Flames of the Past #7: Seeds of Deceit (Ninjago Fanfiction)

Chapter 4

The monastery was quiet. The shock from what had happened was still settling in. The team was gathered near the hospital room, where Pixal and Zane were treating Kai. The red ninja had passed out by the time Lloyd had gotten away and his condition looked bleak. So they waited in anxious silence, hoping with all their hearts they wouldn't lose two brothers that day.

The ninja had filled Chelsea, Phil, Misako, and Vanessa in on what had happened. Misako and Chelsea were still in denial about it, while Phil and Vanessa were struck silent like the rest of them.

"He wouldn't do that," Chelsea still muttered to herself at the end of the hall. "He wouldn't hurt Kai, or his daughter."

At the mention of the girl, Wu walked over to Nya, who was sitting on the bench in the hall and cradling Laurie in her lap. The child was shivering slightly as she slept; her skin showed a bruise or two, but she looked unharmed otherwise. "How is she doing?" Wu asked.

Nya stranded her fingers through Laurie's curls, swallowing down the lump in her throat. "She hasn't stirred yet," she confessed. "But she's breathing okay and doesn't seem to be in pain."

Jay slipped to Nya's other side, carefully moving Laurie's hair from her face. "She's a tough nut," he commented. "Not everyone can survive a hit like that, especially being so small."

Nya moved her hand to Laurie's arm, turning it around to reveal her strange green veins. They seemed brighter than usual, although Nya had only seen them once before. "Do you think it's because of these?" she asked.

Jay followed her gaze. "Those showed up when she broke Lloyd out of the vision world," he recalled. "How did she do that, anyway?"

Wu rubbed his beard as he observed the color underneath Laurie's skin. "I've never seen anything like that," he admitted. "It certainly isn't what you would call normal. But if we can link these odd circumstances to it, then it's safe to say it gives her some sort of strength. Or even power."

"It seems to act up more with Lloyd," Jay continued. "Does it have something to do with his elemental power? Energy?"

"Maybe it isn't Lloyd's power," Nya breathed. "It's hers."

Surprise shot through Jay. "Does she have an elemental power?" he wondered.

"It wouldn't be foreign to suggest," Wu said. "After all, elemental powers are hereditary. I doubt we'll know for sure for a while, since they usually don't manifest until the child is older."

Nya gazed down at Laurie, then rested her chin on the girl's head and closed her eyes. Jay placed a gentle hand on Nya's shoulder. "I still can't believe Lloyd would hurt her," he rasped out.

"That's because he wouldn't!" Chelsea broke into the conversation. "Lloyd isn't like that anymore!"

"And why should we believe what you say?" Cole interrupted. "The only reason you're here is because Lloyd trusted you. But now since Lloyd's turned on us yet again, who's to say you won't do the same?"

Chelsea took a wary step back, glancing from ninja to ninja. "I don't want to hurt anybody," she protested. "I-I don't know what Lloyd was thinking!"

"Leave Chelsea alone," Phil barked. "She had nothing to do with this."

Chelsea looked at him with grateful surprise. He looked back solemnly before turning his face away.

"And what makes you so special?" Jay snapped at him. "We all know you were close to Lloyd! How do we know you didn't have something to do with this?"

"My brother's innocent!" Vanessa argued.

Jay jumped to his feet in outrage. "How do we know we can trust any of you?" he spat, glaring at the blonde Guardian.