He was hunting again, the strength of Chaos, the gift of Metallia racing through his crystalized blood. Surrounding him were the forms and minds of his “siblings”. Clearest of all was Alkaid. But as the group hunted within the ruins of Destiny City, he caught impressions of long, blue hair to one side. Masses of dark curls to the other. Others flickered in and out of his vision, but those three were the clearest. Haumea felt his cracked face split into a wide grin as the group descended on their prey and destroyed it utterly. As the precious starseed was shared around according to need.

All Hail Metallia.

The thought brought Kekipi shooting awake, sweat-drenched as the dream faded. Face contorting in a snarl, he slammed his fist down on the bed. He’d been so close to really remembering! The dreams of a dark future where Metallia reigned supreme were so fuzzy for him. He knew that he and a small group of corrupted senshi had somehow become more than they were now. Sometimes, when he was sketching out a tattoo or alone in the shop, he’d get tiny snippets of memory. Just enough to both tantalize and infuriate. Just enough to let him know that there’d been something there. Something important.

Alkaid’s face he knew well enough, but he yearned to find the others. Maybe, between the lot of them, the memories would be stronger. Easier to solve. Of course, he hadn’t seen Alkaid since that first night. She was lost to him, except for within his dreams.

With a growl, Kekipi lurched out of bed and wandered to the kitchen to rifle through the fridge until he found a bottle of Woodchuck. Chugging it down, he sighed and tried to think of a solution. Some way to find the ones who’d joined him in Ascension in his dreams. Maybe if he went to the Rift? But no. The youma there wouldn’t like that. He could, perhaps, find one of the Generals and ask their advice, but that thought rankled as well. Another drink.

Could he find a way to somehow appeal to Metallia herself? Snorting a little, he couldn’t help but laugh silently at himself. Oh yes. That would go over real well. He’d be lucky if she left enough of him to bury for such impudence. No. He would have to puzzle this out himself and hope that in doing so, She would notice and perhaps choose to act then. He would have to prove his loyalty.

Tossing the half empty bottle in a burst of sudden rage, Kekipi reveled in the smash of the glass. He was loyal, he wanted to find the others from his dream. He wanted that sense of togetherness. The closeness. He wanted to be more than a mere corrupt senshi. And none of his circular, sleep-fogged thinking was getting him any closer to that goal. With another sigh, he stumbled back to his bed.

“Sleep first,” he murmured. “Then, try to find one of them.”

With that, he flopped back onto the bed and soon was asleep again, his dreams non-existant.