After he woke up, Patry told Julius everything that had happened when Dark Patry had tried to help him learn to control his hatred. "He seriously made you watch that? that's horrible!" the adult human replied. The teenage Elf sighed, "yes, well, it's also the only way for me to learn how to control my hatred and Dark Elf form. After all, I can't control my hatred without feeling it first. I just wish that I didn't have to put everyone else in danger to do it" Patry sighed, clenching his fists, before returning his attention back to Julius, who was now staring at him with a look of concern on his face, "are you going to be okay?" Julius asked gently. "I don't know, I'm still terrified of that part of myself, but- *sigh* I don't know, I guess I'm more terrified of not being able to control it, or giving Zagred something to work with." he explained. Their was a moment of silence. "Okay. So, are you feeling any better? About your previous attempt?" Julius asked gently after a moment. The sheepish smile fell from the Elf's face and he sighed deeply, "not really. I'm still upset that I lost control like that, and that I could have hurt someone or worse. I- still feel guilty about that. But-" Patry paused and gripped the bed sheet in his fists, memories of what Asta had told the Alternate version of him in the Veiwings resurfacing, "I can't just give up. If I gave up or ran away whenever I was scared or I made a mistake, I would become just as weak as the Patry from the original timeline was." The Elf slid out of bed and stood, trembling in fear at the thought of what he had to do.
Other memories began to flash in his mind, of what Dark Patry showed him within their Soulscape. Patry took a deep wavering breath and clenched his fists, looking up at Julius, determination and fear waring within him: "I cannot be that weak anymore. I don't have the luxury. We only have 9 years. That may seem like a long time, but between William's duties and missions within his Magic Knight Squad, dealing with anything else that might come up, and the fact that my people seem to be awakening at least in part, far earlier than they should be, not only will that time pass by extremely quickly, but none of us has any idea how the changes to the timeline might have effected or even sped up Zagred's plans. We don't have anymore time to lose." Patry forced himself out the bed, body trembling in fear of what he knew he had to do, but his determination did not waver, "I have to master my hatred and Dark Elf form as soon as possible. No matter what, even if it breaks my heart to pieces, for the people that I care about- I will do anything" the Elf proclaimed fiercely.
"Patry," Julius said softly, before a proud grin broke out over his face, "I am so proud of you" he said happily. "Maybe save that line until after I do this without going crazy again" Patry replied with a nervous grin.
Black Clover
William sat on the Time Mage's broom with him as the adult once again flew them towards Licht's skeleton. Julius glanced down at the Elf with a frown on his face. Any attempts to convince Patry not to try mastering his hatred again so soon were met with firm dismissal. It was the first time the two had argued about anything. Finally, after no luck in trying to talk the Teenager out of it, Julius had given up. Even so, he knew that his unofficially adopted Son wouldn't give up on his decision, not after everything. And so, the human had given up and simply opted to once again play the role of support. If, like last time, Patry lost control of his emotions or his Mana, he would be there to make sure nothing bad happened. Patry, on the other hand, was gripping the handle of the broomstick so hard that his knuckles turned white, 'I can do this, I have to. Everyone, please, give me the strength to make this work!' he prayed desperately, even though he knew that only Tettia would hear him.
All-too-soon, the two of them, that was also technically four, landed before Licht's giant skeleton once more. Trying to keep his breathing even, Patry slid off the broom and looked for a comfortable place to sit and begin meditating. Julius stood by worriedly, praying that this time his Elven Son could succeed without having to suffer too much pain. Once he had sat down, Patry tried to fall into a meditative trance. It was usually a simple thing for him after all the practice he'd had, but today his fear was getting the best of him. 'Calm down. You'll be okay. You can do it this time! Everything will work out this time, I'm sure of it!' he thought, before finally finding his centre and entering a mediative state.
Black Clover
When Patry opened his eyes again, he found himself in his Soul along with a serious Dark Patry and a worried-looking William. "Are you sure you want to do this Patry? I know we all discussed it, but if it's only going to hurt you more-" the 16-year-old human began, before being gently cut off, "we already knew from the start that mastering my hatred and Dark Elf form wasn't going to be easy or enjoyable in any sense of the word. If there's even a chance that I can gain the control I need of this power and use it to help destroy that Devil once and for all, then I have to, no- I will learn to control this, no matter what. I've already lost everyone I loved twice. I refuse to let my own weakness allow it to happen a third time" Patry interjected, eyes softening as he looked into the worried face of one of his most precious people. "It will be okay William, I promise. This time I'll be okay" he added gently, a small smile on his face, "will you trust me?" the Elf asked. William took a deep breath and let it out, "I do trust you brother. I always have" he replied. "Thank you" Patry said, before becoming serious.
He turned to look at the Dark Elf, "I won't pretend I'm not terrified of watching them all die again. This will be the third time after all. But I'm the only one here who can fight against Zagred right now. I can't let my fear stop me from doing what's right." Patry said in a strong voice, but the two who were with him, saw that his hands were trembling, despite how hard he was clenching them. The Light Mage took a deep breath and stared deep into the eyes of the manifestation of his negative emotions, "I'm ready" he said seriously. Dark Patry stared at him silently, before giving a nod of understanding, "I'm not really used to this kind of thing, I am made up of hatred and rage after all. But I still wanted to say- good luck, Patry" he said, before the world faded away into a swirl of colours, making Patry close his eyes.
Black Clover
When the light faded, Patry braced himself, 'okay, here we go. You can't falter this time Patry! Stay strong!' he thought to himself. Then the screams started. The Light Mage opened his eyes to the same sight as before. And it didn't break his heart any less. Light Spears were raining down from the sky, destroying the houses in his village and causing fires everywhere. But the worst part was, of course, the death all around him. Patry gasped in air desperately as his people, friends, family were cut down all around him, some dying in agony on the ground, others lifeless before they even fell. The 17-year-old Elf clenched his fists and teeth tightly as tears welled in his eyes. "I can do this, it's okay. Just breathe, stay calm" he repeated over and over again as more Elves, people that he knew or didn't know were slaughtered. "It's, okay, it's not real, everything is going to be okay!" Patry whimpered desperately, as terrified and agonised screams rang out all around him. The screams grew louder, blood splattering one the ground from countless Elves and the Teenager trembled, breathing hard. He lifted his hands to his ears, desperate to block out the screams, clenching his eyes tightly, crying at the agony in his heart, "I-I," Patry gasped, making the mistake of breathing in through his nose. The scent of blood assaulted him from everywhere, the screaming echoing around him and the Light Mage felt sick. "HELP! SOMEONE, ANYONE! PLAEASE, HELP US- ARGH!"
"I- I have to- have to-" Patry sobbed. Despite how hard he was fighting to keep calm and in control, the horror all around him was crushing his heart. "Why? Why can't I ever-" he gasped for air, pain overwhelming him. "MAMA! PAPA!" little Half-Elf Yuno called, terrified out of his mind. "Yuno! Please, Yuno, don't!" the Light Mage begged, shaking his head. 'I can't, I can't do it! I don't know how I ever got it into my head that I could do this. I'm not strong enough. I don't want to watch him die again! Please, I can't take it!' he thought in despair, unable to stop himself from seeking the boy out. Raising his head, horror overwhelmed the boy once again. Blood coated the ground, a red sea poisoning the ground. The bodies of his Tribe littered the dirt and stared up at the sky and at him with blank eyes. 'Stop, please stop it, no more!' Patry thought desperately. "MAMA!/TETTIA!" both Yuno and Licht screamed in horror as the human Princess was shot down. "BIG BROTHER! PLEASE! YOU PROMISED YOU'D ALWAYS BE HERE TO PROTECT ME!" Yuno begged, terrified. "Yuno! *sob* I'm sorry. My precious Baby Brother! I-I tried so hard *SOB* please, forgive me Yuno!" Patry wailed, shaking his head and gripping his chest over his heart.
A spear of Light Magic tore through the 7-year-old's chest, causing him to scream in pure agony. Yuno once again slammed face-down to the ground, head turned slightly to the side. He gasped weakly from the pain. Patry could feel his heart breaking as he shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks as he fought desperately to keep his rage and hatred from taking control again. "Big Brother," Yuno whispered, gasping raggedly through his nearly destroyed lungs, "you- promised," he sobbed softly, "you, promised- that you'd always, b-be there to, p-protect me. But you- lied" the small boy whispered, before finally dying. As he watched this, all thoughts of why he was doing this, and even that he was the one who had wanted to do this again faded from Patry's mind. His heart shattered into pieces inside his chest. The Elf screamed in agony, Mana going crazy and beginning to turn dark. "I CAN'T TAKE IT! PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME ALL OVER AGAIN!" Patry begged, wailing in emotional agony.
Black Clover
From the part of Patry and William's shared Soul that they were waiting in, both William and Dark Patry immediately realised that things had gone wrong again. "Big Brother, no! damn it all! Why the Hell is this the only way to teach Patry to control his hatred?! Hasn't he suffered more than enough?!" William cried, tears filling his eyes. "There's no time to cry! Patry needs you right now!" Dark Patry exclaimed, rushing towards where the Elf was with the human Mage struggling to keep up.
Black Clover
"I'm never, going to be strong enough," Patry cried, tears flowing endlessly down his face, his body slowly changing into a Dark Elf. "N-No matter what I do, I'll n-never be able, to overcome this! I- I don't want, to become a monster. I don't want to hurt anyone! Please, I can't do it! Someone! Someone, please, help me!" the Light Mage begged. "All I want, is to be able, to protect the people that I love. But I couldn't do it! *sob* And because of my weakness- e-everyone I ever loved- is gone! I'm all alone, and it's all my fault!" Patry cried, corruption spreading. "Someone, please, I can't take it anymore! Please- s-s-save me!" he cried desperately, gasping at the overwhelming pain that was consuming him, body, mind and Soul. He couldn't hold on anymore- "PATRY!" a familiar voice screamed desperately. The agonised Elf blinked his tear-filled eyes open in surprise, "wh-who is that?" Patry whimpered.
Suddenly two figures appeared before him. Both were familiar, but in his current state the boy couldn't recognise them. "Patry, I'm here! It's me! Please, don't give up! You have to fight!" the shorter one yelled. Patry looked closer, recognising the person's face. Those burn-like markings- "W-William?!" he asked, shuddering as the dark grey colour spread over more of his skin. "Yes, it's me! I'm here for you, and I will be no matter what!" William replied, stepping forwards. "N-no, don't! Don't come near me, it's not safe!" Patry stuttered desperately, voice no longer full on shaking, but still full of as much fear as his eyes, "y-you have to get away from me! Please, I can't control myself! I don't want to hurt you!" the Elf begged, scrambling away from his human brother. The World Tree Mage continued to walk towards his Elven brother, "you really think I'd just abandon you after everything we've been through? There is no way in Hell that I would ever leave you here to suffer all alone! You're my Brother, and we've been together since I was a child! No matter what happens, even if you hurt me accidentally, I will never leave you all alone, understand?!" William cried.
"You have far more people than just William who care about you." Dark Patry added. Suddenly a small hand reached up and touched one of Patry's own, making the Elf gasp and look down. His eyes widened in shock. Yuno, as a half-Elf stood before him, smiling just like he used to, "it's okay Big Brother. I'll always be here for you," suddenly the boy's form wavered, until it cleared to reveal the human version of the boy. The black-haired Reincarnation of his baby Brother stood before him, frowning as he reached a small hand forwards and wiped his tears away, just like he had the day they'd met again, "please don't cry. I know you couldn't keep me safe in the past, but I don't blame you for that. You're here now, and that's all that matters." Yuno smiled softly, looking just like his former life, "I know that you didn't break your promise on purpose, and that you'll try your hardest to make it up to me now. I never once hated you for leaving me, or for not being there to protect me. You're my big brother, and I love you Patry" he said kindly.
Before the Elf could respond, another figure fazed into view, "maybe you're not a human, but you're still a person. You're an amazing, strong, kind person, and I'm so proud to call you my Son. Well, one of them" Julius said, smiling gently down at him, before the look became slightly sheepish as he said that last part. "You're a truly amazing person that I can't wait to learn more about." Another voice, this one a girl's, continued. Patry looked to the side to find Shilo standing there, smiling kindly, "of course, that's not to say that I don't like William too, heh, heh" she added. "I know you feel like you failed us Patry, but you couldn't be further from the truth,". The new voice made the teenage Elf gasp, and his head shot around to find the source of the voice. Patry's eye's widened, tears of happiness, pain, sadness, gratitude and so many other emotions welling up and spilling over the moment he saw them. Every Elf that he had ever known to be a part of his Tribe, along with Tettia and Lemiel stood around them, along with all the other people that he had come to care about in the present. "E-everyone. You're all, h-here" Patry whimpered.
A part of him felt the pain in his heart intensify at the sight of everyone he'd lost, but another part swelled with joy, and the bright, warm feeling drowned out the darkness. Licht stepped forwards, smiling kindly down at his younger friend, "No matter if we're alive or not, none of us has ever thought badly of you Patry. We're all so proud of how far you've come, and you know, that no matter what happens, or where you go- you will always be loved. By us, and by them as well" the Sword Mage said, nodding his head towards the human friends he'd made. Patry sobbed non-stop, the overwhelming happiness and love he felt all around him banishing the dark emotions that had been drowning him just moments earlier. "I, l-love you too. All of you! I love you so much, and I'm so grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful, kind people, both in the past and now too *sniff*. And I s-swear to you all, that I won't give up again. I'll keep fighting, until the day I can avenge you, that way you can all rest in peace *sob*. I'll never give up, not as long as I have *sniff* people that I love and want to protect. I s-swear that I'll make it happen, and, I'll create a new f-future. One full of hope and love, nno matter what it takes!" he cried, tone stronger at the end and more determined than ever.
Suddenly a bright white light appeared in the air above them, the darkness seeming to change as it did. As the light once again engulfed everything, Patry found that he wasn't scared anymore, 'as long as I have people who believe in me and love me, everything will be okay' he thought, as the overwhelmingly evil feeling that had been present since he began to change into a Dark Elf vanished along with the darkness.
Black Clover
Patry opened his eyes with a gasp. The first thing he noticed was that he was floating in mid-air. But now he seemed to be returning to the ground. The second thing that he saw was Julius's wide-eyed look of awe. He was staring at him like he had just grown angel wings or something. He even glanced around to see if Aisha, an Elf who had Wing Magic in the past had somehow mysteriously shown up. In his mind, he wondered why he had even bothered. Soon enough, Patry landed back on solid ground again. He tilted his head to the side in confusion, and his and William's (soon-to-be) adopted Father continued to stare at him with wide eyes. "What's wrong Dad?" the Elf asked in confusion, tilting his head to the side. Julius seemed to snap out of his shock at that, because a huge, beaming grin spread over his face, "Patry, you did it!" he exclaimed excitedly. Patry blinked in surprise, before looking down at himself. Sure enough, his skin was still dark grey.
"I, did it?" he asked, eyes widening, turning his arms over to examine them, "I didn't even realise. I don't feel any different at all, not like the pain I always felt whenever I transformed into a Dark Elf before," Patry brought his hands up to his face. "You really don't feel bad, or in pain or anything?" The Time Mage asked. The younger boy shook his head, before pausing and reaching up to his chest. He placed his hand over his heart, closing his eyes, "actually, now that I'm looking for it, I can still feel some hatred and anger, but it's like, their intensity has gone down to a level where I don't feel that bothered by it. It's not overwhelming me, and it's not excruciatingly painful. I just feel- whole" the Dark Elf replied, before a smile broke out onto his face, "and it's all thanks to you, and William, and everyone else who I care about. Even if most of them weren't actually there, I'm still so grateful to all of you," Patry beamed up at the adult human, before wrapping his arms around him in a warm hug. Julius was confused, but he hugged his second Son back none-the-less, "thank you so much for accepting me all those years ago Dad. I love you so much" Patry said, tears of happiness, real ones this time once again filling his eyes. "Patry. I love both you and William too, more than anything. I won't admit that I'm not utterly confused right now, but you can explain about what happened later.
Until then, I want to tell you just how proud I am of you. I don't think a Father has ever been prouder. I always knew that you could do it" Julius replied lovingly. Smiling peacefully, Patry sighed deeply. Finally, he had mastered his hatred, and with it, moved from one impossible challenge to another. But he would worry about that later. Right now, his hope had been restored, and, more importantly to his stomach, there was a bowl of hot, delicious food and a warm bed waiting for him. The Elf sighed as he allowed his body to return to normal. He could get back to all of that tomorrow.
To Be Continued