I don't own Di-Gata Defenders or the Di-Gata Defender characters. I did however, come up with Aquinae, Deirdre, the Drevac Clan and Shantra and her sisters(except Karmi).

Chapter Fifteen: Nightmare Syndrome

Mel looked around her nervously as she and Kara walked through the village. Although the village looked less creepy in the morning light than in the dark, she still didn't feel better about it. There was something in the air that didn't feel right and it left her on the edge. We shouldn't have split up she thought.

When they had woken up that morning, the first thing they had done was check up Adam. A quick scan from Erik's gauntlet showed that Adam's temperature was more stable but that there was still something wrong with him. What it was uncertain but it didn't appear to be a threat to his current health so Seth had decided they should look for clues as to why the villager was abandoned. They had split into three groups: Erik would stay behind and watch over Adam, she and Kara would head one way, and Seth and Rion headed another. The plan had seemed fine at first but now Mel was having doubts about how smart it was.

"I'm starting to think that this wasn't such a good idea Seth" said Rion as he and Seth check out the north edge of the village. "I mean, we don't know why the villagers left, or if the reason they left is still here, and Adam is obviously seriously sick. We should…"

"Look Rion" said Seth irritably, "I know you're worried about Adam and the others and I know you're not trying to annoy me but I feel that this is the best course of action. We have to find out why this place is abandoned."

"I know, but we don't even know what we're looking for. How will we know when we find it?"

"We'll know when we found it when we find it. What's with this doubt of my plan all of the sudden anyway? You agreed with my idea earlier, why do you think there's something wrong with it now?"

"I don't know Seth. There's just something bothering me, that's all. I don't know what it is but…"

"There's nothing to worry about. Everything's going to be okay. Adam will get better, we'll collect all of the pieces of the Celestial Abyss and we'll destroy the Ethos. Nothing to it. Easy as pie." Mmmmm… pie.

Rion stared strangely at Seth as he watched drool drip from the edge of his mouth. "Nothing to it, huh? Somehow, I think it's going to be a bit more difficult than that. After all, the key isn't working properly, remember?" He then noticed that Seth seemed to be caught in his own thoughts. "Hello, Seth! Rados to Seth! Come in Seth!" No response. Rion sighed and began to walk away and turned around to see if Seth was following. He was still standing there, lost in his thoughts.

Rion kept on walking while Seth stood there, thinking about a nice hot pie with its aroma wafting in the air. It beckoned to him, calling for him to come and enjoy its sweet and delicious filling. Don't mind if I do. He could almost imagine biting into it but than the image began to suddenly change. The scent became horrid and the pie turned into a nauseating green. Seth felt sick to his stomach and found himself emptying the contents of his stomach for real. What was with that? How could I imagine food like that? What's wrong with me? He waited a while for his stomach to settle before looking up towards Rion only to find himself alone. "What? Wasn't Rion just here? What's going on?" Seth started to feel nervous and felt fear starting to build in him. This couldn't possibly get worse.

"Aaaaaaaah!"

"Eeeeeeeeeek!"

Mel's eyes open wide at the sound of Kara's scream and turned back towards her. Nothing but darkness. Darkness? But it's morning. The suns are out and everything… Mel looks to the sky and sees that the suns are black and dim. "Kara! Kara! Where are you, Kara?" No response. Mel feels despair and panic starting to build inside her, building up and ready to surge.

Mel can no longer handle and begins to run. The darkness becomes more intense, she can't even make out the buildings anymore. Not that it would make a difference. There's no place to hide and no place to run. Mel spots something in front of her. At first she can't make it out but when she realizes who it is, she is relieved and happy to see him. "Professor Alnar! What are you doing here?"

"Stop my child" says Alnar before Mel could reach him. "There is much to talk about and there is no time for our happy reunion. You must listen and question nothing that I say."

"Of course, Professor Alnar" said Mel as she began to squirm. There's something here, but what? And why won't he face me? She waited patiently for her mentor's words of wisdom.

"Your future Mel" began Professor Alnar, "is all a lie from the very start…."

The shadowy figure smiled as he watched the plight of the defenders from an outpost that overlooked the village. He couldn't see the ones that were inside, but he was certain that they were suffering too. "It's almost too bad that they chose to come here. It would have been very nice of them to find the pieces of the Celestial Abyss for me, but I guess it can't be help. I'll have to do it the hard way. Just like the villagers, they will fall to despair, turn on each other and tear themselves to pieces. Everyone falls under the spell, unless they have proper protection…" The figure smiles a crooked smile as he looks at a single piece of glowing black rock in his left hand. "The proper protection indeed. I should enjoy this while it lasts."

Erik had been sitting in the room that Adam was sleeping in checking Adam's vitals when he had heard Kara's scream. Kara! Erik got up and was ready to run out and find her when he remembered about Adam's condition. He took a brief glimpse at Adam's sleeping figure: he's not going anywhere. He'll be okay, but my sister… she might be hurt or worse. I have to find her.

Shantra watched Erik leave the room and decided to creep closer to his bed. I wonder if he's only pretending to be sleeping.

Erik, on the other hand, had just rushed down the stairs when he suddenly stopped. Wait. What was that noise? He listened carefully and sure enough, there was the sound of scuffling feet coming from the living room. Cautiously he crept towards the doorway and peeked in. He couldn't see anything in the dark room. He took a deep breathe and prepared his gauntlet, just in case. "Heeyah!" he cried out as he jumped through the doorway ninja-style. "Hwah!" he cried as he looked to his right. "Yah!" he cried as he looked to his left. Nothing. Well, I feel ridiculous he thought as he walked to the middle of the room with his right arm sheepishly on his head. He looked around the dark room, not noticing the shadow silently creeping up to him from a corner behind him. "Wait.Why is so dark in here? It's morning" He then noticed a strange hissing noise coming from behind and turned around.

"Aaaaaaaaah!!!"

Shantra stared at Adam as he slept on the bed, cautious and slightly annoyed. She had heard Erik's strange shouts and his scream, which had alarmed her. But a quick look downstairs showed him running in circles screaming his head off. She saw nothing to be worried about and decided he was just playing a game by himself. A weird and loud game she thought as she heard bangs and the occasional casting coming from downstairs. Adam had better wake up soon. His friend is obviously very lonely. Maybe I should do something about this. Wait! I know.

"Adam? Are you awake? Adam? Are you awake? Adam! Are you awake?! Adam!! Are you awake?!!" He's not responding. Maybe I should try something different.

"Adam?" Poke, poke. "Are you awake?"

"Adam?" Poke, poke, poke. "Are you awake?"

"Adam?" Poke, poke, poke, poke. "Are you awake?"

"Adam!" Poke, poke, poke…. poke. "Are you awake?!"

He's not responding at all. I guess there's only one thing I can do.

"Adam?" Pinch, pinch, pinch. "Are you awake?"

Mel stared in disbelief at Alnar's back as he rambled on and on about how everything was hopeless and was a lie. This can't be happening. This can't be real. It must an illusion or a nightmare of some kind. Alnar would never say these things, not in a million years. She glared at the false Alnar and prepared an attack. "Frost Blast!" Mel's eyes opened in disbelief as her stones fall onto the ground; they were as useless as a soaked towel.

"Hmmm?" Alnar turned around and saw her stones lying on the ground. "Oh, my dear child. Where you planning on attacking me? Your loving mentor?"

"You're not Professor Alnar!" A look of determination appeared on Mel's face as she prepared another attack. My stones may be useless, but my wizard powers aren't. Her eyes started glowing blue and she levitated as she said "Sum, Altas, Ogama, Yin, Sum!" An intense blast shot from her hands and headed straight towards the false Alnar. Mel smiled at her spell but it quickly dropped when Alnar deflected the attack to the side with his arm.

"Did you really think it was going to be that easy, my child? You obviously have no idea who you're messing with here." As soon as he was finished saying that, his body began to convulse and expand while he turned black. Mel's eyes opened wide and her mouth dropped as she watched the fake Alnar turn into a giant and horrible monster with spikes coming out of his arms. "But I think" said the creature in a rough voice, "it is time that you learned. The very hard way."

Kara looked frantically around her in the dark tunnel, hoping to catch a glance at it before it took her off guard again. What is that thing, anyway? She hadn't gotten a good look at it, but something about the creature just frightens her. I don't understand. I shouldn't be afraid. Why am I afraid? She took a big gulp and began to walk back towards where she lost saw it. There's nothing to be afraid of. There's nothing to be afraid of.

A strange, nauseating scent attacked her nose and the air starting turning into a dark red hue. This is soooo creepy. The strange scent stung her eyes, making them water as she continued to move forward. In the distance, she could see a blurry shadow breathing slowly ahead of her, its bulk moving slightly with each breath. She felt fear begin to build in her again but she quashed it down as she approached the mysterious beast.

Suddenly, as if it just became aware of her, the beast rose and let out a piercing cry that hurt Kara's ears. She placed her hands over them for protection and felt the fear starting to overtake her again but she ignored it… she had to see what it was that she was so afraid of. She had to at all cost.

The creature turned to faced her and snapped its jaws shut. Kara heard a crunch noise and suddenly became aware that there was a strange liquid on the ground. She took another step forward and slipped on the substance. It was warm and sticky with clumps of dried material in it. She looked at her fingers… it was blood. But whose? She looked up at the creature's mouth and her eyes opened wide at what she saw. It was Erik. His mangled body was in the creature's jaws. It opened its mouth again and let the corpse dropped to the ground in front of her.

"No. No. Nooooooo!"

Rion ran through the mists in confusion as tears fall freely from him. All around him, he could hear people screaming, begging for him to help them but… he couldn't see anything. Just the mist and the darkness. He searched frantically for the people in need but found nothing. Their pain is too much. I can't help them. But I can't leave them like this. He saw something move at the corner of his eye. He turned and ran towards it, hoping to find out what was going on. He couldn't bear to hear the screams anymore; he wanted to help them, he wanted the screaming to stop. He spotted a figure up ahead and eagerly ran over towards it. The screams around him became more piercing, the begging became more desperate. He found their pain agonizing and felt like their screams were trying to tear apart his soul.

When he reached the figure, he saw that it was an old woman with a slight limp on her left leg. She looked coldly at Rion before hissing out, "why do you condemn them?"

"What?" He stared at the woman in disbelief. "What are you talking about? Whom do I condemn?"

"Are you deaf young man? Or is that you simply do not care? These poor people around you are asking for your help and you do not even try to offer the assistance they so desperately need. You condemn them, just like your ancestors condemned the poor souls that helped them. Shame on you lad, shame on you."

Rion's eyes opened wide before he cried out "I do not condemn them. I want to help them but I cannot find them."

"A likely story" hissed the woman distastefully. "You make such ridiculous excuses up to cover your own disregard for the lives of others." She slowly moved towards Rion with a look of displeasure on her old face.

"I… I… I do not look down on them. I truly wish to help them but I cannot find them. I… I... I… I want to help them." He looked at his hands and watched as his tears fell on them and rolled off. "Look" he said as he pointed to his tears. "Does this look like the face of someone who disregards the lives of others?"

"Crocodile tears mean nothing!" The woman was now up to his face and her cold eyes looked into Rion's. "You are hardly any different than you're cold-blooded ancestors. They left their allies to rot in the chaos that they brought and showed only indifference to their suffering. You will just like them. You will lead the Defenders to their doom and will care nothing for their fate."

"No" muttered Rion as he shook his head in despair. "No…." He collapsed to the ground and began to sob hysterically while the woman stood and glared at him.

This cannot be happening. This so cannot be happening though Seth as he ran down the dark alley. This can't be real. They can't be real. He turned down a corner and pressed himself against the wall. He took a deep breathe and peeked around the corner. They were still there. They were moving quickly about in random directions like half-crazed cats, bashing into the walls and knocking down trees. Every once and awhile, they would let out a shriek and Seth would get a good view of their oversized super sharp incisors which he was certain could easily tear him to pieces. He quickly ducked back behind the corner, just in case one should look in his direction. He slowly slid down the wall and placed his hands on his head in despair.

"I hate giant squirrels."