The Forgotten Zodiac

"Oh, it's very hard to keep track. But you're quite mistaken; I'm not brainwashing anyone. Who told you that, exactly? Was it Zelana, that blasted guardian of magic? She doesn't take kindly to my kind...no one does, really. They hear you're a witch, and suddenly, everyone wants to kill you." Marriette sighed heavily. "It's rather unfair...I take care of this little town. They come to me with ailments and injuries, and I fix them. They come to me wanting mediations when they have problems with one another, and I help them. I make it so that everything is just so...and you know, I've been feeling very, very generous lately." She suddenly emerged from the kitchen, but only her hand; she snapped once, and a closet near the door opened.

A body was hanging there. One Luen had never seen before. Lifeless and unmoving, cold and...well, soulless.

"That there is Allie Waest's body. It was such a fine body, but I find myself leaning towards older women these days. Much easier to transfer. You can take that body back, if you want. I don't mind, I've no use for it..."

Luen stared at the body in horror, and suddenly he remembered Allie's story. About how the witch had replaced her in her parents' eyes, how she had hurt her so badly and left her handicapped. How she had ruined Allie's old life, when it needn't have been ruined.

That was all it took.

Luen flung his hand forward with a scream, eyes narrowed in fury. Ice exploded into the house, shattering the windows and arching into the sky. And it didn't stop there. The entire village was instantly covered in a dome of solid ice, as thick as steel.

He lunged for the witch, ice claws bared and a cold-hearted rage in his eyes. He had had this rage only once before, when his dear friend Nate had been captured by torturers. He had murdered the guards without hesitation, with a burning anger few had seen. He had been completely tormented later, of course, when he was back in right mind. But that had been after he had killed them.

And he was just as mad now.

Aunt M turned over the pot she had been cooking with, splashing it all over him. It burned his eyes and face, and did something else; Luen felt himself losing touch with his magic. It was a spell potion that negated his magic, and would kill his magic entirely if he soaked in it too long. She cackled at him, and by the time he managed to get enough of it out of his eyes in order to see, she had her hands around his throat, her sweet smile turned to a sad frown. "I don't like this any more than you, boy...you think it's easy, having to jump from body to body...? Knowing what their sweet lives were like, knowing what I had destroyed?" She shook her head unhappily. "But...you're set upon killing me. I can see it in those eyes of yours. So...I'll have to put you down, first."

Luen coughed before he could wail in pain, unable to see through his eyes properly anymore. He grabbed her hands with his, crushing her wrist with his metal hand, which could go to limits his human one couldn't. The pain made her let go, then he threw his leg up and managed to catch her a glancing blow. He stumbled and slipped through the poisonous potion mix, making horrible sounds of pain.

Aunt M stumbled back, holding her wrist and arm close, a sign that it was likely broken thanks to his attacks. By now, the villagers started making the buzz of questions and answers outside as they trickled out of their freezing homes and slipped around on the icy streets. None of them knew what was up, so of course, they'd go straight to Merriette's house.

"What kind of assassin are you, anyways?" She snorted. "I knew you were coming, yes, but I didn't think you'd be so easy to stall..."

"I'm not an assassin at all," he spat. "In fact, I would rather not kill you. But you...you don't deserve to live. Though it is true...that my girlfriend would never have met me if not for what you did...the Goddess would've seen fit to get us together some other way. You ruined her natural life...and I swear I'll end you for it. You stole her parents from her," he growled. "You stole the love that was hers alone. But...I suppose I could thank you first." His voice was as cold as the ice, and it would be clear to any of his friends that he was in full rage-mode. One of the rarest emotions for him ever to display, even towards enemies. "You gave me someone to bestow all of my love and caring onto," he said simply. "True, I already do a lot of that to Forin and Diana and Luna, but...Allie is a bit different. She needs me. She depends on me to protect her and do things for her and love her. See, Forin doesn't really need me to protect him. Diana has Forin to do most things for her, though she knows I'd do them all too. And Luna doesn't really need me to love her so closely, like Forin or Diana. But Allie...I can do it all. And more."

His metal claw closed delicately, gently, almost tenderly over her neck.

"Yes, I suppose I could thank you," he hissed. "But I won't."

She laughed. She laughed and laughed, in spite of a tear running down her cheek. "You're awful!" She cackled, clearly insane. "Does she know that you're turning down the chance for her to have legs again? Does she know that you refuse to give her that old body back...simply because you want to 'take care' of her? That's terrible, simply terrible of you...go on then, kill me. Seal your girlfriend's fate to an eternity of lameness and worthlessness! It's no wonder her surname is Waest...it's almost as though the fates knew what you'd make her."

Luen froze, his claw still tight over her neck. Thoughts flashed rapidly through his mind, one after another, until he made his choice. "She's worth more than anything to me," he hissed. "She could never be a waste to anyone. She's brilliant and kind and smart, and she's beautiful exactly the way she is. I would rather die than let you tamper with her again, not while she's perfect!"

He ended her then, her neck snapping easily under his claw. He threw her down, praying he had made the right choice. He could never, ever let her near Allie again, even if she had claimed to be able to put her back into her right body. No, he had just gotten such a bad feeling over it.

His eyes and face still burning from the potion, he stumbled towards the door, severely weakened.

((Whelp. Okay then. 936))

Luen could hardly struggle, his anger giving out on him. Tears streaming from his eyes, he drew a shaking breath and finally gasped out his friend's name.

"Forin..."

That was all he needed, really, to set the Tartaran loose. Luen knew Forin would come to him, would kill them all for him, but for some reason, all he could do was cry miserably, unable to even cover his burned face with his faintly scarred fingers.

((o3o))

Forin dropped from the roof of the house, tearing the man out of the window and throwing him bodily across town. They immediately turned on him; he dodged and twisted about, easily avoiding harm. He ripped through one after another, his back to the doorway where Luen was. The villagers were few in number, but when they saw how powerful Forin was, they got more than their pitchforks out. A few of them got swords. All Forin had were his hands; He blocked one or two swipes by knocking them away, but a villager came from behind and literally ran Forin through.

The Tartaran seemed to choke for a moment, then the crystalline skin of his started spreading. Absorbing the weapon. Two, three, four swords were stuck in him, and one by one, he sucked them into himself. By the time they had no more swords, he had bladed fingers, horns, and little spikes running down his spine. He roared at them, tearing through them one by one until no one dared step forward.

But Forin couldn't stop. Women, children, it didn't matter. He could sense it; they had hatred in their hearts, so they must be slayed. It didn't matter if they hated him or Luen. There was one little girl, however, who stood numbly in the middle of the street. Forin rounded on her, his glowing red eyes burning with rage. She sat down roughly, then looked down, accepting her fate.

Forin left her alone. She immediately stood and ran after him, crying out something. "Stop it, stop it! Don't fight back, don't be angry, just let it go for now, he'll leave you alone!" She wailed and wailed, but there were few who listened to her. It was mostly children, and an older couple. Forin looked over the group that had been formed, his fury fading. He turned and walked back to Luen, realizing at once that he had changed. It was strange now; like walking on stilts. Four-legged stilts. He looked monstrous and...well, evil. He thought long and hard, but something told him that if he tried to change back, the swords would wind up in his chest and shoulders and gut again. They would be put back there and they would cut open his heart and lungs and stomach, and he would die in seconds.

Something else told him that he wasn't done. There were more people who hated. That was his mission, right? To destroy those with hate in their hearts...no, no, just here...only people like that here. B-but...oh, nothing made sense anymore...

"Luen..." He said softly, but it came out with an unintended growl. "Sto-stop me...I want to kill mo...more..." He said, and it became obvious that he was trying his hardest not to walk past Luen.

Luen stumbled out of the house, still dripping with the mess of that potion. He could hardly walk straight, his legs shaking and hardly able to hold him up. He tripped once, then merely felt his way towards his friend, hardly able to see. When he found Forin, he clung to him desperately, crying weakly against him. "Done, we're done," he gasped, wrapping his arms tightly about him. "Resu, we're done..."

The return teleportation was light and effortless, but Luen didn't feel it. He slipped away into unconsciousness, his fingers still reflexively clutched around Forin. He wouldn't let go, he must hold on tightly for as long as he could...

Resu had teleported them directly to Kaislun, where Zephyr was waiting. There was screaming from a couple Amnairians who had been cleaning the throne room. Forin was...quite the sight. Titus silenced them as he stood, then tutted a single command at the two of them. "Get Naminai down here." They scurried off immediately.

"Zephyr, look at this," Titus indicated towards Forin. "What do you see?"

Zephyr blinked, staring at Forin, and it was only the way that Luen clung to him that let him know who it was. "Goddess, no..." he breathed, laying Cyprus gently over his back and snaking forward to them. "Please, Titus, there must be something you can do for him," Zephyr exclaimed, turning his crimson eyes onto the king. He didn't have to address him as 'your majesty' anymore, not that he was a king in his own. They were equals.

"I can do nothing." Titus snorted. "Just as I can do nothing for Cyprus there." He started pacing, frowning. "Without Galai here, I lack the ability and magic I could use to help. And I won't force her to return. I asked what you saw here, Zephyr. I see a corrupted monster with no chance of returning to reality. His mind state matches that of a Strider. I fear he may be turning into a Heartless Strider." He rapped Forin's bulky and muscled shoulder, watching as the corrupted Tartaran backed up a pace, only to bump into Zephyr. "Even if I did manage to return him to reality, and return him to his real self...he would only return to this state. If I tried to take Dulce's power and give it to Forin here, Dulce himself will turn into this. That will turn into mass destruction. So if you have any alternatives..." He turned back to his throne, then stopped.

Snider was sitting there, a happy little smile on his face. "Hello there!" He chortled. "You've got a magical anomaly on your hands. Most chaotic. I'm wondering if I could perhaps take him off your hands...I could help him find a place in this world. I could help him find things to lay to ruin. That's what he's meant for, clearly..."

Zephyr snarled and stepped in the way at once. "There's not a thing in the world I could be convinced to take over him," he hissed. "Forin belongs to us, no matter what he looks like. But perhaps..." He eyed Snider closely. "...perhaps we can make a trade, of sorts. A favor for a favor. If you put Cyprus and Forin to normal - that is, safe and whole and healthy, as they once were - I'll do something for you in return."

"Who says I can?" Snider raised his hands up. "I'm just a simple torturer and execution--"

"You think we don't know who you are, Demigod of Chaos?" Titus snorted. "Shut up and listen."

"well, fine...give me that little boy Boko of yours, and of course I'll do it." Snider tutted. Zephyr just roared in his face at that. "FINE." He yelled. "Break something for me!"

"Like what, exactly?!" Titus growled.

"The Temple of Stars!"

Zephyr blinked sharply, staring at him, then gave it serious thought. As far as he knew, the Temple of Stars contained the souls of long-gone Titans. No bodies or anything. If the temple was destroyed, the souls would just float around until they were captured again. Werr and his friends could easily do that.

"It will be done," Zephyr said, narrowing his eyes. "But I will do it upon my own time. You may trust me with this, however. As long as you do a good job with my dear friends. Am I understood?"

Titus glared at Zephyr threateningly, knowing how dangerous it was. If even a fragment of any of those Titan's bodies remained...but they had all been destroyed. Completely. The fairies had seen to that.

"Right, then! It's a deal." Snider grinned. "But if you don't do it, I'll rip everything you've ever loved to shreds. But you knew that already, of course..." He walked forward, setting his hands on Forin's shoulders. "Where's that healer you called? He's sustained injuries like this. If I change him back recklessly, he'll perish in seconds." He moved on to Cyprus instead; that seemed to be a ridiculously easy fix for him; he poked and prodded at the fallen Demigod, ignoring his pained squeaks and whatnot.

Then he started beating Cyprus up. He assured Zephyr and Titus that it was required, that he was just doing what they wanted. It was mostly fist and foot, thankfully; Snider didn't seem to have any knives on him. By the time he finished, Cyprus looked more black and blue than anything, though. "There you go. He can think crystal clear again, I helped him absorb Yemara's powers, and I even helped him with his little communication problem within that group he's with. Anyone who heard him speak before, when his magic was all confused, they'll still be able to understand him. Now, where is that healer?"

Zephyr scooped Cyprus close, bathing him with his tongue. He glanced up as Namanai finally approached, and the dragon blinked. The once spry healer now looked much older than they had last seen her. True, she was old, but always before she had held an air of youth about her. Now, she walked carefully, with a cane by her side, along with young Airlia, who she had taken on as her personal trainee.

She still hadn't lost her fire, however.

"Do not rush me! I've been head healer here for nearly all of my life, and I have earned the right not to be bossed by the likes of you!" she snapped, and Zephyr had to smile ever so slightly at her spunk. She stalked over to Forin, shoving Snider out of the way without hesitation. She began working the weapons out of Forin with her wrinkled hands, hands that had been straight and clear only two years before.