The Zodiac Spirit Guardians

Haruka the Ram

"When I give the signal, you must transform to get this right. Do you understand Haruka? This is of the utmost importance." The petite woman speaks with maximum authority in her throat.

There's not a scratch on her anywhere. While I struggle to stand up, dripping my blood onto the floor, she has yet to even move from her position. My feet have spread thick scarlet liquid all around the wood like a cleaning product. Her small hands hold two short daggers covered in my blood. My blood is everywhere, and yet, I'm still conscious because of my three bodies, not from my own endurance.

"This is pointless!" I wipe my mouth with the back of my sleeve. My body aches everywhere she's stabbed me. My skin is covered in holes and gashes of the like. "I don't get how this will help anything!" I frustratedly yell at her. I feel the anger boil up inside and spill out of the case I keep it locked in.

"We've had this conversation thousands of times, so stop talking and move." My mother shifts into a defensive stance, readying herself for my attack. "Don't waste time messing around now." A sly smile flashes onto her face.

Her version of messing around is my version of trying my hardest. It was difficult in the beginning to fight against my mother in the first place, but I surely don't miss the days of near death from losing to her. Although, at present, I only manage to hold my own opposing this warrior woman.

It pisses me off to no end.

I narrow my gaze at the two knives she holds. I've learned not to plan anything in my head. Everything I arrange in my mind, she utterly destroys in a blink. She's taught me to act on instinct. Although, I have yet to see that strategy work out.

I slide my right foot back behind myself and shift my weight onto my front leg. I crouch down ever so slightly to ready myself. One knife soars through the air in an instant, aimed right at my chest. I slap it away the the blunt side of my hand. My turn.

I sprint around the room to gain momentum by kicking myself off from the pillar holding up the building. Once in the air, I unsheath the dull sword and aim to cut her down.

I can't lose. I refuse to keep failing.

My mother quickly elbows me in the gut, sending me flying through the air and into the wall covered in ornate swords of my ancestors. I slump to the floor, coughing up blood, while they crash to the ground, some stab me in different places on their way down.

Her demeanor grows serious and dark as she reaches into her sleeves and withdraws ten more daggers. She swiftly throws them all at me at different times. I shove myself away from the wall and dodge each one while attempting to move closer to her. I throw my sword to the side and rip off the sword's belt. I throw it away and run in a dodging sprint straight for her. I jump into the air and spin my body around, bringing my foot up to kick her in the side of the head with one strong hit. She slides out of the way in a flash and grabs onto my ankle, throwing me against the same spot on the wall, again.

I grow more irritated and frustrated. My jaw clenches as I bare my gritted teeth.

She whips out more daggers and throws them another time. I cartwheel across the room, careful enough not to get hit by any of the blades. I land on the ground right at her feet and swing my leg under her to knock her over. She quickly dodges my attack once more, as expected. Upon flinging herself into the air, I push myself off the ground with my hands and flip once to face her head on.

She watches me closely.

The instant our feet hit the floor, I lunge out to her, throwing my fists in her direction. She dodges each punch and starts back flipping away from my range. I sprint faster toward her and leap into the air, swinging my foot around myself once again. I make it look like the move I use to kick her head, but I truly aim for the spot I know she'll move to upon evading my attack.