My memories are still fuzzy.
I remember fighting against Nightmare Capricorn and getting angry about something. I remember the weird but familiar feeling of electricity flowing all over my body and I remember saying something that I couldn't understand. And this wasn't the first time something like that happened.
The first time something like this happened was so many years ago. It was a rainy day. Valris and I were lost in the middle of the town. I think...we were 7.
"I want to go home..." Valris was at my side, holding my hand like it was the only thing that avoided him from collapsing in the ground. His usual blonde and fluffy hair was a mess and his hazel eyes were red and wet. He was always a cry baby, but that day everything changed.
"C'mon, we mustn't be far. As long as we can see the tower we'll be good!" I pointed at the bell tower. The tower was painted in white, covered up with vegetation and in the top stood a single rusted and old bell. If we found our way to it we could arrive to the orphanage with no problem. Or so I thought.
Valris was tired. I was too, but I had to get him to safety. Then a group of old men approached us. It was about to get worse.
I don't remember how it all started. I heard the story from Valris and Hercules, but I'm not sure what happened. I just remember they tried to kidnap us. They took Valris from me. He was crying, screaming, and begging them to stop. I remember getting angry, that feeling of electricity flowing like blood in my body. Valris said that he has never seen anything like that before: A 7th year old child defeating a bunch of 35-ish year old men.
"I was so scared. It was like something possessed you back there. Like...like a thunder! I saw it. I saw electricity coming out your body. I swear"
Of course, nobody would believe the story told from the point of view of a terrified 7th year old when they tell someone they saw electricity coming out his best friend's body, including myself. Now I know he wasn't lying.
The kidnappers were defeated, Valris was terrified and me... It was like Valris said: as if something took over my body. It's fuzzy, but I do remember approaching Valris and asking him something, his cracked voice trying to speak and the feeling of that something that possessed me leaving my body, as electricity left with it, and feeling tired. I remember the feeling of my body falling into the ground, voices, sounds and images blending into the darkness... and then nothing.
Valris tried to wake me up. He screamed and cried for help, but nobody was there. He couldn't leave me there on the wet floor. He dragged me into a garage entrance that seemed abandoned and tried to make me react.
"I called your name so many times. I was relieved to find you were still alive, but I was scared. I was afraid that you wouldn't wake up again...I was so tired and..." I remember the tears forming up in Valris's eyes as he told me the story.
The thing is that the poor kid stopped trying because he couldn't. He was only 7, he was tired, scared and now his best friend lay unconscious at his side.
"Please...someone...mommy...daddy..." Now, when an orphan kid calls their parents for help you know that they need it. I was surprised as Hercules took the rest of the story telling for Valris, but I understood why. First of all, Valris couldn't go on without a break and second of all on his worlds it was "the moment when I knew I was a traitor"
You see, Hercules was sent here with a mission from its King back on FM: "destroy all life form on Earth". He planned to use me on that mission, but he found me when I was a baby so he decided to wait for me to grow up. Of course, his plan was about to be ruined.
"Now, seeing two kids lost in the night of a heavy rain that just managed to survive a kidnapping and one of them is the one I was supposed to fuse with laying in the ground unconscious...well... Who wouldn't pity you?! So I guess that's why I decided to act"
Hercules has an incredible power: He can change his appearance. He's the only FMian that can do it. In the near future I would know why and one of the reasons we're compatible: we're both half-AMians.
So sure enough, Hercules changed his appearance to look like a human. I didn't get the chance to see it, but Valris did.
He was at my side, his head on his knees and he couldn't even keep crying. The poor kid was just too tired.
Chop, chop, chop.
Footsteps.
Valris heard the sound of footsteps. He stood up quickly. If the men from before had friends, we were screwed. But it was only one. And it wasn't an enemy. Valris told me he looked like a warrior, but their clothes only consisted of a black suit, a black long furred coat and a red scarf. His eyes were neon orange and his hair was wild curly and short, dyed in orange with a matching beard. "It reminded me of a lion" added Valris.
The man spoke in a deep, sweet voice that transmitted courage.
"What are you doing here? Where are your parents?"
Valris didn't know what to do or say.
"I...we...m-my friend...w-we..." Valris ran up to the stranger, breaking up completely. "Please...help me... I want to go home... please, help my friend... he tried to help me... he won't wake up..."
Hercules saw as Valris ran up to my unconscious body and shook it a little bit.
"See? I tried. I tried really hard... please, you have to help me" the kid's voice was totally cracked up. Hercules didn't hesitate and ran up to me, checking my breathing.
"...He's alive." There was a pause as the man looked at Valris" My name is Hercules. What's yours, little hero?"
"Hercules? Like Heracles the demigod?"
"Yes. I came from the other world because I heard a brave little hero asking for help"
Usually if you tell a 7 year old kid you're the legendary Heracles they won't believe you, but if said man appeared out of nowhere when you needed it most and even looked like him (if he wore a suit) then you'd buy anything. The look in Valris's face changed to a great smile, hugging the stranger.
"Thank you! My name is Valris. And this is my friend is Aquiles."
Hercules took out his coat and laid it into my body. Then he smiled to Valris.
"Wanna see a magic trick? Now there's nothing…" He materialized an umbrella at his back and gave to Valris.
"How did you?-"
"Demigod magic" Hercules smiled at Valris and he smiled back. Then Hercules took my body and gave it a piggy back ride.
The walk to the hospital was enjoyable to Valris. Hercules took the child's hand as he talked about his myth all the way, telling Hercules why he was so awesome.
Hercules made sure to screw up with the hospital's system to make sure the bill was paid once I was taken in and gave Valris a paper.
"When he's better, follow this map. It will allow you to return home. I have to go now, helping a mortal is forbidden so you must keep all of this a secret, okay?"
"So I can't tell anything to Aquiles?"
"Yes. It's a secret between us"
Valris nodded and then Hercules walked out the room. When I woke up I only knew a nice guy helped us get here and that the bill was paid by someone called H. Armstrong. Of course the H stood for Hercules.
And now it happened again, but this time was different. The feeling of rushing electricity was stronger this time and I was still feeling weird.
"You're up"
Abel entered the room with a big smile. I couldn't get up because my body felt very heavy.
"Do you know what happened to me?"
Abel looked at me like he didn't understand a word of what I did just say, but there was something more going on. He took off his Star Carrier.
"C-Can you speak again?" his voice cracked as he stared at me with a mix of confusion, fear and shock.
"Is my translator off or something? Is it not working?" As I spoke Abel's face just went paler. Something was wrong and I was about to discover what it was. Abel recorded the message and when he pressed play… I still don't know how to describe that sound, but it was like hearing TV static speaking Latin and backwards. My face went pale too. There was a silence after the audio played.
"…it's not the only weird thing. Look at your hair" When I took a grin of my hair to look at it my brain couldn't process the information. Imagine if you suddenly woke up from a hangover with a hair dye. That is precisely what I was experiencing. My usual light-brown hair was now orange. I started to ask a lot of questions, one after another, but of course poor Abel couldn't understand a single thing of what I said.
"Okay, calm down! Calm down!" Abel shouted. I could feel my heart racing. I closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths, opened my eyes and looked at him. He sighted and smiled as he saw I was now sitting in the bed instead of lying there like a dead body.
"That's better. I discovered something funny as you were unconscious. It may answer all your questions" He went to a desk and took a tiny glass filled with blood.
"This is your blood. There are two interesting things about it. The first one is that its colour is paler than usual blood. Don't worry, this isn't the worst discovery. It is the second thing that concerns me. Your blood conducts electricity better than usual one. I don't know the reason behind these two discoveries, but I'm determined to find it" I wasn't surprised. After all, it's what I've heard all my life. Doctors finding out those exact two weird things about my blood and don't knowing why.
"You don't seem surprised. I guess you already heard something similar before, huh?" I just nodded. "Well, I am more concerned about your voice. Has something like that happened before?" I shook my head in a negative.
"What if it's permanent? Oh man that would be messed up" as I spoke again Abel looked at me with relief, smiling at me.
"Well, you're talking normal now. Whatever caused you to speak like that it's gone now"
"Thank the gods. Do you know why this this happen? Or at least have a clue?" Abel wondered and then looked at me very serious.
"I… I do have a theory. But if it's true, if it is what I think it is… you… you may be… how to say this?" he paused. "You may not be…fully human"
"What do you mean by that?" Abel sighted. After a while, he spoke again.
"It means what I said, Aquiles. It would explain everything. Your blood, your hair, that weird language you were speaking in, everything! But that is just-"
"Possible" A new voice joined in the conversation, interrupting Abel. It was Hercules. He was standing out the door. He left because Abel told him to, but now he was back. "Remember all those times were you scared people away because there was a monster behind you? That was me. Somehow, you made my wave visible for a short period of time. Also, I thought I imagined feeling something very familiar coming out your wave when you went into burst mode, but now I know I did. I'm sure I felt that freaking feeling all over your wave."
"What are you talking about? What did you feel in my wave? What do you know?" I looked at my friend as he looked at Abel.
"Did something weird happen?" Abel took out his star carrier as soon as Hercules asked that and played the audio. Hercules's face went pale as he listened.
"…. AMian" There was a moment of silence as Hercules identified the weird language on the audio.
I only replied with a "What?"
"Abel is right, Aquiles. You're not human. Not 100% human, that is" Hercules and I shared a look. He was serious, but I was horrified. What could that mean? What was going on? And most importantly…
"What am I?" I finally asked. If I had the answer, would everything be explained? I had to give it a shot. Abel nodded to Hercules as he delivered the long waited answer.
"You're a dempa human. Half human, half wave. Most precisely: half human, half AMian" As Hercules's voice finished echoing through my mind, everything started to make sense. The blood, the voice thing, making Hercules's wave visible, the change of the colour on my hair… it all made sense now. But then I realised something else.
"Hold on… why are we compatible then? You're an FMian, right? How can you fuse with me?" Hercules looked at me with the most serious expression I have ever seen in my life.
"Yes, I was born in FM. But who told you I am 100% FMian? I'm like you, buddy: half and half. My dad was from FM-"
"And your mother from AM" I followed. "Half FMian, half AMian."
Hercules smiled.
"You're the first to know in a long time… keep the secret, okay?"
I nodded as we left the room.
"Whoops. I forgot to thank Abel!" I ran into the doctor's office again, but when I did… ̶͘͘͡͝A̶̵b҉̴͞e̵͡͝ļ̴̀͜ ̡͝w̵̵̕͏͘ą̛s̸̨͜͡ ̡͡w̸͏̀ì̷̕ţ̶͜͠h̨͘͞҉ ̸̢̛̀͘s̷̕҉͜o҉͠͠m̨̢͘͟e̛͞͝҉̡o͏҉̀͜n͘͜͟ę͜͏ ̷͜͢͠͝e̷͜͞l̶̡̀ś̡͘͟͝e̡͝.̛͠ ́͘͘͜͜S̴͜͏̵òm̨̛̛͟e҉̷ǫ̴̵͜n̸̨͢é̶͘͠ ̀̕҉ȩ̵̀l̛͠s̴e҉̵̕͢͠ ́̀t҉̡͜h͜a̴̸̸t̨̀ ̛͟͢ḑ͜i̶̶͢͡͞ḑ͠n̵̕͡'̸̶̴̀͟t̶͏͢͟ ̢́̕̕͠ĺ̴̛̀͞o̶̕͜͞͏ơ̶̸k̵̡̕͜͠ ̡͜h̶̀ú͏̵҉m̵҉̛́a̴̛͜͞͝n͢҉.̵̶̸̛ ̷̨̀͡͏S̛͡͞o̧̧͝͠m̶҉͘è̡ǫ̀͏̀͘n̴͘͏e҉̸̵͏҉ ͏̴̷̧͞e̶͠҉͘͝l͡͞s̴̀͠͡e̶͜͠ ̵w̕҉h͜͢o̢ ́̀I̸̧̛͢͜ ̸́͟͢͠d͜i͏͏ḑ͏̢͝ǹ̵'͏̵̵̨̀t̵̛͘҉̨ ̷̨̧͢ŗ̶̵̡͡ę̷̧̛̕c̷̴̶̡͢o̡͢ģ̸͠҉n͡͝i̷̡̢̛͝z̨͟͜e̷̸͟͜ ͏̀w̴̢̢͜͡h̷̷͡e̷̵͟͏̶n͝͞͠҉ ̛͝I͏̕͞ ̴̶̴̨͠s҉h̸̨͞o̸͝͞u̵͜͜l͢͢͞͞͏d̛́́͜ ͢͡͏ḩ̕͝a͜͝v̷͞͠é̛ ͜҉͏̧ţ̸͠o̶͜.̡̨́͡
͏҉̷̸"̨͜O͟͜͝͞h̡̛́͜͢…̶̧̡͝͝ ̧̀̀͢͞t̡͏͢h̛̀i͘͜͡s҉͏̡̧͜ ̧̢͢҉͘i̧̧̕͢s̷͟͡ ̕ą̢̀ņ̶̵̷ ̴ì́͢͠n̶̡͞c͏̛̕͡o͟҉҉n͠͞v͘͞͏̷e͢͜n̶̛͞i̸ę̕͟͠n̡̕͡ć̸̨͢͡ȩ̴̴̴͘.͞͞ ̡̨́B͠͏͠e̶̴̶̛͜ ̵̶̡͢͝a̡̡̨̢ ̶͞͠g̨͜ǫ̵̧̢̕o͞͏͝͠d̶͞ ̶́҉̶̵b̢̕o͞y̧͢͠ ̡̛҉a̵̶̢n͜d͘҉̵̡̛ ͟f͠ơ̸̷͠͠r͢͠g̸̡͝è̷̕͢͡t̀͘͞͡͠ ̸̷͘͡͝ỳ͜o͢͜ų̀ ̷̧̛͡ś҉̡̡a̛҉͜͞w̧͘ ̷͞m̀҉͏é̛,̵̸ ͟͜ơ͟ķ̀́a̧̡̕y̷̸͟͡?̧͟"̴̢̀̕͘ ̵͝Ţ̷͏͘͞h͢͏͜e̴͜ ̶̸̸̧̕s̵̢e͏̷̶͟ŕ̶̵͟͡p̴͠͏e͏̵̧n͜͜t̸͟-҉̨l͟͞͞i̕͟k̵̷̢̛͟e͏̧̀ ̨c̵̢̨̀r̵̷͘e͏̕a͜͞t̢͘͝ų̴̨͢͝r̵̵͡e̵̸͢͡ ̷̢a̶̧̧̛p̢͡p̶̧̨̛̛r͠҉̡͢ơ̴̕͝a͜͏̷c̵̸͡h̸̕e̛͝͞d̸ ҉̶m̢̕è́͜ ͏̕á̵̴͜n̶͜͝͡d̢̀ ̴̵̸҉í̢͏̸t̀ ̴̡͢͝ẃ̶̕͟͡a̸̡s̵̡͡͝ ̀͝͝t̷̷̷́͞o̷̡͘͠o̷̡͢͠ ̵͢ļ̷͘͢͝á̸̡̕t̴͘͞è̷̛͟͝ ̴̶̕͜ẁ̧̧h͡e̕͝͏҉n̡͝͏͢ ̢̀͟͠I̸̡̡͘͡ ̛͝͞r͘̕ȩ̛́c͞҉̢ǫ̸̷͟͜g̢͠͏͜n͘͢͝i̧͞҉ź̵́͢e̶͠d̷͞ ̷̴̡́͠w̡͟͏h̢̨͝͞i̴͡t̴̵̀̀ę͜ ̴͢͝è̵l̸̨̕͞e͏̛͢҉҉ç͞t̴͢͞r͘̕͠҉i̶ç̀͞͏̧į̴̀͞͠t̸́̀͜͏y̴͏ ͜͢͟ç̀҉̵o̸͠͏m̕i̢͝ń́g̢͏̀ ̵̡͟͜͏o̵̧̕̕ứ̀t̶̛̕͟҉ ̸́͢ì̡̡̨t́͢͡s̶̴̕ ҉̴̶̷͢b̧͝ǫ̸̡͏d̶͟͟͡͡y͘͟ ̴̢͟͠҉ą̛͝n̡͢͞d̵̕ ̸a̸̕͞ ̸͡ṕ̸a̸̕i̵͝r͢͞ ҉̕͜o̷͟͜͞f҉̸̕͟ ҉̨̕̕͜b̸̷̀̕l̛a̷͘͜͢͞c̨̛͠ķ͟ ̨̢́̕e̷͘y̧͝͝é̴͜͢͜s̀͘.͘҉̶ ̡͡Á͜͠͝p̶̨̛͞-̛̀
…I collapsed.
When I woke up again I was in Abel's operation bed again.
"You're up" The doctor sighted as I sat on the bed.
"You shouldn't have done that you know. As soon as you got into the room again you collapsed! You still need to rest, okay? Don't scare me like that again" I fainted? I remember getting out the room. I remember wanting to thank Abel and then…then… then what? I couldn't remember. It must be the time I fainted.
"Sure… Thank you for everything" I got out of the bed and saw Hercules waiting me outside. He looked… angry.
"Is everything okay?" As soon as he heard my voice, his expression switched to relief and a big smile was drawn on his face.
"Don't scare me like that again, ok? Now let's get some fresh air. I'm sure we both need it" I nodded as we got out the WAZA's facility.