Chapter 7
Too Many Lies
"Um…" Kai's mind races to find an "explanation" for the first-aid kit and comes up with an okay one that might fool his sister, "Zane...got hurt when he was fighting the snakes so I'm bringing this for him.
That was partially true anyway and Nya says, eyeing her brother, "I heard while the boys passed by about your little prank. Why did you guys do that?"
Oh please just let me go! Zane's waiting for me! "We wanted to see if we could prank crying blood."
"You two did a great job, but seriously," she punches the fire ninja's arm, "don't ever do that to me again. I thought he was going to…let me come with you and help him."
Dang it Nya! "I don't think it's such a good idea. After all, he did get some nasty injuries."
She crosses her arms and gives her brother that 'are you kidding me' look and responds, "Have I ever been afraid of anything like that?"
"No but-"
"Kai, come on."
"No, I can handle it, and besides, he…uh…Jay might uh…get…you know."
"Jealous? Come on! He's not going to get that way for me helping Zane with his injuries!" Nya pushes past her brother before he can do anything and opens the door, with Kai following anxiously behind, certain they are busted, already. She gasps, seeing the ice ninja standing in the far corner, holding an arm with blood running down his sleeve and dripping on the floor.
"Zane, you're bleeding terribly!" Nya exclaims, "How did this happen to you?"
"I…fell," the ice ninja responds.
"Let me see your wound," she says, reaching for his arm, but the Nindroid pulls away from her.
"I'd rather you didn't," Zane tells her without looking her in the eye.
"O-okay…I'm leaving," Nya walks hurriedly out of the room with Kai shutting the door behind her.
"Hey, Nya," Kai calls her.
"Yeah what is it?"
"Don't tell the others about his wound, okay? He doesn't want to worry them."
"Okay."
After she's gone, both breathe sighs of relief. "Boy that was close!" Kai exclaims.
"Too close," Zane comments and slumps to the floor again, wincing in pain.
"You okay?" Kai rushes up to his brother and sets the white kit on the floor; then rummages through its contents. "You have a spare gi?" Zane nods. "Okay, well we're going to need it because I'm going to have to cut the sleeve off this one."
Kai picks up a pair of scissors and cuts the sleeve off, showing a fresh, nasty, blood-covered gash. "That's pretty deep. I forgot to ask you where you got the big wound from."
"The rules," Zane responds.
After about ten minutes or more, the duo cleaned up the mess and Kai's taken care of Zane's wound, after hearing a rather disturbing explanation. Zane was able to convince his brother of letting him do what he was doing until the curse was determined, but the fire ninja was extremely reluctant. They ambled into the bridge, expecting a severe scolding from Sensei, but when they entered, everyone was surprisingly quiet.
"Zane, Kai," Sensei Wu says.
"Yes Sensei?" the two respond.
"I've decided you both need a break from training. We're going to station ourselves at Ninjago city, for the rest of the remaining week."
Both ninja exchange glances before Zane looks at Nya. She mouths the word 'no' and Kai asks, "How come?"
"We five have had a very difficult time this month with all of the Serpentine activity, so you need time off of training. Training, mind you, not protecting Ninjago," Jay notifies them.
"Oh," Kai says.
"Thank you Sensei," Zane bows slightly, careful not to cause more pain in his arm.
The room suddenly is awkwardly quiet again, with everyone merely staring at each other, until Jay-of course-finally breaks it. "So…are we almost there?"
At the Hotel
"Jay, hurry up and get the door open please," Cole taps his foot on the floor impatiently, waiting for the lightning ninja to find the card.
"Yeah, you've been taking forever," Lloyd complains.
"Hang on. I found it," Jay pulls out a card from his backpack and swipes it in the slot. The door beeps, the button flashing green and Kai opens the door for the others.
"I get dibs on the front room with only two people!" Jay shouts, throwing his hands in the air.
"Sure, go ahead," Zane says, "Let me remind you though that the front one has three beds, not the back one."
"Oh."
"I'll go in the back one with Zane," Kai volunteers right before a now disappointed Lloyd.
"Okay. See you later!" Cole calls as the ice and fire ninja's head to their room while Jay and Lloyd turn on the television.
"Thank you, Kai," Zane smiles as they enter their room, the place being plain and uninteresting, having white walls and bed covers, the usual things you will find in the average, decent hotel.
"No problem."
After the two settle in their beds, everything is quiet, except for the TV and Jay and Lloyd cheering for 'Prince Donnigen'; then watching 'Stone Cold'* based on the comics. Zane sleeps quite soundly, until a gong sound in the room, and Asian drums beating softly, slowly becoming louder every moment, wakes him up.
"What?" he begins to say, but his heart freezes. The gongs were in Dean's diary. It's coming for me. Zane sits up pulling his legs to his chest, trembling in utter terror as footsteps come in the room. "Kai, wake up!" he calls.
"W-what's going-Gehenna!" the fire ninja leaps up, about to grab his sword when his brother stops him.
"No, Kai. Wait," Zane tells him.
"You have reduced your curse time by twenty years," a woman's voice notifies him, sounding quite lovely, yet blood-chilling at the same moment. "Now feel the illness take over you and keep inflicting pain in yourself."
"You monster," Kai leaps at what is now a shadow with purple eyes, but is held back by Zane, physically this time.
"No. Don't," Zane says.
"The shadow chuckles an earthly sound. "You should listen to your wise ice friend."
*Stone Cold is a Ninjago comic book.
