Shout out to both Lashonda and Roxy for their adds in this chapter! I LOVE YOU!

Mirrored God is particularly inspired by Paramore's song "Playing God." off of their third album "Brand New Eyes."

Alchemist Chronicles

Chapter 41 - Mirrored God

Nicole's heart sat still as Ari recounted everything that happened to her while they are talking at Nicole's place. Upon hearing this, she felt so bad and tears welled in her eyes. She gathered the strength to talk.

"I am so sorry you endured all that Ari." She said calmly and blinking to keep from crying. Now she understood her and why she was so strong for so long.

Wiping her eyes as well, Ari continues. "Do you recall seeing a red sky over Amestris a few years back? Roxy saw it in Kingslyn. Her mother died that day. I don't know if she told you that."

"No she barely revealed details like that but I kinda had an idea," Nicole said sighing and in deep thought. "I didn't know her mother passed that day. I feel terrible I wasn't even there to support her." She said closing her eyes and crying silently.

"I have so much catching and making up to do and I know she's gonna definitely need it now more than ever!" Nicole said looking at Ari.

Ari gives her a hug out of comfort, telling her. "I know because I wasn't there for her either, Nicole. But we can be there for her now."

Ari then explained in depth all the details surrounding The Promised Day. "So what do we do now?" Nicole asked pondering their next move. Everything seemed to happen so fast and which didn't leave much room for a response. But she knew how important this was.

Ari - "Well that was almost 2 years ago, it's already happened." She also adds. "That red light in the sky. It was on that day." She tells her friend.

Nicole shakes her head silently. Reminiscing about that particular day. "I just didn't want to believe it was really going to happen." She said feeling lost.

Turning to Ari, she thinks carefully about all that did happen before she knew what The Promised Day meant. "I feel like there's so much more I need to know to understand Ari." Nicole lowers her gaze. Feeling embarrassed.

Ari - "I know that it's a lot to take in at once. Even Roxy didn't take well too."

Nicole grins and feels a sense of relief. "Where do we go from here on out though? You think our futures will be affected?" Nicole asks Ari.

Ari - "The people behind with what happened are dead. However..." Pausing to take a breath. "A lot of what did happen is still affecting Amestris greatly. People died that day. Some came back. Others didn't. Including children and babies."

Ari continues "I wasn't there on that day. I was in Aerugo." Ari tells Nicole. "But I saw everything, Nicole." She continues. "Everything that I just told you about that day, other people who were there, told me."

Nicole knew it was bad but didn't know just how severe the devastation was. "I'm sorry I wasn't around much. I feel like I should have been here." She said full of remorse. "My family had me shipped off after high school and I didn't think I would ever see you guys or this place again."

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After leaving Nicole's place the next morning, she decides to take the bus route to Solana's house. 'I wonder how she's gonna feel about seeing me?' She asks herself.

Sighing, she starts walking down the street to the house.

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A few hours later as she's walking back down the block after just leaving Solana's house, she runs into some more of her friends from Marie Adleigh Charter. Keith, Mimi, and Savannah.

Savannah looks up and sees Marisol in the distance walking towards them. Ari waves to her as she sees Savannah as well.

Looking at her friend teary-eyed, Savannah puts her hands over her mouth in shock. Keith notices her reaction. "Hey, Savannah? What's the matter?" Keith himself then turns around and sees her as well. Mimi looks in the same direction as well, seeing her herself.

All of their wide eyes are locked on her as she nervously walks slowly to them. Keith yells. "Marisol! OH, MY GOD!" And runs over to her, pulling her into a hug. He starts crying out of joyless. Ari can't help but cry out of happiness as well.

Parting, she wipes her eyes and says while waving hi. "Hey, Keith. Hey there Savannah and Mimi." She smiles as well.

After she hugs them, she answers their questions once they make it to Savannah's parent's house. While they are sitting at the dining table, Savannah then asks her. "Does Roxy know?"

Ari nods her head. "She's known about me for almost the past year. I thought she told all of you when she stopped by over here recently?"

Savannah, Mimi, and Keith look at each other then back at Ari. "Ari," Mimi explains. "We haven't seen Roxy in over a year." Ari looks down sadly for a bit.

Keith continues. "In fact, the last time any of us saw her was when she was with that guy. Uh... (He looks at Mimi and Savannah) What was his name again?"

Savannah tells Ari. "His name was Ethan. The dude had long brown hair and those beautiful hazel eyes. (She sighs happily, grinning) So dreeeaaamy." She says as she's having a flashback, daydreaming about Ethan. Mimi and Keith playfully roll her eyes at Savannah. Ari cracks a smile at her friends.

Ari then asks. "So what about y'all? What have each of you been up to these past several years?"

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Walking out of the house awhile later, she quickly makes her way back to the outskirts of Cornwall Ridge by dawn, taking a new route to a new bridge that will take her back to Table City.

As she is passing through an abandoned mine shaft and making to the torn-down remains of an old hotel that once flourished in the mid-1800's, she stops on the grass meadow after she sees someone walking from around a broken concrete wall of the hotel. Ari's eyes go wide in shock at the person once she realizes who it is.

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Ari stares at the other person nervously as they stop just a few feet away and stares back at her.

Grinning, the other person begins. "So you've finally come back. You sure took your time though. But I guess a bitch like you wouldn't care either way anyway, Marisol." Tiana tells her.

Ari - 'So this is what Roxy wanted to tell me.' "I didn't come back for you, Tiana." She replies.

Ti - "Oh I know. And clearly not for Roxy as well." Walking closer to Ari, she says. "Better yet, you would have never came here if you weren't looking for your father." Ari bites her lip.

TI continues. "So how is life in Amestris? I mean other than the obvious fact that you are one of their pet dogs for the state. Then's there's that other stuff from your past that you supposedly (Quoting with her fingers) went through." "You don't know half of the crap I've gone through, Tiana!" Ari shouts back, balling her fists.

Ti stops and points at Ari. "Of course I don't. And to be honest, I don't even fucking care. But what I do know is what Rox and I went through after you deserted us with those soldiers, from way back when."

Ari - "I didn't leave the both of you there on purpose! I didn't know what was going on once I left the store and not to mention, I was scared out of my mind!"

Ti - "That train ride to Central must of been really nice. Living in Amestris must just have been so luxurious and pampering I'm sure. All that attention to yourself and on you for all these years. Meanwhile, Rox barely escaped that building once the reinforcements showed up. She was knocked out by broken, falling debris from a different building that was blown up by those same troops."

She continues. "I actually made it to and ran through the bridge, making it to the other side of it. That man that was there with that lady. He was the one that was chasing me." Marisol looks at her surprised.

Looking down momentarily before looking back up, Ari tells Tiana. "I know that an I'm sorry won't cut it, but I can't go back and change the past, Tiana. I just can't." She says as a few tears drops fall from her eyes.

Ti - "Oh shut up with ya fake ass apology, Marisol! You're so full of it!" Tiana rushes at Ari, tackling her to ground.

Tiana wraps her hands around Marisol's neck, sitting on top of her. Choking, strangling Marisol as she's struggling to fight Ti off of her. Ari sees an opening in between them and uses her foot to push against Tiana's stomach.

Landing on her back, Tiana flips back up. While Ari slowly stands back up on shaky legs, holding her neck. 'So this bitch knows some moves.' Ti tells herself.

Before she has a chance to say anything, Ari points at and tells her. "The next time you point any fingers at me, I'm bending it back along with a mirror."

Ti - "Did you just threaten me?"

AJ - "You better fuckin' count it as one."

Ti rushes her again but Ari dodges it this time and Ti falls on her knees, looking back at Ari, pissed.

AJ continues. "What happened to us, falls on each of us. We chose to sneak out of our homes. We chose to sneak out of our city that we'd lived in. And we chose to sneak into and stay inside of that store! So actually it's all of our faults for what happened that day!"

Ti stands and faces Ari. She tells her. "Ain't nobody's else's fault to yours! I'm not being blamed for anything that I didn't do! I'm perfect! I never make mistakes!"

AJ - "Must be nice to be the only one who's holy, Tiana."

Ti - "Damn right, bitch, I'm a god!"

AJ - "And yet the only one who sees this is you?" She asks with a raised eyebrow.

Ti glares at Ari and shouts back. "You bitch!" As she runs and pushes Ari to the ground roughly, then grabs her by her throat again once she sits on top of Marisol again. Ari grabs her hands, trying to pry them off her neck.

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With her hands still on and squeezing Ari's throat tightly, Tiana tells her. "Can't say shit now huh, Marisol!" Ari groans as she tries to push Tiana off of her hands.

Ti squeezes Ari's neck tighter, causing Ari to start panting, struggling to breathe and trying to break free of Tiana's hold as her conscience starts to fade little by little.

Ti then hears a siren and stands up quickly letting go of Marisol. Ari struggles to catch her breath as she rolls over and starts coughing continuously. Holding her bruised neck.

Still hunched over Ari, she looks down and tells Ari. "This is not over yet. I will get a second chance."

With a rasp and low deep tone to her voice, Ari replies. "I'm on both sides of the fence, Tiana. Without any regret. Keep your word, I'll hold you to it." Marisol grins. Ti looks at Ari in shock until she hears another siren, louder than the one before and takes off quickly.

After a few minutes, Ari sits up. Staring at her shaky hands. 'W-What was that? Why was my voice like that?' She starts coughing again, feeling a sharp pain in her throat.

Panting and recollecting herself afterward as the pain subsides, she stands up and starts walking the way back to Table City as it starts to rain.

End of Chapter 41