1409/Haunted Eggs

Haunted Eggs
Date of Scene:	22 April 2016
Location:	Pikarigaoka - Clover Tower
Synopsis:	Utau's dreams are increasingly haunted by the memories of the many Guardian Characters she helped to destroy, and this time she is visited by a mysterious dream walker who tries to help her overcome her nightmares and guilt over what she has done..
Cast of Characters:	Utau Hoshina, Seishi Tamashige

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Utau Hoshina has posed:
    After a long day of work, doing a rehearsal at the Clover Tower, Utau had grown exhausted, and fallen asleep in the practice room. But sleep wasn't something that came easily, or was the least bit welcoming to the young idol singer.

    As she falls into the realm of dreams, darkness overcomes her, and rather than find herself in a relaxing place, she instead finds herself in a dark, cold and creepy place that resembles a graveyard - except that its high above the clouds, in a field full of floating tombstones that rise from thick cottony billows of clouding. The sky above is cast in shades of violet, deep red and dark blue - shades of twilight that warn of the rapidly approaching night.

    Heavy dark clouds hang overhead, partially covering a creepy dark moon that hangs eerily in the sky.

    As if this wasn't bad enough, the sounds of tired angry voices call out her name 'Utau...Utau...Why..Why!?' This is starting to look less and less like a relaxing dream, and more like a nightmare!

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
Across this ominous landscape moves an incongruous figure - a rider in red, dressed something like a samurai, on a dark-colored horse.

By this point it's not the first time that Seishi has found herself riding over clouds, but it has yet to stop being a little unnerving - especially when there are tombstones floating amidst the clouds, and a ghostly chorus of accusing voices. Drawing herself up tensely in the saddle, she pulls her horse to a halt between the scattered gravestones, and for a brief moment her hand rests on the war fan tucked into her belt as she looks around.

It wouldn't take much to make this dream into fertile ground for the enemy... which means that the Breaker of Nightmares has work to do, maybe. But where's the dreamer?

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Utau is here of course, standing amidst the floating tombstones, staring at the inscription of each in turn. But they are no ordinary tombstones. One each is engraved the picture of one egg or another, many with inscriptions about the eggs, how they were the guardian spirits of a child's broken dreams.

    This one represented the dreams of music and dance; Another three were the dreams of young football stars; Yet more belonged to a group of kindergarteners; A would-be cook, an artist, a fashion designer. The list goes on and on. And as she reads each tombstone, the spirit rises from the grave, taking the form of a little fairy, although their image marred by a big white 'X' on their foreheads. Their faces are twisted into looks of rage and anger..

    And as Utau rises from the most recent tombstone, they suddenly turn and rush at her, hurling magical bolts at her as they yell her name. "You killed us! You destroyed our dreams! We never got to be born....Now, we reside forever in your nightmares!!"

    She gasps and ducks for cover behind a crumbling tombstone, before it is quickly blasted to dust. When the dust clears, Lunatic Pandora stands in Utau's place, trident in hand, awaiting another onslaught from the angry guardian characters.

    When the samurai girl arrives into view, she narrows her eyes, pointing her trident towards her. Great, another threat, but she doesn't recall seeing this particular one in previous dreams. "Who are you!?" she demands.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
So much about traversing the dreams of others is complicated, but very occasionally, it makes things simple. If she were awake, there would be questions to ask that there's no time for - but this is a dream.

Without a thought, the dark horse surges forward as the tombstone that Utau took cover behind shatters, plunging between the girl and the angry fairies that pursue her. The big animal and its rider may not by themselves be enough to keep them separated, but at least for the moment, it's an effective temporary barricade.

And that buys Seishi enough time to look towards Lunatic Pandora when she demands her name. "Akashimaru," she answers, and lifts the hand that isn't holding the reins to show it palm out in a no-threat gesture. "I'm here to help, if I can."

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Utau glances at the girl's hand and frowns, shaking her head. "Forget it. I work alone. It's easier that way.." She doesn't even bother to shake it. "Last time I trusted someone, they let me down. So why should I trust you? Besides, this is my battle!"

    She rushes past the girl, swinging her trident at the swarm of angry fairies, "Be silent! Go back to where you came from! I cant bring you back!" She's so full of anger, but there's also a hint of sadness in her eyes.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
"Stop!"

Hooves thud a dull stacatto against the clouds; letting her hand drop, Seishi wheels the horse around when Utau rushes past her. She's not quick enough to block the swing of the trident, but in the next moment she and her mount are shouldering in front of the weapon again, continuing to interfere.

"You don't have to trust me - I probably wouldn't trust me either, in this situation - but this fight..." She looks from Utau to the flock of angry little spirits, the manifestation, she imagines, of a guilt and regret she knows she doesn't understand the reasons for. Her forehead creases, brows drawing together in worry. "Will it solve anything?"

She's asking the fairies as much as she's asking the girl. They are, after all, creations of the same mind.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    She pauses, just before she can slice through the angry fairies, glancing at Seishi doubtfully, "These angry spirits wont' stop attacking, not until they have exacted their revenge on me. If I just lay back and let them fight me, then they will destroy me. I dont have a choice!"

    She narrows her eyes as she peers a little further, beyond the sea of fairy graves; Further up ahead, there are lighter skies, and unborn eggs float in the sky. "I must destroy those two, or else..."

    Utau pauses, staring blankly, confused. Why must she destroy them? What happens if she doesnt?

    Then suddenly he appears, a vision of her brother Ikuto in the sky, just beyond her reach, playing his dark violin, his face contorted in pain as tendrils of strange dark magic wrap around his body, seeming to control his arms and legs as if he were a marionette puppet.

    "Ikuto!" she yells. "If I dont keep destroying them, I cant free him, dont you see?" But if she continues to kill the fairies, then she will always be haunted by their avenging ghosts.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
"But even if you fight," Seishi reponds earnestly, "you won't be able to kill your regrets. They'll keep following you, unless something changes--"

Before she can say more, the vision of Ikuto in torment appears overhead, and anything else she might have said dies in her throat and settles into her stomach like a stone as Seishi begins to understand a little more about where this nightmare's roots lie. It's nothing that she can possibly fix with words, no matter how well-meaning.

"...for the sake of someone precious to you..." For just a second or two as she murmurs the words, the image of the samurai girl flickers into someone else. A young man in the same archaic red clothing, but ripped and covered in blood, his eyes haunted. There for just a moment, and then gone, and the rider is the girl again and her eyes are serious. "Free him from who?" she asks. "Who's making you do all this?"

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Utau grits her teeth. "Ikuto..My brother.." She murmurs, "But I cant save him, if I give in to my regrets...It's either him, or them.." She has stopped attacking the fairies for now, but they continue to hover nearby, murmuring her name, followed by words of vengeance and hate, all directed towards her.

    Her gaze remains fixed upon Ikuto, pain wracking at her heart as the invisible forces in the waking world are manifested physically in the dream world in a way she's never been able to see them before but can only imagine what he's going for.

    And then for a moment, the samurai girl changes form, and she nearly jumps, eyeing her suspiciously. "Who...Or what are you!? Who was that man ust now? Are you a ghost too, come to haunt me?" she backs away, pointing her trident towards Seishi now.

    "Answer me! I wont answer any of your questions until you do!"

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
Her breath hisses between her teeth, and only the trident pointed right at her keeps Seishi from bringing her hand to her own face in sudden frustration. Dammit.

"I'm not here to haunt you," she says, doing her best to keep her voice even. Eyes on that trident, careful not to make any sudden moves, she brings her leg over the horse's back and slides down the side of the saddle to the ground - putting them on even footing, or so Seishi hopes. "That was... a memory of a past life. That's all. More importantly--"

Her dark violet eyes slide past the trident's points to meet Utau's and hold them. "I know you don't have any reason to trust me," she says quietly, "but I know what it's like to lose family."

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Utau's eyes widen for a second. "Family? You mean that man..." Obviously a ghost from her past, of some sort. A member of her family, or perhaps a loved one?" She nods, seeming to understand that pain, and lowers her trident.

    "And you really think you can help me? How, exactly? My story..It's not an easy one. But then, I suppose it is not as bad as some.." She remembers her discussion with Norie. At least her very life isn't in danger. Not yet, at least. "Yes, this problem has been haunting me for a while now, and recently, things only got worse.."

    But the, Utau should really start from the beginning, "It's...Easter! They're holding us both captive..Unless I destroy more heart's eggs, they may well just kill him. I sought to break free, but..."

    Ghostly images flash past, of her failed battle against Takashi and Norie, of how she fled..The disappointment and anger in Sku Jack's eyes. Tuxedo Kamen and Kunzite are also there, on the side of good. "He..Promised to help me, but, I was afraid of the consequences. Uncertain if I had chosen the right path. And so, I fled and now, I've let them down too. I cant go back, there's no way. I'm sure they hate me now, think I'm a coward. That I betrayed them. But, can I really continue to hunt eggs, even if it means being haunted like this, forever?"

    She waves a hand at the ghostly fairies. "Either way..I lose.."

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
"Don't give up so easily!" The words leave Seishi's mouth before she has a chance to think about them, a spark of indignation lighting her eyes. In the next instant dismay flashes over her face as she catches herself, and she shakes her head a little. "...sorry. I don't know about your situation, so I shouldn't try to tell you what to do. But, listen - even if you messed up, that doesn't mean you can't come back from it. As long as you feel like this," her gaze leaves Utau for half a heartbeat, sweeping over the gravestones that dot the cloudscape, "I'm certain it's not too late to find another way."

Then her attention returns to Utau, meeting the other girl's eyes directly and earnestly once more. "Even if those people were disappointed, that doesn't have to mean they've given up on helping you, does it? If you talk to them, they might understand. It might not be easy, but for your brother's sake, I think you should at least try."

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    She shakes her head, "Of course I wouldn't give up so easily! I never give up! But..Since the moment they captured us both, I never gave up on my brother! But.." She sighs, "Perhaps it's time I gave up on these so-called heroes, who claimed to be able to help me. I doubt that they would forgive me after I let them down in a difficult situation, and..."

    Well, there is more of course, but she is hesitant to let that memory come out. But of course, it comes out anyway, and her face reddens, turning away. it's an image of Sky Jack, surrounded by hundreds of girls, kissing them and flirting with them all, paying them all attention, which of course leaves her particularly mad, turning away so she doesn't have to watch.

    "So you see, trusting in that one, one of the few that actually tried to help me, and made me believe in him..It's a little hard, with my feelings.." The last bit is added softly, "Knowing he's probably already given up on me. Knowing that if I continue to try to be loyal to him and be 'good', I'll end up with a broken heart either way."

    And then there are two fairies, an angel and a devil, one popping up on either side of her shoulder, tugging her in opposite directions. "You cant trust anyone! They'll all hurt you! You must find the Embryo!" claims Iru, the devilish fairy. Eru meanwhile, tries to pull her in the opposite direction, "No! You must be good! Believe in him! He'll forgive you, and he will help you!"

    Utau shakes her head, "Enough! Let me go! Leave me in peace!" And the ghostly fairies continue to circle and haunt her, murmuring her name, calling her a 'murderer' and a 'villain'.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
"That isn't what I meant," Seishi protests, but between the squabbling of the shoulder angel and shoulder devil and the taunting chorus of fairy ghosts it's hard to tell if there's anything she can say that could even reach Utau at all. The samurai girl watches helplessly for a few moments before, at last, she comes to a decision - maybe it'll hurt more than it helps in the long run, but she can't just watch this any more.

Her fingers find the end of the metal fan tucked into her belt; she draws it out, and with a flick of her wrist, snaps it open.

"San-kyo-sen." With these words, Seishi sweeps the fan through the air, focused on the circle of vengeful ghostlings, summoning a wind to blow the nightmare away while leaving Utau herself untouched. A temporary measure at best, and not nearly strong enough to dispel the dream entirely - but maybe she can buy this girl a bit of respite from the echo chamber of remorse that she's caught in.

And then she draws in a breath. "It sounds like you've got it rough," she says, soft with understated sympathy. "There may not be any good answers. But people like that guy in the mask? Wouldn't turn their backs on you just because you let them down once. I know that for a fact."

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Utau blinks, glancing around as the ghosts are briefly blown away. But its a respite at least, and she has a chance to think clearly for a while. "Thanks, I needed that." She murmurs. But she knows they will come back again next time like they always do.

    Listenning to the samurai's words, Utau's not sure if she can really trust that particular hero, but glancing at Tuxedo Mask and Kunzite, she wonders if she'd be able to approach one of them. The idea is really quite ludicrous and she's really tired of being forced to ask people for help, but..

    "You may be right, if they are true to their word.." but a part of her still doubts, and is already considering paying Riventon a visit. Afterall, he did help out Norie, didn't he?

    "Then, I'll just have to figure out who can be trusted and who cant." A momentary peace settles in the atmosphere, and a bit of sunlight returns to the dusky skies.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
"...it goes both ways, you know," Seishi notes quietly, as she slips the tessen back into her belt. "It's up to you to decide what you can forgive and what you can't, but..."

She trails off, hesitates, and finally shakes her head. "No, never mind. Sorry. Just think about it, that's all that I'm saying. If it's your brother's life at stake, you can't afford to assume that somebody won't help without even asking them, can you?"

Reaching back, she gathers up the reins of her horse again and offers Utau a lopsided, faintly apologetic smile. "Sorry about barging in with all this unwanted advice. It's not much, but I'll try to make sure you can at least get a good night's sleep." And she'll be keeping an eye out for the faces she's seen in this dream - just in case.

Utau Hoshina has posed:
    Utau bites her lip as she considers the samurai's advice. How much can she forgive and how much can others forgive her? Well, right now, only Norie's words seem to make any sense to her, but it wouldn't hurt to at least talk to Tuxedo Mask. And possibly that other guy. They seemed decent enough. The important thing is to find a way to save her brother afterall.

    "Hmm, I suppose that's important. And you're right, saving Ikuto, no matter what, is the most important thing that I have to work towards.."

    She smirks, "I have no idea how you got in my dream but..Thanks for the advice. It's not like I have a lot of people to talk to, afterall.." Her dream is already rapidly fading and the last thing she sees before waking up is the image of her brother, being pulled like a marionette on strings, a look of pain in his eyes. Yes, she will have to focus on saving him, no matter what..