- Zodiac - [Inactive]

Damian's Stepfather was tossed across the floor, rolling to a halt in front of the coffee table in the middle of the room. At this point he was cowering in fear at witness to what his Stepson really was. From the ground, he was able to get an eyefull of what Damian has transformed into. His upper torso, head, and arms were coated in a shade of black darker than what the eye can perceive. The aura perfused off of Damian's form at an extreme. It was so powerful it almost coated over his bottom half. The empowered teen stepped slowly over towards his hated Stepfather. Despite feeling lighter, the power that cloaked him was sort of impeding his movement. As he moved, the miasma surrounding him dragged from his ligaments. It was still obvious that while given more control of his abilities he still didn't have a mastery over his Zodiac's power. No more than a few inches away from his prey Damian stood over his Stepfather and crossed his arms, plotting what else he can do to traumatize his "father." "L-L-Listen Damian! Son! I-I-I don't know what the f**k you are man but come on man think of the fam--" The glare on Damian's concealed face tightened. At the first sound of the word, Damian shoved a smokey tendril down his Stepfathers throat. Silencing him. The fog permeating off the tendril began to choke the man, as you could hear muffled gasping and his eyes begin to well up. "Family? Is that what you were about to say? Hilarious. The man who tears this household asunder wants to talk about FAMILY!" Damian lifted his Stepfather by his head, still choking him from within his throat and tossed him aside, over to the metal banister besides the stairway. Upon impact, you could hear the metal ring as the man clumsily fell off, rolling down the steps. Damian pulled his Stepfather towards him and had him at eye level. "I want to show you something." Damian dragged the man up the steps and into his room. When his Stepfather began to cower and weep Damian wrapped his mouth shut, not wanting to hear him anymore. Mouthed tendrils shot over to a wooden drawer, opening the doors and searching for something inside.. Not too long after, they pulled out a number of papers with sketches on them. He forced them into the face of his Stepfather. "Do you see what's drawn here...? It's you. Being killed. By me. I longed for the chance to end your miserable life and and stop mine from continually becoming more miserable! Now I have that chance." His Stepfather muffled shrieks only grew louder. He shook his head and fear filled tears fell down his face. The noise was beginning to get to Damian. He was sick of the mans voice. He clenched his fist, shaking it some before loosening his fingers. Upon opening his fist, Damian's fingers extended into scythe-like claws. "SHUT UP!" Damian swung at the mans neck, a dark smog shot from his Stepfathers neck but the cut wasn't apparent. Upon noticing this, he realized when Damian had him skewered against a wall, no blood was drawn... Despite that, his Stepfather's eyes rolled back and he fell limp. Damian let the man go and watched him fall with a thud. Seeing his Stepfather dead at his feet gave him a feeling of total satisfaction. Years, years of torment, anger, depression, and feeling helpless in his own home was finally over. Now that the horror has ended Damian couldn't help but laugh while eying his handiwork. He was so overcome with joy he couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh finally.. Hehehehahahahaha! Who knew it would be this easy!"
 

||Ambulance||


The blue haired girl was bent in odd ways, but she was alive. Barely. Her left arm was broken from the force of the impact, and they were still checking for any head trauma, but otherwise she was fine. The girl was very lucky, the paramedic thought. Rolling the stretcher in, the paramedic ran a hand through his tousled hair and glancing at her bloodied face. "Didn't your parents ever tell you to look both ways?" he said sadly. He slammed the door shut and told the driver that they should go. She needed to get help as soon as she could. Several students stared; they had never seen an ambulance up close before. "Go to class!" the driver yelled out the window, and the ambulance sped off, headed to the hospital.


||Hospital||


"Condition?"


"Critical, but alive. I suggest-"


"No, Ridley. Who's the doctor here?"


A doctor and a nurse rush down to a nearby operating room, where the girl lay still. "Any head trauma?" the doctor asks. His name tag reads HUGH GOLDMAN, M.D. The nurse quickly responds, "None-- her head was not touched by any part of the car. She had several fractures in her left arm, and that's it. She was very lucky." The doctor gave the nurse a long, hard look. "Tell her parents that--it'll make them feel better." The nurse looked very uncomfortably for a minute before muttering quietly, "Her parents are not on file in the school she goes to. Her brother is, I could call him, but he has an..ahem...questionable history." Shaking his head, the doctor sighs. "I'll just begin the operation, then..." And they lights brightened, a team was called in, and they began to work on Farra's arm.

​
 
"Bells?" She thought hearing the sound of church bells ringing as if it was calling for the angels to come home. Looking over at the hounds, she also noticed that they seemed to fear the bells as they ran off leaving them alone for the time being.


Looking over at her protector, she couldn't tell what she looked like with her helmet in the way but she didn't think she would get punched by someone who saved you. Falling to her knees as she held her stomach, she looked up at her in anger,"What the hell?!" She said but stopped and listened to the girl speak shit about her that was mostly true. The one thing that was strange was that she knew her name,"I never even told you my name..." She mumbled in pain.


Feeling her pride being stomped on by this girl, she got up slowly and wiped the blood away from her mouth. She glared at the girl and huffed,"Who are you to tell me how I should act? You have no right to consult me for how I act and you don't even know me!" She said standing up but then calmed down to listen to her speak of her name,"Tyrik? Zodiac? Aren't they star signs?" She said confused but remembered that in her dream the others said something about Zodiacs then she thought of Lance,"Wait, do you happen to know some guy named Lance by any chance?" She asked wanting to know who this "Lance" guy is.
 

<->


| NIGHTMARE |


| Alice's Dream |

​



"Star signs? What a joke."


Tyrik simply plopped back onto a sitting position, completely ignorant of the situation that had just happened or their dangerous surroundings. She acted care-free, even after fighting the way she did. "That's not what a Zodiac is." Tyrik shook her head then looked off to the distance. The constant sound of the bell ringing was a lucky occurrence, for the original plan was to just hoist the girl over her shoulders and bolt it.





At the sound of 'Lance', Tyrik looked back towards Alice with renewed attention. "You know 'em? Real swell guy. Doesn't joke very often. He offends easily." Using the axe as a support, Tyrik brought herself back up to her feet having feeling rested. "I need to explain this shit to you then."


Tyrik took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm dead, sort of. I should be, anyway. A Zodiac like me constantly needs to live on life-force, so we need a compatible host." She paused for a moment looking in Alice's direction. "Get it now? In order for me to stop feeling like utter shit, you basically have to live for me."
 
Roe exited the shower, old t shirt and sweat pants on. She had her towel laying across her shoulders and she ruffled her own hair as she fell back on her bed. Opting for hot water rather than dinner, Roe shuffled through her songs until she found one she liked. It was a crazy day... she had that odd 'you screwed up' feeling.


Sighing, she turned over on her side. Her muscles were sore from training, but she wanted to make sure she wasn't caught unprepared again. The noise from downstairs combined with her music playing lulled Roe to sleep, an old puppy stuffed animal tight in her grasp.
 
The ambulance drove away then vanished behind a corner, she felt like she was missing some important to a piece of a puzzle, and a bad feeling rose in her gut.


She covered her head with her hood to protect from the oncoming cold wind. Looking up, a deep, dark orange, stretched across the sky. The sun was setting and soon would disappear. She kind of missed her life in the country, she would have been able to watch the sun set in all its glory; but life in a city was one big adventure. Though, she started to wonder if she bit off more than she could chew, she had only been there for a few days and so much had happened, a little too much. She raised her hand to touch her nose as a reminder. A voice in the back of her mind spoke to her,


(You wanted this, to see the city, well you got it.)


"I know, but, I didn't expect this."


(Curiosity killed the cat), it simply replied. Nikky rolled her eyes, she simply hated that phrase. "Curiosity killed the cat, bah! If one wasn't curious you would never know anything. While yes, curiosity can lead you down many roads but so does a city intersection. It is a normal human trait we all have to some extent. It encourages you to discover things you would never have otherwise How else would we know the sky was the limit? Not under a rock, sir!-"


"Ahem, Miss?" The girl looked over to see a man trying to talk to her, he was older with graying hair but a kind smile. "Uh, did I say that aloud?" She laughed, embarassed, that tended to happen often if she let a train of thought go on too long so she wasn't surprised. The man simply smiled, a bit relieved,


"It's alright. However I do have a word of advice for you." Nikky tilted her head ready to hear.


"In a city like this, curiosity will get you killed." With that, he tipped his hat to the girl then began to walk off, "Yeah... well..." Nikky clenched her fists and yelled to him, "I'd rather die trying to learn than die ignorant!" The man turned, all that was visible under his hat was his smile and gray hairs. "If that's how you feel, then good luck." He turned again and walked away disappearing into the crowd. His words repeated in Nikky's mind, from the tone of his voice he sound kind of sad almost as if he was trying to warn her, not scare her. Nikky shook her head, shoving her fists into her pockets she marched off towards a bus stop. A worried look sat on her face as she wondered how much weight her words really had.


Love, Tapatalk
 
"Lance huh?" She mumbled the name,"That doesn't really answer my question though." She said still confused with who Lance was and what he had to do with Damien's and Dominic's weird behavior. Lance seemed to be a very serious guy so he wasn't a pedophile which was a good sign but he still was a mystery to Alice.


Glancing at Tyrik as she spoke of what a Zodiac was and that she need Alice's life force just so she could survive. Alice was stun by her words,"Live for you? What?" She mumbled feeling as if she was being used just so this lady could survive,"So basically, you're using me as a life source just so you can live?" She said crossing her arms as a feeling she was being used,"So then this Lance guy is also using Damien and Dominic as life force too?" She asked now understanding Lance was a Zodiac and was using Damien and Dominic just so he can live.
 

|NIGHTMARE|


~Hotaru's Dream~

​



Marabel snickered behind her palm, covering her mouth. "Will do!" Marabel helped Hotaru back onto her feet. She took a deep breath and enjoyed her freshly reinvigorated air from her post-traumatizing mental snap. She looked back to Hotaru and placed her hands on her hips. Her face was.. Brighter than before. It looked as if she had completely forgotten about the whole previous ordeal. As if it never happened. "Now! Uhhh.. Business things! I'm your Zodiac and I need you to be my humble host!" Marabel threw her arms up, a confetti spray of maple leaves shot up into the air, falling down around the two. "So, if you haven't guessed I have blood power thingers! I can mess with shed blood and make it do all kiiiiinds of things! Like I just cured your head gash just now~ But I can't mess with blood that's following a current... I don't know why. I remember Mr. Lance saying it had to do with free will? He and Kenshi know the most about how Humans and Zodiac interact with each other. I think it's weird. Humans have too much free will. I kinda wanna just bend you guys to do what I want so I can laugh and make sillies with everyone!"
 
Hotaru picked up a maple leaf off of her shoulder and looked it over, turning it to the back and front. She folded it and held it in her hand, "What exactly is a Zodiac?" She had asked this several times before. It occurred to her that Marabel was not the human astronomy zodiac term, "You can mess with blood? That's pretty....fun to mess with. It works if the blood is spilling? So you need to inflict harm on the opponent before using your power thingy?" Hotaru's eyes brightened a bit, "So about Mr. Lance and Mr. Kenshi, how many are there? Are they reliable?"


She realized that Marabel was criticizing the way humans live their life, "I think you would make the humans....us....shape up." Hotaru had a smile on, "I would laugh as well."
 

<->


| NIGHTMARE |


| Alice's Dream |

​



"So basically, you're using me as a life source just so you can live?"


"As blunt as a hammer, but it's the truth."


From what the Zodiac saw, her host was interested in the shadow spirit Lance. It also piqued her interest as a reaction. "What's it to you? And who's Damian and Dominic? If they're hosts, that's impossible. A Zodiac can only have one host, and it works the other way around as well, a host can only have one Zodiac." It felt much like a one-sided business deal between the living and the not-so-dead spirits.


"There's a benefit to letting us leech off of you. One of them that happens to be the most interesting for me, is that the host inherits the Zodiac's abilities - well, some. We can't just settle this deal and you end up in some snake's belly no more than a few minutes later, we'll both die."


The ringing of the bell became nothing more than background noise, but it was noticeable when the bell sounds ceased. This sent a slightly worrisome adjustment to Tyrik's voice. "Let's make it fast, I forgot to sharpen the eliminator before you appeared." 'Eliminator' being her weapon. Suddenly the female jotted out her hand in a fist. "Fist bump, that's how I always wanted to do it." If it could be seen, Tyrik would be grinning mad.
 

|NIGHTMARE|


~Hotaru's Dream~

​



Marabel tapped a finger onto her bottom lip, thinking about what exactly she was. "Good question! All I remember is that when I was alive I was the daughter of a Plague Doctor... And momma liked to do that Witchcraft Ouija Board stuff! Then I.. Died? I don't remember how, exactly. But I blacked out, and woke up with this really strange man in a fancy outfit helping me up and saying I had a 'unique gift'. I dunno' what that means but I suddenly could mess with blood and stuff! But umm... Mr. Lance and Mr. Kenshi... They're Zodiacs too! I don't know how many there are in total but as far as reputation goes..." Marabel slowly stepped towards Hotaru and moved up to her ear and whispered: "Mr. Kenshi is a know it all, and Mr. Lance is going hollow..." Marabel quickly stepped back. "But they're both really smart! I know there's one that wears a mask, and another that's this Egyptian lady, and another one that looks like he's made of armor but he fights like a Judo, Kung Fu Master guy! But he never speaks... And one is a Catfish! But I don't know their names... I don't think they like me to be honest! Kenshi thinks I'm obnoxious and Lance doesn't talk to anyone. But everyone knows that they both bicker and don't get along quite well!" Marabel began to carelessly spin around. Kicking up water and throwing herself into the spray.
 

||FLASHBACK||


A young girl with bouncing white hair dances through the woods, a tall teenage boy with dark hair chasing after her. Giggling, the girl hides behind a tree. She hides, barely containing her energy, when she notices a shiny metal object poking out of the ground. Her eyes sparkle as she grabs it and waves it around. "Look, Icarus!" she cried. "Look what I found!" The boy appears from around the tree trunk, and his eyes widen.


"N-no, Farra! Don't play with that! T-that's a knife!" The girl smiles and grips it tighter. Her hand is barely touching the blade, but a cut has already formed. Blood welled where the blade touched, and the girl's eyes widened. "What's that? It hurts." The boy grabbed the handle and pulled the knife away from Farra, but she held on tightly, slicing her hand open. She stared blankly at it and her hand went limp. Icarus gasped, and grasped her hand lightly. "O-oh no! We...we need to get you home," he stammered, but Farra as wiping and swirling it around on her palm. "This is very fun," she said calmly. Farra looked like she was in no pain whatsoever. "F-farra! That isn't good! We need to patch that up!" Farra glared at Icarus. "No. It's fun!" she yelled, and she struck him in the arm with the bloody knife, plunging it (somewhat deeply) into his forearm. Her eyes glinted, and the boy fainted, a pool of blood forming around him. Farra walked away calmly, a sense of insanity shining in her eyes.


Farra sat up quickly, and screamed in pain. Her arm was in some kind of binding, and her whole body ached, she felt as if she had been hit by a--


Oh wait. She had been hit by a car. Perfect. She pulled herself up using her right arm, and stretched her legs. She was in a crystalline white room, lying in a clean white bed. This won't work, she thought. Swinging her legs over the sides, she hauled herself out of bed and pushed her way through the staff who were trying to get her to lay back down. "Eh, get off me. I've gotta go back to Hell--I mean, school. Later, losers," she yelled, pushing through people left and right and shoving open the doors.

​
 
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"Your mom must have been amazing." Hotaru's pace quickened, "Have you ever seen the fancy man again? Why is it that I come here during my dreams? Have you seen my friends? Do you chose your host? What is the purpose of a host? Why do you need one?"


"Do you have friends? What is a hollow?" Hotaru realized that she was firing off more questions, she winced. She was ready for whatever Marabel had in store for her.
 
Nikky got onto the bus, groceries in hand, following behind other people trying to get home or wherever they were headed. She took her seat near the back by the window, she couldn’t turn anywhere without hearing someone cough or sneeze or mundane cellphone chat but she reveled in it. She yawned, Staring out the window watching the streetlights pass by occasionally giving the blur of darkness some kind of illumination only to disappear just as quickly as it came. She blew on to the window sketching a smiley face into it. Resting her chin in her hand, she listened to the hum of the bus. Tuning out the everyday noise, she closed her eyes, until it was just the bus wheels running over asphalt, and her own breathing. She opened her eyes and looked up expecting some kind of shooting star, but with the light pollution she doubted she’d see them anytime soon. A bittersweet smiled stretched across her face.


The bus stopped and the bus driver called back, “Brookfield Settlements” Nikky rubbed her eyes and got up carrying her grocery bags with her.
 
The Hermit and the Butterfly: Part 1

​



"Hey, Hey, did you hear? We are getting a new student today"


"Really!?! I hope she's really hot; might add some variety to the girls in this class."


"Humph, right back at you pigs. Maybe the transfer will be a charming man with enough balls to tell a girl she is pretty to her face rather than circle jerk behind our backs."


For class 1-3, this level of abusive banter was commonplace for the familial relationship that each member held with another. Because the academy consisted of elementary on up to primary, the majority of class 1-3's students had been colleagues since the beginning of their academic careers. The remaining few would have been transfers over the years who were unfortunate enough to be swept by the class' energy and quickly converted into one of their own.


"Silence you lot! I'll be introducing the transfer now."


Silence quickly fell across the classroom as it was replaced with a static atmosphere charged by the excitement brimming from each student.


"This is Shun Takumi. His parents recently moved to our city, hence why he is here now. Your seat will be the empty one by the window, but for now a quick introduction if you don't mind, Shun."


"You already said all that needs to be said."


The silence that had fallen continued as Shun walked through the aisles and plopped down into his desk where he began to prepare his supplies for class. It was after he started peering out the window that gossip among the students began to spread like wildfire.


"So much for charming."


"Did the teacher say Takumi? It can't be that Takumi!"


"You mean the son of the Takumi Conglomerate? No way! A son of that family would be bold and charismatic."


"Yes, yes, all of you can get to know the transfer student later. Focus to the front for the beginning of class, please. Now in 1765, the...."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

​



"Shun, I don't know what kind of life you lived in your previous school, but as your homeroom teacher, I won't let you hide from society here."


The teacher from first period was sitting across from Shun sternly glaring at his face while handing a sheet of paper to the student who was lazily standing against the nearby wall.


"Clubs are required at this academy, and we are gonna start by finding you one right now. Because of the rain, most of the sports clubs aren't meeting, but you don't even look like the sporty type anyways. I wrote a list of cultural clubs the sheet of paper, so which one do you want to check out today?"


"But my butle..."


Shun had begun to protest the demands of his teacher; however, he was quickly cut off the man rising from his chair and gently shoving him out of the teacher's lounge they were in.


"Geoffrey already stopped by, and I explained the situation to him. He will be returning after clubs end to pick you up."


A smile came to the teacher's face once he heard Shun's sigh of defeat and his declaration of the club he finally chose.


"...a-a-art...then..."


The art room was fair walk from the lounge as it was located on the third floor of the academy; however, because of the distance, it gave plenty of time for the teacher to talk about the club he was an adviser for.


"The art club is a really awesome choice right now because our president is a prodigy at painting. She's also extremely outgoing and helpful so even if your a beginner she will be willing to help you herself or get someone just as awesome to do the same."


With their arrival at the art club's room, Shun couldn't help but doubt his teacher's sense of direction as the cacophony within was very unlike his image of an art environment; however, it was upon their entry that the racket soon made sense.


"Hey Ashlei! I've brought you a new one."


"Oh, Mr. Nietzsche! Found fresh blood for our club , eh?"


The girl's tone was cheerful, her actions energetic, and Shun couldn't help but conclude that her image suited her personality well. Bounding up to the pair, Ashlei quickly took hold of Shun's arm and began to drag him to the work space she had been occupying just before their disturbance.


"Nice to meet cha! I'm Ashlei, the president of the art club. What's your name? Are you experienced in any medium of art? Official member or just checking us out?..."


Ashlei began to fire a menage of questions at Shun who ignored them all as his focus was directed toward the near complete painting at his front. Ashlei who had noticed the redirection of his attention subsequently ended her barrage and quietly peered at Shun's face with a smile.


"Interested in my painting? Its pretty good isn't it?"


Her tone was obviously joking; however, Shun once again ignored her questions as he took hold of her brush and paints before seating himself in front of the empty canvas set besides Ashlei's. This action drew the attention of the club as nearly every member began to on look the skills of the newcomer who had blatantly disrespected their president.


"I'm taking my leave now."


Were the final words of Shun nearly and hour and half later as he departed from the room leaving his completed painting without any further acknowledgment. Silence fell upon the club members; however, it was after his departure that an uproar of mocking laughter soon erupted among the masses as they began to disperse.


"This is absolute shit compared to Prez's"


"Some nerve he had to disrespect her without holding his own."


"He better not be coming back. You won't accept him right Ash?"


"C-C-Course not!"


Despite the shakiness of her voice, Ashlei's words were enough to calm the riot that had begun across her members. Grumbles of annoyance soon replaced opinions as each member across the room returned to their space to begin making up for the work they had regrettably lost.


"Shall we toss his painting?"


Ashlei who had been inspecting Shun's painting quickly swung around to glare at the student who had voiced his opinion of disposal.


"You might not like him, but his painting is still a work of art that is better than what you can do! Actually, better than most of you! The art deserves its respect."


The student who had not expected Ashlei's outburst ran from her side, and a level of silence quickly fell across the room. Ashlei returned her gaze to the two paintings at hand, and she continued to remain in such a position far after the last member departed from the club. It wasn't until the crimson red of the setting sun had enveloped the now clear sky that she let out a deep sigh, and began to collect her supplies. A solemn smile formed on her face as she exited the school shivering from a cool gust of September's dusk air. To the citizens passing her by on the city streets, Ashlei's chuckles would have brought a smile to their face, but perhaps reality of the three tears rolling down her cheeks told a different story from the cheery fantasies that others would have forced themselves to believe.
 
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Alice stood there for a good few minutes with a frown but she understood this was how it will be for her from now on. Looking over at Tyrik as she spoke of who the two boys were,"They're my friends or so I guess I can call as friends." She said unsure if they were even friends or not since she never really had a real friend before. This now putting questions into her head and reminded herself to ask the two boys next time she see them.


"So that's how Damien has such powers." She mumbled remembering the weird shadows,"So let me get this straight, so if I let you in my body, I'll suddenly have supernatural powers and if I die, we'll both die together?" She said. She understood what Tyrik was saying but it was hard to believe since all Alice wanted was a "normal" life, not something with Zodiacs and powers,"Bizarre powers? Hmm..." She muttered, her eyes glinted with interest.


Hearing the bells in the background, Alice stared at Tyrik's fist and down at her hands. Curling it into a ball, she pumped her fist with hers,"Fine, but don't think you have full control over me!" She warned not wanting to be possess by this person or any of the sort. She was only going to agree with her because it seemed interesting but it was a risk she was taking, a worthy risk.
 
Nikky ascended the stairs, her eyelids getting heavier with each step but she managed to fight it out until she reached her room.


Once back into her dorm she shoved her groceries in the mini fridge then took a seat at her work desk in attempt to get some homework done. She reached into her book bag and took out the notes Damian gave her. "Right" she ran her hand through her hair and sighed, she better remember to give those back. She sat there for a minute reading over them until she couldn't bear to keep her eyes open anymore. She yawned and laid her head on her desk, falling into a deep sleep...
 

|NIGHTMARE|


~Hotaru's Dream~

​



The questions were unending! But funny enough, Marabel wasn't intimidated by them. In fact, she was enjoying answering all these questions. There was a sense of joy found in being able to part knowledge. Even if it was... Wrong. Thinking to the best of her ability, to try and come up with a coherent answer to these numerous wonders. "The fancy man.. No.. I dunno' where he is." Marabel huffed, making a little coo noise. "Oh I know about the dreams! I heard Mr. Kenshi talk about this with the other Zodiacs!" Marabel messed with her hair, and fashioned it to resemble fox ears. She narrowed her eyelids to mimic a fox as well. "Zodiacs can only approach a human in a dream because we can only bring their subconscious to our World!" After fixing her hair Marabel began to laugh hysterically. Her own mimicry was an art form to her and gave her a lot of entertainment on a slow day. "Ehehehe! Okay, next question! It was uhhh... Your friends...? Well, I know there's other humans around this Zodiac World but I haven't seen them! Nope! Now... We do choose our host." Marabel began to swivel her hips and look towards Hotaru endearingly. "We just choose who we would think best bare our sign and we just wait until they sleep and pull em' riiiiiiight in! But it's kinda bad because we need hosts to live." Marabel's one cheery complexion came to a harsh frown. "But some Zodiacs make it all worth while for the human by having a goal, or something for the human to accomplish to not make them feel like a host to a parasite! Like me, I want my host to be able to cure any illness in the human bloodstream! I'll be a big hero! I remember Lance wants War to end, and has made his hosts sneak into the hideouts of Warmongers and secretly convince them to stop warplans with his scary power! And play it off as if it was some awful nightmare! The Metal Kung-Fu Man wants to fight all forms of crime! And the masked guy wants humans to understand true artistic beauty, or something all complex... I dunno'! Marabel kept up her swivel until she recalled Hotaru's last two questions. Does she have friends and what is a Hollow? Marabel became motionless and stared at her flooded floor. Oddly enough, with Marabel's outgoing personality and friendly demeanor... "No... The other Zodiacs don't like me much. The Catfish tolerates me, Egyptian lady hates me, Kenshi thinks I'm dumb, Metal Man can't speak but he doesn't stay around me too long, Masked Guy finds me... Impetuous? Some big word that hurts. Lance talks to me. He says he understands my situation. He said he'd befriend me, if he wasn't afraid of losing his sanity soon. So I guess he's more a friend than anyone else..." Marabel started to tear up. She sat in her pool and curled up into a fetal position. The loneliness of only having her plane has been eating at her for what may have been eons now. Knowing she was for the most part disliked didn't bode well with her either. "B-But.. That's why I have you! So I won't be as lonely! Right?" Marabel forced a grin, in between two walls of tears.
 
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<->


| NIGHTMARE |


| Alice's Dream |

​



At the verge of contact between Alice and her new found spirit buddy, a light erupted that covered the two's vision like the dream prior. The lucidness at that point had faded and Alice was returned to a normal night's sleep, hellhound free.


. . .


<->


| NIGHTMARE |


| Shun's Dream |

​



It was unclear how, or why, but Shun would arise only to find himself seated in the rear of a black limousine. The interior was nicely decorated, and the dark blue neon glow that traced the flooring lit up the various alcoholic beverages on the stands. Outside, there was nothing but a series of trees whizzing past as heavy rain occupied the dark night.


"Here we are."


A distorted voice - no doubt the driver's - announced their arrival at the courtyard of a large mansion. The rain against the window made it hard to make out it's features at the moment.


"You want my advice? Whatever you do, don't insult him."


The message given was cryptic in nature with no clear meaning why the driver said what he did. The door flung open as an unseen force ushered Shun out of the car. The door slammed back shut and the limousine drove back into what was now a black abyss. The car faded beyond the dark mist and was gone.


The rain continued, and was followed by bitterly cold air and winds. At the very least, the mansion was visible.


?


The mansion was cartoonish in style, and jutted at it's sides like it was a drawn animation. At a closer look, more detail was added, and it sure felt like a real building. However it was strange that it somehow fit with it's dark, cold environment, more questions with no answers to them.


Inside, Shun would have been greeted by a grand stairwell leading up to the second floor. To his sides were of course rooms such as the dining room, and the opposite end being an armory. Elsewhere in the house, a piano could be heard playing a soft tune.
 
Hotaru sorted out what Marabel had said about mister fancy pants and the other Zodiacs. They seemed to not like Marabel very much, Hotaru didn't know why, so far she hasn't spoken bad of any other Zodiac. Mr. Kenshi was supposedly a smart man who often fought with Lance. Lance was a nicer fellow but he seemed to keep his distance due to losing sanity. The others seemed like they were trying cope with her existence. This riled up Hotaru, in the time they had spent together Hotaru had already considered her as a friend. Hotaru needed to talk to the Zodiacs. Maybe she could yell at them. Or she could try to a more subtle way and coax them to be nicer. Hotaru liked the first option better. Hotaru wondered what the other Zodiacs could do. Hotaru realized that Marabel wanted to cure illness in the human bloodstream, Marabel had a goal that helped a different species than her own. The other Zodiacs wanted to help out in their own ways. Hotaru respected that.


The red haired girl watched as Marabel curl up in ball like form, she seemed so sad and lonely, "B-But.. That's why I have you! So I won't be as lonely! Right?" Hotaru crouched down and poked at her grin. She gave her a smile and wrapped an arm around Marabel's neck. Hotaru did what she was best at, she gave the Zodiac a hug, "You won't be lonely anymore."
 

|NIGHTMARE|


~Hotaru's Dream~


END

​



Marabel sniffled from within her locked forearms. She felt a gentle arm envelop her, soothing her some. She rose her head and saw Hotaru close by here to comfort her. Her mood shot up instantly just from Hotaru being so friendly and sympathetic. On top of it all:

"You won't be lonely anymore."

​



Marabel's face lit up, she threw out her arms and quickly hugged Hotaru. Squeezing the girl some. "I won't disappoint you as a Zodiac and a friend!"


|NIGHTMARE|


~Adonna's Dream~

​



Adonna comes to what looks like a campus sized Monastery. There wasn't anything unique about it strangely enough. It was a classic Monastery through and through. There was one thing... A waterfall falling down a cliffs side a good 10 yards north of the Monastery. The water didn't reach the bottom... It stopped before it hit the grounds surface. Ceased to a halt by in unseen force. Underneath said waterfall sat a sleekly armored man, meditating under the torrent of water. His entire body looked like it was comprised of a suit of armor. It made him look mechanic at first glance... But he was breathing. Manually as a human would. His armor was dark, but had a slight tint of purple. It's appearance was that of your mideaval knight. The only distinction was that it looked as if it was his own skin. The armored man jerked for a brief moment... Adonna's presence was known. Within the eye slits on his helmet, a magenta light shone through. The armored man stood up, the waterfall bending around his slender form. He cocked his neck to the side. You could hear what sounded like metal snapping. The sound ringing through his armor, as if hollow on the inside. The being hunched forward, as if he was ready to start a meter dash. His own psychic power began to reach higher magnitudes, only known from the slowing pace of the waterfall above him. His pointed foot pushed forward, digging into the wet soil beneath him. He was ready to approach his intruder. Like the boom of a cannon, the water fall and ground erupted under the armored man! He shot himself forward! A magenta colored flame sparked around his metal palm. He kept his arm back, ready to strike at Adonna at the split second he faced her.
 
Shun's eyes were greeted with a nostalgic view as the realization of his surroundings slowly began to sink in. Whether it was from the plush seats, the spacious interior, or perhaps the decorative bar lined with quality alcohol he remembered from the parents in his childhood, Shun chuckled bitterly as memories of his past slowly began to rush his head.


"I'll be helping myself."


With no reply from the driver, Shun eagerly took hold of a glass of scotch and attempted to down it in one sitting. The smokey liquid burned as it passed down his throat, but the effects that he desired never seemed to materialize. Sober and painfully aware of his surroundings, Shun sighed as he peered out the window in an attempt to break past the watery veil that shielded his view from the world outside.


The driver's voice signaling the arrival at their destination was met as a blessing by Shun who gratefully stepped out into the cold, rainy darkness that enveloped the entirety of his surroundings with the exception of the path forward.


Don't insult him eh?


Shun's thoughts turned curious as he started to walk forward; however, as the outline of his destination slowly began to etch into his view, the bitterness from before made a sudden resurgence that brought Shun to his knees in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Every aspect of this dream seemed to draw memories from his past. The mansion's exterior, despite its comical appearance, was a splitting image of the home he had grown up in. In fact, the very environment forcing his path forward seemed to represent the cold, trapped feelings he had harbored in his youth.


Shivering from the cold gusts and rain pelting his figure, Shun rushed to take several deep breaths in an attempt to calm the composure he had lost. It was after Shun was certain he had regained control of his emotions that he stepped through regal doors into the warmth of the mansion's interior. Even if the familiar interior continued to surface the bitterness of his past, it also brought forth a pleasant nostalgia that left Shun with mixed feelings as he made his way up the stairwell leading to the second floor. If this mansion truly was a replica from his memories then Shun knew exactly where his host would be awaiting his arrival.


"Is it truly necessary to greet your guest with the past's pains?"


Shuns words were uttered defiantly as he crossed the threshold into a grandiose hall where he braced himself for the beauty within. If memories served him correct, there would be no limit to the mediums of fine arts ranging from every time period carefully positioned across the architectural masterpiece that was the room itself. Taking care to prevent damage to the intricately tiled floor, Shun began to softly walk forward until he stopped himself at the source of the music. Focusing his gaze on the masked figure at hand, Shun gave a bitter smile as he awaited his host's reply.
 
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<->


| NIGHTMARE |


| Shun's Dream |

​



The soul behind the music was a painted man, shaded in one primary color that shifted slowly to another. His form although humanoid at it's core, often dripped at the sides. With no facial features, the only human thing about it, or him, was a white and gold masquerade mask. He switched to a quite but skilled





when Shun entered.
"They're not your pains to bear." The man sounded like a young adult, around the ages of 20. As he spoke, he never let up on the rhythm that the piano put out. On one wall were several groups of painted humans, identical to the masked one. Each of them donned a deformity of sorts. Some were missing limbs, others had their colors changing too rapidly - none of them had a face worth comprehending.


The masked man shifted his hidden eyes to a revolver that laid just above the piano keys.


"You're a smart boy, Shun Takumi. You know why you're here-... right?"
 
"Mutual interests, I would assume."


Shun's words were short and to the point as he made his way to the piano's bench and seated himself alongside of the painted man who continued to play the solemn tune fit for an atmosphere as such. Focusing his gaze upon the wall of deformity, Shun calmly contemplated the words of the man until he began to chuckle as new pieces of the puzzle rapidly began to manifest themselves before his eyes.


"It seems you have borne far too many pains in your past."


Shun continued to chuckle as the words of the boy from his previous dream started to echo in his head, A zodiac has chosen you...


Having originally come with the intention of forcing answers, Shun could only continue to laugh as every piece he had sorely sought was suddenly placed in its appropriate position within the puzzle.


"I happen to be the fortunate soul to suit your tastes since the last one fell out of favor."


Taking hold of the revolver, Shun paused his thoughts to inspect the gun's workings until he replaced it back upon the piano keys once his curiosity was satisfied.


"Such a crude weapon for an artistic existence, wouldn't you agree? But without straying from the topic at hand, let's hear it..your story."
 






as a place to run away, to imagine all the adventures she pictured had come true. A place of relaxation; her mother had once told her that many people had deciphered dreams in many different ways as they’ve tried to discover what exactly a dream was. And out of these attempts to understand them there were many different theories developed, but out of all the theories her mother told her what Nikky chose to believe was-
“Dreams were ways of fulfilling wishes, things that we want in life but may not be able to obtain…” A light and feathery voice spoke, almost as if reading a script to her inner thoughts.


Nikky turned to see her mother, sun in her face and an orange sundress flowing in an absent breeze. The woman moved a stray strand of brunette hair behind her ear, the word was beautiful. They stood opposite of each other, the woman shrouded in sunlight while Nikky standing in the darkness. The girl turned away, she couldn’t bear to look at her anymore.


“I’m sorry…”


The woman approached the girl and hugged her enveloping the child in light, “Stop beating yourself up, you wanted to know and you found her. I’m glad.”


“But, I still hurt you in the end.”


 “Nicole I’ll always be your mother, no matter what. And I’ll always be here for you, No matter what.”


Tears fell down her face, she turned and embraced the woman. She tried to talk but only getting her words stuck in her throat, “M-mom…”


“It’s okay to cry, crying cleanses the soul.”


Dreams are ways of fulfilling wishes, things that we want in life. They can come true here, even if they cannot be obtained in the hours of wake...
 
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