Darkness from Within #7: A Promise Broken (Ninjago Fanfiction)

Chapter 9

"I guess it's what Sensei said," Jay replied. "We can't afford to be angry at each other right now." He glanced sideways at the red ninja. "Were you scared?"

Kai furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?" he retorted.

Jay shuffled his feet. "You know, during our short... alliance with Lloyd," he mumbled. "You just seemed really angry and... well, I know you well enough to see past that."

Kai turned his gaze back to the distance. "Fear can make you do crazy things sometimes," he repeated stiffly. His eyes deepened and he drew in a shaky breath. "Makes me wonder... what really made Lloyd turn on us."

Jay sighed. "Kai, you keep trying to sugarcoat him," he huffed. "Can't you just accept that he's a villain now?"

"Come on, there had to be something more than anger," Kai argued. "You saw his face when he returned to the monastery. He was terrified."

Jay shook his head. "Believe what you want," he grumbled. "But I think it'll be best for all of us if you come to realize that the old Lloyd is gone."

Kai straightened up and didn't reply.

"Guys!" Zane's voice brought them back to the present. "You've gotta see this!"

With one last glance at Kai, Jay turned and raced over to the white ninja. Giving himself a shake, Kai followed him more slowly.

"I think we've found it," Zane murmured as he led them around the cliff.

Kai's eyes widened in astonishment as they came to a halt. Through the whirling snow, he could just make out a chunk of broken-down, wooden buildings dug deep into the shadows of the mountain peaks overhead. A large, snow-covered gate surrounded it and shadowed the town into almost complete darkness with just enough snow on the buildings to blend in with its surroundings. They had hidden it well.

"Baddie Bend," Jay breathed.

Kai took a deep breath and exchanged glances with his companions. "Alright," he announced, slipping on his mask. "Let's check this place out."

Keeping to the shadows, they crept along the wall of rock until they reached the black iron gate. Kai stepped forward, observing the doors. "Sensei said not to be spotted," he murmured. He glanced up. "Looks like we're going over. I'll go first and scope it out." Bunching his muscles, he pushed against the ground and leaped upward, planning to land on the tip of the gate. But just as he began to shoot downward, his face suddenly smacked into something, followed a moment longer by his body. He jerked, alarmed, but found himself stuck in midair. What the...

He gasped as he felt himself start to slide down the hardened air. He felt his hand grip some sort of invisible material before it slipped his grasp and he crashed to the ground again.

"What was that?" Jay blurted out, unable to keep the amusement from his voice.

"Ouch," Kai muttered, spitting snow from his mouth.

Zane looked thoughtful as he came closer to the gate. "It appears to have some sort of forcefield around it," he observed.

Kai heaved himself to his feet and wiped the snow from his suit. "Oh, well, thanks for the heads-up, Zane," he grunted.

"So how are we gonna get in?" Jay asked.

Kai looked up at the forcefield. "I could grab it," he told them. "Maybe we can sorta inch our way around and try to spy it out from the outside."

Jay shrugged. "Worth a shot."

With a grunt, Kai leaped again, this time landing neatly on the top of the gate. Before he could topple over, he reached forward and gripped the air, feeling something squish between his fingers. "Come on!" he called to the others.