Chapter 1: Ashura, the Greatest Rockstar on Earth!

“THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING, GOOD NIGHT LAS VEGAS!!!”

The venue erupted in cheers as screaming fans raved for their idol on the grand stage of the concert hall. The sea of musical cultists surrounded the main stage, tears pouring down their faces as the show came to a close. Fans in the rafters were still reeling from the incredulous performance by their superstar tonight, shock and awe cemented onto their faces. And despite everything, all eyes were still fixated on the one man standing amongst the smoke and flames that swarmed the stage.

A lone guitarist stood tall, soaking in the praise of his followers like a megachurch pastor. His cotton-candy blue hair billowed freely in the wind, yet his royal blue hat remained still upon his head. Fingerless gloved hands were spread wide as his bare, toned arms stretched across, imitating Christ the Redeemer. His single strapped overalls sagged slightly as he leaned up further to exemplify his form, the weight shifting his baggy pants down even more.

Pursing his blueberry-colored lips for a moment, the man closed his eyes, as if wanting the moment to last forever. Deciding he had his fill, his mouth split into a wide, sharp-tooth grin as his eyes shot open. Deep, sapphire eyes bore directly into the flashing lights above. They seemed to reflect and refract all the colors that danced along the stage’s screen as the man took in everything before him. And with one final gesture, he took a deep bow as a thank-you to his loyal followers.

The venue roared fervently as the man began his descent from the stage; the platform he was standing on lowered itself into the floor to bring him backstage. Once he was fully out of sight, the wild, animalistic grin on his face faded, leaving only a ghost of a smile. A hollow chuckle escaped his lips as he held his electric guitar up to his chest.

“Never gets old, right Rottweiler?” The cold, black-and-blue instrument didn’t respond. The man glided a thumb over one of its steel wires, letting a cool, tantalizing hum ring through the elevator. “Today was our biggest concert yet. So why… am I feeling so-” Whatever the rockstar was about to say was cut off as the door of the elevator shaft slid open, the light of the back room area shining through.

“Hey, there he is!” A woman with a wild, hot pink mane of hair and equally exotic clothing exclaimed. “Couldn’t help but showboat a lil' before coming back down, could ya, Ashura?”

“H-Haha! Yeah, you got me!” Ashura laughed along, shutting away his former melancholic feelings. “Just you waitin’ on me down here? Where’s the rest of the crew?”

“Went to do some meet ‘n greets with the fans. They wanted to do some autographs before you hogged the spotlight. Again.”

“Pshh, I don’t do that.” The woman raised an eyebrow at him, folding her arms at Ashura’s response. The rockstar chuckled guiltily as he relented. “At least, not all the time.”

“Point is, they fucked right off. You joinin’ or what?”

“Eh, not tonight, Scar. I’m feelin’ super drained, so I think I’ll head back to the hotel and lay down.”

“Suit yourself. We did do a lot of dumb shit here anyways, so an off-day’s probably in order.” Scarlet turned to walk away before she waved a flippant hand in the air. “Just don’t take an Aspirin, heard that shit kills celebs.”

“Oh, ha-ha. I’ll see you guys back home, send me pics of whatever you plan to do tonight.”

“Yeah, I gotcha. See ya.” And with that, the pink-haired lady was gone, leaving Ashura alone once more. His friendly smile dropped once she left his view, the strange feeling in his chest welling up once more. Ashura silently made his way out the back of the venue, the chattering of staff and managers becoming nothing more than white noise as he passed by. A couple of bodyguards escorted him out the building and towards his limo, and along the way hundreds of rabid fans were clamoring for his autograph.

Normally, he would be elated by this and start signing immediately. But today, something felt… wrong. He only did a small nod to his fans as he climbed into the car and let it drive off. The drive back was silent, with Ashura silently thumbing his guitar idly until a bodyguard told him that they arrived at the suite. They made their way into the luxury apartment, gilded halls littering the palace of vices. And once again, just like his descent from the stage, his ascent into the top room only made Ashura feel worse.

Arriving at his room, he nonchalantly waved the bodyguards away, who stood by the door to make sure no uninvited guests came over. Once inside, the man changed into a white bath robe and flopped down onto the couch.

“Why… Why am I feeling so down?” It just didn’t make any sense. This was the largest concert of his career and it went off without a hitch. The people praised him, his crew worked hard for him, and Ashura himself was at the top of the world! So why? Why did he feel so empty?

He turned his head and looked out to the Las Vegas skyline. The vibrant city of sin bustled below his feet as he watched on like an Olympian. A pale hand rested itself upon the glass as he held a somber gaze against the world. Something gnawed at him deep within his soul, yet the man refused to acknowledge it.

Ashura turned away from the window, gritting his teeth before deciding to rummage through his cabinets. Finding a baggie of cocaine and other drug pills, he set them down on the coffee table in the living room and stared at them.

“Tch, what does it matter what I think, huh? I got to the top of the rock and roll world, I got my bandmates, I got all the fame and wealth that I could ask for! So what the hell am I gettin’ so depressed for?! Arrgghhh!!!” Angrily, he ripped open the bag and snorted all the contents with gusto. Afterwards, he hurriedly swallowed some of the ecstasy pills and other various drugs that littered his table. “Doesn’t matter! I’ll just forget this shit happened anyways! As long as I’m high, I don’t have to think about anything! I’ll just wipe away the shitty thoughts in my head and have fun for the night!” A manic laughter escaped him as he fell back into his couch. Turning on the television, Ashura held a crazed look on his face.

“Made plenty of mistakes on my way up here… what’s a few more, eh?”

x-x-x-x-x

Only a couple hours had passed, but for Ashura, it was hell. He was dry heaving on the couch, the light of the T.V. being the only thing illuminating the room as his body laid limp. The droning hum of the television filled the room as he watched muted videos of his latest concert flash on-screen.

‘God…dammit…’ Ashura’s eyes glazed over, lying listlessly as he continued to watch the T.V. ‘Why… Why did I do this? Do any of this, really?” Another pained heave escaped his chapped lips as he slowly sat up. His heart was beating uncontrollably and he felt like vomiting. Yet despite all this, Ashura’s mind wandered into more personal territory.

‘Nothing’s felt right for a long time now… Every performance, every concert… Why am I not feeling anything from ‘em?’ Suddenly, his body spasmed, jolting the man in his seat and making his form slump over the couch. And during his convulsion, his eyes widened in horror. ‘No… there’s no way… Did I… lose my passion? My reason to keep playing?’ Tears poured from his eyes as he clenched his teeth hard. Foam pooled to the corners of his mouth as he shook violently.

‘No, no, no, no, NO! I don’t just lose my passion! I’m Ashura; The Greatest Rockstar to Ever Live! To lose my drive is… to lose my soul. But… rockstars can’t lose their soul, that’s why we rock, isn’t it…? No… not those bastards who I call ‘bandmates’. They joined for the money and fame. That suited prick up top, always sneerin’ at us like we’re just some punks! Why couldn’t I have my old mates back? Why did I leave ‘em behind?' Tears ran down his face as Ashura sobbed uncontrollably. Blood pooling from his nose managed to congeal with his tears to form a sickening red hue that dribbled from his chin.

“Why… Why is the top so lonely…? I tossed aside… everything… My friends, my life… my reason to go on… I wish I didn’t make so many mistakes… I wish I was standing up here with my friends… real friends…”

With his final words being said, the rockstar slumped over. His heart’s palpitations, once rapid, abruptly stopped. The heaving was gone from his chest and his body laid still. On this day, in a dark private suite, surrounded by no one… Ashura, the World’s Greatest Rockstar, had died.

x-x-x-x-x

“GAAHH!!!”

Ashura awoke in a cold sweat, panting heavily as his eyes fuzzed in drowsiness. Gripping his bed sheet tightly, he took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down before placing a hand onto his face.

‘Ugghh… What the hell happened to me last night…? I remember drinking, doing a boatload of drugs, and then…’ His face contorted in confusion as he tried to remember the night before. Drawing blanks, he shook his head in annoyance. 'Gah, nothing. My head’s too fuzzy to remember anything. Wonder who dragged me back to bed though? Doubt any of the crew would give a shit enough to do so, but you never know. Still…’

The bedroom was incredibly fancy. Beautiful white walls adorned with royal blue banners and wonderful golden accents. The furniture looked and felt incredibly expensive, as were the very sheets Ashura slept on. He rubbed the linen with his hands and admired the silkiness of the cloth. Even the bed he was sleeping on felt like something straight out of a dream.

“Man, I don’t remember Vegas going this all-out for their private suites. But hey, it was top dollar, so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised.” Ashura mused to himself. He then froze up after registering what he said. Or rather, the voice that came out of his mouth. It sounded… girly? “What in the- why do I sound like this?”

The rockstar then looked back at his hands that were just playing with the comforter; they were thin and dainty, not at all like the calloused fingers he was used to. Even the nightclothes he wore were a lot more childish than what he normally wore, being adorned with cute, yellow ducks. He crossed his arms, stumped on what was happening… until they were met with a soft resistance from his chest. Looking down, Ashura noticed that his pecs were far softer than what he remembered.

“H-Hey, this is some kinda joke, right…? Those assholes just put fake tits on me overnight, right? T-They’re not real… are they?” A single squish made his face pale. “I’m gonna fuckin’ kill ‘em.”

At the foot of his bed, Ashura heard something rustle. He sat up straight in the bed and readied himself against this newcomer. His eyes then widened at what he saw rise up.

A transparent, blue-haired girl wearing the same pajamas he found himself in stood up, her mind in a daze. She gave a sleepy yawn before rubbing her eyes awake. Ruby eyes fluttered open as they scanned the room curiously. They eventually landed on a pair of sapphire eyes staring right back at her, and the girl screamed.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!”

“G-G-GHOST!!” Ashura cried out, backing up further into his bed. The ghastly visage of the girl fell onto her butt in fear before shakily pointing a finger at the rockstar.

“I-I-I-I y-yo-you…! WHY IS MY BODY MOVING ON ITS OWN?!”

“W-What?! H-hold on, what the hell are you talking about?!”

“EEP! P-Please do not hurt me! I-I-I j-just want m-my body back!”

“Your body? That can’t be right…” Ashura started to say, but given his previous observations, he realized the mysterious girl might not be lying. So he got out of the bed and made his way towards the vanity. The terrified bluenette scampered out of his way as he stood in front of the mirror and gave it a good, hard look.

What appeared before him was no longer a twenty-seven year old rockstar with wild, electric-blue hair and a chiseled face. But now, there was a navy-blue haired girl with sapphire eyes and sharp teeth with her hair flared out wildly. Ashura raised a hand to his face, and the girl in the mirror mimicked him. A hollow chuckle escaped her lips as her brain short-circuited.

“T-This can’t be real.. Can it? I-I know! I should still…” Ashura then tugged at her pants and looked down. Her face paled in horror as she stared, learning that something important was now missing. The other girl in the room also screamed in terror, covering her eyes in embarrassment.

“WHERE’S MY FUCKING DICK?!?!”

“DON'T DO THAT WITH MY BODY!!!”

“Gah! Oh, right. You’re here too.” Ashura turned to look at the ‘ghost’ girl on the floor, and got a better look at her. She… looked identical to how he looked in the mirror. The only major difference would be their eye colors, and the fact that she looks like a kicked puppy while Ashura was more wolf-like. “Guess you weren’t kidding then. What the hell is goin’ on…?”

“I… um… Who are you, I-I think should be my first question…” The girl’s breathing slowed down, it seemed like she had calmed herself a bit. “And h-how did you get into my body, if you do not mind me asking…?”

“Nah, you’re good, kid. My name’s Ashura; I’m the lead singer and guitarist of the band Samsara Wheel. And of course, the Greatest Rockstar on Earth!” She spun around and struck a rockstar pose, shooting her hand up into the sky. The girl stared at her blankly, unsure of how to feel about this. “As for the current situation we’re in… yeah, I dunno either. Memory’s a lil hazy from last night, but I think I… hmm… whatever, it’s not important. What about you, bluey? Can’t just keep callin’ ya ‘Kid I took this body from’ now can I?”

“I-erm, I-I suppose not. My name is Adora Rockett, daughter of Duke von Rockett. A-A pleasure to meet you, Ashura… sir?”

“What’s with the formalities?”

“F-Forgive me, but… how do I regard you? From your, um, outburst earlier, I can only assume you are a man. A-And that tidbit h-honestly terrifies me…”

“Just call me Ashura, easier for the both of us, alright?” Ashura let out an exasperated sigh as he looked back at the trembling girl before him. “Listen, we’re not gonna get anywhere with you pissin’ your pants like this every two seconds. So let’s get the day goin’ already. First up, lemme put some clothes on for the day, can’t stay in these jammies forever.”

“A-Ah! W-W-Wait you can’t change clothes in my body!”

“Why not? I’ve seen naked chicks all the time, what’s one more?”

“T-That’s not the point! I am not letting a man strip me, especially one who is stuck in my body!” With that declaration, Adora shoved herself into Ashura. The rockstar was not sure what to expect, but having his soul flung out the body and sent tumbling to the ground was certainly not it. The ruby-eyed girl, however, disappeared into her body, seemingly taking Ashura’s place. When the teen came to, ruby eyes replaced sapphire ones as her features returned to normal.

“I-I am back…! Oh thank the Gods! It really was a bad dream!”

“Nope. Still here. 'Sup.”

“AAAHH!!” Adora jumped up in fright, seeing the now spectral form of Ashura. And like how she was earlier, he too was now a transparent copy of her with sapphire eyes and a far more tomboyish appearance. He held an annoyed look on his face “Y-you’re still here?!”

“Yeah, looks like it. Seems like only one of us can be in the body at a time. Hmm… I wonder…?”

“Whatever you are thinking about, just look away! I need to change into my school clothes!” Adora got herself changed whilst Ashura toyed around with his ghost form. He tested his hands to see if he could phase through walls, finding out he easily could. But, he also learned that he was more or less stuck to be near Adora at all times, as his form would go no further than 10 feet from her. Feeling satisfied, he poked his head through the wall of the dresser where Adora was.

“Boo!”

“AAAAAAHHHH!!!” The poor girl fell to the ground in fear, only to look up and see a snickering version of herself. “Ashura! That wasn’t very nice!”

“Who cares? Nice fit by the way. You go to some fancy school or something?”

“Y-Yes, I do,” Adora stood back up and began to button up her red blazer once more. Patting down her blue skirt, she adjusted the tie a bit before continuing. “I attend Starlight Academy, it is the most prestigious school for all noble children in our country. We learn just about everything there, from history to politics to even weapon training and magic.”

“Huh, that sounds pretty coo- wait, did you just say magic?”

“Yes? Why do you look confused?”

“Adora, magic isn’t real.”

“It is, though. Here, let me show you.” With a small chant, a blue light shone from her fingertip, wowing the ghastly audience. “Granted, this is just a basic Light spell, but others can do really incredible things with it.”

“What the fuuuucckkk~? That’s insane. You’re insane. I just-”

“Madam Adora!” A voice called out from beyond the door. “You mustn't tally any longer! Stop playing around in there and be on your way!”

“Y-Yes, Miss Felicia!”

“God, you really are rich. Personal maid and all. What, there’s gonna be rows of butlers and maids bowing to you when you leave for the day?”

“Well…”

x-x-x-x-x

“I was joking.”

Ashura floated beside Adora as they left her family’s mansion. The entire staff of the manor respectfully bowed to their young master as she loaded herself onto the carriage for the morning. Adora gently took her spot in the carriage, while Ashura plopped himself down in the seat adjacent to her. The shy girl looked both annoyed and embarrassed at Ashura’s display, with him opting to sit with his legs crossed like a man rather than a noble girl.

“You keep glancin’ at me, what’s up?”

“Y-You should s-sit properly… As a ghost, y-you still have my body, Mister Ashura. T-That posture is highly inappropriate…”

“Dude, who cares? Besides, I'm pretty sure you’re the only person who can see me. Didn’t see your nanny and the servants react to me.”

“That’s… fair, I suppose. B-But it’s very hard on my heart regardless!” Ashura blew a raspberry and continued to sit improperly, making Adora bundle herself closer as a modest response. Adora gave her double another tentative glance, which prompted him to look up.

“What, want my autograph or something?”

“U-Um… I was wondering… You said you were ‘The Greatest Rockstar on Earth’. What do either of those words mean? Rockstar and Earth?”

“...I really am in another world, huh?” Ashura shook his head before adjusting himself to speak properly. “Earth is where I come from, it's the name of my world. Nothing too special about it, but the people there don’t got magic, unlike the folks here as you showed me. As for being a Rockstar, well, heh. A Rockstar is someone who lives by their own rules, and plays music for everyone! They perform because they have a passion, a real drive. All for the purpose of proving that they’re the best at what they do!”

“Wow… t-that kind of person sounds amazing. That sense of freedom and expressiveness, I-I wish I could do that…” Adora stared out the window forlornly at this, making Ashura look at her quizzically. Before he could ask what was up, the carriage finally stopped, leaving the duo in front of the fanciest-looking building Ashura had ever seen.

“Holy crap, and I thought Vegas was insane…” Ashura whistled, craning up at the grand towers of the building. “You really go here, kid?”

“Y-Yes, I do. And please refrain from causing any trouble! The last thing I need are people looking my way…” Adora muttered that last part to herself, yet the apparition next to her caught it anyways. Rolling his eyes, he simply floated beside her as they made their way through the courtyard.

Something Ashura noticed was how his host carried herself. She made herself look as plain as possible to not stand out amongst the crowd. Glancing around, he took note of various students who had many outstanding characteristics. Some had extravagant hair colors or styles, others had weapons like swords and axes strapped to their person. He even spotted some with animal ears and tails!

‘Everyone around here stands out so much. So why am I stuck with the one person who doesn’t want to?’

Grumbling at his misfortune, Ashura followed his host. Maybe he was just exaggerating, maybe Adora is somewhat sociable in class. The spectre would watch the girl throughout the day and see if she could prove his assumption about her wrong. But as minutes turned to hours, and class after class passed by, it seemed that Ashura was right on the money.

Adora would never raise her hand, speak up, or do anything that would put her in the limelight. She even took a spot in the near middle of the classroom, letting her blend in with the rest of the student assembly. This was beyond shyness; Adora wanted to be invisible. Ashura could not believe his eyes, seeing such a reclusive person before him.

During a break period, Adora began to idly take notes as the other students around her splintered off into their separate groups. Ashura watched as his ward kept her head down and began to work on something in that notebook of hers. Curious, he leaned over and saw what she was drawing, which made the rockstar gasp in shock.

“Is that Rottweiler!?”

“WAH!” Adora’s sudden yelp made some heads turn in her direction. She sheepishly muttered a soft apology before hiding behind her notebook. “O-Oh, right. I-I forgot I was haunted still…”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Anyways,” Pointing a transparent finger at the notebook page, Ashura smiled giddily. “This is totally Rottweiler, isn’t it?! Aw man, that is SICK! You even got a lot of its details down to a T!” Sure enough, Ashura’s iconic Black-and-Blue electric guitar was perfectly replicated on Adora’s paper.

“I-um-uh… well, I think so?”

“What do you mean, ‘you think so’? It’s either you know it or you don’t.”

“But that’s the issue, I do not know what this is.” Adora furrowed her brow as she said this. “It’s just that one day, I had a bad headache. And the only thing that made it go away was me drawing out this instrument. My mind held the blueprint for it, and I feel like I should know it. But I do not.”

“Wait a sec, do you not have guitars in this world?”

“Is that what this instrument is called? It looked like a lute, but calling it that felt wrong. Could you tell me more-”

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Little Miss Doormouse.” A snide voice called out, cutting her off. Adora froze upon hearing the voice; she placed her notebook face-down and put on a shaky, false smile.

“H-H-Hello, Miss Sirene…” A freckled brunette girl with a mean look on her face scoffed at the greeting, with her lackeys behind her snickering at the meekness of the blue-haired girl. A sneer grew on the other girl’s face as she looked down at Adora.

“Still can’t get over that stutter of yours, can you Mousegirl? Ah well, it’s not like that matters anyways; you barely even speak. Now hurry up and give me your notes for today.”

“Y-Yes, o-o-of course. H-H-Here you g-go.” Adora nervously handed her a notebook from her desk, to which the rude girl snatched immediately. “Ah!”

“Thank you, was that so hard? Yeesh, at least your notes are coherent. The last thing I need to see is your incessant muttering on paper as well.” Sirene gave a flippant wave as she departed with Adora’s notebook, leaving her alone once more. The bluenette let out a sigh of relief, glad the daily ordeal was over. That was, until Ashura opened his mouth.

“What the actual fuck was that, Adora?!”

“Eek! W-What do you mean?”

“You just let that tramp walk all over you! She snatched your shit and blew you off, that was totally uncalled for!”

“W-Well, if I do what she says, she doesn’t bully me. I-It’s best to keep my head down when dealing with people like h-her anyways…” Adora muttered to her apparition, deciding to go back to her drawing. But upon opening her journal, she found today’s notes instead of her personal drawings. “A-Ah…! O-Oh nononono!”

“What are you freaking out over?”

“M-My notebook! I-I-I g-gave Sirene t-the wrong one!”

“So? You’re the one who gave it to her, just swap the damn books. You can at least do that, can’t you?”

“B-But she’ll-”

“Goddammit, do you want your shit back or not!?”

“I-I do! I-If I don’t get it back, who knows what she could do to it?”

“There we go! Now get up and ask for it back!”

“E-Eh?! I-I can’t-”

“DO IT ADORA!”

“O-OKAY!”

Adora shot up from her seat, notebook in tow, as she walked up to Sirene and her gang. The girls were too busy gossiping to notice the shy girl walking up to them. Adora quivered her lip, thinking about just walking away. However, Ashura’s form hovered right next to her with a stern expression on his face. She shut her eyes fearfully before finally speaking up.

“E-Excuse me, M-M-Miss Sirene!”

“Hm? Oh, it’s just you, Mousegirl.” The bully turned her head lazily. “What do you want?”

“Uh-um… I-I accidentally g-gave you the w-wrong notebook… C-Can we p-p-please swa-swap?”

“Gods, you can’t even say an apology correctly. Fine, fine, bring it here. I’ll give back the other one.” Sirene held her hand out, the guitar journal in her other hand. Adora’s face lit up happily at this; maybe Sirene could be reasoned with! She eagerly placed the correct book in her hands, to which the freckled girl took from her. She began to give back Adora’s personal journal, nearly letting it go back to the bluenette’s hands before she stopped. “On second thought, I should take a look and see what you wanted to hide from me. It’s not every day the little mouse has secrets!”

“H-Huh?! W-Wait, hold on, please don’t!”

“Since when did you get a tongue, Mousegirl? Now shush, I’m reading!” Sirene began flipping through the pages of the meek girl’s notebook, much to her horror. And every page she just laughed and laughed, pointing out her doodles to the rest of her cruel posse. Finally, they arrived on the page with her dream instrument on it, making their eyes light up. “Now THIS is a real piece of work! Don’t tell me; you think you can become a Muse? With a piece of junk metal like THIS? Oh, don’t make me laugh, mousey! I thought you knew your place, but clearly you have childish delusions.”

Sirene and her gang mocked Adora relentlessly before finally giving her back her notebook.

“Ah, I hadn’t laughed like that in a while. Mousey, be a dear and scamper off now. Your pathetic look is going to ruin my good mood. Or maybe you should keep skulking there, it’ll be good comedy for the day.”

Adora’s face was shadowed as her form trembled. The bullies snickered cruelly, thinking they made her cry from their remarks. Yet as she trembled, tears did not fall from her eyes. A small murmur escaped her lips, soft enough for only Sirene to hear.

“...shut up…”

“Huuuh~? I can’t hear you, speak up Mousegirl!” As the brunette leaned in, cupping her ear at the shuddering girl’s face, the unexpected happened. The shy girl’s arms shot out, grabbing the laurels of the bully’s blazar. The freckled girl looked at them in shock, surprised by the girl’s sudden shift in attitude. Turning her head to face her victim, she was no longer facing a ruby-eyed kicked puppy. The piercing, sapphire eyes of a scorned wolf was glaring hatefully at her. It opened its maw, revealing the rows of knives it called teeth. And then, it howled.

“I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP BITCH!!!”