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

Chapter 22

Jay, Zane, and Nya were training out in the palace courtyard. There was no equipment, so they battled each other. Misako and Pixal sat on the porch, talking together as they watched Laurie run around. Rainy prowled nearby; she seemed to have lost Cole. She stared up at Kitty, who was stalking along the palace gates.

Just then, Laurie wandered deeper into the courtyard, and Jay had to throw himself sideways before his kick could hit her instead of Zane.

"Laurie!" he gasped out, nearly toppling over. "You can't play around here! You'll get hurt!"

Laurie only giggled at him before continuing to do as she pleased.

Jay growled in frustration. "Seriously, where's Lloyd?" he huffed, throwing a blow at Nya. "Is he even raising this kid?"

Nya blocked the strike with her spear. "Lloyd is still a full-time ninja," she reminded him. "And he has a lot going on. It's not a bad thing Misako and the rest of us are around to help him out."

Jay staggered backward. "I know," he said. "I just feel like it's better for a kid to be raised by a mother and father rather than a group of ninja."

"Laurie doesn't have a mother," Zane pointed out, striking the blue ninja. "And you do remember that this was how Lloyd was raised as well? I doubt he knows much better."

"Yeah, and he turned out fine," Nya agreed.

Jay and Zane stared at her in disbelief. Her face fell as she thought harder about her words. "Well... sort of fine," she muttered.

Jay sighed, glancing toward Laurie. "Well, I do hope Laurie turns out better than 'sort of fine,'" he scowled.

Suddenly, they heard a moving vehicle come to a stop outside the palace gates. They turned around as the guards opened the gates, and a familiar old man stepped through.

The three ninja gasped. "Sensei Wu!" they exclaimed in unison. Laughing, they ran to meet him.

Wu chuckled as they crowded around. "Hello, students," he smiled. "It is good to see you again."

Jay patted the sensei's shoulder. "It's good to see you, too, Sensei," he purred.

"Did you get Sensei Garmadon's crest?" Zane asked.

Wu nodded, placing a hand on his pocket. "Yes," he replied. "As soon as we are able, we will make the trip to Fervendale and search for my brother's ally." He glanced around the courtyard, spotting Misako, Pixal, and Laurie, but no one else. "Where are the others?"

"Cole and Lloyd are inside the palace somewhere," Zane answered. "Although we do not know exactly where they went."

"Maybe they're talking," Nya suggested hopefully.

"They're either talking or fighting each other to the death," Jay grunted. "There's no in between with those two."

Wu nodded again. "And Kai?"

The three ninja tensed, realizing the sensei had no clue about Kai being in the dungeon—let alone his upcoming execution.

"Um..." Jay rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you see... Kai is—"

"Kai's gone!" Lloyd's voice suddenly shouted.

The group whirled around as Lloyd and Cole came running out of the palace. The others sped over to meet them.

"What do you mean he's gone?" Jay demanded.

"Cole and I went down to the dungeon to break him out—"

"His idea," Cole interrupted, just to make sure they knew.

"Yeah," Lloyd said dismissively, "but he was already gone!"