Though she didn't exactly hear anything, Hikari sensed that Amaya was awake and distressed. She went over to the other girl. "Maya-chan? Are you okay?" She asked quietly.

(Phoenix found two Yang cosplayers today! One was male and had Ember Cecil, one was female and had a Ruby with her...)

Amaya heard a voice in the distance, but she was still caught in the nightmare, "Stay away" she said as she moved away from the voice, thinking it was one of the Faunice that attacked her and her family.

((Cool!))

Hikari bit her lip. The other girl was still in her nightmare. It was risky, but the only thing she could think to do was reach forward and gently shake her. "Maya-chan. Maya-chan, wake up! It's me, Kari!" She said, raising her voice a little in hopes that she would be heard.

(It was, yet I didn't see anybody else and Friday was an impromptu photoshoot that I couldn't go to since I was working *baw*)

Amaya heard Hikari's voice through the thickness of her nightmare, slowly being released from the hauntings of the past. "Hikari-chan?" Amaya asked softly as she felt tears silently falling.

Kari sat down next to the other girl, wiping the tears away. "I'm here, Maya-chan. I was awake and noticed you were having a nightmare. Are you okay?" She asked.

"Sorry...and I'll be fine. It was only a memory after all..."Amaya replied.

"Do you...want to talk about it?" Hikari asked tentatively.

"My father was part of the council that was trying to get laws passed that would put taxes on Faunice and humans. The Whitefang took exception to that and attacked our home. They..." at this, Amaya started crying lightly. "T-they killed father. Mother and I were sleeping...and they tried burning the both of us...I was lucky to survive," she said softly as she explained to Hikari why she hated Faunice's so much...

Hikari shuddered, and hugged the other girl. "I'm so sorry. I know it doesn't help much, but...I can be your family, if you want. And Ark-san and Naruto-san, too. We can all be family." She said.

"H-how can we be a family...if I want Ark-kun...as much as yourself?" Amaya asked as she cried softly into Hikari's nightgown.

Hikari paused, trying to figure this out. "Well...whoever doesn't get him, can still be like his sister...I think." She tried.

"Maybe...that could work. Sorry...I shouldn't be bothering you like this," Amaya said softly as she stopped crying, lightly hiccuping all the same though before yawning lightly. Having that cry, while good, left her emotionally exhausted.

(Knowing that Amaya-chan is going to get into a relationship with Itachi helps, but Phoenix still feels bad for her...perhaps Hikari could suggest Areku to do something for her?)

((Wolfie feels bad, too. She feels like a backstabber even though it's not real...))

Hikari shook her head. "It's not a problem, Maya-chan. No bother at all. This is what family does for each other, right?" She said, giving the girl a final hug before standing up. "I'm going to get dressed. Itachi-sensei should be here sometime today, and I want to be ready."

"A-alright," Amaya said as she slowly stopped crying. "Kari-chan...thank you," she said as she wiped her eyes. She was still a little tired, but didn't want to go back to sleep.

Kari smiled. "You're very welcome." She said, and went to the bathroom to get dressed.

About a minute later, Naruto sat bolt upright in his bed, gasping for breath. "A nightmare...just a nightmare..." He muttered as he remembered where he was.

Amaya heard her first partner muttering that it was just a nightmare over and over again. Seeing that she wasn't going to be getting anymore sleep due to her own nightmare. Getting off her bed, she moved towards Naruto. "Foxy, you okay?" she asked in a whispered voice, not wanting to wake Areku.

Naruto jumped slightly, startled. In his half-asleep state, he hadn't realized that anyone else was awake. "Oh, Maya-chan. Yeah, I'm okay. I just had a nightmare..." He said.

"I had one myself. Wanna swap?" she asked.

Naruto chuckled humorlessly. "Sure, why not. Talking about it is supposed to help, right?" He said.

"Exactly" Amaya said as she sat down on his bed. "I can go first if you want me to."

Naruto nodded. "I'd appreciate that." He said, not quite ready to talk just yet.

Amaya sighed lightly before telling Naruto about what happened to her family and why she was originally such a bitch to him.

Naruto swallowed a couple times. "Damn. Damn. I'm so sorry, Maya-chan. No wonder you felt so strongly." He said, shaking his head slightly. "My nightmare was also about the past. When I was young, I lived alone on the streets in a small town. That was where I met Sasuke, and a number of other people. There was this one girl who was always kind to me...I won't go into detail about everything, but the night Sasuke went rogue, I tried to stop him. We were evenly matched. I was hurt badly when that girl found us and tried to help me. Sasuke took advantage of the situation. He killed her. He killed her right in front of me, and I held her while she died and the town burned to the ground and Sasuke laughed. Myself, Sasuke and one other girl who was Sasuke's lover were the only survivors. That other girl has been in the hospital since that night. She loved him, but he would kill her, too. Without a second thought. And she would run willingly to him as he did it." He drew a shaky breath. "My nightmare is always the same. I'm holding Hinata-chan while the town burns around us. She tries to whisper something to me, but I can't hear because Sasuke is laughing...and then she dies, right there in my arms, and there's nothing I can do."

((God forgive Wolfie, she made Sakura a mental patient. But it's a good way to keep her out of the picture for now. Perhaps someday she'll be released and suddenly show up again XD))

(It's better than killing her off like Phoenix did to Hinata...)

"And I thought I had it bad..." Amaya muttered as she hugged Naruto softly. "That must have been rough, and now I know why you hate that bastard so much...and why you warned us the way that you did. He's clearly a psychopath," she added wondering if anyone else came to this conclusion on their own before getting up and off the bed.

"If you ever just want to talk about the past...let me know, alright? I'm sure I'll have at least one ear open for ya," she said with a grin, killing the cool moment by yawning lightly.

((Hehehe...nah, your killing off Hinata gives Naruto a good backstory.))

Naruto grinned. "Thanks, Maya-chan. Same goes for you, by the way. I'm always here if you wanna talk, 'tebayo." He said.

Right at that moment, Hikari walked out of the bathroom and into the room. "Oh, good morning, Naruto-kun. Looks like Ark-san is the last one up today."