Stay Over; NiGHTs to Remember

After quelling the unknown evil of the PanDimensional Omniverse that was known as Chusin, the two unknown Heroes of Valparaiso would find themselves spending the night in one of the old Zodiac Dwellings of Nekhir Maledictus, having nowhere else to go for the night. Instead of wandering around after being drained from the battle, the two of them would spend the night together. That morning, they would arise to find a quaint little surprise...

There had never been a point in El's life where he felt this exhausted, or, at the very least, not a point that he could remember. Touring the lands of Valparaiso had taken a lot out of him, with all the fighting, and taught him a little bit about this new world that he would have to get used too. The people here were just as strong as him, if not stronger, and he'd need to grow more if he wanted to survive. It made sense way this land was called the lawless land, but El wouldn't adapt to their ways. If he could, he'd like to change them.

Gently, he nuzzled his face into the mushy side of Tzita, realizing long ago, in his sleep, that he'd curled up besides her while they slept. Or, she'd curled up beside him. Either way, he was comfortable and didn't think about moving, just laid there and enjoyed the time until he heard her start to stir.

"So you're awake." He said, eyes still closed and face still rather buried into her side. Slowly, he moved one hand to scratch at the back of his head.

Tzita was right, no matter how reluctant El felt about it. They should probably get moving again so that El could see everything that he needed to see, and bring Tzita back to the hotel. Her father was probably worried about her, or not at all with how omnipresent he seemed to be by the aura that he gave off. El sat up, yawning as he did so and stretching his arms high into the air to work out any tension that had built up. None had, but it was nice to always make sure.

"One thing before we go, Lady L'sia." El said, leaning in from behind her and whispering, "Your man, huh?" Before giving her cheek a kiss and standing to his feet. As deaf as he'd been when that thing, which she identified as her sister, had been screaming El could still hear Tzita pretty well. It was how he knew when and where to strike. She classified him as 'her man' meaning that maybe she wanted to be more than just his escort. It was cute that she tried to write it off and the start of the new day. El hadn't forgotten though, nor how upset she got that he hadn't kissed her.

And El definitely felt it, her elbow to his gut. Tzita was much stronger than she appeared to be, and it caused him to recoil just a tiny bit before he stood to his feet and watched her as she sashayed her way out of their resting quarters. "Is that a fact, Lady L'sia, or do you only wish it to be so?" El said to himself, before following after her, after he'd geared up with Durandal on his hip.

"So, where to now, and where are we now?" He asked, taking a look around to get a feel for the area. He could assume, at the very least, that they were still in the Olde Witch City from the way this building was structured, but that was really all he knew. In fact, he wasn't even sure when they'd decided to call it a night and camp out somewhere.

The explanation was quite thorough and the mystical nature of it was not lost on El. While he wasn't magically inclined, or at least didn't think that he was, he could understand the how and why when it was explained in a way that made sense. Tzita clearly had very extensive knowledge about these things, but then it was already established that she was a witch so it made sense for her to know at least this much. It made El wonder about how much she really knew.

"I see, and which Zodiac Dwelling provided us a safe place to sleep?" El asked turning around to face where they had come from and looking for any sign that would tell him so. He figured it would rather fitting if the one that they were able to sleep under was the one that Tzita had been blessed with when she was born. Of course it could be any other one as well.

Listening to the story got just a little bit tougher for El, not because it was any harder to follow, particularly, but he could tell by the quiver in Tzita's voice that it was hard to talk about, no matter the face she was trying to show as his tour guide. It brought a lot of questions to his mind, a few solutions that seemed like they could have remedied the situation before it got too back, but nothing was ever as concrete as it seemed. El didn't know anything about this world, its people, nor its sacred beasts. What he did know, as he stepped forward and patted Tzita's shoulder, was that he'd heard enough.

"Thank you, Lady L'sia, let's move on, yeah?" He said giving her a rather warm smile before placing his hand on the hilt of Durandal and walking towards the middle of the room to get a closer look at the runic markings on the ground. It was already made perfectly clear to him that these ruins couldn't have come from, or been influenced by, his own world, but he was still rather curious. If the sacred beasts and brought about prosperity for the witches, then perhaps they had, in turn, brought prosperity to this region.

He thought, and it was just a passing though, that if they could find the sacred animals and convince them to return then it would bring about a second age of growth and prosperity. The easiest way to find something that was lost was to look at the last place it had been for clues. "About how long have the Sacred Beasts been gone, Lady L'sia? Longer than this land has been as it has?"

(Oh ho, this is too good.)

El had knelt down to do his inspection as close as he could, his fingers running around the ground and touching the markings to get a really good feel for them. If he touched them, then he figured he'd be able to remember them better, perhaps even recreate them if they needed a visual representation if they wanted to gather evidence on the sacred beasts. As he was doing that, he felt Tzita slip around his neck like a snake with her arms and chains.

"Oh is that a fact? Perhaps it was because I noticed you shivering." El commented, hearing that she had perked up from how she'd been feeling after explaining the situation to him. El wouldn't admit that he'd been holding her rather tight for selfish reasons, but it seemed like he didn't really have to either. Tzita liked the playful banter. He stood to his feet, allowing her to hanging from his neck as she would while he looked around again.

"And how do I propose we do something like what?" He asked, genuinely confused by her statement. El had been thinking about trying to find and return the beasts back to this zodiac dwelling, but he had never spoken those words aloud. He wasn't sure about Tzita powers and abilities, besides what she had shown him, but had she the capacity to read minds as well... or had she only the capacity to read his? Either way, it was strange that she was reacting off something he hadn't quite been able to articulate.

(Damn, you right. xDD Fucking up~)

Tzita's little 'slip of the tongue' again in all her playfulness was getting the best of her, now. She didn't realize that what she heard was not actually said by him, even if she knew it came from him. 'Shit!! He doesn't know about the Resonance earlier... Nor that it even exists...' She had to try to play it off like it was cool... She didn't want him to know too much about what she was able to do, nor about some other personal secrets... Which was why she avoided answering him about the age. "Oh, nothing~!" She would say sweetly, "Just thinking aloud, is all~! You know, this place brings back some memories and I was just thinking about how we could bring the Sacred Beasts back to their dwelling!" She hopped up on his back and wrapped her legs around tight, as though ready and secured for a piggyback ride, "It would just mean... So much to me if somehow... We could restore this place to its former glory...!" She turned her head to the side and feigned sadness, but in a rather obviously comical fashion, "If only there were SOMEONE who would help me~!" After that, she'd press her face against his and whisper again in his ear, "Perhaps a big, strong nobleman running around these parts~?"

El shrugged it off, for now, but was still a bit suspicious of Tzita. He'd noticed she'd withheld any real information about herself, information that he didn't directly ask for, and that was fine with him. She was only acting as he escort, and it didn't have to be anything more than that, but recently she'd been letting her tongue slip on tiny details. He'd watch and listen more carefully, maybe piece together the things she let slip and get a couple of real answers about who, exactly, she was, or used to be.

He gave her a smile, placing has hands firmly on her ass to properly support her as she readied herself on his back, and turned his head towards the ceiling. "Well, I've been known to save a damsel in distress every now and then." He played along with her, wondering where exactly he should go, and just decided to begin moving forwards towards which ever dwelling was right across from the Virgo Dwelling. He had wondered why they ended up in the Virgo dwelling, of all the others, but figured it wouldn't be prudent to ask. Tzita probably wouldn't be able to give him much besides, 'It was the closest one.'

As the young man started off toward the next Dwelling, from it, a black and white glow would shine from within before two beautiful koi; one black and one white; would appear from the depths of the Pisces Dwelling spinning in a Yin-Yang circle before the two of them.

Koi-Koi Pisces: Ye who have disturbed the slumber of the Celestial Elders... What is your business here? Why have you awakened the Virgo from her deep, cosmic sleep?

After getting choked nearly to death, El knew to stop in his tracks when this yin-yang circle appeared before him and Tzita. He tensed the muscles in his neck to stop from being strangled too bad by Tzita's overwhelming glee, and folded his arms when she jumped off his back to humble herself before this thing. El wasn't stupid, he had already inferred that it was the spirit of the Pisces since it resembled the ancient drawings of itself, but he wasn't about to bow. He was an alien to this world after all, so their rules didn't necessarily apply.

"I guess so, but it's only one and I have no idea what any of this actually means." He responded honestly to her before quieting himself. He had questions as well, specifically, like Tzita, why the Pisces had shown itself when it said they'd awoken the Virgo. Beyond that though, he wanted to know how they woke the Virgo spirit in the first place when they didn't see any signs of that at all.

"No disrespect to you, Pisces spirit, but how did we awaken the Virgo spirit from her deep, cosmic sleep? Has no one ever come to this place since you all left? That's hard for me to believe." El spoke loud and proud, and quite honestly. There had to be other things at work, besides his and Tzita's quick thought to find somewhere to rest, and El wanted to know everything about the situation before he made any moves. He'd take on whatever responsibilities waking the Virgo spirit brought, but he needed to make sure that they weren't being tricked.

The Pisces listened to the concerns of the two that sought refuge in the Dwelling for the night, finding no harm done after hearing the Witch's plea. It looked to them both, reading their energy to find out just what they were about. It seemed as though El was not originally of this realm, and did not know any of the customs nor of the ancient elders. Not many beyond the Witches were aware of their presence, anyway, since they were the only beings to use their powers back then to fuel their magic. It didn't expect El, or even Tzita, to honor it in such a way after being gone for so long, despite the ancient traditions, though it was good to see that she still stayed true to them.

Koi-Koi Pisces: Ah, so you still remember... Centuries ago before we departed, you must have been one to bear witnessed our might...

Though, the way the scenario played out, it was only natural for them to be confused; the Witch because yes, there had been many who had come and gone in the past and found nothing here but the ruins and the Nobleman because, yes, naturally, he was not from this world and knew not the customs. That, and the appearance of Pisces was unwarranted, especially when explaining the awakening of the Virgo.

Koi Yin: I sense no disrespect in either of you. No need to revere nor be too formal with us these days, Witch. Our time away has humbled our spirits.

Pisces seemed to be able to speak on behalf of all of the Zodiac signs due to its deep connection to them all, being comprised of a piece of each one, as the Last Zodiac Sign, after all.

Koi Yang: However, this was not your doing alone. A time of Peace and Prosperity has come upon the cosmos, and with it, our powers have been freed from the stars. The Ancient Artifact, Zodiac, has been acquired by the Chosen One, who has activated it just as the legend has foretold.

Koi Yin: With it, he released We, the Pisces, and awakened the dormant energy of the Zodiac Dwelling. The power of Virgo must have reacted to the magic within you and, after Zodiac was retrieved, awakened due to your magical essence being within the Dwelling for an extended period of time.

Koi-Koi Pisces: Though her power has been awakened, she has not yet returned to her Dwelling, nor to the Zodiac, where she belongs. She will not do so until she is confronted; Either by one born under her Sign, one who harbors her Elemental Affinity of Earth, one who was born under the sign of her Sacred Beast, or the one who harbors the Zodiac in his hands. The same is to be inferred for all of the 24 elders of the Zodiac.

El sensed no foul play at work, no shenanigans, and as such relaxed. The explanation was sound enough for him to accept without needing to ask anymore questions, and it seemed like Tzita had the bulk of the ones that he would have anyway. She was rather passionate about this endeavor, much more than she had seemed before when it seemed impossible, and this was a new side that El hadn't seen from her. She was much more complex than he originally had given her credit for, and for that he would continue to lend her his aid.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, perhaps to calm her down just a bit and to give her a small amount of comfort, before looking back to the Pisces spirit. "I want to help restore this place just as much as Lady L'sia, but, unfortunately, we don't meet the qualities necessary to confront Virgo. Or, at least, not at present we don't, right?" He'd locked in on the last leg of the Pisces explanation and, as far as he knew, neither he, nor Tzita, were born under the Virgo sign, nor the animal associated with her. Neither held the Zodiac within there hands, clearly the person that had that was the one that awakened Pisces, and he hadn't witnessed any feats, by Tzita, to suggest that she had an affinity for the Earth. If anything, he took her more as the carefree and whimsical sort that would be associated with the wind.

The Pisces heard the plea of the Witch again and, after seeing her passionate resolve to bring restoration to the Zodiac Dwelling, would comply by telling her the location of the Virgo.

Koi Yin: We have seen that the Virgo has awakened in the mainland, in the Great Forest.

Koi Yang: Her power does not seem to be corrupt, so neither should her celestial influence be.

Koi Yin: To go into the mainland, you must find a way through the Dimension Gate, or find someone who is capable of transporting you there.

Koi Yang: It seems as though the Gate is open, currently.

They knew that these sorts of things should have come off as confusing to El, though he seemed to be getting quite the grasp of the situation rather quickly. He was alert and attentive... Though, it seemed he was not aware of his own effect on the scenario at hand.

Koi Yin: Oh? You think this was but the Witch's doing alone?

Koi Yang: It seems as though he is unaware of his part.

Koi-Koi Pisces: Within you, we sense the energy of the Earth. Whether you are aware of this or not, your affinity to it comes not from your sign, but from your Life Energy, itself.

Koi Yang: Your energy also helped to awaken the Virgo from her slumber.

Koi Yin: The combination of your innate Earth affinity and the Witch's Manna...

Koi-Koi Pisces: Has brought forth this Awakening.

If he wasn't aware of his part before, then he certainly should have known now. The two orbs of opposite color to their fish counterparts would shine brightly for a moment, before revealing the location of the Virgo within their circling bodies; like a shining mirror that could reveal images from beyond.

Koi Yin: This is where she resides; this is the Great Forest.

Koi Yang: It is within the Dawn, as is the Earth Sanctuary.

Koi-Koi Pisces: If ye seeketh the Blessings of the Earth from the Sanctuary, thou shalt find thine strength of Nature in thy blood.

The last thing was a little cryptic, but that was because it was more or less something extra, in case El wished to delve deeper into the 'Earth Affinity' that the Pisces had spoken of that flowed through him.

Koi-Koi Pisces: Whether you seek the Discipline of the Earth from the Sanctuary or not, it simply residing within you is enough to confront the Virgo and bring her back to her Dwelling.

El stood there with his eyes closed, listening to the Pisces explanation once again while nodding his head, as they went ahead and acknowledged that what he said was....

"Wait... Me?" He asked, opening his eyes and pointing to himself in quite the confused manner. There was no way that was possible, he was an alien so it didn't make sense that his life energy would be related to the Earth or whatever. El almost couldn't believe his ears at all, but as they continued their explanation about his role in all of this, he supposed that it did make a bit of sense. If it had been Tzita alone then there probably wouldn't have been much of a reaction, and if he hadn't come then she wouldn't have come and slept in the Dwelling at just the right time as the Pisces awakening. Still... this was getting a little weird to him. What had he been called to this world to do exactly.

Before he could open his mouth to speak though, Tzita was already asking him to make a decision. He looked at her, staring deeply into her eyes. Even though she said, ultimately, the decision was up to him since she was supposed to just be giving him a tour of Valparaiso, he could tell that it was also his decision because he held the affinity that they needed for this to work. She couldn't do it alone, and he... wasn't the type of guy to make her do so either.

After a bit of searching her eyes, El closed his and smiled with a nod of his head while taking her hands in his. "Well you'll still technically be giving me a tour, just of one of the other places on this planet. Besides, I already promised to save this damsel in distress, didn't I?" And that was all there really was to it. Usually El kept his word and never made promises that he knew he couldn't keep. This was important to Tzita, and even bigger than that Valparaiso too. If this place had fallen into such depravity where Orphans are threatened with death, and wish for heroes to rescue them, and the other inhabitants did any and every indecent act to survive after the best had flown the coup, then it was best for everyone to awaken them and return them home. He was ready to spearhead this cause.

He turned back to Pisces, not letting go of Tzita's hand, "So the Earth Sanctuary should be our next stop then, is there anyway for us to get more information on the other spirits as they awaken? I'll help with reawakening and returning them here if..." He looked back to Tzita now, "You'll accompany me, Lady L'sia. It wouldn't be any fun without you."

The Pisces could see that the two of them were, despite how unknowing they were of it, two that were perfect matches to carry out this sort of endeavor. They had sight and wisdom far beyond the two of them, as did all of the 24 Elders, being celestial beings that watched over the cosmos. There was something in the two of them that they would find in time to be what they needed for each other's purposes as well as this world's. When the time was right, certainly, all would be revealed to these two.

Koi Yang: Ah, yes, we see this light in you, young ones...

Koi Yin: ... If you seek to monitor the awakening of the Spirits...

Koi-Koi Pisces: We will give you our blessings.

They would spin together in tandem, generating a powerful force within themselves that would omit from their third eye jewels and release a fragment of their power, which harbored a tiny portion of each of the other Zodiac Signs in it, as a sort of Ancient Relic;



Koi-Koi Pisces: This Artifact that we have created for you is known as the Key of Life; the Ankh. Its name is Ma'at, and harbors the power of truth, balance, order, law, morality and justice. This is the very essence of we, the Pisces, as a single fragment of our being. The Eye of Horus on the center will show you the Truth whenever you so need, and will be a guide to each and any of the Awakened Elders.

Koi Yang: It harbors many functions and many secrets...

Koi Yin: But they are locked away...

Koi-Koi Pisces: However, its primary function of locating the Elders remains in the Eye of Truth that is the Eye of Horus at its center. Use this Key of Life wisely, and it will guide you justly to that which you seek... For, this is the embodiment of our All-Seeing Third Eye, and will light the way on the dark path ahead.

The Ankh lowered itself down before the two of them, splitting in twain, as though to separate its power evenly between the two of them. It was not any weaker and when one learned of a new ability, it would be transferred to the other. They were identical in every way, as they were the same item, merely duplicated so that both could harness it at once; it was like having the exact same item in two different places at once, and should be treated as such, no matter where they were or what happened.

Koi-Koi Pisces: If something happens to one, so too will it happen to the other, as is what occurs with the Pisces. Use this power wisely. If you have anymore concerns, speak them now, for after this, we will return to our dwelling and come to rest.