Please be a dream 2: Electric Bugaloo

Mission List:

It turns out that she had never actually woken up from that dream. The massive battle at the fortress was a dream within a dream it would seem. When she woke up from going to bed after what she thought was successfully completing their mission, Anastasia Akari did not find herself where she expected to be. Instead of waking up in her room at home, she woke up in what appeared to be simply a shell of the house where she’d grown up. It appeared abandoned; the roof was falling apart and almost appeared non-existent. The walls were crumbling, and the floors looked perilous to walk on. It was a wonder that her bed was still there, but even that looked like it was better off in a landfill all things considered. ‘Did we lose? Is that what happened?’ she thought to herself briefly before shaking the thought out of her mind. She can’t jump to conclusions; she needed to gather information and figure out what actually happened. As she left her room she found the remnants of a mirror, ‘I wonder what kind of shape I’m in if the house is in a state like this…’ she thought to herself as she peered at the grimy surface, not even thinking about simply looking at herself. As she went to wipe away the filth that caked the mirror, she did catch a glimpse of her arm; she was wearing armour. It looked like hers, but not quite. She frowned slightly; it didn’t quite add up. It took her a good minute of wiping the mirror until she could properly see her reflection and she had to blink in surprise. The person staring back at her looked like her, but a more regal, empowered version of herself. She wore armour that looked like hers but was more ornate, more befitting that of the General of an army or the leader of a nation. Her weapons were different too. She didn’t have her traditional sword and shield. At her hip was a katana as ornate as the rest of her gear. What startled her most was the cloud that appeared to flare behind her, it appeared to be made of thousands of little butterflies and floated around. It took her a moment to realise that she could command the cloud to move and take forms just by thinking. “How bizarre…” she would say out loud, and bizarre it was. There was nothing else that could be done here at least, so she would carefully make her way out of the house. One of the sections of floorboards underneath her broke, causing her to start to fall, only for the cloud to turn into a pair of wings and prevent her from falling. ‘that’s handy…’ She thought as she used the wings to lift her up and simply float around until she found a hole in the walls large enough for her to simply exit the house.

The surrounding area also appeared to be in a similar state to her home; dilapidated, disrepair, clearly this was what the Land of Nightmares wanted the real world to look like. ‘We can’t let that happen…’ she thought to herself as she continued to surveil her surroundings. It didn’t look like there was anything in the air that she could tell just from looking up at the surrounding sky, so it would likely serve her better to keep her reconnaissance to the ground for now. Her first step would be to see if she could locate anyone else to assist her with figuring out what was going on and how they could stop the Land of Nightmares’ plans from coming to fruition. At first glance there wasn’t much to work with, the buildings she passed by and inspected appeared to be as dead and empty as her home. She did eventually start seeing distortions in the air; projections of objects. Most of them were almost non-existent, it was hard to explain why because it didn’t seem like she had the ability to interact with any of them. That was until she came across a plate of delicious-looking dumplings, her stomach grumbled unexpectedly, causing her to blink. Without even thinking she reached out to grab one and as soon as her hand touched the plate, she was practically pulled into a completely separate scene: A young man that she’d never met was sitting at a table in a cozy apartment while a woman was working at the stove. Shortly after the woman turned around holding the plate of dumplings  and walked over to the table. She set them on the table, and sat down beside the man. He kissed her cheek and they began eating the dumplings. ‘Ah a memory, or perhaps…a dream?’ Anastasia thought to herself as she tried to figure out how to leave. It took some effort, but she eventually was able to simply will herself out of the dream and back into the dreadscape which was the Land of Nightmares. It at least gave her insight into the other distortions and why she couldn’t interact with them the same; it was as if either the person wasn’t dreaming particularly deeply, they weren’t asleep at all, or the dream didn’t have any form of strong emotional attachment. The closer she got to the city square, the more vivid objects she found. She wouldn’t interact with any more of them for now. It was possible that they could be traps and she would need to save her energy for trying to deal with the problems here. Strangely enough she hadn’t seen anyone else, at least nothing that she could recognize as another human. Hopefully if she stayed in one spot for a little while, she may chance upon someone also searching. That seemed like the best course of action for now, so she would stand in the center of the city square to see if she would encounter anyone else, be they friend or foe.

WC: 1,000

The sound of static boomed through their ears while they were simultaneously peppered with foggy visions from the perspective of another person- or maybe the visions were their own and they had simply forgotten? The outline of a humanoid figure sat in the middle of what appeared to be a desert- the soft winds carried tiny grains of sand along with the smell of water from a nearby oasis, though one wouldnt be able to see it well for it was the dead of night. The figure lacking characteristics  would come to a standing position as they looked to the night sky and were pulled into another blurred vision of two people talking. In this vision all that could be made out were the hair color of both men, one being that of long white hair and the other's jet black. It was then that the hair on the figure would slowly materialize showing that of a short and slightly messy head of jet black hair.

After looking down for only a moment at the desert sands the being found themselves in a small home, the ground beneath them now that of a wooden floor and the surrounding walls decorated with paintings and pictures alike. Walking through slowly, they would take note of the choice of decor while trying to discern  the faces of differing individuals in said pictures- only they would be unable to make out anyone other than a tan skinned man with dark brown eyes who seemed to be the common variable in each. 'How strange..' They thought before coming to a halt in front of a mirror. To his surprise he had taken the form of the man in the pictures- a man of a fit build at a height of 5"10, sporting a long sleeved white shirt with the symbol of the Uchiha on its back and jet black pants. It was at that moment he began to remember just what had happened, though he was still confused as to why his appearance manifested in this way- Zraix had fallen prey to the delirious effects of an experimental pill and the next thing he could remember he was in that desert. "But why do I look like this?" He questioned as he checked his footing and reflexes, throwing a couple strikes in the air and coming to the conclusion that he wasnt in a regular dream.

Famished for answers he would leave through the front door of the home he had only just begun to know in hopes that he would come across a clue as to how he could return to what he would consider the real world. Stepping outside of the home he would find himself immediately in the middle of a city square and upon closing the door to the home behind him he would note that it had vanished, replaced by a building that was warped in appearance. He quickly checked his hip and his back ensuring that his katana was holstered to his right hip and his wakizashi was at his back and to his relief they were present and accounted for-however in a strange twist there was also another blade that was holstered to his back across the wakizashi though he would be completely unable to draw it from its black an red sheath. Walking at a steady pace towards the center of the city square he wondered if he was alone in this space or if it was some sort of pseudo genjutsu- he was unable to come to any conclusions on his walk but was certain that where ever he was transported to, it held many of the same principles as the real world. His pondering would be cut short as someone came into view, a woman as it appeared in a bright shining armor- her hair was of a golden blonde and she seemed to stand an average height. Zraix, now twenty meters from her would breathe a sigh of relief for he couldnt place his finger on why but he could tell this woman wasnt a foe- maybe it was that her armor carried the traditional aesthetic of justice or that she had such a stark opposition from the disoriented/warped buildings and objects around them.

Having closed the gap between them to only 5 meters he would speak out to her, "Hey! Not sure if you're as confused as I am but im not from around here and to be honest I dont have much of an idea where we ar-" His words would be cut short by the rapid materialization of a fanged beast coated in a shadowy black and purple chakra- it boasted a height of 2 meters and had long arms with claws at the end of them that scraped the ground. The creature, having spawned in the 2 and a half meter space in between them would let out a ghastly roar before dashing at Zraix with malice in its eyes. He would draw his black katana from its sheath, dashing at the creature at a speed of 150 and delivering a decisive slash to the beats chest and the another to its neck at a power of 75 causing the beast to fall to the floor and dematerialize almost as quickly as it had appeared. "That was rude.." He said as he twirled his blade in a circle using the hilt to spin it around his hand before returning it to his sheath. "Any idea what that thing was? Oh! Sorry. I dont mean to be impolite. My name is Zraix Hoshimura.. only I dont look quite like my usual self." He said with a small chuckle "Who might you be? And is there anyone else here who has any idea how to get out of this place?"

He asked these questions in hopes that the young woman standing before him had some sort of experience and wasnt as clueless as he was, though he knew it was entirely possible that she could have appeared in this strange nightmarish world only moments before or after he did. Still, it was better that he try to navigate this situation with assistance rather than trying to tackle it alone and so he awaited her reply and or that of anyone else who might stumble across the two.

WC=1,056

stats:

HIs consciousness rockets from the center of his mind into the space of emotion, dreams, and memories like a primed pinball. Helpless to his own trajectory, the metaphorical ball of consciousness ricocheted off surfaces, at the direction of a presence both unseen and unknown. Were he at his previous power, Monsoon's will would be eroded by this phenomena and he would be lost amongst the thousand other flits of emotion and feeling. However, the reasons for his consciousness catapulting away from his corporeal form was not due to sleep or slumber, as was usually the case, but an unexpected catalyst: a crystal that was ingested.

Thus, while flying through streams, currents and seas, Monsoon Uchiha was able to retain some semblance of self. His intangible being settled upon a spot dusted by wind and warm sands, under the gaze of a blazing sun. A strong breeze would whip the sand up into a swirling storm, as if in response to Monsoon's presence. The dust and dirt would form around the sphere that was Monsoon's present consciousness, a vague familiarity intruded upon his unconscious thoughts. Vision of two men clouded his eyes, one, dark haired and tan, the other, white haired and broad. The broad one, who was both large and imposing, nodded toward Monsoon's direction with a knowing grin.

In the next instant, Monsoon blinked and found himself on the back porch of an unfamiliar home. Fragrant plants of all manner sprouted from pots that lined that area, yet nothing but darkness could be seen beyond the border of the porch. An unseen wind breezed through the porch, rustling sand that could not be seen. This is.....different.... Monsoon looked down, to see himself draped in an unfamiliar robe, one with a floral pattern and cartoon monkeys. Standing up, he was surprised: the world seemed a hair smaller. Having nowhere else to go, Monsoon exited the porch and into the home. Rustic furniture and warm decor greeted him, yet silence pervaded this hospitable home. Pictures lined the walls, two shinobi stood out: one tan with black hair, the other, white haired and broad. As Monsoon made his way to the front door, the pictures he passed told a story: of a master and a student who grew to become great friends. As he made it to the front door, he spotted his reflection in a floor length mirror. Even in his wide brimmed, straw hat, Monsoon recognized the tall, broad, white haired shinobi. His bearded face was trimmed and groomed and his long hair was tied into a regal pony tail. His eyes were soft and his face wore the signs of age well.

This feels like before....but why has my form changed?

Monsoon opened the door and walked into the darkness that stood in front.

In an instant, he found himself in a familiar market square, Hoshigakure's to be exact. Like before, a strange presence permeated the village, distorted objects and images with no relation to each other floated around the air. Before another question could arise, Monsoon Uchiha heard a commotion from the far end of the square drew that his attention. A great a terrible roar precluded the sound of claws grinding upon stone and Monsoon rushed to the source as quick as he could. He caught the glimpse of a black-haired, tan shinobi, the same one in the pictures he had seen before, dispose of the nightmare beast with a precision that was more than familiar. Next to this swords man was a face seen before, though one that appeared more regal and powerful, the golden knight Anastasia Akari. Upon seeing the Anastasia, Monsoon knew that he had been transported to the land of dreams. Yet why or how was unknown, as he had believed he had been done with this place in their last mission. Monsoon walked up to Anastasia and the strange, dark haired swords man. He raised his hand, his voice, deeper and more musical.

"Yo, Anastasia, it's good to see you again! Thought we had saved the land of dreams last time! It's Monsoon, if you don't remember." Monsoon turned to the swords man as he finished sheathing his blade. Upon seeing his face up close, an overwhelming feeling struck Monsoon beside the head, causing him to step back. Monsoon, in the tan swordsman, saw a displaced presence floating about, one that could not be mistaken for anyone else.

"Zraix...is that...you??

Before more discussion could be made, the air around the three shinobi shuddered. The shadows that were cast in the corners of the market came together like a swarm of roaches, creating amalgamations of darkness similar to the beast just disposed by Zraix. A total of 6 surrounded them, two for each shinobi and all would need to be dealt with before they could meet and converse. Unlike the long armed, clawed thing from before, these beasts were different. Each had a growth on their left arm that resembled a large shield, and the fingers in their other armed had fused to from one giant, sharpened claw. With something that resembled intellect and tactics, the beast bring their shield up to guard their core and body. Unlike before, they would not charge in like wild beasts, but hide behind their shields to deliver stabs and slashes.

The two in front of Monsoon would charge forward with shields raised, baring their singular clawed sword to their sides to slice Monsoon in twain. The Uchiha, in response to their charge, would activate his sharingan, yet his eyes would not change. As the two beasts closed in, a black ember would spark on his chest. Suddenly, black flame snaked around Monsoon, coiling around him like one singular rib. The beasts, upon making contact with the flames with their clawed hands, would recoil in pain. The fire would trail up their arms, continually burning their appendage. Overcome by fear and pain, the beasts would shriek as they attempted to douse the flame that continued to burn. While they were distracted, energy crackled around one of Monsoon's arms. He would unleash two punches, launching two fist sides projectile. His Taijutsu puncture would crack against the faces of the two shrieking beasts, caving them in and killing them as the fire continued to spread across their body. As they passed, the shadows that made up their form dispersed, as if to collect somewhere else. Monsoon would not notice this, as he was more surprised at his power in this realm.

What...was that?

The Uchiha would turn to his comrades, who would no doubt have just finished disposing the beasts in their own way. Hopefully, one of them would've caught the strange dispersal and reforming of the darkness beasts.

[1,120 WC]

---

Starting AP: 2000/2000
JUTSU USED
Blaze Release: Wrapping Fire - 30 AP, 95 Power, 95 Speed
Taijutsu Puncture 30 AP, 70 Power, 70 Speed
Sharingan 10 AP

ENDING AP: [1930/2000]

She hadn’t been waiting in the square long for the first nightmare beast to appear and attempt to attack her. It was roughly humanoid in shape, similar to the creatures that she had fought when they were attempting to close the original rift in Hoshigakure. It seemed to be stronger than when she had encountered its kind in her world. ‘Likely is benefiting from the fact that they live here…’ Ana thought to herself as she drew her katana and prepared to do battle with the beast. It lunged at her with claws as black as darkness itself, seeking to slash and cut her to ribbons. She would raise the blade and block the strike, the force of the blow nearly driving her to a knee. She braced herself and shoved the creature backwards and riposted with a slash of her own. It nimbly dodged to one side and came at her again, this time with a furious series of blows. The Akari Genin was hard-pressed to block them all, but she managed to avoid injury. She then remembered the wings of golden butterflies she had and tried sending them at the beast. They shot forward in a stream of brilliant fury and tore through the beast almost too easily. It crumpled in on itself and turned to dust. With a sigh of relief, Ana recalled her wings back to her and sheathed her blade. ‘I wonder how many more of those we’re going to have to fight…’ she thought to herself as she proceeded to wait to see what else showed up. She wouldn’t be able to wait much longer before needing to proceed.

Luckily, she wouldn’t have to; Perhaps another couple minutes after the small skirmish someone else appeared from one of the roads leading to the square, about 20 meters away. She didn’t recognize them; they appeared to be a dark-skinned man, solidly built, and 5 foot 10 inches tall, with dark brown eyes and equally dark hair. They were wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with the Uchiha clan crest on its back, as well as a pair of jet-black pants. He was also armed; with a sword at his hip, and a pair of blades worn horizontally across his back. It didn’t take him long to notice her and he immediately started making his way over towards her. He started speaking to her as he entered comfortable speaking distance, to say that he was equally as confused as she was and had no idea what was going on, only to be interrupted by another beast. This one appeared between the two of them, equidistant from each of them. It was roughly 2 meters tall, with arms that reached all the way to the ground, claws scraping as it moved around. It didn’t notice the Akari Genin, setting its sights on the newcomer and charging at him with a roar. This one didn’t seem to be as powerful as the one she’d fought, and the man handled it rather easily with a slash to its abdomen followed by a slash to its neck. His blade was back in its sheath before the beast had completely disintegrated, where he continued to speak to her as if they hadn’t even been interrupted in the first place.

As he was introducing himself as Zraix Hoshimura, and that this wasn’t how he normally looked, someone else had entered the square. This person she recognized based on their interactions on the initial issues that had plagued the village. The one who had called himself Monsoon. He had answered Zraix’s question for her, by addressing her as Anastasia, but he would answer it herself nonetheless. “It’s nice to meet you, Zraix. I am Anastasia Akari.” She would then turn to address Monsoon as he approached, “it’s nice to see you again Monsoon. Indeed I thought that we had already completed the mission and had returned home. It seems that to me what transpired was simply a dream within a dream. Possibly the enemy had attempted to trap us but had failed for some reason or another.” She shrugged, it was all guesswork at this point so unless they received information to point in one direction or another, all she could do was assume based on what she had experienced to this point.

Suddenly, the air around them started to shudder, and more creatures appeared, forming into 6 coherent beings, apparently out of mounds of shadow roaches. A little disconcerting, but how they were formed was the least of their problems. These definitely appeared to be stronger than anything they’d encountered to this point. They all were similar in the fact that they had some form of shield arm, and a close approximation to a sword. They also seemed to understand fighting as a group and had each grouped into pairs to fight the trio. Anastasia would activate her Golden Eyes, the glow off them more intense than they usually were, and prepare for the battle ahead. Before she engaged the two creatures in front of her, she noticed something a little strange. Out of the corner of her eye, at the edge of her vision, her enhanced eyesight picked up a pair of black specs. They were incredibly small, almost appearing to be eyes of their own. She couldn’t dwell on them for now as the creatures in front of her had decided to press in the attack. The Akari Genin drew her blade and parried a blow from the first creature, stepping back a couple steps to block the swing from the second one. While she deflected the second’s attack, it left it open for counterattack, she would weave a quick series of hand signs one-handed and launch a bolt of lightning at it. It wasn’t enough to completely kill the thing, but it staggered it, allowing her to finish it off with an overhand slash that cut it cleanly in half. She leapt backwards as the first of the abominations attempted to hit her while she was finishing off its fellow. It attempted to press the advantage, getting overly confident in its thinking. Ana remained poised and deflected the first strike it made, riposting a stab into its knee, circling around behind it as she dodged a hasty shield bash attempt, and then took its head from behind.

By the time she had finished with her pair, it looked like the others had also finished the ones they were fighting. She re-sheathed her blade and looked around. The eyes were still there, and it looked like there was more to them than before. Whether or not this would be a problem remains to be seen. For now, they needed to find the source of what was going on, and that would require them to keep moving. “We need to leave the village and find out more about what’s actually going on,” she would say to the other two. “I feel like this world is going to be bigger than this interpretation of Hoshi, and the quicker we find out what needs to be done to fix things, the better.” Hoping that the other two would follow her, she would make her way towards where the main gate of the village would normally be.

The gate had more creatures waiting for them. Same form as the last group, similar assortment of weapons, except there was a couple more of them. They didn’t have time to waste, so Ana would make a series of hand signs and send the wings of butterflies she had to attack the enemies. They swarmed forward like a thousand tiny darts of burning light. Piercing through the opposing forces as if their defenses weren’t there to begin with. She knew she wouldn’t be able to do that often, but they needed to see what was outside the village, and they needed to be bogged down as little as possible. Anastasia did notice something though. With each hostile creature destroyed, more of the form sitting at the edge of her vision was being revealed. It was as if they were collecting the remains of the defeated to form a body of their own. Immediately lent to her thoughts that whatever it was would not be an ally in their endeavors. “I’m not sure if either of you are seeing what I’m seeing, but it looks like there’s an entity of some kind watching us and growing stronger with each of these creatures we dispatch.” They could discuss this while they walked, so they made it through the gate with no issue with the gate guards disposed of.

Once outside the village, what was apparently the land of Haven was showing similar signs of the village. It wasn’t entirely clear which direction they needed to go…at first. Scanning the surrounding countryside, the Akari Genin swore she could see off in the distance, where the land seemed to have more colour than where they currently were standing. Almost as if the area surrounding this version of Hoshi had been blanketed with an aura that warped the environment to suit the purposes of these nightmare beings. “Look over there,” she would say to her comrades, pointing in the direction she noticed the discrepancy. “I think it will be in our best interests to head in that direction. It definitely looks like there’s a marked difference between what’s happening here, could be how far the corruption of these nightmare creatures has spread?” Should the other two agree she would start moving in that direction as quickly as she could while keeping pace with the other two.

They were definitely heading in the right direction it would seem. As they went, they encountered more and more of these soldier beasts. Most of them were the same, sword and shield appendages, and just as intelligent as the others they’d faced to this point. There were also a few other varieties that were new, but equally deadly. There were some that simply had a bow attached to one arm and would launch arrows of darkness at them, as well as larger beings with a pair of blades, one on each arm. The latter appeared even more intelligent than the rest. If Ana were to hazard a guess, they would be the equivalent of Chuunin squad leaders to the normal Genin rank and file. She couldn’t keep using her butterfly wings to kill the creatures, they needed time between uses, so she would resort to the powers of her clan to help when blade would not suffice. Barriers of Light would protect against the arrows that were shot their way. Light constructs that appeared like shards of glass would pierce and maim those that attempted to get close. Those that managed to close to melee range would die to her blade. That wasn’t to say that the fighting was one-sided in her favour. She had accrued a variety of minor but annoying injuries. Before she’d even thought of the light barriers, one arrow had managed to catch her in the shoulder. It didn’t make it through her armour, but the impact had definitely left a bruise that she could feel. She had also mis-timed a dodge and caught the edge of a shield on her left arm. Again her armour saved her from serious injury, but she couldn’t help but wince any time she bent her arm beyond a certain point.

On top of the injuries and fatigue that she felt, she could clearly see now that her hunch was somewhat correct. The more they fought and killed these nightmare beings, the more that shadow on the edge of her vision formed and solidified. The more that filled out, the more concerned she became. Not because it was another foe to fight, but as it began to collect more definition, she could already start to piece together what kind of fight this would be.

Her initial hunch regarding their recommended direction would end up being right; There was definitely a change in the environment in the distance ahead of them. Not like moving from one biome to another; this was almost like a filter was being lifted from the area ahead, or that the filter of nightmares had not quite been applied there yet. She could also pick out individuals in the distance. It was still too far away to make out details, but at least it didn’t look like it was all darkness, so perhaps there were others ahead fighting to keep the nightmares at bay in the area they had already acquired. Before they could move any further though, she shade at the edge of her vision appeared to pulse and fully materialized in front of her. It was exactly as she feared; she was staring at what could easily pass for Anastasia herself. It very likely was what Anastasia feared she could become one day, if she lost her way. All of her doubts and fears about herself made manifest. The eyes in her doppelganger were full of malice and cruelty, and she wore almost identical armour except it was black as pitch. She carried sword that was an exact replica of the blade she currently wore, except it was also black and pulsed with a red energy. At her back was an identical set of wings, except they were a blood red in colour and pulsed with the same malevolence that she did. She knew immediately that her own wings would likely be forced to deal with the others and would be of no use in this fight. “I cannot allow you to go any further,” it said to her, in a voice that sounded exactly like hers but at the same time, nothing like hers. This fight would take up all of her focus and attention, so she would not be able to see what the other two were doing, but they were also likely dealing with a similar situation to hers. “Lets do this then,” she would say to the nightmare Ana. They charged at each other in a clash of blades while their butterfly wings attacked the others, seeking to gain dominance over the other. They knew each other’s fighting styles, and were almost evenly matched, if it weren’t for the fact that Ana was already tired and drained. Her darker side laughed as she swung again and again at her, putting her more on the defensive, trying to find purchase in her defense. There wasn’t a whole lot that the Akari Genin could do, and she didn’t have a whole lot of tricks up her sleeve.

Sensing an opening, her opponent went for a vicious slice at her neck, aiming to kill her and win their duel. Ana had used her fatigue to give the appearance that she was moving slower than she actually was, and at the last moment, brought her sword in to deflect the blow, sending her opponent tumbling for a moment. The moment was what she needed, and she quickly formed hand signs with one hand to paralyze her, keeping her in one place. The look of frustration in her evil version’s face was apparent as she realised that she was defeated. “You will not beat him,” she said as Ana raised her blade for the final stroke. “We’ll see about that,” she replied as she brought it down, finishing off the side of herself that no one should have had to see. With her fight over, she felt a wave of fatigue wave over her. She needed to sit down for a moment to gather herself before they could move on. She would turn to look at the other two to see how they were faring, her butterfly wings would prevent any nightmare creatures from approaching her, should any be in the area.

WC: 2,639
TWC: 3,639

Having taken care of the first shadowy beast Zraix was able to sigh in relief, believing that he and his newly found comrade would have a moment to collect themselves and figure out some sort of strategy moving forward in this strange world. They would be joined by an unfamiliar figure, well at least in appearance who claimed to be the long time ally of the Hoshimura, Monsoon Uchiha. He appeared as a white haired man with bolstering muscles and a large mustache and a moment of thought would reveal that he was the man that had been in the pictures at the apartment Zraix appeared in shortly before making his way to the town square. Activating his Kenseigan at once he would attempt to verify the claim that this man was in fact Monsoon and unfortunately his skepticism wouldnt be curved as he saw the element of fire resonating from the man. "..Monsoon's never had access to the element of fire. So how would he all of a sudden?" he thought to himself.

It was then that the three shinobi became surrounded by 6 shadowy figures, similar to the one he had just bested but armed in a different sense- the beasts had sword like appendages along with shields to accompany them and they grouped together in pairs to assault each of the group. "I guess these things are learning combat fundamentals.." He said as he remained still, looking at the beasts void of any emotion as they leaped at him in unison with one trailing shortly behind the other. Zraix would close his eyes for a moment before opening them and intensifying his focus on the area between himself and the beasts and drawing his katana from its sheath. As he drew the blade, flames trailed from it spawning 20 centimeters off its edge as the ronin closed the distance between himself and the beasts with an upward leap followed by two slashes that would cause his blade to ignite in an arc of fire that traveled 5 meters forward and was 2 meters in diameter. The beasts would be split in two from the bottom half up and the flames of the attack would wrap around them, burning them away as their remains fell to the ground. "Flame Breathing: Rising Scorching Sun!" He said triumphantly before landing and checking on his comrades, delighted to see that they too had finished their foes off.

Sheathing his katana once more he would listen as Anastasia protested that they could not remain in this dreamlike interpretation of their village any longer and that for them to succeed in freeing themselves they would need to explore the entirety of this nightmare realm.  "Yeah I think you're right about that. Although I wouldnt mind getting in some more warm ups on these monsters. He said with jest before ultimately agreeing to follow Ana and explore the rest of the realm.

As they approached the village gates they would be met with more shadow beats that were similar in form to the ones that they had most recently defeated and this time Anastasia would take the liberty of defeating them all on her own. She stepped forward and released a flurry of dart shaped chakra blasts that tore through the enemies without much of an issue- the enemies that were defeated began to disperse but their remains all seemed to be aggregating to the same area and becoming one with a being that appeared to be growing stronger as they defeated more of the dark entities. Anastasia would comment on such and ask whether or not he or "Monsoon" would see this happening. "Glad to know im not the only one whos seeing it to be honest. I thought it might be a strange hallucination being cast by this dream world but that being might be the only "real" thing about this place.. and its giving me a bad feeling." The three would continue on and the Golden haired genin would comment on a discovery of hers that led to a hypothesis regarding the nature of the nightmare realm that had ensnared them. Zraix believed that what she believed could be true but he was keeping his mind open to other possibilities as well- he didnt want to make the mistake of over or underestimating the power that existed around them.

As they continued their journey the numbers of the nightmare beasts would grow along with the powers they held- the size and weaponry of the beats had seemed to advance to a new level with some of the beasts carrying bows and others having two sets of blades. Zraix would draw his wakizashi into his other hand now having both of his blades at the ready as he dashed forward locking blades with a rather large enemy that slammed down both of its blades  in an attempt to slash at the to of his head. The ronin would cross his blades over top his head in an 'X' formation stopping the slash before executing a dual slash of his own and forcing the blades of his enemy flying upwards. He would follow this up by jumping with his blades angled at a slant and held slightly behind his head before directing them down at the shoulders of the beast, killing it and adding its remains to the shadowed figure that continued to grow.
Upon landing he would become surrounded by ten more shadowed beast all aiming with bow and arrow- he would glance left and then right, his body motionless as he awaited the onslaught of arrows that threatened to pepper him into submission. He would entice them to attack by lowering his stance in an attempt "duck" under the arrows- this would prompt them all to angle their bows slightly lower and shoot in unison. Zraix would smirk as he took this opportunity to toss both his katana and wakizashi into the air one meter above his head as he strung together the handsigns Boar-Ram-Tiger-Ox-Snake at a speed of 150. His katana would then begin to spin violently around him as it created a small barrier around him while his wakizashi sat still in mid air just a half a meter in front of him horizontally. The barrier that had been formed would stop the arrows of the archers in their tracks before turning them around and sending them back at the archers with the same force they had been delivered with.

Having dispatched of the archers, their remains would follow the same fate as the previous shadow creatures and join the larger entity that grew stronger by the minute- Zraix would come to a standing position as his two blades floated around him only a half a meter away and at chest level. The ronin would grab at his arm and grit his teeth as blood trailed down from a wound he had sustained a bit earlier, no doubt from one of the enemies that had blades for arms. He would turn to focus his attention on the culmination of shadows that had finally begun to take a solid form and the form it manifested was that of his own, or rather the body that he had taken on since appearing in this nightmare realm. "It pains me to do this but I cant allow you to continue any further..." said the nightmare entity in a distorted voice, his eyes closing and opening revealing the three tomoe sharingan. Zraix was utterly shocked as he witnessed the figure draw the blade from his back out of the black and red sheath that he himself had been unable to earlier- the short katana would ignite in a bright orange flame and the entity readied himself into a crouched fighting stance with both of his hands on the hilt of the katana. Knowing that the only way to advance forward and check on the safety of his comrades was through combat, the ronin sighed as he commanded his blades to float back to his hands. "Not sure who you are.. but you're not the first Uchiha ive dealt with. Come on then." He worried for his comrades but as he looked around he realized that he and his opponent were in an area of the battlefield that was 40 meters off in the distance, surely this was the work of the strange realm they still knew little about.

The battle between the two swordsman raged on with neither giving the other even a moment to relax- steel clashed as the two met in mid air and Zraix began to wonder if he would be able to defeat this foe without going all out. The shadowed entity would land slightly before the ronin and would begin stringing together handseals with his free hand at an alarming speed and after finishing would release a fireball 10 meters in diameter that barreled towards the Hoshimura, its light illuminating the portion of the battlefield they occupied in its entirety. "Cant afford to hold back now.. He thought to himself as he began to glow with a bright pink aura that spawned just a few cm off of his body. Almost immediately after he would lean forward and sheath his wakizashi, grabbing the hilt of his katana with both hands and charging lightning chakra throughout his entire body. In glorious fashion the Hoshumura's entire body would become surrounded by a dense lightning chakra, his kenseigan almost being blurred by the lightning chakra that ran across his irises- it was then that the fireball of the Uchiha would make contact, exploding in a blast that covered a 10 meter radius and radiated heat that could melt regular steel. It was only seconds after the explosion that a smirk of respect and admiration would cross the face of the Uchiha shrouded in darkness as his head hit the floor just behind his body which soon followed. Zraix now stood 2 meters behind the body of the slain foe with his blade extended outward and his body still surging with lightning chakra- his breathing was heavy as he had only very recently learned this technique but he had managed to blitz through the fireball only sustaining minor burns and injuries and decapitate his foe at a speed that left the entity only able to predict with his sharingan, unable to dodge it. "You have no hope in beating him.. but if you should manage.. my blade is yours.. exact the justice I could not or fall into failure." These were the last words of his adversary as he faded away, his sword slowly crumbling into the shadows behind him.

Zraix was now feeling the fatigue of the battle but was able to hold strong as he still had some reserves of energy. The ronin would slash his way through the battlefield, taking flight and finishing off lesser shadows that seemed almost like childs play when faced with the enemy he had just faced. After some time he managed to make it to Ana's side noting that she was injured to an extent and must have endure her own heft battle. "You okay?" He would ask her as he stood at the ready, sword in hand as he prepared for any other threats that would come there way. There was still another question though and that was, where was "Monsoon" amongst all of this?

WC=1,902
TWC= 2,958

Monsoon caught Zraix's activation of his doujutsu and felt its vision wash over him. Though cloaked in Uchiha crests, the lotus flower of the Kenseigan greeted Monsoon. Something about this look seemed off, as "Zraix" rose a curious brow at Monsoon. At that same time, an object peeking behind Zraix's back caught his eye, a blade that Monsoon had not seen Zraix have before. His pupils dilated, swirled and encompassed their entire eye, the red gaze of the Sharingan examined the blade. A dark hunger seeped from the confines of the sheath and a burning presence seemed to stick along the hilt, in fashions both curious and strange. Monsoon commented on it,

"Nice blade."

Anastasia, as before, took charge of the situation and suggested the three leave the village, to examine the land and gain more of an understanding. Indeed, though the creatures they had fought were similar, their manners of appearing seemed different. Without protest, Monsoon followed Zraix and Anastasia.

As they came upon the village gates, they were met with a squadron of armored shadows. Without hesitation, Anastasia weaved handseals. The butterflies around her glowed with chakra, they swarmed forward like torrential rain, dousing the shadows with brilliance, burning through their armor and dissipating them like mist. Like before, remnants of these shadows gathered on the periphery. This could not go unnoticed by Monsoon, as by now these gathering remnants were beginning to take shape. In the corners of his vision, Monsoon picked out what look like a rough-clay sculpture of a large, hatted man of shadow sitting down.

Anastasia, not allowing herself a moment's breath after her impressive use of chakra, would comment on the growing cluster of shadow.

"I hadn't notice before, Anastasia. Strange how it's only at the corners of what we can see. If this is anything like last time, we should at least check the land of hotsprings, at least."

They exited the village with no clear objective in mind. Like inside the village, strange orbs of emotion and memory floated about the place, giving a pale glow to the distorted surroundings. As before, the golden knight found some point of interest. She drew attention to a place in the distance, in where the surroundings were filmed in a haze, like a bubble cast over the land.

"I see it too, reminds me of those portals the chuunin sealed away."

Without protest, Monsoon followed the two, toward the barrier between one realm and the next. Their chosen path bearing fruit as they came upon a squadron of soldier-like shadows. These ones showed an obvious evolution, their armor was more refined and a heirarchy was present, with "chuunin" like beasts ordering "genin" like subordinates. With a guttural command, arrows were fired and hailed down upon the three shinobi. Anastasia, playing her role of the knight well, leapt into action. Before the initial barrage could harm the squad, a light-made barrier, a luminous shield, blocked their path and protected the three shinobi from the initial barrage. Not letting this moment go to waste, Zraix, having identified the commanders of the squad, dashed to deal with them. Monsoon, being the slowest, would stay near the rear of the advancing trio, aiding Anastasia and preventing her from being swarmed. With wrathful punches and gruesome kicks, and the aid of his Sharingan, the Uchiha would be able to handle the first wave of armed combatants, their strength not able to match his. However, their number was great and Monsoon was slow. as the battle raged he found himself surrounded by beasts with heavy shields. Instead of one at a time, they swarmed him simultaneously, falling upon the Uchiha and battering him with clubs while bashing him with their shields. Though his guard was up, the combined attacks broke through his unarmored defenses. Before one could land a serious blow, arrows of light from Anastasia rained upon their exposed and vulnerable backs, freeing Monsoon from their onslaught, turned the tide on the few left.

The battle waned and was won, but the squad did not come out unharmed. They, however, could not catch their breath.

As Akari had suggested, their defeating of the shadows only strengthen the being that was gathering in the corners of their vision. Now, though he could not see it directly, the shadows formed the silhouette of a large, robed man in wide brimmed hat who was visibly smoking on a large wooden pipe. This man, having sensed the eyes of Monsoon, would stand and walk to the forefront of his vision. He was white haired, bearded with an exquisite mustache and wore a robe emblazoned with cartoon monkeys, the same man Monsoon had seen in the pictures of the home before. Seeing this recognition, the venerated warrior smiled and spoke with a warm baritone was carried by the wind.

"How long has it been I wonder? Bah, it does not matter. Come, lets find an area in where we won't be hindered." The robed man turned around, to lead Monsoon to a place away from the squad. Monsoon, knowing that the others would be in similar predicaments, would not honor the requested of the robed warrior. When the man's back would turn, Monsoon would take the Peacock stance. Dashing forward at 80 speed, he would come upon the flank of the warrior and aim to deliver a blinding flurry of fierce punches, with such force that the air would ignite in flame.

This activation of Morning Peacock would not go unnoticed. The skilled warrior, as Monsoon came upon his back, would sigh. With a breath, his body would bulk up, in ways that threw his robe to the ground. His blood would course with such power that his skin would redden, the heat from his strength would bring a haze around him. Monsoon, not needing his sharingan, would recognize a supreme activation of the eight inner gates. At a speed much greater than Monsooon's Morning Peacock, the venerated warrior would turn to meet the charging Uchiha. The warrior would bring one hand up and take another stance, one that Monsoon was familiar with, the Tsuri-Goshi. As Monsooon went to through his first punch that would have ignited the air, the warrior would catch his fist with an open palm, debuffing its power to more than manageable levels. Using Monsoon's own momentum, the warrior would side step and flip the Uchiha over himself. With his one free hand, and at impressive speed, the warrior strung handseals. The chakra within him swelled, transferring to his physicality and invigoration his musculature. As Monsoon locked eyes with the man's grey eyes, the warrior spoke one word.

"Disappointing."

His words, powered by his strength, unleashed a great wave of concussive force. With his current strength, Monsoon was unable to resist the effects of the warrior's Heavenly Breath. He was launched backwards about 15 meters and sent tumbling on the dirt ground, gasping from the shock. Monsoon, while catching himself, would scan the surroundings. To his surprise, his comrades were nowhere to be found, it was just he and this warrior in a 40 meter clearing. The warrior, with an expression that matched his words, shook his head.

"It pains me to see you like this, Monsoon. You do understand that you can't continue like this. You will die."

Being allowed a moment of respite, Monsoon was able to bring himself up to one knee. He looked at the venerated warrior. His look seemed to stir something within the Uchiha. As his situation was indeed dire, Monsoon knew what he'd need to do. He sighed with his revelation.

"You're right."

Monsoon's chakra system would flood with intended activation. It would seem into both his muscles and his eyes, his bulk would increase and his sharingan would glow a bright, neon red. With his activation of his sharingan perfected, Monsoon's strength would be equal to the venerated warrior. Monsoon would string together five handseals while kneading chakra in his stomach. Bringing his index and thumb to his mouth, his chakra would funnel up his throat. An ember would stream between his hand and mouth, combusting into a great conflagration, a cone of fire that would stream would expand out to 20 meters, encompassing the warrior's current position and the area around. In response to Monsoon's weaving of handseals, earth chakra would surge in the warrior. His feet would float above the ground as if he was weightless, he would fly and retreat to a distance 20 meters away from Monsoon, avoiding the Great Fireball jutsu, while stringing handseals. As he reached a safe distance, he landed and slammed his hands on the ground. This motion would send a tremor throughout the earth, shuddering and churning it into a crushing quake that spread to the Uchiha. Seeing the warrior's earth chakra influence, Monsoon strung a similar set of handseals and placed his hands on the ground, matching a use of Tearing Earth Palm with his own. As the Uchiha's jutsu was more powerful, when the churning slabs of earth met, Monsoon's exceeded and continued going to the warrior. Being outmatch, he took to the air, to avoid the destruction below. Monsoon would release his jutsu to observe his opponent as he strung simultaneous handseals, his chakra would ebb and flow in ways that could not be hidden by Monsoon's doujutsu.

Fire...water..earth..and a combination?

With a boastful Orra!, the warrior would clap his hands after completing four sets of handseals worth of jutsu, while floating in the air. The earth below would shudder again as fire streamed from his mouth. Water contained in jugs on his person would stream out, and a great white plume of ash would exhale out his nose. With his movement, each element would form a dragon, one earth, one fire, one water and one ash. These serpents would hover around the warrior. All at once, they would charge toward Monsoon, with maw, fang and claws bared.

Monsoon would stare at the warrior, and the elemental dragons that made their way. The tomoe of his sharingan would spin, his pupils would shudder and blood would run down his cheek. The tomoe would empty, the black contained would connect with the center pupil, and a New Sharingan would gaze from Monsoon's sockets and stare at a spot between Monsoon and the warrior. just in front of the heads of the elemental dragons. A black ember would spark from nothingness, a black blaze would erupt and soon expand into 35 meter sphere. Upon contact, the ninjutsu from the warrior, overwhelmed by the power of the Amateratsu, would burn away. And, blood would run from Monsoon's other eye. The black flame would shimmer, spikes of flame would shoot toward and around the warrior. Though fast in his flight, he could not outpace the speed of Monsoon's Kagetsuchi. Before he could make his next move, a large spike would impale the warrior through the chest, the flames would spread from the wound and encompassed his being. As he was swallowed, his expression of disappointment was replaced with that of admiration, he smiled before he was consumed.

"Keep that spirit, and you may just make it..."

As the fire began to burn the ash of the warrior, monsoon extended his hand and drew the entirety of his Amaterasu to his being, gathering it into a singular ember that hovered on his forehead, like a flickering, black horn.

On the small hill that Anastasia had found herself in, Zraix the ronin would join. As he questioned where his comrade would be, the space near them would shudder. Darkness and flame would carve a gateway in where Monsoon, with his black flame horn and new sharingan, would walk out, meeting up with both Akari and Hoshimura. Dried blood was visible on his face, he moved as one with cracked ribs. Yet, strangely, on his back, he carried a small tea table and clay set. Seeing his other compatriots in similar weariness, Monsoon would unpack the tea table. His garb, a seeming gift of the dreamscape, had everything they'd need, flora tea and filling snacks: to help regain some stamina while they gathered their senses.

As Monsoon poured the tea, he would discuss what went on in his fight with the shadow warrior.

"It was strange...it was as if he knew me. But I do not recall ever meeting him..."

If his comrades chose to discuss their findings, Monsoon would listen. He would note that Anastasia, though battle weary, seemed to have overcome something internally. Her demeanor carried an air of confident assurance, as if some internal demon had been battled. For Zraix, Monsoon saw the remnants of lightning coursing through his system, though why he could not place. Yet, in the same way, his demeanor belayed an obvious acknowledgement of his own prowess. If any were to remark on his sharingan, or the black flame near his head, Monsoon would explain it fully.

"It seem's Ciel's words rang true. I have unlocked my sharingan's true potential."

As they supped and ended their discussion, their moment of break would be finished. The sky above would blink, a great sound of shattering glass would thunder across the heavens. As if being peeled back, a rift in space would open above the horizon, revealing a spiraling maw with a singular, yellow eye. This distortion would bleed ichor and rank down to the surface, onto a hill on the far end of where the three currently sat. Gibbering beasts, horrid abominations, and armored nightmares would spring forth from rank ooze, slick as if with amniotic fluid. At that time, the various orbs of memory and emotion that permeated the air would activate, shinobi, heroes and beasts of myth would port onto the opposing size. Though severely outmatched in number, the quality of these warriors of dreams were above that of the armies of nightmare. Thus, the two could collide, in open field.

The battle field was a large and flanked on either side by soft, rolling hills. In the farthest distance, a strange contraption could be seen, an orb like egg hovering above a runed pedestal, with flesh similar to the eye that stared above in the sky. As warriors and nightmares fell, this "egg" would resonate and beat like a heart. Monsoon would not notice this at first, as his focus would be elsewhere.

As warriors of dreamed line upon the hill, Monsoon stood. He looked to both Anastasia and Zraix.

"You both have expended a lot of chakra in this bout. Allow me to assist you in your endeavors. Just, stay within 15 meters of me."

Blood would run down Monsoon's right eye as his black flame roared with energy. He would breath in, black flame would circle around the three shinobi, rising and falling with each inhale and exhale. With his kagetsuchi, Monsoon would have perfect control of his Amateratsu flame. Thus, his comrades, having memorized their chakra signature, would never be harmed by it. Should Zraix or Anastasia request or need it, they could augment their attacks with Black flame of 210 power and speed. These flames could coat their blades, or be used to enchant their other jutsu. Monsoon, playing the role of support and being in center, would focus his portion of Amateratsu to defend their flanks and take out any nightmares.

However, the make up of the nightmare army would not make this easy. The armored beasts they had fought before no longer carried crude imitations of martial implements, but dark blades, sleek armor and tower shields. The arches carried strange screeching arrows, in where those struck could be overcome by hysterical fear. The dual bladed generals were likewise armored and stayed far back to focus on ordering. There were also war beasts, if one could differentiate the shadow horrors from these nightmare beasts. They were horrid amalgamations of steel and animal, launching plumes of choking smoke as internal combustion powered reckless and deadly charges. This would not be like defending a castle from a siege, the three would need to coordinate to make it out alive.

[2,672/3,792 WC]

Anastasia had barely sat down when she was joined by Zraix, it appeared that he had also defeated his opponent. He asked her how she was, likely because of how worn out she probably looked. ‘Lord knows I definitely feel it…’ she thought to herself as she looked up at Zraix and smiled weakly. “Tired and sore, but nothing that I haven’t felt before. I’ll be alright.” She laughed softly, more to herself than anything, “besides, we don’t really have the time to just sit here and lick our wounds.”

It was just as she was wondering what happened with Monsoon, that the man appeared nearby, almost as if out of nowhere. He looked different than earlier. Not much mind you, but she could feel something had changed. On top of that, he had a mark on his forehead, a circle that appeared to be a black flame. It didn’t seem to be bothering him, so she didn’t bother commenting on it. As she prepared to stand up to get moving again, Monsoon sat down and pulled a full tea set complete with table off of his back. Anastasia raised an eyebrow, ‘this really isn’t the time for something like this…’ she thought to herself as he busied himself with preparing tea and snacks. While he was setting things up, he commented on something; about meeting someone. Ana hadn’t had the chance to see what either of them were doing, so she had no basis for determining what it was that they had encountered. They both look like they had fought something, each with varying degrees of success. She would opt to share, to see if she could find some form of commonality. “I fought…myself…a version of me that I swore that I would never become. It was the amalgamation of all that I abhor.” She paused for a moment as Monsoon offered drinks and snacks, now that everything was ready. She was loathe to accept, because of the current situation, but a quick refreshment likely couldn’t hurt. He must have noticed her glance flicker to the flame on his head because he answered the glance by saying that he had unlocked his Sharingan’s true potential, whatever that meant. She’d heard of the Uchiha doujutsu, but wasn’t particularly familiar with what it did, or the different stages that it apparently had.

Once their discussion had ended, there would be a sound, akin to a window shattering asunder above them. Off in front of them, to one side, it appeared that a battle was about to rejoin, reinforcements having made it to the battle lines. ‘We need to link up with the forces from the Land of Dreams if we are to have any hope of victory…’ She thought to herself as she gathered herself again and rose to her feet. “This way!” She would say to her comrades once they were ready and led them to the closest point where the friendly forces were doing battle, cutting through the hostiles to regroup with those they came here to assist. It was still not an easy fight. The creatures they were fighting seemed to be even stronger and better-equipped. Likely as close to the best that the Land of Nightmares had to press the advance while the defenders were running on empty. Friendly reinforcements were also coming in but not in as many numbers. It was a battle of quality over quantity, but there was only so much they could do unless something changed and quickly. She overheard a squadron of knights, where their leader was talking of bringing a Purifier to the dream node in order to push the presence of the Land of Nightmares back. They were pointing off in the distance, back towards where Hoshigakure stood in this world. On top of a hill, she could make out something glowing and likely assumed that would be it. She would walk over to the knights and say, “we’ll get you there!” A cheer went through the knights as they drew their weapons and followed the Akari Genin as she charged into the melee.

The monsters were definitely harder to fight here; stronger, faster, better coordinated. Luckily for her though, in addition to her teammates, she now had a squad of about twenty knights from the Land of Dreams at her back with a strange figure in a hooded robe at their center. ‘Perhaps the Purifier they were talking about earlier?’ she thought to herself as she deflected a sword strike to one side and watched a spear come from over her shoulder and skewer the monster in front of her, killing it. The knights fought as well as she did, and were all equipped with a variety of close combat weapons; swords, axes, shields, two-handed spears, and greatswords. Regardless of how many there were, the combined weight of their assault was enough to break the line of attackers and caused a breach that they could surge forward through. Their allies also noticed the hole, because they started sending more forces in that direction to swarm through and wrap around, hitting their enemy from the flank and the rear.

Anastasia and their group would continue to press the advantage, making towards the glowing thing on the hill in front of them. It was still a decent distance away and the enemy noticed their incursion and were re-positioning to block their path. Arrows rained down on them from archer units, but before Ana could do anything about them, the cloaked figure in the middle of their group raised their hand and a shield of light appeared above them, deflecting the arrows easily. Another squad of hostile monstrosities charged at them, and they were slowed down having to deal with them. Anastasia slashed, parried, and stabbed her way through those in front of her, the knights following suit. The last thing standing between them and the pillar was likely the one leading the forces in this area. It was massive; easily standing head and shoulders above the rest, with a retinue of guards that were also larger than the current forces they were fighting. It wielded a massive axe that was almost as large as she was, and it could likely swing the axe around as easily as she could her sword. This would not be an easy battle but they would need to prevail here if they wanted to save their home. The knights charged as did Anastasia, the enemy did the same with their leader at the fore. The two forces came together with a clash of weapons and battle cries, a knight was cleaved in two by the massive axe almost immediately. They would need to take the leader down quickly otherwise their force would be in significant danger of breaking. Anastasia launched her wings at the general, hitting it with a myriad of strikes, but they seemed to be particularly ineffective against it. She did, however, succeed in getting its attention and it swung its axe at her. Parrying it would not end well for her as it was likely stronger than her by several magnitudes, so she would resort to dodging the attacks. After one particularly heavy overhand cleave, Ana was able to take her sword across the general’s wrist. It wasn’t enough to cut it off, but it definitely caused some significant damage. To her dismay, it looked like the damage was already being repaired. ‘Definitely a challenge to deal with…’ she thought to herself as she went after another part of its body, its legs, to try and immobilize it. Infusing light chakra into her blade, she put all of her strength into a slash at the being’s ankle, severing it completely. It stumbled and fell to the side, crushing one of its own. As it struggled to get back up, the Akari Genin was able to turn her attention to some of the guards to allow her own backup to assist with bringing the abomination down for good.

The fight was bloody, and they lost a good number of knights in the process, but the leader lay dead and dissipating at their feet. Their task was far from over though; the glowing object, a rune-covered pillar with a flesh-like orb on top, was not far from where they stood. Luckily, the robed Purifier was still with them, and thus they still had a chance of completing their task. The Purifier immediately got to work, sending magical energy into the pedestal while the remaining knights created a defensive perimeter around them. The loss of their commander was a moral blow to the attackers, but they saw what was being done to the pedestal and turned back to try and deal with them, as if their lives depended on it. The Land of Dream defenders saw the shift and pressed the attack, taking down many as they tried to disengage and charge up to where Anastasia and her allies were. Some still managed to get up to them and they fought with reckless abandon. Focusing their attention entirely on the purifier, trying to bring them down to stop whatever it was they were doing. It would all be for naught though; the Purifier did exactly as their name suggested, and completed their ritual. The Pedestal changed immediately; becoming a marble column with an orb of crystal on top, pulsing softly with white light. The surrounding area started changing as well, becoming exactly like the area nearby, no longer corrupted with the Land of Nightmare’s Influence. The enemy forces immediately seemed to shrink, as if they were losing power. The knights and other Land of Dreams forces by contrast seemed to grow in strength, and more of them appeared. ‘So that’s how we fix this…’ Ana thought to herself as she watched the change. It didn’t look like that would be the end of it though. The corruption cleared from a significant area, but she could see that there was still more to deal with.

Back the way they came, roughly where Hoshigakure stood, another rift appeared and more troops pulled out from there. “There must be another one of these inside the village itself,” she said to her allies. “The Land of Nightmare forces must be trying to put all of their efforts into this next wave to take back the lost ground. We can’t let that happen.” Their squad was reinforced with more knights and other defenders, as if the Land of Dreams commanders saw them as fit to lead more troops into battle. They had archers of their own, mages, even some beings that looked like angels, that flew around with spears and shields. Once the Purifier, now bolstered by a second, had completed their task and confirmed that the pedestal was back to normal, they proceeded to move forward. The rest of the Land of Dreams forces had already started moving up to the new battle line to prepare for the next wave of enemies. This time however, they were more on the offensive now.

The march back up the way they came to Hoshigakure took significantly longer than it took for them to leave in the first place, but eventually they were back at the walls of the corrupted version of their village. The enemies were becoming more concentrated since they had less area to push out from. The cordon was changing in the Land of Dreams’ favour and the bloodlust, while still there, was waning. Anastasia and her allies took advantage of this and once again punched a hole in the enemy lines to gain entry into the village, causing the Land of Dreams forces to pour in behind them, clearing the walls and surrounding areas. The Purifiers directed them to where the Unseen university was located in the village. The last pedestal would be there. The fighting would still be dangerous, and they did lose troops as they made their way there, but they were successful in making it to the Unseen University. The Land of Nightmares’ most elite forces were here. ‘That must also mean that their leader is here…’ Anastasia thought to herself and made those thoughts known to her teammates and their allies. She cut down a couple of the creatures as they barreled into the Unseen University itself, heading for where the Hogokage’s offices were located. It was a fight the entire way, every step had defenders trying to prevent them from achieving their goals, but they were all dealt with in short order. The Purifiers were helpful with keeping them alive, but they were saving the majority of their powers for the task they were assigned, restoring the pedestal that was here.

They made it to the Hogokage’s office; inside was the corrupted pedestal, along with a trio of beings that were all the size of normal humans. The one in the middle though radiated an aura of almost insatiable hunger, and a palpable evil presence. The ruler of the Land of Nightmares and its retainers. “You will not take this from me…” it hissed at them, drawing a pair of blades that were made of shadows. “this is my realm now…” and the three beings charged at them. Anastasia stepped to fight one of the retainers, protecting the purifiers as they made towards the pedestal to start cleansing it.

The fight she had was like none other than she had before. This creature was even stronger than the alternative version of herself and she found herself on the backstep for most of the fight. It managed to injure her a couple times, swinging the fight in its favour were it not for the intervention of one of the knights. It stabbed at the retainer with a spear which caused it to become distracted for a moment while it pulled the knight closer and stabbed him through the heart with its blade. The knight gave Anastasia an opportunity though to use what strength she had left to run her blade through the retainer’s side, mortally wounding it. The rest of the fighting seemed to have abated with her teammates and allies finishing off the other two in the time it took her to finish her own fight. The two Purifiers completed their cleansing ritual and the dream version of Hoshigakure returned to normal almost immediately. The remaining nightmare creatures vanished instantly as they were banished back to their realm. Anastasia passed out at that point, waking up an unknown amount of time later back in her home, with no injuries other than being more tired than when she went to bed before that.

[EXIT]

WC: 2438
TWC: 6077

Claims:
Mission Rewards: 28,750 Ryo, 192 AP, 100 Dream Tokens, Dream Waiver

250 WC towards Parry (A-Rank, 2063/2063, 25% Max stat discount) Proof here
2013 WC towards Light Release: Dreamfyre (A-Rank, 2062/2062, 25% Max Stat Discount) Proof here
1875 WC towards Light Release: Barrier (A-Rank, 1875/1875, 25% Max Stat Discount)
1875 WC towards Light Release: Seeker Orbs (A-Rank, 1875/1875, 25% Max Stat Discount)
64 WC towards Temple Style: Discovery of an Incomplete Truth (2064/2500) Proof here

A soft smile would come across the Hoshimura's face as he realize that Ana was okay, just a bit exhausted from her bouts with the shadowed creatures. He had to admit that he was also tired and had truly pushed himself in his last encounter- the Uchiha he had battled still plagued his minds, the words of the spirit almost taunting him. "I suppose you're right Ana. We have to get a move on if we want to finish up business here and return to our world." Only moments later Zraix would pivot to the left with sword in hand, his torso giving cover to his seated comrade as the area around them shuddered and black flames erupted out in a portal formation revealing the white haired man that he had met up with earlier, only he seemed quite different now. He carried a small table and some tea along with snacks as he approached- it was clear that he had also taken part in a strenuous battle as there was dried blood on his face and trailed down from his eyes, eyes that were familiar to Zraix. The Hoshimura would sheath his blade at once upon seeing Monsoon's eyes, the ronin's body still glowing with the bright pink aura of his Wosac before he bolted up to Monsoon and gave him a cheerful slap on the shoulder. "Well well! I guess it really was you the entire time!" Being that the Uchiha had sustained some damage and even had a broken rib this slap might have caused a bit of pain which might be reflected and if this was the case then Zraix would apologize and listen to the story that Monsoon told of his lengthy and difficult battle with a man that he had never met before but seemed to know of him.

Zraix would sit as Monsoon poured tea and Anastasia reluctantly joined them, "Well while I agree that we don't have a whole lot of time to waste, we also have no idea how time works in this dimension so a break couldnt hurt right?" He said before taking a cup of tea and inhaling the rich scent that it emitted. His expression would on interest would be almost palpable upon hearing that Monsoon had reached a new level of power with his sharingan and that these black flames could be manipulated by him at will- he referred to their other partner Ciel and it became clear that the phasing ability he had used in a spar with them was an ability of the Mangekyo Sharingan, the pride of the Uchiha clan and the pinnacle of their abilities. He would listen as the conversation shifted to Ana who had fought a shadowed version of herself- this was quite interesting as the feeling Zraix had while he was facing off against his opponent was that he was somehow fighting a version of himself, not that this made any sense. Finally, It was his turn to divulge what had occurred while he was off in the distance. "Well it seems like you guys also had pretty tough fights. This nightmare realm is truly unforgiving as it appears. My situation wasn't any different." He said as he directed his gaze to Monsoon, taking a sip of tea in between speakin. "I had the misfortune of facing off against one of your clan members. The guy that I look like. Guess he was an Uchiha and he gave me a run for my money. I had to use a technique I hadnt even had the time to polish yet. But it all worked out." Looking back at Ana he continued, "Seems like you had one of the tougher battles being that you basically had to fight a mirror. Glad you made it out okay." With this the conversation between them had come to an end and the three could continue moving forward.

The sound of shattering glass bellowed above them as they looked off in the distance and could see the physical manifestation of the imminent collision between dreams and nightmares- the army of dreams that they would be able to consider comrades raged forward and was going to take on this newly reinforced army of nightmares themselves. A smirk would cross the ronin's face as he looked on in admiration at the sheer strength, determination and spirit showcased by the reinforcements for at this point this was a fight for the right to exist-a clear depiction of good battling evil. Anastasia would comment that the three would need to join up with the dream forces if they were going to have any chance at taking out the nightmare army for good- though the logic was simple it was hard to argue with her about it because at a core level she was correct. Zraix would begin to levitate slowly as he flew at a speed that would keep him only two meters behind her- the trio would find themselves cutting, blasting and striking their way through more of the nightmare forces as they attempted to rendezvous with the dream forces and Zraix was shocked to see the level to which the nightmare beasts had improved, "Are they getting that much stronger or have we weakened?" he thought to himself after they had finally made it to the soliders.

Anastasia would begin speaking with the soliders and almost as though she was their born leader the knights cheered and pledged to follow them so they might make their way to a 'purifier' that was crucial to dispelling the shadows and pushing them out of the dream realm. Zraix would push along with the twenty knights and his comrades as they fought against these improved nightmare beasts, trying their hardest to tip the scales in their favor so they could press forward. The ronin found himself back to back with a Knight carrying a heft warhammer, the two of them surrounded by ten shadowed figures that no longer looked like barbaric beasts but had taken the form of humanoid knights with varying weapons. "Cover me! Ill make an opening for you!" He said as he took off from the ground with great force, flying forward at a speed of 210. "Koukuto.. Lend me your strength!" He thought to himself before the ronin became covered in a barrier of light comprised of space time charka- the 4 nightmare warriors that he flew towards would attempt to stop what Zraix was doing by sending black and red chakra spheres sized at 1 meter in diameter at him. The dark spheres would collide with the barrier of light and dissipate just before the barrier began to fade revealing Zraix in a new dark hooded cloak made of a dense chakra and a jet black katana with a chain hanging from the base of its hilt in his left hand- the bright pink aura still surrounded him as he slashed his newly attained black katana two times, releasing two black and purple crescent shaped blasts that were 3 meters in length and 1 meter in width at the four knights, destroying them immediately upon contact.

Looking back at the knight with the warhammer Zraix couldnt help but to be impressed as the warrior had manage to make quick work of the remaining shadowed knights- the two of them would rejoin the vanguard and take note that their forces had declined severely. Zraix would arrive to Anastasia's location as he watched her battle a titan amongst these nightmare creature- the enemy she fought with towered over the others and while it seemed as though she could use the help Zraix would sit back and observe her combat technique as he had never seen someone fight quite like her. He would cover her by dispatching of smaller less imposing shadow creatures that were seeking to provide backup to the one that Anastasia battled with- he had sheathed his katana and was now relying fully on the Black Blade of Kokuto to handle the enemies around him, flying and slashing at them at speeds that they could not handle. The ronin would land just before Anastasia dealt the decisive blow to the general of the shadowed forces and he would approach her before they all continued forward. "You had me worried there for a moment but I knew youd pull through!" he said with a smile.

The next bit of business was taken care of by the purifier giving energy in the effort to strengthen the dream knights and weaken the nightmare forces and this is exactly what had occurred thankfully. "Yeah no kidding.." He said in response to Ana "If you ask me, we should have flown straight over to this thing in the first place. Could have saved some chakra." He said before they took off back to Hoshiguakure where they had suspected to find another purifier in hopes of decreasing the armies forces even further. The trek to the village took much longer this time for them no doubt due to their fatigue but with time they made it back and were able to push through the nightmare forces in the village. The creatures though smaller, seemed to be fighting much harder as they knew this was their last chance to win back the area and forces that they had lost- the trio would refuse to let this happen as they cut down their forces a considerable amount more before making their way to the office of the Hogokage.

Within the office they would find three humanoid figures that without a doubt were the leaders of the nightmare army- Zraix would smirk as he heard the words from the figure in the middle claiming that they would not be successful in defeating him and that he would claim the realm for himself. "Yeah about that.." The ronin would say as he flew towards the leader directly, slashing at him with his blackened chakra blade and engaging the leader. The leader held two blades, one a reversed blade sword and the other a short sword used solely for offense. The leader of the dark forces would cross his blades in front of his chest and deliver an X shaped slash that formed a chakra blast in that shape at 5 meters in diameter- Zraix responded by launching a crescent shaped blast that would cancel it out and create a small explosion. Zraix would place the hilt of his blade in his mouth as he began to string together handsigns at a speed of 210 Dragon - Hare - Horse - Ram - Ox - Monkey, and then clapping his hands together. The result would be the formation of two portals of 5 meter height and 3 meter diameter spawning one meter in front of himself and 5 meters behind his foe, the ronin would then point his sword directly into the portal, the black blade beginning to shine a bright white before extending at a speed and power of 130. The blade would go through the entrance of the portal in front of him and emerge from the portal behind his enemy, skewering him through a vital point and ending the fight.

Zraix would ensure his opponent was finished and would be ecstatic to see that the nightmare forces had been dispatched of thanks to some handling of the situation on Ana's part while he and Monsoon were locked in battles with their respective foes. Everything would fade to black and Zraix would wake up in the comfort of his home, exhausted and very confused.

WC=1,924
TWC= 4,882

[EXIT]
MISSION COMPLETE, CLAIMING MISSION REWARDS
50,750 Ryo [Including Rank bonus], 192 AP, 100 Dream Tokens, Dream Waiver
[Will make claims Later]

Monsoon gasped as his friend smacked his side, the well-meaning blow racked his injured body. Grabbing his side, he rose to meet the Hoshumura's beaming face, with a raise brow of ire.

"Who else did you think I was?"Monsoon thought for a moment. "Oh yeah, you must not have been pulled into the first attack from the land of nightmares. This realm grabs hold of our unconsciousness, pulling aspects and ideas from there to give it form here. With general greetings done, Monsoon set up the tea table. He noticed Anastasia's reluctance in accepting the moment of respite. Zraix too, noticed this and deigned to comment. Whether through his words or her own volition, she joined in and the trio dined for a moment to lick their wounds.

The tea and snacks appeared to make her glib as the Akari spoke of her encounter, of fighting a shadowed version of herself. Strange, Monsoon would think, as he fought the man whose face he currently wore. Zraix would also share his experience, of fighting an Uchiha, one that looked as the ronin did in this realm. Monsoon found this stranger. He sipped his tea then spoke, "I don't know which clan my opponent hailed from, but, like you Zraix, he looked like I do now. His taijutsu was equal to my own, my fight pushed me to discovering my fire..." Monsoon would pause for a moment, realizing his own words. Accomplishment glossed over his eyes, he glanced at Zraix, knowing he too would understand the weight of what he'd just uttered. "I'm in agreement with Zraix. Your battle was hardest, Akari. Whether a confession of weakness or a boast of strength, I do not believe I could have come out of the battle as unscathed as you."

They would finish their meal, at the time that the sky broke and Nightmares rained down from the heavens. Quickly, the trio sprung up, to meet the army with the spawning warriors of dreams. Anastasia, like a knight-commander, gave an order to group with Land of dreams forces. As she readied herself, she gave the order. Zraix seemed to have some reservations, such was the way of being that preferred calculations, options, and possibilities, was loath to always go with the first choice. Monsoon was of a similar mind, more so as he preferred direct approaches. However, both Shinobi knew that the numbers ahead prevented clean paths, thus, reinforcing with gathering allies was the most logical choice.

As the numbers of the horde became apparent, Anastasia overheard a squadron of shining knights. With haste, she stood on the hill. Her speech, though short, spoke volumes to the knights, they looked at her as if to a commander. With a synchrontious nod, the knights formed around Anastasia, into an arrow with the Akari as the spear tip. Zraix took the center, his speed giving him great access to all sides of the formation. Monsoon would stay in the back, to protect the archers.

Monsoon's right eye bled, black flames gathered under his feet to form a meter flat disc. With it, Monsoon floated in the air and hovered 5 meters off the ground, allowing him a great view of the formation and battlefield. Amateratsu erupted from his left palm and formed the shape of a long bow. Embers coated his back, creating the flickering shape of a quiver. Black feathers flitted about, gathering in the quiver to form arrows of flame. He would knock his first arrow and prepared to fire on Anastasia's command. Like this, formation of dreams made their way through the heart of the army of nightmares. And it was a blood bath.

Wails of the dying harmonized with nightmarish howls, the valley between the hills was soon soaked with essence and ichor. Yet. with blinding light, slashing blades and searing flames, the trio helped the knights make their way to the pulsating sphere. There, they met the fiercest resistance. Monsoon, though above the battle, was preoccupied with hordes behind them. The archers below were focused on protecting the knights they could, were their concentration broken for a moment it could spell doom for those ahead. Thus, he was forced to fire arrow after arrow, incinerating swaths of nightmares at a time, only to have them replaced by more clamoring swarms. As they began to overwhelm, a sudden shudder in the front of the formation made them stop. Monsoon, both relieved, turned his head to see Anastasia remove her blade from an enormous, armored beast.

Great Timing...

The Purifier, a knight robed in white, came forward. With his power, he cleansed the nightmare sphere. The taint that came with its presence washed away, the surrounding area became clearer, brighter. Yet, sensing that the battle was not done, Anastasia voiced her observation. By now, all their saw her as a commander and obeyed her orders. They would go back to Hoshigakure, to cleanse their home and village from the taint of nightmares.

There would be no time to like their wounds, their battle fatigue made their march long. Yet, through will and determination, the trio and army met at the gates of Hoshigakure. As well, it seemed that the Land of Dreams sent another army to bolster their own, thus, two purifier, an invigored squadron of knights and the shinobi trio made their way into the distorted village hidden in Haven. Through warped streetways littered with beast, the group made their way. Though, not without their loss. The beasts here, though smaller, were desperate. Their tactics vicious. But the losses would not go unavenged.

After making it to the Unseen university and losing half of those that came there, the reaming Heroes of Dreams came to the Hokage's office. Anastasia opened the door, to reveal a trio of uncannily human individuals. Each were unique, yet each were the same. In that, their insatiable lust for blood and destruction was repugnant.

The shinobi, feeling a pull to each leader of nightmare, took their spots opposite. Monsoon's right eye bled and he grabbed his wrist and pointed one finger as the supreme leader spoke. Amateratsu gathered on the tip of his extended index, swirling as it condensed itself into a tight ball. In response, Zraix spoke. Feeling humorous, Monsoon responded as well.

"...can't stop what's already happened!"

The trio charged, to meet the leaders of nigthmare. As Monsoon came close, he pointed his finger at he head of the leader. He thought, bang!, and fired a stream of amateratsu through the leader's head, forcing the flames to spread from the wound to consume his being. He scanned around, the others had finished their fights as well and just as efficiently. Zraix, curiously, was cloaked in a black robe that shimmered with condensed, iridescent chakra and framed in a purple hue. As well, and again, he carried a blade that was unfamiliar. Monsoon cocked his head to the side.

"Nice..."

"...robe.." Monsoon said to the darkness of a room. To his surprise, he was in his bed and sitting upright. Moonlight spilled and shined on his lap, he felt a strange weight. He looked down.

Placed poignantly on a porcelain plate, gleamed a strawberry cake. For a moment, monsoon thought he saw the ripple and wisp of dream chakra. Shrugging, he grabbed the fork that happen to lay next to it and dipped it into the top of the cake. Placing it to his mouth, he ate the piece of cake. Flavors danced across his tongue, activating all manner of feelings. Overwhelmed by the sheer sense of taste, he took another bite. To his surprise, it was better than the first. Tears ran down his eyes, he had never known such joy. He exclaimed,

"D-DELCIOUS!"

He continued, enjoying a well earned treat from a hard fought mission.

EXIT

[1301/5,094 WC]

TOTAL MISSION WC [16,053/15,500]

MISSION COMPLETE, CLAIMING MISSION REWARDS
28,750 Ryo, 192 AP, 100 Dream Tokens, Dream Waiver

WC CLAIMS
5,094 WC X strawberry cake = 8,000 (4,000 x Cake) +1,094 =

9,094 WC, MAX STAT DISCOUN
Earth Spear [A] - 1875
Earth Style Wall [B] - 1125
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire - 1312
Ninjutsu Amplifier [B] - 1125
Blistering Web [C] - 750
Moving Earth Core [C] - 750
Hiding Like a Mole [C] - 750
FIre Piercing Darts [C] - 750
Leaf Great Whirlwind - [657/750]

Approved for all within the thread