Word Count: 804

Azzo sighed, there was a party then there was dinner with the folks, as soon as he got back he fled upstairs. His parents had a rental car, so it’d be faster. He was dressed in a matter of seconds, it didn’t take long to get into something a little more comfortable leaving the poet type shirt on that he’d had under his prince costume. The princess was placed on her stand and he adjusted his vest and collar, grabbing his belt as he run down the stairs.

“Sorry, I’m ready.” He said as he ran down the stairs adjusting his. The dinner went off relatively well; he’d had a salad at the party and some light main course meal. He’d also managed some desert before ditching, the place was pretty awesome, but a little too classy in some ways.

The night had gone off without a hitch; they’d ended up going out for burgers then getting ice cream. Azzo was on the couch leaning on his mother, he wasn’t sure where his father had disappeared to. It was known Azzo hadn’t been sleeping well, that nightmares had been plaguing him, it’d been plaguing his grandmother as well, but not to the extent that Azzo’s were.

Azzo had fallen asleep against his mother while she was stroking his hair.

----

This time was different the sky was darker than normal. Azzo was walking home after midnight, he’d said he wasn’t going to anymore. He’d promised not to do it again, he’d said he wouldn’t. He paused turning to cut down a side road, to avoid a youma.

Something was following him again. He paused looking behind him, but it wasn’t there. He picked up his pace a bit taking the fastest way home. It was still following him, like his own shadow, only more threatening. He started running trying to get away from it but it was closing faster. Faster.

There was nothing he could do, he turned a corner and suddenly WHAM, like a brick wall. He’d run into someone else. He looked up, his eyes met the older man’s eyes. The man had a scowl that would make the devil run scared. It looked like the general from the other night, when the tree was destroyed.

Azzo backed up, “I… I’m sorry.” He said quickly running another way now being followed by both, he skidded to a stop, there was the rest of the battle, right in front of him, the killing the massacre. He backed up, backing right into the male again, looking up and behind him he whimpered.

Suddenly it was all gone. Azzo shook his head, he was back right at the same point he’d started. He blinked, nightmares. Horrible things. Azzo shouldered his bag and started walking home again. He sighed softly, things were weird around here. He looked up at the sky, it was an inky black even inky for midnight. He wrinkled his nose. Destiny was becoming creepier by the minute.

He was humming, walking mindfully it seemed sudden when he ran into another Negaverser. It looked like Schee, only… wild eyed, crazier hair and red clothing, like a Hyde version of the much calmer and slightly loopy Lt. Azzo backed up a few steps. He ran into his father.

He blinked curiously, “Father…”

Suddenly though the man moved, “Pa, Papa?”

The man didn’t answer and only reached for Azzo’s chest, where he’d broken his ribs. Where Wolfy had stolen his star seed, Azzo turned trying to back up his arms and a book in his clutches backing up, right into Evil!Schee

“FATHER PLEASE!” Azzo begged as the man reached into the boy’s chest, causing the boy to scream out in pain, pain that’d he’d only felt once before, worse than broken ribs.

Suddenly he fell off the couch, his right hand clamped on his left over his heart, his star seed. He was breathing hard, tears in his eyes.

“HONEY!” His mother said she’d been trying to wake him up for the past few minutes, the minutes that had seemed like half an hour with Azzo’s nightmare. “Pup are you okay?”

He looked at her, in her eyes, his still watering. He got up and walked outside, “I’m sorry, I’ll be back soon.” He said softly, getting up and walking outside. In his pajama pants and his slippers, he walked outside and collapsed on the stairs.

He sniffled, still holding his chest. Still feeling the pain. When his father pulled back into the driveway. Azzo wiped his eyes, looking up at the car. Stupid dreams, his father didn’t even live here, there was no way he would be in the negaverse. He saved people, despite making their life hell. Conway pulled a box out of the car. It was wiggling.

Wait… when do boxes move? "Happy Birthday Son!"