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

Chapter 7

The air brought a chill as the Bounty began to soar higher above the snow. The ninja had searched the whole forest from the plains, and now they were searching the mountains—the only place left.

He's gotta be here somewhere, Wu thought as he gazed over the edge of the Bounty. Or I'll truly have no idea what to do next.

It was almost midnight. The sky was dark and glittered with stars, and shadows loomed over the blackened snow. To see, the ninja turned on the light on the bottom of the Bounty, using it to scavenge the dark ground below them.

Nya was using it now, grunting as she twisted it around while at the same time peering over to see where the light was shining. But so far, all she saw were trees, rocks, and a few animals here and there. She was beginning to lose hope, but she didn't give up. Lloyd's counting on us, she thought. We can't give up on him just yet.

Pushing away her exhaustion, she continued on with her search. Tree... tree... rock... She gasped. Was that a...! Squirrel, she thought disappointedly. Another tree... another rock...

Then something different caught her eye. At first she thought it might have been another boulder, but as she looked closer, she could just make out the figure of a person. Breath quickening, Nya turned the light until it brightened what she wanted to see, and her heart nearly leaped out of her chest.

"Stop the Bounty!" she shrieked, stumbling backward. "I found him!"

Her sudden shout caused a commotion onboard and everyone rushed over to her. Wu leaned over the railing and followed her gaze, eyes widening in alarm.

"Lower the stretcher!" he told Pixal. But she was already on it.

Cole, Kai, Jay, and Zane slid down on their ropes beside it, hitting the ground with a thump. Peering through the darkness, they just made out the limp figure of Lloyd.

"Lloyd!" Kai exclaimed, rushing over to him.

Cole followed him and knelt beside the green ninja. Lloyd was lying on his stomach in the snow and he was shivering like crazy, his breathing unsteady. Kai rolled him onto his back, seeing that the green ninja's eyes were closed and his face dull and lifeless. "Lloyd!" he repeated, shaking his friend. "Say something!"

Lloyd didn't reply.

"Hang on," Cole breathed, looking down at the green ninja worriedly, "we're going to get you out of here."

The two ninja turned as Jay and Zane hauled the stretcher over to them. With a grunt, they heaved Lloyd onto it. Zane tugged at the rope to signal Pixal before grabbing hold of another one as it was lifted upward again.

Garmadon whipped around as the ninja climbed back onboard and hurried over to them. As they set Lloyd down, the sensei gasped and crouched beside his son. "Lloyd!"

He slipped his hand under Lloyd's head and lifted it up. "Wake up, Lloyd," he urged, gently shaking his son.

Lloyd gave a soft moan but didn't wake up.

Garmadon looked up as Wu knelt beside him. "What did the Overlord do to him?" he demanded.

Wu shook his head helplessly and gazed down at the unconscious ninja, noticing how Lloyd was still trembling from the snow piled on his clothes. "We can figure that out later," he said. "First, we have to get Lloyd somewhere warm." He turned his head toward Nya. "Get us back to the monastery," he told her.

Nya nodded and hurried to the upper deck.

Garmadon looked down at his son as the others began to disperse again, bringing him closer to him for warmth. The relief he felt when he heard they had found Lloyd was completely drained as he gazed at his limp and helpless son, leaving nothing inside of him but a bigger pit of fear.

* * *

Back in Baddie Bend, alarms were blaring in the small town. The cell was empty—the secret was out.

"After him!" Ariana shouted as she led a patrol out of town.

The Baddies raced out into the snow, pounding along the path the green ninja most likely would've taken. From in the distance, a rumbling sound echoed through the trees. I know that sound, Ariana thought angrily. "They're getting away!" she snarled at the others.

Just as the patrol was charging up a slope, a blast of wind hit them and they skidded to a halt. Ariana stood at the top of the slope and looked up as the Bounty began to rise into the air. She stomped her foot with frustration as it sped forward and away from them. "No!" she howled.

Furrowing her eyebrows, she turned her head as Joseph and Katy walked up beside her. She smirked. "Joseph?" she pressed.

Knowing what she was thinking, Joseph drew out his bow. "My pleasure," he snickered.

Katy scraped two rocks together near Joseph's arrow, grinning menacingly as a spark flew off the rocks, enlightening the arrow into flames. Joseph lifted the bow and drew the string back, aiming the arrow at the Bounty. Then he let go, and the flaming arrow shot through the sky, disappearing above the edges of the Bounty. The three Baddies waited, watching intently until they saw a distant orange flame show against the boat. They relaxed, glancing at Joseph with satisfaction.

The Baddie lowered his bow, smirking. "Never miss," he sighed.

* * *

The Bounty suddenly jerked in its glide, continuing on in a staggering, spluttering pace. Nya gasped and wobbled on her feet, steadying herself again with a shake of her head. She stepped away from the steering wheel and glanced over at the boosters, seeing their fire shift into smoke instead. Her eyes widened. "I think there's something wrong with the engine!" she exclaimed to anyone who was around, already hurrying toward the lower deck.

She felt a flash of heat hit her face as she neared the engine room. What the—

Nya skidded to a halt in alarm as she saw the room burning with flames. Gasping as the fire grew, she whipped around and raced to the deck again. "Fire!" she cried. "The Bounty's on fire!"

The others burst into the engine room after her.

Breath quickening, Wu turned around to face the others. "It'll be okay," he told them. "If we can put it out before it grows too big—"

"Too late!" Jay interrupted, pointing to something over Wu's shoulder.

Wu whipped around again to see the fire had already begun to crumble the walls and was reaching up to the ceiling. The ninja scrambled backward as it trailed across the floor toward them and to the upper deck.

Suddenly, the Bounty made another abrupt jerk until it was almost facing the ground front-first. The ninja shouted in alarm as they were knocked off their feet and dragged toward the end of the boat.

As the fire grew and malfunctioned the boosters, the treetops below them came nearer and nearer.

"We're gonna crash!" Cole exclaimed, hanging onto the railing.

"Oh, not again!" Jay gasped.

The Bounty sped to the ground faster, the fierce wind whipping off the sails. Wu glanced down at the forest below them and grabbed onto the mast. "Brace for impact!" he shouted at the others.

Screaming, the ninja all grabbed something to hold onto and braced themselves. Then in a flash, the Bounty crashed through the trees and to the ground—and the forest was set ablaze.