

"Not on his own," Wu insisted, eyes deepening. "But maybe with the help of..." His voice suddenly trailed off and he turned his head away from his brother.

Garmadon stared at him. "Brother?"

Wu shook his head. "I don't know," he sighed. "I guess I'm just a little out of it."

Garmadon gave a soft scoff, drawing his hand over his face. "I think we all are," he said. "I still just don't understand." He rubbed the side of his cheek, where he could feel the bruise Lloyd had given him a few days ago.

Wu halted in his pacing and went over to his brother, laying a hand on his shoulder. "It'll all be okay," he comforted. "Yes, we've all been thrown for a loop, but the stress won't last long."

Garmadon gazed up at his brother. "But what about when Lloyd wakes up?" he wondered, a twinkle of fear in his eyes. "What if he doesn't recognize me again? What if he attacks us again? Or—or something worse?"

Wu heaved a sigh. "We've got nothing left to do besides hope."

* * *

The next day, Garmadon found himself sitting beside Lloyd once again. The green ninja hadn't woken up since the incident. Across the room, Kai was tossing and turning in his bed, grunting with pain. The red ninja had drifted into unconsciousness a few times over the days, but now he seemed almost ready to go back to his own room.

Garmadon sighed and gazed at Lloyd again. He couldn't set his mind to believe that his own son had wounded Kai that badly. He could only hope with all his strength that Lloyd would be back to his old self when he woke again.

Mmm...

Garmadon glanced at Lloyd worriedly. Like last time, the green ninja was constantly shifting and shaking, sometimes softly, sometimes violently. Once every now and then he'd talk in his sleep, but he never fully awoke.

Lloyd stirred. "No..." he murmured. "The fire... the smoke..." He shifted more harshly. "Can't... breathe... losing... senses..."

Garmadon was about to intervene when Lloyd let out a grunt. "Overlord... see me... no... no..." He let out a soft hiss. "Bust out... losing energy... everything's spinning... darkness is coming..." He gasped.

Garmadon laid his hand on his son's. "Shh... everything's alright, Lloyd," he soothed, hoping he could hear him. "You're only dreaming."

Lloyd suddenly jerked violently, kicking his blanket away from him. "No!" he murmured louder. "Dad... gone... Overlord killed my dad..." He suddenly stopped shaking and relaxed. "No... Dad..."

Garmadon sighed miserably. He felt so helpless. There was nothing he could do to wake Lloyd from his dark memories. He draped the blanket over his son again before rising to his feet. "Rest well, son," he whispered. "And come back to us safely."