Ninja Stars

Chapter 1

My name is Airi, and last night, I had a dream. It was one of those dreams that feels real, but when you awaken, you realize that it wasn’t. It was so action-packed, so full of adventure, so captivating, that I never wanted to wake up. So you can understand why I felt so disappointed to be laying in my bed, with nothing happening at all except the sun rising steadily through my window. I shall now drag you down into the depths of my dream, in the hopes that you will be just as excited and captivated as I was.

                                                             *          *          *          *          *          *

It was a bright and sunny morning at the dojo, where the ninjas of the Shadow Clan were training. Ninja Mayumi was practicing using a Katana (a sword), but wasn’t doing very well.

“Ha! I beat you again, Mayumi! You will never become the next Sensei if you fight like this,” exclaimed Mayumi’s opponent, Ninja Ling.

“You might’ve won this time, Ling, but I hear that Sensei is going to assign you ‘the mission!’ I can’t wait to see you come back in a pile of ashes!” Mayumi said smugly.

“You wish! I heard that Sensei’s going to give you ‘the mission!’ I can’t wait to see people bring you back in an urn the size of a walnut!” Ling retorted. “You may ask why it’s such a small urn. The answer is simple: because that’s all that will be left of you!”

“There's no way that's ever going to happen!"

“It could happen.”

“No it couldn’t!”

“Yes, I’m pretty sure it could.”

“I don’t believe you!”

“Well, you should, because I’m the best ninja this dojo has ever—! Sensei, my Master, I live to serve you!” Ling said, for the Sensei had just approached.

“Why do you fight like little children?” Sensei asked. “Ninjas are most vulnerable when they are in dispute with one another. You must maintain peace in order to be successful!”

Ling replied, “Yes of course, master, we were just having a friendly discussion about the cookies and tea I am making you, because you, and you alone, master, are worthy of… um… cookies and tea?

“What a show-off!" Mayumi muttered under his breath.

“Do not insult other ninjas Mayumi!” Sensei scolded. Mayumi groaned, for he knew what punishment lay ahead for those who discouraged other ninjas in the clan. “However,” Sensei continued, “since you are absolutely correct in saying that Ling is a show-off, you shall not be punished. But do anything like that again and I assure you, your punishment shall not be light.”

“Yes, Master.”

“And you!” Sensei snapped as he gestured toward Ling, “Do not think that I am too shallow to realize what you are trying to do! You just do not want to be assigned the task that is ahead, or as I hear it is now called, ‘the mission.’ You, as well, will not be punished this time, as long as you do not try and get in my good books with flattery and gifts again. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Finally, both of you,” Sensei continued, “heed this warning before I leave you to your training. Bickering between fellow ninjas not only tears clans apart, but may also lead you on the journey of your lives.”

“Here is a quick lesson before I go,” said Sensei. “The proper way of showing respect toward your Sensei is by saying, ‘I shall bow,’ whenever he tells the ninjas to bow. Do you understand?”

Mayumi replied, “Yes, Master.”

“Ninjas, bow,” Sensei said.

“I shall bow,” said Mayumi, bowing deeply.

“What? Oh yeah, I shall bow. Sorry Master,” Ling was last to respond. As he did a half-hearted curtsy, Mayumi noticed that he seemed to be glowering at Sensei as though he were some bad meat on a hot summer’s day.

“Be quicker next time Ling,” Sensei said disapprovingly. As he walked away, Sensei said, “Oh! Remember, Mayumi, Sensei hears all.”

After Sensei was gone, Ling scoffed, “Finally! I thought he would never leave! I can’t believe that old man thinks he can hear everything! If you ask me, he’s delusional. I mean, ‘bickering may lead you on the journey of your lives’? What a load of rubbish! We really need to get a new Sensei. Good thing I have the perfect plan for getting him to appoint me as Sensei. Once he does, I will be named the new Sensei of the Shadow Clan, but more importantly, you won’t be! Mwa-ha-ha! MWA-HA-HA!”

As Ling walked away, Mayumi shouted, “Not if Sensei appoints me as Sensei first!”

“You wish!” Ling laughed.

As Mayumi went back to training, he pondered what Sensei’swarning could possibly mean. As he balanced on top of a bamboo pole, he thought worriedly, “Maybe it means that fighting with Ling will get me expelled from the Shadow Clan, and the adventure is making a living as a—,” he shuddered at the thought, “a normal person! That would truly be awful!” As he kick-flipped onto the next bamboo pole, an even worse thought occurred to him, a thought that would make even the toughest ninja quake with fear. “Maybe if I quarrel with another fellow ninja, I’ll be sent to…” He shivered for a moment, “The volcano!” The Volcano was the death penalty for any ninja who disobeyed his Sensei. It was said that those who received this penalty were forced to jump into the volcano at the heart of the rainforest. There, they were left to die. Some say that it is even so awful that ninjas are lowered into the lava on a rope, but half way down the rope is cut, so that you fall to your doom! But, then again, no one had ever survived to tell the tale.

“Surely arguing won’t get the ultimate punishment bestowed upon me!” Mayumi groaned, “I do not deserve The Volcano, I am not worthy!”

All of a sudden, a voice came out of nowhere. It said, “Of course you’re not worthy! You have done absolutely nothing wrong enough to give you the death penalty!”

Mayumi was so shocked that, as he was doing the splits on two bamboo poles, he fell into the water below.

“What?! Who’s out there?!” He called. “Ling, is that you?! If you’re trying to mess with me again, it’s not going to work! Show yourself, Ling, or I’ll…. I’ll….”

“I am not Ling, young student. And you should not be threatening a fellow ninja, remember?” The misty voice said.

“Oh yeah,” Mayumi retorted, “Well, threatening isn’t the same as quarreling, Mysterious Space Voice!”

“Do not shout at me, young student, for I am trying to help you. Arguing gets you nowhere, the voice replied calmly. “Like I said before, quarreling is not going to get you a one-way ticket to your doom, but it will get you into some deep trouble. You’ve been warned.”