Ninjago: Hidden Secrets

Suspicious New "Friend"

Ayata's P.O.V.

It's been a couple days since the junkyard incident and Lloyd has become very, um...clingy. Ever since I escaped off the Bounty, he would not let me out of his sights; always keeping by my side, or keeping me at his side. Hell, he'd even start freaking out if I wasn't in his sight.
   Every time I tried to ask him about it he always stammered, freaked, and flushed at the same time and changed the subject. I didn't ask him again.

I still don't understand his behavior. He's a strange child.

The blizzard wasn't any good either as it stung harshly against my face as the Serpentine vehicle drove through. Along with me was Lloyd and the Fangpyre general, as well as his army that trailed behind not too far. When we reached the top of the mountain, as expected, we were face-to-face with the Hypnobrai.

Beside me, Lloyd laughed. "Now to teach those Hypnobrai a lesson for betraying me! Lloyd Garmadon! Uh...do your thing, Fangpyre. I let you out of your hole for a reason."

Fantom, the Fangpyre general, complied and ordered his army to charge. But when the two Serpentine generals came face-to-face, Fantom greeted Skales and they began to chat like old friends. Which they surprisingly were.

"Wha--I thought you were enemies! Not friends !" Lloyd yelled, obviously baffled about the outcome. I was also confused, although less than Lloyd, as the blond boy was hoping for some revenge.

"We were at war," Fantom said. "But seeing that Skales is now leading the Hypnobrai. Well, I don't see why we can't be friends."

"Had you released the Constrictai, the Venomari, or heaven forbid the Anacondrai--then we would have had a tussle." Skales explained. 

"Tussle? A Tussle!? B-But I'm Lloyd Garmadon, bringer of evil!"

They all but laughed as they turned their back to us. "What should we do with them?" Skales asked.

"I could turn them into one of us."

"Hmm, nah. The boy is pretty much useless compared to the girl."

Fantom laughed. "Maybe you could hypnotize him and make him think he's a pig?"

"That would be pretty funny!"

While Lloyd was panicking, my survival senses kicked in and I noticed the other Serpentine creeping up on us. Immediately I grabbed Lloyd's wrist and hauled him with me off the vehicle. When we were cornered against the Serpent-crane I ushered him to climb up. 

"Huh? Why?"

"Just trust me; unless you want to be hypnotized into a pig."

I climbed up after him to the top. Just as I suspected, the crane ever so slightly flinched. "Brace yourself," I said to Lloyd. "Hu--"

He didn't get to finish when we were violently catapulted into the air. Lloyd screamed as we fell towards the ground and he faceplanted into the snow while I ungracefully rolled in it. 

I helped Lloyd out of the snow and there was a soft silence between us, until he started to bombard me with questions. "That was so cool! How did you know it would do that? How did you know they were stalking behind us? How did you--"

I cut him off by placing my hand against his mouth, a light pink dusting across his face in an instant. I didn't pay much mind to it due to the skull-splitting headache I was having. 

"To answer your questions: it was a lucky guess."

He nodded, accepting my answer, and I lowered my hand from his face. When I looked up once again, there was a small smirk plastered on his face and a knowing gleam in his eyes.