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

Chapter 14

Kai didn't know if it was rain or tears dripping down his face as he wandered along the rooftops of Trynia's village. Though he guessed it was the former, for he felt too hollow to fully react to what had happened. An hour had passed since Lloyd forced him to leave and he was struggling to figure out what to do next. What was there to do, now that his entire team had turned against him?

The red ninja sighed, halting to stare into the dreary night sky. The pain from hearing Lloyd scream at him hadn't gone away. Out of everyone on the team, I thought at least he would have my back, he thought with another pang.

Turning, Kai kept walking. Maybe it wasn't the green ninja's fault, he tried to tell himself. The Kai that attacked and burned Skylor hadn't only been a spitting image of the real Kai, but had carried himself the same way. Even his combat moves had been the same. It confused Kai himself.

It was then the red ninja remembered his latest interaction with Skylor. She had rambled something about how Chester attempted to frame Kai further. And when he'd first shown up in her room, she'd asked him to prove that he was really Kai. Realization hit Kai. She thought that guy who attacked her was me at first, too.

There must've been some scheme going on. Chester was working hard to make sure everyone believed it was Kai hurting Skylor and not himself. But how did he do it? Kai wondered desperately. And why did it turn all my friends against me so easily?

Kai knew Lloyd and Misako had probably told the whole team by now, and he knew they would no longer help him. What am I supposed to do?

With a long sigh, he slumped onto the ridge of a rooftop. The rain was light, but it was freezing nonetheless. Kai shivered and pulled his knees up to his chest, gazing into the distant horizon. It was times like these, when he felt alone and hopeless, when he missed Garmadon the most. Would the sensei have stuck by his side, or would he have been just as horrified as Lloyd?

I really wish you were here, Dad, Kai said silently. He rested his forehead on his knees. Now, he knew the water on his cheeks wasn't from the rain. His chest felt heavy, his body felt weak. Losing Garmadon had put him through enough. Now he lost the rest of his family? And what was worse: they probably all hated him. What am I supposed to do, Dad? he asked again.

Sitting there, in the rain, struggling to hold back tears, he suddenly realized exactly what Garmadon would say.

Pick yourself up, he'd say. Do you think I got to where I am today by feeling sorry for myself? You're innocent—so prove it.

Kai raised his head. You're right, he thought with determination. They can't break me that easily. He shook out his wet hair and wiped his eyes. I have to prove them wrong. I have to get my family back.

But how?

He rubbed his chin, thinking. The place to start would be the place where it all went wrong. That's the camera footage. Immediately, he whipped out his phone and opened the downloaded footage. I knew this would come in handy.

He moved backward until he was seated against a chimney and under an overhanging tree, hoping to shelter from the rain. When his phone finally loaded, he scrolled to the part he wanted. He watched closely as the parlor door opened and Kai walked into the room. He started toward Skylor.

"Kai?" Kai heard the princess' voice. She seemed surprised. She rushed over to the on-screen Kai and they began a conversation in hushed voices. Kai guessed it was because he wasn't supposed to be in the palace, but because of their whispers and the pattering rain around him, he couldn't make out their words. Frustrated, the red ninja only watched as the on-screen him made the first hit.