It was like an odd mix of a fairy tale and a scientific theory. Four coffin-like chambers formed a circle around a larger coffin-chamber in the center. They were sleeping, they were both alive and dead; their minds were no longer inside their bodies. It was the perfect time to divulge into a world unlike any other.
So, tell me ninja- what do you fear the most?
Poor decisions?
"Kai… this is Minerva."
Lloyd, what are you…?"
"I want you to take care of her for… while. I don't know when I'll be back."
"What do you mean by…? Lloyd?! Where are you going?!"
Abandonment?
"That show was a hoot, wasn't it? I liked that part when that on guy set the whole place of fire. What about you Mina?"
"It wasn't bad…"
"You hated it. Didn't you?"
"No, it wasn't that bad. I just… I dunno."
"Hey Mina, I have… there's something I want to tell you."
"What?"
"I… Never mind. It's not that important right now, I can tell you later."
"O-okay."
Unintended harm?
"Kass?! Kass are you alright?! Kass! Talk to me you idiot!"
"D-did I make it?"
"You stupid… no! No you didn't! You almost killed yourself! Do you have any idea how freaking scared I was because I thought you had… had… What were you thinking!?"
"I… I just wanted to be like you Cole…"
"Sometimes kid… what I do, isn't what you should do. Let's call it quits for now.
"For how long? I wanna start training again tomorrow!"
"Never Kass. Never again."
A poor relationship?
"If we adjust the swirler-hurl to a forty-five degree angle and adjust the mirror so the sunlight powers approximately a quarter of its previous charge to the haystack, then perhaps we should be able to-"
"H-hey Mont! You're doing a pretty great job. Do you… do you mind if I help just a bit there?"
"I don't see why not. Go ahead, show me how you think it should be done."
"Awesome! But, uh… are you going to stare at me like that the entire time?"
"Like what? I am merely observing your evaluation of the procedure, from there I plan on making my own opinions on how well you did so that I can adjust. Should you choose a solution that I do not agree with- is that going to be a problem?"
"N-no! No, no, no, not a problem at all! Just didn't think that Nya raised you to be more robotic than Zane…"
"What was that?"
"Nothing! I said nothing!"
A promise that can not change the inevitable?
"If you would like, I shall 'maintain the crooked road' so that we may lead back here. I will memorize every curve that was a lesson in direction so that we can grow to this outcome. I sense that you are quite influential in this time line, and so it is with your permission that I learn what I can so it may be kept in history. Or not, if you prefer."
So, tell me ninja, what is it that you fear? Because I can assure you, I can make it happen.
. . .
It was dead at night when Kai woke with a start, sitting upright in his bed as if someone had him connected to an electric chair. Looking around the room he shared with the other ninja, Kai collected his bearings with where he was and flopped back with a groan. Sleep did not claim him right away, so he just laid on his bed and stared up at the ceiling.
"Stupid dreams, keeping me up at night…" Kai mumbled as he put his pillow on top of his face. "Can't a ninja ever get sleep, even when they're off duty?!"
Maybe those stupid dreams are trying to save your life you idiot, a random, angered thought declared on the back of his mind. As quickly as it came, it was forgotten, leaving Kai to shake his head and attempt to go back to sleep.
Safe to say, it didn't work as well as he wanted it to.
Five minutes dully went by before Kai heard someone try to open the door. Confident that his friends never left their beds, Kai braced himself to be attacked by whoever had come in. This new person crept in silently and they made their way over to his bed in particular.
"Alright Crow, you're going to try this again…" the voice whispered softly. "You see that Kai? He's not my Kai. My Kai doesn't use concealer to hide those scars around his one eye. My Kai would pick up on my distress and try to avoid the subject while taking me to every fun place imaginable. Do you understand me Crow? You need to take the DNA that rests before you and… and age it somehow thirty years and locate that. Maybe Monty could figure something out…"
The robotic bird gave a soft robotic whirring sound that replaced a more typical bird cry. Kai peeked an eye open by a fraction of a centimeter to see Mina start to walk away as she snuggled with the robotic bird.
"Monty was the one that helped me program you to find them to begin with… Just hope we can get him away from the Time Window long enough to do that though."
She's trying to find us?! Help her! Get up you moron, do something!
"And what on earth am I supposed to do?" Kai unintentionally wondered out loud. Mina, who had yet to even reach the door, froze in place. Kai also froze, no random thoughts came up to save him from the situation, and he soon found that he had nothing else to say. After a few still moments, Mina silently crept out the door. Kai waited for the soft sound of the door closing behind her before he sat up and stared at the door.
"That kid…" he started to mumble, but did not finish. Instead, he fell back onto his pillow and –finally- went back to sleep.
