This one is pretty dramatic, but pretty good in my opinion. Do not own SC characters.

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Chapter 12: Nightmares

Taki was starting to become worried about Sophitia's willpower against the beast inside of her. She noticed that the iris of her eye was becoming a light golden color although it still maintained it emerald hue. Her eyes also changed their appearance so that the iris looked like chips of malachite, brilliantly shimmering the reflection of the fire before them within her eyes.

Sophitia's thoughts about having her eyes looking this way were neutral. She didn't care by now, at first she was scared, but now it didn't bother her. She actually thought that the golden color forming within her eyes made her look... prettier. The only thing that brought her back to the reality of it all was her dark, elliptical pupils.

She gazed aimlessly at the fire in such a way that people would think that she wanted to burn herself in it. What would be the point of doing that anyway? She wanted to get through this, she wanted to prove to her gods that she was strong, no matter how severe this punishment may seem. The only thing that brought her out of the darkness was Taki.

Sophitia's gaze swept to ninja, who sat adjacent. She noticed that Taki's soft eyes were fixed upon her, but quickly tore away when Sophitia returned her gaze. Sophitia wanted to become closer to this woman, but couldn't; it was too risky. Sophitia hugged her knees to her chest as she looked into the woods through the twitching tips of the flames. She didn't like this emotion that she kept feeling for this woman, she knew it was the fault of the beast inside of her. The physical changes she could handle, but not these twists of emotions that toyed with her heart.

Taki was hiding an emotion from her as well, she knew very well what it was, but was clearly afraid to show it. "Do your eyes still sting?" Taki asked, bringing Sophitia out of her train of thought as she quickly turned to Taki.

"No, not as much, I'm beginning to get used to it." Sophitia replied plainly as she looked back into the fire. The thing that felt strange was that she could feel the expanding and contacting of her pupil as she looked from the darkness if the night sky and the light of the fire. "For some reason my spine and tailbone feels sore." Sophitia admitted as she rubbed her lower back. Taki looked down for a moment, as though she was going to give Sophitia fatal news.

"Your tail is growing in, it might take the night and half of tomorrow for it to come out complete-"

"I'm going to have a tail!?" Sophitia almost yelled as she leaned towards Taki with surprise and disbelief flooding her face.

"You saw it in your dream didn't you?" Taki practically stated as if she was using it for backup.

"Well yes, but I didn't think that it would actually true!" Sophitia leaned even more.

"Well, I'm afraid it is." Taki mentally punched herself; 'You're not helping her by giving her this new information as if it was the dead truth and there's nothing she can do about it!' Taki's conscience yelled at her. "Don't worry, maybe you can curl it beneath your skirt." Taki assured, satisfying her conscience for the time being.

"Oh sure, and what will you tell me to do with my incoming canines when we reach a village? 'Just don't speak'?" Sophitia had her cornered. "What if they call me a demon and try to kill me!?"

"I won't let them." Taki stated in a soft voice. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, I promise." Taki fixed her gaze into Sophitia's as she spoke. Her almond gaze made Sophitia's rapidly increasing rage disintegrate. Taki looked down. "You might as well get some sleep before you feel any other things and speed up the process again." She suggested as she turned back to the fire and slowly lifted her gaze to Sophitia.

Sophitia nodded her head reluctantly as she turned and laid herself down, placing her hands behind her head as she looked up to the stars. She looked over to Taki to see that she hadn't moved. "What're you going to do?"

"Watch over you." Taki spoke plainly but didn't turn her head until she noticed Sophitia's silence. To Taki's bewilderment, Sophitia was smiling back at her, playfully.

"What? Ho-ho-ho Are you afraid that I'm going to walk on all fours to the nearest river and start hunting for fish?" She asked with a laugh within her throat.

"No. I'm just afraid that you'll have another nightmare. You've been having more than I thought you would." Sophitia made a face saying 'oh come on...' as she turned on her side, her back facing Taki.

"Don't worry, I'm getting used to them." Sophitia stated as she shut her eyes.

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Taki knew she was lying; After only maybe half an hour of silence, Sophitia started twitching and mumbling in her sleep. After hearing what sounded like an 'I'm sorry...' escaping Sophitia's lips as she rolled onto her back, Taki felt pity for her and walked over to troubled blonde. She let her fingers caress the side of Sophitia's neck and shoulder bone a few times before she actually cupped it.

Laying herself next to the sleeping figure, she brought her lips close to Sophitia's ear just so that she could whisper, but not wake her. "It's okay... it's okay."

Sophitia slowly relaxed and cooed and rolled her neck slightly at the warmth that this illusion sent down her body as she rolled over and pulled her illusion into her arms. She nuzzled her illusion's cheek in a cat-like fashion with all the love she could muster. The illusion in response kissed her lips gently and briefly. Sophitia was motionless for a moment, before she quickly dived in and captured her illusion's lips and kissed them forcefully.

Taki was taken aback by Sophitia's sudden attack, she only kissed her once and Sophitia's response nearly pinned her down. Taki tried to pull away, knowing what this might cause to Sophitia in her dream, but Sophitia held her so close and so tightly that Taki couldn't escape. That wasn't what was keeping her there though, it was the fact that she wanted this woman's kiss, she wanted so desperately to roll on top of her and kiss her back with the same amount of force but couldn't.

Taki tried to wake the woman by saying her name but her words were muffled buy Sophitia's lips and tongue. Sophitia slowly stopped and rose above her, keeping Taki pinned to the ground, Sophitia's eyes were barely open. 'She's still in a dream state.' Taki pondered.

"Let me ask you something..." Sophitia spoke in a dulled voice although sounded different with a look of icy confidence. He voice sounded deeper, seductive even.

"When I asked you to kiss me at the waterfall, why did you seduce me?" She asked coyly with a playful yet knowing smirk.

Taki, completely taken aback to the question and the look on Sophitia's face she could only think to wake Sophitia while she still had a chance. "Sophitia! Get a hold of yourself!"

With a back-breath she awoke, losing all her strength and falling on top of Taki with a yelp. "You sped up the process again!" Taki scolded. Sophitia looked up at her with rage and disbelief in her vertical slit eyes.

"Me!? I see you were the illusion that started all of this!" She pointed at Taki.

"I was trying to sooth your nightmare!" Sophitia just looked at her, rage fading from her face but still held disbelief.

"Well your soothing didn't help much, did it?" She stated cockily as she rose from her resting spot and leaned upon her knees. "Now, if you don't mind, get out." She gestured her head to the side as a sign for her to move.

'I notice when rage consumes her, it won't stop easily, not even if she's comforted.' Taki deduced in her head as she reluctantly got out from under Sophitia. "You have to try and learn ways to calm yourself..." Taki stated as she walked away. Sophitia turned to her sharply, her eyes wide.

"Calm myself? CALM MYSELF!?!? HOW CAN I CALM MYSELF WHEN I WAKE UP WITH YOU UNDERNEATH ME, HAVING CAT-LIKE EYES, AND KNOWING THAT I HAVE A DAMN TAIL COMING IN!?!? PLEASE TELL ME, I'd love to know!" Sophitia's roaring could be reheard with the echo of the forest as she nearly whispered in a cold voice by the end of her sentence.

Taki even figured what would be the point in trying to stop her? It would probably make things worse. Taki checked around Sophitia's face for any sign of progress. Remarkably, nothing changed. Taki at first figured her ears would begin to point upwards but didn't. "IF YOU-"Taki stopped herself to lower her voice to a softer tone to calm Sophitia down. "Ahem... If you don't calm yourself then things worse than a tail will come, so rest yourself. Stress, frustration and anger are coming through you by force, and that you certainly don't need-"

"No kidding!" Sophitia yelled sarcastically as she turned to the ground. She forcefully got into her resting place and curled up into a ball. "If I happen to be yelling, twisting or turning in my sleep... don't try to sooth me or else I'll impale you!" Sophitia threatened as she shut her eyes tightly and curled up tighter. Taki let out a sigh as she sat in her original spot and watched the fire.

'Sophitia wouldn't say anything that but a beast would. This is only a phase of the process, it will grow and fade with time and there's nothing I can do about it, but for now, I just have to calm her in any way possible. Otherwise the transformation will be much harder for her...'

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As I said, dramatic. I'm satisfied with how I wrote this and I hope you were.

To PriestessLennoue: Lay off the pocky sticks and coke! LOL. ;P

To Aeris Savior: lol, Samanosuke from the Onimusha series would be pretty difficult to add in, although it would make a good substory if I could just fit it in. :P