Loss of Hope (A Ninjago Story)

Chapter 7 Lloyd

I was walking through Fortitude, the last village until you reach the desert, then the sea. Most people didn't pay any mind to me, as I strolled through town. I could tell that whoever I was looking for, wasn't here anymore. I walked up to a building that looked slightly familiar, and jiggled the handle. It was unlocked. I looked around, making sure that no one was watching, before I slipped inside. 

I took off the sunglasses, the front hallway looked familiar to me, but I didn't remember ever being here. There was an open package on the table that hadn't been there before. I walked up to it, picking it up to examine it. There was a lot of padding in the box, to protect whatever had been in it. As I discovered that there was in fact, nothing in it. 

I smashed it between my hands, breaking the box. Whatever had been in this, was why I needed the person who owned this, because then they could stop all of the ghosts, and me from rising to power. And no one can stop me from rising up. No one should stop me from coming to power.

I walked through the house until I came upon a doorway that was wide open. I cautiously walked down the stairs, preparing myself for anything that would happen. As I made it down into the chilly basement, I saw that there were tools, and wood shavings everywhere. There were tools that were scattered around one certain spot, but there was nothing there. And the wood shavings were near the walls. 

I looked around some more, until I rested my eyes on a wall. There was nothing on it, and it seemed to be made from some weird type of brick as I felt it. It was a basement with four walls, and this was the only wall, along with the largest wall, that had nothing on it. I thought it was strange, and looked down at the floor. There were skid marks, leading right up to the wall, before they stopped. I knelt down, feeling them. They were still a little warm, which meant that they were from recently, about a few hours ago by the looks.

I tapped the wall, hearing the hollow sound. There was something behind this wall, but what? I pulled my hand back, and punched a hole through it. It surprisingly broke quite easily, and I saw what was behind it. There was in fact a secret passage behind the wall, and I climbed through the hole to look around. I didn't even notice the blood that was running down my hand. 

I followed the tunnels, until I came out into the open, in the desert. I replaced the glasses, and looked around. There was nothing in sight for miles, except Scatter Canyon. I began to walk towards it, although it was a couple of miles away. As I arrived there, I looked around, not even tired by the long walk.

There didn't seem to be very much wind in the canyon, so I followed the footsteps that were there. Whoever had made these tracks, hadn't even bothered with covering them up. But there were no bike tracks, or whatever had made those tracks, back at the building. I hoped that this was really where the person I needed was. The footprints stopped, just in front of a wall, "Ha, this person has a knack for secret passageways." I said with a laugh, to no one in particular. 

I knocked on the rock lightly, looking for any entrance. I didn't care if anyone heard me. I was skeptical that there was anyone inside this cave. I found a small crack, and pried it open, just as a group of ghosts showed up, with Morro at the lead. "I see you've found something." he said, looking curiously behind me. I took off the shades, nodding at him as my answer. 

I climbed in through the crack I had made, into the cave. The whole room was empty, as though everything had been dropped in a rush. I saw a book that had been left open, and picked it up. I could feel the sweat from whoever had been reading this on the sides of the book, and could see the tear drops on the page itself. I looked at the page. Morro. So he is someone's grandpa, but who... My thoughts trailed off, as I felt someone's eyes on me. I quickly scanned over the page, only to discover some curse, where Morro couldn't hurt any of his descendents. I slammed the book shut, and placed it on the floor where it had been.

I began to explore the room a little more, until I came upon an older looking version of the wall, way older than all of the other parts. I smirked, and grabbed it with my hand, ripping it away from the wall. There was a girl behind it, and I could feel the power coursing through her. I thought I saw another face, before it disappeared. 

"Hello there." I said, grabbing their shirt, and pulling her up close to me. "I think you're coming with me." I moved my hands down, grabbing her wrists, holding them so she couldn't escape. She tried to get out of it, but I only tightened my grip. She stopped fighting suddenly, as though she was seeing something no one else could, before she gave up. 

A ghost walked up to me, and held out some chains before me and bowed. I smiled, and grabbed them with one hand, not letting this girl out of my grip. I needed her, and she wasn't going to get away from me. I placed the chains on her wrists, and stepped back.

I let the ghost hold on to her as I walked back outside. I stared up at the sky for a moment, it was beginning to grow darker with rain clouds. I then looked over at the vehicles the ghosts had brought. Covered, good. 

I turned as someone ran into me. I didn't move, but the person fell to the ground. I looked down, my face showing no emotion. It was the girl that I had found behind the wall. I grabbed her shirt pulling her up. "Trying to escape, are we?" I said. 

Her eyes widened in fear, and she tried to get out of my grasp, again. I saw her dark brown eyes, with an even darker shade of hair, I saw her eyes, as she saw Morro. Her eyes went back to looking at me, and she didn't struggle any more. I noticed the necklace that she was wearing, the Compass of Dalza. She was the one. She was the person I needed.

I turned back to the entrance, keeping the girl in the corner of my eye, just as two ghosts were dragging out a struggling boy with spiky hair. "Let me go!" he yelled, before he was dragged up to me. "Sir, we found him hiding in the fridge." one of them said. I had to try very hard to not laugh. Pathetic hiding place. Ghosts love food, of course they would check there. 

"L-Lloyd?" the boy said, surprise written all over his face. He looked about my age, maybe a bit older, but brushed away those thoughts of ever trying to be friends. I then motioned to one of the ghosts, and they placed something over his mouth and nose, forcing him to breath a substance in. 

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" The girl I was holding screamed, trying to get away from me. The boy's eyes closed shut, and he collapsed to the ground. The ghosts took him to the trucks they brought. The ghosts handed me another cloth, and I placed it over this girl's mouth and nose, giving her the same substance as the boy. 

She fought against it, and surprisingly she could hold her breath for a long time. Then there was that look in her eyes, at seeing someone else that I couldn't, and what I thought was an accident, she breathed it in. It took a moment for the substance to take effect, but soon her eyes fluttered shut, and I caught her before she fell to the ground. I picked her up, carrying back to the same truck as the boy. Raindrops are beginning to fall around me, and all of the ghosts got into the vehicles to stay out of the rain.