Chapter 13: Goodbye, and Hello
Step. Step. Step.
Annabeth trudged up the mountain path, one foot in front of the other.
Step. Step. Step.
How many steps had it been now? She lost count hours ago.
Step. Step. Step.
The mountain air was chilly. Not as cold as the mountains where Zazie had originally found Annabeth, but still enough to make her breath visible. Fortunately, the mercenary girl from before had the foresight to pack a light jacket with the pack of food. It wasn't exactly proper winter wear, but it kept her warm enough underneath the remnants of her armor. Annabeth muttered thanks underneath her breath.
Step. Step. Step.
Zazie. The girl who pulled Annabeth out of the snow. Who helped her in an unfamiliar world, then led her along with lies and put her in danger... and then saved her. Left her behind so that she wouldn't be hurt anymore. No, this wasn't the Zazie that Annabeth knew before. She was someone else entirely. Selfish and manipulative, yet kind and caring. Annabeth wasn't sure how to feel about her. She remembered the last things Zazie said. About hating that name. Saying that she didn't deserve it.
So why did Annabeth keep thinking of her as Zazie?
Annabeth had been so sure that the girl that rescued her in those snowy mountains was Zazie. Her appearance, her voice, her kindness were all unmistakeable. At least, that's what it felt like back then. But now, Annabeth wasn't so sure. The first two aspects remained true; it was uncanny how much the girl looked and sounded like the Zazie that Annabeth knew. And the kindness was genuine; at least, at first, before everything with the Black Hand started happening. When Annabeth heard of Valus, she had been sure that she could get the old Zazie back somehow. It seemed like fate.
Well, that had been a lie. All that was left was a girl that looked and sounded like Zazie. The girl with her own past and troubles. The girl who hated being called by that name.
And yet, Annabeth could not think of her as anyone else other than the princess she had sworn to protect. Because if she wasn't, then -
No. Zazie was alive. Up there in the mountains. Annabeth just had to keep going, and she would reach her. Talk to her. Protect her. And so she kept walking.
Step. Step. Step.
Annabeth heard the military base before she saw it. As she made her way up the mountain path, higher and higher up into the mountain, it veered into flatter, more forested terrain, and she heard a mechanical screech pierce through the otherwise-quiet mountain air, pausing and going off again every other second. Quiet at first, but it grew louder and louder as Annabeth made her way further up the path.
An alarm, perhaps? Annabeth assumed that this world's military bases didn't constantly emit ear-piercing sounds on the regular.
The first that Annabeth saw of the military base was the top of its watchtower peeking over the treeline. Despite what the mercenary girl had said, it clearly wasn't abandoned; large spotlights shone down over the surrounding forest and the path leading up to the base. And yet, despite the presence of lights, nobody seemed to be atop the watchtower to watch over the area. What was the purpose of spotlights if no one was around to spot -
No, that wasn't right. Squinting and focusing on the watchtower, Annabeth could now see that it indeed was supposed to have a watchman on guard to spot people like her. But said watchman was now a corpse, slumped over by the lights he was supposed to attend to.
So Zazie was already here. That's why that alarm was blaring.
Annabeth took the pack the mercenary girl had given her and made her way to the side of the path, hanging it on a low branch of the nearest tree. She had no idea what awaited her, and she wanted to keep herself as mobile as possible without any unnecessary weight. She'd return for it after everything was done. Assuming she still lived, of course.
No, perish that thought. No point in musing upon one's possible death. Death was possible every day.
Making her way down the path once again, Annabeth raised her hand to her chest, concentrating for a moment as a barrier encased her body. If this was the place Zazie had made her way to, that meant it was a base full of assassins. Some sort of ambush was likely a given; after all, that's how most assassins operated. Without a proper defense, a single strike that caught her unawares could spell her end. She put her hand by her sword, keeping a watch out for any sort of attack that would come her way as she continued down the path. But none came. It was strangely quiet - well, besides the blaring alarm coming from the base.
As the path rounded a corner, Annabeth saw the base in full. It was surrounded by concrete walls, with small watch posts placed every so often on those walls. A heavy metal gate guarded the front entrance, barring entry for all except for those who were allowed inside. At least, that's how it looked like it was supposed to work. Instead, the gate was cracked open, just enough for someone to slip inside. Another body was crumpled on the ground in a pool of blood, just below the watchtower by the front gate.
Still no movement. The only sign of life, if it even was one, was that blaring alarm. Still, Annabeth kept her wits up as she approached the front gate, expecting an ambush at any moment. But as Annabeth pushed the gate open and stepped inside, she understood why everything had been so quiet.
"Gods..." Annabeth muttered. Dozens of bodies were scattered across the open compound inside the base, all with bloody holes and gashes carved into them. All of them carried weapons, from guns to knives to larger blades and stranger weapons that Annabeth couldn't quite identify. However, many of said weapons still remained sheathed. Their faces were a mix of surprise, anger, and fear. None seemed alive. What happened here? No, she knew what happened here. The question was, where was Zazie? Annabeth looked around. Surrounding the open compound were several buildings; a barracks-like setup to the left side, some storage sheds in the corner of the base, various longer buildings to the right by the watchtower -
Bang! Bang!
The piercing sound of gunshots rang through the air, overpowering the blaring alarm for a moment. Then, two more. Annabeth drew her blade, her eyes instantly searching for a threat, only to realize a moment later that she wasn't the target. In fact, the gunshots were distant, muffled. Another gunshot rang out, and Annabeth traced the direction of the sound to a large building on the other side of the base.
Maybe that's where Zazie was. Even if she was wrong, maybe Annabeth could find someone alive to talk to, though they probably wouldn't be friendly. Keeping her sword ready, she made her way to the front of the building. Like the gate before, the front door was pushed open. Annabeth peeked inside to see a hallway that stretched further into the building. Once again, bodies and blood stained the floor; less this time, but still at least a dozen dead. She had seen Zazie fight before, back when she was saving Annabeth from the assassins, but the sheer number of people that Zazie had taken down was staggering.
Then again, Zazie had said as such before. Countless kills under her name. No, not that name; Annabeth hadn't been around to call her Zazie back then.
A gunshot. Louder. Above her. Where were the stairs? Over there, down the hallway. Annabeth stepped over the bodies and made her way over, keeping her blade ready as she climbed the steps. One foot in front of the other. Another gunshot. Louder still. As she stepped out onto the second floor, she found herself in another hallway, with windows overlooking the rest of the base. More bloodied bodies littered the floor. None of them were Zazie's. Not that Annabeth expected that. If she had made it this far, she would probably make it further.
How many had she killed now? Were they all even assassins? Annabeth didn't know, but she knew that a base with this many people wasn't run purely by warriors. And some of the bodies didn't have weapons.
No, don't think about this. You came to find Zazie. That can all come later.
More gunshots. Down the hall. Annabeth stepped over more bodies towards the sound. Down, near the end of the hall, an open door. Was that where the gunshots were coming from? Only one way to find out. Sword ready. Magic barrier up. Annabeth quietly made her way by the door and took a deep breath before peeking in. It was a large private office, slightly larger than the room back at the inn. Bookshelves lined the back wall, and filing cabinets by the side. A large, fancy granite desk sat in the middle of the room.
And by that desk was Zazie, picking up a man at least a head taller than her. She threw him onto the desk, splitting it in half and shattering his Aura. The man had gray hair and tanned skin, just like Zazie. Was that the father she mentioned? If so, then this was supposedly the top assassin in the Black Hand. The strongest foe Zazie was going up against. Well, Annabeth wasn't about to let Zazie fight him alone. She stepped into the room, sword raised, and -
Zazie pulled a knife out from somewhere Annabeth couldn't see. Before the man could recover, she jumped onto him, stabbing the knife into his exposed throat. Pulled it out. Blood spilled out onto the ruined desk and the floor. The man's hands went up to his throat to try and stem the bleeding. Another stab, this time to the chest. And another. The man's arms fell as his eyes glassed over. Blood spilled down his neck and chest. And yet, Zazie stabbed. Knife in. Knife out. Knife in. Knife out. Knife in. Knife out. Then, a pistol in her other hand.
BANG!
A hole through the man's head. Zazie stopped. Stood up. Stood still. A knife in her right hand, a gun in her left. Had she noticed Annabeth? If she had, she wasn't showing it.
"Zazie, are you - "
BANG!
Zazie whirled around and shot directly at Annabeth, striking her directly in the chest. Fortunately, her magic barrier had absorbed the hit, but the force of the bullet was still enough to knock her off balance, sending her stumbling back into the hallway.
"Zazie, it's me!" Annabeth shouted. "I - "
A blur of movement. Zazie was suddenly in front of her, swinging a knife towards her neck. Annabeth brought up her blade to block the attack and gasped as her arm nearly buckled from the force behind the strike.
"Zazie, stop! I'm not - " Annabeth started to say, only to stop as she saw Zazie's face. Her eyes were glazed over, like there was nothing there at all. In fact, nothing on her face betrayed any emotion. No anger, sadness, happiness, nothing. No indication that she had heard what Annabeth was saying. Annabeth remembered what Zazie had said before. About her... Semblance. That she'd go berserk if she was holding a weapon. She said that she'd gotten control of it, but if so, why was she attacking Annabeth? Was she -
The gun came up. Annabeth ducked, letting Zazie's shot pass through the air where her head just was as she deflected Zazie's knife upwards. What to do now? She didn't want to hurt Zazie, but she had to defend herself as well. She backed off, making space between herself and Zazie.
"Zazie, snap out of it!" Annabeth shouted. Why was she attacking her? No, no time to think about the why. Just focus on getting Zazie to stop attacking. Annabeth watched as Zazie raised her gun. Two shots. Annabeth's sword flashed through the air, deflecting one of the bullets as she sidestepped the other. She looked up. Zazie was gone. Where did she -
Annabeth felt something hit her back as a strong pair of legs wrapped themselves around her waist. Zazie's arm grabbed Annabeth's chin, pulling it back as her other arm came around the other side, her knife stabbing straight towards Annabeth's exposed neck. It struck her magic barrier instead, shattering it. Before Zazie could bring her arm back up and stab down again, Annabeth reached up, grabbing Zazie's arm and holding it in place.
Sorry, Zazie. I don't think I can do this without being rough on you. With a grunt of effort, Annabeth pulled Zazie off her back and tossed her down the hall. Before Zazie hit the floor, she had already flipped in the air, landing on her feet and facing towards Annabeth. Annabeth quickly cast another barrier over her body; she had come much too close to having her throat sliced open.
Zazie said her Semblance activated when she was holding a weapon, right? That just meant Annabeth had to disarm her. She rushed forward, deflecting a trio of gunshots as she concentrated on Zazie's weapons; the gun and the knife. Which to go after first? The gun seemed more dangerous. Annabeth swung her sword up and tried to use the flat of her blade to knock the gun out of Zazie's hand, but she seemed to have anticipated the move, pulling back the gun as she stabbed forward with her knife. Too quick to evade. Annabeth tried to sidestep, but the knife scraped against her side, cutting at the barrier around her body.
Maybe the knife was easier to hit. Annabeth reached out to grab Zazie's wrist. Missed as she darted back, then forward, stabbing twice into Annabeth's shoulder before she could react. She brought her blade back to defend against the knife, but Zazie pulled back and raised her gun. One gunshot. A bullet slammed into Annabeth's ankle, knocking it out from beneath her and causing her to stumble back. Her barrier was already close to shattering again.
Annabeth was starting to understand how Zazie had killed so many. With her Semblance activated, she was quick. Efficient. Always one step ahead. How to disarm her? Annabeth wasn't sure. But she had to try, or else Zazie would end up killing her as well. She took a deep breath and held her sword at the ready. Concentrated. Waited for Zazie.
Two shots. One deflected. One dodged. Zazie ran up. Quick slash with knife. Annabeth took a step back. Avoided the blade. Close-range gunshot. No time to dodge or deflect. Annabeth took the hit. Her barrier shattered. Zazie seemed to notice. The knife stabbed up to Annabeth's neck. She grabbed Zazie's wrist with her free hand. Held the knife in place. The gun came up.
Now.
Annabeth's sword flashed through the air, slicing the gun in two and knocking it out of Zazie's hand. Zazie stopped, looking at her empty hand as if comprehending what had just happened. Her face was still blank, her eyes still dull and glassed over.
"Zazie? Are you - "
A burst of strength. Zazie pressed forward with the knife towards Annabeth's throat, and Annabeth's grip slipped. She ducked back, and the knife sliced her cheek open instead, letting blood flow freely down the side of her face. As Zazie pulled her knife back, Annabeth concentrated on her magic. The gash across her cheek could be ignored for now, but she needed protection. Pulling up her magic reserves, she cast another barrier over her body. Did she have enough for another after that? She didn't know. She raised her sword -
Zazie was suddenly right in front of Annabeth. Too close. With both hands, she drove her knife into Annabeth's chest before Annabeth could react, stabbing into her barrier with surprising strength. The barrier near-instantly shattered as the force of the strike launched Annabeth back. Did she really have that little magic left that her last barrier was destroyed with a single attack? Annabeth felt her back smash against -
No, not against. Annabeth's body smashed through the window, sending her hurtling to the ground below. As she fell, she saw Zazie's blank stare through the shattered window, her knife still at the ready. A killing machine focused solely on ending Annabeth's life. A girl who tricked and lied to Annabeth for so long, all for her own sake.
Was this who Annabeth was trying to save? This wasn't Zazie. This wasn't the princess she knew. And yet, a part of Annabeth deep inside couldn't accept that. Couldn't accept that this wasn't the one she had sworn to protect. Why not?
Just before Annabeth hit the ground, she noticed a soft blue glow just below her vision. Then, everything went black.
Annabeth looked at the wooden post in front of her and raised her sword.
Breathe in.
She slashed forward, cutting into the wood. Not clean enough. The wood splintered in a few places.
Breathe out.
Annabeth raised her blade again.
Breathe in.
Another slash. Cleaner now. But not perfect.
Breathe out.
She raised her sword. She needed to be stronger to protect Zazie.
Breathe in.
Metal cut into wood once again.
"I always noticed that you were at your most comfortable when you were training."
Zazie's voice. Annabeth stopped. Looked up. Where was Zazie? Actually, where was Annabeth? Looking beyond the wooden post for the first time, she saw only a great white void that stretched to eternity. How had she not noticed before? "Zazie?" Annabeth called out as she looked out, but the whiteness stretched out in all directions.
"I'm right here, Annabeth."
Zazie's voice again. This time behind Annabeth. She turned around and saw Zazie. Not the assassin, not the girl who had lied and dragged her along for her personal quest for revenge. No, this was the princess Annabeth knew by heart. The selfless girl who picked Annabeth up and helped her become the knight she was today. It had been hardly more than a week or two since Annabeth had last seen this Zazie, yet it felt like a lifetime.
"Zazie, is that really you?" Annabeth asked, stepping up to her. She stopped. There was something wrong. She seemed... not there. Like a reflection in a pool of water. Annabeth couldn't feel her presence at all.
"Have you been doing well? I'm sorry I couldn't be there with you, but..." Zazie stopped for a moment, looking over Annabeth's body. "Well, I suppose you could be in better shape."
"Huh?" Annabeth asked, looking down. Her chestplate was shattered, and she could feel blood running down her cheek. "I... suppose so."
"How did it happen?"
"I... it's hard to explain," Annabeth said. She brought her hand up to her cheek, and it came up bloody. "I saw that light you always told me about. The cleansing light that scoured the world. Something happened, and when I woke up... you were there. But also, it wasn't you."
"Go on."
"She had her own past, her own history, but I still thought she was you. I called her by your name, and we started traveling together. When I learned that assassins were after her life, I swore to protect her like I protected you. All the while, she fed into my delusion, telling me of a place where I could... restore her back to you. To get you back. But it was all a lie. She was using me."
"Then what happened?"
"It's complicated, but... she ended up saving my life," Annabeth said. Was that true, considering the reason Annabeth had been in danger in the first place? She wasn't sure. "She went off on her own. To finish what she started."
"And you?"
"I went after her. I wanted answers, but also..." Annabeth paused. "I wanted to talk to her again. To protect her if she found herself in danger."
"Why?"
Annabeth opened her mouth. Stopped. Why was she doing all this? Because that girl looked like she felt sorry for using Annabeth? Just because of that? It didn't make up for everything else. No, there was something else.
"I... didn't want to lose her," Annabeth said. No, that wasn't exactly it. "I didn't... I didn't want to lose you. If there was the slightest chance that I could get you back, then..."
"I thought so," Zazie said with a smile. "She looks so much like me, doesn't she? I was surprised at the resemblance. It's no wonder you attached yourself to her so much, despite what she did."
"What?"
"Annabeth, come here. Sit with me," Zazie said, sitting down on the ground. Or, whatever the floor of this endless expanse was. Annabeth slowly made her way over, sitting next to her. Suddenly, the white void gave way to the edge of a cliff, overlooking a familiar-looking mountain pass. "Do you remember this place?"
"I do. This was where we made our final stand against Salem."
"It is," Zazie said. She paused. The two girls took a moment to quietly observe the view. "This is also where I died."
"You... died."
"I did. But earlier that day, I had one more vision. Different than the ones of desolation and apocalypse that I had before," Zazie said, and the scene changed again. This time, a room. A crowd of men and women, all armed and surrounding a lone girl. No, not any girl. Annabeth recognized her. She was holding a knife, her eyes as blank as when Annabeth had fought her earlier. "This is..."
"She looks so much like me, doesn't she? Yet lives so differently."
Annabeth watched as the crowd attacked the lone girl, but none seemed to be able to hit her. She ducked and dashed just out of reach of their weapons, slashing and stabbing at the smallest of openings as she fought her way through her assailants. In the back, a man with features similar to the girl. The same one that Annabeth had seen dead in that private office. Was that the girl's father?
Then, the scene changed. The girl was older. A larger room. Dead bodies everywhere. And in the middle, she was stabbing a knife into a younger girl's chest. She sobbed as she brought the knife up and down again, staining herself with blood. Stopped as the victim's eyes went blank. Then, she vomited.
Annabeth recognized this scene. It had been described to her before.
The scene disappeared once more. Replaced by another. The girl was traveling alone on a snowy mountain path, bundled up in a thick jacket with a large pack on her back. The path gave way to a large clearing, on the other end of which was a familiar-looking village besieged by Grimm. Peakstone, if Annabeth remembered the name correctly. The girl watched the Grimm breached the walls and screams of panic and terror emerged from within the village's walls.
Then, she turned and left.
The scene shifted. Somewhere different. The alleyway in Wind Path. The girl was holding a gun, with a dead body at her feet. She fell to her knees and vomited again. When she looked back up, Annabeth saw something in her eyes. A spark of resolve. She pushed herself to her feet, pocketed the gun, and left the body to rot.
Another shift. This time, a dark room at night. Someone was sleeping. The assassin woman with the hat and the guns. Jessie Slate, was it? Then, in a dark corner of the room. That girl. When had she gotten there? Annabeth watched as she raised a pistol at Jessie.
A gunshot rang out, and the girl left through the window.
More scenes played, one after another. In all of them, the girl and a victim. Annabeth recognized most of them. The assassins she had seen before. Sometimes, it would be a bullet. Sometimes, a knife to the throat or back. Each kill clean, with the victim unsuspecting. And with each one, Annabeth thought she saw that spark in the girl's eye fade a little.
The scene shifted once more. Annabeth recognized it. The military base. Bodies strewn along the compound and halls, just like she remembered. And that girl sitting in that private office, over the body of the man Annabeth assumed to be her father. She was almost completely still, with the only movement being the rise and fall of her chest to indicate she was still breathing. Her expression was as blank as Annabeth remembered it being. The gun and knife were still clutched tight in her hands.
"That's where her story ends," Zazie said as the scene faded and the white expanse returned. "That's where she ends."
"What? What do you mean?"
"She sits there for days on end. Without moving, until she wastes away."
"No, that... that's not right," Annabeth muttered. "Why did she..."
"I couldn't tell you. That's something you'll have to ask her yourself," Zazie said. "But that wasn't the end of the vision."
The scene changed. Back to the first scene with the girl at a young age, fighting through the crowd. Then, to the girl killing that child. Then, the snowy mountain again. No, this time it was different. A different mountain path. The girl hiked through the snow and stopped, having noticed something off the path. Annabeth noticed it as well. A figure clad in armor, collapsed in the snow.
Was that... herself?
"That was the end of the vision. The final vision I had, but also the most important," Zazie said as the scene faded to white. "When I saw that, I realized something."
"What was it?"
"That we would fail. It made me realize that our efforts would be for nothing, that humanity would be wiped clean from the world," Zazie explained. "But that didn't mean there wasn't something I could do. If I couldn't save the world, I could at least save a small part of it."
Zazie pointed towards Annabeth's neck. Annabeth looked down and saw the blue pendant around her neck glowing a bright blue.
"You gave me this," Annabeth said. "What is it? Does it have to do with how I'm able to talk with you right now?"
"It does. The world would end, but I knew from my vision that it wouldn't be the end for you. I prepared a delayed spell on that pendant in secret, one that would activate at just the right time. One that would hold you in stasis outside the boundaries of time and space, safe from the end of the world, until the time was right to release you," Zazie explained. "It was the most advanced spell that I had ever cast, and it took more magic than I had. Much more. I ended up using a large part of my soul and severing my lifespan to a fraction of what it was. Not that it mattered, of course. Though I guess that lingering part of my soul is why I'm talking to you now."
"So you..." Annabeth muttered, looking at the pendant and back to Zazie. "But why? Why not save yourself? You should have been the one to - "
"I told you, didn't I? Even if I saved myself, I would only have a few years left to live after performing that spell. And besides, what use is a princess without her kingdom?" Zazie asked. She put on a slight smile. "But a knight is a knight, no matter what kingdoms rise and fall. With your sword and your strength, you can do much more than I ever could."
"But... without you, I..."
"I know. It's difficult. But you have to try to move on and accept that I'm no longer there, alright? That girl isn't me, and you shouldn't think otherwise," Zazie said. She paused for a moment, looking like she was thinking to herself. "But if you want, I can give you one last request. One last order from your princess before you go off on your own."
"What... what is it?"
"Please, save that girl. I know she isn't me, but she seems to have had a rough life. I'd like for you to be at her side, to help her and save her from that fate I saw in my final vision," Zazie said. "In the end, I wasn't able to save humanity, but I managed to save you. And maybe her as well. I think that's what my visions were telling me to do, in the end."
"I..." Annabeth paused. She looked down at her shattered armor and brushed her fingers up against the gash along her cheek. "I can try. She's being difficult, but I can try."
"I can see that. But don't lose hope, alright?" Zazie said, standing up. Annabeth noticed she was starting to fade. "It may not be the world you're familiar with, but I'm quite sure you'll get used to it. You won't need me anymore. You'll make new friends and partners before long. Hopefully, including her."
"I'll try," Annabeth said, standing up next to Zazie. "Is this... the last time I'll see you?"
"I can't say for sure. I'm not truly Zazie, just a fragment of her soul," Zazie said as she continued to fade. Soon, Annabeth could barely distinguish her from the white void that surrounded them. "But either way, you'll be fine. I know it."
Zazie disappeared, and so too did the white void.
The world rushed back into view. Annabeth was still falling. Where was the ground? Down there, behind her. She twisted around, rolling to disperse her momentum as she hit the ground. Looked back up as she pushed herself onto one knee. Where had her opponent gone? She felt a shift in the air right behind her. Turned. There she was. The girl with the blank eyes and a knife in her hand. The girl that wasn't Zazie. What was her name? Annabeth had forgotten it. Left it discarded by the side of the road, replaced by the name Annabeth had wanted her to have.
The knife stabbed down towards Annabeth's neck. Her blade came up to meet it. Metal scraped against metal.
The knife. I need to disarm her, Annabeth thought as she pushed her sword up, diverting the knife to the side. She shifted her blade in an attempt to knock the knife out of the girl's hand, but the girl whirled around, shifting her grip on the knife as she slipped past Annabeth's guard and stabbed through a joint in her armor, piercing her shoulder. Before Annabeth could even process the pain, the knife was already out and stabbing towards her chest. Fast. Almost too fast. But only almost. Annabeth brought her sword down, parrying the blade and knocking the girl off balance for a moment. Sensing an opportunity, Annabeth reached out to grab the girl's wrist, but the girl regained her footing as quickly as she lost it, leaping back and out of Annabeth's reach.
"I don't know what's gotten into you, but I'm not going to leave you alone," Annabeth said. She remembered the scene she had seen. The girl sitting by herself, in that office up there. What was wrong with her? Was she stuck in her Semblance? No, she said she could control when she 'got off the truck'. So why?
No way to know until Annabeth successfully disarmed her. Focus on that first.
The girl dashed forward so fast that Annabeth saw little more than a blur. Went low. Annabeth shifted her stance to guard, but by the time she did so, she felt something cutting into her shins through the joints in her armor. She stumbled for a moment before catching herself on her uninjured leg as she turned to face the girl, but she was already gone. Annabeth's instincts screamed out, and she ducked to the side just as the girl's knife stabbed through the air where her neck just was.
Need to pin her down, Annabeth thought as she reached for the girl's wrist. Too slow; the girl leaned out of the way as she shifted her grip on the knife, stabbing back towards Annabeth's face. Annabeth's blade came up to block, deflecting the knife's trajectory to the side. An opening? Annabeth swung the flat of her blade at the girl's wrist. Too slow again. The girl ducked under Annabeth's attack and lunged forward, knife slashing up to her throat. Too late to bring her sword back. Annabeth brought her arm up to guard, only to feel nothing cut against her. Instead, the girl shifted her grip. A feint. She stabbed low towards Annabeth's stomach.
Annabeth gasped, dropping her sword as she felt the cold metal pierce into her. Time seemed to stand still for a moment as she looked into the girl's expressionless face. Neither of them moved.
Then, Annabeth grabbed the knife. In her other hand, she concentrated what remaining magic she could before extending her arm and putting her palm on the girl's chest.
Burst.
A shockwave exploded from Annabeth's palm, ripping through the air and blowing the girl away. The knife stayed lodged in Annabeth's stomach, locked in place by her grip as its former wielder tumbled to the ground. Annabeth's legs gave out from underneath her, and she fell backwards to the ground, still holding the knife. How bad was it? She couldn't tell. At least the wound wasn't gushing blood, but that was probably because there was a knife stuck in it.
"You couldn't help yourself, could you?" Annabeth heard the girl say. The voice was so familiar, but Annabeth had to remind herself. That wasn't Zazie. "You just had to come up after me."
"I did," Annabeth replied as she gathered a small amount of her remaining magic in her fingertips. She grit her teeth and, with a single quick motion, pulled the knife from her stomach. The next moment, her fingers were over the wound, and she could feel her skin and flesh stitching together as she poured what magic she had left into repairing herself. "Well, to be honest, I didn't. But I wanted to."
"Why?" the girl asked. Annabeth looked up and watched as the girl sat up and looked over to her. "It's because of that name, isn't it? Zazie? After all I did to you, you still can't let go of - "
"No, I didn't come up here because of her. I came up here because of you. You were about to go somewhere dangerous, and I... I thought you might need help," Annabeth said. She looked around at the bodies of the assassins strewn across the military base. "Though I suppose you didn't need it in the way I expected."
"That doesn't make sense. Why would you do that? Why would you want to help me? I'm not your... Zazie. I'm not your perfect little princess," the girl said. She curled into a fetal position, her face buried in her arms. "I'm horrible. All the lies I told you, the people I killed, the blood I have on my hands... I don't deserve to be a part of your life anymore. Or anyone else's."
"I see. So that's why."
"Why what?"
"Why were you stuck in your Semblance?" Annabeth asked. "You said you could control it before. Did you lose control? Or did you simply let it take control?"
"I let it take over completely. I let it run rampant on its own. I... didn't want to return, even when you came in."
"Why not?"
"Watching my body tear through the Black Hand, it made me realize something. Something important, something I've been missing all this time," the girl said. She looked up at Annabeth. "There's one thing I didn't tell you about Semblances. The truth is, someone's Semblance is a unique reflection of their soul. An integral, undeniable part of their being."
"Then..."
"I realized that despite how much I tried to run away from it, my Semblance reflected what I truly was. A killer. A weapon designed to take lives as efficiently as possible," the girl explained. "It didn't matter how much I tried to deny it. That's the truth about what I am. That 'normal girl' I tried to be was just a facade."
"No, that's not - "
"Look around you, Annabeth! Look at the bodies and tell me that's not what I am!" the girl shouted, interrupting Annabeth. "If that's what I was, if that's all I was going to be, then... what was the point? Just continue going forward, staining my hands with blood every step of the way? The thought made me sick."
"So you tried to let your Semblance take over for good. Just let the truck drive on, without caring where it went, until you eventually faded away," Annabeth said, remembering the analogy the girl had told her before. "You never intended on returning."
"I didn't. Not until you forced my Semblance to turn off," the girl said. "And I hurt you in the process. Almost killed you. Don't you see what I mean about - "
"You didn't kill me. I'm quite alive, actually," Annabeth said with a chuckle. The wound in her stomach had mended over, taking up the last of her magic and leaving her exhausted. "And you're wrong."
"What?"
"You said that you're nothing better than a killer or a weapon, but I've seen quite the contrary," Annabeth said as she sat up. Pain flared in the spot where she had been stabbed, but she ignored it. "We may not have traveled together for long, but I know you weren't just using me. You helped me through this new, unfamiliar world, and you worried for my well-being time and time again. After all, why else would you have revealed yourself to save me after I defeated Sirius?"
"Well, I..."
"And the fact that we're having this conversation means you must care at least a slight bit. The guilt you feel for killing so many people, for manipulating me and lying to me... I suppose that's proof that you can be more than just a killer. More than just a tool for ending lives."
"But..."
"Until now, I've been clinging onto that false hope that I could get back the Zazie I knew from the past. That I could be reunited with her, and things could be like they were before," Annabeth said. "And you've been clinging to your past as well. To all the deaths caused by your hand. As much as you tried to run away from it, to forget it existed, it eventually came back and overwhelmed you."
The girl nodded.
"Then I think it's time that we both moved on from the past."
"What do you mean?"
"The past is the past. Zazie, the princess I knew and swore my life to, remains only in my memories, and nothing I can do will bring her back. But that doesn't mean I can't move forward and find a new purpose here," Annabeth said, looking at the girl. "And you can move forward from your past and build a brighter future for yourself. One free of the blood and death you've experienced for so long. How does that sound?"
"But... how do I know that's all behind me?" the girl asked. "If I go back out into the world, and things go back to how they were before, I..."
"You can't know for sure. But you can try, and that will be enough," Annabeth said. "I can help keep you on the right path, if you'd like."
"You mean, travel with me?" the girl asked. "But after what I did to you - "
"Yes, I know. But things are different now, unless you're secretly part of another organization of assassins you'd like to destroy," Annabeth said. The girl smiled slightly, and so did Annabeth. "And besides, I'm still unfamiliar with many aspects of this world. I think I'd like someone to guide me through it."
"I guess you would be lost without me, huh," the girl said, chuckling slightly. She stood up, slowly making her way to Annabeth and extending her hand. "Yeah, we can travel together again, at least a little longer. And sorry for stabbing you."
"It's quite alright. Wounds heal," Annabeth replied, taking the girl's hand as the girl pulled her up. Annabeth reached down, grabbing her sword and sheathing it as the girl did the same with her knife. "Now, let's go..."
"Huh?" the girl asked as Annabeth trailed off. "Is something wrong?"
"No, it's just..." Annabeth paused. "I have been calling you Zazie for so long. I believe you told me your actual name back when we first met, but I..."
"You forgot."
"Yes." Annabeth blushed slightly from embarrassment.
"Yeah, I kinda figured," the girl said. She cleared her throat. "It's Zoey. Zoey Ashtray. Not far off from Zazie, now that I think about it."
"I suppose it isn't. Nice to meet you, Ms. Ashtray."
"You're seriously gonna refer to me by my last name? Call me Zoey, okay?"
"Alright. Ms. Zoey, then."
"Just Zoey."
"Zoey, then."
"That's better. Now, come on, let's get off this mountain," Zoey said, making her way over to the front entrance of the military base. "I'm tired and hungry, and I'd be surprised if you don't feel the same way."
"Indeed, though a kind stranger gave me a sack of food before I came up here. I hung it up somewhere by the road, so we can at least eat as we make our way down the mountain path."
"Huh. I'll have to thank that stranger sometime," Zoey said, looking back at Annabeth. "Well, you know where that sack is. Lead the way."
Annabeth nodded. She made her way through the entrance of the military base and down the mountain path, with Zoey following close behind.
A/N: And that's chapter 13! After a little spat, the two girls are back together again.
Thanks to Fatswordsman and Words and letters for the reviews! I thought it would be nice to have a fun little crossover between the two stories, since I figured a lot of people who read Chasing Eternity would also be readers on Journeys of a Mercenary.
If you've got anything to say, please don't hesitate to leave a review. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the next and final chapter of Chasing Eternity!