Chapter 19: Strange Dreams
[Scene: Blackmoon Manor. Zoi emerges from the passage and his friends watch as he keeps walking toward the front door.
Zoi: We're leaving!
Mamoru: What happened?
[Zoi looks at the sea of faces, the Blackmoon's outnumbering the non-Blackmoons by about fifteen to one.]
Zoi: Nothing…nothing at all. [but shoots Mamoru a look to indicate he'll tell them in the van.]
Demande: [Beckons with one finger] Come on, Saffir. I guess today is your lucky day.
[Saffir rises from his ottoman and scampers into the passage]
Demande: Oh, and Rubeus, be sure to throw all the gatecrashers out and tell them not to come back until their friend develops some manners.
[There are a few moans and mutters of protest as the gang leave the manor. Fortunately, the rain has slowed to a light drizzle. Once the gang pushes the van out of the mud, Zoi climbs into the back, ignoring Motoki and Usagi's invitations to ride shotgun.]
Umino: So what happened back there?
[Zoi waits until they are a good distance from the manor before answering.]
Zoi: Don't ever go in the grotto.
Minako: Why?
Zoi: It's not a nice place.
Minako: But one of my very best friends told me it's fantastic.
Zoi: Your friend probably got drugged.
[Everyone but Motoki stares at Zoi.]
Usagi: …Are you saying he tried something with you?
Zoi: Yes.
[Everyone is thrown forward as Motoki slams on the brakes.
Mamoru: Turn the van around! We're going back there!
Zoi: To do what? There's ten of us versus about one hundred and fifty of them. And the biggest guy we have has a broken arm. If we go back there screaming for a fight, we'll all be killed.
Usagi: Fine, I'll call the police.
Zoi: And tell them what? Nothing he did was technically illegal.
Usagi: Huh?
Zoi: His father is a judge so he knows how to stay just two millimeters within the right side off the law.
Naru: So he didn't actually do anything?
Zoi: He locked me in a room, and made it pretty clear what he wanted. When I told him I wasn't interested, he backed down…. Only he didn't back down right away.
Motoki: Mamoru's right. We need to go back there and do something.
Zoi: Anything you do will just make things worse. I wouldn't have said anything, but you need to warn everyone you know not to go in there.
[Long silence]
Rei: I think Zoi's lying.
Zoi: Why would I lie about something like this?
Rei: To get attention.
Zoi: You think I don't get enough attention already?
Minako: I believe him.
[Zoi is taken aback since Minako is the last person he expect to stick up for him]
Minako: I've been in the business long enough to know the truth when I hear it. And I've been invited to enough business dinners with directors that turned out to have absolutely nothing to do with either business or dinner to kick myself for not seeing this coming.
Zoi: [smiles at her] Thanks.
Minako: [pats his shoulder] No problem, squirt.
[Zoi returns home to an empty house since his dad is working. He finds a German Techno CD his stepfather gave him for Christmas and cranks it up full blast. He lies in bed and stares up at the ceiling.]
[Eventually he drifts off to sleep. He dreams he has to run through a dark forest. He's not sure why. Here is a strange glow approaching. All he knows is that if he doesn't escape whatever is glowing, he will be in terrible danger.]
As he circles away from the glow, Demande Blackmoon jumps out from behind a tree and grabs his wrist.]
Demande: This way! [He tries to pull Zoi deeper into the woods, away from the approaching glow.]
Zoi: [struggling to free himself from Demande's grasp] Let go of me, you pervert!
Demande: Run, Zoi! He's coming for you. You have to run! He'll destroy you!
Mamoru: [From another direction] This way, Zoi!
[Zoi looks and Mamoru is wearing a tuxedo and a white mask. He is still trying to free himself from Demande's grip. Demande is still trying to pull him into the woods.
[Zoi is overcome with rage. There are long icicles that have formed in the trees around him and he snaps one off and uses it to stab Demande deep in the collarbone. Demande releases Zoi, clutching his shoulder and screaming in agony, before falling to the ground where he lays twitching. Zoi backs away, but he smiles and feels an odd thrill.]
Mamoru: Zoi, run! It's too late! He's here!
[Kunzite steps out of the trees. He is wearing a military style uniform, with a fluttering cape. His face is hidden in shadows but his hair is faintly glowing, his eyes shine white and dangerous. He beckons for Zoi to come to him.]
Kunzite: [smiles a demonic smile, revealing fangs] Trust me.
[His tone implies he shouldn't be trusted at all, but Zoi runs toward Kunzite as fast as he can. As he runs, his clothing morphs into a military uniform, somewhat similar to what Kunzite is wearing, but without a cape, and with green piping instead of light blue.]
[Demande Blackmoon screams in terror]
Mamoru: No! [Pulls out a red rose and hurls it at Zoi. Zoi stretches out his hand and the rose explodes like confetti in midair, showering the area in petals.]
[Zoi wakes with a gasp. He looks at the alarm clock. It reads 5:30. Zoi turns on his side, puts a pillow over his head and tries to go back to sleep. ]
[Eventually he gives up and starts the shower on the absolute coldest setting. Once he's showered and dressed, he goes to his computer, brings up Google and types in a single word: Shitennou.]
[There's a lot of links. Most of them horrifying.]
[But then he finds another link]
The Four Heavenly Kings
They are the protectors of the world and fighters of evil, each able to command a legion of supernatural creatures to protect the dharma.
[Zoi smiles with relief. How evil could Kunzite be if he protects the teachings of Buddha? ]
[Assuming Demande Blackmoon wasn't just feeding him a bunch of bull, which is the most probable explanation.]
[His father still isn't back, so he sits on the back porch with a bowl or cereal.]
Zoi: [Looks up at the blue sky] Clouds, snow, hot, cold, rain, sun: I give up.
[After he eats he surveys the forest that surrounds the back of the house. He sees a path that looks similar to the start of the path he saw in his dream and decides to follow it.
The more he walks the more familiar the trail becomes. When he reaches the spot where Kunzite appeared, he looks around but doesn't see anything but forest. The area feels empty.]
Zoi: Kunzite?
[Nothing]
[No sign of him. Not even a trace he was ever there.]
[Zoi realizes he's being foolish. He turns around and goes home.]