Authors note, the reset button never happened.
Disclaimer: I don't own TDAS
1. Redemption
As they trekked across the mind scape, Mike was trying to ignore Chester's complaining. Svetlana had pressed ahead with Manitoba and Vito, leaving him to carry the elderly persona. There was one question pressing on his mind throughout this whole ordeal. Why? Why was Mal suddenly so malevolent and terrifying? The other personalities weren't around when Mal had first showed up. He had only been four and Mal was the friend and brother he had desperately needed. When his mom had died and his dad had began acting strangely, Mal had been there. Mal had been there the first time his dad had locked the house for the night before he had got home from college. Mal had been there the first time his dad left for weeks on end without so much as a goodbye. Mal had been there the first time his dad had said "Sorry kid, you got me confused with someone else. I ain't got no son."
Mal had always been mischievous. Something of a prankster, but so strong it was almost scary. Driven and protective, almost territorial. He had protected Mike from the bullies and comforted him at night. So what had changed? He had a feeling he knew the answer...
They reached the tower and Manny tried the door. Unsurprisingly it was locked. He wondered... "Flaming rabbits!" He called! The others gave him what was very much a WTF look, much to pretty much everyone's surprise the door swung open. Huh, who knew Mal was nostalgic?
xXFlashbackXx
"This is an awesome playroom!" Six year old Mike cried happily. "Glad you like it." Mal replied, his voice was deeper than Mike's, even then. "But it's not a playroom, it's a secret base! And it needs a password."
"Okay! How 'bout... Flaming rabbits!"
"What?"
"Flaming rabbits."
"Why?"
"Why not?"
"... Fair enough. Flaming rabbits it is."
Mal laughed and walked over to the door to set the password, it soon became a private joke and soon enough every password they ever had was the same.
xX End of flashback Xx
"How'd ya know tha' was gonna work mate?" Manitoba asked. "Errr, lucky guess?" Mike replied, "C'mon, there's an enormous staircase so we better get going."They were all exhausted by the time they got up there and even Svetlana wasn't in good spirits anymore. "Yo! Those frackin' stairs went on forever!" Vito moaned. "At least we're here now. Now quit whining ya baby!" Chester scolded. "But Vhere iz here?" Svetlana asked. "The hall of the mountain king." Mike breathed.
He recognised the scene from old childhood drawings. A thick purple carpet with a gold trim covered the middle of the marble floor. Giant pillars and statues lined either side and at the end of the carpet was an elevated stage on which sat a massive velvet throne with intricately carved golden patterns on the base and arms. It truly was breathtaking.
"Yo! Check out this bling!" Veto exclaimed, reaching for a piece of expensive looking jewellery. "You know," said a deep, chilling and familiar voice from behind them, "It's rude to touch other people's things without asking." They all whirled around to see Mal lounging carelessly on the throne. "Then leave the body alone an' scram!" Manitoba retaliated. "Oh? And who exactly does the body belong to?"
"Mike, why?"
"Because last I checked you four were spending an awful lot of time in there."
"So?"
"So, if you can do it, why can't I?"
"Because you're a bloody murderer, and worse, Mike took the blame!"
"Well last season you guys weren't exactly boosting his social life either." Manitoba was left without an answer. "Zat iz in past, we help Mike now."Svetlana said firmly. "Mike cares about us very much!" Suddenly Mal let out a terrifying, maniacal laugh. "You think he cares! You're replaceable, you're all replaceable!" Mike's four personas froze and looked at Mal in horror, shocked at the sudden change in demeanour. "He says he cares! He says you're important, but he doesn't mean it! As soon as new playmates appear, you're cast to the side! He... Doesn't... Care... About you... Any... Of... You..." And with that much to their surprise, he broke down crying.
Mal's sobs had always been unusual. They were really quiet, almost undetectable, but usually came with many, many tears, that hadn't changed. Watching the emotional wreck in front of him, Mike realised this. He bent down and put his hand on his shoulder. It was a light touch, but Mal didn't shrug it off. Instead he leaned into the touch. After what felt like hours passed, Mal was steady enough to mutter, "Why? It was good when it was just the two of us, why did you need more? Wasn't I enough?" The other personalities weren't doing anything, they were to astounded by what was unfolding in front of them, first Mal's emotional breakdown, then the crying and now they were discovering that all this time, hd wasn't naturally evil or malevolent, but jealous! And one day he'd just snapped. "I'll be good okay, please, just don't leave me alone again!" Mike replied softly, "I'm so sorry Mal, of course I won't leave you alone, that was my mistake." "Promise?" Mike's heart nearly broke upon hearing those words. So child like, so innocent, so unfitting of Mal ever since he murdered to try capture Mike's attention. "Promise" Mike said. Mal let out a content sigh and visibly relaxed, before shooting up and saying (rather randomly) "Underwater!"
"Hmm?"
"The body's underwater!"
"What?" Mike roared, he quickly got to his feet and looked at Mal, "I've gotta go." And vanished. Mal smiled, this was much, much better.