Darkness from Within #5: Uneasy Trust (A Ninjago Fanfiction)

Chapter 16

Garmadon flinched as Lloyd slammed his bedroom door in his face. He gave an exasperated sigh and banged his head on the door. "Lloyd," he muttered, banging his head again. "Lloyd. Lloyd. Lloyd."

Kai came up behind Garmadon, frowning. "What's going on?" he asked.

Garmadon stepped back and turned toward the red ninja. "He won't talk to me," he huffed.

"What happened?" Kai wondered.

As Garmadon hesitated, a voice sounded from Lloyd's bedroom. "You better not be talking to Kai out there!" Lloyd shouted. "I told that thief to stay out of this!"

Kai stiffened, wincing. "Thief?" he echoed. "What did I do?"

Garmadon drew his hand over his face and began walking down the hall. With one last suspicious glance at Lloyd's door, Kai hurried after him.

He glanced at Garmadon's stressed gaze and decided to change the subject. "So how about some breakfast?"

Garmadon shook his head. "I lost my appetite," he sighed.

Kai halted for a minute. "Oh... okay," he murmured, racing after the sensei again. "Me too. Did you want to—"

"Sorry, I just need to think," Garmadon interrupted as he opened his bedroom door.

Kai stopped outside the door. "Well, I can help if you—" His voice broke off as Garmadon closed the door in his face. He stepped back, all his excitement faded. Hurt washed over him as he stared at the door. Sighing deeply, he looked at the ground and turned away from the door.

His head hung as he headed down the hall. He tried to cheer himself up by telling himself it was still early, but he had a bad feeling that he and Garmadon's day together had just gotten ruined.

* * *

Kai looked up as Cole came staggering down the hall toward him. Frowning, the red ninja stopped the black ninja. "Cole, I think we should talk."

"No, we shouldn't," Cole stated quickly, sweeping past him.

Kai huffed and raced after him. "You'd rather talk to Lloyd over me?" he challenged.

Cole jumped at the green ninja's name.

Kai stared at him after seeing this and laid his hand on his shoulder. "It is about Lloyd, isn't it?"

Cole glanced over his shoulder warily at Lloyd's bedroom door. "Kai, you don't understand." His voice trembled. "You can't keep talking to me."

"And why not?" Kai demanded. "You're my brother—I can talk to you if I want."

Fear flashed in Cole's eyes as his gaze dragged back to the red ninja. "R-remember after the Trance, how anxious you used to get when Lloyd talked to you?"

Kai shuffled his feet. "I-I guess."

"Well, that's how I feel when you talk to me," Cole whimpered.

Kai's eyes widened in surprise. "But why?" he asked. "I didn't do anything, did I?"

Cole glanced at Lloyd's bedroom door again. "And those were the questions he was asking you," he murmured.

"So you're not going to tell me?" Kai exclaimed.

"If I did, there'd be consequences," Cole breathed. "Just like how there was when Lloyd found out about the Trance."

Kai forced a chuckle. "What? You think I'd attack you?"

Cole didn't take his gaze off Lloyd's door. "You wouldn't," he whispered.