The Forgotten Zodiac

"Oh?" Verolen smiled, then glanced at Sylas. "Did you drag your human friend along? He looks more shell-shocked than usual."

"It wasn't Israel, it was Rush. Isreal was the one who caught me." Sylas snorted.

"Rush? Rush wouldn't do such a thing." Verolen frowned. "He knows you're on the mend still, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, well, tell that to him." Sylas shrugged. "All I know is, Rush dragged me into the air and put me on a cloud, and if not for Israel, I would've fallen to my death."

"Right." The demon prince sighed. "So why'd you come here? Rush definitely isn't here."

"We wanted to talk to Bermuda," Israel said, turning to the nereid. Bermuda straightened, looking a bit worried - was there something else he needed to explain about his manner? - but he considered the source, and relaxed a bit.

"What do you need?" he asked.

"Well...I've been remembering stuff." Sylas scratched the back of his neck.~"Remembering things?" Verolen frowned.

"Yes."

"How is this bad, exactly?"

Sylas blinked. "Verolen...if I'm remembering things, that...that means I forgot. And...and I'm afraid I might forget something important..."

"Ah. Do you remember how we met?" Verolen questioned.

"Yeah. Me and L'arc went through a portal, and you found us." Sylas frowned.

"Okay. Then what kind of things are you forgetting and remembering?"

"I forgot why I was afraid of heights..."

"Hmm...do you know why you're afraid of water?"

"Um...no. But I know I don't like water...I mean, I have to drink it, but lakes and oceans..." Sylas bit his lip.

"I see." Verolen smiled a bit. "Do you...remember why your heart is weak? That happened recently..."

Sylas stared at him for a long moment, then slowly shook his head. "I don't...I don't remember..."

Israel flared his wings nervously. "That must be it then, right? The dark matter, yeah?" he asked. Sylas reason, of course, did nothing to explain why Israel had forgotten, but he didn't really expect it to, anyhow.

Bermuda stood up and frowned slightly at Sylas. "I didn't think it had affected you so badly," he said.

Sylas hesitantly shook his head. "I don't think that's it, Israel...I don't think I remembered before, either..." He looked up at Bermuda, failing to hold back tears. "I...I'm scared. I don't want to forget something important...what if I forget about one of you guys? Or L'arc, or Rush, or someone?"

"Well, do you...do you remember Rachel?" Verolen frowned.

Sylas just stared at him, and after a moment more, tears slipped down his cheeks. "I don't...I don't know who that is. I can't remember..."

"Okay. Calm down, Sylas. Don't panic, your heart might give out again. Israel, try to calm him down before he goes hysteric," Verolen stood. "I think we need to ask someone more knowledgable about this. Rush might know..."

Israel wrapped one wing around Sylas, humming a Galdr quietly under his breath in an effort to calm Sylas. He led the human over to sit down, and Kendra came over to him, smiling gently and offering him her hand to hold.

Sylas did calm down, especially while he was holding Kendra's hand. He still looked sad and worried, but he wasn't in danger of a heart attack anymore.

"It's scary not being able to remember things. I know it is. But we're going to help you, Sylas." Verolen nodded, standing up. "We'll talk to Versha, that Tree Spirit. We'll talk to Rush, the Library, every source of information that we can reach...heck, we'll borrow a horse and ride out to Halberd Hall if we have to. We'll get you some answers, Sylas, you just sit back and relax."

"Right..." Sylas nodded, then snorted a bit at himself. "I feel pathetic..." He muttered.

Verolen tutted and looked towards Bermuda. "Come on then. We'll talk to Versha first."

"Right, coming," Bermuda said, getting to his feet. He offered Sylas a reassuring smile, then followed Verolen closely.

"Where do you think Versha went?" he asked. But after a moment's thought, he said, "Actually, it's more likely that she'll find us than the other way around."

"Yeah. I mean, she is a Tree Spirit. They're supposed to be eons more knowledgable than anyone..." Verolen frowned. "I'm a little concerned. She's a magical entity. If the Library goes haywire again..." He sighed, shaking off such thoughts. Rush had everything under control. "We could just call her. Yo, Versha! Hey, we need to talk to you!" He called at the treetops, frowning.

"I know." Versha appeared behind them with a gust of wind and a flurry of leaves. "Lend voice to your worries, friend. I shall do my best to answer."

"It's about Sylas." Verolen nodded.

"The forgetting one. Yes, he didn't seem to remember me...you would think he'd be more grateful after I fixed his legs so many years ago, no?" She chuckled, only showing amusement.

"Er...yeah. Haha," Verolen was only showing confusion at this. But he shook it off. "We need to know why he keeps forgetting things. He seems to remember enough to go by, but...for some reason, there are parts that he's forgotten. Entire people, just gone. As though they were never there."

"To him, they were never there."

"But they were."

"Not to him." Versha shook her head. "Do these events he's forgotten have anything in common? A color, an emotion, a thought, a word...?"

Verolen paused to think about that one. "I think...in most of them it would be...pain. Or fear. One of the two..."

"So he forgets what makes him afraid. He forgets things that have hurt him in the past. How unusual." The Tree Spirit sat on apparently nothing, as though there were a chair there, but she was just...floating. "Well...some are more obedient than others. Some people go the extra mile when given orders..."

"Are you saying Sylas forgets things on command?" Verolen frowned.

"What I say is for you to interpret, young prince. Or should I call you old? 95 is a wonderful age."

"Yeah, well...way to change the subject. Any ideas, Bermuda?" Verolen sighed.

Bermuda thought for a moment, then said, "Maybe we should ask L'arc about it. You know how L'arc commanded him to forget Dysonius' orders? After Sylas had been hypnotized? I wonder if something L'arc said served to make Sylas forget other things." He mused on this a while longer, then nodded. He looked to Versha. "You wouldn't happen to know where L'arc is, would you?"

"The extra mile," Verolen realized what Versha had been saying. "I guess that makes sense...if thoughts of Dysonius were nothing but pain and fear, and he was told to forget it, he'd go the extra mile and forget everything that made him afraid or hurt. Even stuff that's happened just a couple days ago..." Verolen sighed. "This could be bad."

"Bad is relative." Versha shrugged. "Oh, I do belive he's on his way downstairs. Erwin has stopped by."

"Erwin?" Verolen frowned. "Who's that?"

"The Guardian of Animals. She only emerges during Turning years. Her spirit is ancient and bold, and guards much of the forest's secrets in spite of the chattering beats about. Come, you should meet her. She loves seeing those with strength in them."

Bermuda wondered slightly if he should follow, but decided to stay close to Verolen. He spend a while in thought, trying to figure out what they would have to do to help Sylas, but his attention was drawn back to reality as Erwin came into view.

Stien approached first. The large wolf-like dog flicked his ears and wagged his tail. "I smell a familiar human on you. This is good news. The boy named Sylas survived? Last I saw of him, he was full of Dark Matter and severely wounded."

"He's better now, kind of." Verolen nodded. "He's still on the mend. Don't startle him or anything, okay?"

"I'm not one for stealth. Neither is--" He flinched as there was a crash from behind him. "Erwin. What on earth did you break now?"

"Just a clay pot!" Erwin peered over the side of the platform, where said pot was in pieces on the ground. "Clay is such a weak material."

"Not everything is designed to be strong," Stein tutted.

"But the best things are! Ohh, and look at you," Erwin rested a hand on Verolen's shoulder. "You don't look it, but I sense such power and strength...but an obvious weakness. You care. Oh well," She shrugged and turned her attention to Bermuda. She merely made a face before pushing past them. "I seek the one known as L'arc! Bring him to me this instant so I may speak with him!" She practically ordered.

Verolen just blinked, very confused at this display.

Bermuda frowned slightly, but set off after her to find his "brother". "I believe he is in..." he let his words trail off when Erwin just seemed to ignore him, and bit his tongue to avoid voicing his opinion on that matter. He glanced at Verolen and shrugged slightly, then waited for the demon to catch up.

Verolen shook his head and pulled Bermuda forward, following Erwin. "I think he's in the guest houses, but Versha said he was on his way downstairs."

"Versha is here?" Erwin blinked, looking at Verolen. "Really. Hm. Then my presence has no purpose."

"Why?" Verolen frowned.

"There is nothing I can tell L'arc that she could not."

"But...you'd be more straightforward about it," Verolen pointed out.

"TRUE. I like your thinking." Erwin nodded firmly. "Very well then. Let's wait for L'arc, shall we?"

Soon enough, Versha was proven correct, and the forest prince came into view of the others. He blinked slightly as he saw Erwin, giving a small wave. "Hi, you're Erwin, right? I've heard of you," he greeted.

"Only heard of me? Do you not recall only a few days ago, when you came crying after your little human friend?" Erwin snorted. "Do you not remember, L'arc? Of course you remember. Not many could forget someone such as I." She brushed a bit of dust off of her antler-laurels, smiling proudly. Then she seemed to remember why she was here. "Oh! Yes. Congratulations on your soon-to-be coronation."

"How'd you know about that?" Verolen frowned at her.

"I hear every word spoken within the every expanse of the forest. Beast or only-slightly-better-than-beasts. The Druid council here are currently discussing whether to have your coronation here, or send you to a more secure area. Since they're so far behind the battlefronts, they never had a need for many more defenses than fireproofing. They're underprepared, especially in the case of a full-on invasion." Erwin shrugged. "They aren't the strongest in the woods, so to speak. Their predators could be plentiful, if said things made it back so far."

"Do you have to relate everything to animals?"

"Do you have to think of yourselves as anything but?" She retorted.

"Wait... right, right. I remember now. Sorry for any offense," L'arc said, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. He looked considerably more interested when Erwin mentionted the topic of his coronation, but didn't notice as Bermuda practically flinched.

"Have they come to any conclusions?" the druid prince asked.

"They have. They know for a fact that you need to be coronated. Which is a start, with them." Erwin chuckled. "There's still danger. Even if you were coronated in secret and declare yourself king, some might not believe it. The Ether Tree is gone, the shards scattered. They can't affirm your rightful kingship like this. You've been thought of as dead for awhile now..."

"Yeah... how did that get started? Did everyone just assume I died with my mother?" L'arc asked, rubbing his temple and sighing. "I mean..." he trailed off with a shake of his head, looking over to Bermuda.