The Zodiac Spirit Guardians

The Blind Lead the Hopeful

After all I've been through just in the past few days, you'd think I would be in some sort of right mind. But I'm not, and I'm not very certain I will ever be again. I just keep reminding myself of the girl I saw in my dreams, the one with all the answers. She was wise and powerful and I must become her since I have no other options now. I've come this far and I can't go back.

The black hole inside my gut is ruthless lately, churning violently and consuming my humanity. Now I know this darkness is pure destruction, and I still can't wrap my thoughts around being something other than human. The memories that flooded me when Itsu and I touched still flash before my eyes in a never ending reminder of how evil I used to be.

I only know one side to these memories: mine. I don't know who taunted me and threatened the lives of my spirit guardians to the point where I needed to end them. Although, I can't keep the guilty feeling from escaping me, I should have an excuse for destructive behavior and I don't remember it at all. Every minute I feel closer and closer to who I used to be and who I will become. I just cannot afford to take any steps backwards.

"Alright, here's the plan: Kappie and Ezra will tag along with Itsu in tracking down our follower," All six boys are gathered around in front of me in a half moon, listening to my every word, this is my time to prove that I have some sense left in my head, "Haruka and Steele will follow closely behind while remaining just within Haruka's tracking wall. Rayce and I will scale the sky among the trees as back up." I look around to all the eyes, vibrant colors that read the same message of hope and determination, "Does everyone know what their jobs are?" Random nods and some spoken agreements are given to reassure me. Thank the heavens I was able to remember some of my guardian's specialties.

We split off into our groups and the first team sprints to the near distance, into the thick forest. A few minutes later, the second team leaves for the trees and I've begun hoping that leaving myself with one guardian is enough.

I turn to Rayce and meet his ocean gaze, "Are you ready?" He asks me with a confident smile. My insides churn in fear that something will go terribly wrong. There's still the possibility that this whole thing will blow up in our faces and kill us all. "You don't look ready, Lady Akira." Rayce peeks his head down to meet my worried eyes. "We're stronger than we look! Plus we have you!" His minor speech does little to inspire any positive emotion inside of me, but it does conjure up the image of future me. That mental picture is more than enough to set a fire inside my eyes.

That girl knows no limits and will do anything for anyone, which means I must have the same philosophy to get somewhere in this life. "Rayce, I'm ready when you are." He lights up with the brightness of a million stars and grabs me by the hand. We take off into the trees and spring among the leaves, careful to stay a certain distance from the others.

A rush of adrenaline pumps through my blood, filling me top to bottom. I trail behind Rayce, and by our linked hands, I'm not left behind. My legs run as fast as I can manage until we arrive just on the inside of Haruka's wall. We slow down to a stop by a toppled over tree. Rayce jumps onto the massive trunk and squats to peer down at the base. Even though I can see the base of the trunk just from where I'm standing, Rayce feels the need to see it from a different perspective.

His delicate fingers graze the surface of the wood, and a single tear falls down his cheek. "Someone killed it," He whispers in the faint voice of a child, "and it did nothing to earn that." I spot his lower lip quiver for a moment before Rayce composes himself.

"We must get going."

The blonde boy straightens himself and hops back onto the ground from such a great height that I almost yelp in terror. We begin running along again, around the fallen tree then through the forest on the trail of the others. A few minutes pass before the significance of that tree click in my mind, snapping into place.