I'm running through tunnels, they're dark and smell like sewers. I'm panicking, I have no idea why I'm here, or where I am. Someone's coming, I can hear them slithering and hissing behind me. I'm drenched in my own sweat. Something grabs me from behind, and I hear myself scream, but I know it isn't my scream.
I jolt awake and sit upright. My breathing is frantic and I shiver because I'm drenched in sweat. After a couple minutes I'm calmed down. I can see the sun rising through the window on my left.
"Another nightmare Luna?" Sunny says from her sleeping mat beside me.
"Yeah." I reply.
"Want to talk about it?" My sister asks. Leave it to Sunny to comfort her older sister even at five a.m.
"It's nothing new, just the same being-chased-through-sewers thing." I say. The nightmare has been the same every night for the past five years. The first one came the night after... No, I won't depress myself with that memory. I tell myself, but the flames still work their way into my mind.
"You need a hug." Sunny says as she wraps her arm around me.
It's hard to believe she doesn't share the mind reading abilities I gained our Oni mother. As we hug, I silently scold myself for not being the stronger sister. It's my job to care for Sunny since I'm now her only living relative and have been since five years ago. Our great uncle Wu passed away when we were toddlers, our grandmother Misako died of old age as well a couple of years later, and our parents and Luke, I push they memories out of my mind as I get up.
I strategically keep my blonde-to-black-ombre hair in my face so Sunny can't see the tears starting to well up in my eyes as go to change into my gi. I lightly brush into Sunny's thoughts enough to tell she knows I'm thinking about Luke again. She also knows I'm trying to hide it, so she stays silent as we change into our gi. When we're dressed I walk to the sliding paper and wood door. I'll never understand why the ninja rebuilt this place out of such flammable materials after our father burned it. Sunny thinks. I give a small nod as I recall that particularly traumatic event.
Chrystal steps out into the hall from her room across from ours in her white gi.
"Good morning." She greets us in her robotic voice. Crystal's always been a little odd due to the fact that she's a robot, or nindroid as the ninja put it.
Lexi, Max, Blake, and Jake step out of their rooms and exchange greetings as we all walk to the kitchen for breakfast.
The ninja have already started breakfast, which consists of simple bacon and eggs today. I down between Max and Sunny, and start eating.
"Guys I have the perfect idea for our next song." Jake says between bites.
"Oh heck nah, the remember what happened the last time you had a 'perfect' song idea?" Lexi says.
"Yeah that was physically painful to play." I remark. The seven of us decided to be a band four years ago, since we had nothing else to do besides train in preparation of nonexistent threats. We named our band "Loud and Proud" because we're not afraid to be loud and weird to a hellish extent.
"Hey guys we have another fan request." Max says while looking at his phone.
"Hallelujah. I'll play anything but another Jake idea." Lexi says.
"That's hurtful." Jake replies with a mock sad face.
"What's the request?" Sunny asks.
"It says, do a song on animal sounds." Max replies.
"Well let's see," Blake begins, "dog goes woof, cat goes meow,"
"Wait," I interject, "what does the fox say?"
"I think that will be absolutely perfect." Jake says.
"I think we have a hit on our hands guys." Lexi says. Everyone's excitement at this idea is starting to give me a headache, one of very few downsides to being a telepath.