Flames of the Past #4: A Tangle of Lies (A Ninjago Fanfiction)

Chapter 5

 "Ack!" Kai blocked Lloyd's punch, skidding backward. He returned the move with a punch of his own, but before his hand even neared the green ninja Lloyd had swerved out of the way. Then the green ninja grabbed his arm and flipped him onto the ground.

Kai gasped as he crashed. Growing frustrated, he spun and dove for the green ninja's legs, but already Lloyd was flipping over him. A kick to his back made Kai stumble over his feet. He saw that Lloyd was facing away from him, and he immediately whipped around and threw another punch at the green ninja.

As quickly as light, Lloyd had turned and caught Kai's fist in his hand. The red ninja grunted as he struggled in his brother's grip, while the green ninja only laughed. "Seriously?"

Growling, Kai yanked his knee upward, but Lloyd leaned backward in avoidance. As he steadied himself again, he shoved Kai away from him.

The red ninja staggered backward, panting. "How?" he puffed.

Lloyd smirked and folded his arms across his chest. "You're too predictable, Kai," he said.

Anger boiled inside of Kai. "Oh, yeah? Then how about this?" With a grunt, he put all his strength into one leg and swiped it toward the green ninja's head.

His leg met nothing. Lloyd had already swerved out of the way.

"You start every fight with a right punch," Lloyd pointed out. "Then it's another punch, then it's the knee, then it's a kick—can't you be any more creative?"

Clenching his jaw shut, Kai took a step back before leaping at the green ninja and bursting into spinjitzu.

A blast of green shot him back down. "Ow!" Kai sat up, rubbing his head. "That's cheating!"

Lloyd smirked again as he held a ball of energy in his palm. "Do you expect bad guys to fight fair?" he challenged. "Come on, get creative!"

Kai skittered sideways as Lloyd threw the energy at him. "Are you trying to kill me?" he shouted.

"Use your fire," Lloyd persisted. "Then maybe you'll be able to beat me."

"I haven't been able to beat you since you were thirteen," Kai argued in frustration.

Lloyd smiled. "Fine, I'll go easy on you," he answered.

Kai glanced down at his hands, hesitating.

"What? Did you forget how to work your element?"

Kai swallowed, placing his hands in his pockets. "No... I'd just prefer not to use it," he murmured.

"Why?"

Kai's eyes clouded. "Fire is destructive," he went on. "What if I lose control? What if I use too much and someone gets hurt?"

"Um—hello? Is Kai in there?" Lloyd walked closer to the red ninja, raising an eyebrow. "You never doubt yourself or your ability. You're always confident. That's what makes you Kai."

Kai half-smiled, but only shrugged in reply.

Lloyd sighed. "Alright, no powers then," he grumbled, ready to move to the other side of the courtyard again.

"That's okay," Kai mumbled. "I think I'm gonna sit down for a few minutes."

Lloyd watched as the red ninja padded toward the palace doors and slumped on the stairs. He covered his face with his hand, leaning against his legs. Lloyd knew something had changed in his mood. The green ninja's mood started to drop, too, as he guessed what was bothering his brother.

Frowning, Lloyd followed the red ninja and sat beside him. He didn't know what to say at first, so he only rested his head against Kai's shoulder.

Kai stirred from his thoughts and Lloyd caught a sad smile crossing his face.