Chapter 51: Shadowed Minds
Complete darkness.
Heather and Circi could no longer hear one another. Or see one another. They were both alone. All they could hear was their own footsteps, and their own breathing.
A light appeared above them both, but each of them only saw one of the lights. They were both in the same place, and yet not. Heather stood in a small clearing of grass inside the hollow tree, with the sun shining from between Greatwood's branches. Circi stood at the same place. Both were alone.
Do you know what happens here? Greatwood asked.
They were silent.
Those deemed worthy are tested here. Greatwood said. Those who conquer the Darkness inside themselves, gain access to the Truths of this world.
In that instant, a blinding light engulfed both Circi and Heather, and the scene changed.
Heather
Heather stood in the center of a grassy field.
In the distance were trees. She was in a large clearing, at the center of a thick forest.
She saw a path leading into the forest. She began to walk down it.
It all looked rather simple for a while. Just trees, trees, trees, and a straight path leading through them. But eventually, she saw things alongside the path, hanging across the trees and clumping on the ground.
It looked like a colorless, reflective liquid, pooling into puddles across the ground.
In some, she saw images of Frostwind, roaring his bestial roar of anger and fury. In others, she could see the previous nightmares of this war: Mari's supposed death, Jowee's descent into madness, Circi first getting her hands on the Book of Death, the revelation that the Templar and Michael, whom she had initially viewed as heroes, being savage fanatics... the list went on and on.
It was horrible, honestly. How the world had changed. Wilfre had done bad things, but Circi... it was almost too much for Heather to handle.
Every day, she wondered if it would be better to just give up. To do what a child usually does when subjected to trauma: go mad.
At the end of the path stood Dark Heather.
"Well, well, well." She said. "It looks like we've reached the end, huh? You've already had enough hallucinations to know what you're mind currently looks like."
Heather glared at her counterpart. "Implying I'm insane, now are we?"
Dark Heather smiled. "You know, you really are a hero, but you can really give in to hubris, you know that? You're idea that you still have an innocence to preserve: it's sheer arrogance."
She lifted her left hand, and a small image of Wilfre appeared over it. "Like Father,"
She lifted her right hand, and an image of Circi appeared over it. "Like Mother,"
The two images faded, and Shadow Heather motioned to Heather. "Like Child."
Heather ground her teeth. "I, am NOT, like them."
Dark Heather laughed at this. "Of course not. You just want what's best for the world, to help free people from those that would control or kill them, right?"
Heather hesitated. Then her eyes widened in realization.
"That's right." Dark Heather said. "You know what the name "Wilfre" stands for? It means "Free-Will." Wilfre wanted what he saw as best for the Raposa. He thought we would be better off if we controlled our own destiny. He wanted to save us from the one who controls and kills us all: The Creator. He made this world, and he made it with ideas of imperfection. Of scarcity. Of war and greed. It's his fault that all evil exists, because he created a world where evil was possible."
Heather shook her head in despair. "No..." She said weakly. "That's... that's not how it works..."
"That's how EVERYTHING works." Dark Heather said. "Wilfre and Circi were happy together. They were seen as the most ingenious of scientists, the most creative of writers and the best singers in all of Watersong. They were symbols of beauty and kindness. And what did the Creator allow to happen!? He allowed Wilfre - Our Father - to become obsessed with the Book of Life. He could have warned Wilfre at any time, but he didn't. He let it happen. The Darkness exists, this war is happening, our parents will be remembered as insane villains, because of the Creator's carelessness and apathy!"
Heather was silent for a moment. She was right. Dark Heather was right. Why would a righteous God throw aside two prodigies for one sin or another?
"But hey," Dark Heather said, "Third time's the charm, right? Wilfre and Circi had the right ideas, they just let the darkness and power go to their heads. If we work together, though, we can finish what they started. How 'bout it?"
Dark Heather reached out with her hand in handshake.
Heather was silent. She stared at her counterpart's smiling, charismatic face.
Then she slapped Dark Heather's hand aside. "Third time's the time you realize you're doing something wrong!" She retorted. "I will not walk down the same path as my Parent's, do you hear me!? I don't care if this world has wronged me, I don't care if the people around me deserve pain, revenge is not my answer!"
Dark Heather frowned. Then she smiled. "Fine. Looks like this is gonna be fun."
Suddenly, everything went black.
Heather found herself in a are that looked identical to Wilfre's Shadow Lair from the first time he faced the Hero. Floating above her was Dark Heather.
"I am your hopes and fears." She said. "I am your darkest sides, the evil that lurks inside your soul. And you can NEVER destroy me!"
And so the battle began. Dark Heather floated to the left, looking down at Heather. Heather leaped up, sword drawn, in an attempt to attack, but Dark Heather dodged.
Dark Heather giggled maniacally. "Oh, this is so much fun!"
She summoned a cardboard box labelled "Toys". Turning it over, she poured out thousands of tiny, black Scorpions.
The scorpions clumped together into the form of a massive Scorpion, which attacked Heather with it's stinger.
Heather's blade crossed with the claws of the creature. She pushed it back and, whenever she could, cut into the Scorpion's body, sending dozens of tiny critters scattering.
She leaped to the wall of the cave, kicked off of it to get further height, and plunged downwards, sword-first, into the giant Scorpion.
The tiny scorpions scattered in all directions. Next, Dark Heather pulled out a wind-up toy that looked like Frostwind. Upon winding it up, it grew to actual size, and entered the battle. It fired icicle bolts at Heather, trying to impale her. She jumped upwards, landed on top of one of the icicle projectiles, jumped to another, then jumped unto Frostwind's head and stabbed downward. The "toy" dissolved into nothingness.
Shadow Heather snarled. "Fine! I'll play the game your way!"
She drew forth a Shadowy version of Heather's sword, stared at it, and grinned.
Dark Heather stopped floating and landed on the ground. She jumped forwards, spinning in the air, and swiped at Heather. Heather rolled backwards, then jumped forwards in a thrust. Dark Heather parried the blow, stunning Heather long enough to cut a gash into her left cheek.
Heather stumbled backwards, and tasted blood in her mouth. She glared, then lunged at Dark Heather, and the two swords were locked.
The two of them continued to push against one another.
"Can't you see your fighting a battle you have to lose!?" Dark Heather taunted. "No one is perfect, and everyone has darkness in them! You can't get rid of me! Ever!"
Heather screamed in fury and tried to push back, but Dark Heather overpowered her, sending her sprawling to the ground.
Dark Heather loomed over her victim, and raised her sword to finish the job.
Heather looked up at the victor. This meant that Heather would become like her Father. Like Ciri.
It meant...
"You know what?" Heather said. "You're right."
Dark Heather, for a single instant, frowned, but quickly regained her smiling composure. "Of course I'm right! I'm always right!"
Heather smiled weakly. "I can't get rid of you. You're part of me. I accept that."
Dark Heather slowly backed away. "What are you doing?"
Heather stood up. "The only reason you're winning is because I've been trying to wipe you out of existence. But I can't do that."
Dark Heather staggered back in pain. "Stop it!" She said, clutching her head. "Stop talking!"
Heather smiled at her enemy. "You're a part of me I can't get rid of. But you know what? I will never allow you to control me!"
Dark Heather suddenly cried out as a shooting pain rushed through her. "No!"
She fell on her knees, and started to dissolve into Shadow Goo. "NO!"
Heather picked up her sword and, without anger, or evil, but with an absolute calmness, swiped downwards at Dark Heather.
The sword blow scattered her adversary to the wind.
For a moment, there was silence.
And then Heather was engulfed in light.
Circi
Circi stood in the center of a dark, foggy forest. Surrounding her were puddles of liquid glass, which reflected her memories. A summer doodling alongside Wilfre as children, the two of them studying in a Watersong university….. and the day Wilfre created the Shadows, along with other moments of her life.
"Stop mocking me, Deadwood." Circi said coldly. "I know what drove me down this path, I don't need you reminding me."
"That's odd." A heartbreakingly familiar voice chided. "I thought you'd be happy to see me."
Circi whirled around, and saw….. him.
Wilfre stood there, no shadows, no anything, just his classic blue outfit with the gold trim.
Circi's eyes widened. "Wilfre….."
He smiled, like he always used to. "Hope I wasn't gone for too long."
Circi ran to him, ready to embrace him, but before she could reach him, he changed. His skin fell away, revealing not flesh, but darkness. His eyes evaporated, revealing two white holes. In an instant he had returned to his Shadow form, a malicious grin across his face.
Everything became darker. Snow started falling and Circi felt a physical chill course through her.
The shadowy apparition laughed as he approached. Circi started to run. The trees around her withered, and she could feel the air freezing up around her.
Everything slowed down, except for the Darkness. Circi felt like she was wading through molasses. Looking down she saw that tendrils of inky blackness had emerged from the ground, and were pulling her downwards.
Circi fell, then turned to look at the monster behind her. "What the hell are you!?"
"I am the darkness inside your mind." The figure said, it's voice like frozen knives grinding across a rock. "I am the emptiness Wilfre left behind that you will never fill. I am the blight that has consumed your soul and made you into the helpless victim you are."
"I am not helpless!" Circi screamed defiantly.
The figure laughed coldly. "You are a puppet of your own rage. Driven by an incessant hatred for God himself. You lost everything, especially your mind."
The figure dissolved into nothingness. All around Circi, the blackness closed in. She could feel claws running down her skin, the blackness growing over her.
Her vision blurred and faded as the Darkness enveloped her. An entirely inhuman voice – not at all Wilfe anymore – snarled within her head.
Now, you are mine.
