Of Milk and Cookies

Nightmare

Nya shifted uncomfortably as for what seemed like the millionth time since she had first gotten in bed. Due to the loss of the Destiny's Bounty, the group was currently staying at a local school that had been converted into an emergency shelter in the aftermath of the giant snake that had leveled multiple blocks of Ninjago City. The makeshift beds they were using for the night weren't very comfortable and her brain didn't seem to think that ceasing activity and going to sleep was worthwhile pursuit. With all that had happened lately, Nya was sure she'd never be able to look at snakes the same way again. Seeing someone she respected and cared for as much as Sensei Wu be eaten by the Great Devourer had affected her more than she wanted to admit. Having grown tired of reliving the moment, Nya gave up on sleep entirely, slightly annoyed that none of her brothers seemed to be sharing her conundrum.

"Not the cake..." Cole mumbled in his sleep, resulting in a still sleeping Kai throwing a pillow at him so accurately that it could almost be mistaken for having been orchestrated intentionally. Sleeping in a room with so many other people obviously didn't bother them at all. Unfortunately for Nya, the sounds of the others only contributed further to her insomnia. She turned on her phone and glanced at the time. It was late - almost 1 in the morning. Several alerts from local news stations filled her screen. "Ninjago City in Ruins", "Hundreds Lose Homes in Surprise Snake Attack", and "Police Seek Parents of Unidentified Girl Displaced By Building Collapse" seemed to be common headlines. Not in the mood for such depressing topics, Nya opened a reading app. Maybe a good book would help her relax...

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Lloyd raced down an empty street, desperately trying to outrun the ginormous snake that was hot on his heels. The Great Devourer had already consumed his uncle and now, it was after him. Crash! The beast knocked over a lamp post. Dodging, Lloyd managed to avoid being hit by the falling object. However, he failed to notice the pile of debris directly in front of him. As he tripped, the Great Devourer loomed above him, growing closer and closer, fangs dripping with venom. There was no escape. With a whoosh, the snake opened its jaws wide and prepared to strike.

Lloyd woke to the sound of his own screaming. Just a nightmare. Through the dim light, he could just make out the forms of the others - most of them still asleep. He was safe. The Great Devourer would never be able to hurt another soul. But the reminder of the day's events was a little too real for his liking.

"You're lucky the guys can sleep through pretty much anything..." Nya commented quietly, glancing over from her perch on a camping cot.

"Uh... sorry. Did I wake you?"

"Nah. I was already up." Nya waved her phone, the light from the screen illuminating her face, "Every time I close my eyes, I see Sensei getting eaten. Not fun. I figured I might as well catch up on my reading. It's more exciting than watching Jay hug his pillow. And we haven't exactly had much free time lately anyway." Lloyd nodded in agreement. Life had been pretty crazy with the serpentine and the fang blades. Not to mention Lloyd's newfound status as green ninja. Though, Jay's current sleeping position was pretty entertaining, he thought as he glanced over at the sleeping form of the ninja of lightning.

"So... Nightmare?" Lloyd sighed. He wished he could deny the suggestion, but, screaming a few minutes ago had definitely given it away.

"I never want to see another snake again..."

"Trust me, I know. And I'd say that's a pretty reasonable response after everything we've been through."

The two jump at the sound of a baby crying coming from somewhere down the hall.