Dark Cloud 2 Fanfic
Chapter 5: Time is Changing----By The Several
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Several minutes pass inside the dark nothingness of the distortion they were in. No luck. She had no idea what was going on. She tried to think of an answer to this problem, but instead of thinking of a solution, the thoughts of Max's next words to that sentence he didn't finish came to her head.
She knew what he was going to say. Those three, special, important words. 'One Four Three.' That's what it was called. She was sure of it. It was that.
But even if she got them both out, what would her reply be? "I like Max, but as a friend." But is that all? What did he mean to her? Her chest gets tighter, as though her heart was getting denser and was being pricked by needles of her own doubts.
She believed in obeying the rules of time. The laws of time-space. What else can she believe? Those rules were her basis. That was what it was meant for her to be Chosen by the Atlamillia. And now…
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She recalls the story about Max's mom. About how she came to Max's time, to protect the Red Atlamillia's previous owner, Gerald – Max's father. How they fell in love with each other, and how Max was born. How she had to leave her own husband and child, to obey the laws of time.
Would the same happen if she answered Max's call? Would she have to leave him? Time makes these questions very difficult, especially for someone who is caught in love between two worlds…
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An hour passes, and it seemed like there was no hope for them to leave the darkness they were in. Then suddenly, a bright light shines in front of Monica. Then, an image appears. It was the image of Alexandra.
"You're that woman on the Moon Flower Palace!" Monica exclaimed.
In a soft, almost ghostly voice, Alexandra replies, "Yes, it is I. And I have come here to help you. But unfortunately, it is not all that easy..."
"W-What do you mean?" Monica asks, confused.
Alexandra sighs, then throws her a familiar object.
"My Atlamillia!" Monica cries out. It was. The Blue Atlamillia. "Now I can get out of this distortion!"
"No!" Alexandra cries out. Monica was stunned for a minute.
"What? What is it?"
Alexandra sighs again. "Do you know how you defeated Sirus, even though he had all three Atlamillias at his possession?" Monica shakes her head. "It is because the Atlamillia of the Moons did not work. And they did not work, because of the love he felt for me."
Alexandra pauses. "Max's father could not use the Atlamillia anymore because he fell in love with Elena, Max's mother. And Sirus had the same situation, because he loved me."
Monica knew where she was going with this.
"In other words," Alexandra explained once more, "because you and Max fell in love with each other, the Atlamillias are rejecting you as owners and as the Chosen."
So it is true... Monica says to herself. I do like him. She tried to use the Atlamillia, but it didn't work. She had fallen in love with him.
Suddenly, it all made sense. How the Starglass she got from the Great Sage worked. For the Starglass to have sent her back in time, she must think about the memory that meant to her most. It was Max.
Monicarealized the irony.She was rejoicing minutes before because she thought they were saved, but in turn, their only way out has rejected them.
"I blame myself," Monica tells Alexandra. "I have sinned. I broke the rules of time. I fell in love with Max!"
Alexandra moves closer to her and puts her arms around her. "No, don't blame yourself. You and I, Max and his father and mother, we are only human. We have limits, and we feel pain. And the only relief of this pain is being with someone you love."
"Love," she continues, "can make us sad, cry, or even kill ourselves. But it can also relieve us of our suffering. Unfortunately, not everyone can have a happy ending."
"But why does it have to be me?" Monica cries to her. "Why is it me, that has to choose? Choose between being with Max and suffering for it, or being without him and suffering all the same. Either way, I lose! Why me? Why can't I have the happiness I want?"
"But you can," Alexandra surprisingly replies. With these words, Monica knew there was a new hope, a way out.
"What is it? Tell me!" Monica says in relief.
Alexandra reveals the answer. "The third Atlamillia. It does not follow the rules like the other two Atlamillias, which is why Sirus could use it effectively. Ask for it, and it will show."
With only a moment's pause, Alexandra speaks again. "But be warned: for the Atlamillia to work, you must believe what is in your heart. Only then, will that Atlamillia shine." And with those final words, she suddenly disappeared.
Monica was confused by her last few words, but it didn't matter. She had a way out. All she had to do, was ask for it. She closed her eyes, and she hoped and wished for it to appear before her.
When she opened her eyes, the Atlamillia was there before her. There it was. Their way out. But, something was wrong…
"!… It's only half of the Atlamillia!" Monica gasped in shock. What was wrong? Didn't she believe enough? Was their only way out…taken away by her disbeliefs?
She sat down, with her knees folded in front of her face and her arms around them. She was crying.
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Suddenly, there was a flash of light from above her. She covered her eyes because the light was too bright to see through. And when it got less bright, she saw Max, holding the other half of the Atlamillia, shining in his hands.
Now she realized what she had done wrong. She didn't believe that whatever happened would work out. That her and Max wouldn't be together. And with the doubts of her mind gone, her own half of the Atlamillia glowed, and the darkness that surrounded them banished. They were returned to the real world.
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When the darkness completely vanished and Monica was able to get a clear view of Max, she ran to his arms, crying.
"Monica, what's wrong?" asked Max.
"I…I'm sorry," Monica told him. "I didn't get to repay you for saving me so many times…"
Max put his arms around her, saying, "You don't owe me anything. When you save a person's life, you are indebted to that person forever. You've saved my life hundreds of times. But even if you didn't, I would still have helped you. Why? Well, you don't need reasons to help people. You just help them. And that's what I've been trying to do."
Monica stopped crying. Then, she released from him, and held his hand as they started to walk home together.
"Um," Max said stutteringly. "I never did get to finish what I was going to say…"
"Don't worry," smiled Monica, as she held him close. "I know what it was, and I feel the same way."
THE END----