True Colours.
Chapter 2.
A/N: This chapter won't have Jano in that much, but I don't think it's too bad. The next chapter should revolve around Sasha but Jano will be in that quite a bit.
"Damn!" Sasha landed on a sharp rock. The flaming torch was no longer a flaming torch, as it had been extinguished by the rain on the other side of the door. She rolled off of the rock and sat with her back against the cliffs. The rain pelted down without mercy and the darkness closed in on her. Sasha stared straight ahead but saw nothing but darkness She didn't realise how cold she was getting, nor did she seem worried about how she was going to find her way back. Her mind refused to focus on anything except the darkness, the darkness she had seen in Jano, the darkness she herself was hiding, the darkness, the heavy crushing darkness that took over your mind and consumed your soul. Darkness.
Sasha closed her eyes and buried her face in her knees. The tears kept coming and Sasha couldn't have stopped them if she had tried. She began to shiver violently and suddenly she was two people: Sasha Tomlinson and Sasha. Sasha was hovering above Sasha Tomlinson and watching her father raise his fist behind her. Sasha Tomlinson curled up tighter and braced herself for the attack. Sasha held her breath and watched the assault on her own body, saw every separate day of torture, saw every weapon used against her, saw every injury inflicted. She saw her father. And without warning he disappeared. A gentle comforting hand was placed on her shoulder and warmth flowed through her body, healing the injuries and clearing her mind. Sasha Tomlinson disappeared and Sasha found herself sitting back against the rock face. There was no element of Sasha Tomlinson left; she was Sasha through and through.
"It's going to be alright Sasha." Rayman's voice echoed and she saw his face. And then she saw herself, a small frightened child, no older than ten. There was her father coming to beat her. He raised his fist. Rayman reappeared and flung himself in front of ten year old Sasha, protecting her from the cruel, angry attacks of her father. The father disappeared and ten year old Sasha and Rayman looked at each other. Ten year old Sasha smiled and she gradually transformed into modern day Sasha; the happy Sasha. Or was she? Jano appeared next to her. He was crying and Sasha visualised what he had been through. The images disappeared and Sasha opened her eyes. The rain had stopped and although it was still pretty dark, she could see some light on the horizon. She stood up and Rayman appeared in her mind.
"Are you Ok?" Sasha swallowed and nodded.
"I'm Ok."
"Are you sure? Do you want me to come with you?"
"No, you can't leave Jano. I'll be ok."
"Rayman smiled at her.
"You are a lot braver than I'll ever be." Sasha frowned and muttered something that he couldn't quite catch but six months of friendship with her told him that the word she had said was "Cobblers."
"If you want Jano to beat his demons you must beat yours first." Sasha brushed her fringe away from her face and shivered.
"Easier said than done unfortunately." Rayman nodded in agreement.
"I know you can do this Sasha."
"Do you? I wish I was so confident." Rayman's face vanished and Sasha was left alone. She began to walk, her head still spinning with the thoughts and emotions contained in it.
"Polokus, if you weren't invincible, I could quite cheerfully kill you."
* * *
"Is she Ok?"
"I think so. I invaded her thoughts without her knowing and the things she was thinking…" Rayman broke off and shuddered. "I think she's dealing with it but no-one should have to deal with something like that. Unless your name happens to be Admiral Razorbeard or Mister Dark that is."
Jano didn't answer. Sasha had seemed fine before and now her past had been dragged up again. And it was all his fault. Rayman noticed the expression on his face and spoke sharply.
"Don't think it Jano."
* * *
Sasha stared up at the tree with her hands on her hips. Rayman's tree house was at the very top. The memories and stories that she had been subjected to had left her body shaky and her mind dazed, and Sasha didn't believe herself capable of climbing the tree without breaking her neck.
"How'm I going to get up there?" As though in reply to her question, her feet left the ground and she found herself floating upwards. Sasha watched the ground grow smaller and smaller and shut her eyes tight.
"I think climbing up would probably have been safer." She muttered. Rayman's face appeared in her mind.
"Just relax, you're nearly there." Sasha's eyes snapped open.
"I might've known you were behind that! How're you doing it?"
"Just transferring some of my power into you. There you go!"
Sasha stepped onto the platform, clearly glad to be standing on something solid.
"Thanks Rayman, but I think I'll climb down." Rayman smiled.
"Fair enough. Oh Sasha!" Sasha turned round.
"Hmm?"
"Don't try to murder Polokus Ok? Jano wouldn't thank you for it." Sasha scowled.
"You really think I'd even dream of doing that?" Rayman smiled mischievously.
"No. Just teasing. But you came to my house to drop off your weapons didn't you, just in case?"
"You've been invading my thoughts again!"
"Might've been." Rayman suddenly turned serious. "You will be Ok Sasha, I promise."
"Y'know something, sometimes your confidence is almost sickening!"
"I'm only confident when I've a right to be." Sasha shook her head doubtfully and disappeared into the house.
* * *
"Tell me she hasn't done anything stupid."
"She hasn't done anything stupid." Jano gave Rayman a look that was more of an X-ray.
"Tell me truthfully that she hasn't done anything stupid."
"No, I swear she hasn't. I helped her up the tree and she's going to climb down. She won't throw herself down it!" Said Rayman hastily as panic flared in Jano's eye. "Believe me, she got a big list of fun things to do and committing suicide isn't on it!"
* * *
Sasha looked around Rayman's tree house. It was a simple wooden affair, with just the bare essentials but she had loved it from day one. She glanced over at the extension that Polokus had created to accommodate for her. She wasn't sure that she could use it now, it felt like hypocrisy. Forcing her mind back to Jano and the horrible injustice that he had suffered, she stuck her guns in a cabinet and removed the knife from inside her boot. Sasha checked herself for any other object that she could use as a weapon. Although she didn't believe that she had any capacity to harm Polokus, she was taking no chances. Satisfied that she had disarmed herself completely, Sasha began the steep climb down whilst muttering the same seven words repeatedly to herself.
"I must not use my martial arts!"
* * *
Polokus listened carefully to the Teensie's complaints although he knew it off by heart already. That happened when the same complaint was repeated to you daily.
"He stole my crown, I am the king of the Teensies, I must wear the crown!"
"You are not the king, I am!"
"No, it's me!" Polokus began to nod off against the wall behind him as they began to squabble among themselves. He drifted into a rather pleasant dream about the Teensie crown and a large sledgehammer and a furious voice cut across this wistful fantasy.
"POLOKUS!" Polokus awoke with a start and tried to get his eyes to focus.
"Well why don't you take it in turns to be the king?"
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Polokus blinked rapidly and Sasha came into focus, a very angry Sasha. The Teensies were no-where to be seen.
"I want a word with you pal. About the guardian of the cave of bad dreams. Jano. Why exactly did you banish him to the cave when he was nothing short of a child and when he had done nothing wrong? Why?" Sasha voice had gone from furious to deadly calm.
"You… You've met him?"
"Oh I've met him alright. I've been his friend for three months. Rayman has met him. He's been Jano's friend for six months. We listened to him when no-one else would. He told us what you did to him." Sasha's voice had lowered to a venomous hiss with about a gallon of poison injected into every word she spoke.
"He told you about the attack?"
"Yes. He told me about the attack, which he had nothing to do with. The attack that he tried to warn you about."
"He is a Cyclopics Monstropes! They are all the same!"
"The Cyclopics Monstropes that you are referring to took it upon himself to keep the creatures contained in the cave! He knew that if the creatures got loose, this world would be overrun with evil. This world is the one he lived in. This world is the one you created. This world is the one he cares about. Yes he does care!" Sasha raised her voice to drown out Polokus' objections. "The attack was an attempt to gain control over the world right? Wouldn't it make sense for him to let the creatures loose and try another attack if he was behind the first one? Answer me!" Polokus' reply was surprisingly fast to a difficult question.
"I do not know how his mind works."
"Well me and Rayman do You have made him afraid to meet other people. You made him afraid to fight off the living nightmare you created for him. You never took the time to define his true colours did you? Well we have done it for you. We've done the donkey work, now you've got to do your part!" Polokus remained silent for a minute or so before answering.
"You do not give me orders Sasha."
Far away, Rayman winced.
"Bad move Polokus."
* * *
"What in the name of Polokus is that?" Rayman listened carefully.
"I think its Sasha."
"Well, is she riding the Grolgoth? She's making a lot of noise for a human! I'm going to see." Jano got no further than a few inches because Sasha barged straight into the cave, red faced and furious dragging Polokus behind her. Hence the unusual amount of noise.
"You, over here!" Sasha seized Jano's arm and dragged him nearer to Polokus.
"You, stay still!" Sasha grabbed the God and placed him in a headlock.
"Now look him in the eye, Polokus and tell him he deserves to be here! Go on, do it!" Polokus took a moment to regain the use of his mind. Had he not been invincible, the manner in which he had been brought to the cave would probably have killed him and he felt very battered. He raised his eyes to look into Jano's single yellow one. What he saw almost made him choke. He saw darkness and despair. He saw deprivation of a parent's affection. And worst of all, he saw innocence.
"Well tell him then! Tell him he deserves to be here!" The break in Sasha's voice cut through him like a steel knife.
"I can't!"
"Right." Not daring to look at Rayman or Jano, Sasha slowly released him. "So what're you going to do about it?"
"You can go free Cyclop… Uh Jano."
"I think you owe him an apology!" hissed Sasha in his ear.
"I… I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"
"I forgave you the day I was thrown in here." The kindness in Jano's voice made Sasha want to slap him. "There is one problem though. Who is going to guard the cave while I'm out of it?"
"I will. Any time, any day." Sasha continued to glare at him.
"Are you happy with that Jano?"
"I am."
"Ok." She paused. "Get out!" Polokus didn't think twice. He walked out, wishing that he was still being dragged through the passages by Sasha.
Sasha looked at Rayman and Jano. To her relief they were both smiling.
"Thanks Sasha."
"It's Ok Jano. Everything will be Ok now."
I've seen your true colours,
Shining through.
I've seen your true colours,
And that's why we love you.
So don't be afraid to let them show.
Your true colours.
True colours are beautiful,
Like a rainbow.
A/N: One more chapter to go people! Or two. I'm not sure yet. R/R please!
