Sorry about missing last week there guys! Came down with a wicked flu and took some time to rest. But we're back now! You may notice this chapter of Homecoming is going up on Monday! It's a bonus chapter, I'll still post on Friday, and 2nd Generation today as well!
Enjoy!
Neptu was supposed to be sleeping, but he wasn't capable of doing anything of the sort right now.
It had been a few days since he and the others had arrived at Zentopia, and all that time he'd been working on mastering the sacrament Chiyoko told him about. Since then priests had cast a spell on him that supposedly suppressed the infection enough to allow him to sleep, but it didn't ease his anxiety. After all, he'd already nearly choked Dharen out because it started to turn him. If it happened here, who exactly was going to stop him? Would he be able to be stopped? It all kept him from actually getting any kind of sleep.
Finally deciding he wanted to stretch his legs, Neptu kicked off the the sheets of his bed, looking around. The church had given him and the girls one room to share, and both of them seemed to be unconscious. Making sure he was as quiet as possible, Neptu slipped out the door and into the halls of Zentopia, the halls echoing with any slight loud noise he made. He didn't know where exactly he was going, but what he did know was that he just needed time to think. Walking usually helped him with that.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Neptu nearly jumped out of his skin and whirled around, finding Cardinal Mesa standing there with a smile on his face.
"How long have you been around here?" He asked, suspicious as to why the priest knew he'd got out of bed that quick.
"Don't be confused, I was merely walking to the courtyard." Mesa said as he walked up to and past him. "Care to accompany me?" Neptu made a face, but he really didn't have anything better to do. Shrugging, he tailed behind the man for a while in silence, both finally arriving in the courtyard of the cathedral. It was practically dead quiet out here as well, except now there was no echo either. Perfect bliss.
"It's so nice here," He said aloud as Mesa made for a nearby bench to sit at.
"It is, isn't it?" He asked. "I like to come here at night to think. The peace allows me to clear my mind. Perhaps it can do the same for you."
"I doubt that," Neptu replied. "I've got a lot swirling around up here."
"About the ritual tomorrow?" Wow, it was like he was a mind reader. Of course that was what it was. Neptu very well might die the following day, so of course he was nervous. "There's nothing to be worried about, priests and Mother Chiyoko will be on standby the whole time. If you do turn, you won't make it very far."
"Wow that's really soothing," Neptu replied as he rolled his eyes. "I'm surprised you're not a therapist with that kind of advice."
"Any other sort of reassurance would be blind and foolhardy." Mesa said. "There is a chance you will lose. But if you do, you won't need to worry about hurting anyone. Although with that said, I don't think you'll have much trouble."
"Oh yeah?" Neptu asked. "Why's that? Got some secret technique you dragged me out here to see?"
"No," Mesa said. "But I can tell you're a fighter, Neptu. And with how much you care about those around you, I think we'll be fine."
"What?" Now Neptu was confused. It was like Mesa skipped a few sentences in his head but assumed he said them. "What do they have to do with anything?"
"I know you care deeply for your sister and that other girl," Mesa said as he watched the sky. "And it is clear that they care for you as well. If there is one thing I have always staunched believed, it is that one will always lift their sword one more time if it means they'll protect those they care about, no matter the cost to themselves."
"Sounds cliche," Neptu replied, also watching the sky.
"It is," Mesa said. "But cliches exist because they are commonplace in our world, so much so that they are viewed as nothing more than a joke. But it does't make them any less true. When you have to fight for somebody else, someone you love, it is much easier to raise yourself up again." Neptu knew he was telling the truth. If he had been just fighting for himself all these years, he probably would've died already. He fought for those he cared about, and anyone who might be in danger because of demons.
Perhaps that was why Fairy Tail fought so hard to save Gin. Fighting for someone else just like he was.
"You should try and rest," Mesa said as he stood and made his way back inside. "The spell we cast should keep in repressed enough for you to sleep, so get to it. Your battle begins in the morning." With that he left Neptu to himself in the courtyard, staring up at the sky.
"I guess he's right," He said as he stood. "After all, I do have a long day ahead of me tomorrow."
"Is everyone ready?"
"Is that a trick question?" Mother Chiyoko just smiled as Neptu asked this question, clearly doing so in an attempt to ease his already rapid heartbeat. Didn't really do him much good though, he still felt like he was going to pass out at any moment now. Zynna, Elizabeth and himself had met Mesa and Chiyoko in the grand hall as ordered, and it seemed six other priests had also been summoned. Nobody seemed particularly happy to be there, Neptu least of all.
"Hey, moron." Neptu looked over his shoulder towards Zynna and Elizabeth, both wearing vastly different expressions. Zynna looked irritated, and Elizabeth just looked really concerned. So given that it was fairly obvious who had spoken out to him.
"Yes, dearest sister?" He asked, still trying to lower his heart rate. Maybe some joked would do it. Zynna just rolled her eyes and marched up to him, clearly ready to give him an earful about his attitude.
"Did you forget what I said?" She demanded. Neptu just raised an eyebrow at this, making Zynna sigh.
"Put on a brave face for her at least," she said, gesturing lowly back at Elizabeth so the girl didn't notice they were talking about her. "You're freaking her out." Of course, how could he have forgotten? Elizabeth was in just as bad a state as he was mentally. She had been worried out of her skull these past few days, and he needed to be brave for her. And for himself, but he'd already tried that and it hadn't worked.
"I know," he said. "Here, let me go and talk to her." Nodding, Zynna moved for him and Neptu moved to speak with the blonde haired woman.
"Hey," he greeted, attempting to put a smile on his face. It didn't seem to phase her, blue eyes still laced with concern.
"Don't give me that," she said. "I'm nervous."
"I know," he said. "I'm going to be fine, okay? You don't need to worry about that."
"I think I do," she said. "I've spent the last few days hearing how deadly this is going to be. What if you don't make it out of here? What if we have to go home without you? What if-?"
Neptu decided to cut the woman off by wrapping her into his arms, pressing her close to him. It made him upset to feel her shaking against him, clearly even more frightened than she was letting on.
"Just stop rambling," he said with a smile. "It's not befitting of a former general."
"I was a shitty general, you know that." she said, voice muffled by his jacket. "I just let you take care of everything."
"Funny, I told people the same thing, but about myself." he said, moving away from her. Deciding to go farther, he reached forward and brushed the hair out of her face, attempting to clean her up a bit. He paused, unsure what to do as she reached up and grabbed his hand, keeping it against her head.
"I'll be careful," he said. "If I've got you and Zynna waiting on the other side, I'd be more scared to let you two down." Elizabeth just scoffed at this, put handed stopped holding his hand.
"I'm not that scary," she said.
"You are when you're irritated with me for messing up."
"I am not!"
"Yeah, you are."
"Neptu?" Neptu turned at Chiyoko's calling, once again greeted by her bright smile. "Are you prepared?" Watching her warily, Neptu took a deep breath.
"Yeah," he said. He turned back to Elizabeth, who'd gone back to worrying. "I guess I got something to do."
"Yeah," she said, finally releasing his hand. "I guess you do." Taking a deep breath, Neptu turned away from her and walked towards the center of the chamber, surrounding himself with priests, Mesa and Chiyoko.
"We'll prepare the ritual now," Chiyoko said. Neptu gulped, but nodded.
"Let's teach this infection whose boss," he said. Smiling again, Chiyoko nodded. At this, the six priests around Neptu rose their hands. Bright white light shone from them, and already Neptu felt sick. He watched as layer upon layer on holy magic was added onto the ritual, obviously all being used to both contain him and separate the infection from him. The layers began to form a circle around him, and they began to rise into a sphere. Before long he was completely engulfed in holy magic on all sides, making his eyes and insides hurt all the same.
"Neptu?" Mesa's voice rang. "Can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear," Neptu replied.
"Good," Mesa said. "We're going to activate the splitting charm now. You may feel like you are on the verge of a psychotic break, but this is merely a symptom of tearing the infection from your soul. Please concentrate on not going insane for us."
"Say what now?" Neptu asked, stomach dropping. He wasn't given anymore warning before the sphere began to whirl to life, making his mouth dry up. This was it, the battle he'd spent days preparing for. He needed to remember what Chiyoko had taught him, the sealing sacrament. He could only perform it once the demons guard was down, and he needed to weaken it significantly. to do that, he needed to-!
Neptu didn't have a chance to finish his thoughts, as a white haze enveloped everything he had every considered to be reality.
Elizabeth winced as Neptu's screaming pierced the silence of the hall around them, making her frown deepen even more. As if that was somehow possible.
"The splitting has commenced," Mesa reported. "He'll come back to in about a minute and thirty seconds, in which the battle will begin."
"You neglected to mention the screams of terror," Zynna murmured, covering her left ear. The look on her face looked almost childlike, she was so startled. Elizabeth couldn't mock her though, she felt just as distraught."
"I figured that came with the territory of the ritual," Mesa said. "We never once shied away from describing the pain. But for him, it will go beyond that to indescribable."
"Is that supposed to make us feel better?" Elizabeth demanded, feeling her breakfast fighting her for the right to come back up. Mesa shook his head.
"No," he said. "It is to remind you how far he is willing to go for you both. If he only had himself to worry about, I doubt he would have agreed to this." Elizabeth took this information is as the screaming continued, giving it some thought. Would Neptu go this far without needing to worry about them? Did he think he was worth it on his own? After Fairy Tail and Gin, she didn't know any more. But he still had to come out/ Not just for Zynna and herself, but the other members of The Cross and Gin. Xeros, everyone expected him home.
He couldn't disappoint them. He couldn't.
When Neptu came to all he remembered was that he was in pain. He sat there on the ground for a bit, mind slowly coming to as he recollected his scattered memories. He remembered now. The pain had been caused by a ritual performed by Zentopian priests to help him purify his own soul.
Which meant...
Looking up weakly, Neptu spotted a black mass of energy floating nearby. It radiated negative energy so thoroughly it looked as though the sphere he was encased in might crumble, but it stood strong against his concerns. Slowly getting to his feet, Neptu Watched the black mass as a dark voice chuckled.
"And so he stands," The voice said, rippling with energy. From what he could tell, it was originating from the mass of magic. "The boy wonder who sought to avenge his family."
"You..." Neptu managed, feeling his strength begin to return a bit, sanity along with it. "What are you?"
"Well that's a rude question, don't you think?" It asked with a dark laugh. "I've been helping you for so long, you'd think you'd know me."
"I tend not to make friends with dark magic like you," Neptu replied, clenching his fists. "I know what you are. The amalgamation of the infection inside me. The demon created by my magic, correct?" The black mass just laughed again at this, and it began to shift violently.
"No no Neptu, not quite." He replied. "Although I suppose you're not entirely off the mark." Neptu made a face at this, confused.
"How was I off the mark?" He demanded. "What are you?" Another laugh.
"Why Neptu, how could you have already forgotten?" The mass began to shift more violently, and soon it began to take shape. Neptu watched as a body began to spawn from the mess, first with legs and then a torso. Arms popped out of their sockets, and a blank slate of a head appeared as well.
Neptu's eyes widened as the face began to take shape as well. He recognised the features, the hairstyle, the smirk.
His own face melded onto the creature, smiling at him through the darkened features.
"I'm you, my dear boy." He said, the attempt at replicating his voice marred by the rippling power distorting it. "I'm the person you're trying to hide from everyone else. All those dark things you thought, those evil things you did. I am those things. No, I am you."
"You're not me!" Neptu shouted, ignoring the fear he felt in his heart. "I'm not defined by those things I did! I was trying to help people! To kill things like you!"
"What is a man if not the sum of his deeds?" His duplicate asked, raising it arms to gesture wildly. "That's all you've ever been the people around you. The Demon Slaying general who didn't care who got in the way. Ask your sister, she saw it before anyone else."
"No..." Neptu hissed, anger growing in his chest. "If I was going to be swayed by your words so easily you'd have taken me already. I didn't do those things like that. Stop trying to get to me."
"I'm doing no such thing," the replica said. "I'm just trying to tell you the truth. I'll admit, a lot of people have been trying to impose their ideals on you recently. That boy Gin, that guild Fairy Tail, telling you these things about camaraderie and friendship. You never believed in those things, Neptu. Strength always mattered the most to you, remember?"
"Shut up!"
"You didn't care about any of those that joined you on your crusade. That's why we sent them out like lambs to the slaughter. Nobody mattered to you except Drakhosz, remember? The man that killed your family. He's the only one who meant a damn to you."
"That's not true!"
"Is it not?" the replica only smirked at this. "See, you've already fooled yourself into believing their poisoned words. Strength is all we need in this world, Neptu. And I am the strength you'd ever need. So let go of them, and these paltry feelings. Let's go and find Drakhosz together, hm?"
Neptu responded by blasting at the demon with his magic.
He could tell the blast, a lighter and weaker colour of purple, barely hurt the demon when it slammed into him. Chiyoko had told him this. His magic would be weaker without the source of his power to draw from.
"Stop talking," He demanded, pointing at the demon angrily. "I didn't come all the way here to converse with you! I'm going to defeat you and seal you inside my body! And then, I'm going to use that power you speak so highly of to do what I want with it! I'll help people! I'll save lives!" The replica didn't respond for a moment, and then it laughed.
"I already know what it is you want," he said. "Vengeance. Closer. To slay Drakhosz with your own hand and watch the light leave his eyes. We want the same thing, Neptu. Let me in. Join me."
"No." Neptu said, preparing himself for a fight. "I'll never fall back into those feelings. I'll never take lives like that again. I promised. I promise I was done."
"I see the poison has already taken root deeper than I imagined," the replica said as it shrugged. "It seems this will have to get physical. Although allow me to remind you of something, Neptu."
"What?" Neptu demanded, steeling himself. The dark mass smiled at him, widening it's mouth far past normal limits to smile at him.
"The boy that these people are trying to turn you into is the one that got your parents killed!"
That seems like a good place to stop for today. Remember, I'll be back on Friday with chapter 10! Make sure you don't miss it! And remember to read 2nd Generation today too! I hope you enjoyed, leave a review! See ya!