I had a strange dream. No, nightmare seems more like it. I was in the middle of a forest. A thick, deep pine forest. It was raining. In my hands was a porcelain jar. I was just walking through the forest. Sometimes I took a sharp left or right. Sometimes I would follow a sound. I don't know why but it felt like I was trying to get lost. Why would I get lost though?

My body stops in a small clearing. I go down on my knees before digging my fingers in the soil. The soil is as black as night and I could smell the deep richness from it. I could feel drops of rain hit my back by my body gives no indication that it feels the cold wetness.

My heart ached. It hurt to even move my heart hurt so badly. It felt like a bear ripped it out of my chest. It felt like a thousand hornets stung it. It felt like a hundred fires licking each drop of blood. It felt like death.

But my brain couldn't understand it. I don't know why my chest feels like a hole is being chipped out of it. I don't know what I was digging for. I don't know why I was out here in the middle of a forest I don't recognize. And I don't fucking know how the hell am I supposed to fix this hole in my chest and learn how to breathe again.

When the hole was deep enough, my body placed the porcelain jar into the hole and buried it. A shiver ran up my spine and I felt my body register the rain. A crack of thunder was heard overhead and I looked up at the sky. The raindrops were about as large as peas but they were many. My body looked around the clearing before my eyes landed on a large stone. I stood up from the dark mud and picked up the stone, caring it over to the digging site. My body placed the stone over the upturned mud and I instantly recognized it.

I was making a grave. Why was I alone though? Why didn't I scatter the ashes? Why did I get lost in a forest to bury it? Who am I burying? My hand lifted above my head and I saw a hook that I could tell was made for latching and shredding. My arm came down on the stone and I watched as my body marked a grave marker on top of the stone. My eyes widened at the name spelled before me and my stomach lurched.

There's only one name in the world I thought I'd never see on a grave first. One name that fills me with fear if the name ever belonged to a dead person. Three simple letters strung together to make a name that held so much meaning to me.

Rue.

...

"GAAAAH!!!" My eyes snapped open at the sound and I sat up from bed. I looked around the room before realizing that the terrified scream I just heard came from me. My skin was covered in sweat and the sheets aound me were tangled together. I held my head in my hands. I try to calm my breathing but it was difficult.

Especially when images of my nightmare kept popping into my head. It was so strange though. This nightmare felt so real. It felt like I was really in the middle of the forest. It really felt like I was burying Rue.

Was it a memory? In a past life, did I really bury Rue? What does this mean? Why did this dream come now? Why do I keep having memories? Why do I even have memories? What does this all mean?

'Don't worry about it.' I looked up to see a dark figure standing casually in my room. Or as casually as an ancient War General can stand with his feet at parade rest, hands behind his back.

"Michael," I greet, not surprised that he could materialize in the real world, "What are you doing here?"

'You called,' he said, 'What do you want of me?'

But I didn't call for him. Did I? I thought about exactly what happened yesterday and how I planned to finally gain control of my wrath. But how does that decision imply that I wanted something from Michael?

I studied Michael for a bit, never have seen him in darkness and moonlight. His wings were so large that even tucked up against his sides, they scrapped across the ceiling. His eyes were so bright that they cast a glow around the room, just enough for shadows to flicker back into their hiding places. The darkness hid his blood soaked body well but I could still smell the iron, the test of rust on my tongue.

And then I actually got a look at him. For being an Archangel of War and probably a literally personification of wrath, Michael looked calm. Unshakable.

In control of himself.

I sit up on my futon and paid attention. I know that he's always angry but looking at him now, I wouldn't have been able to tell. I know that he's a flame type zanpakuto but really, he felt ice cold. Untouchable.

"How do you control your rage?" I asked cause now I know why I called him here.

'I am rage,' he stated, 'How I control myself will not help you in controlling your own. But I know you, Agito Diabolos. I know you soul. I know your deepest, darkest secrets. I know your shameful pleasures. I know what you do not feel. I know how your mind works. So let me tell you-

'-Your future. I see an indomitable mountain. I see an insurmountable person. Unconquerable. Unstoppable. Absolutely superior. Unable to be subject to anyone's laws. You will be immovable, unsurpassed, invincible.

'Do you see what I see, Agito? Do you see?'

"Yes," I say because in my mind's eyes I did.

I closed my eyes and let the vision sweep me away. I didn't see a face or a silhouette. I felt a presence. Power. It was behind me, the presence, my future self and I dared not turn around.

Unconquerable.

It felt like the earth was trembling in fear. The air was electrified and I couldn't breathe. I was so warm, burning hotter, but my core was turning cold with dread. I could taste iron blood on my tongue. I could smell ozone and nickle in the air. I could hear ringing and static as if the world was falling before this presence. Existence had no meaning besides acknowledgement by the person behind me.

I almost turned around.

Almost.

Cause was this really my future? Was Michael lying to me? Was this presence really who I can become?

But you know how you can't look at a god's true form? How a god's true form can't be seen by mortal eyes? How those foolish enough, stupid enough, arrogent enough, to even try die because the mortal can't comprehend the immortal? Yeah, that's why I didn't turn around.

Soon, the presence moved on and every single hair on my body began to relax from their hypertension. When I opened my eyes, I was still in my room. Michael was still in front of me at parade rest, his sharp hundred needle teeth glistening in the moonlight as he smiled.

'Your rage is of fire Agito. Become the mountain. Let your rage settle deep. Turn it into magma. Let the power of you cow the weak. Let your enemies tremble. Should you ever get angry, quake.

'When the war has come to it's climax, erupt.'

I didn't see what Michael saw but he must have liked it. His smile turned from predatory to proud.

'Rise and conquer, Beholden One.'

[TPV]

When Rue first saw Agito the next morning, she didn't recognize her. Agito never had that look in her eyes. Never.

Agito's golden eyes were usually wild, untamed, firey things filled with challenge and a threat. Like a dog looking up and baring its fangs to bite at any moment. But this person ... this person who looked exactly like Agito had different eyes.

Rue knew that something was up when Agito walked downstairs for breakfast. Agito usually slept in during the weekend so this was unusual. Rue only had to look at her eyes to notice that something was wrong. Agito's eyes had changed.

Her entire presence changed. Or was currently transforming but it was her eyes that did it. Agito looked completely impassible, immovable, unstoppable. Her golden eyes, so warm, were now like cold flint. They were still gold and beautiful but their entire feel changed.

But her eyes didn't match her presence. Her gaze said impassible, immovable, unstoppable like those of a taichou or even a Kuchiki. But her aura, her reiatsu was fluctuating as if it were still too small to fit their role. It was only noticable if you'd known Agito for a while.

"Agito?" Rue called, unsure of who this person was. Agito looked up at Rue while grabbing a plum from the fruit bowl.

"Yes Rue?" Ru's eyes widened slightly. Even Agito's speech pattern changed. Agito's voice was kinda scratchy usually like a sword scrapping across a wetstone. But now she sounded different. Mellow and deep, like that of a rumbling from a far distant mountain.

"Agito what happened to you?" Agito smiled kindly and it threw Rue for a loop. What the hell? When did she learn to do that?

"I grew up. Don't give me that look Rue. A smile always did look prettier on your face anyways," Agito said, her base tone calm and reassuring.

Rue was a bit surprised.

Agito really changed. Whether it's for the better or the worse she didn't know yet but she had a feeling that she shouldn't ask questions.

When Byakuya met up with Agito and Rue for training, he knew immediately something changed. The energizing air that always surrounded the two had changed. It was awkward and uncomfortable but Byakuya lived through it. It wasn't until Agito spoke did he really know what happened.

It was Agito who had changed.

It wasn't obvious but just one look into her eyes and the sound of her voice made Byakuya wanna speak formally to her. Agito's aura had changed from 'I'll-rip-your-throat-out' to 'I-hold-your-life-in-my-hands'. With Agito's personality change, Byakuya could only assume that Rue was totally unprepared and didn't know how to cope with the new Agito.

That's why there was an air of awkwardness.

As they trained, Byakuya couldn't help but be in awe at this 'new' Agito. Before, Agito's attacks were mostly impulsive and reflexive which was helpful but sometimes a little predictable. Now though, her attacks and defenses were controlled to the point where, for the first time, Byakuya got his butt whopped badly without a single scratch on him. He was just put into situations that forced him to quit.

One thing though that he hated about this new change was the look in Agito's eyes.

They were cold eyes that reminded Byakuya of his father. Cold, and refined but he knew he couldn't fight Agito about it. He wanted to tell Agito straight up to stop acting like some aristocrat. But he didn't. Rue and himself wanted a more mature Agito. One with more control but they couldn't control how Agito turned out in total. With maturity comes a slight change of personality if not a total reformation.

This was the new Agito. They either have to accept it, or change themselves.

~~~