Chapter 18: Nightmare

(dream)

Tanya hopped down from the bright yellow school bus that brought her to and from school five days a week. She was already running late to training. Why, oh WHY did she stay an extra half hour after school?

Oh yeah, some sort of presentation her class had been assigned to do. Their Homeroom teacher had asked them to stay after the final bell so that she could assign roles.

'At least I got a job painting up the backdrops. I'm good at that.' Tanya thought to herself as she practically darted up the street that led to the house where she lived with her parents. She had ten minutes to grab her gear and hightail it to her Sensei's house for her training session. Sensei Megumi was NOT one of those teachers who tolerated tardiness…. She'd get a fifty push-ups punishment for sure….

The street was strangely empty as she dashed along the sidewalk. No, wait, scratch that, there was a whole hubbub of people near…. Hold on, was that HER house?

Tanya raced up to the crowd and squeezed her way through.

"Pardon me, please…. This is where I live…. Excuse me….."

Firetrucks had congregated on both sides of the street outside her house. From the looks of things, they had just put out a fire.

Tanya's breath came in faster rhythms. She forced herself through to the front of the crowd and nearly fell backwards in shock.

Almost half of her house had been burned. Scorched and splintering debris littered the lawn. The side of the house with her room was still somehow intact, but the sight of the singed furniture sticking out of the parts of the house that were still standing was enough to make her tear up.

A motherly sort of woman walked up to her, an official looking seal on the corner of her lapel.

"You fit the description of the child that's said to live here. What's your name?"

It took Tanya a few moments to register the question. When she finally looked up at the woman, she still didn't answer. Her parents taught her to never trust strangers.

The woman gave her an understanding smile. "I know your Sensei. Megumi Kyoza, am I correct?"

Tanya couldn't answer. Not while she saw plenty of emergency-response crews beginning to emerge from the intact doors and windows of her house.

"Miss, I really need to-"

The woman stopped short when the child ran over to a rescue team that were heaving out what looked like big black bags from the burnt part of the house.

"Wait!" the woman called.

Tanya wasn't listening, she was staring in horror at the black bags the rescue team were setting down on the lawn. Those big black bags that were large enough to hold an adult human body….

"No…." Tanya ran over to the body bags, her eyes filling up with tears. She didn't care that she was already feeling her aura flow free and unrestrained. She forgot all about her Sensei's teachings of hiding her energy….

"Please, please, no….." the tears smoldered in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks….

She wrenched away from a man with the rescue crew who had attempted to restrain her and yanked open the zipper of the body bag that she reached first.

Her hand trembled at the sight that she knew was burned into her eyes forever….

The charred body of a woman with dark hair and pale skin.

She made to pull open the zipper of the other body bag, but all she saw was a glimpse of the familiar silvery hair, now burnt, before she was pulled away with insistent tugs and gentle sympathies.

She wrenched her arm from what felt like the fifth person who tried to restrain her, ran to the tire swing her father had hung up for her on a sturdy willow at the front of their lawn, collapsed onto it, and began to sob.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…

(end dream)

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO….!"

Tanya heaved herself bolt upright in bed. Her energy flare died down as quickly as it had turned up. She turned to see Fuuko still sound asleep on the other bed. She exhaled in relief.

She turned to look out at the night sky. The sight of a beautiful moon and a myriad of stars usually gave her comfort. Tonight, it only helped her heart stop hammering.

Still feeling scared, she curled up into a ball and began to sob as quietly as she could.

Past 4 am, she made her way to the kitchen of their suite. Kagerou told the girls they could help themselves to anything they wanted from the food supplies she had brought.

Tanya snapped her fingers to light up the stove. She heated some water in a kettle and made herself a mug of tea, bringing it over to the kitchen's enormous breakfast nook.

Sigh. Nightmares again. The same one over and over, and she still cried when she woke up. She didn't even tell her sensei she had them. Most likely Megumi would have brought her to a doctor and she'd have a prescription for those sleeping pills that would make anyone sleep like a drunk.

She hadn't even told Tokiya about her nightmares. He had enough to deal with, now that she had come to live with him.

Tanya finished the last of her tea and brought it over to the sink in the kitchen. The hot drink just got her more awake, which was the effect she was looking for. Not for the first time in her life, she felt afraid to sleep.

A soft chink of a mug being placed down on the table next to her got Tanya to lift her head from where she was resting it on her arms.

"Hey, sweetie." Came Fuuko's gentle tone. "Is everything okay?."

Tanya nodded and forced her tired brain to focus, noticing a mug similar to the one Fuuko was holding, next to her elbow.

"Thank you." She took a sip of what was in the mug, and found it was hot milk.

"You shouldn't be up this early, it's only ten minutes to five am."

"I…. Can't….couldn't sleep anymore."

Fuuko reached out to pat the child's hair. "Do you want me to go get your brother?"

"No…." Tanya replied. "He'll only worry."

"He wouldn't be a very good big brother if he didn't."

"He already is a very good big brother. Couldn't have asked for anyone better."

Fuuko took a sip of her own hot milk. She had woken up to find her little roommate gone, and had worriedly shot out of bed to find her sitting on one of the large breakfast nook stools with her head buried in her arms. The Fuujin-wielder took another look at the younger Mikagami. She had dark circles under her eyes.

It was troubling to find that weary look on a child of seven.

"Anything I can do?" Fuuko asked.

Tanya finished up her milk and put her mug down, rubbing her eyes.

"Thanks, but I'll be okay. I'll go get my sketchbook and…."

"Oh, no you're not." Fuuko said, firmly. She took the child's hand and led the way back to their room.

"You're going back to sleep."

"But…."

"Tanya, Tokiya's really going to worry if he sees you looking like this. Get another few hours rest."

Tanya allowed herself to be tucked back into bed.

"I'm afraid." She managed to say.

"I'm right here with you." Fuuko assured her, sitting down on the edge of the bed. She took the child's hand in hers.

Tanya finally closed her tired eyes. Fuuko waited a long while, watching her young friend's facial features furrow into a frown. Gently, the wind-tamer reached out and brushed a lock of ebony hair from the sleeping child's face.

Tanya's brow uncreased. She slept.