He expected to come home to peace. He expected everything to be fine. But the distress hit them both when they got out of the portal. "What's going on? Harper?!" Not just Harper, but Crios and a few others piled in. Before he knew what happened, his heart raced in panic. Harper spoke up and he immediately covered his mouth in horror. Panic, fear, and worry all raced at once. He was like a panicky mother. "How did he-! No, no, no..." He moved away from Seishu and paced around. "Are you sure you checked the building in its entirety?!"
Harper nodded. "I promise. I had the guards everywhere, and we have all been looking."
=_=_=_=_=_=
The waves of worry and stress coming off of the gathered dream beings feed Seishu, however ha takes no comfort in it. The thought of Rue on earth is bad enough, but when Harper glares at him and adds the last bit to his report, the Nightmare Guardian snaps inside. On the outside he remains very calm and cool, his body relaxed and his eyes at half mast. However inside his body begins preparing. He ignores Enasi as he begins pacing, his focus altogether In a different place for several seconds. The minions by the door draw back as small bits of red electricity dance around his body, shredding his robe and leaving in their wake his battle armor.
'I will not allow this. Such things are unforgivable. It is in our nature to tease and torment to a degree those of this realm, but to capture one. To actually hunt one down. . .It must be Gin's doing. He's the one behind this. The traitorous foul demented creature of spiteful bile!' He keeps his energy in check, but as Enasi passes him, just close enough, his hand darts out to turn the male around to face him. Both hands come up to grip the male's arms and he gazes deep into the other's eyes. Behind his own the fury sparks and crackles, but none of it is in danger of leaking out as he opens his mouth to speak. “Enasi, tell me how you feel.” The words are quiet, just above a hiss, but there is a note in there that he himself does not recognize. A kind of pleading he has never expressed in his entire life.
=_=_=_=_=_=
"Sir, you must calm down." Harper stepped forward, only to pause as Seishu's energy spiked within itself. He didn't dare to move forward this time, but he eyed the nightmare guardian carefully. It didn't last long because his attention turned to the panicky sounds of his guardian. Crios tried to take a shot at comforting him, but to no avail.
"We'll find him. He won't be able to travel too far." But that didn't seem to help either. The dream guardian still paced back and forth, trying to figure out what to do. These were Seishu's minions. But if they weren't following Seishu's orders, who knows what they would do to Rue.
Suddenly he felt his arms being tugged and he whirled around to face Seishu. His eyes were teary, but he frowned when he was stopped. Tell him how I feel?! The guardian pulled an arm away. "There's no time for how I feel! We- I have to find Rue! He could be hurt!" He yelled frantically. It was obvious how he felt just by his words. The other dreams silenced and watched their guardian and his counterpart.
He paused and pulled his other hand away to bring them up to his face for a brief moment. "What do you think. I'm upset. I'm panicking. I'm worried! Your- or whoever's nightmares out there kidnapped Rue. Who knows who else they'll try and take! I was only gone for- for a few hours... Not even that long... This is why I don't leave! Bad things start to happen!"
Each minion hesitated, wanting to help their guardian. But they stayed back, and stayed silent. Even Harper's ears bent slightly.
=_=_=_=_=
Even as Enasi pulls away, Seishu can feel it all begin to seeping off of him. He does not try to pull Enasi back right away, just lets what little bits running freely off of him slide over to him, charging him up like a Duracell. 'I need more, but I think he needs to calm down first' he thinks, knowing that the Guardian can obviously not think clearly at the moment. Understanding that he doesn't realize what the Nightmare Guardian is asking for. His last admission strikes a nerve but he decides to address it later.
Instead he steps up to the trembling guardian. Being as gentle as he can he wraps his arms around Enasi, pulling him tight against his chest despite any protest from either the gathered minions or Enasi himself. Instead he speaks loud enough for Enasi to hear over his own panic. “Rue is very dear to me, and on my life I will not let anything happen to him. He's kind, funny, and even if he is forgetful, he always remembers what's really important. He's learned a lot about my realm and those that dwell in it. He's not entirely unprepared for them.” He looks down, pulling Enasi's head up so he can look him in the eyes, “However, things will go much more smoothly if I can get a little help from my other half.”
His voice is soft, his eyes still alight with anger, but his positive expressions about Rue are enough to expel a stream of positive energy which coils lightly around Enasi's middle before sinking into him. The gathered minion watch the interaction in awe, Crios catching on rather quickly what Seishu is talking about after seeing the shimmering white energy leave Seishu's body. Harper, though ready the throw the Nightmare Guardian off his lord can not quite bring himself to move any closer to the two men.
=_=_=_=_=_=
Somewhere in between shock and his worried motherly panic, he found himself being pulled into an embrace by none other than his counterpart. Enasi tried to resist, but gave up the fight before he started. He leaned closer to the guardian, burying his face in his clothes. There were a few small sounds of protest, but they weren't followed by action. While Seishu spoke softly, Enasi somehow managed to focus his breathing again. It didn't stop his emotion, but it did guarantee that he wouldn't hyperventilate and pass out. Muffled because his head was down, Enasi spoke. "But he's not prepared for whatever that Gin person has in mind... you don't even know what's going on there."
His head was lifted and Enasi averted his eyes from Seishu's gaze. He noticed the positive energy and sighed. Instead of enjoying it he merely put his head back against Seishu. "Sorry..." He started and rubbed his cheeks. "I didn't mean to panic... that's not very appropriate for a guardian..." Harper was about to defend him, but Crios silenced him with a quick tug on his ear. The dream guardian closed his eyes and stood up straight, moving away from Seishu. He looked at the floor, holding his arm.
"I'm worried... He's a castle dweller, and is normally by my side most of the time. Rue is still just a child, he could get hurt. And now I'm worried because my minions are in danger of being kidnapped." At that, Harper's ears twitched and he motioned to the guards.
"Have them check the perimeters. Make sure everything is the same still." They nodded and hurried off.
Enasi continued to pour his emotions out, watching as the negative energy slipped off him and coiled onto Seishu. When he finally quieted down, Enasi only glanced up at him before looking away again.
=_=_=_=_=_=
Seishu lets his counterpart go when he's finally in at last a vague control of his faculties. His shy, almost pathetic stance only fueling his own anger. The sight of him looking so defeated and pitiable makes him grind his teeth, but he remains silent. The energy seeping across the floor over to him makes several of the minions recoil, looking at their guardian in horror. The thought of their lord having such things inside him making them shake and shy away. Seishu listens carefully, drawing everything in as fast as his can, and like a angry feline he seems to swell with it.
When at last Enasi is done pouring himself out Seishu lets out a sigh, the sound rattling the windows though it is a quite thing. His haughty smirk returns and he shakes his head. “He won't have to deal with whatever the hell that piece of crap has in mind for him. We'll get to the Little Bite first, and when we do, he's gonna wish that he'd been kidnapped with what I have planned for him for being so stupid.” He turns to look at the portal still open behind him. “He just needs to hide, and that little sucker is fast. I know only a few of my own who could even think to keep up with him. Any minion with half a brain would know not to strike him if Gin wants him back alive, so he should be safe until we get ahold of him.”
He can almost feel Harper as he opens his mouth to protest about the way he's talking about punishing Rue, but Seishu whips around to glare at him before he can speak. “Can it Hops, and sharpen that blade of yours. You're the fastest here no? We'll need you speed.” Turning to his counterpart Seishu seems to swell again. From behind him his energy lashes out like a mass of writhing tentacles until after a few seconds the blackness solidifies into the wings he'd had in the dream. He know what he's about to say is rather mean, but it's the only thing his fury filled heart can come up with to possibly get the result he needs.
“And you, oh master of worry and self loathing, grow a pair! We don't need you blubbering and loosing you backbone right now, we need that part of you that always longed to tear my head off when you saw me making sport with your precious sparkler's innards, spilling their blood like paint on the battlefield.” His wings snap out to the sides, making him look bigger than normal, his cape appearing in a dark shimmer. “Now pick yourself up and let's do something! We've got some minion hunting to do!” Seishu is careful not to waste any energy but his own speech riles him up, his wings thrashing in the air in their eagerness to get airborne.
=_=_=_=_=_=
Enasi listened as Seishu got more and more riled up. He spoke of punishing Rue, and yet Enasi said nothing. He even put his hand up to stop Harper from speaking out. Then, Seishu spoke out to Harper, and it was only a matter of time before Harper dared to speak out. "You have no-"
"Harper! Hush." The sudden command made even the rabbit flinch. His ears lowered, but he held his glare. Crios stayed silent and watched as Seishu perked up with energy. He hadn't been so energetic before. "Just listen." Enasi said softly. Harper crossed his arms and watched as Seishu continued.
Not expecting to be yelled at, Enasi turned and jumped a little in surprise.
Harper continued to glare as his guardian was yelled at, but Crios kept him at bay. "I'll definitely sharpen my blade...." Harper growled. Crios merely held him by his shirt like a leash.
"Down bunny..."
Enasi flinched away when he was yelled at, frowning. From being comforting to yelling at him, Enasi stared at the angry guardian in front of him. From being sad, he immediately frowned in irritation. There was nothing he could say, more due to the shock of being told to man up. He was so rude.... But for some reason, it helped. "...You're so mean..." He crossed his arms and looked off to the side. "If you're done yelling at me...can we go?"
Crios looked a little surprised that Seishu said what he did, and then even more shocked that Enasi stayed calm.
=_=_=_=_=
His smirk transforms into a wicked smile, feeling the shift in his other half's emotions. He lets out a chuckle at Harper and his looks of fury and loathing. 'Go ahead Hops, let the anger grow. Just stay focused. I'm not your enemy, and killing is not your goal. Rue is. And I will see him returned to us' That last thought, the word “us”, rings through his head making him feel a little off. He used the word us, as if he were lumping himself together with the sparklers. However he pushes that back, not willing to dive into the deeper meaning behind his own thoughts.
His eyelid lower ever so slightly when Enasi pouts about him being mean, but manages to have a comeback. Simple, not very creative, but it's the little spark that Seishu is looking for. His wings begin to beat slow and steady, taking his feet a few inches off the ground. “First you get what you need to get done here done Enasi.” The Dream Guardian's name rolling off his tongue naturally, the thought of using his nickname not even present as his tone changes from condescending to collaborative. Harper's whiskers twitch as negative energy behind lacing it's way around Seishu's body in preparation.
“I'll go on ahead. Unlike you, I don't have anyone here to confer with.” There is a light note of loneliness in his voice, but the anger is still firmly in control. His wings shift, and like a bullet he darts forward. His body is almost a blur to the minions as he does a u-turn, Enasi in the middle of it. However inside the U it almost seems like time is slowed down. He looks at Enasi, his usual arrogant smirk on his lips. “If I survive this,” he whispers just loud enough for the Dream Guardian to hear, “it'll be up to you once more to save my life. Up for it?” Time returns to normal speed and before another word can be said he slingshots through the portal to the human realm.
On the other side he blasts through the apartment building, rising high into the sky before his wings snap out to bring him to a stop. At last free to use his energy he lets small threads of it loose across the surface of the city. He knows that the energy he has shored up is not nearly enough to take on even a mid level minion, so he throws all his faith into his other half to rescue him should he use it all up. His wings bead sure and steady, the energy racing through the streets. Nightmare minions all over the area can feel this faint trickle of energy and their eyes turn heavenward, knowing it can only mean one thing. The energy jumps from person to person, sliding through their minds in search of his goal.
=_=_=_=_=
Enasi stares at Seishu's wings for a moment, before he nodded. "Alright." The guardian started to turn in order to talk to Crios and Harper, but before he could, wings surrounded him, and he was face to face with Seishu. Everything slowed around them and Enasi gave a pout to his arrogance. "That won't be a problem because you will survive." It was whispered as he once again was off like a blur. The interaction only took seconds, but to the others it seemed like the blink of an eye.
With a nod, Enasi turned to Harper and with a soft tug of his ear, he spoke. "I'm entrusting you to split the guards up. Some here to watch the realm, and a few to check the human realm. But you stay. Every time you encounter the nightmares you get upset. We aren't killing them, we just need to find Rue. That's our first priority." Harper nodded and without hesitation, darted off to do as he was told.
"Crios-"
"All the doctors will be ready for any injured dreams. We'll be ready. Rooms are being cleared now." Enasi smiled gently and nodded.
With that, he turned and hurried through the portal. With a slight skip, he stepped on that energy disk and flew low through the human realm. Enasi started by pinpointing any of the positive energy that he could find. But many were sleeping people, or his dream minions doing their jobs. He sticks low to the ground considering Seishu took the skies. "Rue... where are you?" He sighed and continued looking around. He also remembered Seishu's harsh words and refused to whine and complain. They were going to find him. They had no choice.
=_=_=_=_=
His breathing is hard and fast, but he does his best to stifle the sound. He can hear her, just around the corner. The rough gravel road crunches beneath her boost as she moves along it in the dark country atmosphere, Somewhere off in the night an old man sits on a porch, his pipe clutched between what teeth he has left, his old dog sleeping soundly at his feet. He can feel the cold breeze created by the nightmare minion, but his dream remains undisturbed for the most part.
“It's easy to spot if there's a dream minion in someone's head. All you gotta do is look for the changes they make. They feel different from what a human creates naturally. I swear, most of you little sparklers aren't content with just gathering energy, you need to make it 'the best dream, eva!' heh.”
Seishu's words ring in his head and he once again checks to make sure his energy is in check. As a minion Rue has the innate ability to influence people's dreams. 'But if I can keep my energy in check, it should make it very hard for her to find me. . .Why is she after me?! I didn't do anything wrong. . .Oh why did I break the rules. . . .Lord Enasi told me to stay put, told me I had an important job to do!' He holds back a sob as the sound of her boots move in closer. His hand snaps over his mouth as she suddenly speaks.
“I know you are out there you disgusting little thing. Just come out, I'm not here to hurt you. My master just wishes to speak with you. . .” His skin jumps at the sound of steel on stone, her blade scraping over the ground as she pinpoints his location by the fear he's giving off. 'There you are. . .' She is still several yards away and doesn't want to speak him so she slows down as she moves in closer to the cowering fairy.
High above Seishu twitches. More dreams and minions pour through the portal after their lord and begin searching the city. He does his best to keep his energy from the areas they are searching so that he does not impede them. However after less than a minute, he finds it. 'There you are Little Bite' A whip of dark energy lashes out and strikes Enasi gently to get his attention. A few nightmare minions have already risen into the air, to see if their eyes are deceiving them. But before any of them can get a good look at him he surrounds himself in red lightning and plummets from the sky. Almost as fast as a bolt of light he pelts into the home of an old man fallen asleep on an old recliner and without slowing he slams into his head. 'I can only pray Enasi noticed me. This is a Dread Slayer, I'm not match in my current state'
Red lightning streaks the sky as he crashes into the dream. He looks about frantically for the little minion Rue however spots him first and without thinking launches himself up towards the Nightmare Guardian. However Lillium's reaction speed is too quick for him to make a clean getaway. She jumps up and manages to snag his ankle with one gauntlet clad fist, the momentum bringing them crashing back to the ground with Rue crying out in pain. Seishu spots the little exchange and with a roar another bolt crashes through the sky in anger before he lowers himself slowly to the ground.
=_=_=_=_=
With the guards rushing in, pinpointing positive energy was a tad difficult. The energies would entwine with the ones in search of Rue. He was peeking into a home, only to feel negative energy lash out dangerously close to him. At first he thought he was being attacked, but by the red blur, something told him that Seishu was calling him. Immediately, he flew upwards, and followed after Seishu. Minions saw, pausing as the white flash went by soon after the red one.
"I think Lord Enasi found him!"
"We should follow, he may need us."
One of the guards, one higher in rank stopped them. "Only a few. We can't hurt Seishu too." So three of them went off to follow the guardians and the others continued searching for injured minions or Rue.
Enasi noticed Seishu dart into the mind of an old man, but he was still ways away. But he knew Rue was there, he could feel it. When Rue fell, he whimpered and once again tried to escape, but this time the girl grabbed him. "Heh, you should've listened. You wouldn't have gotten hurt as bad." There was a low growl when Seishu appeared. She hissed. "You should be dead."
=_=_=_=_=
As the guards rush to follow their lord a commotion in the sky catches their attention. The pause, looking up to see nightmare minions clashing with one another. The unholy screams and clashes of energy fill the night sky. The display would even be visible to human should the look up, but they would see very little. “C'mon, we have to get to Lord Enasi.” One guard says, tapping his fellows on the shoulder. However the one female of the group calls them to a halt moments later. Two nightmare minions seem to be rushing to the same place where their lord had vanished. The dream minions draw their weapons and take up positions between the house and the nightmare minions.
The two minions who had been racing head first towards their guardian's location come to a skidding halt several yards away from the guards, their arms crossed over their heads. The signal is a universal sign for peace among both dream and nightmare minions so after a few tense seconds the guard lower their weapons. Despite the peace signal the guards hesitate to let the nightmare minions follow them. They hesitate, looking to where Enasi and Seishu disappeared.
“Look, Master Seishu needs help! We can feel it! It hurts. . .We know you are taking care of him, let us through!” the blonde male calls out, his dark dragonfly wings beating so fast they are simply a blur. At his side a redheaded female nods her head rapidly, her own black feathers flashing in the light created by the clash above. The guards hesitate only another few seconds before they turn with a wave and rush to aid their lord. As they leap down from the roof into the building the nightmare minions rush in and they all enter the man's mind together.
Five minutes earlier. . . .
Seishu chuckles as his feet touch the ground. “Well, I can't please everybody. It's kind of obvious seeing as I upset you all enough for one of you to try and kill me after all.” He keeps his eyes from rue, far to angry to offer any kind of comfort to the distressed sparkler. Instead his hands crackle with energy as he begins walking slowly towards the woman.
Despite the obvious fact that he is not match for her at the moment, Lillium can feel herself hesitating. Her stomach drops several levels as she looks into the guardian's eyes and her grip around Rue's arm tightens even though he is not longer struggling. He whimpers in pain at the tightness around his arm and the sound sets Seishu off. A bolt flies from his hand and would have hit the mark if he was at the top of his game. However as it is she manages to dart to the side and throw back a strike of her own. The slam of the compacted air knocks Seishu back several feet but he manages to not fall over. Rue cries out fro him but he ignores the frightened sound. He needs to concentrate. He still has enough energy to hold his own, but there is no way for him to hold her here for long.
So he tries a different tactic. With a smile he nods approvingly. “Very good Lillium, you've been practicing.” She visibly flinches at the sound of her name. “I seem to recall that not a decade ago you were having trouble with keeping your energy concentrated. I suppose that you finally got up the courage to talk to that guy you liked? I haven't seen you in a while so one can only assume things went well. Indeed, you seem much more focused now.”
She growls. “Shut up!” she snaps, her body almost growing weak just from him addressing her so intimately. It is true, Seishu was very close with all of his minions, often visiting the barracks, and most minions were more than happy to talk to him about their problems. At the time, she was no exception. However she could not find it in her to stay by his side. Too much of what Gin says makes so much sense, and she believes more than anything that he is in the right. However she can not fight her upbringing. Seishu was a father to all of them, and to hear him talk like this. . . .
Seishu sees her hesitating, the conflict inside her turbulent and unpredictable. Behind him he feels Enasi enter the dream and he lets out a faint sigh. Big mistake. The sound seems to trigger something inside her and with a scream she lets out another blast. This one is far bigger than the last and he barely has enough time to bring up the rest of his energy to soften the blow. This time he does not just skid backwards, he flies into the air, his arms still crossed in front of him until his body goes limp. Rue screams, tears streaking down his face at the sight of Seishu getting hurt so bad.
=_=_=_=_=
Enasi entered the dream right as Lillium screamed and right as he Seishu was hit. Seeing him fall limp made him freeze for a second. His heart stopped, as did his breathing. What snaps him out of it is Rue's screams of terror and alert when Lillium started to aim another blast at the unconscious body. 'No...' He was still standing there, Rue's pleas to help Seishu not making it to his ears.
"Our new Guardian will be more than pleased." Just as Lillium took the shot, Enasi jumped to the ground, using the disk as a shield. "What is wrong with you!? He is your guardian! Can't you see he cares about his realm!?" Rue sobbed, wanting to go back Lord Enasi, regretting what he did. The little fairy just wanted to go home. He watched as Enasi stood in front of Seishu, his energy coiling down his right arm. "Release him. You're welcome to give in now. I don't want to hurt you." His fist tightened when she held Rue's arm tighter.
The sounds of minions, both his and Seishu's were heard and immediately Enasi spoke, without giving them a second glance. "You two. Nightmares. Help Seishu. Take him far, but not to your realm unless you want him killed." As he spoke, Lillium decided to try and blast him while he was distracted, but as soon as she raised her arm in attack, a rope of positive energy coiled around her arm. Enasi yanked downward, making her fall to a knee. "I can see the conflict in your eyes... Why are you fighting it? Even you, deep down still believe Seishu is fit to be a guardian." He tried talking reason into her, hoping she would come to her senses.
=_=_=_=_=
Upon seeing their fallen guardian the two nightmare minions fly full speed to the ground, landing hard on either side of him. Around them the guard materialize and move forward to form a wall behind their lord. The blond male nods and pulls Seishu in close to him. Both of them are about half Seishu's height so it takes both of them to lift him up. But as soon as they get airborne they take off like bullets, leaving a trail of energy behind them for Enasi to follow later. They stay low to the ground after emerging from the old man's dream and move at breakneck speed towards a row of mountains in the distance. They pass over the rocky crags, their wings working so hard the girl is sure that hers are about to tear off. However their concern over their wounded guardian is enough to keep them going for several miles. At last the find a place high in the mountains the Master Seishu use to go to just to wander around. The grassy shelf on the side of the mountain is rather large, the overhang above casting it in shadow with the current position of the moon.
Panting hard the boy says, “There's *Huff* no one around here. There should be none from either side in the area.” The girl nods in reply and they both lower Seishu carefully don on to the soft damp grass. Neither of them are medics, and healing is not in a nightmare minions nature. All they can do is direct their energy at him in hopes that it will help. Despite their different appearances the two are twins and use to sharing. As they try desperately to aid their guardian in his healing the boy reaches out to his sister and take her hand in his own, their soft sobs joining the gentle swish of the breeze.
Meanwhile. . .
She lets out a wicked laugh, ignoring the pain of having so much positive energy wrapped around her arm. Her armor was specially made, like all Dread Slayer's armor is, to repel positive energy to a degree. However Enasi is for more powerful a source of the energy than it was ever designed to handle. She can feel it almost burning right through the hard black material, but she keeps her eyes on Enasi. Her eyes are filled with such loathing as she watches the fallen guardian carried off out of the corner of her eye. She never takes her focus from the Dream Guardian.
This is not the first time she has felt the burn of Enasi's weapon. The last battle between realms was her first time on the killing fields. She had always heard about how easy and fun the battle is, and afterward how good it feels to be drenched in the blood of your enemies. However before the battle Seishu had made a speech. At that time she was still on the fence about joining Gin's cause. The speech was almost enough o drive her to Gin's side right then and there. Seishu, while inspiring, kept saying things about keeping the balance, and how they were not really enemies. They should kill what they can, but for the most part, just try to survive.
A lot of the combatants had been in the battles before and for the most part ignored Seishu's references to the balance, however Lillium was beyond confused by them. They disturbed her greatly and when the clash came she was unprepared for the chaos. Several of the minions she grew up with were slain before her eyes, and even a nightmare she herself had rescued from a dreadful human. All his words about the dream dwellers not being her enemies rang through her head, and she knew then and there that Seishu was far to weak and pitiful to be a proper Nightmare Guardian.
Her laugh dies down, her lips pulled back in a snarl as she glares up at Enasi with such loathing behind her eyes. “Stop fighting? Are you a fool? Only a truly pitiful being would give up just because the odds are against them. Only a weakling would let their confusion get in the way of their goal.” She manages to pull herself to her feet, the smile on her lips almost demented. Reaching up she grips her trapped arm just above the coiled energy. “Do not underestimate my will!” she screams, and with a loud cracking noise her arm snaps, almost looking like a mini explosion beneath her fingers, and before a breath passes she falls backward into a portal to the nightmare realm, her wicked laughter echoing through the night air. The portal is there only for a few more seconds before it vanishes. At his sides the guards move closer to their lord, asking if he's alright.
