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

Chapter 20

Kai stared at the blue-eyed guard, whom he learned was named Phil. If I'm going to break you out, we need to move, his voice echoed in his head. Before he could question the guard, Phil grabbed his arm and darted out of the cell.

Kai stumbled after him, gasping. "Why are you helping me?" he wondered as they ran. "You barely know me!"

"Because you're innocent," Phil replied without looking back.

Kai's mood lifted. "You believe me?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't believe you," Phil corrected, "I believe the evidence."

"Evidence?" Kai gasped. "You have evidence? But how?"

Phil slowed as they came to the end of the hallway. "You didn't think you were doing this all on your own, did you?" he murmured. "We've been watching you."

"We? Who's we?" Kai jerked as Phil slapped a hand over his mouth. Following his gaze, the red ninja spotted two guards talking by the nearest door. Pushing Phil's hand away, Kai cocked his head in the opposite direction. "We can sneak around that way—"

His voice broke off as Phil jumped forward and yanked out his crackling whip. He shot it at one of the guards, and it not only wrapped around him but seemed to shock him. Grunting, Phil threw the guard at the other, and the two fell unconscious.

Kai blinked in shock. "So much for stealth," he breathed.

"I'm not a ninja," Phil reminded him as he wrapped up his whip.

"Then what are you?" Kai demanded, growing exasperated.

Phil gazed at him, smirking. "A Guardian," he said simply.

Kai's eyes widened as Phil began running again. Hurriedly, the ninja raced after him. "So my senseis were right," he panted. "Those Guardian people are the ones who broke in at the wedding and stole the Fire Crystal."

They were deeper into the palace by now. They came to another corner, and something suddenly made Phil skid to a halt. "Gah!" he gasped, fumbling backward.

"What is it?" Kai hissed urgently, trying to see over his companion's shoulder. He heard a voice in the distance, but couldn't quite make it out.

Phil stole a quick glance around the corner. "Lloyd," he whispered back.

"Lloyd?" Kai perked up and attempted to move in front of the Guardian.

Immediately, Phil grabbed him and yanked him back. "What do you think you're doing?" he snapped. "Are you mad?"

"He's my brother!" Kai spat defensively.

"He can't see you!"

"Why not?"

Phil peeked around the corner again. "Because then he'll see me," he responded. "And he's probably not going to be happy with me."

"You?" Kai was taken aback. "What did you do to Lloyd?"

"Doesn't matter. What matters is I don't feel like getting killed right now."

Kai snorted. "So you're scared of Lloyd, too?"

"Let's just say I've seen what he's capable of." Phil straightened up. "Okay, he's gone. Come on!" He darted across the hallway.

Kai pelted after him.

Having left the dungeon and being farther out into the open, Phil followed Kai's advice and sneaked around guards, slipped away from cameras, and kept to the shadows.

"So, if you're a Guardian, or whatever," Kai spoke again, "what were you doing in Shillvaron, and dressed up as a guard?"

"Shut up!" Phil grunted in frustration. "We're not safe here!"