The Forgotten Zodiac

Welk pressed back against the floor, sobbing. He didn't know what to do. It was like he had feared. Something else had gone wrong with Cynyr, something that seemingly had no way to fix. And now Werr had run off too. Why was everything falling apart?

His breathing grew faster and faster until he was hyperventilating, threatening to pass out. Suddenly, he heard a soft growl next to him and turned his head sharply, glancing over his shoulder.

Cynyr had crept out of his room and was now right behind the half-cat, his pupil-less glowing eyes round and open. He gently bumped Welk's shoulder with his snout, blowing a light, tender puff of air over his shoulders. He pressed his muzzle against Welk's cheek and the lion realized that his skin was hard and scaly, yet cool and almost wet. Like the black goo had hardened and formed this new body.

Then he pulled back and moved off down the stairs before Luna could stop him.

Werr didn't get very far. He wasn't a very good runner - like the real Werr - and he had set out at a hard sprint. He barely made it to what he supposed was the town square. He moved over to the golden fountain, sitting down on the ledge as he caught his breath. It was his worst fear, the one he had feared since meeting everyone else. That he thought would never happen, yet had happened twice now. Only with Cynyr, really, but he feared his friends turning on him.

Ah, dear readers, I'd like to mention that this fake truly and honestly believed himself to be Werr Grehi. The poor thing doesn't even realize that it was and is a clone. Which will eventually cause absolute madness when trying to discern the difference between the two using any form of logical tests and whatnot. But, ah...we'll get to that later.

((I'mma be breakin' the third wall! WITH STYLE! xDD

Yeah, just reply to the first paragraph, unless you wanted to add something while the wall is still brokededed. :T))

((-rofl- Nah, I'll post as normal, though that was pretty funny. xD))

Welk was quick to scramble up once Cynyr was gone, taking lion form and racing off to follow him. He didn't know why the shadow that was now his sibling was trying to kill Werr, but he wasn't going to let it happen. He was faster than Cynyr was in his new form, so he quickly caught up with him. "Cynyr! Stop! What're you doing?!"

The living shadow swung powerfully at him, hissing incomprehensibly.

Welk barely managed to dodge out of the way, horrified that his brother would try to attack him. He also noticed that Cynyr was faster than he had originally thought in this form. He was much taller, too, almost taller than Nate. Or at least at eye-level.

What Werr heard as they approached was a sudden shout of "Werr!", then the feeling of a large lion slamming into him and knocking them both back into the fountain, barely missing the thick claws that Cynyr swung at them.

((I wasn't really trying to be funny, but okay. :T))

Werr struggled blindly to get away from his 'attacker', splashing his way back to the edge of the fountain. He only found himself face-to-face with the new Cynyr. He turned away at once, but was stopped as his hand somehow landed in the shadow's clawed grip. Werr yelped and tried desperately to pull away, unable to do much but watch as Ophile jumped on Cynyr from behind, sharp teeth grinding against hard scales.

((What? It was funny how it was all-of-a-sudden voiced like that.))

Cynyr snarled and flailed wildly with his free hand, screeching loudly and trying to get the wolf off of his back.

Welk surfaced and sank his teeth into Werr's collar, pulling on it in effort to get the boy away from the lurking shadow.

Cynyr threw his head back and bellowed, then brought it within inches of Werr's face and spoke. "Heeee isss nooooot rriigghht..." he hissed, his voice low and raspy, like if a snake was given a voice. He jerked forward and closed his teeth into the boy's arm, yanking him back out of the fountain completely and out of Welk's grasp.

Welk cried out and gathered himself on the edge of the fountain, then gave a powerful leap and slammed into the creature, forcing him to let go of Werr. He then darted back and shouted "Hey, wolf! Get back!" Once Ophile was clear, Welk incased Cynyr in a torrent of fire, tears streaking down his cheeks at the screams that followed.

Werr, who had fallen back into the fountain once more, was safe from the heat of the inferno. He splashed back up to the surface for a second time, looking down at his arm. The claws had cut deep grooves on his wrist, and the bite marks were deep. Both wounds were black around the edges, burning and aching all at once; somehow already infected. He cradled the arm, watching as the thing that once was Cynyr burned.

Finally, Welk stopped the attack, pulling back and panting hard. Cynyr wailed and lunged away from them, pausing a short distance away to stare back in horror. His expression said it all; why? Why are you hurting me? What did I do? I was just trying to protect you! He threw his head back and screamed as if his very soul had been ripped out, then suddenly turned and raced away. He didn't stop anywhere or for anything, shoving past the Amnairians scattered here and there. He ran right to the gate and fled out, leaving the entire world and all in it.

And he was gone.

Werr watched him go, rubbing his arm as he stared after the thing that once was Cynyr. "What was that thing, if you don't mind me asking?" Ophile questioned, sniffing a bit.

"I think...I think it was Cynyr...what did he mean by that? I'm not right?" Werr shook his head, plain confused at this point.

Welk crumpled into a little heap where he was standing, his lion form melting away into his human shape, sobbing. He just wished he could scoop all of his friends up into his grasp and take them away, where nothing could ever hurt them again. Or that he could just fade away into nothing and die. Then he would never have to feel such heartbreak again. Ever. It was a tempting thought to his young mind, and for a moment, he found his claws hovering over his throat. "Just one slash," he thought blearily through his hazy vision. "A-and I wouldn't have to deal with this ever again." Slowly, his logical thoughts overcame his suicidal ones and he moved his claws away, his whole body trembling from the knowledge that he had briefly thought to kill himself.

It didn't take long for Luna to fly in, followed by Seria. Luna was quick to fly down to Werr and burn away the black substance from his wounds, while Seria did her best to comfort Welk. "Where's Cynyr?" she asked, frowning around them. "You'd think he would be here at the first sign of an attack. He usually always sticks close to you both."

She obviously had no idea of what had happened to her boyfriend.

Werr stumbled over to Seria once the black was removed from his wounds. They were still wounds, after all, Luna couldn't fix that. "Cynyr...that was Cynyr. But...something's happened. He's a strange lizard thing now, I dunno if I can explain it...but..." He swallowed hard, taking Seria's hand and touching it to his wounded arm, knowing that she would be able to heal him with just that. "I dunno. He attacked me...he seemed to want to...kill me, or something." He shook his head. "He said something..."

"'He's not right'," Ophile snorted. "He spoke about Werr. Which makes no sense to me, as Werr Grehi seems to be himself. In the right state of mind, at that, even after what just happened. Welk, on the other hand..."

Seria's eyes widened. She healed Werr's wound without having to think, shocked into stillness. Tears started dripping down her face, running lightly over the marks on her cheeks. She shook her head and moved her hands down to brush Welk's hair aside, asking "Welk? Welk, are you okay?"

He shook his head no, sobbing dryly.

Seria scooped him into her arms, holding him close. "It's okay..." she murmured, but he cut her off. "H-how?" he asked, stammering over the word. "How is it o-okay? It's NOT okay! It's NEVER okay! It's always messed up and we'll never be okay!" He screamed the last part, on the verge of an utter breakdown, which was rare for him. He was usually so happy and up-beat, but now...

Werr stepped in, pulling Welk away from Seria. "Shh," He murmured, hugging him tightly. "It's definitely not okay. But we're going to make it okay. We'll get him back." He looked up at Seria, a serious look in his eyes. "Go let the others know what happened. And let them know that we're leaving tonight."

"I shall inform their majesties at once," Ophile said at once, turning and running back to the castle.

Seria wiped the tears from her eyes, then stood up and ran off to do as he asked.

Welk sobbed, somehow managing to get out words. "It...it...it's n-not about...j-just C-Cynyr...it's ALL of u-us... We're a-always in t-trouble, w-we're always h-hurt, and w-we never g-get to be h-happy! I c-can't take it anymore! I just want to go home!" He quivered and pressed closer to Werr, shuddering. "We're always d-doomed..." he moaned, putting a hand over his face.

"I know." Werr said quietly, hugging Welk all the tighter. "Soon. We'll seal Obelisk away and get back to our normal lives. Together. We'll live with Belinda, all three of us. Nate will go back to his job, Seria can stay with Belinda too...she can be the town healer, or something...just...we have to get rid of Obelisk for us to do all this...we have to. One more fight."

Welk shook his head, saying "No. I give up. I d-don't want to f-fight anymore! Werr..." He hiccupped softly, then said "I...I wanted...I t-thought about...k-killing myself..." He shivered, then said "I just t-thought...if I d-died...it w-would be better. Because I wouldn't h-have to deal with all of t-this pain. All of these b-bad things that h-happen to us." He sniffled, whispering "I've never wanted to die before... It s-scares me..."

Werr started crying at this. All of the sudden, though, he seemed angry. "No!" He pulled away from Welk and stood, looking down at Welk with what was just short of a glare. He clenched his hands into fists, shaking his head. He forced himself to calm down, then said with a quiet voice, "I've thought about killing myself too. So many times now, I can't even count...but you know what keeps me from running a blade through my throat and being done with it? The promise we made. The promise that we would never, ever leave one another behind. I...you...did that promise...mean nothing to you?" He shook his head a final time, then turned on heel and ran yet again.

This time he ran into the castle, struggling to hold down his pathetic weeping.

Welk's mouth opened, as if to say something, but then he just whimpered hoarsely and held his head in his hands, screaming "BUT I'M AFRAID OF LOSING YOU!" He screamed inchoherently, his voice growing quieter and quieter until unconsciousness claimed him so completely that neither Luna nor Seria's powers could rouse his mind again.

He just let go and gave himself completely to the sweet, sweet nothing.

*

Cynyr panted heavily, his wounds from the fire attack hurting. He lumbered towards Storaph Palace, swaying back and forth unsteadily on his feet. The stress from transforming into this hulking beast had been hard enough, but now, with these wounds, it just seemed even harder.

Humming. It seemed to echo around Cynyr all of the sudden, faint at first but quickly growing louder. Then, from behind Cynyr, "Oh, what have we here?" But when Cynyr turned, there was nothing. An arm reached around Cynyr, brushing ever so lightly over the burn wounds. "You're hurt! That's no good, no good at all."

It was Cern, though he wasn't moving using his dark spider legs. "Come with me, I can get you fixed up." He smiled, though it was obviously laced with his usual insanity.

((Don't forget that he's an older guy. :T))

((I'm aware of this.))

Cynyr growled and hissed at him, though he could barely talk with his new mouth. He had been lucky to get out the words he had wanted back with the others. He shrugged the Tartaran off and stalked off down the halls, his hulking form casting not a single shadow. Being a living shadow, he didn't really need one of his own. He passed a mirror-like surface as he headed towards the throne room, pausing to look at himself.

He could barely see anything even remotely similar to his old body in the image.

He slammed his hand against the wall and broke the mirror, then stalked to the throne room and lumbered in.

Cern slid after him, smiling away. Obelisk was waiting in his usual spot. Werr was laying on the floor nearby, a chain around his neck held taut as he struggled to stay as far away from Obelisk as possible. He looked much like an abused pet or something; his lip looked like it had been bleeding at once point, and his right arm was wrapped in old-looking bandages. He lifted his head to look as Cynyr and Cern arrived, but he merely dropped his head again.

"Ah...welcome." Obelisk greeted, almost happily. "Wonderful to see you." He was careful not to say Cynyr's name, knowing that Werr's mind was still very much intact. He had tried breaking the human again - but nothing had really worked. With Werr still functioning, more or less, saying Cynyr's name would give everything away.