The Truth Hurts. (One-shot)

[Sir Galahad]

You are out doing your thing when there is suddenly a flash of bright light! You feel a searing pain in your chest. It hurts so much you close your eyes and grit your teeth. After a brief moment the pain subsides and disappears all that remains is a strange feeling of being incomplete... looking up you see why. In front you stands your inner self. Your true nature. Everything you hide away from others brought to life right in front of you, and they have some words for you. They aren't happy that you've been denying that they exist...

(This is a one shot, however the difference is that this time, I will grant more experience points for how much you write)

SPOILER: Click to show

1-199: 1 exp
200-499: 3 Exp
500+: 5 Exp

[Thorn Wyatt]

Elias is inspecting his walls that are being built up until he suddenly hunches over in pain.

Again.

This seems to keep happening…

Yet, when he finally stands up, he sees… himself. Darker, yes, as if someone had blurred the image and tinted it a few shades lower, but it was him, nonetheless. Elias can’t help but feel as if this was something… he was supposed to remember. Something he was supposed to deal with. Yet, before he can figure it out, the figure speaks.

“Is this what you wanted out of life?”

Elias tilts his head, confused.

“What?”

“Is this what you wanted?”

“…I don’t understand.”

The darker version of himself frowns.

“You’ve been apathetic to everything around you for years. Then, suddenly, you take a beating and start wanting power.”

Elias tilts his head again but doesn’t answer.

“You get a master, who makes you stronger than ever, but that’s not enough. You take the person you’ve had next to you as your own, becoming lovers.”

This time, Elias smiles a little, but he still doesn’t answer. The darker version of himself starts pacing, walking back and forth.

“Still, it’s not enough. You take the Territory you ran like a tyrant, and start making it bigger… stealing people from all around it and forcing them to become your citizens.”

The darker Elias walks about, beginning to circle him.

“You find your parents. And it’s still. Not. Enough.”

It stops in front of him, mirroring his head tilt.

“What more do you want? You have power. A kingdom. Family. Love. For someone who grew up without wanting anything, you’ve accomplished more than most will in their lifetimes. What do you want now?”

Elias gives a small smile, but doesn’t answer, making the other version of himself scowl in annoyance.

“You want more power, isn’t that it? You want to be a Dragon, like Leon told you to? I can help you with that. You just have to be-“

“You’re that apathy, aren’t you?”

The dark version looks confused.

“What? No. Of course not. I’m your power! All you have to do is accept me. I’ll give you all the strength you need, you just have to give me some control too. Let me loose.”

Elias blinks, then holds out his hand.

“You want out, sometimes?”

The dark version smiles and nods, reaching out to take the hand.

“Yeah. We can run wild like the good old da-“

Elias grabs him by the neck, choking him with one hand. The dark version grabs at his wrist, but is doing a pretty terrible job pulling it off. Elias’s face never changes from that neutral, curious look he’d been giving earlier.

“No. No we. No one tells me what to do. I’ve got everything I need from you. Now it’s only me.”

He squeezes even tighter, and the dark version lets out a strangled cry, then crumbles into ashes that flow around him. Elias gives a soft smile, looking at his hand.

“Just me, and everything I feel like taking from now on.”

(Word Count: 511)

[Stigma Wyatt]

Rose would hug herself as she once again felt a pain hit her. Was she going back to that place? Why was it happening again?

Once the feeling washed away, she slowly and anxiously opened her ever-concerned eyes and took in the new world around her. It was empty. She felt empty. What was this? Did she die again? Why was it taking her so long to return this time?

That’s when she finally spotted her. A true mirror image of herself. She should have felt some form of alarm, but instead she stared back at herself impassively. Her inner self? She did not share that expression at all. Inner Rose had a strange contorted smile; one that looked like it might create fractures in her face. Like she was half a step from losing herself completely and breaking her shell to reveal some sort of monster.

This wasn’t an inner self that Rose hid particularly well, but it was still a sort of chaotic whirlwind of emotions that she did her best to keep well within herself. Did Rose ever cry? Plenty. Did she show fear? Of course. Was she a bit clingy and weird? Absolutely. None of that even touched the absurd levels that were hidden within herself, however. The deep sadness she felt from feeling isolated when she was younger. The intense fears of being all alone that caused her to latch onto almost anyone that offered her their love or kindness. What she showed was clinginess, but deep inside there was a twisted part of herself who wished she could cut off their fingers and keep them with her forever. Keep literal parts of those she wants to call friends as beautiful souvenirs under some shrine she created…a place she could come back and admire them whenever she wanted.

Insanity? That was her power, yes, but that wasn’t all it was. She could see it as her inner self remained eerily quiet for now, letting Rose take in the unhinged psycho she was always so close to becoming. A girl who took what she wanted no matter how others felt. A girl who enjoyed getting harmed and who enjoyed any attention she received from others. She wants to be liked? Hah. That never REALLY mattered. There was no rush in that, anyway. Kindness was just easier and made her feel like she was floating. Pain and cruelty however, always secretly made her feel good. It created a numbness she was starting to crave more and more but hidden in her benevolent actions. Taking a hit was just part of the plan! She can’t die, so it’s okay! It’s not like she WANTS to get hurt, right?

“You can pretend like you hate it.” The Inner would finally speak, giggling in her creepy way. “But that’s not even true, right? You saw her…Stella. And it scared you.”

The Inner would reach out and cup Rose’s face with her hands, but Rose didn’t make any moves.

“But that power you felt…you just need to let it out like she does! Did you see how FREE she felt? How liberating it was? All you do it woooorryyyy. Aren’t you tired of w-w-w-worrying? The insanity might have made your parents hurt you, but it also makes you feel SO alive!”

“I’m…not like that…” Rose would mumble half-heartedly.

The Inner’s face would change to an expression of deep sadness, and while tears flowed down her eyes, her lips would keep twitching from a frown to a smile.

“But you are…You have those thoughts all the time…So many scenarios that you’re too scared to act on…S-Sometimes it slips and you’re scared b-because people think you’re weird. It hurts…a-and we should hurt them back…”

The Inner’s expression changes again to one of fear and worry. Her tone sounds desperate.

“Y-You’ll lose him if you let anyone get close like that a-again, you know! All you did was pout! She touched him and got THAT close and all y-you did was pout!! What if she stuck a knife in him and HE DIED, idiot?! Thank GOODNESS you held back, right?! Oh no…w-we’d be all alone…and he’d be g-g-gone!! We can’t live without him!”

Rose would wince as she stared at herself. She knew she had those feelings but she never realized how bad they were. With her mind as such a blank slate right now, she could start to see the faults in her character more. More so than the self-deprecating way she’d talk about herself already.

“We don’t…h-have to kill people to protect him. A-and he’s not so weak that h-he can’t protect himself, either…”

The Inner would look at her shocked.

“O-of course we do!! Elias isn’t immortal like we are, stupid!! If we die for him w-we’ll be stronger and he’ll be stronger too! And if we just embrace pain and suffering, we’ll live up to our full potential!! Y-you want to be strong! You said it, Rose! YOU said it! So w-why are you purposely making us weaker!?”

The Inner would start shaking her like she wasn’t convinced Rose was listening.

“HEY! You heard me right?! Stop holding back! If I have to force my way through, you won’t like it! So listen to me!! Listen! Listenlistenlistenlistenlistenlistenlistenlistenlistenlistenlistenlisten-”

“S-stop!” Rose would shake her head, finally knocking The Inner’s arms off of her and taking two steps back.

“I wanted t-to be stronger emotionally and m-mentally! G-going crazy is th-the opposite of that!”

The Inner’s smile would finally fade, and instead she’d hold a furious expression. With a hard leap, she would push Rose to the ground and pin her there, keeping her face very, very close to her.

“You HAVEN’T been LISTENING Rose!” she growled, causing Rose to flinch a bit.

“Destroy what gets in your way! Take whatever you want! Embrace people’s love and hate! Take it as your power! Stop. Holding. Me. Back!”

The Inner’s hands would wrap around her throat and Rose would start finding it hard to breathe. Though she pulled at The Inner’s arms, she couldn’t break free.

“You’re still so weak…” The Inner would spit.

“I can’t believe we’re even the same person. Fine then. Die like you always do. You’ll eventually break down and when you do…you won’t be able to resist this side of you. The REAL you. The one that wants to let loose!”

Rose wouldn’t say anything more, her world slowly going dark as the words rang through her head.
No. She wouldn’t ever let that happen. Her bloodline Qi might be insanity, but it could go away any time she wanted it to.

She wouldn’t succumb to the real thing.

(word count 1110)

[Allison Kazim]

The light was blinding, a qi attack gone wrong? Ali assumed anyway. Until the burning in her chest turned to searing pain. She gasped, struggling for breath as she pressed her fist against her sternum, trying to force whatever cause the pain out, only to find it fading and the light even bright. Brilliant and blinding, she could barely make out a form standing in front of her.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?” A familiar figure stood before her, the light fading to reveal a white-haired version of herself. Sharp, with energy crackling and light pulsing around her like an aura, echoing the emotion inside of her. Ali's grip tightened on the hilt of her sword for half a second, glancing around for some sign of whoever cast the illusion, but the world seemed to be still except for the two of them.

“I didn't realize walking in the halls was a crime,” she snapped, sarcasm filling her voice as she straightened and ketp her hand on the hilt of her blade.

“Tch. Listen to you. 'I didn't realize.' When did you suddenly start talking like one of them? When you were sipping tea like best friends?”

“What?” What was this? She bristled in anger and took a step forward, ready to end the conversation before it even began.

“You're not deaf – you heard me. Was that it? Or was it when you started talking to the leaders of the Big Five like you were one of them? The first time you crossed swords with a king and he didn't reprimand you?”

“This is stupid.”

“Answer me!” Light sparked the air as a familiar blade sliced through the air, the aura extending through it as the other woman held the blade directly against Allison's throat.

“You are Allison Kazim, or were. A fighter of the people. The one who defied the restrictions of class and fought to protect your neighbors and allies. You fought against class. Now you're acting like you're one of them.” The white haired woman spat at her feet, Ali's own anger spiking as the glob splattered on her shoe Her hand stung as it struck the other woman's face, teeth aching with how tightly they were clenched. They were so close she could feel the other woman's breath on her face.

“I am who I am. I am a soldier. I fight for my people. That never changed.”

“You'll never be one of them, you know.” Ali snorted and pushed the woman enough, muttering “Kek,” under her breath as she felt the flesh beneath her touch. The force was enough to leave a small crater and cracks on the ground as her inner self fell without actually landing. Instead, she was back on her feet, her own hand striking so fast and hard that Ali felt the blow before she heard the spell mirrored back at her.

“I know.” She raised her chin, feeling the blade's tip pierce her flesh as a trickle of blood slide down her throat. “That's why I came here.” Screw anyone's assumption that she followed a noble's footsteps: she left to build prestige outside of Ayatlan and use it to lift herself and her family up. To prove to them what a mere battle mage of the lower classes could do. Her inner self snorted in disgust, the blade drawing away long enough enough for Ali to feel the sting as if it were real.

“You'll never be one of them either. You're trying, though. You're turning into one of those rotten nobles you used to hate so much. Raztal!” The chain lashed out, clasping around Ali's neck as a violent shock of energy ran through her body, the lightning element setting her nerves on fire to the point she cried out, clawing at the chain to remove it with both hands as her actions were bound.

“YOU DID THIS TO ANOTHER PERSON. You chained them – you collared them like a slave! And kept talking to that sleaze emperor as if it were NOTHING.”

“I am a soldier.” She choked on the words, gasping for breath before lashing out at her inner self, wings spreading to boost her speed as she slashed at the woman's chest. “I have killed and will kill again. He would have ruined everything.” She kicked the woman's side, feeling ribs crack under the might of the conviction.

“I am a mage. I am a battle mage. I do more than tend the wounded – I fight where others can't.” her red halo spiraled into existence once again as she pressed the attack, the sound of steel ringing through the air like thunder as they matched each other blow for blow.

“Where I serve doesn't matter. I was given a task, and I followed. I protected my home, and my people. I warned Ayatlan. I warned Cabal. I warned the others. I didn't ask for the task, and you know as well as I do that I didn't like it.”

“But you'll do it again.” More steel, a breeze against her face as Ali backed off and into the air, the blade slicing her cheek but missing her eye.

“I won't like it.”

“Liar.”

“Shut up.” It was still weird that Angelonia wanted to be nice to her. She had to want something. Strike wanted something. The others wanted something, but those were equal exchanges. A fight for a fight. A protectorate and a protector. A trade to improve herself in exchange to improve a territory.

“You will. You'll forget. Just like you'll forget your family while you go off and chase this new one.” That stopped Allison mid-air as she stared at the woman before her.

“What the hell does that have to do with anything?! I chose my family. My true family. That doesn't mean I can't have allies.”

“Funny how everyone seems to be an ally now. You used to have fire. Conviction Strength. Now you're just pretending everything's fine.”

“Vald-Kek!” Snarling the spell combo, Ali's own hair turned white as she boosted her strength to attack the woman, rage clawing its way up her throat. Her inner self turned even brighter, nothing by a silhouette of light as the blade sliced through her..

“You're holding back.”

“No I'm NO--” The denial was cut off with a shout of pain as the attack came back at her, all the mana and strength and divine power she'd lashed out at her inner self with She could feel the heat of the attack, burned flesh raw and cracking beneath the torn clothing.

“You can lie to yourself. You can't lie to me.” Ali's legs wobbled as she forced herself up, kneeling on one knee as she summoned the strength she had within.

“I'm. Not. LYING!” The last word was punctuated as she echoed the same attack, the dark blue steel of her blade glowing bright as she unleashed all the damage she had suffered back at her inner self once more. She didn't need an introduction to recognize her conviction and beliefs to know what she faced.

Trees cracked and snapped with the force of the blow, most of the training ground in the distance taking the damage rather than Cabal's fence or walls, though the ground was pretty torn up and uneven now where the crater grew. Her inner self had landed against a broken tree and was coughing up blood, just as she was, and used its wings to rise up since it couldn't stand. The familiar blade was pointed directly at Ali's face.

“Prove me wrong, then. Because the next time you lie to me, I will kill you.” The imaged grew brighter, the woman's wounds healing themselves as the inner self faded, leaving Ali alone with her words and the damage of the world around her. The mage wiped the blood that leaked from her lips and turned her to head to the side, spat to clear the taste from her mouth.

“Not if I'm stronger.”

Word Count: 1370

[Mathew Amtrum]

Mathew stumbled forward, his hand moving to his chest as it burned. The light blinding and disorienting him, but not so much to not sense that he wasn't alone anymore. He felt the other presence before the light dispersed. A stone spike erupted from the ground toward the intruder, only to be stopped, crumbling to dust. When the light faded he was face to face with a familiar visage. He would just sigh seeing the younger doppelganger in front of him. This was going to be a problem, he could already tell.

"So what is this? Not a Qi scar. Another temporal disturbance?" Older Mathew asked crossing his arms as he looked at his younger self. The younger self was having none of it though and rolled his eyes as he closed the distance between the two of them. Spitting on the ground in front of his older self young Mathew stared the old man down.

"You got some fucking nerve, you know that?" He'd shove the older Mathew back, quickly closing the distance again to stay in his face. "We, no I worked so fucking hard to get to where I am. Climbing Mount Olympus to become a God, diving into the underworld to bring back Barker and Hector. Ending the war and building the Dragon Core to what it was. Every day I pushed further and harder, every single day I moved forward. And for what? For you to give up? Retire? Become so god damn pathetically weak that you can't even protect your family?"

At that older Mathew lunged forward grabbing his younger self by the shirt and lifting him up, his face contorting into a snarling rage as his knuckles whitened in his grip.

"I forgot what a smart mouth I had for all the dumb shit that would come out of it." Young Mathew went to kick older Mathew in the crotch, but older Mathew was already throwing him to the side. Young Mathew landed, spikes of stone erupting from the ground which would be halted by older Mathew stamping his foot down on the ground.

"Yeah, you talk fucking big and run your god damn mouth, but you know why I retired? No, why we retired? Because we finally had something, we had a fucking family. For the first time in our life, we had someone that loved us and who actually wanted and needed us. Not because we were powerful, not because we were a God or a Dragon, not because of the future we might be able to build. Someone that we could finally trust to not betray and abandon us, unconditional love. Because we were their father. But you wouldn't know that, look at you. You're still riddled with the holes of every betrayal that we have endured. And that we will continue to endure."

It was older Mathew's turn to close the distance as the younger Mathew picked himself up, dusting himself off as he held his head up high in pride. Still convinced that he was in control of the situation. Either way, he wasn't done running his mouth.

"Oh blah blah blah. Bullshit. If it was unconditional you could have kept going. We were building a future, we had a vision, and you left it unfinished. And now look what's happening, some asshat is stealing your thunder. You're just now going to Canada? It's been decades dipshit. And what, Central America is just gone? That doesn't fucking concern you. What about Europe? Asia? South America? Fucking Antartica. You are really going to let those Penguins run amok doing what they want like they are better than you? Then again, maybe they are."

Both Mathew's would push each other back, puffing out their chests.

"Don't fucking compare us to penguins, you're embarrassing both of us with that shit." Older Mathew began, crossing his arms again as he looked over his younger self. "Alright, so just to establish what is going on. You know what I've done the last twenty some odd years or whatever. Right?"

"Yeah, that's why I'm here. Because you clearly need a kick in the dick to remind you where the fuck you came from." Young Mathew snorted his retort.

Older Mathew sighed and ran his right hand over his face and through his beard, shaking his head. "I didn't forget you, and I haven't forgotten us. We pushed forward because we had a vision for a future, a better one. We were willing to become the villain to save the world from itself, but I found another way, a chance to be something better. Yeah, it didn't go as well as I would have wanted, but I wouldn't go back and change it. Even if I could. You don't see it yet, but it was the smart play. We may have lost most of what we had, but we didn't lose it all. We still have Evelyn. And if you have been inside of me these last twenty years then you have to be able to see that. Every moment we had with them was precious. I will happily kill both of us for her. But I don't think I will have to. You want me to remember where I came from? Look around you? War is back, and that means I need to go back, you are still with me every step of the way. And our methods are going to make sure she survives, no matter what it takes."

Older Mathew extended a hand to his younger self.

"We swore before that we would burn the world if that's what it took to save it. Now I'm saying we will burn the world if that's what it takes to save her."

Younger Mathew stared at the hand, his older version's words and the memories of the decades playing in his mind as he grasped the hand that was offered to him.

"They are the same thing."

And with another flash of light, there was only older Mathew.

[Sage Sudeki]

Spike was out... Away from everyone, training, practicing with a sword he wasn't trained in using. Scratching at the eye patch every so often. Trying to observe the local populace to act like them. Suddenly he dropped his sword as a pain struck him, he seethed as he gripped his chest clenching his eyes shut as he felt the shift within himself. It was an odd feeling, but one he couldn't place either, he wanted to activate his Seikatsugan, but it felt too early, just in case he was under attack. That's when he heard it.

"Even brain washed, even out here in war torn Canada, you somehow still dye your hair?"

He looked reaching for his bokken handle, knowing full well what he was going to see. Himself, better yet, Sage.

"It's a decent disguise."

Spike retorts knowing full well no one would recognize him anyways except for veterans of a war ten years over. Sage would scoff at Spike raising a middle finger.

"Decent disguise my ass, who you trying to pretend to be, huh? Leon? Dear old dad? You going to stick your finger in a light socket too? If I didn't know any better I'd say you were full of yourself, but that can't be since I'm here."

Spike would grind his teeth. He knew he put up a pretty good mask. It was the Prota training, be someone else, never show your true self. Blend in at all costs.

"Don't fall back on that 'I was brainwashed' bullshit either. You know damn well this suit wearing, bond shit is just a fantasy. Your a punk... You were raised a warrior in your own right, shit I took over an airport in the middle of an apocalypse when I was eight years old. You? Following the Earth Dragon like a puppy trying to do what? Wait for daddy to get home so you can copy something else about him."

Spike would activate the bokken handle and the black flame would erupt from it, focused like a laser as he pointed it at Sage.

"Say that shit again. I am not my dad, I am my own man and my own warrior."

Spike was getting a little more than pissed at this visage.

"Oh yeah? Still going as Spike? At least when Prota controlled your personality you went by your real name and not Daddy's nickname. What are you even going to do with that huh? We both know you aren't familiar enough with it anymore. Evelyn would ring you out to dry if you pulled that out. You'd have to pump your Qi into oblivion to keep up."

Spike couldn't take it anymore and lashed out stepping forward quickly and slashing across, while Sage covered his arm in the black flame blocking the sword strike with it, the aura's bouncing off each other, rattling against each other.

"This is who I choose to be! It's not Leon, it's not Sage, it's me! Mathews offer was as much selfish as it was for my benefit. Knowing he wouldn't go easy on me, excited me for the challenge. Going to the Deadlands, knowing it would be war again. I'm not only going to get my old strength back, I'm going to surpass it. Then I will wreck havoc on Prota with my own strength!"

Spike's conviction pushed back against Sage as he slid a bit before Sage shook his head.

"You don't even properly know who you are. Sage, Spike, Prota Black Ops Agent, Dragonling... That's why you made mistakes along the way. Saving and helping that Katashi, abandoning the Sudeki, going off on your own to prove yourself and getting captured. Just a pile of mistakes before you were even able to drink alcohol. Now what do you have to show for it? Power? A thirst for revenge? What do you really want?"

The whole time Sage spoke he was pushing Spike back in the clash, sliding him along in the stance before pressing him up against a wall.

"I just want..."

Spike couldn't finish...

"Say it."

Sage pressed as the blade made contact with the wall beside him threatening to push against his chest.

"No one asked... Spike... Sage, what do you want. It was always, punch here, run there... Kill them."

Sage let off a bit as Spike;s face looked to the ground, his teeth clenched together as he fought the realization.

"I just want to be me... I want to live my way. I want to know what my way is."

A tear would drop from his eye as he turned off the sword. Sage stepped back and lowered his arm.

"Then let's find out what that is."

Sage would extend a hand to Spike's shoulder. Spike would look up and stand up straight from the wall giving a nod as he reached his hand up to wipe away his tear and place his hand on Sage's shoulder.

"You got it."

828 Words

[Rhona Hall]

Rhona would open her eyes and see the blinding light that took some adjusting to when it came into view she saw... the future she wanted. Golden clad and silently looking down on herself with a look of disappointment. The deep brow furrowing came to be the most shadowed area across her entire being. The dream that at one point felt so close and now much much further away.

They remained silent... Rhona herself was speechless. Rhona the Apollo was giving her the silent treatment. On her back was a Bow and at her hip was a lyre. That Rhona sat on a greek styled podium and below her ladylike crossed legs and bare feet laid upon Laurel leaves sleeping ravens, swans, rats, wolves, and pythons. All of which looked mangy and bloody

Frankly, this God Rhona felt more like her Mother than her. All those lessons that Rhona ignored and all those virtues she just wasn't interested in were right here as that Rhona took out her Lyre and started to play. A tune rang through the silence and the creatures below were resting peacefully as the darkness around the glowing god began to flicker more of the colors within paintings and nature. The God would hum with Rhona's singing voice a voice but even that made Rhona's voice sound like an out of tune child. Simply the humming was godly and the colors she practically swam in. The creatures slumbered peacefully and remained surrounding their diety they were looking healed by the power of her lyre and voice. Rhona would not be able to get near the future she wanted. However, she looked at that Rhona and would feel the pain in her stomach.

Art, music, healing, and protection... Rhona looked to her father for many years learning to fight with the others and wanted not but the glory of becoming a god of the sun. As she absorbed its energy she felt it was her destiny. Hardly had she ever really paid attention to what that actually meant as not a God of the Sun but as Apollo. She only ever felt like she as going to protect others, when she lost her parents she felt like she failed that. Truthfully... Rhona would see that her Mother as obsessive as she was wanted most of all for Rhona to succeed. Mother knew what it meant to be Apollo and it wasn't all strength and glory. By the Gods, her mother could have been the Apollo the world was looking for and she had a daughter who she would hope to get the role instead.

And yet... Rhona would see this Apollo and come to a realization...

"That is my voice you sing with but that is not I, it is too late for me to turn back the clock, isn't it? Why Ares had deemed me unfit when he tested me. I ignored that and I have ignored the whole fruity world you are about. I can not appreciate a painting that is not more to me but a bunch of colors on a canvas. So... Fine..." She tapped her thump over her chest. "I am not an never will be Apollo... I will still be a God one that lights up the world and brings it to see a new day."

The creatures awoke as the music stopped and would stare at Rhona in silence. The brow that unfurrowed on the God that sat daintily on the pedestal eased her expression to one of a sad smile. "That voice of ours will go to waste..."

"No... it won't, even if I am not singing... I will be heard across the lands." And they both smiled proudly and the colors stopped and the light faded and all went black where Rhona woke as if she had never been asleep, to begin with.

(645)

[Qi Yanmei]

Yanmei would grab at her chest, eyes widening at this very new sensation. Well, sorta new. New to her specifically. She recalls this feeling from Katsu at some point or another…but those weren’t nearly this unbearable. It literally knocked the wind out of her, leaving her unable to even yelp.

Once it was all over, Yanmei would be facing herself. Almost. Her inner self was lounging and looking a bit bored, glancing up at her like she wasn’t shocked to see her but totally didn’t expect her.

“Oh. Hey. You came.”

“What…is this?” Yanmei would raise a brow.

“Oh. It’s just a nice little heart-to-heart, you know? Reminding you of who you are and all that. Uh. This is a bit awkward but…I don’t think I really have anything to say. Everyone else was doing it and I got a bit excited. Turns out we’re 100% being our authentic self.”

“Oh. I mean of course we are? Why wouldn’t we?”

“People have a lot to hide, you know? But that’s pretty useless for us.” Inner Yanmei would shrug.

“Oh well, you’re here. We may as well make sure we weren’t faking it, you know? Uhhh. Oh yeah here where you pretended to be human. That was funny. 100% being our self with that though because it’s funny to watch people try to figure out how on Earth we’re human with those cute ears and beautiful wings. Ahaaa.”

“Isn’t it just so cute?” Yanmei would agree. Pretending to be human never worked anyway. It was just fun to see bewilderment at such an outlandish claim.

“The cutest. Oh and here, where we embrassed Katsu. And here where we embarrassed Katsu. Oh and here where-“

“I get it we embarrass him a lot.”

“He’s so-“

“Cute, yes.”

“Hm. Oh hey. I guess it turns out we ARE hiding something.” Inner Yanmei says, finally sitting up and staring at herself seriously.

“What are you talking about?” Yanmei would chuckle, expecting herself to be messing with her now.

“Remember every time a woman is interested in him? We’re always pushing him to try dating and all that like we want him to finally settle down. Like it wouldn’t make us sad that it wasn’t us.”

Yanmei would clench her jaw before laughing it off.

“Hey. It’d be weird at first since it’s always been just us, you know? But Katsu’s a person. We’re not. We’re a part of him. We can’t be WITH him…like that…”

“M’yeah. But you want to.” Inner Yanmei would point at her.

“I mean it’s one thing to accept you’re not fit for it, but it’s another to pretend like those feelings aren’t there and burying them under jokes and teasing.”

“And what? You think we should be honest about it?” Yanmei scoffs. “Why would I make things hard like that? For all we know we’re like a little sister to him. Or like a child. He BASICALLY is the cause of our birth so shouldn’t he be our dad or something? I’m not sick in the head.”

“You KNOW it’s not even like that.” Inner Yanmei would roll her eyes.

“Yeah well, we’re connected to him for the rest of our combined lives, you know? If we say something and things get weird we can’t just get away from each other. That awkward atmosphere’s going to be there forever.”

“What if it works out though?”

Yanmei opens her mouth then closes it. That…would be ideal. But it wasn’t worth the risk.

Besides, Katsu had been through enough because of her. He deserved a chance at finding a life he wanted with someone who was human. Or Titan if he really wanted. More of a person than she felt she was. Or maybe he didn’t want to settle down? He totally should she wants to see him raise a kid that would be so fun. BUT!! That’s not her call.

“Well. If that’s how you’ll be then whatever. Keep being dumb.” Inner Yanmei would yawn before waving her away.

“That’s all I had to say. Oh and you should really be more careful about all that garbage that gets in our hair. We’re not animals. Living in the woods isn’t an excuse for poor hygiene.”

Yanmei would look at herself mortified, quickly starting to comb her fingers through her hair to make sure that was just a jab at her and not a read on her current state.

Inner Yanmei would smirk.

“As if that’s what you’re more concerned with.”

“Well it’s a distraction at least.” Yanmei would pout before looking at the floor.

“I’ll…bring it up. Soon. Is that okay? I just don’t think right now is good.”

“Well. I’d know if you were lying and right now you’re about 50/50 on that decision. I’ll pretend it’s because as you said, you’re not ready. But you better do it or you’ll never be able to get any closure.”

“Right…” Yanmei would nod slowly before looking up at her Inner self, who slowly got up and walked over to her, merging back within her body.

“We’re doing great, otherwise. So don’t start hiding stuff now. It’s not like us.”

Yanmei would close her eyes and she felt herself become whole again, placing a hand on her chest again as she glanced over at Katsu as he slept.

Maybe those absurd feelings would just leave before she ever had to face them fully.

(word count 902)

[Katsu]

The pain is excruciating, and it’s enough to make Katsu close his eyes in an effort to keep himself from doubling over. By the time his eyes open, the landscape has shifted.

It’s still his yard, where he had been practicing his techniques with his sword. Now, however, he finds himself alone, without Yanmei once more. The yard felt… bigger, too. Like how it felt when he was younger.

Katsu turns, and sees his father stepping out of the front door, glowering at him.

“You dared to come back to this house after what you did?”

Katsu scowls, lowering his sword to his side.

“This is my home, too.”

“It stopped being your home the moment you made that monster appear.”

Katsu’s hand on his swordhandle tightens its grip.

“She is not a monster. Yanmei has been more to me than you ever were. You drove me out.”

His father grimaces.

“Of course we did. You’re lucky we didn’t kill you.”

“And that’s why you’re not my family anymore.”

His father gives him a slight smile, then grows smaller, hair lengthening to match Katsu’s own, until he sees a mirror of himself.

“You act as though being your family is something that’s worth being. Yet all you do is fail to protect them, and worry them by being so… very… weak.”

Katsu glares at himself, taking a step closer.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t I?”

The other Katsu asks, still smiling.

“All you do is lose. Your ‘king’ defeated you without breaking a sweat. The invader’s machine crushed you like an ant. You’ve been nothing but weak. What kind of ‘world’s greatest swordsman’ can’t even defeat a machine?”

Katsu closes his eyes, while his other self continues.

“Do you think a new sword will solve it? As if somehow, the problem is your tools, and not your own body and mind that are unable to keep up?”

“No.”

Katsu’s eyes slowly open.

“A tool is only as good as its wielder. It is a focus for its wielder’s power, an extension of their body. To say that it will make or break a person is simply wrong. An infant cannot wield a sword properly, and only a sufficiently skilled swordsman can bring out a weapon’s true potential, and vice versa.”

The other Katsu snorts, shaking his head.

“You’re making excuses.”

“Am I? I think you’re just telling me what I’m most afraid of. You’re my doubt, my worry, and my fear.”

“And if I am? Are you going to try and defeat me, so that you never feel fear again?”

“Of course not.”

Other Katsu frowns, this time taken off guard.

“What?”

“Fear is important. Fear drives you to move faster, because you don’t want to be hit. Fear makes to push yourself harder, because you don’t want to lose something. Fear is as part of life as happiness, satisfaction, or anger. These are the things that make a whole person, and make life interesting. They make life worth living.”

The other Katsu considers that idea, before nodding.

“Then we can work together, rather than against each other?”

Katsu smiles.

“Together.”

Word Count: 524

[Rozalin Kendal]

The scent of flowers in the air was heady, too full and potent for Rozalin's taste. The pirate's nose wrinkled as she walked the gardens, ruining the desire for fresh air ruined before the blinding light and searing pain in her chest did. Her hand gripped the hilt of her sword, straining for any sound to let her know who or what had attacked her in such a private place. Her thoughts went to the manor, the people there who would hear as she pulled her sword free, with nothing to guide her hand.

And then she heard it. The tired sigh. As the light faded and the pain eased, Rozalin found herself facing a version of herself, older and worn than she'd thought they would be. Well fitted armor, injuries still healing, eyepatch gone and replaced with a bandage. Standing beside her was a man she'd never seen before, but she recognized on instinct.

“Ari.” The man grinned at her and winked as the older version of herself rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue.

“Don't stare too long. We both know it'll go to his head.” Her own snort of laughter in response surprised Roz as she refocused on her other self.

“I'm assuming this isn't some mage's trick. Why are you here?”

“You know why.”

“Tell me anyway. I like a good story.” Rozalin settled in on a stone bench nearby, crossing her leg and leaning back to look up at the woman, unphased. She knew it wasn't a trick, that little twist in her gut telling her she was facing something more real than that. A part of herself se had been tucking away lately, though she never thought she'd look like this. This version looked...worn in. Battle worn, with sunburns and windburns, somehow seeming more alive.

“Why are you still here?” Apparently, story time wasn't going to happen. Roz raised a brow, waiting for the woman to continue. It didn't' take much, no gesture or word as she kept going anyway and Ari took a seat on the groun, one arm folded over his knee.

“You wanted freedom. You had it, on the sea. Then you let Cabal keep you, going nowhere. You earned your freedom – you bought your freedom with your own coin and tore your contract up in front of the Commodore. And now you sing in a gilded cage for a lord. You sit and take lessons, you let them look down on you and your prestige comes from riding his coattails – or his cock, I'm not sure which at this point.”

“Hey, I help too,” Ari interrupted as the older Rozalin rolled her eyes.

“Yes, you do. You became a novelty, something to study like some science project. Their interest is in him, not you. We all know it.”

“And? Most of this bloody continent is still land locked.”” Rozalin straightened further, taking her turn to speak whether her inner self wanted it or not. “You look like you wear the armor of someone who has the money for it. Who's earned it. If that didn't' happen here, I'd love to know where.” She rose, slow, matching gaze for gaze and tone for tone.

“Preston is my partner. My confidant. My friend. We've seen each other though things we never wanted to see, to see us at our weakest. He's never looked down on us for it. Never tried to use us – no more than we do him, anyway. We watch each other's back and he doesn't ask for anything I hadn't already given him."

“But you'd be free to see it. To smell the ocean and the rich earth, to feel a breeze as the trees overhead sway. To know the dry dust in your lungs of a desert and the raging storms that tear through the land. You're giving all that up now that you can finally have it – for a man!” She snorted and shook her head. “You're better than some swooning maiden with her first crush. You really think they're going to accept you here, a pirate and hooker? It doesn't matter if you say 'former,' you know they still see you that way. When have you given up what you want because someone else likes it more?”

“Every time the Commodore wanted something.” The words flew out like a weapon, sharp and precise as Rozalin strode towards her inner self. “Every time we wanted anything else, any time he hurt us or threw us to the wolves. Every time we proved ourselves to the crew and to him that we had more to us than tits and a dagger. Every. Time.”

“Do you love him?”

Rozalin paused, staring at her inner self, stunned by her own dead-eyed stare, expectant and impassive.

“I don't know,” she whispered softly, “but I could.” She'd never have the luxury of knowing what that was like. If he'd been any other class, she might have lucked out. Had he been a pirate or rogue or scoundrel, or even just some other agent from Cabal, she could have. She could have let herself go that far and love every second it.

“So you're going to just sit back and watch as you let something you want slip away?”

“Someone.”

“And how often does that happen?”

“It doesn't,” she snapped, face to face with the older woman. “Why are you here?”

“To make sure you make a move, one way or another. Pick one.” Her inner self stepped back, reaching into her chest and pulling out the scythe that Asiv had when he'd unlocked the power of her heart.

“Remember this? This is your freedom. Your strength. So choose. How much value you actually have in someone you met a year ago. Someone you're going to watch chose another and live a life dictated by his world's rules. And they are his world's rules, not yours. So you decide if it's worth making yourself suffer. Because I'm tired of standing still and doing nothing.”

“I know.” Rozalin raised her chin, knowing the weight of the words on her heart. They both felt it. Even Ari looked away, as aware of it as she was.

“Then what are you going to do about it?”

“Apparently choose.” She held out a hand. “Are you in, or not?”

The older Rozalin studied her for a long moment as Ari straightened up and began fussing with his clothes, as if trying to hide he was just sitting in the dirt. At last, the older woman nodded and clasped her hand.

“Always. Just don't dick around about it all day.” With a blinding flash of light, her inner self disappeared, leaving only Rozalin to walk the gardens once more.

Roz chuckled. “Never.”



Word Cout: 1,169

[Marin]

If sudden bright lights engulfing you weren’t scary enough, crippling pain probably was. For a child of only 8 years, that wasn’t something she was prepared for at all. Tears streamed down her face as she started to panic, only for things to suddenly feel better.

She sniffs and rubs at her eyes with her hands and arms, looking around somewhat fearfully because she doesn’t really understand what happened to her. It just hurt a lot.

Her attention was grabbed by fire, but she couldn’t see who was in it. The figure stared back at her and reached out a hand.

“Marin…I know you’re too young to understand right now but you have to remember…” the flame said, the voice sounding much older than her own.

“All of the information is here…but you don’t even realize you’re pushing it back…”

“But I tried…” Marin frowns, brows furrowing in frustration. Didn’t the fire get it? She tries all the time and it’s just too hard. Every time she thinks she sees something, she doesn’t really know what she’s seeing. She doesn’t know anything about other territories. She doesn’t know names. She doesn’t even know who the person who dropped her off at Cabal is!!

“I know you did. I know you think you’re trying. But your mind is hiding your memories from you because as you are right now, you wouldn’t be able to understand…”

“I understand!” She stomps her foot. “I learned a lot! Master was a bad person! He made me work all the time!”

“Do you know why?”

“Because…he’s mean…”

“That’s true, but also not the reason. Do you know where you came from before that?”

“No…” Marin would shake her head, starting to fidget. “I’m not from the cold place?”

“No…you were…” the flame would stop, almost as if suddenly unable to speak. “Marin, stop doing this.”

“I’m not doing anything!”

“I should have known…it’s much too early.” The flame sighed, shaking her head.

“That’s okay. We’ll take small steps instead. Marin. Talk to me. You keep your feelings hidden because its easier to just go with what happens than think about why, right? But I can feel it inside you. You’re scared of something…what is it?”

The little girl would keep fidgeting before plopping back on her behind and staring at her feet. Deep stuff was hard to put into words…emotions were hard to explain. She just felt things and that was her state of being when it happened. She’d only recently been made to walk through why she reacted certain ways and the consequences of it. It was hard. But she would try to do it again.

“Everything is always different.” She says, starting to play with her dress to keep busy. “I meet the master, the master is gone. I meet the other numbers, they’re gone. I meet a person who takes me here, now gone. I remember having a mommy but she’s gone. I meet Rai and Tina here and they’re fun and now they are gone. No one says why they are gone. They just are gone. It makes me sad. What if my daddy becomes gone too?”

“Are you feeling abandoned?”

Marin nods a bit. Even if she’d only met some people once, she thought she’d be seeing them again since she met them here. But there was never any real stability around her. Just people coming and going. Memories coming and going. Developing any real relationships was a really weird thing for her, and so far her time spent with Krane had been the only constant since she’d unknowingly been a slave at the “cold place”. If it was taken away again, what was she supposed to do?

“That’s why…” the flame would nod slowly. “Before you can start to remember, you need to feel safe. You’re still scared that this is just another short stop before you’re no longer in control of where you’re going or what you’re doing.”

That was a lot of words, and Marin only really got the gist of it. If anything, the flame seemed to be talking to itself anyway.

“I’m going to give you a special job, Marin.” It would speak directly to her this time.

“Stop trying to remember for now. Find what makes you happy here. And if you’re still scared of not being able to stay, you know who you can ask about it. Promise you’ll do that?”

Marin would smile and nod.

“Yeah. Find happy stuff and it’s okay not to remember right now.” She repeats.

“And?” the flame tries to nudge another response out of her.

“And I should ask if I’m staying here forever and ever!”

“That’s right. Adults will help you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

“I’m not scared!” she denies, even though she literally just talked about being scared. The flame would just laugh, but accept that.

“Alright. You’re not scared. Now it’s time for you to wake up. You have so much work to do!”

Marin would nod but tilt her head as the world started to turn back to normal. When she looked back to find the flame, she was gone.

“Hmm. Burning ants makes me happy…” Marin would mumble, taking the whole experience in stride as she started to make her way outside. At least that was one thing. She was on a roll.

(Word count: 893)

[Valerian Blackburn]

“Nnngh!”

Valerian leans over, holding his head.

“That’s bad… I need another drink.”

He stumbles away from his bed, ignoring the other occupant inside as he heads towards the bathroom. Originally, he’d thought to grab the bottle of vodka standing on top of his dresser, but the possibility of this hangover turning into more than just nausea made him want to get to the sink and wash his face.

Val leans over, letting the water pool in his hands before he splashes his face. He grimaces, holding his chest, and when he looks back up at the mirror, his face looks disappointed, rather than pained like his own.

“After all that, you haven’t changed a bit.”

Val leans back, confused.

“What?”

The other Valerian frowns more.

“Even after going to that horrific place, facing your demons and coming to terms with your responsibility issues, what have you done? You’ve stayed here, at Cabal, and drank…drank… drank. More than usual, even.”

Val sighs, looking downwards.

“Look. I’m just… you know… having a hard time. There’s been a lot happening, and…”

“Bullshit. You’re stalling.”

Valerian looks back up.

“…yeah. I am.”

“And that’s not good for anyone, not me, not you, not anybody. You promised her that you would step up if you had to. You have to.”

Val grimaces.

“But there’s nothing happening that needs me right now… why can’t I just take it easy until the time comes?”

The other Valerian leans in through the mirror, scowling.

“You need to step up a little. Drinking your life away is the opposite of living up to your responsibility. At the very least, you can be sober.”

Val laughs, scratching the back of his head.

“…yeah…”

“And!”

The other Val reaches through the mirror, grabbing Valerian by the shirt and making his eyes widen in surprise.

“You can stop messing around with floozies every night.”

“Aha… not every night…”

Val laughs awkwardly, but the other one pulls him closer, glaring.

“And… you are going… to call your father.”

At that, Val’s usual laughing demeanour completely falls from his face. He goes a little paler, and looks away.

“You can’t be serious.”

“If you don’t, this pain is going to be happening every single night.”

Valerian grimaces, contemplating whether that was an acceptable trade-off.

“Yeah but… you know my dad. You know how he is. If I call him now, he’s going to be so…”

“Disappointed?”

“…well, yeah.”

“Should he not be?”

“…well….yeah.”

Other Valerian lets go of Val’s shirt.

“Then give him something to be proud of. Show him that you’ve changed. TELL him that you’ve changed.”

“That’s… not so easy.”

Other Valerian gives something of a sympathetic look.

“I know. But if it was worth it, it wouldn’t be easy.”

Valerian sighs again.

“…fine. I’ll… see what I can do.”

“That’s not good enough. Commit to it.”

“….I’ll call him.”

The other Val simply seems to vanish, returning back to Valerian’s normal reflection.

“Who’s that?”

A female voice asks from his bedroom. Valerian turns, wiping his face and shaking his head.

“Don’t worry about it. Look, you can stay here if you want, but I need to run. I have a call to make.”

Word Count: 553

[Cecelia Riddel]

The flash of light was blinding, the pain in her chest too intense to bear. With lungs too dry to gasp, Cecelia fell to the ground on her hands and knees, heart and mind racing as she whimpered.

“He...lp.” It wasn't even a whisper, but she felt like she was screaming. Was this what dying felt like?

Her limbs shook as the pain subsided and the light faded. Everything seemed normal, but she still worried. Was this something she should expect here? No one had mentioned any trouble before. Pushing herself upright, Celia took her first steady breath – and nearly fainted at the sight of the person in front of her. A tiny version of a well-groomed lady looked down at her from atop a giant snow globe, its contents lost in a swirl of snow that she couldn't see past. A parasol shaded her face from imaginary sunlight.

“I'm dreaming.” Cautiously, Celia pushed herself upright, hands reaching up to fuss and adjust her hair despite that only this palm-sized version of herself was there to witness.

“Not at all.” Tsking softly, the mini Celia shook her head, curls tumbling in a way that was too ridiculous to be real. “But you're becoming a disappointment.”

“What?” Her pitch rose as Celia froze, staring at her inner self in disbelief. How was she a failure? What was she supposed to do in this place? Become one of these savages?

“Like that.” A gloved hand pointed at her for a moment before the statue continued. “You are a lady of New Carolina. A princess. How are you going to listen and counsel your husband and help guide him if you panic every step of the way?”

“How am I supposed to advise anyone if I'm in this place?” She wasn't gong to be here forever. She had no intention of marrying into a family from such a violent place. What was there for her to learn?

“You have a champion, remember? Lady Angelonia even encouraged you to grow. You have so much you can do, so much you can learn, but if you constantly turn away from it, you'll turn a blind eye to the good and the bad. And neither of us want the bad.” Both Celias shuddered and looked away in unison.

“I'm trying my best.”

“You can do better.” A confident nod, a pitying smile. “You won't be here forever. Focus on the future. You can take so much from this place and grow from it. All you have to do is move the pieces into the right place. You can stop holding back and being nervous every time you have a hiccup or something goes wrong.”

“I can ruin everything that way! No one wants to have to deal with a wife who makes bubbles or breaks china just by reaching for a cup!”

“Have you seen the people at the academies? You're going to be fine, really! It's not like you have horns and a tail or some kind of weird mouth. You're you – so own it already! How are you going to dazzle when you're standing in your own shadow?”

“So adjust your skirts, put on your smile, and float over this like you own it, because you do. You have your protectors, no deliver on your promise. Okay?” Her inner self cocked her head to the side, sugary sweet smiles in place as she waved like a beauty queen and disappeared into a flash of light only after Celia smiled in return and nodded.

Even if she was still overwhelmed.

“Oh no, not again.” She hopped over to the rug, immediately fussing over shoes and skirts, certain she'd ruined another one thanks to a castle made of blood. Catching herself mid motion, she carefully lowered her skirt, finding a red tint but the fabric was likely already ruined from the moment she wore it in this blood-soaked realm.

So she would own it, and make Angelonia and her family proud.

And keep the cringing on the inside.

Word Count: 686

[Gunslinger]

Daniel’s perfect shot down the shooting gallery is ruined by the sudden pain in his chest, causing him to hunch over in pain. By the time he looks up, the gallery is gone, replaced instead by his father’s house. He can hear his dad and mom talking in the kitchen, and as Daniel steps forward, he can’t quite hear what they’re saying.

Then, he gets shoved.

“Hurry up, Daniel. You’ll be last again!”

His sister laughs, pushing past him to run into the kitchen. Daniel slowly picks himself up, shaking his head.

“Goddamnit, Wisty…”

He heads towards the kitchen, only for his brother to step out from the kitchen, blocking the way.

The two stare at each other, and there’s an undercurrent of tension, before Daniel finally speaks.

“Can you move?”

Jack Jr. just shakes his head.

“Why not?”

“Because you’ll always be behind me.”

Daniel’s hands clench into fists. He steps closer to his brother, who doesn’t flinch.

“You know it’s true. The difference between you and me has grown so vast, it can never be shortened to any meaningful amount. I’ve caught up to our father.”

“That’s impossible.”

“I’ve almost surpassed him, in fact.”

As much as Daniel hated to admit it… he never knew his brother to be a liar. But this… this is a claim that’s just gone too far.

“Jack. You can’t be serious. There’s no way you’re that strong. You’re the same as me, just… a little further ahead.”

His brother smiles, shaking his head.

“Is that what you tell yourself at night, before going to bed? That things haven’t changed since we were kids, you’re just slightly behind?”

Daniel doesn’t respond.

“You know the truth. You’re always going to be second best. Unless you are chosen to also undergo the same procedures… you can’t keep up. It’s your fate.”

Daniel scowls, and glares up at him.

“I’ll train and catch up. I’m going to be a Reclaimer, like Nova, and we’ll be at least as strong as-“

“Stop it, Daniel.”

Jack shakes his head. He reaches forward, gripping the back of Daniel’s head, and presses his forehead to Daniel’s own. Both brothers close their eyes for a moment.

“…you know I’ll always love you, little brother.”

“We’re twins. Well, triplets.”

“Stop changing the subject.”

Jack Jr. laughs, and they both open their eyes, leaning back a little to see each other more clearly.

“I mean it, though. You’re my brother, and I’ll always love you. But you need to stop chasing me. It’s not going to work out for you.”

Daniel nods slowly.

“I know. I guess… I always knew. I won’t chase you, Jack.”

Jack Jr. nods, backing away a little.

“I’ll surpass you.”

His backing away stops, and Jack Jr. tilts his head in confusion.

“You aren’t my goal anymore, Jack. You’re a stop along the journey. But don’t you worry either.”

Daniel gives him a smile back.

“You’re my brother, and I’ll always love you, too. Even when I’m better than you.”

Word count: 502.

[Cain Rhamos]

Lann’s chest is in horrible… terrible pain, and it scares the crap out of him. He’s terrified he’s having a heart attack. By the time it finishes, Lann finds that he’s surrounded by darkness. It felt like that other dream, the one where Cael and Faye had red eyes and attacked him, and Lann looks around in terror, worried that it’s going to be a repeat!

Only to see nothing but darkness. Still.

“…hello?”

Lann asks aloud, frowning. This was weird. It’s… different. It feels different. As he keeps looking, he catches sight of a figure in the distance.

“Hey… um…”

Lann walks closer, and the figure turns towards him.

“Uhhhhh….”

Lann starts backing away, but the figure walks closer, pursuing him.

“I… don’t want to fight…”

Lann mumbles. The figure lunges forward, its fingers cutting through Lann’s clothes and chest in an exact imitation of his Lord of Blades Qi. Lann holds his chest, trying to keep the wound from bleeding out too fast as he keeps backing away.

“Please… I don’t…”

“Out. Let. Me. Out.”

The words sound like his own voice, but… deeper. Almost darker. The figure continues pursuing Lann, its hands detaching from its forearms and flying forward to grab him around the neck, choking him. Lann desperately tries to cut them off with his Lord of Blades, but… nothing happens.

“Ghk….Pl…please…”

Lann flicks his fingers, and small bits of wind smack the figure, who just ignores them like nothing, walking closer and closer as Lann falls to his knees. Finally, he’s close enough to reattach his hands, still choking him.

“Let. Me. Out. Let. Me. Out. Let. Me. Out.”

The words keep coming out at a steady pace, and it begins to feel unbearably hot. Lann can see flames rise all around him, even as he keeps trying to pull the figure’s hands off his neck.

“Me. Out. Let. Me. Out. Let. Me. Out.”

Lann’s vision starts to dim, even though the darkness is lit up by flames, until a massive hammer slams into the figure, knocking it away!

“Come on, buddy. You’re stronger than this.”

Panting, Lann looks up, and the blurry image gradually gives way to John Summers, standing there with a smile on his face.

“John?”

“Get up.”

Lann shakily gets to his feet, even as the figure gets up as well.

“We need to put this thing in its place. We’ll do it together, alright?”

John gives Lann a reassuring smile, who nods in return. The figure sprints forward, and John rushes to meet it, trading blow for blow with his hammer against its Blade hand. Flames rage around them, and whenever they grow, John seems to get the upper hand.

Lann struggles to find an opening to get involved in, but they’re moving too fast. He frowns, thinking.

“…together…”

Flicking his fingers, he starts feeding the flames with his wind, causing them to grow larger and stronger, until they’re nearly ten feet high. John suddenly brings his hammer down, slamming the figure into the darkness of the floor, where it disappears.

Breathing heavily, John turns to look at Lann, and gives him another smile.

“Don’t worry. I’m here with you, too.”

Lann’s eyes snap open, and he finds himself in a field, with a ring of burnt grass around him.

Word Count: 555