Darkness from Within #2: Tension Rising (A Ninjago Fanfiction)

Chapter 16

Garmadon and Wu laid Kai onto his bed. They practically had to carry him. The red ninja was in complete shock.

The senseis had filled the others in on what had happened, and they were now gathered together in Kai's room. Nya knelt beside her brother and laid her hand on his arm comfortingly.

"Don't worry, Kai," she whispered to him. "Everything will be alright."

Only an attempted nod of his head showed that the red ninja heard.

The others murmured uneasily to each other as Garmadon and Wu stepped back from the crowd. But for a long time, the two stood in silence.

"I thought we'd have something to talk about," Wu murmured, "but I just... don't know anymore."

Garmadon nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. "I thought I'd feel overwhelmed, but I just feel... numb."

"I know what you mean," Wu replied. "All that's happened... it's just too much to take in. It happened too quickly."

Garmadon sighed with exasperation.

Wu glanced at his brother. "You're going to have to talk to him."

"I know," Garmadon groaned. "But what am I supposed to say?"

"He's your son," Wu said.

"I know," Garmadon repeated. "And that's what scares me."

* * *

Lloyd gave a growl of frustration and threw his pillow across the room. Never before had he felt so aggravated. It's so unfair! Why am I being punished for something I didn't do?

Anger pulsing through his veins, the green ninja knocked a vase off his night table, shattering it to pieces. It's not like I ever hurt Kai! It's not my fault he freaked out!

He gave a short scream of frustration and pounded his fists on his bed. Maybe if they would've told me their 'oh so secretive secret', none of this would've happened!

He slammed his fist on his desk and jerked back. "Ouch," he muttered. He kicked the bottom of the desk with frustration before slumping onto his bed. He crossed his arms. Don't I deserve to know the truth? He gave a hiss. But according to them, noooo I don't deserve to know anything!

"'Oh, Lloyd, you're too young to know the truth'," Lloyd mimicked angrily. "And 'oh, we're only trying to protect you'!" He gave a wordless shout of frustration and threw another pillow across the room. It crashed into a picture on the wall and knocked the frame down.

Lloyd gasped and rushed over to it. He turned over the now broken picture and looked at it sadly. The picture of him and the other four ninja sitting together happily, like one big family.

Before he could stop himself, Lloyd burst into tears. They could never be like that again, not when everyone hated him. Not when no one trusted him or cared about his feelings. Sniffling, Lloyd wiped tears from his eyes as he heard his bedroom door creak open.

"Lloyd?" came the voice of his father.

Lloyd didn't turn around. "What do you want?" he choked out. Before Garmadon could reply, Lloyd went on. "Never mind," he growled. "I don't want to know." He picked up the broken picture and headed across the room, avoiding his father's gaze. He slumped behind his bed. "I don't deserve to know."

"Lloyd," Garmadon sighed, "I know you're upset with me, but I'm only trying to protect you."

Lloyd scoffed. "Well, that's going really well," he muttered sarcastically. "Because maybe if you would've told me what was really going on, none of this would've happened. And your 'oh so precious Kai' would be in perfect health!" Lloyd rubbed his eyes as he felt tears swell up inside of him again. He couldn't stop his voice from cracking as he went on. "If you care about Kai so much, why don't you just adopt him and forget about me?"

"Lloyd, that's the craziest thing I ever heard!" Garmadon exclaimed. "You of all people should know how much I care about you! Yes, I care about Kai, too, but you're my only son." He sat beside the green ninja. "I love you, Lloyd."

Lloyd refused to meet his gaze. "If you love me so much, start acting like it!" he snapped. He turned farther away from his father. "If you really loved me, you'd care about my feelings, too! And know how horrible I felt these past weeks. How untrusted and unloved! I was an outcast among my own family!" Tears streamed down his cheeks. "How much I've been lied to and how much I was avoided! I was treated like a villain when all I ever tried to do was make everyone happy! Do you have any idea how that feels?"

"Lloyd, I had no idea!" Garmadon responded. He laid his hand on his son's shoulder and listened to his sobs. "If I had known, I would've done anything to make you feel appreciated!" He frowned. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

Lloyd lowered his head. "I tried," he choked out. "But everyone only lied back to me! Do you think being lied to makes me feel better?"

"Lloyd, look at me." Lloyd reluctantly turned toward his father, face red with tears. Garmadon's heart broke to see how crestfallen his son looked. "Lloyd, forget about everything that happened between us the past few weeks. If I had known keeping secrets between us would hurt you, I never would have done it. I thought I was doing what I had to do to keep you safe. Now I realize I was wrong." He placed his hands on Lloyd's shoulders. "I love you, Lloyd. And I do care about your feelings. If you thought, even for a heartbeat, that I didn't love you, then I've been doing this all wrong." He gave a weak smile as he felt himself becoming emotional. "I could never ask for a better son."

That was all Lloyd needed to completely fall apart. He exploded into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Garmadon wrapped his arms around his son comfortingly, and Lloyd willingly returned the favor until they were locked in a tight hug.

Garmadon ran his hand along Lloyd's back soothingly as he cried. "Shh..." he soothed. "Everything's alright. Everything's alright."

They stayed there until Lloyd's tears eventually stopped.

Then the green ninja's soft voice breathed in his ear. "I love you, Dad."

Garmadon felt a warm tear roll down his cheek as Lloyd sunk into his arms once again. "I love you, too, son."