Chapter 4
True Colors
Lynx slowly woke up and looked at his surroundings. He saw Paul wrapping something up in a brown linen and Shaun resting next to him. Lynx also noticed the world he was in had absolutely no,
"Texture. Where the HELL is the texture in this place." Paul said tying off the last of the linen. Lynx slowly got up and walked up to Paul.
"So, now what oh mighty Lynx!" Paul got up into his face yelling.
"I'm not Lynx." he said quietly. Paul pushed him away.
"WHAT IN THE BLUE HELL ARE YOU THINKING! DON'T TRY AND ACT DUMB WITH ME YOU LITTLE.CAT!" Lynx backed slowly away from Paul.
"I'm not Lynx, I'm Serge." He said again. Paul was about to lunge himself at Lynx when Shaun tackled him.
"WAIT A DAMN MINUTE, PAUL! LOOK AT HIS EYES! LOOK DAMNIT!" Shaun ordered. Paul slowly did so.
"You mean to tell me you're not Lynx?" Paul said angrily. Lynx nodded. "This will take awhile to sink in." Paul sighed.
"What's the ruckus here?" A green creature said walking up to them. They all looked at it.
"Names Sprigg. How did you get ere'?"
"Long story." Paul muttered.
"Well considerin' I've been ere' for almost a hundred years now I think I got all the time in the world. I may look like a ol hag, but I still know what I'm talkin about." Paul and the others looked confused.
"SAY WHA?" Shaun asked stupefied.
"Look, forget the details. If I can show you a possible way outta ere will you take me with ya?" They all nodded. They trudged up what seemed to be a hill to the front of a house. When they entered Paul and Lynx got a very odd welcoming surprise.
"Bon'juer Monsieur Paul and Lynx. Did you miss moi?" Paul and Lynx recognized the sound of Harle's thick French accent.
"I'm not Lynx." Lynx said irritably.
"But you look like him, and everybody elze will t'ink you're him, so voila, you are Lynx."
"BUT I'M SERGE!"
"Oh really?" Harle asked chuckling. "And how do you know zat. Can you confirm zat you are really Serge? How do you know zis Serge even existed? Iz zis Serge a dream, a thought, a living person? Realite' haz set in, you are Monsieur Lynx. You cannot defeat Realite', because if you do Realite' will crush you and march on day after day leaving your crushed body behind." Harle momentarily disappeared, then reappeared walking up the left wall. "Do you really believe zat people will t'ink your really Serge with your body as Lynx?"
"Serge."
"NON! Monsieur Lynx, Paul." Harle said interrupting Paul.
"Sorry. LYNX, " Paul glared at Harle. "The loony makes a point. I learned from Kid that Demi-Humans, MOST, hate humans. And Humans, MOST, hate Demi- Humans. If you go around preaching to Demi-humans that you're a human in a Demi-humans body they'll think you're insane. If you go around Humans preaching you're a Human inside a Demi-humans body they'll think you're insane. And trust me, Insane is not the impression people want. Especially in your case because you're a Demi-human." Harle nodded in agreement.
"So that's it, I'm Lynx." Lynx muttered.
"EXACTLY!" Harle said as if she was proud. "Do you wish to leave here?" Lynx nodded. "Very well, follow me." They all did and after twenty minutes of hiking through an indescribable world they were back at the Hydra Marshes.
"THANKS!" Sprigg said running around like a chicken with its head cut off. "I OWE YOU GUYS BIG! Call me if ya ever need my help." And Sprigg danced off.
"Very." Shaun started.
"Odd." Paul finished. "Let's get going. We gotta find Serge now."
"Zat might be difficult." Harle interrupted. "You see, az we know. Lynx waz not from ze dimension you were in. That was pozzible because a piece to ze puzzle also disappeared. Now zat Lynx haz returned ze puzzle iz complete." Harle said.
"Rewind. We can't go looking for Serge because he's theoretically in another world?" Shaun asked.
"Not a Theory, a fact." Harle said annoyed. Paul sighed.
"Figures." Both Paul and Lynx muttered. Harle grinned.
"However, we can restore ze temporal distortion if we simply make ze piece to ze puzzle missing again." Paul paced around.
"How do we do that?" he asked.
"Zimple, ze Dead Sea of course." Harle said casually.
"Well isn't that a lovely name." Shaun muttered.
"We can make zis hard, or harder. You decide." Harle stammered at Shaun. They all nodded
"Let's go on another fun filled, action packed, adventure. YIPPE SKIPPY!" Paul said sarcastically.
"Zis iz going to be a long trip." Harle muttered shaking her head with her left hand holding her forehead.
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Diss slowly came around. A splitting headache pierced his thoughts as he felt hands slowly bring him up to a sitting position. Shaking his head the headache lessened until he finally got free of its hold.
"Hold on Mate, Lynx gave ya a pretty hard knock to yer noggin." Kid's voice came.
His vision was blurry as his eyes opened. He tried to remember back to what happened. He remembered them attacking Lynx, him raising his Staff in a deathblow. Suddenly his thoughts slipped away no matter how hard he tried to grasp them.
"Kid, is he alright?" Came an unfamiliar voice.
"Yeah Serge, he's just feeling the after effects of what Lynx did ta him," Kid replied.
"What happened?" Diss said woozily.
"Lynx hit ya with some spell, knocked ya flat. First time I've ever seen ya go down like that," Kid responded.
Diss' vision slowly cleared as he looked around. He was in a small room, and Kid was sitting next to him holding him up. Serge appeared standing in the doorway. Diss tried to think back to the room, but his memories started draining away like water through his cupped hand.
"Where are Paul and Shaun?" Diss said uneasily.
Kid looked at him sympathetically, "They left ya, when me and Serge 'ere showed up there ya were out cold and yer buddies were gone."
"What?"
"They were no where around. It looked like a wreck in there, but there ya were in the center abandoned like a dead body. Ya almost were dead too."
"I'm sorry Diss, your friends left you," Serge added.
Diss tried to think back, and then the memories returned. Paul had slashed at him, and Shaun followed up by throwing rocks at him knocking him back against the wall. Lynx finished him off with a weird cloud of darkness knocking him out. He looked down.
"Lets take you home Diss," Serge said.
"Home?" Diss asked confusedly.
"Ya mate, back to Hermits 'ideaway, where ya always lived," Kid said.
Diss tried to think about his home, he saw a brown haired girl. Suddenly as quickly as the thought came it was gone. There was a grave, the tombstone had inscribed on it; "Here Lies Christy Dissinger. May she rest in eternal peace."
Diss could barely hold himself together. He couldn't think as tears blurred his vision.
"I have no home, I have no friends. I'm alone and I don't want to return home," Diss said quietly.
Serge got up and left leaving him and Kid alone in the room. Kid gently enfolded him, he let loose the tears he had hidden deeply, as he cried he felt his pain lessen.
"I'm sorry for ya mate, but ya aren't alone anymore," Kid whispered. Diss pulled himself back together looking at her confusedly.
"Diss, you've got me and Serge now. We'll help ya through this," she explained. He nodded as he wrapped his arms around her. After what seemed like forever he pulled back leaning against the top bed board. Kid got up dusting herself off as she headed outside.
Before she left she turned to him, "We'll wait for ya outside mate."
Diss looked around the room; his stuff was laid out on the nearby chair. He slowly dressed before picking up his staff. As he made contact with the staff a flash occurred in his head, he saw a brief image of Kid lying on the ground blood trickling from a stomach wound. As fast as the flash came it was gone, but he couldn't stop thinking about the image.
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He exited the room Kid was leaning against the wall and Serge was idly pacing. Diss merely cleared his throat drawing their attention, "I'll tag along for awhile, there's nothing waiting for me at home."
Kid looked like she wanted to walk over to him, but Serge said something first, "Alright we're heading over to the Dead Sea after I do a little work on the mainland. I have a little something I need to do in order for us to get there easily.
Kid nodded, " I'll 'elp in anyway possible."
Diss chimed in almost immediately, "Count me in."
Serge smiled, "Thanks you guys."
Serge grinned as he led them out of the inn at Termina. His grin broadened even more as he saw the ships of the Porre Army approach the island. His plan was executing beautifully now.
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"NOW WHAT?" Paul blared getting out of his spot on the crowded boat.
"It appears ze Dead Sea iz closed off." Harle said sadly.
"YOU MEAN WE WAISTED THREE HOURS AND THE BETTER PART OF A DAY LOOKING FOR A BOAT THAT TOOK US TO A PLACE WE CAN'T ENTER?" Paul nearly fell.
"DAMNIT!" Shaun started loosing his cool at the situation.
"LOOK! I ZED NOT'ING ABOUT ZIS BEING EASY!" Harle said defending herself. Lynx started shaking his head in disappointment.
"So what the hell are we going to do now?" Paul asked trying to refrain from pointless yelling.
"Well, maybe we should rest at Marbule? Zer we can look for answerz." Harle slowly sat down next to Lynx. Paul nodded in agreement.
"Might as well. Who knows when this blasted boat will give away." At that moment the boat began to creak under the combined weight of the four of them and it collapsed. Everyone was drenched and Harle's makeup was ruined.
"FIRST THINGS FIRST!" Shaun yelled under a controlled tone. "PAUL, DON'T GET PISSED OFF OR WE'RE ALL DEAD!" Shaun commanded. Paul grabbed a small piece of the wood and shoved it in his mouth biting on it hard.
"GOD DAMNIT!" He said through his gritting teeth. Everyone grabbed a piece of the boat and clinged onto it. "SHAUN! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM!" Paul blared clinging onto his board for his life.
"DAMN! I forgot that. Okay, I'm coming, don't panic." Shaun slowly dog paddled his board over to Paul.
"You mean to tell me zat someone az powerful az you doezn't know how to swim?" Harle sounded hopeless.
"SHUT-UP!" Paul barked back. He slipped off his board and began flailing trying to grab on. Shaun and Lynx both helped him onto his board.
"Are you okay?' Harle and Lynx asked at the same time. Paul nodded.
"Let's get out of here." Paul said spitting some water out of his mouth. Shaun helped Paul and they began the long journey.
After three hours had passed they came upon a man in a boat. However, the man looked like a grasshopper.
"H-H-Help." Paul said through his chattering teeth.
"Why should I help a human? You've never done anything to us!" He chimed back.
"Please." Shaun said almost falling off his piece of board.
"Forget it." Retorted the man paddling away.
"YOU ASSHOLE!" Paul screamed. "NO WONDER HUMANS TREAT YOU LIKE THEY DO!" Harle hushed Paul.
"Zat won't help him change hiz mind." She said reassuringly. Paul nodded sniffling.
"Hey man, if you cry I won't tell anyone. Besides, it's not like anyone will notice." Shaun said trying to ease the mood. Paul softly smiled, but quickly frowned. They continued wading through the water for another hour before they reached Marbule. When they landed on the shore Harle managed to convince everyone to keep moving on to the town.
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When they arrived the town seemed deserted. They walked forward to a little shack when a man came down some stairs yelling hello at them.
"I didn't expect any visitors." He said "Place has been deserted for years now. All the Demi-Humans packed up and left onboard the S.S. Zelbess. Long, sad story." He continued on. "Names Tim." They all shook hands. "Look, you guys seem a bit tired. The homes here are still furnished. Why don't you take advantage of the point." He smiled. He turned and left while Paul looked around.
"I'm going scouting." Paul said quickly before anyone could offer to help or convince him not to.
"What iz hiz problem?" Harle asked.
"Blowing off some steam I guess." Shaun said trailing off.
"We should get some rest." Lynx proposed. They all nodded.
"Monsieur Paul will rest when he decides to rest, let uz go to sleep." Harle said tiredly linking arms with Lynx nearly falling asleep. They all went into to shack and got ready for bed. After a few minutes and saying some good nights they all had little trouble falling asleep.
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"IS THERE ANY REASON YOU DISLIKE ME?" Paul yelled hurling a bolt of lighting in the air. "DID I DO SOMETHING TO PISS YOU OFF?" Paul yelled again hurling another bolt. Paul fell flat on his rear drawing his knees to his face sniffling. "It's just to much for me to handle." Paul said nearly breaking down.
"What is?" came a soft voice.
"THIS! It's to much to take in!" Paul chocked back the tears.
"And you said you could handle any challenge that came your way." The soft voice seemed to mature.
"IT'S NOT FAIR!" Paul screamed letting the tears out. He hurled lighting bolt after lighting bolt into the air before he ran out of energy.
"My aren't we the little child." The voice said again. Paul looked behind him to see a girl with blond curly hair about his height and age standing next to a little girl no older then 5 with blonde curly hair also. The younger had blue eyes, and the older had brownish hazel.
"When was the last time I saw you two?" Paul said sniffling.
"Just before you met Dissinger." The little girl said. "When you looked at the locket in your pocket."
"I have no memory of who you are." Paul said trailing off getting out the locket and looking at the photo of the two girls smiling. "I feel as if I knew you before they changed me."
"Maybe you did." The older one said. "For all you know we are your sisters. Or maybe the little one's your sister and I'm your ex-girlfriend." She continued on. "Or maybe we're your friends. Maybe you found the locket and kept it. No one but you can answer the question of who we are. "
"You kept that locket shut ever since you met Dissinger." The little one said.
"Then why are you here?" Paul asked in a half whisper.
"There was one thing you could remember about us." The little girl said.
"What?"
"You would always, and mostly only, listened to us, no matter what." The older said. The little one explained in detail.
"Sometimes you listen to us rather than Diss, or even Rachel. Even if you knew it was stupid or futile, or would even cost your life. You listened to us more than anyone or anything else." Paul slowly remembered the night he told Rachel he was leaving with Shaun and Diss despite Rachel's plea. He claimed he had to go, because he felt like he was told to. He never realized it would bring him to this. The older one spoke up again,
"The times when you wouldn't listen to anyone, no matter how much sense they made, those times when you were so arrogant and stupid, the times when nothing would stop you. EXCEPT when you listened to." The little one finished the sentence,
"Us." She said it almost in a whisper. "Only we made sense to you."
"How come I remember you now?" Paul asked. The older one answered his question,
"You want someone to tell you what to do next."
"When you saw Marcy you remembered me." The little one said.
"And when you saw Kid you remembered me." The older girl said.
"So by remembering you two I somehow managed to get you guys here to tell me what to do next?" They both nodded.
"Give it up." A colder male voice said. "He's too far from himself. In no time I will have total control of this man. Nothing can help him then. Not even you two."
"Not true!" The little girl yelled back. Paul looked behind him to find himself looking back.
"What the." Paul said scratching his head.
"I'm you, but dead." The ghost Paul said. Paul turned pale white after hearing that. "In this world you, Shaun, and Diss died, you and Diss in the sea. You see in this world, a tide swept over the bodies of us and caused us to drown before we could wake up from the event that made us come here!" Paul started backing away. "Why you can see me, however, is because of the sword you possess. I am the reflection of your evil side. The side that you kept hidden deep inside." The ghost began advancing on Paul, "All those feelings about wanting to punch Dissinger right in the mouth. The times when you wanted to take your powers and just kill someone. Those times you wouldn't listen! It was your hatred building up inside." The ghost paced around a bit, and then continued on, "You never truly liked Diss. You always hated him when he went assuming the command." Paul interrupted.
"YES, BUT WHERE WOULD I BE WITHOUT HIM?" Paul blared back.
"Where you wanted to be all along." The Ghost Paul hissed back. "Alone." Paul gritted his teeth pulling out the red sword. "Go for it. Prove me right." He laughed in a mocking tone. He disappeared in an instant still laughing. Paul sheathed his sword and looked at the girls.
" If he's my bad side, then does that make you my guardian angels?" Paul mumbled.
"In a way yes." The older one said. "We're here to help you remember. That's all." The older one began to walk away.
"REMEMBER WHAT?" Paul blared back.
"You should get some sleep. You have a lot of decisions to make on your own tomorrow." The little one said. Paul felt the anger in him boil down to a mid point. He was fighting with himself trying to prove to the two girls that he didn't listen to them all the time. Slowly he felt fatigued as he dropped onto the ground.
"Good-bye Paul." The older one said.
"No, don't go." Paul whispered.
"Bye." The little one said running up to him and giving him a small hug. They both disappeared instantly leaving Paul alone.
"I want to go home.I want to go home. God damnit mister Wizard. I want to go home." Paul said hopelessly falling asleep.
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"Monsieur Paul, it iz time to get up." Paul heard Harle talking to him. Paul groggily got up from the ground and realized he had a blanket over him.
"Did you give me the blanket?" Paul asked.
"Non, I t'ought it waz yours." Harle replied. Paul didn't dwell on it too much. "Today we zet off for ze S.S. Zelbess. There we shall talk to Ze Captain Fargo about ze sage of Marbule." Paul had troubling following Harle's accent, but nodded dumbly thinking she knew what she was doing.
"Morning, Paul." Shaun said groggily getting out of the small shack with his coffee cup filled with water. "Lynx will be coming by shortly. He's uh.drying out." Paul felt like laughing, but was to tired to even think.
"Coffee." Paul said tiredly.
"Coffee?" Harle repeated.
"Coffee." Paul said again.
"What iz coffee?" Harle asked.
"Coffee is the drink of the gods who can't get up in the morning. Energetic happy people really shouldn't drink the stuff. To much for their tiny systems." Paul answered.
"So you drink coffee when you want to wake up." Harle said figuring it all out. "Are you sure ze gods drink zis stuff?" Shaun and Paul both muttered deciding to leave her out of the loop.
"I got complementary sugar water, otherwise no coffee." Shaun stated. Paul took Shaun's mug, gave him a dirty look and drank all the contents, then spit it out with his eyes wide open.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS STUFF?" Paul said disgusted.
"Harle's paint leftovers. She painted this morning a picture of the town at dawn. She used my mug to dip her brush." Shaun said amused. Paul glared at everyone.
"I want coffee." Paul said once again. He grabbed his belongings and went on the tiny ferry to the Cruise Ship S.S. Zelbess. He wanted to find this so called Sage, and then go home.
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Diss awoke refreshed. Kid lay nearby and Serge was up sharpening his swallow. Diss shook the morning grog off as he got up pulling on his over shirt.
"Sleep well Diss?" Serge asked.
Diss nodded as he stretched. They had camped in the forest as they headed towards Termina. They would steal a ship then head to this fabled Dead Sea. Kid woke up slowly as Diss watched interestedly. Kid yawned before becoming full awake.
"What time is it mates?" Kid asked.
"Pretty early Kid. You always up this early?" Diss responded.
"Yeah Diss. Usually up ta no good at this time," she smiled devilishly.
"Just don't pick any pockets in Termina alright?" Diss asked.
"Aw mate, yeh take the fun outta it. How am I supposed ta keep up me skills?" Kid responded playfully.
Diss chuckled and was surprised to find Kid laugh with him. She seemed to be more friendly to him now, and he wasn't sure why.
"Lets head out to Termina. We can rest up there before stealing a boat. Oh, and you two might want to be on guard, some people from Viper's Guard might be around," Serge said.
Diss nodded picking up his Dragon Staff. Diss walked side by side with Kid. She smiled over at him and he couldn't help but blush.
"Ya aright mate? You look like yer embarrassed." Kid said softly to him.
"Its.nothing. Trust me, I'm fine. Just a little flustered that's all. Haven't been on this Island in awhile. Like a whole new place," Diss stammered.
Kid smiled realizing what was causing it. "You like me dontcha?" she asked innocently.
Diss blushed turning away, "I never said that."
"Its alright mate, I get it all the time. Besides I can understand where yer coming from. You having no wife; with me being the first girl to come along. Not ta forget ta mention that ye cried on me shoulder." Kid trailed off seeing his pain in his eyes.
"I'm sorry mate, I forgot ye lost yer shiela," she said softly. He looked down. Grief filled his heart as he remembered the tombstone. " How did she die mate?" Kid asked innocently.
"I can't remember, I think I blocked it out of the memory," Diss said softly.
Serge stiffened as he overheard their conversation. The talk about the memories he had implanted in them was skirting to close to a loophole he had accidentally created. Not knowing the girl he couldn't think of an easy way for her to have died. Serge knew she was alive, but if Diss knew she was he would devote his life to going back to his own dimension.
"How tragic, can you tell me about her?" Kid asked softly.
"She believed in me when no one else would. She helped me when I was weak. When I was captured the memories of her kept me going and resisting," Diss said through tears.
"Diss, I'm sorry mate, she sounded almost perfect," Kid whispered drawing close to him.
"She was, and she took pity on me when I was nothing but a torn wretched soul. I didn't deserve her," Diss said through silent tears.
Kid wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "Ya deserve the best mate. I just wish I was the best; ya seem like such a great guy." Diss turned to face her stopping; she looked up at him expectantly.
"Kid please, just don't do this to me. I'm still grieving for my lost wife; I don't think I'm ready for a new relationship," Diss said softly.
Kid smiled, "Ya don't know what yer missing mate."
"I can only imagine." Diss responded sincerely.
Serge grinned as the crisis was averted. He also now had the ability to control Diss subliminally through Kid. Kid was much easier to control than Diss. He could feel Diss pounding in his mind trying to get out. Kid was much weaker minded, so he only touched her up when they slept. Diss required constant reinforcement, already he almost broke through his brainwashing three times. He gently nudged Kid subliminally as she wrapped an arm around Diss. Diss instinctively responded in kind, and Serge felt Diss' resistance start fading. He smiled, all he had to do was reinforce the relationship that would have been friendship into full-blown love, and Diss would be his puppet.
Diss stiffened as his Danger Sense tingled. Kid felt his alertness and pulled her dagger. Diss raised his staff into a ready position, as Serge raised his swallow. Immediately Acacia Dragoons attacked from the left Diss was facing.
Diss slashed hard killing the dragon that the first dragoon was riding. Kid followed up by knifing the soldier hard in the chest stopping his heart immediately. Serge took down the next Dragoon with a ball of dark energy sending the soldier into a far tree where his neck snapped on impact. The third dragoon turned to flee only to find Kid's dagger planted fully up to the hilt in his back puncturing his right lung. Diss heaved from the sudden exertion as he turned to Kid.
"Sorry about that, had to get him fast," Diss panted.
"Its alright mate. You got him right?" Kid returned.
Serge smiled, both of them were extremely jumpy from the sudden combat. As Kid pulled her dagger from the dead soldier she wiped it on the man's tunic. He gently nudged her mind as Diss approached her. Without warning Kid kissed Diss full and deep. He recovered from the shock slowly as he returned the kiss full force hugging her closely. Serge smiled as he felt the last of Diss' resistance crumble. He had broken the man, and at the same time had a calming influence on Kid. Neither of them had any resistance to offer at all as he looked at his puppets.
Kid pulled back from the kiss, "I'm sorry mate, I invaded yer personal space."
"If that's invading, feel free to do it again anytime.." Diss said softly.
Kid smiled. "I thought ya didn't want a relationship right now," she whispered.
"Looks like my body thought otherwise." Diss said.
Kid chuckled, "So who do we follow? Yer mind or yer body?"
"Both," he whispered as he kissed her. Serge grinned. All was according to plan. Diss would crush his friends, especially now that he had severed his last tie to his real life. Diss belonged to him now, his past discarded for the future Serge would mold. Diss was his puppet, and Serge knew, he would put on a grand show for his friends.
True Colors
Lynx slowly woke up and looked at his surroundings. He saw Paul wrapping something up in a brown linen and Shaun resting next to him. Lynx also noticed the world he was in had absolutely no,
"Texture. Where the HELL is the texture in this place." Paul said tying off the last of the linen. Lynx slowly got up and walked up to Paul.
"So, now what oh mighty Lynx!" Paul got up into his face yelling.
"I'm not Lynx." he said quietly. Paul pushed him away.
"WHAT IN THE BLUE HELL ARE YOU THINKING! DON'T TRY AND ACT DUMB WITH ME YOU LITTLE.CAT!" Lynx backed slowly away from Paul.
"I'm not Lynx, I'm Serge." He said again. Paul was about to lunge himself at Lynx when Shaun tackled him.
"WAIT A DAMN MINUTE, PAUL! LOOK AT HIS EYES! LOOK DAMNIT!" Shaun ordered. Paul slowly did so.
"You mean to tell me you're not Lynx?" Paul said angrily. Lynx nodded. "This will take awhile to sink in." Paul sighed.
"What's the ruckus here?" A green creature said walking up to them. They all looked at it.
"Names Sprigg. How did you get ere'?"
"Long story." Paul muttered.
"Well considerin' I've been ere' for almost a hundred years now I think I got all the time in the world. I may look like a ol hag, but I still know what I'm talkin about." Paul and the others looked confused.
"SAY WHA?" Shaun asked stupefied.
"Look, forget the details. If I can show you a possible way outta ere will you take me with ya?" They all nodded. They trudged up what seemed to be a hill to the front of a house. When they entered Paul and Lynx got a very odd welcoming surprise.
"Bon'juer Monsieur Paul and Lynx. Did you miss moi?" Paul and Lynx recognized the sound of Harle's thick French accent.
"I'm not Lynx." Lynx said irritably.
"But you look like him, and everybody elze will t'ink you're him, so voila, you are Lynx."
"BUT I'M SERGE!"
"Oh really?" Harle asked chuckling. "And how do you know zat. Can you confirm zat you are really Serge? How do you know zis Serge even existed? Iz zis Serge a dream, a thought, a living person? Realite' haz set in, you are Monsieur Lynx. You cannot defeat Realite', because if you do Realite' will crush you and march on day after day leaving your crushed body behind." Harle momentarily disappeared, then reappeared walking up the left wall. "Do you really believe zat people will t'ink your really Serge with your body as Lynx?"
"Serge."
"NON! Monsieur Lynx, Paul." Harle said interrupting Paul.
"Sorry. LYNX, " Paul glared at Harle. "The loony makes a point. I learned from Kid that Demi-Humans, MOST, hate humans. And Humans, MOST, hate Demi- Humans. If you go around preaching to Demi-humans that you're a human in a Demi-humans body they'll think you're insane. If you go around Humans preaching you're a Human inside a Demi-humans body they'll think you're insane. And trust me, Insane is not the impression people want. Especially in your case because you're a Demi-human." Harle nodded in agreement.
"So that's it, I'm Lynx." Lynx muttered.
"EXACTLY!" Harle said as if she was proud. "Do you wish to leave here?" Lynx nodded. "Very well, follow me." They all did and after twenty minutes of hiking through an indescribable world they were back at the Hydra Marshes.
"THANKS!" Sprigg said running around like a chicken with its head cut off. "I OWE YOU GUYS BIG! Call me if ya ever need my help." And Sprigg danced off.
"Very." Shaun started.
"Odd." Paul finished. "Let's get going. We gotta find Serge now."
"Zat might be difficult." Harle interrupted. "You see, az we know. Lynx waz not from ze dimension you were in. That was pozzible because a piece to ze puzzle also disappeared. Now zat Lynx haz returned ze puzzle iz complete." Harle said.
"Rewind. We can't go looking for Serge because he's theoretically in another world?" Shaun asked.
"Not a Theory, a fact." Harle said annoyed. Paul sighed.
"Figures." Both Paul and Lynx muttered. Harle grinned.
"However, we can restore ze temporal distortion if we simply make ze piece to ze puzzle missing again." Paul paced around.
"How do we do that?" he asked.
"Zimple, ze Dead Sea of course." Harle said casually.
"Well isn't that a lovely name." Shaun muttered.
"We can make zis hard, or harder. You decide." Harle stammered at Shaun. They all nodded
"Let's go on another fun filled, action packed, adventure. YIPPE SKIPPY!" Paul said sarcastically.
"Zis iz going to be a long trip." Harle muttered shaking her head with her left hand holding her forehead.
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Diss slowly came around. A splitting headache pierced his thoughts as he felt hands slowly bring him up to a sitting position. Shaking his head the headache lessened until he finally got free of its hold.
"Hold on Mate, Lynx gave ya a pretty hard knock to yer noggin." Kid's voice came.
His vision was blurry as his eyes opened. He tried to remember back to what happened. He remembered them attacking Lynx, him raising his Staff in a deathblow. Suddenly his thoughts slipped away no matter how hard he tried to grasp them.
"Kid, is he alright?" Came an unfamiliar voice.
"Yeah Serge, he's just feeling the after effects of what Lynx did ta him," Kid replied.
"What happened?" Diss said woozily.
"Lynx hit ya with some spell, knocked ya flat. First time I've ever seen ya go down like that," Kid responded.
Diss' vision slowly cleared as he looked around. He was in a small room, and Kid was sitting next to him holding him up. Serge appeared standing in the doorway. Diss tried to think back to the room, but his memories started draining away like water through his cupped hand.
"Where are Paul and Shaun?" Diss said uneasily.
Kid looked at him sympathetically, "They left ya, when me and Serge 'ere showed up there ya were out cold and yer buddies were gone."
"What?"
"They were no where around. It looked like a wreck in there, but there ya were in the center abandoned like a dead body. Ya almost were dead too."
"I'm sorry Diss, your friends left you," Serge added.
Diss tried to think back, and then the memories returned. Paul had slashed at him, and Shaun followed up by throwing rocks at him knocking him back against the wall. Lynx finished him off with a weird cloud of darkness knocking him out. He looked down.
"Lets take you home Diss," Serge said.
"Home?" Diss asked confusedly.
"Ya mate, back to Hermits 'ideaway, where ya always lived," Kid said.
Diss tried to think about his home, he saw a brown haired girl. Suddenly as quickly as the thought came it was gone. There was a grave, the tombstone had inscribed on it; "Here Lies Christy Dissinger. May she rest in eternal peace."
Diss could barely hold himself together. He couldn't think as tears blurred his vision.
"I have no home, I have no friends. I'm alone and I don't want to return home," Diss said quietly.
Serge got up and left leaving him and Kid alone in the room. Kid gently enfolded him, he let loose the tears he had hidden deeply, as he cried he felt his pain lessen.
"I'm sorry for ya mate, but ya aren't alone anymore," Kid whispered. Diss pulled himself back together looking at her confusedly.
"Diss, you've got me and Serge now. We'll help ya through this," she explained. He nodded as he wrapped his arms around her. After what seemed like forever he pulled back leaning against the top bed board. Kid got up dusting herself off as she headed outside.
Before she left she turned to him, "We'll wait for ya outside mate."
Diss looked around the room; his stuff was laid out on the nearby chair. He slowly dressed before picking up his staff. As he made contact with the staff a flash occurred in his head, he saw a brief image of Kid lying on the ground blood trickling from a stomach wound. As fast as the flash came it was gone, but he couldn't stop thinking about the image.
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He exited the room Kid was leaning against the wall and Serge was idly pacing. Diss merely cleared his throat drawing their attention, "I'll tag along for awhile, there's nothing waiting for me at home."
Kid looked like she wanted to walk over to him, but Serge said something first, "Alright we're heading over to the Dead Sea after I do a little work on the mainland. I have a little something I need to do in order for us to get there easily.
Kid nodded, " I'll 'elp in anyway possible."
Diss chimed in almost immediately, "Count me in."
Serge smiled, "Thanks you guys."
Serge grinned as he led them out of the inn at Termina. His grin broadened even more as he saw the ships of the Porre Army approach the island. His plan was executing beautifully now.
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"NOW WHAT?" Paul blared getting out of his spot on the crowded boat.
"It appears ze Dead Sea iz closed off." Harle said sadly.
"YOU MEAN WE WAISTED THREE HOURS AND THE BETTER PART OF A DAY LOOKING FOR A BOAT THAT TOOK US TO A PLACE WE CAN'T ENTER?" Paul nearly fell.
"DAMNIT!" Shaun started loosing his cool at the situation.
"LOOK! I ZED NOT'ING ABOUT ZIS BEING EASY!" Harle said defending herself. Lynx started shaking his head in disappointment.
"So what the hell are we going to do now?" Paul asked trying to refrain from pointless yelling.
"Well, maybe we should rest at Marbule? Zer we can look for answerz." Harle slowly sat down next to Lynx. Paul nodded in agreement.
"Might as well. Who knows when this blasted boat will give away." At that moment the boat began to creak under the combined weight of the four of them and it collapsed. Everyone was drenched and Harle's makeup was ruined.
"FIRST THINGS FIRST!" Shaun yelled under a controlled tone. "PAUL, DON'T GET PISSED OFF OR WE'RE ALL DEAD!" Shaun commanded. Paul grabbed a small piece of the wood and shoved it in his mouth biting on it hard.
"GOD DAMNIT!" He said through his gritting teeth. Everyone grabbed a piece of the boat and clinged onto it. "SHAUN! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM!" Paul blared clinging onto his board for his life.
"DAMN! I forgot that. Okay, I'm coming, don't panic." Shaun slowly dog paddled his board over to Paul.
"You mean to tell me zat someone az powerful az you doezn't know how to swim?" Harle sounded hopeless.
"SHUT-UP!" Paul barked back. He slipped off his board and began flailing trying to grab on. Shaun and Lynx both helped him onto his board.
"Are you okay?' Harle and Lynx asked at the same time. Paul nodded.
"Let's get out of here." Paul said spitting some water out of his mouth. Shaun helped Paul and they began the long journey.
After three hours had passed they came upon a man in a boat. However, the man looked like a grasshopper.
"H-H-Help." Paul said through his chattering teeth.
"Why should I help a human? You've never done anything to us!" He chimed back.
"Please." Shaun said almost falling off his piece of board.
"Forget it." Retorted the man paddling away.
"YOU ASSHOLE!" Paul screamed. "NO WONDER HUMANS TREAT YOU LIKE THEY DO!" Harle hushed Paul.
"Zat won't help him change hiz mind." She said reassuringly. Paul nodded sniffling.
"Hey man, if you cry I won't tell anyone. Besides, it's not like anyone will notice." Shaun said trying to ease the mood. Paul softly smiled, but quickly frowned. They continued wading through the water for another hour before they reached Marbule. When they landed on the shore Harle managed to convince everyone to keep moving on to the town.
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When they arrived the town seemed deserted. They walked forward to a little shack when a man came down some stairs yelling hello at them.
"I didn't expect any visitors." He said "Place has been deserted for years now. All the Demi-Humans packed up and left onboard the S.S. Zelbess. Long, sad story." He continued on. "Names Tim." They all shook hands. "Look, you guys seem a bit tired. The homes here are still furnished. Why don't you take advantage of the point." He smiled. He turned and left while Paul looked around.
"I'm going scouting." Paul said quickly before anyone could offer to help or convince him not to.
"What iz hiz problem?" Harle asked.
"Blowing off some steam I guess." Shaun said trailing off.
"We should get some rest." Lynx proposed. They all nodded.
"Monsieur Paul will rest when he decides to rest, let uz go to sleep." Harle said tiredly linking arms with Lynx nearly falling asleep. They all went into to shack and got ready for bed. After a few minutes and saying some good nights they all had little trouble falling asleep.
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"IS THERE ANY REASON YOU DISLIKE ME?" Paul yelled hurling a bolt of lighting in the air. "DID I DO SOMETHING TO PISS YOU OFF?" Paul yelled again hurling another bolt. Paul fell flat on his rear drawing his knees to his face sniffling. "It's just to much for me to handle." Paul said nearly breaking down.
"What is?" came a soft voice.
"THIS! It's to much to take in!" Paul chocked back the tears.
"And you said you could handle any challenge that came your way." The soft voice seemed to mature.
"IT'S NOT FAIR!" Paul screamed letting the tears out. He hurled lighting bolt after lighting bolt into the air before he ran out of energy.
"My aren't we the little child." The voice said again. Paul looked behind him to see a girl with blond curly hair about his height and age standing next to a little girl no older then 5 with blonde curly hair also. The younger had blue eyes, and the older had brownish hazel.
"When was the last time I saw you two?" Paul said sniffling.
"Just before you met Dissinger." The little girl said. "When you looked at the locket in your pocket."
"I have no memory of who you are." Paul said trailing off getting out the locket and looking at the photo of the two girls smiling. "I feel as if I knew you before they changed me."
"Maybe you did." The older one said. "For all you know we are your sisters. Or maybe the little one's your sister and I'm your ex-girlfriend." She continued on. "Or maybe we're your friends. Maybe you found the locket and kept it. No one but you can answer the question of who we are. "
"You kept that locket shut ever since you met Dissinger." The little one said.
"Then why are you here?" Paul asked in a half whisper.
"There was one thing you could remember about us." The little girl said.
"What?"
"You would always, and mostly only, listened to us, no matter what." The older said. The little one explained in detail.
"Sometimes you listen to us rather than Diss, or even Rachel. Even if you knew it was stupid or futile, or would even cost your life. You listened to us more than anyone or anything else." Paul slowly remembered the night he told Rachel he was leaving with Shaun and Diss despite Rachel's plea. He claimed he had to go, because he felt like he was told to. He never realized it would bring him to this. The older one spoke up again,
"The times when you wouldn't listen to anyone, no matter how much sense they made, those times when you were so arrogant and stupid, the times when nothing would stop you. EXCEPT when you listened to." The little one finished the sentence,
"Us." She said it almost in a whisper. "Only we made sense to you."
"How come I remember you now?" Paul asked. The older one answered his question,
"You want someone to tell you what to do next."
"When you saw Marcy you remembered me." The little one said.
"And when you saw Kid you remembered me." The older girl said.
"So by remembering you two I somehow managed to get you guys here to tell me what to do next?" They both nodded.
"Give it up." A colder male voice said. "He's too far from himself. In no time I will have total control of this man. Nothing can help him then. Not even you two."
"Not true!" The little girl yelled back. Paul looked behind him to find himself looking back.
"What the." Paul said scratching his head.
"I'm you, but dead." The ghost Paul said. Paul turned pale white after hearing that. "In this world you, Shaun, and Diss died, you and Diss in the sea. You see in this world, a tide swept over the bodies of us and caused us to drown before we could wake up from the event that made us come here!" Paul started backing away. "Why you can see me, however, is because of the sword you possess. I am the reflection of your evil side. The side that you kept hidden deep inside." The ghost began advancing on Paul, "All those feelings about wanting to punch Dissinger right in the mouth. The times when you wanted to take your powers and just kill someone. Those times you wouldn't listen! It was your hatred building up inside." The ghost paced around a bit, and then continued on, "You never truly liked Diss. You always hated him when he went assuming the command." Paul interrupted.
"YES, BUT WHERE WOULD I BE WITHOUT HIM?" Paul blared back.
"Where you wanted to be all along." The Ghost Paul hissed back. "Alone." Paul gritted his teeth pulling out the red sword. "Go for it. Prove me right." He laughed in a mocking tone. He disappeared in an instant still laughing. Paul sheathed his sword and looked at the girls.
" If he's my bad side, then does that make you my guardian angels?" Paul mumbled.
"In a way yes." The older one said. "We're here to help you remember. That's all." The older one began to walk away.
"REMEMBER WHAT?" Paul blared back.
"You should get some sleep. You have a lot of decisions to make on your own tomorrow." The little one said. Paul felt the anger in him boil down to a mid point. He was fighting with himself trying to prove to the two girls that he didn't listen to them all the time. Slowly he felt fatigued as he dropped onto the ground.
"Good-bye Paul." The older one said.
"No, don't go." Paul whispered.
"Bye." The little one said running up to him and giving him a small hug. They both disappeared instantly leaving Paul alone.
"I want to go home.I want to go home. God damnit mister Wizard. I want to go home." Paul said hopelessly falling asleep.
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"Monsieur Paul, it iz time to get up." Paul heard Harle talking to him. Paul groggily got up from the ground and realized he had a blanket over him.
"Did you give me the blanket?" Paul asked.
"Non, I t'ought it waz yours." Harle replied. Paul didn't dwell on it too much. "Today we zet off for ze S.S. Zelbess. There we shall talk to Ze Captain Fargo about ze sage of Marbule." Paul had troubling following Harle's accent, but nodded dumbly thinking she knew what she was doing.
"Morning, Paul." Shaun said groggily getting out of the small shack with his coffee cup filled with water. "Lynx will be coming by shortly. He's uh.drying out." Paul felt like laughing, but was to tired to even think.
"Coffee." Paul said tiredly.
"Coffee?" Harle repeated.
"Coffee." Paul said again.
"What iz coffee?" Harle asked.
"Coffee is the drink of the gods who can't get up in the morning. Energetic happy people really shouldn't drink the stuff. To much for their tiny systems." Paul answered.
"So you drink coffee when you want to wake up." Harle said figuring it all out. "Are you sure ze gods drink zis stuff?" Shaun and Paul both muttered deciding to leave her out of the loop.
"I got complementary sugar water, otherwise no coffee." Shaun stated. Paul took Shaun's mug, gave him a dirty look and drank all the contents, then spit it out with his eyes wide open.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS STUFF?" Paul said disgusted.
"Harle's paint leftovers. She painted this morning a picture of the town at dawn. She used my mug to dip her brush." Shaun said amused. Paul glared at everyone.
"I want coffee." Paul said once again. He grabbed his belongings and went on the tiny ferry to the Cruise Ship S.S. Zelbess. He wanted to find this so called Sage, and then go home.
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Diss awoke refreshed. Kid lay nearby and Serge was up sharpening his swallow. Diss shook the morning grog off as he got up pulling on his over shirt.
"Sleep well Diss?" Serge asked.
Diss nodded as he stretched. They had camped in the forest as they headed towards Termina. They would steal a ship then head to this fabled Dead Sea. Kid woke up slowly as Diss watched interestedly. Kid yawned before becoming full awake.
"What time is it mates?" Kid asked.
"Pretty early Kid. You always up this early?" Diss responded.
"Yeah Diss. Usually up ta no good at this time," she smiled devilishly.
"Just don't pick any pockets in Termina alright?" Diss asked.
"Aw mate, yeh take the fun outta it. How am I supposed ta keep up me skills?" Kid responded playfully.
Diss chuckled and was surprised to find Kid laugh with him. She seemed to be more friendly to him now, and he wasn't sure why.
"Lets head out to Termina. We can rest up there before stealing a boat. Oh, and you two might want to be on guard, some people from Viper's Guard might be around," Serge said.
Diss nodded picking up his Dragon Staff. Diss walked side by side with Kid. She smiled over at him and he couldn't help but blush.
"Ya aright mate? You look like yer embarrassed." Kid said softly to him.
"Its.nothing. Trust me, I'm fine. Just a little flustered that's all. Haven't been on this Island in awhile. Like a whole new place," Diss stammered.
Kid smiled realizing what was causing it. "You like me dontcha?" she asked innocently.
Diss blushed turning away, "I never said that."
"Its alright mate, I get it all the time. Besides I can understand where yer coming from. You having no wife; with me being the first girl to come along. Not ta forget ta mention that ye cried on me shoulder." Kid trailed off seeing his pain in his eyes.
"I'm sorry mate, I forgot ye lost yer shiela," she said softly. He looked down. Grief filled his heart as he remembered the tombstone. " How did she die mate?" Kid asked innocently.
"I can't remember, I think I blocked it out of the memory," Diss said softly.
Serge stiffened as he overheard their conversation. The talk about the memories he had implanted in them was skirting to close to a loophole he had accidentally created. Not knowing the girl he couldn't think of an easy way for her to have died. Serge knew she was alive, but if Diss knew she was he would devote his life to going back to his own dimension.
"How tragic, can you tell me about her?" Kid asked softly.
"She believed in me when no one else would. She helped me when I was weak. When I was captured the memories of her kept me going and resisting," Diss said through tears.
"Diss, I'm sorry mate, she sounded almost perfect," Kid whispered drawing close to him.
"She was, and she took pity on me when I was nothing but a torn wretched soul. I didn't deserve her," Diss said through silent tears.
Kid wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "Ya deserve the best mate. I just wish I was the best; ya seem like such a great guy." Diss turned to face her stopping; she looked up at him expectantly.
"Kid please, just don't do this to me. I'm still grieving for my lost wife; I don't think I'm ready for a new relationship," Diss said softly.
Kid smiled, "Ya don't know what yer missing mate."
"I can only imagine." Diss responded sincerely.
Serge grinned as the crisis was averted. He also now had the ability to control Diss subliminally through Kid. Kid was much easier to control than Diss. He could feel Diss pounding in his mind trying to get out. Kid was much weaker minded, so he only touched her up when they slept. Diss required constant reinforcement, already he almost broke through his brainwashing three times. He gently nudged Kid subliminally as she wrapped an arm around Diss. Diss instinctively responded in kind, and Serge felt Diss' resistance start fading. He smiled, all he had to do was reinforce the relationship that would have been friendship into full-blown love, and Diss would be his puppet.
Diss stiffened as his Danger Sense tingled. Kid felt his alertness and pulled her dagger. Diss raised his staff into a ready position, as Serge raised his swallow. Immediately Acacia Dragoons attacked from the left Diss was facing.
Diss slashed hard killing the dragon that the first dragoon was riding. Kid followed up by knifing the soldier hard in the chest stopping his heart immediately. Serge took down the next Dragoon with a ball of dark energy sending the soldier into a far tree where his neck snapped on impact. The third dragoon turned to flee only to find Kid's dagger planted fully up to the hilt in his back puncturing his right lung. Diss heaved from the sudden exertion as he turned to Kid.
"Sorry about that, had to get him fast," Diss panted.
"Its alright mate. You got him right?" Kid returned.
Serge smiled, both of them were extremely jumpy from the sudden combat. As Kid pulled her dagger from the dead soldier she wiped it on the man's tunic. He gently nudged her mind as Diss approached her. Without warning Kid kissed Diss full and deep. He recovered from the shock slowly as he returned the kiss full force hugging her closely. Serge smiled as he felt the last of Diss' resistance crumble. He had broken the man, and at the same time had a calming influence on Kid. Neither of them had any resistance to offer at all as he looked at his puppets.
Kid pulled back from the kiss, "I'm sorry mate, I invaded yer personal space."
"If that's invading, feel free to do it again anytime.." Diss said softly.
Kid smiled. "I thought ya didn't want a relationship right now," she whispered.
"Looks like my body thought otherwise." Diss said.
Kid chuckled, "So who do we follow? Yer mind or yer body?"
"Both," he whispered as he kissed her. Serge grinned. All was according to plan. Diss would crush his friends, especially now that he had severed his last tie to his real life. Diss belonged to him now, his past discarded for the future Serge would mold. Diss was his puppet, and Serge knew, he would put on a grand show for his friends.