Chapter 13: Nightmares

The darkness clouded his mind as thick purple smoke hung around his face, filling his senses with a desire to spill blood. Not to far away hung the Moon, its silver light burning into his eyes as it cut through the smoke. Gritting his teeth, he growled and whipped around as the crunch of a footstep snapped into his ears. A man stood a small ways behind him, his body covered in a pure white military uniform belonging to a planet that he didn't recognize. Around his shoulders hung a light blue mantle, fastened by a golden button with a symbol that was foriegn to him. At the man's side was a golden handled rapier.

"Who are you?" the white clad man asked, his hand casually dropping to the handle of his weapon. The responce to his question was a roar of rage, followed by an explosion of dust and rock as he leapt forward, a large cresent shaped blade materializing in his hand. The white clad man leapt back in shock and drew his sword, blocking the attack, though the force sent him flying through the air, crashing through boulders and the uneven terrain. The attacker followed, purple smoke trailing out from his mouth as he gave chase, bringing the blade down in an overhead chop. The oher man rolled aside as the blade ripped through the ground. His glowing dark red eyes followed his path, his mouth spreading into a wide grin before leaping after him again, the blade screaming through the air behind him.

Tenshi lay in his bed, eyes shut tight as he thrashed in his sleep, sweat running from his face and brow as he watched the red eyed warrior attack him again, the same as he did every night...

"Who are you?!" Tenshi shouted as the cresent shaped blade scraped against his rapier, throwing him through the air. Twisting and skidding back on the balls of his feet, Tenshi cursed as he ducked under a chop aimed at his neck, shivering as he felt the hair on top of his head shorten. Taking the small opening he had he thrust his sword up at the man's head, meaning to end the battle. His blood chilled as the man's hand closed around the blade of his rapier, freezing it mere inches from his neck.

"Damn it..." Tenshi whispered as the red eyes locked onto his own.

With a roar of triumph, he brought the cresent shaped down in an sweeping arc, smiling wider as he felt the blade tear through flesh and bone, severing the man in half, watching the life leave his eyes. Releasing the sword, he turned and walked away, leaving Tenshi on the ground to die.

Tenshi fought to ignore the pain as his vision blurred, his body falling numb. As he felt his heart stop and his vision black out, two words echoed in his mind.

"Prince Tritus..."

Tenshi sat bolt up, eyes wide as sweat flew from his face, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Impossible!" he shouted, his fists clenching the blankets around him. "That cannot be Koaru! He is nowhere near that powerful!"

"You're correct, he's not."

Tenshi snapped his head around to face the window. Luna sat on the ledge, staring at him from the open window.

"What was that dream?" Tenshi asked, pulling the blankets off and standing up, walking away from the bed, pacing the room. "Was that some kind of memory?"

Luna closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Not entirely." she said, standing and hopping onto his bed. "It's a fabricated reality, brought on by the Shadow Sapphire."

Tenshi stared at the cat for a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the dark blue gem.

"The dreams started the day you met Koaru, didn't they?" Luna asked, causing Tenshi to nod. "It's the Sapphire's power showing you what Koaru will become with its power."

Tenshi stared at Luna in shock, a slight fear leaking into his mind; the realization of how powerful the Guardian could become.

Luna closed her eyes and sighed and lowered her head slightly. "That is why I asked you to test him before giving him the gem." Turning and leaping to the window, she paused and looked back over his shoulder to Tenshi. "It's up to your judgement now."

Tenshi closed his eyes and rubbed his lids, trying to think of the proper way to tell the feline that he had no intention of ever even looking at Koaru again, let alone give him a power-up. Opening his eyes and looking back to the window, he saw that Luna had left, leaving him alone in the room with the cool breeze whisping in through the window.

Koaru lay in his bed, staring at the roof of his room, bandages wrapped all around his upper body. Beside him lay Rini, fast asleep, her hand resting on his arm, curled up in a ball as she slept. Koaru felt a wave of guilt wash through his mind as the little girl reminded him of what actions earlier that day, remembering how the girls had been captured because of his actions... and how Amy had been injured because of him.

"Damn it," he said, slowly sitting up and getting out of the bed, leaving Rini as he pulled a jacket on and left the house, walking down the street, lighting up a cigarette as he passed under a street lamp. "I'm still thinking of Amy..." he muttered as he exhaled the smoke. "I'm dating Lita now, and Amy is with Tenshi... yet I still always think of Amy. Damn It!" he shouted, throwing a punch into the street lamp, denting the steel pole.

"Just cause the pole makes you feel incompotent doesn't give you the right to try and kill it."

Koaru turned his head and saw Tenshi standing a few yards away, hands in his pockets, a smug look on his face.

"The Hell do you want?" Koaru asked, backing away from the pole and inhaling from his cigarette, glaring at the Knight. "You here to remind how stupid I acted today?"

"Nah, I have a feeling you've been doing that all night," Tenshi said, shrugging his shoulders. Staring at the sidewalk for a moment, Tenshi finally made eye contact with the Guardian. "Listen, I need to ask you something."

Koaru narrowed his eyes in suspision, not trusting the Knight at all. "Fine, ask away."

Tenshi stared directly at Koaru, searching his eyes for the answer for the question.

"What do you fight for?"

Koaru closed his eyes and forced himself to squelch his hatred for the man in front of him and find the answer to the question. Why did he fight? Did he fight for fun? Or for some other reason. As he rolled the question around in his head the images of Amy, Lita, Serena and the other Scouts, along with the images of his friends and family. Opening his eyes and looking at Tenshi, he was surprised to find that his hate for the Knight had vanished.

"I fight for those I care about. For my friends, my family...and the one I love."

"Tenshi stared at Koaru in silence for a moment, weighing his words for a few moments before closing his eyes and smiling.

"Good answer." he said, pulling his left hand from his pocket and tossing the Tritus Crystal to Koaru.

Snatching his Crystal and staring at it for a second, Koaru found himself lost for words.

Tenshi grinned and turned to leave, though he looked back at the Guardian for a second.

"Prove those words to me in the morning Koaru, and I'll help you in your quest for power."