Chapter 18: Storm and Stress
|Lorean Tower - FW5|19:15 pm|
This was a rare moment of respite from the Shadows, and waiting for further instruction, the team waited to hear their next steps. Nathan and Amara kept a look out, but no Ornatu Legion members came.
"Kyle's taking his time to contact us..." Priscilla said, concerned.
"Do you think something happened?" Serena asked. "Oh god...you don't think Blaine got into trouble? Like get possessed by a demon?"
"A demon so desperate it'd want to possess Blaine's body? That's a pretty pathetic monster." Nathan said, smirking.
"Rude..." Priscilla said, shaking her head. "You always were too harsh towards Kanaloa, Nathan."
Amara took out her phone, eager to diffuse the tension. "Hold on, I'll try calling Kyle." Ringing his number, Amara got more and more anxious with each ring. Finally, he picked up.
"Hey, is that Amara?" Kyle asked.
"Yeah. What's going on? We've been trying to call you for a while now."
"Sorry about that." Kyle said, hesitantly. "Something came up at base."
"Is Blaine alright?" Amara asked. "He hasn't done anything stupid, has he?"
"Well, not yet, but - Hey! Where are you going?" Kyle shouted. Amara thought she could hear the NDD firing up in the background.
"Who is he talking to...?" Serena asked, confused.
"Dammit. Never mind that for now. Anyway, here's what to do. Listen very carefully. If I have to repeat myself...I will, but it'll be really annoying."
After following some complicated instructions, they successfully stopped power flowing to numerous locations. Electrical engineering was not Amara's strong point, so she considered Kyle's tutorials a godsend.
"Good work, everybody. Now, I'm going to call you back later, so I need you to do the same thing in rooms FW 6 and 7. Once you're done, come back to the NDD room and I'll contact you again. Good luck." Kyle said, hanging up.
"So what's going on with Blaine?" Serena asked. "It's kinda weird not having him around."
"We'll be fine without him for tonight. I'd say we're lucky have Priscilla in his place." Nathan said, happily.
"Nathan..." Priscilla said, icily.
"Blaine probably just decided to go home...maybe he was feeling sick." Amara said. "Let's carry on with our mission."
|Lorean Tower - Hallway|19:19 pm|
"Huh? It's you!"
Oh crap, Amara thought, as two Ornatu Legion members spotted them. Two boys, both with swords, summoned their Personas, 'Nata Taishi' and 'Tenong Cut'.
"You call those Personae? Burn! Maragi!" Amara called out, and Hathor's flames hit the two boys.
"Argh...natural Persona users?! Why?" one boy said.
"I'm never getting promoted, am I?" the other boy said.
"Your career progression is stalled, I'm afraid." Nathan said.
With a few more spells, they were defeated. An odd red mist dissipated from their bodies, and it flew through the window.
"Whoa! The hell was that?" Amara asked.
"This is what happens when Ornatu Legion members are defeated. They're still alive, but they lose all memories of having a Personae." Priscilla said.
"What are we supposed to do with them? Leave them here?" Amara said. "If we do that, then they'll just get turned back into Legion members!"
"Safeguarding them ourselves isn't an option, I'm afraid..." Priscilla said. "Our base is small, you know that."
"We could at least put them in the room we were just in. Shadows don't seem to appear in that room" Nathan said. And so, they carried the unconcious members into the room and quickly shut the door.
"I'm really glad we didn't wind up joining the Ornatu Legion now!" Serena said, angrily. "The Ornatu Legion members could go crazy at any minute, and Aeternus doesn't care!"
"Keep your voice down! The Holy Cross are probably still in the entrance, waiting for us." Priscilla said. "It's time we got moving. We don't want to keep Kyle waiting."
One Hour Later
"Phew, that was hard work." Amara said, wiping sweat from her brow. "If this works, then the Shadows will drop in numbers, right?"
"Yes, hopefully." Priscilla said, holding her sceptre in her hands. She wasn't particularly strong, but her Persona had impressive Bufu and Hama spells. Thus, some Shadows she could dispatch instantaneously. A number of Ornatu Legion members got in their way, but they fell easily. "I think we've done well. Now, we'll leave whenever Kyle gives the order."
So the team waited in the NDD room, and Kyle's phone soon rang. "So, did it turn out alright?"
"Yes, it did. Thanks your help. Um, what happened with Blaine?" Amara asked.
"Oh...well, I think it'd be better to tell you face-to-face." Kyle said. "Come on through. Oh, and well done." He hung up. Something bothered Amara about what Kyle said, but she didn't know what.
"Well, then, ladies first!" Nathan said, looking at Priscilla.
"Aww, you're still such a gentleman!" Priscilla said, giving Nathan a quick kiss. His face went as red as his hair. "Well, let's go!" Priscilla ran through the NDD, and just before Serena could go through, it turned off.
"What?" Serena screamed. "What just happened?"
"I don't know!" Amara said. "Give me a sec, I'll think of something." She looked at the NDD, but nothing seemed unusual. Well, percussive maintenance probably won't do the trick...
"Is there another way out?" Nathan asked. "I don't think we should risk the front entrance-"
"That's very wise. After all, you're surrounded no matter where you turn." said a familiar voice. Alastair!
Sure enough, the entire Holy Cross came in, with rather smug looks on their faces. "Looks like our little game worked!" Kazuya said, as Richard started laughing. "What are you laughing at, Richard?"
"Sorry, I got bored, and was remembering something from a book..." Richard said, still trying to suppress a giggling fit.
"You idiot. I knew I shouldn't have bought you that Jewish joke book." Kazuya said, with a stony face.
"You must have thought you rebels had figured us out. Truth is, you haven't disabled power anywhere, except for this room. It merely took longer to run out than we thought. Now we have you three in custody." Bianca said, her rapier at the ready. "You're all under arrest!"
"There's no reason to fear. You'll come to understand the Ornatu Legion, and become even greater. Our job is to bring justice to the Shadows and keep the peace of the citizens of our beautiful city! Do you not believe in such an ideal?" Alastair said, taunting Amara.
"You..." she growled, but she was too tired to fight.
"This isn't good. What do we do now?" Nathan said, worried.
"It's not just the three of us, you know!" Serena yelled, as she whipped the ground in frustration. "Even if you losers took us, you'd never be able to beat the others!"
"So you guys together can wipe out the Holy Cross. Big deal. That doesn't change a damn thing." said another voice. Another person was here, having lurked in the shadows. Now they approached, ready for battle.
What? That voice!
Amara, Nathan and Serena's jaws dropped at the sight of the tall man who towered over each of the Holy Cross. Clad in a red and black military outfit, and holding a black pistol in his hand, there was no mistaking it. Even with the numerous scars on his face, the strange visor device covering his right eye, and his slightly greyer hair, it was definitely...
"Blaine?" Serena screamed.
"How do you know my name?" he said. "You fucking idiots! I thought I told you to never tell anyone my name!"
"But we didn't, sir!" Kazuya protested, his eyes desperately avoiding the other Blaine's. The others looked uncomfortable, and kept quiet.
"Tch. I expect a full explanation later. Miyazaki, shut up for now. That goes for you other clowns too." The other Blaine said, with a furious expression. When he stared more closely at Serena, Nathan and Amara, his face screwed up in utter confusion.
"What are you looking at us like that for?" Amara said. "Wait a minute! You killed my father -"
"And mine!" Nathan shouted. Serena wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the right words. Yet, the other Blaine seemed to realise something…
"What the fuck is this?" he roared. "How the hell did you morons not know who these guys were?"
"Um...we...didn't...know what to say! Right, guys?" Alastair said, and the rest of the Holy Cross could only nod. "I mean, this Amara doesn't even have a scar!"
"You can go back to shutting the hell up." Blaine said, coldly. Alastair gulped, and turned away. "This doesn't make any sense. You got rid of that scar? How? After everything that happened -"
"Quiet!" Amara screamed. "You won't capture us! Come on, Hathor!" Hathor emerged, much to the other Blaine's astonishment.
"Hathor? What happened to Sekhmet?" he said. "No one told me anything about this!"
So he gave the other me that scar after all? I'll have to ask her about that...if we can get out of here alive.
"Amara, what are you doing?" Serena said. "We can't beat him in this state!"
"We don't know that! I can't let this guy get away with killing my dad! And he destroyed Kanaloa, too!" Amara shouted, the hatred welling up in her eyes. The other Blaine looked horrified at the mention of this, and he stood there in silence.
"That's - enough! You guys ought to learn your place!" And thus, his Persona appeared, in a furious blue burst of energy.
"Tlaloc!" Serena said, as Nathan gasped. The Persona was indeed Tlaloc, yet with some changes. He had red eyes instead of blue, and he had a large golden headdress with many colourful feathers on top. He had light green tattoos instead of dark blue, and there was something more primal about the way he held his hammer.
"As expected. Come forth, Setanta!" Nathan called, as Setanta appeared. Serena called upon Artemis, and the Other Blaine recoiled in shock. He seemed to recognise their Personas.
"Setanta? Artemis?" he yelled. "This can't be right. You're not the ones I know!"
"Shut up already! This is for Dad!" Nathan yelled. Setanta sent forth a Garula spell, which didn't seem to faze the other Blaine very much.
"Commander!" Bianca stepped forward. "I'll assist -"
"You know damn well I've never needed help. Stay back." The Other Blaine said. Serena took the opportunity to strike him with her whip, but he effortlessly jumped away. "Don't try it, Serena!"
"Uh...Aques!" Artemis hit the Other Blaine with her water spell, and this had much more of an effect. "So this Blaine's weak to water too..."
"What the hell do you mean by 'this' Blaine?" Other Blaine said, confused. "The hell are you talking about?"
"QUIET!" Amara yelled, as she called upon Hathor to strike with Agilao. Despite the fire in her heart, it did next to nothing to Other Blaine.
"It's just like your friend told you. You'll never beat the Commander!" Kazuya chided.
"Quit your running commentary!" The other Blaine said, and Kazuya gulped. "I might as well end this in one strike. Tlaloc, show them the Black Lightning!"
What? He's not going to use his motorcycle against us! Is he?
Amara had heard stories of Blaine's motorcycle, but even that vehicle would have been preferable to the assault that would commence.
Tlaloc held his hammer aloft, and with a single flash, black thunder bolts hit everyone, with more force than anything Amara had ever seen, and she felt herself hit the ground before the pain set in.
"Argh! Kyle..." Serena managed to say before passing out.
"I'm sorry, Priscilla..." Nathan said, as he soon lost consciousness. Amara couldn't move an inch, but she heard the entire Holy Cross gasp, and the other Blaine snapped at them.
Stop...just let me die here. Philemon, I failed you. Forgive me...
"You should have known better than to mess with me. Now, you're coming with - what?" he suddenly looked alarmed, as the ground started shaking. Amara closed her eyes, awaiting the inevitable, and felt her body falling again.
|Beneath the Tower|20:25 pm|
"Amara, wake up! Come on!" Serena said, shaking Amara's body.
"Ngh..." Amara woke up, still in pain. "Oww! It hurts..."
"Sorry!" Serena said, worried. Amara tried to smile, but the pain in her body soon put a stop to that. "Don't worry, me and Nathan are okay. This isn't the afterlife or anything."
"This pain feels too real to be that. What happened? And where are we?"Amara asked
"We're beneath Lorean Tower. We wound up in the underground power network." Nathan said, as he looked around at the red metal walls and floors. It seemed like all the corridors leading from this round room were like pipes.
"It'll be okay. Here." Serena said, as she cast Media on the three of them.
"Thanks, Serena. Where's Blaine?" Amara asked, recovering.
"I'm right here." said a voice from behind her. Amara gulped, and saw the other Blaine behind her.
Crap. He fell down too?
"The NDD's here aren't working. Looks like you did manage to screw up the power system somehow."
"Not that it makes a difference." Amara said, looking down. She then turned to Nathan and Serena, and her eyes began to well up with tears. Had she not have jumped into battle, she could have spared them from this predicament. "Guys, I'm sorry! This is all my fault!"
"Amara..." Nathan said. Serena shook her head, but the presence of the other Blaine kept her quiet.
"You can forget about escaping. I'm taking you all to headquarters. You three, follow me." the Other Blaine said. Just then, his mobile rang. Angrily, he took the call. "What now, Alastair?"
"Commander, you're alive! What happened? Are you alright? What about those rebels?" Alastair said, sounding concerned.
"Yes, no one died. Now shut the fuck up and leave me the hell alone, dumbass." he said, hanging up before Alastair could respond. "I can't deal with those retards right now. Now c'mon, follow me!"
"...Lead the way, Commander." Serena said, in despair.
The trio followed the commander. Amara couldn't tell what the others were thinking, but they looked white with fright. She felt scared herself - what if she never saw Stella again? She'd never get to see the first issue on sale, and Karen would have to find someone else to take her place. She'd never get to go to Farawell's bars again. And worst of all she would never see her father ever again. Amara started shaking, and even Nathan's sympathetic stare didn't help.
The three of them walked in silence, through the empty red tunnels. It might as well have been hell.
|Secret Base|20:30 pm|
"Damn." Kyle said, throwing his phone on the floor. "I can't get through! Priscilla, are you sure everything was alright when you went through?"
"Yes, Kyle, you asked me that seven times already!" she snapped. "What are we supposed to do now?"
"Perhaps Sir Blaine was right. An elaborate and insidious snare, designed to lure them into a false sense of security." Seraphina said. "Give me some time. I'm sure I can find their location."
"Why did he want to look up a map of the power network, anyway?" Aimee said. "And his other self is the Commander..."
"Why do you think I didn't want to meet him?" Dan said, in a bad mood. "I dunno what he's thinking, but-"
"Everyone, listen!" Seraphina said, alarmed. "Hecate has located our allies. We must depart, with haste!"
|Power Tunnels|20:42 pm|
As the four of them walked ahead, Amara kept trying to think of something to say that would lighten the mood. Yet, nothing came to mind. Amara was shaking at the thought of dying here. No one in the other world would ever know what happened to her and the others.
"Watch out! Shadows!" Nathan shouted. In front of them were a different variety of the blob monsters, wearing weird green masks. "Are those the basic model?"
"Yup. They're called Maya Shadows. Give them enough time and they change shape and form to whatever they wont." Other Blaine said. Nathan readied his staff, but he was pushed aside. "You just let me deal with them, pretty boy."
Tlaloc pulverised them with electricity instantly, their remains still sparking as they dissolved.
"Pathetic, as always." Blaine said, dismissing his Persona.
"Uh...cool." Serena said. "Are there more Shadows around here?"
"You stupid? The motherfuckers are everywhere! They're powering the whole city!" the other Blaine said, looking on ahead. "Let's cut the crap and talk. Your names are Amara Furaha, Serena Agnethe, and Nathan Albion, correct?"
"Yes, those are our names..." Nathan said. "Although it seems like we've incurred...amnesia." His hastily thought-up excuse was welcomed with a loud smack to the face. "Oww!"
"Don't talk shit. You and Amara look too different from recent records to be the ones we're after. And Serena, she's not the same one. Not only that, you couldn't last more than one hit, yet Amara gave me most of these scars. So what's going on? Answer me, dammit!" he snapped, pointing his gun at their faces.
"Alright, just don't hurt us! Put that thing away!" Amara yelled. "We're from another dimension, okay? Where there are no Shadows in our city!"
"What?" he said. "That's bullshit!"
"No, it's true. Me and Nathan have already met our other selves!" Amara said. "You killed our parents over here, didn't you?"
"And what about me? Where am I in this world? You didn't kill me...did you?" Serena asked, horrified at the thought.
"Stop. Just fucking...stop." Blaine said, lowering his gun. "Even if this dimension thing is true, I didn't kill them -"
"Oh, and we're supposed to trust you? You're just a megalomaniac! A bastard who killed everyone in his town for power! Your best friend's brother died thanks to you!" Nathan yelled. The Other Blaine, who looked like he was on the verge of tears, grabbed Nathan and pointed his gun at him.
"Shut the hell up!" he screamed. "You don't know shit at all! You say one more word, and I'll fucking kill you!"
"Then what did happen to our parents?" Amara asked. Serena looked away, and Nathan was absolutely petrified.
"Stay with me, and I'll tell you everything I know." the other Blaine said. "If you're lucky, I might be able to let you go back." he dropped Nathan to the ground, and Serena ran over to help him up.
"Ugh. What now?" Amara asked as quietly as she could, as they followed the Commander.
"I don't know, but if Blaine finds out, he'll go crazy!" Nathan whispered.
"Do you think he figured it out for himself?" Serena said.
"Probably." Amara said. "No wonder Dan was so hostile to Blaine earlier."
"Poor guy. If only we could tell Aimee and the others what was going on." Serena said.
Lady Amara! Sir Nathan! Lady Serena! Can you all hear me?
The three of them gasped, but didn't say a word. It was Seraphina's voice, speaking directly into their minds.
Please, do not say a word! It was an uphill struggle, but I finally uncovered your location! Please, follow the Commander for the time being! I promise we shall not let him abduct you!
Although the three of them didn't say it, they were relieved. Now Aimee and the others were coming to rescue them, Amara felt deep relief and gratitude, wiping away a tear. Thanks to her, she could go home tonight. Serena and Nathan seemed just as relieved, but stayed quiet. They weren't out of danger just yet.
|Tunnel's End|20:53 pm|
"We're finally here. God, I hate this place." the Other Blaine said. "I gotta ask you some more about this other world shit. What do you guys do over there?"
"I'm an illustrator for a magazine." Amara said begrudgingly. This is the first time I've hated telling someone my job.
"I work for my father's company. You know the one." Nathan said, looking away.
"I go to Lucille Valley High School." Serena said, eyes to the ground. "Hey, how do you know me?"
"That's what I wanted to ask you. You knew who I was, and you recognised my Persona. And there's a fourth member in your team, right?" the Other Blaine asked.
"Yes." Amara said, and she felt a shiver down her spine.
"Then who is it? Come on, tell me!" he asked. Before anyone could answer, however, there was a loud commotion behind a steel door. Lots of footsteps and muffled voiced, but Amara couldn't make out what they were saying.
"Huh?" Serena said.
"What the hell? A Shadow?" the Other Blaine asked, getting his gun ready. "You three stay back!" Just as he was about to summon his Persona, the door itself was torn to pieces. There were Tlaloc, holding his hammer. The Tlaloc Amara knew was on their team.
"Hey!" Serena couldn't believe it. "Blaine!"
"Sorry I'm late, guys. I had a feeling something like this was gonna happen. Thought you guys were too smart for traps like that" Blaine stepped forward, but he froze on the spot as she saw the other self. "So..."
"Yeah..." Amara said.
"The Commander's name is Blaine Spencer, of Kanaloa" Nathan said.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Blaine looked hysterical, whilst the Other Blaine just stared. "You sick fuck! How can I be the one who destroyed Kanaloa? Why the hell did you join Aeternus?"
"I..." the Other Blaine mumbled, looking at the ground. "I didn't have a choice."
"Like hell you didn't! I started to have my doubts when I saw the way those Holy Cross idiots looked at me, but Dan knew! Matthew's dead, and it's all my fault! Why?" Blaine was shaking, and the others just stood there, without any idea what to do.
"I know it's my fault! But...if you've met Dan...he's still alive." the Other Blaine said. "I have to see him-"
"You shut up! Dan is my best friend, and you - or I - betrayed him! I'm not letting that go!" Blaine summoned Tlaloc, and a supreme flow of energy surrounded him. The Other Blaine's Tlaloc emerged, also charged with a mysterious power.
It is of great misfortune that my alter-ego would be so tormented by pain and suffering. Allow me to end that pain and grant you the stairway to redemption! Blaine's Tlaloc said.
You who share my image, I am beyond salvation. Ten years of darkness cannot be overturned. I have no choice but to destroy you, for the light shall never bless me again! the other Tlaloc said.
"Zionga!" both Blaines screamed, and incredible bolt of lightning hit both of them. It was just like the Amaras - they could break each other's resistances.
"Amara, what do you want to do? Should we help?" Nathan asked.
"We're not experience enough yet to fight him head on...but we can still support Blaine!" Amara said. "Blaine, hold on! Rakukaja!" Hathor granted Blaine some defensive power, which reduced the power of the Other Blaine's gunshots. "Nathan, come on!"
"I know, I know! Sukukaja!" Nathan's new spell raised Blaine's agility, and he took advantage of this by dodging a powerful Zionga spell.
"I didn't want to fight myself. Not like this. Guess I don't have a choice. I never do." the Other Blaine said. "Time to show you all the Black Lightning -"
Before he could attack, a ferocious looking Persona struck him from behind with a golden scythe. The group stared in amazement, with their foe's scream echoing painfully in their eyes.
Whoa! That looked brutal.
It was a humanoid beast with a silver lion's head, with bloody horns, and long green feathers at either side. His body was covered with green stripes, and he had golden armour and jewellery, complete with a long cape that resembled a lion's mane.
"Daniel?" Serena said, stepping back with fright.
As expected, Dan walked forward, armed with a white rifle. Yet he wasn't alone, and soon enough the rest of the rebels came in.
"Everyone, you're okay!" Aimee said, relieved. "I'm sorry, we should have realised what was going to happen sooner!"
"Serena, this is all my fault. I should have figured it out." Kyle said, shaking his head. "No more mistakes."
"Dan? Is that really you?!" the Other Blaine said, recovering from the assault.
"You weren't expecting to see me ever again, huh? Thought a Shadow would just get me and you wouldn't have to deal with me anymore?" Dan said. His rage was burning deeply, his baritone voice deep with disgust. "Guess what. That Persona thing? The cool power you had, and thought only you could do? Well, meet Tezcatlipoca!"
Amara smiled, and pointed her blade at the Other Blaine. "You're outnumbered, you know. We're not letting you get away with everything you've done!"
"Better listen to what the lady says, you bastard. I'm not leaving until you're dead!" Aiming his rifle at the Other Blaine's face, he was desperate to pull the trigger. It wouldn't kill him, but all Dan wanted to do was hurt him as much as he could.
"Why did you have to get a Persona too!? You should have stayed away!" the Other Blaine said. "Fighting Aeternus won't get you anywhere, the way you all are now!"
"There's no way I'd do that! I'm not a coward like you. You could have stood against them, but you just had to join them for power and fame...the kind you couldn't get from Kanaloa. Sure, you had to get rid of Matthew and all the other guys, but what good is my little brother compared to magic powers, right? You piece of shit! For all this time, I've been waiting, to finally be able to hurt you!" Dan roared. "Tezcatlipoca, you are me, and I am you. So kill him!"
Tezcatlipoca sent forth a Zionga spell of his own to hit the Other Blaine, but unlike with Blaine it didn't work.
"That's not going to work! Dan, stop!"
"Fuck, I should have known. I guess I'll have to try something else!" Dan motioned for Tezcatlipoca to cast a spell, and…a dark bloody aura surrounded the Other Blaine, who just stood there.
"What IS this - argh!" A massive concentration of dark energy built up, and with severe force, erupted, and for the first time, the Other Blaine was actually in pain. "The hell was that?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Dan asked, staring down at the other Blaine.
"Well, yeah, that's why I asked." he said. "You haven't changed much, man."
"Shut up! I'm not your pal!" Dan said, and he fired at the Other Blaine, who stumbled to the ground.
"Amara, aren't you going to do anything?" Serena asked. "We can't just let Dan kill this Blaine, right?"
"No, but I...I...don't know what to do!" Amara shouted. "I can't think straight right now!"
"Leave this one to me! Tlaloc, use all your power!" Blaine had completely lost control, and Tlaloc looked like he was under incredible strain. Yet…he seemed to be shrouded in a dark power, and Amara recognised the move immediately. Blaine had nothing but endless rage in his eyes, and his other self stood up.
"No...I'm not ready to die yet." he said. "I have to stop you all! If I don't, Aeternus will just enslave you as well..." His own Tlaloc started charging the exact same move.
"Wait, what is he going to do?" Kyle screamed.
"Hecate, protect us all!" Seraphina used Hecate to summon a barrier around everyone, but she was too late to cast one on Blaine. At that moment, each Black Lightning hit, and Amara was blinded with the flashes. The barrier took the many hits, but perished immediately afterwards. Amara closed her eyes, but the sound was deafening.
When Amara could finally see again, the area had been torn to shreds, with most of the metal walls covered in burn marks, if they hadn't already melted from the sheer heat or been blasted to pieces.
"Is everyone alright?" Aimee said, as she looked around. "Blaine!" Blaine was lying on the floor, bleeding, and unconscious. "Let's get out of here! Irene, Traesto!" Irene teleported everyone safely back to the base.
|Secret Base|21:00 pm|
"I am truly sorry. There was not enough time to shield him as well." Seraphina said, anxious. "Lady Aimee, please save him!"
Aimee nodded and she used her healing spells on Blaine immediately. Quickly, he stirred, blinking rapidly. "Thank goodness!"
"Oww... That smarts. What happened?" Blaine said, stirring. "I just remember lots of black flashes, and -"
"Glad you're alright." Amara said, nervously.
"Takes more than a thunderstorm to take me down..." Blaine said, looking away.
"What happened to the Commander?" Priscilla asked.
Seraphina shook her head. "I do not know. After the storm, I was no longer able to sense his presence." Seraphina said, disturbed. "The battleground may have become his burial site..."
"Nah, he's still out there. I can tell. I don't need your psychic mumbo-jumbo to know that. And he won't give up until he's got us as Ornatu Legion slaves." Dan said, falling onto a chair.
"Then we'll most likely meet him again." Priscilla said. "An enemy that like will be difficult to truly surpass. Even so, I will not falter."
"Just great! Ten years and I still didn't get a chance to kill him!" Dan said sourly, as he walked out of the room.
Blaine's smile faltered, and Amara couldn't help but feel sorry for him. His other self was the Commander, a mass-murderer, and yet he was just a normal guy.
"Um...Blaine, despite all that's happened, please don't be discouraged. No matter what the others say, I want you on our side. I don't know what happened to your other self, but I honestly believe you're not the same!" Aimee said, holding Blaine's bloody hand.
"...C'mon guys. Let's go home." Blaine said, and still unsteady, he stood up, and went through the NDD, accompanied by the others.
|Farawell|21:04 pm|
"Blaine..." Serena said, as Nathan tried to support Blaine as they walked. "Thanks."
"Don't thank me..." Blaine said, looking miserable. "You guys get it, right? The other me is our enemy! Amara, your dad is dead because of me! So is yours, Nathan! Dammit, and Kanaloa...all because of me!"
Amara sighed, unsure what to say. If it really was the other Blaine that killed her father, then could the Blaine she knew be capable of the same? No, she told herself. Yet Blaine himself was ravaged with doubt.
"The stuff I've done over there can't be ignored, guys..." Blaine said.
"Must you be so melodramatic?" Nathan asked, turning towards Blaine. Stunned, Blaine stared back.
"Nathan...?" Serena said, curious.
"You're not him. We aren't the same as our counterparts. After ten years of leading different lives, perhaps the other you truly is our enemy. But does that make you one too? Or...do you want to be on the other side?"
"No damn way!" Blaine snapped. "That ain't happening. I can't turn against you guys! Not like him!"
"Exactly. Only you know what you're capable of." Nathan said. "I may not know you very well, but I've got a good eye for reading people. You're not the kind of man who could murder anyone in cold blood. You're the man that we can always count on."
There was a moment of silence, as Blaine pondered Nathan's words. Then, he managed a small, yet confident smile, and looked up.
"Guess that settles it." Blaine said. "I'm staying with you guys."
"You mean it?" Serena said, hopefully.
"It's a promise. This isn't just a hobby anymore." Blaine said. "This is the first time in years I feel like I've got a purpose in life. So I'm gonna follow that through. Besides...if even Nathan is worrying about me, I must look really pathetic. Gotta fix that."
"You could start by combing your hair once in a while." Amara said, smiling. Blaine laughed, playfully ruffling her and Serena's hair in retaliation. "Hey!"
"Alright, let's not get carried away!" Nathan said. "It's time we went home. I've had enough chaos for one night."
"I'm so glad that's over with. I was terrified..." Serena said.
"When we were in the tunnels, I was starting think we might not get out of there. It's so good to be home!" Amara said, stretching her arms.
"I know! But I think we should take a break for a couple of days. I need to focus on school." Serena said, exhausted. "You okay with that?"
"Fine with me!" Amara said. "We'll meet up soon enough. Till then, rest up, and stay strong!"
The three of them managed to escort Blaine to the outskirts of Kanaloa, where he insisted he go alone. He staggered unsteadily home, not for the first time, Amara imagined - but this time, it wasn't because of liquor. It was from facing a dark future, one where he and Dan were no longer friends. The one who had sworn death upon Blaine would be at home, ready to welcome him home.
Our worlds are both so similar, but so different. All because of Aeternus.
Amara soon arrived home herself, and fell asleep the moment she lay down on her bed, away from the Shadows of the alternate city.