Chapter 30: The Fragment of Death and the Regretful Wanderer
I sped through the air at a breakneck pace, the air pressing against all sides of my body as I move around in search of the Nova Cesspool. The one thing on my mind at the moment was "Even if I was on a time limit, I should've asked Alpha for directions…" Cause needless to say, I was ridiculously lost. "Then again, perhaps Alex should've paid attention to the environment changes outside the copter when he took it here, since then I would be able to use his memories to get there easily…" That was a really weird sentence to think about honestly, but that's something I'm going to have to get used to every time I end up reminiscing about his past.
And as I continued to fly around my eyes widened in place and I shifted my body upward, kicking my feet forward like brakes to slow myself down until I completely stop. "Why do I keep forgetting about my powers?" I grumble to myself as I quickly close my eyelids and try to get a feel for the heated updrafts coming from the lava lakes at the Nova Cesspool. Even though they were hot, the fact remained that at the core they were more based around the air element than the fire one. However, my focus towards the air allowed me to hear yet another message in the midst of the breeze. It was spoken in a rather chilling tone, devoid of any empathy as it said "Your time is up, wandering interloper…"
I then heard the echoing clangs of metal clashing against each other, along with the bubbling sounds of magma nearby. Something was going on at the Nova Cesspool, and as I creaked my eyelids open I managed to figure out where it was at and turned my body southwest and flew in that direction, hoping to make it in time to save whoever was fighting the owner of the chilling voice. I saw the rising cloud of toxic steam floating precariously in the distance, along with the barrier that Alpha pointed out to me earlier. With sheer focus and determination I pressed onward, pushing my body through the air at such speeds that the ripples I create by piercing through the barrier spread out through its entire width and length.
My form is immediately changed against my will, something I hadn't let happen since the first time at the Aqua Palace. I am now wearing a medieval knight's armor without the helmet, my icy blue hair frozen stiffly in place by permafrost as my chilling white eyes pierce through the superheated landscape. I instantly lower the temperature around me to the lowest possible degree to counteract the scathing temperature, keeping a firm grip on the crystalloid, icicle shaped lance in my right hand. I looked around, hoping to find some sign of a skirmish so I could step in and save whoever was in danger. However, the thick air made it difficult to see from this high of an elevation, so with a little hesitation I descended towards the safest part of the ground I could find.
I kept my landing silent, moving across the black, hardened magma floor as I try to lock my ears onto the sounds I heard earlier. "I hope I wasn't hallucinating…" I mumbled as I bent my head downwards to avoid accidentally tripping into a lava lake or something else equally painful. I took a few more steps towards the north, the familiar noise ringing in my ears once more for a few seconds and making me aware of just where the fight was occurring. I rushed off in that direction, holding my lance steadily over my back until I saw a flurry of sparks in the distance, signifying just how close I was to the conflict. I quickly hid behind a rock formation, peering my head out slightly so I can continue to watch without my presence being noted.
After lowering my power level to the lowest humanly possible, I waited for some of the smog to subside as I noted two figures clashing behind the thin veil. Only the illuminating red glow of the smallest figure's sword allowed me to see what was going on during that time. I finally saw the two fighters in their full appearances, and was shocked to know that I was able to recognize them both. Bearing the chilling aura of death itself was a being without a physical body, the area where its upper region and legs should be surrounded by five long strands of black cloth with hole punctured around the lower section of each one. They led up to a ruffled collar piece that had blood splattered around it, and beside the strands of cloth were a couple of well-kept sleeves that contained the thin limbs created by the very darkness itself. In the grasp of its left hand with a jagged, bloody scythe, which the being used to ward over the sword slashes from its opponent, and in the left hand was a revolver with a barrel as long as its arm itself. Spinning around the creature's stomach and chest regions were two chains that formed a cross in mid-air. Finally, the head of this being consisted of a series of wrapped around bandages that was kept on via a rope tightly wrapped around the neck, the only damage visible on them being an open hole that reveals a pale yellow eye and the decayed flesh surrounding it, and outside that hole was a wide streak of wet blood.
I couldn't believe who the second figure was though. Standing up like a normal human being would despite still wearing the cloak I was greatly familiar with was the Chronicler, in the grasp of his left hand was a familiar amber colored sword with two curves at the top. His face was still entirely obscured by the shadows cast via his hood, but there was no doubt in my mind about who the being truly was after seeing him in combat like this. At this very moment though, the Chronicler leaped at the creature floating before him, swinging his sword wildly in three directions to try and penetrate through the defense his scythe brought. His movements weren't as fast as they logically should have been, and I could tell that the Chronicler's body was fatigued while the second creature seemed completely unharmed.
The Chronicler kicked off of the blade of the creature's scythe, backflipping through the air as it raised its revolver up and shot a total of fifty shots in the span of five seconds, nearly all of them deflected into the ground by what appeared to be a single swing of the Chronicler's sword. However, two broke through his defensive slash, puncturing his cloak in both the left leg and right arm regions. The Chronicler landed on the ground, his body grimacing in pain before he kneels down, takes a few heavy breaths, and plants the tip of his sword against the ground beside him with only his one hand allowing him to maintain balance.
The creature raised his weapon once more, reloading his unholy array of ammunition with a simple click of the trigger. His barrel was aimed at the Chronicler's head, but one could imagine that with the way his gun worked he planned to puncture every part of his body simultaneously just to make certain that he stayed dead. But I couldn't let that happen, especially after the Chronicler had done so much for me. With no regards to my own life, I rushed out from my hiding place, standing before the Chronicler and at the very moment that the creature pulled the trigger I swung my lance outright, instantly creating a thick wall of ice designed to absorb all of the bullets, which considering the near-infinite amount fired was a very impressive yet very draining feat, especially since my skin had to bear the hellish chill radiating off of the creature's body.
When the ghoulish creature finally stopped firing, I allowed my shield to melt from the heat of the area and with my body firmed in stern defiance of the creature's otherworldly bloodlust and soul piercing glare I held my lance behind me, brandishing my left hand out to the side as I felt the Chronicler raise his body up, his presence now almost fully felt now that I was in close proximity to him. I looked up at the creature, stuffing my fear away long enough to match his glare with one of my own as I courageously asked him "Who are you and what the hell do you want with the Chronicler?" The creature responds to me not vocally, but mentally. Saying in an reverberating, ghastly tone of voice "I am the Reaper, the inhuman personification of existence's desire for a permanent death…The being you have chosen to defend, Phoenix of Rejuvenation, is an affront to the cycle of life and death, and I have been tasked by the reality bender to purge him from this world so long as I maintain a corporeal form in the realm you have dubbed the 'Midnight Channel'"
"Well I'm not going to let you kill him, so if you want to reap his life, then you will have to kill me too, and I'm pretty certain if you try and lay a hand on me the reality bender will remove you from the area, since he wants me to finish the game he has set up." I was taking a major risk by resting my hopes on this bluff of mine. I only had a limited amount of evidence to prove that Mr. Reality would remove the Reaper if it attacked me, after all. The ghoul raised its gun, its eye still focused on me as if it was ready to fight without a single care in the world. But then he showed some hesitation, lowering his gun an inch as he began to think about the consequences of his next action.
"Rob myself of the chance to right this error by killing someone unrelated to the problem? Hmm…You raise a good point, Phoenix of Rejuvenation…" The Reaper lowers his firearm and dispels his scythe in a spread of foggy black flames. He then arches his eyebrow and says to me with grim intent "But your duties are misguided. By allowing this interloper to live, you have doomed many lives…And I will assure you that I shall take great pleasure in reaping each and every one of them, knowing full well that each one is a mark of failure on your own, ripe, neck…For now though, farewell…" The Reaper implants his ominous warning into my mind, and vanishes without a trace in no spectacular fashion.
The chill coming from his body has vanished, and I feel like I am able to breathe normally without having to deal with his presence. I stand upright, holding my lance out in such a way that the tip pokes the ground below. I sense the Chronicler moving, and turn around to see him standing up straight, his body just as tall as my own. He begins moving towards the thick bridge that I remember seeing in my dream yesterday. But before I said anything he said to me "Thank you for saving my life…But I want you to forget what you saw here…We won't see each other again…" He dispels his sword and retracts his palm into his cloak ready to pull something out.
I take a few steps forward to get closer to him, holding my left hand out and with my heart thumping nervously in fear of what I was about to say to the 'Chronicler' my eyelids became heavy with sadness before the words escape my mouth against my will. "Please don't go yet. I want to talk to you…" There is a slight pause in my sentence, a single gulp downing a load of saliva through my throat before I top it off with the being's true name. "Alex Whiter." Upon saying that, the 'Chronicler' freezes entirely in place, his left hand halfway raised with a familiar stone glowing in his grasp. For a few seconds that felt like a few centuries, everything was silent save for the sounds of the bubbling magma.
Then, it was broken as the 'Chronicler' continues to raise his hand into the air. If it reached its peak height, then time would stop once more and he would escape and would likely never be seen again. I wasn't going to lose him, not when I finally had his identity pegged down. Without thinking, I dropped my lance down onto the uneven ground and rushed at the 'Chronicler'. I thrust my left arm out, latching my hand around his vulnerable wrist with such strength that his grip on the orb is loosened and it drops to the ground without its glow, revealing a simple black and bronze stone with a clock-like symbol engraved onto it. I said nothing to the 'Chronicler' as I stared at him in disappointment of what he was about to do, and I kept my hand around his wrist until he budged it to try and break free, at which point I let go and allowed him to lower his arm.
Backing off to give the being some privacy, I saw his limping left arm begin to twitch, raising up towards his hood nice and slowly. He doesn't say anything, already contradicting my dream as he continues to move his limb until he grabs the side of his hood. As lava erupts into the air on both sides of the bridge, the glow radiating off of them creates a shadow that covers the backside of the 'Chronicler's body, making the appearance of the back of his unknown for a few seconds as the hood drops behind his back. When it subsides, all I see is the person's long, brown, ruffled, almost hobo-like mullet reaching down through the neckline of his cloak. He slowly turns his head around, revealing a face that looked nearly identical to my own, only with rings around his eyes and signs of fatigue in his stare and a frown in his lips.
After a few seconds of keeping that pose, he turns his body around and finally pushes his right hand out through the appropriate sleeve, lifting it up so I can get a full view of the black leather glove wrapped around it, and the two magnetic plates that keep it strapped on. "I was really hoping that you wouldn't figure it out…So I have to ask…What tipped you off?" Alex speaks in a more natural tone of voice, which sounded very similar to my own if not a little more bitter and deeper. "Many things, honestly. You said that Mr. Reality can't affect the undead, yet he brought Cackletta back to life momentarily. You mentioned that 'Alex' got a glove on his right hand, and conveniently that was the hand you always kept hidden from me whenever we met before. You tried to make an excuse that you had a 'pen' powered by the elements, but the presence of the elements always came from your entire body."
"…I see…" Alex mumbled to himself, caring little now about how I figured it out as he bends down and swipes the stone he dropped into the grasp of his right hand. He carries it beside his hip, walking towards me without looking my way. He then passes me by, and I turn around and watch as he heads towards a raised piece of the ground and sits down, resting his arms against his legs as he lets his hands droop with his fingers grasped around the stone. Without saying a word, I listen to him sigh and choose to join him since there was room nearby. I first pick up my lance and use permafrost to stick it to the back of my armor, and then move forward and turn myself around so I can easily sit down beside him.
I gaze concernedly into Alex's tired eyes, which are more focused on the ground than they are on me, save for the occasional annoyed glance that is aimed at me. After a few reclusive moments, Alex lifts his head up, closes his eyelids, and says after a hesitant sigh "Ok…Its clear you have a lot of questions you want to ask me…So get going on them while I spend my time recovering from that battle…" It was clear from his tone that he felt uncomfortable being in this situation, but despite that he was offering me a chance to answer the many questions on my mind. I had no order of which to say them in, so I decided to ask the one currently present on the tip of my tongue.
"…First off, what was with the Reaper claiming that you were a threat to the cycle of life and death?" Alex opened his eyelids, released a calm breath to loosen his muscles, and released his grip on the stone so he can flip his hand around and allow me a better look at it. He then turns his body towards me and says in a calmer, younger accent "This is the Gaia Temporis, a relic I found buried amongst the shattered remains of the Genesis Orb not long after my supposed death that allows the user to control time." I stared into the inscription on the stone, hearing a quiet ticking noise that slowed down as Alex pulled it away from my peering eyes. I lifted my head up, blinking a few times before realizing why the Reaper wished to deal with him.
"I see, so he was worried that you may go back in time and bring some people back to life, which he wouldn't like because it would be an insult to his profession." I folded my arms in front of my armored chest and crossed my legs, maintaining a balance thanks to the way the rock was shaped. "That sounds about right…But its not as simple as he thinks it is." Alex moves the Gaia Temporis, or as I'm going to call it from here on out the "Time Stone" for simplicity's sake, to the front of his face, staring into the clock insignia with slanted eyebrows before saying to me "Freezing and slowing time is easy, but as far as time travel goes…Well…"
Flipping the stone once through the air with a light flick of the fingers, Alex follows it by raising and lowering his head before gripping it again and finishing his sentence off in a somewhat exasperated and somber tone "I think this thing just takes people to wherever it wants to take them." Taking a glance into Alex's melancholy expression, I could tell that he only knew about that condition from a past experience, perhaps because of something he tried to do when he first obtained the Time Stone. "How would you know that?" I decided to ask in hopes of learning more about the experience that led to Alex's conclusion.
He turned his eyes towards me, glaring with ill contempt towards my inquiry before saying in a rather bitter tone of voice "What do you THINK?" As if this was something I should've known the answer to. Actually, I didn't even think about it until he brought it up, and with my eyes retracting into a more embarrassed form along with my arms and legs spreading out slowly I said "I-I'm sorry…I shouldn't have brought up such a sore issue…For us both." I added in that last line to make it known to Alex that I really felt guilty for forgetting an event so grave that it effected not just us, but many other lives back on Earth as well.
After Alex let out another sigh to relieve himself of his strife, leaning back slightly and stretching his muscles as hard as he could without straining himself before telling me "However, that wasn't the only thing that showed me the truth about the Gaia Temporis' limitations…There is a part of my story that I neglected to mention to you while I was the 'Chronicler'. Don't worry, this is a short one…" Alex took a deep breath in, preparing himself to continue speaking as he turned my way and opened his eyelids as far as his strength would allow him. He holds the Time Stone up front and center with his chest.
"You see, a week or so after defeating Joe Dark, I got the idea to visit the ruins of the Origin Temple in order to try and find anything useful for the future. However, upon entering the area where the entrance once was, I was dragged back two-thousand years into the past, to a point not long after the Elemental Overlord sealed his soul and powers away in the Genesis Orb. I was confronted by a robed lady who knew and traveled with the Overlord in his final hours, and we engaged in a battle that ended in my defeat due to how powerful her aura-based combat was against all of my forms. It was through her that I learned about the Gaia Temporis' existence, and in the end I was unable to learn much else about the woman before I was dragged back into the present by what I assume was the Gaia Temporis of the past."
"I see…" I said, intrigued by everything mentioned in Alex's one paragraph tale. However, a few of the things Alex mentioned in the past minute along made me remember a few of the questions I was wanting to ask him. Alex takes the Time Stone and flips it through the air again, giving me a moment to let the tale sink in before I continue asking him questions. It was interesting to note that despite being shot earlier, he was moving his limbs around as if they had taken no damage whatsoever by this point. Before I let myself get too distracted by that detail, I shook my head and stared back at my original as he lifts his head up with one eyebrow raised.
"Alright, now I really got to ask this since you aren't actually dead…Why are you unaffected by the 'Midnight Channel', and why hasn't Mr. Reality just up and used his powers on you to stop you from getting involved with me?" "Well, I'd imagine the fact that I'm immune to the 'Midnight Channel' has something to do with the fact that I'm an Elemental Overlord like you, so therefore I was granted the same immunity from the realm's influence when he warped reality for his pathetic game. The only downside being, of course, that I lost my elemental powers like you did. As for the second question, I really don't have an answer for that one…It doesn't make sense. There is no way he couldn't have known about me from the start, and I was perfectly open for manipulations from his powers after the souls of the original Elemental Overlord, Genesis Samurais and Inner Guardians were purged from my body and sealed away in the energy reserves…"
"Oh, so I've been freeing their spirits every time I finish off a temple?" I asked in response to Alex's last sentence. He nods his head, elaborating further on that answer by telling me "Most of them have returned to my body, but I haven't seen any signs of the original Overlord's spirit since the beginning of this whole ordeal…" I lifted my left pointer finger up, my mouth halfway open out of the view of Alex's brooding eyes as I was about to point out the vision I saw yesterday in which the Overlord appeared and talked to me, but I lowered my arm and closed my lips tightly upon realizing that with the way Alex was looking now, the last thing he'd want to hear is that the Overlord's spirit was appearing to me instead of him.
"Next question then…What was up with the whole 'Chronicler' identity anyways? I mean like…What inspired you to use it? I'm especially curious about where that cloak originated from." "Well, you see, there is an interesting story behind that…" Alex actually perked up for a moment, his interest in the tale he was about to weave for me overtaking his exhaustion and depression and allowing me to take a peek at the cheerful side of my original self for just a brief moment as he once again lifts up the Time Stone and lets it lay on his palm as he stretches his fingers out. After looking at the stone for a few seconds, I lift my head up and wonder when Alex is going to begin the story, especially since he was staying eerily silent for an unnecessarily long period of time. In fact, his body wasn't moving in the slightest.
Then suddenly, I hear a ghostly whisper from above, and look up to see a phantasm that wears the same cloak Alex currently has on. However, in its indescribable right hand is a glowing pen while its left arm splits off into two hands, each one carrying a different colored book that it is using to write down something. It notices my attentive and overwhelmed stare, and through the shroud of its hood it smiles at me, though I cannot tell as to what form his mouth takes nor do I know what color it glows as he suddenly vanished from sight and Alex calls to me in a overly curious tone of voice. "So, did you see him?" He inquires, and I swiftly lower my head with my heart skipping a beat in surprise.
With no words to say due to how jumbled my mind was after gazing into the empty existence of what I guess was the real Chronicler, Alex took the helm of this conversation for a bit to explain what just happened. "I'll take that as a yes…You see, the Chronicler is a real otherworldly being. I wasn't lying about his duties when I mentioned them on our first encounter. I met him for the first time a few weeks back when I had to stop time in order to avoid being seen by the populace of a particular town. Back then he had over hundreds of hands attached to his left arm, each one detailing the life of an individual citizen, including my own. You see, since the Chronicler exists at all places in a single second, the only way to make him visible is to freeze time completely. Impressed by the fact that I could gaze upon him without consequence, the Chronicler imparted unto me a replica of his cloak, stating that I may require its use in the near future. The cloak allowed me to mask my face from all outside sources so long as I never moved any part of it outside the shadow, and the material prevents me from being harmed by any of the seven elements."
By the time Alex had finished his tale, I was finally over my surprise, though intrigue gripped my face as my expression switched to a grin and I let out a joyous chuckle, saying to Alex "Hahaha, that's pretty cool, honestly." I do admit I was a bit giddy knowing that my original actually met a being that most mortals would never have the honor of knowing about let alone seeing. It made me remember that our powers were both a curse and a blessing in that regard, seeing as we can also see the tangible forms of the unholy abominations of the universe who WON'T be as kind as the Chronicler was to Alex. After thinking about that for a moment, I realized that there were only two questions I wanted to ask my original before our conversation came to a close. I decided to start off with the less harmful of the two.
"Speaking of being in a town…How did you survive over the last year? I mean, you don't look malnourished or nothing." I leaned back like a psychologist would, waving my right hand out in curiosity as Alex retreats into his somber state once more and flips his legs around to plant them on the ground, sighing as he takes his left hand to the side of his face and rubs its gently, saying to me "Sometimes I really do wonder how I made it through…After my battle with Chaos Alex the explosion from my Blazing Overlord Fist launched me to the ground, the crash landing further breaking my rather weakened body. I pulled myself up through sheer force of will for reasons I can't even determine and trudged my way through the forest to where I suspected my glove landed, picking it up and heading on my way before anyone had the chance to enter and find me. After that I made my way to where the Origin Temple was via the original Overlord's guidance, and he opened the barrier so I could get in. I had healed up slightly thanks to the Genesis Samurais offering some of their spiritual life energy to my body, and was able to use my wind powers to clear away the toxins and debris spread throughout the air."
"After that I laid against one of the remaining palm trees, catching my breath after what felt like an eternity of walking and wondering what I was going to do next. I was gravely in need of food, but didn't have any way of purchasing it. Even if I did, I didn't want to risk being seen by anyone. I guess that's why I should be thankful for our species' survival instincts…It kicked in at just the right time, forcing my mind to work in overtime to come up with a solution to my hunger. Using my power over plants in combination with water and fire to replicate the photosynthesis of the sun, I created my own hidden garden amidst the trees, accelerating the growth process to rush out food for my to consume. My crops included apples trees, strawberry bushes, carrots, lettuce, walnuts, almonds, potatoes…Name a fruit, vegetable or nut, and I eventually created it."
"I had to rely on nuts for protein, but with the Overlord's help I determined which ones would be the best to keep my vitamin and mineral levels steady. That same applied for the fruits and veggies. Things were going well for the time being, and I used my privacy to scope out the ruins of the Origin Temple to try and discover anything of interest to pass the time. Ironically, I found the Gaia Temporis during the excavation of the central area, but I already mentioned that. But the peace wasn't to be, for it only took three months for someone to enter the area, forcing me to retreat into the shadows of the trees to avoid being seen by them."
"I peeked out, surprised to find both Alpha and E. Gadd wandering about for reasons unknown. I waited to see what they were doing, unable to hear a single word from the distance I was at. They eventually left, but not before Alpha spun around and with a suspicious glare my way as I retreated behind the tree he left behind a float camera. With my position compromised if I ever left the ring of trees again, I decided to escape the ruins of the Origin Temple and travel the world, using the Time Stone only when I needed to avoid being detected as I grabbed this and that to feed myself. I had to avoid using my powers in the outside world, because anything I did would be easily noticed by anyone who happened to stumble on by. So yeah, I've pretty much been a nomad for nine months now…And the only reason I know that is because the Gaia Temporis also allows me to see what time it is, right down to the literal millisecond."
After finishing his explanation off, Alex turns his head towards me, looking straight into my eyes with his face having relaxed into a somber expression, and with a deep tone of regret he says to me "Sorry for not being there for both of our birthdays…I guess we are both 13 now, right?" I was deeply touched by that simple act of curiosity, which showed that my original had regained some of his humanity in the year since his supposed death. I nodded my head to respond to his comment, my mouth slightly agape as my eyes paid full attention to Alex as he sighs and says "I probably missed a lot more than that…" Before he turns his head away from me and looks towards the ground and fails to notice the Time Stone falling out of his loosened grip.
"…But for what reason?" It was time for the final question, which I firmly asked as I sternly folded my arms in front of my chest and glared at Alex with a furious intensity in my pupils. He looked over at me, surprised by the harshness in my voice as he says to me "What?" Puzzled by why I asked him that. "What have you been doing Alex? What has been so goddamn important, that you just HAD to stay out of everyone's sight for a whole year!?" I lashed out at him, causing him to reel back and after a few seconds of silence as I kept my body leaned forward in grim anticipation for his response, he slanted his eyebrows and held his right hand out, pushing my head away as he gets on his feet to try and give himself some space. He then turns to me, lets out another sigh, and shakes his head a few times before turning back around and saying to me "I guess you deserve an explanation."
"You see, Chaos Alex's lecture really got to me, as much as I tried to deny what he said at first. I really had gone too far off of my original goals. I did become arrogant, I did become self-centered, and I didn't really have a sense of justice within me…How could I really claim to be worthy of the Elemental Overlord's powers when I wasn't even worthy to be a human being? That's what I thought to myself during the first weeks after my 'death'. I couldn't go back to the others even though I was alive, because I had to deal with these flaws of mine before they consumed me and turned me into a threat to everyone I know."
"…And you tried to do it alone? What are you, stupid?" I delivered a piercing question towards Alex, looking up from the ground after staring at it through his whole spiel on his reason for vanishing for a year. "Excuse me?" Alex turned all the way around, raising his right eyebrow in anger as his voice matches his expression but in a bit more subdued manner. "Look, I have no problem with you recognizing and wanting to correct your own flaws, but you tried to deal with them by yourself instead of asking for help, especially when most of our friends would have been more than willing to help you out!"
Alex grit his teeth in anger and scowled my way, which was the only thing that made me stop momentarily so the two of us could calm down. I stood up and lowered my head, planting the tips of my fingers against my forehead as I shook it and said with a hint of exhaustion "Look Alex…" I lifted my head up and looked at my original as he glared at my with contempt, as if he didn't really want to hear anything else I had to say. I didn't care though, I had a point to make and I was going to make Alex see it whether he wanted to or not. "Because of your sudden 'death', nearly a year later pretty much everyone barely cares about you anymore because of the bad image you left implanted in your mind, and the only one of our friends who does care is Driad, and he pretty much hates you now! Do you even care about the fact that someone who once thought of you as a brother now holds you in such contempt?!"
"You think I haven't thought about such things Mew? Do you think, that I am so callous and thoughtless that I haven't ever once had dreams and nightmares about the friends I sacrificed, about the life I chose to leave behind, and of the regrets I have about my own decisions?!" Alex yells out at me, the honesty in his words being solidified by how tearful his cries are. But in spite of what he was portraying, I still didn't believe anything he said and only considered his cries as an attempt to garner sympathy from me. "No, I DON'T believe you. I-It just doesn't make any sense. If you really are thinking that way about them, then it would stand to point that you would just go back to them already, explain what you are trying to do, and apologize deeply for making them believe that you were dead in the first place. You want my opinion, you are only doing this by yourself to make yourself feel better! Nothing more, nothing le-" "SHUT UP!"
Alex finally blurts those two words out in seething rage, his eyes on the verge of tears as he glares at me with his body bent forward and his arms stretched out like a madman's would be. He stands up fully, brandishing his right pointer finger out with so much force that the very air is pushed forward against its will. After gritting his teeth for a few seconds he begins to tearfully rip into me vocally, his body staying perfectly in that pose as his violent onslaught of words passes through his lips. "You think I wanted your opinion Mew?! Why do you think I went through all the damn trouble of hiding my identity when you were the only one who knew about my existence?! Its because in many ways, you are just like me, and therefore you'd be the one person in the entire world who I feared would make me feel even guiltier than I already did about my choice here! But you…You are so ignorant about my motives that it sickens me! I'm not doing this self-exile from society out of selfishness, but because I want to conquer my own demons and make it so I will never be at risk to be a threat to anyone in the universe ever again! The fact that its taken this long just goes to show how little faith I have that I'm fully ready to return! And not just that, I also wanted my friends to be proud of the fact that I was able to mature on my own. But I guess that second one isn't a possibility anymore, because you just HAD to show up here and become their friend, meaning that they won't give a shit anymore when I finally do return to them! You know, you don't deserve them Mew…The only reason you know ANYTHING about them is all because of the memories that I implanted into you! You know, if I had known that things were going to lead to this, I NEVER would have saved you from that zombie horde, you fucking replica!"
The final sentence on a precision swear word and a denial of my name, as Alex blindly calls me by that disrespectful title much to my surprise and horror. Alex looked ready to foam from the mouth, that's how intense his anger had grown. But really, he was right…I had gone too far in my pursuit for the truth, and pissed Alex off when I honestly had no reason to make things extend out that far. I deserved to be torn into like that for misjudging him, and as Alex tried to calm himself down I extended my right hand through the air with a look of regret on my face and began to say "Alex…I'm so-" "I don't want to hear it Mew…" He glares at me with righteous fury, his quiet, subdued tone of voice condemning my apology before it was fully spoken. He then turns himself around, firming his arms beside his body as his cloak swings through the air and his head peers up at the sky. "Farewell…And if you want to save this planet before time runs out, you better not choose to follow me…"
Making his warning out as clearly as he possibly could, Alex leaps into the air and flies off in a burst of energy that leaves behind a shockwave that pushes my body back across the ground a few inches as I brace myself with my arms in front of my chest. By the time the dust settled, he was gone, quite possibly never to be seen again my any mortal eye on this planet. However, as I tried to cope with that fact along with the harsh reality that I would always have that brutal, verbal beat down of his as my first and last memory of him for the rest of my mortal life, I remembered something very vital that Alex neglected to notice before he left.
Turning around and peering towards the ground, I see the Time Stone laying between two smooth bumps, its form untouched by the heat in this area as I pick it up gently in the grasp of my right hand. I gazed into the clock-like inscription, noting the quiet ticks in my ears as I stuff the relic into my armor through the neck area, where it would be safe and sound for the time being. "You don't deserve something like this anyways while you are so unstable…" I said, referring to the way Alex currently was as I turn around and look out into the distance. "…I have to stay focused now. However things may be with Alex, it has no impact on the situation with Mr. Reality…I have to deal with him now, and then I will try my hardest to find and confront Alex…That's another promise I intend to keep." With those words stated as I arched my eyebrows in determination and nodded my head once, I continued on through the Nova Cesspool, where the Ignitor Cave would eventually await me.
Next Time: The Eight Children of the Kin