Kaitlyn stood up slowly, very confused.
It was obvious where she was. She as surrounded by bookshelves filled to the brim with books. She was in a library, there was no denying that. But why? Why was she in a library?
She looked down to realize that she was no longer in her torn club outfit. She wore a pink flannel shirt, jeans, and a pair of black converse shoes. Her hair had been pulled back into a loose ponytail that hung over her shoulder. This made no sense. She was supposed to be in Kuro's memories. When had he ever been in a library?
Kaitlyn slowly walked along the bookcases and peeked into the next aisle. That was when she noticed him. He was wearing skinny jeans, skate shoes, a t-shirt and a leather jacket, as though he were like any other human. Kuro stood close to the bookshelf, flipping through a massive book that he didn't seem to be paying any attention to. He was staring through the bookshelf, peeking at someone on the other side. But that wasn't the weird part.
The oddest thing was that he seemed to be completely out of color. His skin was white and grey, as were his clothes, as though he were a black and white figure in a color movie. And across him, barely visible, appeared to be some sort of pattern. Kaitlyn squinted, trying to make it out. Were they chains? Yes, that seemed to be it, but the chains themselves hung, broken at the ends.
This memory was broken. Kuro couldn't remember it. In fact, he couldn't remember anything, that was why the chains were broken. They had to be fixed in order for him to remember.
But that still didn't explain this memory. Kaitlyn wasn't even sure whether she could just jump up to him, or if she was physically there, or if she was a ghost.
"Excuse me, can I ask what you're reading?"
Kaitlyn stared in surprise as someone walked up to Kuro, in full color and brilliance. Kaitlyn knew the girl, and was pleasantly surprised. It was Aubrey, the redheaded girl from Macomb. The girl smiled at Kuro, her dark eyes gleaming in curiosity.
"Um…" Kuro glanced at the book cover. "Macroeconomics," he responded with a voice that lacked any interest.
Aubrey raised an eyebrow. "Is it interesting?"
"Absolutely fascinating."
"Okay, I'll give you that. So, why are you staring at the librarian?"
Kaitlyn tiptoed by the two of them, still not sure if they could see her, and glanced at the librarian on the other side of the bookshelf. She sat at a desk, reading a huge book labeled 'Pyrotechnics', and looking completely oblivious to what was going on around her. But Kaitlyn suddenly knew why Kuro was so interested. Around the woman's neck was a golden necklace with a charm in the shape of an apple quarter. This must have been when Kuro found the apple piece, before he started living with Aubrey and the McNichols.
Kuro responded to Aubrey with a comment about how he was interested in the book she was reading. Aubrey looked as though she were holding back a grin. "So, macroeconomics and pyrotechnics? Do you ride a skateboard?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"It's just an interesting combination."
"You're awfully nosy."
"I work here. It's my job."
Kaitlyn knew she didn't have much time. She needed to put the chains back together and fix Kuro's memories. Would she have to go through all of his major memory points and fix those as well, or would this be fine? She wasn't sure.
"I'm sorry, can I help you find anything?"
Kaitlyn sucked in a sharp breath as she found Aubrey in front of her. The girl was basically the same as Kaitlyn remembered from her brief experience with Aubrey. She still had a billion freckles and a crazy amount of kinky auburn hair. She had a large smile, and she practically bounced when she stood, leaning back and forth on her toes and heels.
"Oh, I'm fine," Kaitlyn said quickly. "I'm actually looking for a book on macroeconomics, if you have one."
Aubrey looked surprised. "Honestly, I did not know that many teenagers were into macroeconomics. You're the second person who wants that, you know."
"Really?" Kaitlyn asked, trying to sound surprised. "Well, where can I find it?"
Aubrey pointed down the bookshelf. "That guy's got the biggest one, but there are a few others on the shelf over there. Let me know if you need anything else!"
"I will, thanks!" Kaitlyn said with a smile, and Aubrey left to go to the next set of shelves.
Kaitlyn slowly walked up to Kuro, still staring at him and his lack of colors. Every time he moved, the chains moved silently, as though he were literally held together by the chain silhouettes. But it wasn't as though he were static. His memory seemed to be playing out perfectly fine. It was just that Kuro's mind wasn't attached to the memory anymore, and she needed to attach it back.
"Hey, Kuro, are you looking at that book?" Kaitlyn said, walking up to her friend.
Kuro didn't even look up. Kaitlyn frowned and reached to tap the angel's shoulder. "Hey, Kuro, it's me, Kait—oh my gosh!" The hand that was meant to rest on Kuro's shoulder instead went straight through, as though Kaitlyn herself was a ghost, or if Kuro was. She shuddered, pulling her hand back quickly, but not before she felt something. Her fingers, while going through Kuro's body, had instead touched the silhouetted chains on his body. Kaitlyn swallowed. "Kuro? Kuro, can you hear me?"
The angel gave no notice of Kaitlyn, but merely flipped to the next page of his book absentmindedly as he stared at the librarian through the holes in the bookshelf. Kaitlyn looked back to where she had been before. Why could Aubrey see her in these memories, but not Kuro? Were the memories themselves branching out? Maybe Kuro couldn't see or hear her because she hadn't actually been there, and these were his memories. But it would have made more sense if she were watching the memories, not interacting. Maybe the Codex was powerful enough to actually have her be a part of the memories, or maybe Mnemosyne was what made the memories stagnant in the first place.
She moaned and rubbed her head a little. She was thinking too hard. She didn't need to know how the Codex worked. She just needed to fix his memories. And that meant probably fixing the chains. Could she do that? Well, she could touch the chains.
Kaitlyn stuck her hands back into Kuro's body and rattled the chains a little with her fingers. Slowly, she picked up one chains from the top, and the one directly below it on the bottom.
Immediately, images flashed before Kaitlyn's eyes. She felt as though the air had been knocked out of her lungs. This memory was a battle, an intense fight between Kuro and some god. She felt every cut, every slash, every muscle strain. It was as though she were in Kuro's place, soaring with incredible strength through the sky. She had never felt that incredibly power in her wings, the ability to make such tight movements and powerful attacks. The whole experience shocked her beyond belief.
Kaitlyn struggled to get past the images and snapped the broken chains together. As soon as her hands left the chains, the memories faded and she was left again in front of Kuro, with more chains to reattach. She reached in once again, but the more chains she attached together and the more memories she sifted through, the more she still had to do. She looked deep inside Kuro's body, as if it were a window. Inside, there were hundreds upon hundreds of chains. It was going to take her forever to reattach every single memory.
But she didn't have any other choice.
She found it grueling work, picking through Kuro's memories and reattaching them. She tried hard to move quickly and avoid prying into the dark angel's memories, but at the same time, she was also incredibly curious. She didn't know much about Kuro as a person, but going through his mind seemed like an easy way to find out more about him. With each memory, she was put in his place, watching through his eyes, taking on his consciousness. She could already feel his incredible power, how amazing it felt to be in complete control and to trust your own limbs to carry you through the air. Kaitlyn had never felt as though she could totally trust her wings, which were in and of itself not totally natural. But being in Kuro's mind gave her a sense of confidence.
Most of the memories were simple enough, with Kuro flying or talking or brooding in corners. But she continued on, memory after memory. Would she ever be able to stop? This was practically over five years of memories that she had fix, seeing as Kuro had only existed for around that much time. Were all of these chains important, or could she leave some out? What if Kuro had forgotten some of the more mediocre parts of his life? Were they gone, or did the chains break and she was just fixing them all again?
She couldn't take that chance. She needed to attach all of them.
Pit wasn't sure where he was, who he was, or what he was doing at all.
He was on a hill. The hill was grassy and green and covered with wildflowers. A lake sat in the distance and farther past that were more hills and mountains in the far back. They were snowcapped and beautiful, and Pit found himself staring in awe. A breeze blew through, playing with Pit's hair and pressing his shirt against his chest. The water of the lake rippled and wrinkled, lapping against the shore. It was so quiet that Pit could hear the water move from his point on the hill. Not a bird was in sight, and Pit wouldn't hear any animals around him. He was totally alone.
But who was he? He couldn't remember anything. His name was Pit. He was an angel. But…why? Why was he here? Who was he?
He spread his wings out, allowing them to catch the wind and the feathers to flutter and move in the wind. They were beautiful, and he found himself admiring his wings. The feathers shone in white and silver in places. They felt strong and hard, as though he had been using them for a long time. But whenever he tried to remember flying, he ended up with only a cloud in his mind. He wasn't sure whether to feel frustrated, or simply confused. It wasn't as though he could do anything.
"You seem a little out of it, Pit."
The angel turned his head slowly to see a woman. She was short, thin, and probably would have been really bright if she wasn't in black and white. She had wide eyes and long hair done up in a ponytail, and honestly looked like a child.
Pit narrowed his eyes a little. "Who are you?"
"Oh, you wouldn't remember me," she said with a small smile. "We've never met in person."
"Then how do you know me?"
"Oh, I've been watching you for a while. Can I sit with you?"
Pit nodded, and the girl settled down next to him, with her knees against her chest and leaning on her hands. She let out a long sigh and brushed her colorless hair back a little. The two of them settled into a comfortable silence, only filled with the sound of the wind and the waves. Pit couldn't help but steal glances at the girl next to him. He looked down at himself, realizing that he was probably black and white too. He hadn't noticed before, though he wasn't sure why. But he was. He was as colorless as she was.
"Are you going to sit around forever?" The girl finally asked. The wind picked up for a moment and a gust blew back her pale ponytail. She cocked her head slightly.
Pit blinked in surprise and shifted a little. "Why shouldn't I? I'm comfortable here. I don't much else to do."
"Ah," the girl responded. "I guess that makes sense. We all want to be comfortable. But don't you wonder about your memories? Don't you want to find them?"
"Well…I don't know what they are. And I'm content, I guess."
"If you had them back, you wouldn't say that."
Pit raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"
The girl shook her head. "Because you've had so many experiences, and you never give up. That's who you are, in your deepest sense. You're the one who always comes up with crazy stuff to do and make insane plans, and everything works out."
"That doesn't sound like me," Pit said quietly. "I just want to stay here. I'm comfortable here."
The girl shrugged. "Everyone wants to be comfortable. It's when you're willing to go outside of your comfort zone and explore and learn about yourself that makes you successful. Why do you think students go to college, or go backpacking in Europe?"
"Um, no offense, but I have no idea what college is."
The girl looked annoyed for a moment, then let out a little laugh. Pit liked her laugh. It was high and giggly and sounded as though it twinkled. "I forgot about that, sorry!" Her eyes grew sad for a moment, and she gave a small smile as she looked at the ground. "You know, Pit, I need you. And I know you don't know it yet, but you need me."
Pit raised an eyebrow. "Why do you need me, and why do I need you?"
"Because without you, someone very evil will have control of the entire world. You have to listen to me very closely."
Pit nodded, now slightly curious.
The girl took Pit's hands in hers, her expression growing very serious. "Pit, when Kaitlyn comes to fix your memories, you must remember this: in order to wake me up, one of you has to take control of the Codex. If Eris totally controls the Codex, you'll lose your memories all over again. I need one of you to completely enter the Codex and find me. When you bring me out, everyone will have their memories again. Do you understand?"
Pit gave a slow nod. "Go inside the Codex and find you without someone who's named Eris getting control of the Codex herself. Got it."
The girl smiled. "Good. Now you have to promise me that you'll remember this. When Kaitlyn fixes your memories, you have to remember this. Promise me."
"I promise," Pit said immediately, having been quickly drawn into the girl's speech. He wasn't sure how to go about this at all, but he wanted to help the girl.
The girl's smile grew larger. "Good," she said as she stood. She pulled away her hands and walked up the rest of the hill.
Pit hurriedly stood. "Hey," he called after her. "What's your name?"
The girl stopped and turned back. She gave a large smile with a gaze that was bright. "Mnemosyne, the Goddess of Memory."
Kaitlyn looked back on her work and gave a large sigh of relief. Every chain in Kuro's body was snapped together. Kaitlyn's arms ached from the work, and she had started to get a killed headache, which she hoped was just from her stressful times in Kuro's mind and not from her own memories being taken out, but she couldn't be sure. She was so tired that it made it hard to tell.
She pulled herself out of Kuro's body and looked at him all over. While before he had been as black and white as a newspaper, he was now alive in color. His black hair returned to its rich raven locks, and his skin was fleshed out in its normal olive tone. His eyes were bright and red. Kaitlyn couldn't help but smile as she watched her friend completely transform into his usual self.
Kaitlyn admired her work for a moment before nodding at Kuro. "I'll be waiting for you when I get back," she whispered.
Then she walked out of the library, into the sunlight.
Within moments, she was back in the cavern, practically gasping for air. She was leaning over the Codex as though she hadn't left at all. But as she watched, Kuro's name, which had been silver before, suddenly began to shine in bright gold, and Kaitlyn heard a moan from above her.
"Kuro?" She called up, scrambling to her feet and looking up. The chains rattled as Kuro moved a little, his head barely rising.
Kaitlyn was about to call out his name again, but suddenly found herself slammed into the ground. She let out a scream of pain as something heavy pressed into her chest, forcing the air from her lungs. She looked to the side and nearly cried out as she saw the Apple of Discord lying about twenty feet away, having been knocked out of her jacket when she had been hit.
Eris' feet pressed into Kaitlyn's chest. "And what exactly do you think you're doing with my Codex?" she hissed.
Kaitlyn coughed a little. "It's not yours," she snapped. "It's Mnemosyne's."
"Aren't you witty," Eris said with an eyeroll. "I'm surprised you got this far without a weapon. My monsters should have easily been able to power you."
"You don't know me," Kaitlyn said sharply. "I'm able to—."
Kaitlyn cut off as she found herself staring into the black barrel of a pistol. She completely lost her train of thought. Her mind raced, and she could feel her body tensing up.
Eris' smooth face twisted into a wicked grin. "How does it feel to be on the receiving end? Not so hot, is it?"
Kaitlyn tried to take deep breaths. She had been trying to learn how to calm herself down, to keep the effects of her PTSD down, but it was hard to do, and she had never actually had to apply what she had learned. And now, she was too freaked out to actually do anything. But she could feel the effects already taking over her body. She could hardly movie.
Ignore it…ignore it…you've gotten out of plenty of situations like this before. Just keep calm and…
Kaitlyn couldn't even think straight. Utter panic was overrunning her thoughts. Deep breaths…deep breaths… "You don't…you don't s-s-scare me," Kaitlyn stuttered.
"Oh, I don't? Then why are you trembling like a child?" Eris' smile grew, and she pressed the gun against Kaitlyn's forehead, causing Kaitlyn to let out a squeak of terror. She couldn't do anything more than that. She was stuck, without a weapon, and completely at the mercy of the goddess. "You're weak," Eris said slowly. "You think you're strong when you're in control, but as soon as you're turned upon, you completely forget all of your training and everything you ever worked for. You have no bravery, no courage, nothing. You're scared of a little gun, while you use them to kill every day."
"That's n-n-n-not true," Kaitlyn managed to say, but Eris pressed the gun barrel harder against Kaitlyn's head and the angel fell silent once more.
"It is if I say is it," Eris snapped. "I'm in control. And with you gone, the rest of the mortal world will fall into complete chaos, which I'll rule over."
Kaitlyn tried to open her mouth to speak, but she nearly choked on her words. She couldn't get anything out. She was stuck, and she had nowhere to go. She was going to die here.
Suddenly, the chains above snapped and a body came tumbling to the ground. Kaitlyn could hardly tilt her head back to see what was going on, but she could hear it. Before she could scream, the gun was knocked from Eris' hands and went flying across the floor, and Eris herself flew back in surprise.
Kuro stood over Kaitlyn, blades out and body tense. His wings were spread to their full extent, covering Kaitlyn even more. Kaitlyn couldn't see his face from her angle, but she could imagine the mixture of confidence and anger that his expression held. "You're done, Eris."
"Kuro," Eris snapped. She held up her palms, which began to glow with black, shadowy swirls. "How did you get free?" She actually sounded slightly surprised. She must not have expected Kaitlyn's little endeavor to go very far.
Kuro's tone turned back to its snarky, smirking sound. "You'd be surprised what one angel girl can do when she's given the right incentive. Right, Kaitlyn?"
Kaitlyn swallowed as she slid herself out from under Kuro and stood behind him. She had never felt more relieved in her life than at that moment. Her breaths came in gasps, and she hunched over as though she had eating something bad. When Kuro glanced back at her, she nodded slightly.
"Good!" Kuro said with a cheerful tone. He turned back to Eris and planted his feet into the ground, his whole body in an attack position. "You ready for a fight with a real master?"
Eris yelled and threw her black shadow balls. Kaitlyn dropped to the ground, and Kuro easily dodged them, charging at Eris with blades ready. With a snap, two long rapier-like blades appeared in Eris' hands and she blocked Kuro's attack with a grunt. The blades locked together and the two stood in a stalemate position, both with teeth bard and straining to overpower the other.
Kaitlyn jumped to her feet and scanned the room hurriedly, whipping her head back. Finally, she saw it, lying on the floor about ten feet away. The pistol lay there, abandoned by Eris. Kaitlyn gasped for air and rushed for the pistol, picking it up and loading it. She pointed the gun in Eris' direction. She could hit her, especially while she was still in a blade lock with Kuro.
The dark angel glanced over and saw Kaitlyn. "Kaitlyn, you have to go back into the Codex!" He jumped back as Eris finally managed to push him away, and he took to the air for a moment before slamming into the ground and rushing at the goddess. Their movements were so fast that they appeared as a blur. "You have to get Pit's memories back!"
Kaitlyn tried to follow Eris with her pistol, but she couldn't focus on the goddess alone without Kuro jumping into position. "That's going to take forever!" Kaitlyn snapped. "It took me long enough to do your memories! Pit has tons more! You should go in; maybe you can do it faster!"
"No…offense…Katie," Kuro said between grunts as he continued to attack Eris, "But…you can't…fight…in your condition!"
Kaitlyn bit her lower lip. "But…you're going to be out here forever! I can't leave you to fight her alone!"
"JUST GO!" Kuro screamed, shooting her the most intense glare she had ever seen. "I'll be fine! I can last longer than you! Grab the apple and go!"
Kaitlyn swallowed and shoved the pistol in her pocket after clicking the safety on. Then she rushed across the room and grabbed the Apple of Discord, which glinted coldly in the light from the fires. "Will you be okay?" she called out uncertainly.
"I'll be fine," Kuro said, blocking another attack. "Just get Pit back!"
Finally, Kaitlyn nodded and ran over to the Codex, which was still on the ground in front of the chains on the platform. Eris was focused on the battle with Kuro, and didn't even seem to find Kaitlyn a threat any longer. Kaitlyn was going to make her regret that decision.
She scanned through the pages for a second time, and found Pit's name. It still shone silver, like the most of the other names on the page. Kaitlyn raised her hand and pressed her finger against Pit's name. "I'm coming for you," she whispered.
And in moments, she found herself inside Pit's memories.
I am sincerely sorry for how long it's taken me to get this up...and I'm sorry if there are any typos as well. My sister and I have been having a hard time getting the editing done, so this will have to do.
And in response to my guest review, yes, G.M. I do remember you :) So happy to see you're still enjoying my work!
Anyhow, sorry again for the wait. I'll try to do better.
~Pixie
