Flames of the Past #2: Beginning of Chaos (Ninjago Fanfiction)

Chapter 10

Garmadon sighed to himself as he walked down the hall. Cole, Lloyd, and Kai had shown him and the rest of the team the evidence they found on Alfonso's mysterious murder. It wasn't Lloyd after all, he thought. Why had he been so quick to assume it had been?

Laurie's squeaky voice radiated from her open bedroom door. Garmadon turned into the room, watching his granddaughter from the doorframe. The little girl was standing near the edge of her bed, where Kitty was seated on the blanket.

"No, Kitty!" she was saying. "That's wrong!"

Grabbing her wrist, she backed up and began spinning in circles, giggling to herself. Then she plopped onto the ground and looked up at the kitten. "See?" she squeaked.

Puzzled, Garmadon headed over to her. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Laurie gazed up at him. "We're playing s'wades!"

"You're playing what?"

"Sh'wades!"

"Charades?" Garmadon guessed.

"Mhmm!"

Garmadon knelt beside her, observing her. "So... what are you supposed to be?" he wondered.

Laurie scrambled to her feet and put her mouth to the sensei's ear. "I'm Daddy!" she whispered.

Garmadon's eyes rounded as she backed away again. "Daddy?" he echoed in confusion.

"On't tell Kitty!" Laurie reminded him.

Garmadon glanced at the white kitten. "Oh, right," he muttered. Mewling, Kitty stretched before hopping off the bed and strutting on her way. Garmadon turned back to his granddaughter, watching as she repeated her act: fumbling around before flopping to the floor, all while holding her wrist. "You've seen Daddy do that before?"

"Mhmm!" Laurie nodded.

Garmadon's eyes fell on her hands. "And he was holding his wrist like that?"

Laurie nodded again.

"Do you know why?"

"Umm..." Laurie thought for a minute. "I don' know!"

Garmadon bit his lip, wondering what Lloyd had been doing. He could think of one reason the green ninja could've been holding his wrist. But why would his Baddie marking be bothering him? he pondered. He remembered Lloyd telling them the Overlord used to hurt him through it. But if the Overlord's dead, that couldn't be it...

"Papa, I hungry!" Laurie squeaked.

Her comment reminded him of the reason he was in there. Rising to his feet, he scooped the girl into his arms. "Let's go eat dinner then," he smiled.

He started out the door and toward the dining hall. Laurie sat on his hip, babbling to herself as she played with her hair.

"Hey, you two," Misako's voice came as she appeared beside them.

Garmadon smiled and took her hand. "Where have you been today?" he asked.

Misako turned forward. "Oh... around..." she answered vaguely.

Garmadon raised an eyebrow. "I'll need a better answer than that," he pushed.

Misako laughed. "I was just out exploring the kingdom," she said. "It's been a while since we were here. Do you think it's changed much?"

"Honestly, I don't really remember," Garmadon laughed.

"Neither do I," Misako chuckled. "But anyway, it sounds like you've had quite an eventful day here at the palace."