Fandom/Pairing: Elsword; none
Rating: T
Word Count: 7,347
Summary: It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one's reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.
Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves
Note: This story took place right before the team meets Rosso, so Laby will not bein this story. Rose will not be in this story due to not knowing her canon class at the time this fic was written.
Class Notes:
Canon Path: Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen
Alternative Path: Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter
Doppelgänger
Chapter 10: Reflection
Code: Esencia
Lines of commands flooded back into her vision, her sensors returning in response to her circuits activating. Protocols lined up, waiting to be accepted by Esencia as she ran through the mandatory scans. She let them run in the background as she prioritized assessing her environment.
In front of her was a campfire emitting its heat, its flames being fed by Rage Hearts tossing in dried leaves and tree branches to soothe its hunger. Data flashed through Esencia's optic lens as she filtered through the information she already knew about her teammate. Did Rage carry her back to camp? Her navigator protocol announced they were close to the entrance of a cavern called Shadow Vein. She checked her memory bank for more information but was met with distorted data. It wasn't often that she experienced a forced shutdown. Her memory backup should be finished updating in a few minutes.
"Eve!" Rage breathed a sigh of relief, "We were beginning to worry you wouldn't wake up. Are you okay?"
We? There was another person, her sensors alerted her.
"Code: Esencia. That is the name of your program, is it not?"
Esencia turned to the sound of her program's name, a thin airy feminine voice that called for her attention. Covered in black armor, the new Nasod presented herself with the appearance of a young woman. Resting one leg over the other, she sat beside Rage as if in the middle of a conversation before Esencia was acknowledged. A pale face marked by blue lines across the cheeks and orange eyes identical to Escencia's. The resemblance was unmistakable.
"You're Eve," Esencia stated.
"Yes, I am." Her alternate offered a tiny smile, "I did not expect to meet someone else that shares the same core as us."
Esencia stared at her own face, unwavered by the existence of the other Nasod queen. At last, they have met, no longer separated by circumstances that would have forced them to fight. Anemos had mentioned the other Eve, comparing them because humans were comfortable looking at something they were familiar with. There were similarities, but the mechanical wings extending out from her alternate's back suggested that at some point, their paths had begun to branch out.
"What program have you undergone?" Esencia was curious.
"Code: Ultimate, a hidden code meant to override the limit most Nasods have." She was just as interested in Esencia. "I see you have chosen to rely on your servants for strength. They are being repaired right now."
"How severe is the damage?" Esencia asked with concern.
Not as sturdy as their queen, she was aware of the time it would take to restore her servants to fighting form. Ferdinand would take the longest because he was not meant to fight past a certain time limit and his parts were harder to find.
"They won't be able to move properly until Moby and Remy find the spare parts needed." Ultimate said, "It is estimated that it will take four hours and three minutes for them to be functional again. I recommend you don't fight until then."
"That is to be expected," Esencia agreed. Her eyes flickered over to Rage, who patiently sat through their technical conversation with his human arm over his lap. "What happened after I was deactivated?"
Her datalog's last record was the battle they had against the opposite El Search Party. Ultimate's assistance gave little information on the outcome of that battle on whether or not the two parties had arrived at a compromise.
"I'm not sure," Rage shrugged. "With the party split up, there were many things going on that even I don't understand. By the time I arrived here, both Elswords had returned and I was told that we were no longer fighting."
"I arrived at the same time as Rage. The information I can provide will be similar." Ultimate said, "You arrived to camp in a battle-worn state, but most of the damage has been repaired. You are lucky your opponent is keen on minimizing the damage on you."
Esencia didn't think Ultimate would be one to use words like "lucky". The irrational emotion of irritation rose again at the mention of Dominator. Bringer was not subtle in his interest in her codes, so Dominator approaching her was just as likely, but did not make it any less inconvenient in having to fight the scientist.
"Add is not present," Ultimate said. "You do not have to worry about talking to him. I made sure of that."
"How did you get to the Demon Realm?" Rage asked Ultimate.
"Add," a look of disdain was visible on her face. It was the most human expression Esencia had seen from the Black Queen of Destruction. "He said he knew a way to enter into the Demon Realm from Elrianode. Our Elsword encouraged him."
"Did he use a device that opened portals for travel?" Esencia asked.
"Yes," Ultimate sighed.
Esencia nodded, "The Add from our party suggested the same thing, but he did not have the coordinates. We opted for a different method of travel."
So Dominator and Bringer arrived at the same conclusion, except Bringer had Esencia to troubleshoot his plan. The portal device must have brought the entire El Search Party into the same dimension as them. Although Dominator had hit the wrong mark, Esencia reluctantly gave the scientist credit for arriving in a Demon Realm. Luck seemed to travel with Rune's friends as well.
"How did you arrive to the Demon Realm?" Ultimate wanted to know.
"It was an accident by one of our friends," Esencia explained. "We would have to find a new way to get back to Elrianode."
"We've been lucky," Rage admitted. "I'm not sure if that will be the case next time."
"Was it you who brought me back to be repaired?" Esencia asked Rage, frowning when she discovered that her backup memory stopped saving up to the point where she lost her battle.
"No." Rage said in a quiet voice, "That was Blade, my other self. He's nearby if you want to talk to him."
Carved by scars running down his face, Blade was taller than average for a human male. Dressed in white, what made the swordsman stand out was not the prominent stern expression he held but the Nasod arm. Made of the same material used for Dominator's drones, the Nasod arm was lightweight for battles but sturdy to maintain its structure and integrity to carry a blade.
Blade sat at the edge of the cliff, observing the miles of canyons and dense forests from below, a bright palette of vibrant colors that did not exist in Elrios. The sound of gravel grated against his feet as the swordsman stood up to face Esencia and Rage. Although he was mostly human, his senses were as acute as Rage's in ways that surprised the Nasod queen. Humans had the ability to train and condition themselves to sharpen their senses to compensate for their weaknesses.
"Ah, you're awake." Blade lowered his head with an awkward smile, something humans did when they sensed discomfort from others. "I'm glad to see Eve was able to repair most of the damage."
"That's to be expected," Rage rubbed his face. "Demons will hit harder than that if we're not careful."
"Is that what you've been doing?" Blade asked, "I can't imagine coming here was easy."
They were fortunate that Apsara found the passage that led them to what the Dark Elves referred to their home as Varnimyr. It was uncertain what would be done if they have failed to enter Demon Realm based on their new objective to find the Dark El. They might have had to resort to the portal device as the other El Search Party did.
"There were many barriers to overcome before we found an entrance into Demon Realm." Esencia said. "Why did you spare me?"
"It doesn't feel right not to," Blade said. "We did what we thought would get us closer to Elsword. We wanted to slow down your progress so we could catch up, not kill you."
"I suppose that's kinda my fault," Rage grinned. "Running off with Rune makes us look like the bad guys."
"Rune agreed to join the party," Esencia corrected him. "He was willing to cooperate."
"He must trust you if that's the case." Blade asked, "Did he say why?"
"No," Esencia said.
It did not matter to her as much as it did for others. She did not know Rune and he was not going to open to people he was not familiar with. However, Esencia understood that Blade's question was not asked out of the need for information, but for reassurance.
"Only Rune can answer those questions," Esencia said. "Why don't you talk to him?"
"I went into this mission with the assumption of having to fight myself," Blade pressed his forehead against his Nasod arm. Unlike Rage's, it had a high resemblance to a human hand if not for the artificial covering over it. "I thought that fighting was the only option. What a fool I was. I didn't learn from my failure in Altera."
"All of this unnecessary fighting over a misunderstanding because we mixed up two Elswords." Rage wore a similar expression to Blade, a prominent scowl that left a dent on his features.
Regret was apparent from Rage's tone, a familiar emotion Esencia sensed in many of the humans she encountered during her journey. Even Adrian, the father of Nasods, was not spared from that common emotion. Esencia did what humans did when they saw another distressed and placed her hand over his human arm.
"Elsword would not be here if we did not encounter the other party," Esencia said in a gentle voice. "We are no longer fighting and will find a way to help them in return."
"We came here to retrieve the Dark El," Blade shook his head. "We're not leaving until we find clues on how to stabilize the El."
"You too?" Rage looked at Blade in wonder, "and here I was thinking we were the only ones crazy enough to try it."
"Explain," Esencia looked to Blade for further explanation. "What happened to the El in your Elrios?"
"Our Elsword used himself as an energy source to stabilize it until we pulled him out of it," Blade said. "We discovered that the Dark El is the El's counterpart and may help stabilize it, which is in the Demon Realm."
A sad smile graced upon Esencia's lips. Her presumption was correct. It was almost identical to the dilemma the original El Search Party found themselves in, an attempt to restore the El that led them to the Demon Realm. An act of desperation that led to the opposite party overlooking a human error in search of the Dark El.
"You're here because of the other Add, right?" Rage asked.
"That's right." Blade mumbled something about time machines and mosquitoes. He coughed when he turned to Esencia, "Thank you for taking care of Elsword. I hope he did not trouble you with his antics."
"Rune had many interesting stories to tell us," Esencia said. Some she had difficulty in believing because Rune claimed he and his sister were forced to dance alongside a zombie king with a pink afro.
"He asked why I didn't have a shirt on," Rage deadpanned.
Esencia did not understand why the comment bothered Rage when he did in fact lack a shirt to cover his upper body. Much of his body heat was regulated by the Nasod arm. Wearing additional clothing was more of a preference than a need for the former mercenary. Was his embarrassment because Rune was a person he was not well-acquainted with?
"Well, I suppose we should welcome you to the team." Rage tilted his head back against his hands. "Our party is already as big as it is. What's another dozen to us?"
"Collaborating may be beneficial," Esencia agreed. "Working together may make it easier to find a way to restore the El for both parties."
"Unless Paradox comes back," Rage added. "Do you know who he is?"
"Of course, not." Blade crossed his arms, "I wasn't even aware of his existence until someone from your team described him to me."
Rage had provided Esencia with a summary of what had happened while she was deactivated and Ultimate had offered her data to store in her memory. Identified as a temporal enigma with a connection to time and space, Paradox had an inconsistent pattern in movement and fighting. It could be challenging to predict what his next move would be.
"He's Add," Esencia stated. The description of Knight's kidnapper brought her attention when she scanned the datalog Ultimate provided to her during the repairs. The six pieces floating around Paradox were magic-based and resembled the weapons Bringer used for battle.
"There's three of them," Blade closed his eyes. Esencia saw bags forming under his eyes. She noticed a strand of white hair poking from the side of his bangs.
"At least there's more of us now, so it'll be harder for Paradox to take us down." Rage frowned, "You alright? You look like you haven't slept in days."
"It's hard to sleep when there's much to do," Blade said. "We just found Elsword and need a plan."
"I get that, but no point in losing sleep over it." Rage softened his expression, "You're not the only one worried about Rune. You don't have to carry everyone's burden."
"It's strange getting advice from myself." Blade laughed.
"It's strange talking to myself," Rage mirrored and joined in.
"We should prioritize regrouping with our friends to discuss our next decision," Esencia said.
Both Ravens looked at each other before turning to the Nasod queen.
"I would like that," Blade smiled.
"Sounds good to me," Rage nodded.
Esencia looked at the two smiling men and questioned the practicality of housing twenty-four people in shared space. While it would drive away people like Paradox, the sheer size of their team would act as a beacon for demons to see them as a threat when most of them weren't native to the Demon Realm. Having a bigger group was going to be a change she would have to get used to. Until they find a way for Rune's friends to get home, the extra twelve people will be their new teammates.
Rune Master
"Come back!" Empire cried. "Elsword! No, Rune! Wait!"
Rune went into a mad dash and sprinted ahead, refusing to look back to see if she was following him.
After hours of waiting and doing what he could to help around the campsite, Rune volunteered to search for the missing party members trapped inside the Shadow Vein. He didn't think they would find the exit so quickly, nor did he expect Empire to be the first to emerge from the cavern. Her knee-jerk reaction made Rune regret coming into contact with the red knight. People have compared Rune to his counterpart and have mistaken him as Knight, but she didn't need to rub it in. He didn't need reminders that they were supposed to be the same.
"Are you okay?" Flame looked up from the cutting board. Abysser must have put her on lunch duty. Setting her knife down, she looked at him with alarm and placed her hand over his forehead, "You don't look so good."
"I know this is going to sound weird, but I'm hiding from the other you." Rune caught his breath. How could he keep up with monsters in the battlefield, but have his heart pounding against this ribcage like he was asked to fight Solace again because of someone who looked like his sister?
"The other me, what are you, oooooh." Her lips rounded into a perfect circle and nodded in understanding. Rune was grateful for Flame not questioning the strangeness of talking about herself from another lifetime. "Gotcha. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Talk to me," Rune said. He needed to talk to someone he knew to stay sane. If he saw one more person who looked like someone from his team, he was going to burst into flames. "Pretend we're not in the wrong dimension because there are twelve people that look like us and I messed up big time."
"Hey, don't call it a mess up." Flame waved her hand in disagreement, "We're in Demon Realm! Maybe not the one we were supposed to be in, but it's still Demon Realm. How is that a problem?"
"The other El Search Party is trying to look for the Dark El for similar reasons as we are," Rune explained. "We can't just take it from them. They need it too!"
At first, Rune thought it was cool to meet people like him. It was amazing that they all shared the same passion and dreams as their counterparts, but then the sky started turning into different colors. Portals forming cracks in the sky, webbing over one another and causing headache for the rune user. El resonance levels elevated inconsistently whenever a bigger portal was formed. Was this all because of him?
What would happen if they retrieved the Dark El instead of Knight's friends? What would happen to Knight's Elrios? Would their El continue to be unstable and corrupted because of their selfish actions? Rune wasn't sure if he could live with the guilt of taking something from someone else. It was why they were forced to travel into the Demon Realm, because Rune couldn't bear the grief of throwing others off a bridge, even if it was for the sake of the world.
"Wow, that's a lot to think about." Flame whistled. "Why are you running away from her? Was she cruel?"
"No," Rune joined his sister and pulled out a cutting board to begin skinning and peeling vegetables. He could argue that Empire was the complete opposite for taking the initiative and leading a team when its leader went missing.
"Did she make you do something you didn't want to do?" Flame asked.
"No!"
"Then what?"
"She thought I was her brother," Rune said.
It was uncomfortable watching the pain twist in her features at the realization that she had the wrong person. Even though he and Knight were technically the same person, he didn't grow up with Empire the same way he did with Flame. He didn't want to stop to listen to Emipre's pleads or apologies. Empire kept an amicable front, but kept her distance from others and was intimidating to approach. Rune wasn't sure if he could look at her in the eye after the outburst she had outside of the Shadow Vein.
"Aren't you?" Flame asked.
"Well, yes." Rune said, "but I'm not specifically him."
"Els… talking about yourself is going to drive you crazy." Flame shook her head, "I never met her, but this is probably hurting her as much as it is for you. Besides, if she's me, she's probably worried about you."
"How would you know?"
"Because that's what sisters do," she laughed. "Now unless you plan to help me with lunch, you should get going. You're making her wait."
Metal boots clanged against the gravel at their feet, a pair of identical eyes met with Rune's, somber and apologetic. Crouching behind one of the boulders occupying their campsite, Empire Sword had her head leaning forward, completely still and wide-eyed on being called out. Her face glowed from the campfire, devoid of its warmth.
"Hope my brother didn't cause you and your friends too much trouble," Flame teased as if she didn't just catch her counterpart eavesdropping into their conversation. "You look like you had something to say."
"Not at all," Empire gave an embarrassed smile. "He was cooperative and did more than enough to help us. I apologize for intruding."
"It's all good!" Flame beamed and grabbed Rune by the arm, "Don't be afraid to talk to him. He's a good kid and means well."
"I know," Empire lowered her head. "I won't take up too much of your time."
"Huh?" Rune stuttered, "Wait-"
Flame cheerfully threw Rune into Empire's direction, waving at them with a knife in her hand. Stumbling back by a few steps, Rune lifted his head up to see Empire pulling her arm back, suddenly uncertain on what to do with the rune user. All signs of formality from before had dissipated and was replaced by awkwardness that reminded Rune of her age. She was barely half the age of her superiors in Velder.
Rune saw the discomfort in Empire and let out a dark laugh. Silence rippled through the air, only interrupted by the sound of Flame chopping vegetables and from the campfire crackling. How much did Empire hear from his conversation with Flame?
"I'm sorry," Empire started. "I didn't mean to make you upset."
"You don't need to apologize," Rune raised his hand. "You don't have to talk about it."
"What if I want to talk about it?" Empire asked. "I don't have the right to be asking for forgiveness after everything you went through, but I still want to talk."
Her voice remained steady, but her hands were visibly shaking, clenched into tight fists. Bangs fell over, hiding her face from view. Covered in grime and dust, Empire was short of looking like Rune when he was first discovered by the El Search Party. Her ponytail became undone and slid down past her forearm.
"Like being kidnapped and carried off like a princess?"
Empire raised her head with confusion on her features, "a princess?"
"That's what Paradox called Knight," Rune shrugged. He softened his hardened expression, "You don't need to worry about me. You should worry about your brother."
"You are my brother." She said, "you're still Elsword."
"Maybe," he hesitated. "Or are you saying that we look the same? I'm not sure if I can be compared to him."
Knight was the leader the El Search Party deserved. Hardworking and placed others before himself. He even checked on Rune despite the crude thoughts the rune user kept to himself, afraid to admit the unpleasant thoughts that plagued him. Empire recognized that and widened her eyes.
"You're jealous of Elsword?" Empire was shocked.
"Does that make me a bad person?" Rune threw his head back and chuckled darkly, "Both of us failed to restore the El, yet I'm the one who threw my team into the wrong Demon Realm. We caused this mess because we weren't supposed to be here. The sky is falling apart. Is that what a leader does?"
Yes, Rune was bitter. Five years of traveling outside his hometown with the intent of finding his sister, only to be told that he was special. Somehow, a link between him and the El was apparent and it was up to him, a seventeen-year-old, to decide on the fate of Elrios and its inhabitants. Solace saw that. His friends trusted him. He was told by numerous enemies that he had the power, yet he was still powerless from stopping the El from collapsing on itself.
He gave himself to the El with the intent of restoring it, offering what was left of himself because he was a mere village boy. Some other adventurers could pick up from where he left. Rune wasn't the only swordsman from Ruben. If not, Flame or Blade could become the new leader of their not-so-little gang. They easily had more experience than him and his older sister had a connection to the El if something was to happen to it. He gasped when his state of mind rose from the subconscious to take his first breath and realized he was alive, the El unstable once more.
"Stop it," Empire snapped.
"Or what?" Rune jeered, "Surely you realized that with two teams, both of us can't take the Dark El back to fix what was broken. One of us has to leave."
"There has to be another way," she said. "We're not letting you go back without finding a way to stabilize the El."
Empire was so determined that he almost believed it whole-heartedly without question. He tried to dislike her, but her reassurance was all it took for him to reassess himself. Would it be possible to find another way to restore the El? Rune didn't understand the link between himself and the El, but there was always the drive to keep it safe, even if it cost his life. He wondered if that was why Empire and Flame never blamed him for making his decision in Elrianode, rarely showing anger when he was blinded by his emotions.
"How can you be so sure?" Rune asked.
"I'm not," Empire placed her hands over her lap. "But if there's one thing I learned from you and your friends, there is more than one path to doing things. I never thought of meeting someone who understands Elsword as much as you do."
"What does that mean?"
"My brother hides things from me too," she gave Rune a sad smile. "I know Elsword has been struggling. He's always lost in thought, but very little of those thoughts reach me. I don't think even Ain truly knows what's on his mind. Talking to you made me realize how little I understand him. It makes me wonder if it was something I did wrong..."
"It's not you," Rune disagreed. So even Knight had trouble sharing his thoughts. They really were the same side of the coin. "He's doing it because he's scared of worrying you. He doesn't want to see you get hurt and burden you with his troubles."
"That sounds like him," she sighed. "He grew up to be so responsible. I feel like I wasn't there enough for him."
"Let him know that," Rune said. What was he doing giving advice to his sister's lookalike? None of this felt real. "I think he'll be happy to know how much you care about him. I know I would."
Rune wasn't about to spout to Empire about his sister being gone for most of his life up until he was sixteen, but he sympathized with her. Sure, he was envious of Flame for always traveling and fighting bad guys as a child, but he understood her better once he started his journey and learned how time-consuming and draining it was to maintain peace. The last few years he spent with Flame and his friends were easily the best years of his life. Rune doubted Knight would have bore a grudge against Empire's absence.
"I think you're right," Empire said. "Thank you. You're kinder than you make yourself seem."
Rune blinked. Okay, maybe he was rough around the edges, but was he that bad? Some of Dominator must be rubbing off on him, Rune rubbed his eyes. His body ached in protest in having to move, but there was so much to do. They still didn't know where Mad Paradox went or what their next move was in finding a way back to their dimension, if that was possible.
"This is a lot to take in," Rune remarked. "I'm starting to think we've been hanging out with Glave too much."
"This does sound like something he would do," Empire agreed. "But I'm glad it's with you and your friends instead of the usual monsters and demons."
"Heh, sounds like fun, actually." Rune snickered, "you think there's a dimension where I'm a little taller and have two swords?"
"You'll have to be more creative than that," Empire chided with a bemusement. "We should head back. I'm sure they could use more help in moving things along."
"Right," Rune closed his eyes. "We wouldn't want to think our pretty faces were eaten by demons."
Empire elbowed him with a gleam in her eyes, snorting when he choked on his saliva and joined in. Alternate dimension or not, Empire was pretty cool. After all, she was still his sister and was good at cheering him up.
Bluhen
It was daybreak when Bluhen was summoned to the front of the cavern's entrance, well, what was left of it anyway. The cavern's entrance had collapsed from the brief, but deadly battle between the two El Search Parties. Its purple peak reached beyond the horizon and was the first landmark Bluhen noticed when they arrived into Demon Realm. He heard its name being dropped into conversation by the dark elves when he asked about it. Shadow Vein, an intimidating but suiting name in how much trouble it had caused for them all.
Green light glowed as he mended a cut gashed into Knight's lower thigh. He would have lost more blood if the cut had been any deeper, a thought Bluhen fought to ignore and focused on applying ointment to the area. People relied on him too much and forgot that there were limits to being a healer. Magic didn't fix injuries, but encouraged the body to repair itself. He wished Knight knew that and stopped seeing him as an answer to everything relating to injuries. It was exhausting agreeing to heal every time someone failed to dodge an attack. It's like no one knew how valuable their life was.
"Thank you," Knight lifted his head to give Bluhen a sheepish smile.
"It's to be expected," Bluhen said with exhaustion in his voice.
Bluhen wiped his forehead out of habit, but that was all for show. If he had been more human, he would have sweated and let out a sigh. Being an unworldly being, all of that was unnecessary and excessive for being the Goddess's agent with a human husk.
"What is?" Knight asked.
"Keeping you safe," Bluhen looked at his friend in surprise for asking something so obvious. He couldn't understand how Knight could be oblivious to how important he was to others. "Now that you're here, we can get back to finding the Dark El."
"We still need to wait for everyone," Knight said. "Lu said she was bringing back the others."
"Who are the others?"
"Uhh… Ara, Eve, Ciel, and Lu." Knight counted with his fingers. "She's also bringing people from the other party. I think she mentioned Raven, there might be more."
Bluhen was careful not to apply too much pressure when he placed a bandage over Knight's left shoulder. None of his vital organs were impacted, but Knight had sustained many injuries. Every battle resulted in cuts and bruises, but it was Bluhen's job to minimize them. This could have been prevented if Knight wasn't abducted by the strange man who called himself Paradox. Bluhen had never heard of that name, yet there was something familiar about the kidnapper. Red flashed in his vision as Bluhen swallowed his anger, unwilling to let it bubble up from the pit of his stomach that threatened to erupt and overflow. All of this was caused by Paradox…
"Does it hurt?" Bluhen asked.
"Not a bit!" Knight beamed, "Feels like it never happened!"
Bluhen ducked his head low and hid his face behind his bangs. He thought he knew and understood Knight, but he still struggled in reading the emotions of others. Knight smiled, but it felt plastic and artificial as the Nasods Bringer was so fascinated about. Didn't it hurt pretending to be happy all the time? Or was it a force of habit? He was perplexed and concerned. Knight was hiding something again. The young man had been acting strange ever since they arrived to the Demon Realm. What was Knight hiding?
"Are you sure?" Bluhen asked, "How much did Paradox hurt you?"
"I'm fine," Knight insisted. "Are Add and Ciel okay?"
"They'll recover," Bluhen said. "There's nothing concerning."
Bluhen had checked on Abysser and Bringer out of Knight's insistence, nevermind that one of them wasn't part of the original El Search Party. Both were unconscious and stirred slightly when Bluhen had Rage move them into sitting upright. Their wounds have already healed from his magic and they just needed rest.
"When I was with Paradox… he made me watch you guys fight." Knight was hesitant, eyes averting and looking down at his hands. "I saw your other self fighting Lu and Ciel. This wouldn't have happened if I was there to stop it-"
"None of this is your fault," Bluhen didn't let him finish. He looked up from his healing station and placed his hands over his lap. "It was our decision to resolve this by fighting."
"I suppose so... ," Knight mumbled. "He said strange things when we fought, like how different I was from the other Elsword. Do you think there are others like us?"
"What do you mean?" Bluhen asked, "Haven't we already met them?"
And fought them, Bluhen added. It was odd to help the very same people they have fought just hours ago.
"Paradox seems to know a lot about us, even though we have never met," Knight said. "I mean… Paradox is Add. Do you think his friends are different versions of us and might be here?"
"It's possible, but I have yet to hear reports of them being sighted." Bluhen shook his head in wonder. Alternates of themselves? He wasn't sure if he was ready to meet himself from another life. What would they even talk about?
Bluhen didn't hate Bringer, but it was difficult to cooperate with someone who was so stubborn. To learn that Bringer's alternate was the cause of their troubles opened a door to a million possibilities and few answers to the situation. This was the type of topic Bringer would voice his opinions on, but alas, the brawler was unconscious.
At a nearby stream, Bluhen emptied and rinsed the potion bottles with a cleaning solution, smelling its light citrus scent as he wiped it dry with a washcloth. Ice cold water froze his hands when he swooped down to wash his face. Extra bandages and remedies were tossed into the bag for later use.
An eerie silence settled over the edge of the horizon, absent of the chatter and clash of blades that once took place over the two El Search Parties. Sharp edges cut into the pale rose sky, outlined by the crystalline material composing Paradox's portals. Dozens of portals were erratically growing and shrinking, cackling and imposing themselves over one another. Most of them were too small for a human to fit through, but it was a matter of time before that was to change.
"You see them too?" Knight looked up.
"How long were they here?" Bluhen asked.
"I don't know," Knight shrugged. "Maybe after Paradox left?"
The portals were echoes of the ones formed by Paradox in the battle against the Dark Agate, smaller and temporary. Trailing through the skies, they disappeared before reforming minutes later. Bluhen didn't remember seeing them when they initially entered the Demon Realm. What could the portals mean and what kind of impact would they have on their journey? Looking at them made him feel sick.
Knight looked at Bluhen with worried eyes, "You should rest, you look horrible. I'll be around camp when you wake up."
Shouldn't Bluhen be the one reassuring his friend? He looked at Knight in disbelief, driven to madness by the apologetic look he was receiving. Covered in thin-lined scars and bruises still healing, Knight had an unfocused gaze and bags under his eyes. Bluhen laughed at the irony, unable to contain himself and sighed. What kind of friend was he to find relief in being comforted when he should be the one helping Knight? He wanted to tell Knight everything would be all right and that things would sort themselves out, but he didn't want to feed his friend empty promises.
It was childish to fear that Knight would disappear in his sleep. Was this how Knight felt when he disappeared for periods of time? Bluhen's body protested, aching muscles urging him to cave him and succumb to Knight's wish. He stumbled over on his fours and felt his body surrender, resting his head on the grass in a bliss comparable to sleeping at one of the grandest hotels in Hamel.
Cool air caressed Bluhen when he woke up to a velvet blue sky. White clouds huddled overhead with faded outlines of the portals from before. The portals opened to dark interiors obscured by the cloud. So it wasn't a dream…
Where was Knight? Uncertainty clouded Bluhen's judgment, standing up without his mind ordering his body to do so in the search of his friend. His belongings sat in the grassy patch beside him, undisturbed and waiting for its owner to return. In dim lighting, Bluhen was able to make out new silhouettes approaching.
"You can't be serious!" A short figure threw their head down in defeat. Aether raised her staff in exasperation. "Is this some kind of joke?"
"I don't heal." It was a man's voice, quiet and melodic yet it was clear that he was irritated by the way he shielded his face from view. Wait, was that his voice? Bluhen leaned forward to listen in to the man that shared his voice.
"What do you mean you don't heal?" Aether threw her hands down.
"It means I don't heal," he replied. "I am incapable of using magic to repair wounds."
In the darkness, Bluhen stared, unable to take his eyes away from the man with cyan-colored hair. Adorned in white robes billowing in the wind, Richter resembled the celestials depicted in murals and stained glass art in churches. His features were void of strong emotions, numbed from being placed on the spot by an impatient mage who barely reached up to his chin in height.
"Then what do you do?" Aether scowled.
"Bring divine judgment and serve as the voice of the Goddess," Richter said.
"...you're somehow weirder than Ain."
Confusion formed in Aether's brows, creasing into a deep indentation with the mage sighing and rubbing her forehead. A clean cloth wrapped over her right elbow and over the opposite of her shoulder into a make-shift arm sling. Bluhen recognized it to be the work of Mr. Half-Demon and shifted his eyes in search of the butler. Had Chevalier and Ishtar returned with the rest of the group?
Richter looked straight into where Bluhen stood. Their faces were the same, but everything was different in pigment. Cyan eyes locked into Bluhen's with recognition. Aether noticed and followed his gaze.
"Hello, Ms. Mage." Bluhen waved at his teammate and added. "And me… I heard my name in passing. Is there something you want from me?"
"Call me Richter," he insisted. "I see you are awake."
"Yes I am," Bluhen replied.
"I was hoping you could help me with this," Aether turned to show her arm. At closer glance, her arm was wrapped in an old shirt washed out by the sun. Humans were so creative when they wanted to stay alive.
"Pray tell how you broke that arm," Bluhen gently placed his hand over the broken arm to examine, feeling for broken bones or joints.
"Elsword crushed my arm." She glared, "Don't give me that look!"
"I'm not allowed to say it's funny?" Bluhen smiled.
"Absolutely not!"
"I'll take a look at it in a bit," Bluhen chuckled and turned to look at Richter. "I want to talk to him first."
"Huh? Oh!" Aether looked between the two men and nodded, "Sure! You don't have to rush! I'll be checking on the supplies and helping Ciel. He looked busy."
Aether ran over to Bluhen with her uninjured arm lifted over her head to lean forward to scan the area. A trail of tents lined up and formed a path lit up by campfires that smelled of smoked meats and herbs. She looked at Bluhen with sympathy.
"You're okay talking to him by yourself?" She asked.
"It's fine," Bluhen waved his hand. "I'll find you when I'm done."
He watched Aether running through the grass with her staff tucked behind her back. The mage saw another teammate walk by and waved to get their attention. She's going to be okay, Bluhen thought. There were more than enough people to make sure of that.
"You wish to speak to me?" Richter asked.
Millions of questions flooded into Bluhen's mind about Richter's existence, flabbergasted at the implications of it all. What did it mean for both of them to cohabit in the same plane of existence? Did Richter understand the cause of the portals rippling through the skies? What was his relation to Paradox if he had one?
Richter reminded him of a fish. Empty eyes gazing back, the blue-haired priest betrayed little emotion, yet reminiscence of regret lingered in his presence. It was strange to meet another being like himself when his existence was meant to be an exception by the Goddess. Bluhen pressed his fingers over to Richter's.
"How are you me?" Bluhen asked aloud.
"I would like to ask the same," Richter mirrored his question back.
"I was created by the Goddess to restore the El," Bluhen said. "but I made the decision to form a new purpose for myself and protect my friends to indirectly help the El." He gestured to his counterpart, "your turn.
"I also serve the Goddess and act as her catalyst by striking down those that choose to defy her judgment." Richter said.
By Goddess, was he really come off as pretentious to other people? What was this prickly feeling he was experiencing? Bluhen stared at Richter with a mixture of bewilderment and exasperation, unsure what to make of his alternate. He silently counted his blessing that Knight and his friends were ever so patient with his ignorance.
"You can be rest assured that your Elsword is safe," Bluhen tried to change the subject.
"I know," Richter said. "I saw him being pursued by Empire. She did not look happy."
"Aren't you worried?" Bluhen tried to understand his counterpart's reaction, puzzled by how calm Richter was about Rune being chased by his sister's alternate.
"How I feel does not concern Elsword," Richter said. "He is capable of making his own decisions."
Like sacrificing himself to the El? Bluhen thought warily. His memories were blurred about the specific event, during a time when his physical form was barely maintained by his purpose to serve the Goddess Ishmael. With the El temporarily restored, Bluhen lost his physical form and everything that came with living, no longer a person but barely a memory.
"I assume yours merged with the El as well?"
Bluhen nodded. His body went cold. Again?
"This won't get easier," Richter's lips formed into a straight line. "Elsword will continue to make difficult decisions you may not agree with and you cannot stop him."
"How would you know?" Bluhen asked weakly. "You haven't talked to him."
"No, but I have talked to Ishtar and Chevalier." Richter said, "I know he is a selfless person and would feel guilty for making you react like this."
"He was my first friend," Bluhen choked. "I followed him and still lost him."
"You cannot protect him from everything," Richter said. "He will be upset if you do."
"I know. That's why he's in this mess." Bluhen laughed dryly. "Thank you… It was interesting talking to you. I was not expecting to meet you like this."
"You should help Aether," Richter said. "She was not happy when I told her I could not heal."
"So I gathered," Bluhen snickered. "Where will you go?"
"Back to Elsword," he said. "I said I would wait for him."
Of course, Bluhen thought. Despite the cold front and being straight-faced, in the end, Richter had a soft spot for Rune. It must have been painful for Richter to see Rune siding with their El Search Party, which led to a misunderstanding and a chaotic fight that fractured their forces on both sides. Before Bluhen left to search for Aether, he was stopped by his counterpart.
"What should I call you?' Richter asked.
"Me?" The priest placed a finger over his lips, "call me Bluhen."
Author Notes: Now that the fighting is over, it's time for obligatory everyone's gotta talk to themselves (because this fic is 100% self-indulgent and I enjoy writing the two paths talking). Will third paths show up or will Paradox remain a sad cat? Yes.
Guest - Yes! FP and RM share something together! As for third jobs... you'll have to find out!
MinervaVenus - You are absolutely correct. Devi enjoys toying with Empire and sees a bit of Flame in her. Oz and Rune have an interesting relationship. Newer chapters might explore more about the nature of her relationship with Rune.
Iisarainbowpig - Thank you for taking the time to read this fanfic! It's been a dream of mine to write a fic at the scale of where two paths meet and talk to each other. Add is my favorite character and I find MP's lore to be the most interesting of the three because of his desperation to reunite with his family. You'll get to see more of the Adds in a future chapter. I hope you enjoy the future updates!
