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The Nightmare

The cold nights were something normal in that time of the year and around that zone specially. Some legends said that the first Patriarch decided to place the Sanctuary there because the weather was extreme from one point to another. It was enough cold to have some Saints under their cover and too hot in the days to make the training even harder than a normal one. But for a Saint like Ikki that weather was nothing, he and Hyoga were the two from the famous five Bronze Saints that could bear the cold without problems; Hyoga was used to it and Ikki had a hot cosmos... and was such rough person.

Anyway, such rough and hard Saint was now under the covers of his 'bed', wasn't more than some carpets, blankets and pillows over the floor. Maybe was the same weather than every night he passed in that temple before, but something in the air was cold enough to woke him up. He had his eyes closed and holding the cover over his body to protect it for such weird feeling. Ikki began to shake a bit and decided to use his cosmos to fix it, and abruptly he felt pressure over himself.

Opening the eyes and moving a bit was enough to remove that pressure. Nothing was there. Ikki saw around the room just to find, as it should, was alone. Again, decided to close his eyes and wrap himself into the blanket before trying to sleep.

Some minutes passed, he was still feeling cold and if he had his eyes opened, and Ikki could see his own breath. The hot cosmos was there but wasn't working as it should. But what woke up Ikki was something else in the ambience. He felt he couldn't breathe and a terrible pain in his chest made him stand up quickly. His respiration was quickly and constant when he felt again the air going inside his ostriches and full his lungs. Again, the darkness was there but Ikki could feel that around him was something... or someone.

He stand there, without saying a word and trying to find what was it. Nothing. Just silence. But he didn't need to heard, he already knew something was there. He didn't move, Ikki tried to recognize the sound of his breathe and other noises that were normal in the Virgo's Temple. Nothing changed. Nothing new. But the feeling was still there.

With that feeling around, Ikki decided to lay down and try to sleep, but in the moment he closed his eyes felt a terrible chill at his back. Something was there and Ikki couldn't know what it was. He wasn't afraid, but was feeling anxious. The Phoenix Saint began to breathe slowly to calm down and maybe try to think in something else, but a weird sound began to remove his peace. He opened the eyes once more and tried to recognize the noise. Now something changed. There was something new around.

Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch.

Ikki decided not to move. Anything that thing was, it has claws. And the sound was coming closer to him.

Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch.

The claws were passing thru the floor making that terrible noise. The Phoenix Saint took a deep breath and stand up with his cosmos in a high level, so whatever it was it would killed. But the surprise was higher when he found himself in the dark. There was nothing around, just the light under the door that lead to the hall of Virgo's Temple. Ikki saw around trying to find the noise once more but there wasn't. Still, he felt someone was seeing him from behind. The young man turned slowly, his hands helped to have a solid base and can do it. But was the same than before, nothing or no one was there.

Ikki decided to lie down once more and cover himself. He knew something was different, something was totally out of place and couldn't know what. Thanks to all this, spend some minutes thinking and waiting for the noise, but it didn't appear. Not till he closed his eyes again.

Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch.

Knock, knock, tap.

Now there was another sound, but now he was thinking maybe everything was part of his imagination, maybe he was just tired.

Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch.

Knock, knock, tap.

Was easy to heard the sound of the claws, but this new sound was different. It was something hard hitting slowly the floor. It was something round, not with a point, and was a bit wet because the sound finished always in a sound not that hard.

Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch.

Knock, knock, tap.

Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch.

Knock, knock, tap.

But the sound was driving him crazy. Till it stop. Ikki sighed and opened a bit the eyes. He was lied down over his shoulder and his right side, so he just needed to see down his nose and see the light of the door. Something was there. This time he closed his eyes. A black silhouette was over the floor and it was making the light disappear behind it. Ikki, slowly tried to move, but something was in his back. He felt a terrible pain, a pressure that wasn't from outside but inside, like if his breath or internal pain was trying to escape from his spine. He remember that pain like all the fights he had and hurt him physically inside. Was that. But thanks to this he couldn't move. The Phoenix Saint took a deep breath and opened his eyes widely and felt free again. Now was a bit tense, scared wasn't totally the words, but he didn't feel secure. Something or someone was there in the room. He wanted to see what it was…

He turned fast as he could to face the ceiling and stand up but, once more, he couldn't move. This time wasn't because the pain… was because what his eyes were seeing.

Now, for the first time in so many years, Ikki was astonished and the word scared could fit well in what he felt.

A terrible disfigured face was exactly in front of him. Ikki could smell the putrefaction from the skin and could see the white colour of it, with a combination of pink and red scratches full of blood as if some kind of animal with claws destroyed the face of whatever it was. It was a dream, for sure. It needed to be. But Ikki was so impressed. He could see the black holes where the eyes supposed to be, the pieces of skin here and there that were more like a hurricane over the bones. The mouth was open, or that's what he thought seeing the yellow teeth, just to discover that the jaw wasn't there. The blood was dripping from there and the eye holes, but that creature was still moving the face, making expressions and moving the head side to side. Ikki could see the bones from the neck and the shoulders, his eyes saw down his nose to see it was a woman even if one of the breast was cut in the middle to show the fat and the meat. The Phoenix Saint didn't move but turned a bit to his side and could see the hands that were close to his arm. She didn't have nails but long claws with blood on them.

Agh… agh…

Ikki turned to see that face again. For sure it was a dream, a terrible nightmare. Wasn't he used to have nightmare all the time? Well, then why now was being so terrible?

Agh… arghh… ARGH!

The sounds that thing was making were terrible groans. Ikki could see the muscles of the neck and some of the mouth, but he shake and felt a terrible cold when felt the face coming close to his own face.

Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch.

His eyes turned a bit to see the claws moving slowly to his arm. The young man felt the cold bloody hands over his arms and the smell of the putrefaction so close to his nose that remembered very well how smelled the Death Queen Island.

Agh… agh…

He could heard it close to his ear. He felt the claws touching his skin and closed the eyes thinking that maybe he could wake up like this. But as he felt one of the claws going inside his skin, he needed to open his eyes. The pain wasn't supposed to be in a dream. But the claws was even bleeding his skin. Something was terribly wrong… but was even worse when the monster or whatever it was kept in silence and then…

"Ikki. "

The Phoenix Saint stand up with a gasp. He woke up in that instant of pain and hearing his name. But he wasn't scared or impressed because that nightmare knew his name. He had in mind that for sure the pain was because the stress around him, he was feeling stressed because was worried of his brother Shun that was still in Japan and about Shaka going to a mission without cosmos. Maybe that was the reason of the pain… but hearing his name from that monster with that sweet familiar voice. Esmeralda's voice.

He saw around, again in darkness. Alone. Without that terrible thing in front of him. Ikki took a deep breath and sat down to put his head down over his hands. Why having a nightmare that night and in that place? He could remember he liked to stay in Virgo's temple because the peace that was around and how he never had nightmares when he was the guest of his good friend Shaka. But now the nightmare was terrible. Or maybe wasn't a nightmare?

Scrtch, scrtch… Scrtch, scrtch…

Ikki moved his head up. The black silhouette was over the floor once again.

"What the fuck are you?!" Ikki yelled to then try to calm down. "What I'm doing? It is a dream… it is just a…"

He felt his blood being cold. Literally.

He touched his arm and found the blood on it. With the few light and his eyes recognising the dark space around, he could see the shiny red colour of his own blood over his hand.

Scrtch, scrtch…

Knock, knock, tap…

Ikki now was seeing that monster in front of him. The body was naked, but cut in half. One of the bones of the hips was hitting the floor and the blood was still dropping making a pool of red water around that was being hitting later by the naked bone.

He moved slowly, removed the blanket around him and felt a terrible cold breeze around. He never removed the eyes from that thing, it was now in front of the door scratching the door. It was a terrible noise, with a disgusting smell and Ikki was already feeling dizzy. But the worse wasn't finished yet.

"Ikki?" he heard a soft sweet voice. "Ikki?"

The Phoenix Saint turned slowly his head, first keep his sight in the monster, then to the darkness at his right. There wasn't darkness anymore because his eyes were now used to this and could see perfectly.

"No…"

The flowered dress was full of blood. She looked scared seeing the monster and then turning to see Ikki. She wasn't crying but her eyes were shinning.

"Ikki… help me." Esmeralda held her own hands and her eyes were following the monster. "Help me, please. I know how to stop them but…"

"No… this isn't real."

"Ikki, listen me, this is real. Ikki, please just…"

"Shut up!" Ikki stand up and move backwards. Thanks to this the monster stopped and turned to see him. "I don't know what are you, but leave me alone!"

"Ikki." She began to cried and shaking. "I'm Esmeralda, Ikki. Believe me."

"She is dead…" Ikki turned to see the monster. "Like that thing… and all this is a nightmare."

Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch.

Knock, knock, tap.

The monster or whatever it was began to move in his direction. Ikki just stand there seeing it, impressed of the sounds, the smell and the disgusting seeing. But he could heard the sobs of Esmeralda or whatever it was. She was crying and asking him to don't make any sound, but he didn't mind at all.

"Oh, please! Who is making this?!" he was angry totally.

Someone was playing with his mind and playing with the love of his life. Esmeralda stand up slowly and give some steps forwards.

"Ikki, this things can't catch you. All of this is real, and they can hurt you." She said with tears dropping to his bloody dress. "Just come here, you help me to get out and I help you to escape. Please…"

The Phoenix Saint moved his head to say no. He didn't want to suffer again, and his eyes were seeing the terrible monster that was leaving blood everywhere it passed. No, she wasn't Esmeralda and that terrible creature wasn't real.

"I'm tired… that's all." Ikki said for himself.

"No! Please, listen me!"

Esmeralda gasp when she saw the monster changing the direction of its head. Now the monster was seeing her. The yell of terror made Ikki felt a chill over his spine. Esmeralda moved backwards but felt down when the monster began to move at her direction.

"No… Ikki! Please! Help me!"

Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch.

Knock, knock, tap.

Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch.

Knock, knock, tap.

Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch.

Knock, knock, tap.

The monster was faster now, making those groans a terrible background sound. Esmeralda crying and asking for help and Ikki just there in silence seeing the floor.

"I'm tired…" he said once more. "This is a nightmare."

"It is not! Ikki!" Esmeralda yell once more when the claws of the monster held her feet. "Please! Ikki!" her cries of pain began to be terrible in Ikki's ears. "At least…" she was trying to calm down. "At least don't let them catch you…"

"Shut up." Ikki said with a serious and tired face.

But for a minute he felt terrible. He turned to see her face. Again, Esmeralda's face with pain and scared. She was just a child, she was a kid when she died. And now that Ikki was a young adult he could see the difference and how the time passed; his last memory of her was a child.

Esmeralda tried to move but already both claws where over her legs. Both of them penetrate her skin and muscles. That disgusting and hard sound of her yells made Ikki turned and give the back. The nightmare was destroying his nerves. But he needed to turn again hearing his name. The monster was over Esmeralda and suddenly its yellow teeth began to grow.

"Ikki! Help me!" Esmeralda moved but was useless.

A yell of pain, suffer and terror made Ikki gasp and felt a terrible pain in the chest. He shook hearing it and seeing that. The teeth of the monster nail down over her abdomen and open it widely. But she was still alive. She was still moving, trying to escape, crying and yelling. Ikki couldn't anymore and moved fast to the door.

"Ikki! Ikki! Please!" the last yell wasn't that sweet voice but the vocal cords being destroyed after so much yell. "Don't leave me!"

The door closed making a hard noise. Ikki was holding the beautiful decoration that was the handle, but he was shaking and began to cry. He could still hearing the yells of Esmeralda inside the room, and it sounded so real. Why?

"Isn't funny? "

Ikki turned to see what made that voice. It wasn't a human voice, it sounded deep and old but with a weird pitch that made him felt nervous.

"You… loved her so much… and you… killed her… again… "

The Phoenix Saint could hear the yells still, but they stopped. He turned to the door and began to hear the noise of the claws and the naked bone again.

"You… are the… monster… not me… "

He was so tired. He just wanted to wake up, but his head moved to see what it was in front of him now.

Each temple in the Sanctuary had a main hall that connected to other to move thru the rooms and training places. Ikki was in one of those secondary halls and he could see in the other side a human body. But literally was a human body. Without skin. With muscles and blood. Walking in a zig zag way and dragging one of its feet.

"Ikki… you are not a saint… nobody… will… love you " this new monster had the head down but he could see there was something on his face. "You killed her… you… kill yourself… you kill your mother."

"What are you?"

"Who… who are you… that's the question. " The body stopped and began to laugh.

Over his head, the body had a long white hair with some red spots because the blood. And in the moment it stand up and showed his face, Ikki couldn't move once more. He began to hear the scratches over the door and his hand didn't move to let it close, but he was in a shock. The terrible mask of his old master was attached to that body. Red and blue strings were holding it directly from the muscles. Ikki felt that if he could pull the mask, a fountain of blood would get out of that face.

"You… are a monster… I… just tried… to help her. " Guilty pointed him. "You tried… to kill your brother… you tried… to kill… your best friend." The mask began to move slowly to make a smile. "You… are a monster."

"What are you?"

"I'm… your old… master…I'm… your demon. "

The scratched stop from the other side of the door. But the door began to move abruptly. In the other side of the room, the monster wanted to get out.

"I know this is a nightmare."

"No… you are… in Virgo's Temple… " Guilty gave some steps forward. "You… belong… to us."

"To you?" Ikki laughed, but was terrified. "And who the fuck are you?"

"Your… demons… " the mask shook and some blood began to drip when it smiled again. Even the breath and the blink was made by the muscles behind the mask but it was moving as it was the skin. "And… we… will kill… you." The sound that went out of that mouth made Ikki felt dizzy, it was a disgusting groan. "As… we… killed… her. "

Ikki couldn't anymore. He began to cry and shake. He turned to see Guilty, who was moving towards him. He couldn't understand why he was feeling so much terror and why he felt terrible dizzy, but for now he knew it wasn't a nightmare at all.

Ikki began to feel a terrible pain over his body and then all of that made him see the truth. He wasn't sleeping.

The disgusting body was leaving a path of blood and even some pieces of his own flesh while came close to the Phoenix Saint.

"Better... give up. " He could smell the blood and the spoiled flesh. "If you... die... you will... see your... mother... and... to Esmeralda... once more."

The only two women that Ikki wanted to see one more time. He was still remembering his beautiful mother and the so sweet Esmeralda. But the pain over his body was taking all his energy. He could see how the door was opening slightly with each scratch the monster was doing in the other side of the door, but he couldn't give all his energy. Meanwhile his old master was too close to him.

But what made him give a step backwards was when Ikki saw the hand of Guilty trying to catch him. Even if the Esmeralda he saw inside the room was a nightmare and just an illusion, he remembered well she told him not to let them catch him. Maybe wasn't real but he didn't want that.

His body shake because the pain and felt how something was making it feel wet. Ikki turned to see his arms and found all his scars being open. Every single one made in a fight or the training was open now. He felt the blood dropping out of his nose and even close to his eyes. Seconds after this terrible discovery, Ikki turned to see the door and the corpus. The door was open and his old master and the white pale monster were coming close to him.

"Give... up... I will... show you... your escape... from this... pain. "

It wasn't a dream. The only escape was the dead. But Ikki smiled because of this with blood in his lips and teeth.

"Catch me first."

He was Ikki, the Legendary Phoenix Saint. He wouldn't give up so easily. He just run fast enough to be in the other side of the hall and turn to see them. Those monsters were slow indeed.
The first idea was to use his cosmos and attack them but that wasn't an option when he realized he didn't have cosmos. He was feeling so weird, for the first time after so long Ikki was just a strong human being. Maybe then would be a good idea to go out of the Temple and ask for help to Dohko or Aiolia or any golden Saint who was close.

The Phoenix Saint began his way to the door still bleeding and with pain. At the same moment he have his first twenty steps, the lights began to tilt. He stop some seconds and let a gasp go out when found his clothes full of blood. Ikki kept walking a bit more when the lights were still tilting over and over. But suddenly Ikki felt a terrible pain in the entrance of the stomach and began to move up. The Phoenix Saint stopped and moved down a bit to throw up. He couldn't stop for some seconds and when he could he just cleaned his lips and lay over a wall.

"Fuck!" He hit the wall feeling weak and terrible. "What is happening?"

Nobody would answer him, he was sure of that, but then he wasn't thinking even in hear and answer. His nose found a fetid and acid smell close to him. He turned to see his hand, the one he use to clean the vomit from his mouth, and just found a terrible and viscous black blood. Seeing the floor the same substance was around a Phoenix's feather. He felt again a terrible pain in the stomach, but this time moved a bit to try to throw up. Ikki couldn't but felt a sharp over his throat so he didn't wait a second to place his fingers inside him and find what it was. Indeed he was feeling suffocate and his lungs for sure were receiving a bit of air with blood. But he then felt the sharp passing over his tongue, even cut it a bit, to be out. He felt dizzy and terrible knowing it was another Phoenix's feather. Even if this Bronze Saint was strong in any sense, his body and the same mind were being destroyed. He threw up again the same black viscosity that was his blood. And the lights turned off.

Darkness. Silence. Nothing more.

Ikki stayed there without moving and seeing around. The main hall, in comparison with the other secondary ones, was in a complete darkness he could feel. Literally. The Phoenix Saint moved his hand to find the darkness wasn't more than a dark smoke. It smelled like burned wood and flesh, even burned blood. And it sounded. Yes, the black smoke sounded as hundreds of groans, moans and people in pain. And Ikki could recognize some voices.

"You... killed so... many people. " Again, Guilty's voice was around. "You... burned them... you cut them... and then you..."

"I killed them all." Ikki answered. With a smile.

"Are you... so proud? " Guilty laughed. "I'm... impressed... how do you... expect to... make master Shaka... forgive you?" He heard a deep and hard breath as he could see the shadow of the corpus. "What about... your little... brother?"

"It was my duty." Ikki stand up and began to walk towards the big beautiful main doors. "I'm an Athena' Saint."

As he began to walk, every time he passed in front of the secondary halls, Ikki saw the dead bodies of his enemies. Burned, some crazy ones were hitting his head over the wall and scratching the floor with bleeding fingers without nails, some others hadn't part of their bodies and some others were just dead bodies on the floor. All of them were so young. Again, Ikki was fifteen when he fought them and now he was twenty. But still he was smiling. It was his duty and in that past moment of his life he needed to kill or be killed. And how many lives he saved because this? What about his adorable daughter that now was in Italy because the school? Ikki would never feel guilty because of this.

The darkness was deep and heavy but Ikki could find the door.

"See you, old master." He smiled feeling how those two monsters were close him.

"You can't... leave your mother... and me. "

"That monster isn't my mother." Ikki felt again that sharp in his stomach.

"What if... she is? I had... never... lied to you... Ikki. "

That disgusting bag of fetid and spoiled flesh was right. Master Guilty never lied to Ikki.

"Well..." he held the door's red handle. "I know my mother is dead as you are. Bye."

The door opened and he gave a step ahead. The sudden light made him blink some seconds to then open again his eyes. Even if he didn't want this, it happened.

Darkness. Silence. Nothing more.