[Message from KC]: In the last chapter…

Trolololololololololo…

That is all…

P.S. sorry it's kinda been a while. I haven't been feeling well and I have a family member who's pretty sick too.

He sat in the chair opposite if the elderly man. His counterpart stared through him with a dark and hateful expression, but he found himself anchored to his seat. He hated Selatcia, so why had he agreed to meet him? He had just enough of the old man's constant abuse of his family, and his sister. Rapist, murderer, thief, adulterer, pedophile, what hadn't he done? It was time to make him pay for his crimes. He stood up, and though he was stronger and much more able, he could not find the strength within him to strike at the old man. Some strange force was holding him back.

Chapter VI.

Sweet Dreams

"Nathan…" Someone called softly throughout the halls of the darkened apartment. A few hours had passed since Nathan and Jack faced off against the Proxy creature, and he had brought her to Olive. Most of them had already gone to sleep, except for Nathan. He was sitting up in the somewhat empty room that Olive had cleared out for him within the apartment. A dark orange glow filled his room from the streetlights, and fire spewing from the factories that surrounded them.

Something about the city lights was too distracting. This was probably why Mordhaus wasn't within city limits. Privacy too, but mostly the lights. He liked the darkness, it was calm and comforting. What was the fear of lights called again? Was it heliophobia or photophobia? Either way he didn't care for it.

"Nathan…" The voice called again. It sounded angrier this time. He had dismissed the first call as him hearing things, but the second was more distinctive. He pulled himself up off the bed and poked his head out into the darker hallway. There was no one out there, and come to think of it, the voice didn't sound like anyone in the apartment. Too old to be Hunter, too pretty to be Jack or Olive, and it definitely wasn't Murderface. He headed down the hall and into the darkened living room, but there wasn't anyone there. He shrugged, turned back around, and headed into his room. He closed the door behind him and laid back down, closing his eyes for just a second before he heard the call one more time.

"Nathan!" She called, sounding like she was right next to his ear. He opened his eyes and sat upright, irritated, thinking that the calls were nothing more than dehydration, or paranoia. This was not the case. Directly across the room, was a young woman sitting in a chair.

"Who the hell are you!" He exclaimed, backing himself up against the wall. This world, it was just a little too strange for his liking.

She looked up at him and gave him a soft and sad smile. She had no eyes, rather two sockets with a black, tarry substance oozing from the shallow orifices. Her pale lips seemed to be oozing with the same gross material, and her features were hardly distinguishable, except for her long, red hair which hung in her face. She was maybe fifteen or sixteen, and dressed in a long, dark green gown. She then rose from the chair and began moving towards him slowly. Nathan couldn't move, but he wanted to run. She climbed up on to the bed, crouching over him.

"What do you want?" He asked, holding his hand up to his face.

"Nathan…" She called quietly, as some of the black substance dripped from her mouth and to his lap. It smelled like decay, and made him slightly sick, "It's not over between us!" She wailed as her empty sockets flared with a blinding white light that also spewed fourth from her mouth. He wanted to scream, but he felt something shift as she blinded him momentarily.

"AAAH!" He called out, shooting up from his bed, soaked in sweat. He looked around to see of she was anywhere in sight, but to his shock (and relief) he noted his room back in Mordhaus. He let out a long sigh, and then threw his hand over his face, and laughed, "It was all just a fuckin' dream…" He laughed, looking around his room. No Jack, no mysterious portal woman, no Proxies, no Naremas. He stepped down on the blood red carpet and headed for the door. Something didn't feel right

What a crazy dream…He thought, I should tell the guys about it… He continued, as he swung the door open. He then let out a sudden shout, as he almost went tumbling off of an endless drop off, right outside his room. He fell to his knees, looking out over the ledge. There was nothing below and nothing beyond, just blackness. He pulled himself up off the ground, and turned, realizing that his room was gone. He was standing on an odd precipice, with a checkered tile floor. He looked up to notice that it twisted into a path, lined with old, grey, twisted and gnarled trees.

"…the fuck…" He began, looking up at the darkness that surrounded him, "Hello!" He shouted, his voice echoing throughout the expanse, "Anyone! Where am I?" There was no reply. Where the hell was he now? Truthfully speaking, he was getting really sick of all this trippy, cryptic bullshit. But at the moment, it didn't seem that there was anything he could do about it. So he did what any normal person would have done in this situation, and headed towards the path.

It was certainly wide enough that he wouldn't loose his footing and fall into the blackness below, but it didn't mean that he shouldn't tread carefully. As he continued though, it seemed that the path got wider, the gangly trees grew thicker, and the area around him getting darker and darker. The deeper he continued, the more uncomfortable he was getting.

"Hello!" A small and sweet voice called. He turned, feeling a bit relieved. He was hoping that it was a child. If a kid could survive here, than maybe it wasn't as dangerous as it seemed. But he was greeted by a long, thin, hunched over creature, staring at him with huge black and red eyes, the size of tennis balls. It had dull, dark bluish skin that looked like rubber stretched over a skeleton. Its head was huge and misshapen, with a long and sliced open mouth, filled with jagged yellow teeth. There was a mass of wild black hair sitting on its head and fell down around its body like a curtain.

"H-hello…" Nathan stated, not sure how to respond as he began to back away from it. It just tilted its head to the side and smiled at him with an awful toothy smile.

"Hello!" It replied again in the same small and childlike voice.

"Hello?" Another voice called from close by, followed by another, than another, and another. Nathan looked up at the dark and barren forest around him to notice hundreds of these things were crawling out of the trees and towards him. Their eyes lit up the path, and he could see that their skin was sewn together, and patched, like an old doll. All of the creatures continued to call out to him, but he didn't respond. He simply turned away, and began continuing down the path.

"Don't go!" They then began to shout, sounding scared and confused, "Please! Stay! I'll be good! Please!" They continued to call out to him, "I'm so sorry! I won't do it again! I'll be good and I won't tell anyone! Please! I promise!" Their voices had begun to change at this point, and something about their change unnerved him. They sounded familiar now, like they were a memory. He took of running down the path, desperate to get away from whatever they were. He tripped over a root sticking out of the ground, and went tumbling through the branches of the dead grey trees and in to a wide and rocky clearing.

Nathan shook his head as he peeled himself up off of the ground. The creatures had stopped calling for him, and when he turned back to look at the forest, it was gone. There was nothing but the suspended path, winding back into oblivion. He ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes, trying to get some sort of handle on the situation. Typically, one isn't very self aware during dreams, that is, you can't control their outcome. However, Nathan felt very in control of his senses. It felt like a dream, but in so many ways it didn't. He was now in a large and rocky clearing, but it didn't look like anything living was around.

"Hey!" Nathan called once more, at the risk of attracting any unwanted attention from undesirables, "I-is anyone here!" He called again. He looked around the clearing and noticed what looked like statues. They were all about the same height and size, showing the exposed female form to a great detail, but they had no faces. They were all standing in various poses. At first they started off innocent enough, standing straight and trying to cover their exposed bodied, but as he moved through the rocky clearing, their stances became more suggestive and provocative. But then they resolved into cowering poses of them hunched over in fear, and their hands together in prayer, or arms covering their faces in horror as they laid upon the ground. What did it mean?

"Anybody?" Nathan called once again, this time, hoping for a human, "Where am I?" He then asked quietly, looking forward and seeing no end in sight.

"In the maw of madness! You shouldn't ask questions you already know the answer to," A voice snapped, with a slight British spine about it, "It's not polite."

Nathan turned to his addressor, just hoping that whatever it was this time was a human. He opened his mouth to speak, but upon looking at the figure in front of him, he stopped in confusion. It was himself, or some sort of strange shadow of himself. This imposter was younger, much younger, about twenty and had the appearance of Nathan when he was in his prime. He looked sick though, not as in disgusting or repulsive, but just not well. The doppelganger's skin was a pale grey color, and he had large, dark circles around his eyes. His hair was a bit more faded too, and void of any health or sheen. Lastly, he was dressed in some sort of black, regal looking suit or uniform. He had seen this before, he just couldn't remember where.

"Who are you?" Nathan asked, sounding a little silly by this point. Though, to be fair, it was very well possible that whoever this was, he could have been a changeling or shape shifter. It didn't necessarily have to be him. The copy rolled his eyes at his older reflection.

"Did I not just say that asking questions you know the answer to is impolite," He scoffed, striding over to him.

"But I don't know-" He began angrily.

"What you claim not to know," The copy replied haughtily, taking a firm hold of the arm where the silver band had melded to his skin, "Is what you've rejected and denied!" He continued, holding lifting up Nathan's arm and shoving the smooth cold brace in his own face, "It's time you end this foolish game, Nathan."

"I'm not playing a game," Nathan hissed, pulling his hand away violently.

"Please," The copy replied, sticking his nose up in the air, as he began to circle his counterpart, "You feel yourself crawling back to the true reality…I know you do. God only knows why you're so dead-set on destroying all evidence of your real past, why you're trying to erase the memories of your family and home, and most importantly the attack-"

"What are you saying?" Nathan demanded, narrowing his gaze. The copy let out a long sigh and shook his head.

"The answers you seek, are all around you," He replied, gesturing to the barren and depressing space around them, "You once denied your role in this universe," He continued, crossing his arms, "And rejected this reality, retreating to another…to one that you don't belong in." He continued, stressing the importance of the situation, "But I can see that in your stay amongst the mortals has made you soft…" He growled, pushing Nathan by the shoulder, "I can see that you're eager to go back to your semi-charmed life, where you'll be nothing but a waste of space when you could be putting your power towards something even greater than you or your precious Dethklok could ever comprehend…" He stated contemptuously.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nathan snapped, not appreciating the push, as he followed after the shadow striding away from him.

"As if you don't know?" He laughed, throwing his head back, "The truth will come back to find you should you choose to return-"

"I won't miss this place," Nathan stated flatly, crossing his arms. His mind was made up, for now.

"You can't run away forever," He responded, "You know that. Tonight was just the eye opener you needed Nathan…The memories that you tried to bury or lock away are emerging, and there's nothing that you can do to forget us anymore. You…but that doesn't mean that someone else can't."

"What do you mean?" Nathan commanded, raising an eyebrow.

"It is easy for you to return to the place you call home," He explained, nodding to the silver brace, "With the Adamas back in your control…you can traverse the planes easily…but you will not survive! Remember Nathan! Who benefits from your forced abandonment of your memories? Who should gain from your forgetfulness? Should you return, you and your precious Dethklok are finished!"

"What do you mean finished?" He asked, grasping the gravity of the situation for the first time since he had arrived.

"I mean finished." He replied, stressing the word, "You've been brought back here for a reason, Nathan. Open your eyes! First the binding…" He stated, nodding to the brace, "Then your return…now there are Proxies running free within the walls of the city! And yet you'd prefer to let the world fall into a state of chaos at the putrid hands of a pious vulture?" He continued, seizing Nathan by the collar of his shirt.

"It's not my problem," Nathan stated haughtily, with a slight shrug.

"You selfish boy!" The shadow responded with a hiss that could freeze blood, "Do you suppose to remain ignorant of your role forever?" Nathan was silent. The two stood with their eyes locked for some time before his younger shadow let out a growl and turned away from him, "Fine…leave…you were always a great useless thing anyway."

"I am not useless!" Nathan shouted, rushing up towards his shadow, pulling him by the shoulder to face him, and throwing his fist into his face. The shadow fell to the ground, wiping a small stream of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Then prove me wrong," He replied, rising to his feet. Nathan began to feel himself slipping from this plane of reality as the strange world grew hazy.

"Wait!" Nathan exclaimed, as the image of his former self began to fade, "I have more questions!"

"And I can not help you by answering them," He replied, "Only you can do that…let free your mind and allow your memories to come back to you. Remember that you have chosen to forget."

"WAIT!" He screamed angrily, flying upright from his bed, staring at the white stucco wall opposite him, and the basic wooden chair that the frightening girl had been sitting prior. He was breathing heavily, as if he couldn't catch his breath, "God damn it…" He growled, placing a hand on his forehead.

"You…okay?" Someone asked. He jumped slightly and turned to the door. He breathed a slight sigh of relief when he noted that it was Olive. She was staring at him with a look of slight fear and concern, "You kept shouting in your sleep…stuff about someone named Ellie?"

"I'm fine…" He replied, shaking his head.

"Sure…you're fine…" Olive replied, "Who's Ellie? Someone from home?"

"I don't know who she is," He replied, not looking at her, and staring straight forward.

"Didn't sound that way…" Olive replied, raising an eyebrow. He turned to her and gave her a sharp look, to which she responded by throwing a lump of clothing in his face, "Get dressed…there's someone here to see you."

"Me?" He asked, pulling his freshly laundered shirt over his body, "What time is it anyway?"

"Midday," Olive replied, exiting the room, "So get outta bed…"

Who's here? He asked himself, throwing on his jeans and exiting the room. He headed through the hallway and into the living room, where he found no one he didn't already know. For a moment, he didn't think anything of it as he headed into the room, and sat down on one of the couches, looking over at the faces. They were all staring at him rather expectantly, waiting for him to do something. He opened his mouth, readying himself to tell them to knock it off, until the realization hit him like running into a brick wall.

"AH!" She shouted, falling to the cold, stone floor within Selatcia's dark chamber. N attempted to lift herself off of the ground. Her cowl had fallen off her face to reveal her pale skin, red lips, and soft green eyes. She had long black hair that fell all around her face, and she appeared to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. There was a massive red mark across her face, and Selatcia was looming over her with his hand extended.

"How could you do this to ME!" He exclaimed, kicking her in the side as she let out a slight growl of pain.

"I didn't…" She pleaded, trying to pull herself off of the ground, "I swear to it master…I didn't save them-"

"Liar…" Vater Orlaag scoffed, staring down at her as he crossed his arms, "You created a portal and sent your brother and that little Arch girl through it! I told you she couldn't be trusted Master. I told you she'd let her emotions get in the way." He snapped, staring down at her.

"No!" N growled, peeling herself off of the ground, only to be kicked back down by Selatcia, "Please…that's not what I meant Master…the girl I-"

"She could have died for all I care!" He hissed, kicking her in the side once more, "Our mission is to find your brother, take the Adamas from him, and return him to the mortal world! I thought I made that perfectly clear to you when I ordered you to kill your father…" He stated, seizing her by the face as he pulled her in close to his.

"I'm sorry Master…just give me one more chance…" N replied, pleading with him. He growled as he threw her to the ground.

"You mustn't fail me again N…" Selatcia replied, giving her a sharp look.

"But Master-" Vater Orlaag protested angrily.

"Silence!" Selatcia hissed, turning to him, "Leave us…" He commanded as Vater Orlaag gave N one last look of contempt, just before sliding away into the shadows.

"Master…" N began, shaking her head, "I swear to you I will make sure that Nathan-"

"Yes," Selatcia interrupted, "You will make sure that your brother returns to the mortal world before Alchemilla gets to him first."

"But Master," N began moving to throw her cowl back over her head. However, Selatcia seized her wrists before she could do so, "Alchemilla already has Charles…and she brought the boys back for the sole purpose of capturing my brother…Not to mention she has an entire city full of sentries…how can we be sure that she won't capture him?"

"We have you," Selatcia stated, pulling her in towards him, "And the Naremas Liberation Front…but you need to do as I say…"

"Yes Master," N replied, lowering her head, "I will do as you ask…"

"Excellent," He replied, lifting her chin upwards, so her eyes met with his, as he pulled her face in towards his.

THE PLOT THICKENS!

[KINGDOM WANTS TO CLARIFY SOMETHING!]: I just felt the caps lock was a necessity…Anyway so a long-ass time ago, I wrote a metal fic called 'battle of the bands' maybe you read it, maybe you didn't. Either way, I deleted the story from my account (because I'm an idiot that's why!) Didn't have any backup files… ANYWAY! So quick recap: it was about Dethklok vs. Ladyklok essentially. The ladylike counterparts were named Serena (Skwisgaar), Olive (Pickles), Natalie (Nathan), Willamina (Murderface), and Tami (Toki). So why am I telling you this? Because as I'm sure you can already tell by Olive and Serena…I'm recycling the characters…just…deal with it…

That's all. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Read and Review? I really appreciate them guys :3 Tell me what you think so far, if I should keep going, things I should probably change? I really want to know that kind of stuff so…

Happy Tuesday Everypony.