Warriors Incorrect Prompts

Music is Everything

Jenny was nervous.

"C'mon Jen," she muttered under her breath, pacing up and down in a vain attempt to get rid of the jitters. "You've dreamed of this for years. Why are you terrified now?" Her heartbeat started to race, so she stopped moving: the pacing clearly wasn't helping. She closed her eyes and focused on controlling her breathing, the way her therapist had taught her. She could hear her audience talking loudly outside, waiting for.....her. 

This was her show, her tour of a different country. It was all about her, for once. So, why was she scared? Because it was entirely different to how it always used to be? Because she was so used to being selfless that she had forgotten how to put herself first?

"Jen, sweetie?" Jenny turned to see a middle-aged woman standing near the curtains to the stage with a clipboard. "Are you ready?" This was her chance to make her dream come true.

The Light Ninja nodded, adjusted the microphone near her mouth, picked up her electric guitar, and walked out on stage before she could change her mind. The auditorium hushed at the sight of her. Confidence, Jen. You've got this.

"I wrote this song after quite a difficult time in my life," she began, gradually becoming more confident with every word she spoke to her audience. "Honestly, I don't know how I managed to get through it. Constant distractions maybe and, you know, punching people in the face." 

The audience laughed, reassuring her frayed nerves. She continued talking once they were quiet again. "But we're back together now, him and I. Praise the holy bunny rabbits, I'm lucky to have him. He got jealous a couple months ago, you know, because I wrote a couple songs about my best friend and my brother." She paused, and gave them a cheeky grin. "As if half the love songs ain't about him." Laughter filled the auditorium once more. Jenny glanced down at her guitar, feeling her fingers start to play the familiar chords. She couldn't wait to start. 

And so the audience listened in silent respect to Jen's song about her breakup with Kai when Ninjago had been primeval.

"All I know is I'm lost without you," she sang the chorus. "I'm not gonna lie. How am I going to be strong without you? I need you by my side."

Her fingers came to a stop on the strings as the song ended, and the auditorium burst into raucous applause and cheering. Jenny silently sipped at a glass of water until they grew quiet again.

"This next one came long before I started dating Kai," she told her audience. "Long before Alex and I met the Ninja, actually." She cleared her throat and started to play the chords to the first verse. 

"Did I say something stupid? There goes one more mistake. Do I bore you with my problems? Is that why you turn away? Do you know how hard I've tried to become what you want me to be?"

Then she slipped into the chorus. "Take me. This is all that I've got. This is all that I'm not. All that I'll ever be. I've got flaws, I've got faults. Keep searching for your perfect heart. It doesn't matter who you are. We all have our scars, we all have our scars."

The Ninja and the Vipers were watching her on television. Kira stuffed some popcorn into her mouth as she danced crazily to her song. Ezra sneakily stole the bag from her, offering some to a sleepy Raye, who had his head resting on his lap. Atlas threw some of his own popcorn at Ezra, trying to start a popcorn fight.