Hey guys! back with another chapter. I was able to finish this part but relatively slow due to the fact that It's slightly dark in setting later down as you read. Guns and death will be discussed and if you hadn't read the title yet, It's about Zephyr and Allen! Hope this chapter will be worth the wait- I'll be working on the next soon-ish!

(Chapter Twenty Seven: Wizard of the Sun)

Julia stood still, readjusted her necktie. Her original clothes were finally back on her. Hair tie back in place, a locket with her cousins around her neck, and the mysterious golden bracelet that floated around her wrist.

All of her courage slowly coming back, but slight fear still lingering around. Julia wasn't ready to confront her other friends just yet, but there was one person she wanted to see. Perhaps they could help her with her condition, or give her a clue on what's going on.

"The only problem is... how am I going to sneak a large box away...?" She mumbled to herself.

Looking at her golden bracelet, Julia wonders just how much weight she could teleport away with her.

"Only one way to find out," she mumbled to herself getting ready to spin the golden bracelet "worst-case scenario, I'll have to bolt with my bike..."

Taking a deep breath and letting it out, she went into action. The slight dizziness from the jump still felt odd, but she didn't fall over or throw up so that's a good sign! Julia had thought about being next to the tree she planned on having her house; when she arrived, the tree was still looking like it was before except the house on top was just a wooden foundation.

The walls were gone and soon the floor will be too. Shaking her head she reminds herself mentally that she needed to make her way over to the shed that kept Allen and Zephyr.

Carefully striding over to the back of the tree, she could see the place undisturbed. However, Julia froze when a twig snapped, it wasn't from her. Twirling around she could see Kero and his new little group of minion friends that have been hanging around him and her since she had come back to this world.

Julia's son and his four friends just stayed quiet and the woman stared on with wide eyes. Unable to say any words, the only thing she could do was gesture a finger to her lip and make a shushed sound to be quite.

The group just looked at each other and carefully walked up to her.

"Mama..? What's going on?" Kero tilted his head, whispering "I heard you attacked someone at your new job."

Did word get around already? Julia sighed looking at him "I only attacked in defense, the person... monster... who attacked me is very bad." She said as the group followed her.

The woman looked into the shed and was thankful to see that no one had moved anything or touched the box. If MoonJumper comes back, he's gonna be extremely mad at what she was planning.

"When will you be able to come home?" Kero asked his mother.

Julia smiled at him as she turned around to look at him, crouching down "Soon bud, I just... need to get myself under control, and figure things out." She patted his head gently "I promise."

"Okay," Kero said quietly, he had faith in her but it still made him feel sad about the whole situation.

Then another question came up as he watched Julia attempting to pick up the chest "Why are you trying to take the scary man with you?" He tilted his head in worry and asked.

Julia just smiled once more "believe it or not, there is a nice man in here trapped with the scary man." She said to him. "One might even say, they're the same."

Kero was confused, but he watched as his mother struggle to carry it. The box was huge, and the pieces inside were most likely not helping. With a huff, Julia reached to her golden band and spun it.

The tall woman just stood there, waiting... then suddenly whispered "Are you serious? There's a weight limit?" Glaring down at the item. Sighing to herself, Julia dragged the box outside and looked for her motorbike just behind the shed.

The children just watched as she struggled to tie and bind the chest to her contraption, whatever emotional moment they had seemed to be forgotten as they stared off dumbfounded.

Julia wasn't sure how she was able to get away with how noisy her bike was, it had been some time since she had last used it. She might even need to check on it when this is all over, making sure nothing was wrong.

When she arrived at a different clearing, unsure if it would be good and far enough, she hopped off her bike and got to work with untying the large box locked box. Figuring out how to undo the magic on it will come a little later.

She was going to do what she thought she was going to do. Julia wasn't going to lie when just the thought alone scared her.

The girl was unsure about how things were going to go.

But he'll be the only one who'd be capable of helping her.

Placing down the box and taking a good look at it, she realized just how much detail went into making such a thing. The question was though, did Moon make it, or did he just enchanted it?

"You are a mystery to me, dad..." Julia whispered, hoping that saying or thinking his name would make him appear.

But nothing.

It would have faltered her plans either way if he did.

Sitting down in front, Julia relaxed, breathing in slowly to a meditative state. Soon she fell asleep, and once she realized it, the girl was back in that desert. Sun covered by a slight overcast was giving off an odd vibe. Marching forward through the dunes, she eventually found the tall tower.

Something was off about it this time however, where before it was just a lone sandstone building, now was a camp surrounding it. Tattered and broken in some parts. It wasn't there before, Julia noted.

"Julia! Welcome back!" Allen scared the girl making her hop in place and swing a fist making the man yelp in fear as he ducked.

Once she realized who it was Julia groaned out "God, Allen! Can't you just wait for me at the tower?" Exasperated, Julia glared at the man. "You know? Try to be a normal man and not... like your made of magic..." she started to slow her speech because that's exactly what this man was.

Magic.

"Well..." Allen started "I cannot stop the magic part, but duly noted- though that's not why I came out here." Allen took off towards the tower, a gleam of hate towards it. "It seems Zephyr and I are reliving a memory... I wanted no part in it, but I cannot seem to control it." He spaced out.

Julia watched the man walk away towards the tower, the last thing she heard him say was "I promised you my story, now is a good time to watch."

Looking back at the tower, the camp was more noticeably populated, it seemed like time just went backward and now people were walking around. All figments from Allen's imagination... just like how Gabriele's memories were.

Taking a good look around, every person was either tanned or cooked by the sun, there were some pale-skinned folks but they seemed to be wearing more protection for what seemed like... cowboys? Wanglers...? What were they?

Julia remembers that Allen was in a gang, the Golden Gatling Gang it was... and true to that name all members seemed to be wearing gold. Rings, chains, earrings... all of it. They all conversed with one another and not a sound could be heard, guess Allen couldn't remember what a crowd sounded like.

And in the distance, there was a rather dark-skinned man- no wait! That was a woman! Large muscles, height rivaling Gabriele's... maybe she was slightly taller. Dark Golden hair that was tied up and more of it covered up one of her eyes. The viable one has colored a lovely rose pink and golden lipstick decorated her confident smile.

She was the leader no doubt about it. She could bench press three men if she wanted to- Honestly, this lady scared Julia, but oddly enough... she admires her. The lady wore a yellow button-up duster, that covers a belt the had the initials of GgG, which Julia understood, Golden Gatling Gang.

"Allen! My golden light!" She yelled out, not caring of the other members heard her, her voice was like a southern belle.

Some would get confused if they saw her first.

Allen played along, unable to control himself, like Gabriele, Julia also noticed.

"Delilah! My desert rose! Love of my life!" He smiled out, holding his heart. "How goes the plan for the great heist?"

'That was Delilah? Wait- did he say love?!' Julia was trying to gather her thoughts but pushing them aside, for now, she realized she shouldn't overthink things for now.

Delilah sat with a few other members, a map, knives, and a few guns laid around. Julia got a closer look at the scene; Ink is drawn on the map with words she couldn't understand and a trail that intercepted something big.

The large lady leaned backflipping a gold coin through her fingers. "Somewhat well, found a way to intercept the train, but getting in unnoticed will be slightly hard." She looked down on the map "with such a big name as ours, busting this old magi-loco is bound to have guards..."

"Especially with what it's packing..." Allen finished.

"Special gem that could power our guns for a lifetime!" Delilah smiled, looking at her love. "But honestly? Just in it for that gold, you can have that gem if you wish my dear."

Allen smiled happily at her, imagining the experiments he could do with that gem. "I'll do my best to see if I can assist in any way!" He waved, heading off towards the tower.

The scene changed, seemed like a few days had passed. It was nighttime and some of the members were gone, Allen sat at the top of his tower talking so someone... no wait...

Julia noticed the familiar floating figure! "Dad-" she whispered, he hung ominously against the moonlight, something she never seemed to notice before.

MoonJumper was... kind of scary.

But Julia needed to remember, he wasn't like that anymore, that wasn't her MoonJumper.

"How might you be? A demon of the moonlight?" She heard Allen say, looking up at him "be gone with you, I have no desire to mess with the undead." He waved him away as he continued to look through some books.

He was frustrated, looking for answers that never came to him.

"Oh, but I have a deal for you!" MoonJumper smiled a fake smile, looking down at him with sneering eyes "during my travels I found this... book."

This caught Allen's attention as he looked away from his work at MoonJumper. With a sway of the puppeteer's hand, he watched as an oddly glowing book pop up. Whatever that writing was on the cover it made Allen's eyes pop with surprise.

"A book of forbidden spells- where- how did you find this!?" He carefully stood up on the tower roof, giving it his all to not hop up in a hurry. "These books were scattered and sealed away, you'd need at least five archmages to open a single seal!"

"You'd be surprised..." MoonJumper chuckled, "this book can be yours for a price..."

"Let me guess, my soul? Because that book is well worth more-" Allen pointed out, glaring at the ghost.

"My, you are smart!" Moon laughed "yes! Your soul, but also your alliance to me! I'm looking for a promising apprentice!" He pointed out, slowly bringing the book closer to Allen, just out of reach "and you seem to be the most promising one!"

Allen stopped, looked at the demon with a defiant glare "my alliance lies with the Golden Gatling Gang. I can promise you, my soul, if that is what you want; I will not be leaving my love's side, demon."

"You have your priorities straight... very well." MoonJumper gave a side glance, a sharp frown on his face, but then he slimed again. Those sharp fangs glistening of the light of the moon "but, here- take it... if you ever change your mind, feel free to call out."

"I'll be watching you." Was the last thing Allen heard as the ghost disappeared. The tower wizard held on tightly to the book that shouldn't even be there.

Gabriele woke, startled at the last bit of memories that had passed. The static still lingered in his fibers after being right next to the user. The doctor seemed to have fallen in-between space and time, the rift stream was even more unstable since the last he and Julia had seen.

No longer was it a straight line, It branched out and warped, debris opening holes in the walls and causing rifts to open on their own.

"Everything is a mess it seems..." he mumbled. Though, he snapped out of his thoughts and looked around frantically. The one who had used the ability was no longer with him!

With a worried shout, he called out "Button! Dear child, where are you!?"

He stood on that floating rock, waiting for something; a call or a movement... but it was just rocks and them colliding with one another. Gabriele's shoulders slumped, a child with that much power shouldn't be alone like that, a child shouldn't be alone in general.

Suddenly, a large hand tapped him on the shoulder, clearing their throat "My, does this child belong to you?"

The doctor spun around as fast as his body could allow him too, and when he turned around he was face to face with none other then MoonJumper holding the small dweller child!

"Button! MoonJumper-!" He looked up at the specter as the small ghost child flew at him. "Moon, it is good to see you again, but why have you been taking so long to return home!?"

"As... expected... time seems to be growing more unstable as of late." MoonJumper adjusted his cloak, looking at Gabriele rather embarrassed "and I... I got lost. I would have returned sooner but as you see the rift line is in turmoil."

"Yes... that much I can see since we feel through a hole." He looked down at Button, who was just shivering "and not just that... since you've been gone, Julia..."

MoonJumper got closer to him, grabbing his shoulders "what about my daughter?" He was worried but also held a firm face.

"Her mental state seems to be declining and I've been having trouble assisting her." He looked him in the eyes "We need to return as fast as we can! I'm sure things will be better once her entire family returns..."

Julia watched Allen descend into madness, and the fact that he remembered most of this is rather heartbreaking. She watched him make a contract with MoonJumper, she watched him create the very bracelet she wore. He seemed to be getting more into his studies of magic and the more he spent away from the gang... the more Delilah worried about him.

The more his gang feared him.

Julia sat down in the sand, she watched the scene shift to what was the day of the heist. Delilah was confronting Allen, who clung onto the forbidden book for his life.

She had found out why her boyfriend was so... so different now. He had lost his mind to the knowledge and power of the book. There was a reason why they were sealed away...

"Allen, my light... please hand me that book..." even though she could very well take the man down with physical strength, it was the magic the man might use in defense that made her uncomfortable. "We need to burn it. Please."

She reached a hand out to him and Allen stepped back. A sharp look of hate, almost feral like. Delilah, if she had just found out sooner, maybe she would have been able to help him fight it. A pained look covered her features as she stared at him; Allen looked back almost realizing what exactly is happening.

Throwing the book down, the tower wizard grabbed at his head, as if trying to ward off something. He yelled out, crying, and Delilah looked on in horror.

There was only one way to stop this.

Putting him out of his misery.

Quickly pulling out her gun, she aimed down the sights. Magical runes twirled and appeared at the end of the barrel, readying up a shot.

Julia watched with shock on her face. Seeing how Delilah, the strongest... the leader of the gang, falter slightly. She must be in so much pain in even thinking about shooting her love.

"Allen..." she called out somberly, making the man snap his head up like a deer caught in headlights.

Julia closed her eyes, she didn't want to see this part. However, it didn't stop her from hearing the shot ring out.

It was silent.

The air was different.

MoonJumper was there floating beside the body of Allen, a look of disappointment.

"Well, looks like you won't be needing your body anymore it seems." He smiled.

And with that... everything faded back to the normal dreamscape. Allen laid down staring at the sky with a somber face. Julia sighed as she walked over and sat with him.

"The shot didn't kill me. Missed my brain by an inch." He quietly said, looking at her with both eyes intact... seems like he'd rather stay like that. "However, it did destroy my eye. I can no longer see through it."

"And Zephyr...?" Julia asked.

"A byproduct of the book and MoonJumper's magic. Whatever thoughts tormented me that day took the shape of a real person." He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down "it took control and that's what became Zephyr... a Being that only knows death."

A moment passed before Julia decided to break the news to him. "Well... you're not going to like this; I need to talk with Zephyr."

"Are you... I was going to say mad, but clearly, I'm the only one here who is." Allen sat up looking at here, removing his glasses to clean them "Whatever you plan on saying to him, the doll won't listen." He placed his glasses back on and stood up, helping Julia as well. "He never listens."

"Let me try..." she looked at him with a determination. If she could talk to Zephyr before, she probably can now.

With a sigh of defeat, Allen grabbed her hand leading her inside the tower. Once inside, they climbed a few flights of stairs and stopped to look up at the attic.

"He's still up there. Tied up." Allen looked at Julia when he released her hand "he may not be able to harm you, but if you need anything, do be scared to call out. I'll be here." He informed her.

With a nod, Julia and Allen worked together to pull down the ladder to the old attic that hadn't been stepped in since the two minds were sealed away. Julia climbed up those last steps and found out just how dark and dusty everything was.

Amid the cracks the let a sliver of light through she could see a figure with their head hung in defeat. Tied up by red glowing strings, their body held in place. He was aware that Julia was here, ever since her first appearance in their mind.

It was his mind as too after all.

A low chuckle from the doll and Julia's footsteps creaked now and again made her realized she was still scared of him. But she understood why and how he was created.

A mistake MoonJumper called him.

"So, come to rub salt in my wounds, huh? Not like you to do so, Diamond child." Zephyr held is head up to look at her, slowly as he did. It was clear to her he was tired.

"Not here to rub anything in, I've come to talk." She crossed her arms, glaring at him as Zephyr hung his head again "now that you're not trying to murder me, maybe you can hear me out instead." She didn't receive a reply, but Julia wasn't going to let that stop her from talking anyways.

"Look, we can put our differences behind us, we can be friends if you can just understand that I didn't steal MoonJumper away from you." Julia held her position; she noticed no movement from him but... he spoke up.

"No... no, you didn't. He chose you." He said to her, making the girl lower her arms "we wanted to be with you, he sacrificed himself for you. He. loved. you."

"He didn't always love me. I was to blind to see that before... people can change." Julia crouched down to try and look at his face "so can you, and I'm willing to help."

"We do not-!" Zephyr paused, but spoke again looking up at her "I. Do not need your pity." His permanent smile never fading, even when it sounded like Zephyr was struggling to keep it together. "I don't want your pity."

"The girl who had nothing, now suddenly has everything!" He yelled, looking at her "a foolish child who doesn't know when to stay down!"

"And you never stopped to listen!" Julia yelled out "I never stopped moving on because I knew some people out there needed me to; people I admire and like." She moved even closer to Zephyr, grabbing his head making him so that he can continue looking at her "I saw things in a different light since then, and they helped me see that."

"Let me give you what I have, don't mistake pity for kindness!" Julia looked at him sternly in the eye.

The room grew quiet, unsure if Zephyr would say anything, but he did.

"Why...?" He asked, just barely a whisper "why would you help me, who has tormented your life over and over again...?" Julia still held his head so he couldn't look away "why show kindness when you're scared of me. Attack me, hide me away in a dark room- That is what MoonJumper tried to do"

"He hid me away, promised me that we would fight together. Raise an army together. Yet, he ordered me to stay in a dark place." His voice cracked when he started his nest sentence "never to see or hear anything-"

"He was scared of you." Julia said looked at him with realization, letting go of his head "what did you do to make him so scared."

"...when I had woke to this new world, I had been assaulted by Allen's precious memories... I was angry, vengeful... but- I was also saddened." He talked, telling the other half of what happened after Allen was shot "he had a lover, who instead of trying to help, ended his life. I wanted revenge for this quick escape, Delilah could have help! She could have stayed and helped him! Us!? I-"

Julia held his shoulders in reassurance. "You couldn't see what she saw. Delilah loved Allen to the very last moment... she put him down so that he wouldn't suffer anymore."

"I killed them all." Julia froze, and Zephyr never looked up "I single-handedly destroyed an entire planet's population in rage. I watched the world crumble afterward."

"I have no home, no friends, no family, nothing but my contract to the master... to MoonJumper... and even then, he considers me a mistake," Zephyr said; Julia noticed a few tears dripping down.

He was capable of emotions, he was able to cry... Julia didn't hallucinate Zephyr's face when he had been sealed away. Does he... regret what he's done?

"If... it makes you feel better..." the girl let him go backing away "When we first met... I wasn't scared of you. You just gave me a reason to be scared..."

"Lies..." he stated.

"No- it's true. Just like MoonJumper, I wanted to be your friend. I could have convinced him to let you stay. We..." Julia looked down, "we could have been a family. If I could prove you wouldn't kill anyone anymore."

A dry, disbelieving chuckle came out of him "impossible, do not lie to me about such things. I as Zephyr am no longer redeemable. I've lost all my chances with the moon demon."

"Not with me, though."

He looked up at the stubborn girl, why can't she take a hint that he just wants to fade away.

"I need your help, Zephyr... both you and Allen." Julia was finally going to ask him "I'll give you a taste of freedom and my friendship... kinship... of you help me out with a problem of myself."

"That is why you came here to face me?" He looked at her, his emotions were unreadable.

"I would have come anyway to talk to you. Set things straight... I always wanted to give you another chance." Julia had said, no glint of a lie anywhere.

She was serious about this.

"Leave..." was all he said.

"Zephyr-" Julia tried to protest

"I said leave!" He snapped at her, making her step back, but calmed down after that "...I need time... to think."

Julia softly smiled at this, at least he was going to think. For once.

"I'll be back soon then. I'll keep visiting until you finally decide." Julia smiled at him, waving goodbye, and vanished down the ladder.

Zephyr went back to his hanging, a sigh that was hard to pinpoint what emotions held behind it. Slowly and unaware, the strings the held him started changing colors. From a harsh red to a hopeful green.

The contract was being overwritten.

Mr. Mega1423: Indeed! Doppler does need to be stopped and hopefully, it will be soon!

OPfan37: Doppler was the attacker, and also the receiver of retaliation from Button. In the previous chapter, I had mentioned that Button and her father were crushed by overhanging lights. The electricity that shot off caused a fire in the dry, dark storage room. She accidentally lost control of herself and started the fire that called everyone over! Also, Allen's world is not necessarily Sand N' Sails, but it had reached its demise.