Quick update before I run off to another class. This chapter is actually pretty long. Please enjoy.
Chapter Five: Entranced
"So, what's your name?" Kai eyed Laurie carefully from across the dinner table. Sensei Wu had decided to let Laurie stay until she was feeling better and the motive behind the Serpentine attack was discovered. "You never told us your name."
"It's Laurie" she said in a calm tone. Lloyd had filled her in about the distrust of Lord Garmadon so she was playing up the ninja act. Laurie decided that she would gain the ninja's trust before escaping with her brother. "And you are…"
"I'm Kai" he snapped, dipping his spoon back into the Violet Berry Soup that Cole had made for dinner.
"So, you're the orange ninja?" Nya asked, curious. "What is your element?"
"I control the wind" Laurie smiled. This was true, even when she was teaching herself Spinjitzu she was always good at whipping up a whirlwind. "I'm hoping to unlock my full potential soon. I bet it's awesome!" Playing up the ninja angle was not hard because Laurie genuinely did want to be a ninja.
"Unlocking your full potential may take a while" Jay sighed, pointing his spoon at her. "It took a while for all of us to accomplish that spectacle."
A siren went off in a room adjacent to the dining room. Nya was out of her seat within seconds, running towards the sound. "Guys, we have sightings of skeletons in downtown Ninjago City".
"Alright, boys" Cole grinned, "Let's go get them!" The ninja all left their places at the table and began heading towards the door. Quickly, they changed into their armored uniforms and sped off down the street, Laurie trailing behind with Lloyd.
"If you can fight, you can help" her brother explained, running to catch up with Jay. Laurie pulled her mask down and gripped her bō staff tightly. She had not fought actual enemies before and the thought terrified her, but she considered it great training in case she had to fend off the ninja later.
Skeletons were running all over town and the sight resonated with Laurie, but thinking about where she had seen it before gave her a headache. She swung her bō staff around in a figure eight motion, knocking out enemies left and right.
"Help!" called Lloyd, caught in the grip of two skeletons. They were carrying him away to a motor vehicle that was parked just outside of a bank.
"Lloyd" Laurie whispered, her blood running cold, "I have to help him." She raced towards the little green ninja, her breathing labored and uneven, the dizziness beginning to claim her mind. "I'm coming!" she called out, whipping her staff around and taking the head off of a skeleton that was closing the trunk door. Laurie opened it up and found Lloyd, tied up and gagged.
"Let go of me!" yelled Kai, trying to shake off four skeletons that were tying his hands behind his back. Laurie turned to the sound before focusing back on her brother. She removed the gag from his mouth.
"Go help Kai" Lloyd spit.
Sighing, Laurie ran across the street and took down two of the skeletons that had been attacking the red ninja. "I hope you're not thinking of hurting him" she found herself saying when something struck her on the back of the head. Laurie fell to the ground, her expression dazed. "What's going on?"
"Laurie, are you okay?" Kai asked, offering her a hand. She gladly took it and looked around the city.
"Who are you?" she asked, growling at Kai. Flashes of the past day raced through her mind. "Kai…" Laurie managed before falling to her knees.
"What's wrong, Laurie?" Jay prompted, standing behind Kai. She gazed straight ahead, her eyes glassy. "Hello, earth to Laurie! Do you know who you are?"
"Yeah" she sighed, rubbing her temples, "I'm Laurie Garmadon. I'm the daughter of Lord Garmadon." Every now and then she remembered something that was not her. "My father confused me. He convinced me you guys kidnapped Lloyd and he sent me to take him back and fight you."
"You're Lord Garmadon's daughter!" Jay gasped, taking his mask off. "That means you're Lloyd's sister!"
"Yeah" Laurie confirmed, smiling. "I've missed him so much I just wanted to see him again…"
"You think we kidnapped Lloyd?" Kai demanded, angry. "You're basically a spy sent to destroy us and kidnap the chosen one for your own father." He kicked some bones that were lying beside him. "Zane should have left you to the mercy of Skalidor and Fangtom." Kai turned away and began walking. Jay shook his head sadly and followed suit.
"No!" Laurie shouted, "that wasn't me. I couldn't remember straight! I hate my father and he twisted my thoughts around, I don't know. I don't want anything to do with my father, let alone fight you! I just wanted to see my brother again, honestly! Please, you have to believe me!" She gave out an enraged scream before heading back to the car in which Lloyd was tied up. The trunk was closed so she opened it once more. Lloyd was nowhere to be found.
"Are you looking for someone?" hissed a voice that put too much emphasis on the word "someone".
Laurie spun around and was face to face with a dark blue snake with red eyes. He held a golden staff in his hand with the hood of a cobra and a spiraling jewel in the middle. "A dark blue snake with red eyes" she whispered to herself. She vaguely recalled her brother warning her about them earlier that morning. "Yeah" she said slowly, "I was under the impression that my brother was in here, but I must have been mistaken."
"I think I know where your brother is, Laurie Garmadon" the snake laughed.
"How do you know my name? Who are you?"
"I am Skales, General of the Hypnobrai Tribe" he rattled his tail as his eyes began to glow brighter. "And everyone knows who you are, my dear".
"Everyone…knows…" Laurie muttered as she stared at Skales. She found herself becoming more confused the longer she looked at him. "Where's my brother…" she tried to ask, but forgot who she was even talking about.
"Is something the matter?" Skales teased as he watched the girl fall deeper and deeper into a trance. "Just relax, Laurie Garmadon, I won't hurt you."
"Just…relax…" Laurie repeated, her eyes beginning to glow red. "Just…relax…"
"Laurie, stop" yelled Zane, "do not look into his eyes!"
"Look…into…his eyes…" Laurie said emotionless, her eyes growing a deeper red. She stood absolutely still, staring at Skales.
Skales hissed maliciously. "You will obey my every command."
Laurie swayed slightly. "I will obey your every command."
"Bring me Lloyd Garmadon" Skales commanded, pointing across the street. Lloyd was talking with Zane and Cole, worry plain on his face.
"I will bring you Lloyd Garmadon" Laurie said, walking towards her brother and the two ninja.
"Your sister is in trouble" Zane informed Lloyd, glancing behind his shoulder as Laurie slowly approached. "We do not have much time. Skales is here and he has put her in a trance."
Lloyd looked confused. "Skales is here? I thought he was sent to jail or something!" He saw Laurie coming closer, her red eyes glowing. "I'm sure I can snap her out of it" he smiled, walking towards his sister.
"No, Lloyd, stop!" Cole called out. "You can't just snap her out of her trance! I would know!" He ran after the green ninja, catching him and pulling him back. "We can't afford to lose you Lloyd! You're the chosen one!"
"Foolish ninja!" hissed Skales, pulling the black ninja off of Lloyd. "Look into my eyes…" he rattled his tail slowly.
Cole swayed slightly, feeling dizzy. "Look…" he muttered, staring at the Serpentine. He fell sideways, hitting the asphalt with a jolt. "Ouch" Cole groaned, looking up at the sky. Zane was lying on top of him, worry on his face.
"Are you okay Cole?"
Cole gave a pained smile. "Yeah, thanks to you I'm not running around like a mindless zombie. It wasn't fun the last time." He sat up and brushed himself off. "We have to go help Lloyd!"
"Help!" Lloyd screamed, trying to wriggle his way out of his sister's grip as she made her way towards the Hypnobrai General. "Laurie, this isn't you! Snap out of it!" He looked over his shoulder to see if his words had any effect. His sister was a tool, being used first by his father and now by the Serpentine. Her red eyes were locked on Skales who smiled wickedly as the Garmadon siblings approached. "Help!" he called again.
"Lloyd, we're coming!" yelled Kai who was fighting his way through more skeletons who had decided to congregate in the city square. Jay was seemingly nowhere to be found. Cole rushed back to help Kai, and Zane ran towards Lloyd.
"I am coming Lloyd!" he called, trying to catch up to the green ninja.
"I have brought you Lloyd Garmadon" Laurie stated, standing in front of Skales.
"Excellent, Laurie" the Hypnobrai praised. "Once I place young Lloyd in a trance than Lord Garmadon will have no choice but to yield to any demands I have."
Lloyd was scared, his breathing heavy. He had almost been hypnotized by a Hypnobrai once, but the spell had backfired and the snake had hypnotized itself. "I'm not going to open my eyes" he said bravely, closing his eyes tight.
"Lloyd, we're coming" called Cole from far behind, "just keep your eyes closed!"
"Lloyd, what's going on?" It was Laurie's voice, her normal voice. She sounded scared and confused.
"Laurie, it's okay" Lloyd opened his eyes to see his sister, but Skales was staring back at him, tail rattling and eyes glowing.
"Pretty clever, aren't I, ninja?" Skales hissed. "I broke your sister's trance long enough for you to open your eyes." Lloyd looked at the snake, his eyes becoming heavier with each passing second. It was dangerous, he was falling into a trance, he could feel it, but Lloyd couldn't look away.
"Stop, Lloyd! Focus on something else, we're almost there!" Cole called out. He was only twenty feet from the boy, but he sounded a mile away. Lloyd tried to think about all the time he had spent with the ninja, training and preparing to fight his father.
"It's alright, Lloyd" Skales laughed, "You're with your sister now."
"With…my…sister" he sighed.
"Ninja-Go!" yelled Zane, barreling towards Lloyd.
"Zane…help…" Lloyd managed to say, his focus slipping. Skales growled at the oncoming ninja attack.
"Laurie, I'm not finished yet. Take care of those ninja".
"I will take care of the ninja" Laurie said, releasing Lloyd and turning towards Zane. With her bō staff in hand, she engaged Zane in combat. He ducked underneath a sweeping blow and shot ice out of his shurikens. She performed a back flip, dodging the oncoming attack. Laurie closed her eyes, holding her staff parallel to the ground and began spinning it in a circle, pushing wind at the ninja.
"What's going on?" asked Cole as he approached Zane, Kai following behind. The roaring of the wind was deafening and the force began to push all three ninja backwards. "Is this her power?" he yelled, trying to shield his eyes from the harsh weather. "She wasn't kidding when she said her element was wind."
"We have to get Lloyd quickly before Skales completely hypnotizes him" Zane called out, trying to walk against the whirlwind. He lost his footing and slid back a couple of feet. "I am afraid that we will be too late. We cannot afford to lose him to the Serpentine."
"Laurie, stop!" Kai yelled, putting his head into the wind and slowly walking forward. "We're your…" he stopped mid-sentence, trying to find a word that fit. "We care about Lloyd just as much as you do, so you have to let us pass!"
"It's no use" Cole warned him. "You know she won't listen to reason in that state."
Lloyd could hear his friends, trying to get to him, trying to help. He focused on the sounds of their voices and the roaring wind behind him. "Guys, I need your help!" he shouted, still unable to look away from the Hypnobrai. His mind was fuzzy, but he concentrated everything he could on his friends.
Skales smiled before crumpling to the ground. Jay stood behind him, a detached street sign in hand. "Are you okay, Lloyd?" he asked tentatively.
Blinking slowly, Lloyd looked around the city. "Yeah" he said slowly, "I'm fine." Smiling, he gave the blue ninja a hug. "Thank you so much, Jay."
"It was nothing, now come on. We need to help your sister."
The two could see her a couple feet away, her bō staff spinning like a helicopter rotor. Zane was pushed back against a building, completely immobile, while Kai and Cole continued to fight their way towards the evil lord's daughter. It was a losing battle. Lloyd rushed his sister from behind, pushing her to the ground. The staff clattered to the street and skidded in front of Kai who picked it up.
"Is she okay?" Zane asked, taking in a deep breath. "She hit the street very hard."
"I bet it was enough to wake her from her trance" Cole smiled, crossing his arms over his chest. "You'll have your sister back, Lloyd."
"Even if she is free from Skales' control I don't think she should come back with us" Kai frowned, narrowing his eyes. "Lord Garmadon sent her here to take Lloyd back. She thinks we kidnapped him! Laurie is evil, just like her father, and we need to leave her be."
"My sister is a good person!" Lloyd argued, rolling off Laurie's back. "She hates my father, always has hated him. I remember the fights we used to have when we were younger because I wanted to be just like him. You don't give her enough credit, Kai".
"Well" Jay piped in, "she was saying something after a skeleton clubbed her in the back of the head…"
"Like what?" Lloyd asked.
"Laurie was spouting off some nonsense about her father 'twisting her thoughts'. I mean, come on! I wasn't born yesterday! That's the excuse someone will use to try and get in your good graces." Kai continued to grumble.
"I think it may be the truth" Zane stated, standing next to Lloyd. "I saw her at Dareth's Dojo when she was swooning from dizziness. There is an innocence about her that is representative of someone who is good. Do you believe Laurie is this violent towards her brother's friends on her own accord?"
"Ugh…" Laurie groaned, her face still down in the street.
Cole looked at both Zane and Kai, unable to place a side in the battle. Sighing, he bent down next to the girl. "Are you okay Laurie?"
She opened her eyes which were as red as rubies. "I will take care of the ninja" she growled, grabbing Cole by his shirt collar.
"She's still in a trance" the black ninja choked.
"We can counter-act it with the anti-venom in Skales' staff" Zane suggested, scanning the street for the unconscious Hypnobrai. "My sensors indicate that he is gone."
"Gone?" sighed Kai. "He could come after Lloyd again and we have to keep our guard up!"
"Me?" cried Lloyd, the hair on the back of his neck standing up. "What about my sister, Kai? We don't have the anti-venom and Pythor still has the Sacred Flute! Laurie could be a zombie forever!"
"Help" Cole called out. "Your sister, she's choking me."
Jay sauntered over and pried Laurie off of the black ninja. "Why is she still in a trance anyways? Didn't Zane tackle you earlier and broke you out of a trance?"
"Cole was not completely under the hypnosis yet" Zane clarified. "This is the same reason that Lloyd is fine as well". He looked at the girl as Cole and Jay held her arms behind her back. "Laurie was put into a full trance." Zane frowned, his eyebrows furrowed. "I tried to stop her, but I guess I was too late. This is my entire fault…"
"It's not your fault, Zane" shouted Lloyd. "This is no one's fault and we will find Skales and get my sister back!" Angry, he raised his hands before placing them on Laurie's shoulders. A surge of electricity emitted from them, causing his sister to go limp. "She's unconscious now so let's take her back home and ask Sensei what we should do."
Cole and Jay carried Laurie in between them, with Kai following close behind. Zane turned to wait for Lloyd. "Let us go, Lloyd. We will search for Skales some other time."
Lloyd shook his head solemnly. "No, Zane. I am going to Ouroboros to look for him now." Sighing, he opened up Zane's circuit board and shorted it out. The nindroid clattered to the ground, asphalt scraping metal.
Kai turned around and saw Lloyd running in the opposite direction. "Oh no" he gasped, leaving Jay and Cole staring. "Lloyd, stop!" He watched as the green ninja continued towards the city limits, heading in the direction of the desert. "He's going to Ouroboros" Kai whispered to himself, beginning to chase after Lloyd. "I have to stop him!"
"Kai, you can't go by yourself!" yelled Jay, losing his grip on Laurie's arm.
"I'm not going by myself" Kai smiled, taking Laurie's arm from Jay. "I'll take her with me. Maybe I can use her as collateral with Skales in case Lloyd is caught". He gestured for Cole to let go of the girl's other arm and he reluctantly did.
"Be careful, Kai" Cole said, a stern look on his face. "Don't worry about Zane. We'll get him back to the house and have Nya look at him."
Kai nodded, cradling the sleeping girl in his arms. "I'll see you guys soon" he sighed, taking off after Lloyd. The city rushed past him and Kai could not help but look at Laurie's face. They had found her like this, helpless and distraught, but he would have never guessed she was so deceitful. The desert was coming up quickly. "Where could Lloyd have gone?" he asked himself, scanning as far ahead as he could.
"Kai" Laurie groaned, opening her eyes. "What's going on?"
Startled, Kai halted his gait. "Laurie, but…" he could not finish his sentence. He stared down at her ice blue eyes. "You're alright? I mean…are you back to normal?"
"Back to normal?" she asked, moaning. "My head hurts so badly. Where are Lloyd and the others? Where's that snake?" Laurie reached up to pull off her mask. The chill night air felt heavenly on her feverish skin. "Where are you taking me?"
"Um…" Kai let her down and was relieved that she could stand on her own. He had not wanted to carry her all the way to Ouroboros. "You don't remember anything?" he prompted, curious as to why her trance was broken.
"No, what's happening?"
"You were hypnotized by Skales" he started, taking of his mask as well. "You captured Lloyd and attacked us while Skales tried to put him in a trance too." Kai ignored her audible gasp. "We couldn't bring you out of your trance so Lloyd ran off to look for the anti-venom. I'm trying to catch up to him."
"Did I hurt anybody?" Laurie asked. "Is Skales controlling Lloyd as well?"
"You didn't really hurt anyone and, no, Jay saved Lloyd before he was put under."
She sighed, obviously relieved. "I don't know how you snapped me out of it, but thank you." Laurie then noticed her bō staff trailing along the ground, tucked haphazardly into Kai's belt. "My weapon, you brought it. I'll help you find Lloyd, Kai."
The red ninja was displeased with this turn of events. As much as he did not want to carry her, he would have rather had Laurie unconscious during the entire trip. "Fine, you can help, but for the record none of us neutralized your trance. Until you just woke, you were attacking everything." Sighing, Kai handed Laurie her bō staff and took the lead. "Just follow closely, alright"?
"Okay" Laurie replied. She gazed up at the stars that dotted the sky. The desert did not seem so menacing at night. "I'm coming Lloyd" she whispered, pulling her mask down once more.
Hello plot development. Hopefully everyone enjoyed this chapter. It was a lot of fun to write. Please R&R, thanks. :)