A/N:

I apologize that updates have become so slow. College, loss of muse, starting on new projects. But I've said it before. I'll say it again.

Unless I die, lose my fingers in an industrial accident, Or Dana Terrace herself s me on twitter to call me a bitch ass motherfucker, I will finish this fic.

One day. This is my magnum opus.

-

From the edge of the trees, Hunter stepped out - bathed in a strange golden glow that made him look…almost ethereal? The forest around him, while initially still and quiet, became rowdy and restless as he walked.

Winds whipped through the trees, pinning Phillip to the ground. He could barely move. Though, after much wrenching - he was able to look up, seeing his nephew barely a foot away. Hunter had a look of such disgust, anger, and hatred on his face. One that made Phillip's face go pale.

Until, it all stopped. With the force of a train hitting a brick wall, the harsh winds stopped. Hunter groaned "Ugh, get up." and rolled his eyes.

"Where…Am I?" Phillip asked, standing up and dusting himself off. Desperately trying to wipe away a horrid amount of dust that clung to his tuxedo. It didn't work.

"You're in…" Hunter let out a small sigh. "...My mind."

"What? How is that…possible?" replied Phillip. That…Really did not clear it up.

Hunter vaguely gestured towards the forest, and spoke once again. For a moment, letting his guard down to infodump. "This is… my Mindscape. I casted a spell which constructed a sort of a physical representation of my psyche. What I think about, my memories, my hopes and dreams…all given form!"

Phillip just blinked and stared for a moment, not really able to comprehend the situation. Before asking "But- then, how are you in your own mind?"

"Oh, I'm not." replied Hunter. "The real me is still out there, in the real world! But, I'm sort of like- his inner consciousness. Lemme put it simply, you know that little voice you hear when you talk to yourself? That's me."

"…I see." Phillip said, lying.

Hunter resigned, his smile returning to a slight frown, "Well, It doesn't really matter." 'Come.' He gestured, as he turned around and walked back into the forest, with his 'uncle' following close behind. While the sky overhead was initially bright and cheery, the deeper they went into the forest - the darker it became.

Eventually, to the point where it was so dark that Phillip couldn't see beyond two feet in front of his face - and was simply walking in the direction he thought the sound of his nephew's footsteps were coming from.

Thankfully, it didn't last for long. In the distance, he saw a small yellow light. But it might as well have been a shining beacon. Walking closer and closer, it turned out to be a lit oil lamp hanging on the wall of what looked to be a small wooden shack.

But Hunter was nowhere in sight, strangely.

Cautiously, and without many better options, Phillip entered the cabin. Inside, stood a strange figure. Dressed in long and flowy white hooded robes, with a golden mask in the visage of an owl peeking out from the hood. Whoever was behind the mask, they looked…So small, so…frail. Couldn't be older than 14 or 15.

"What?" Phillip muttered, T…The figure looked like the descriptions he'd heard of Emperor Obron's Golden Guard, but- there was no way. Why would a minion of Obron be in Hunter's mind? Was there some sort of personal connection? Childhood friends? None of this made sense.

Looking around the room, there seemed to be a large collection of items bearing the mark of the Emperor. Books, posters, et cetera. Strangely, what appeared to be… shells in the shape of animals were strewn about. But most strikingly, hanging from the ceiling was a birdcage with a red cardinal sleeping inside.

It looked so familiar, it took him a minute to realize where he'd seen it before-

"Flapjack, is- that you?" That's right, it- it was Caleb's palisman. Memories burnt in Phillip's throat about how- how awfully he'd treated that innocent little bird. But, surely they could make up! After all, he had his own palisman now. Plus, anything familiar was a sight for sore eyes!

This bliss only lasted for a brief moment, as when he tried to approach - a strange tentacle of what looked like goop or slime shot past his head. It melted the bars like pure acid, before wrapping the bird in its grip.

"Flapjack!" Phillip called, whipping his head around - coming face to face with what undoubtedly was Emperor Obron. Wearing an outfit similar to their Guard's - Long flowy white hooded robes, with brown accents and a strange mask. One that almost looked like a cow's skull. It was funny, it had a strange resemblance to the mask Caleb carved for Phillip as a kid…

The Emperor raised the goop-tendril coming out of their waist, somehow reforming it into an arm - revealing they were wearing a grey tunic and black pants. In their hand, they clutched Flapjack. Tightly.

"No!" Phillip begged, But he was powerless to stop the Emperor.

A sickening crunch resonated through the cabin's thin walls, along with a pathetic chirp of pain from the Cardinal.

Phillip couldn't bear to look. He felt as if he was going to vomit. But as he tried to swallow back the bile in his throat, he managed to choke out "Who…who are you?!"

Without a word, Obron removed his mask. Revealing a face nigh identical to Phillip's. The only differences were a…a strip of rotten flesh that went diagonally across his face, and a smile. A peaceful, calm, almost serene one.

"W..wh…" Phillip spluttered, before feeling a strange tap on his leg. Sharply turning around, he was greeted by the sight of the Golden Guard kneeling. They'd removed their mask and lowered their hood, all Phillip could see was messy blonde hair. That looked like it belonged to…

"I'm at your command, Emperor Belos."

Hunter.

"Belos was a pretty notorious criminal a few years back."

"Never become Belos again!"

"I wish you'd stayed dead."

It all made sense now.

Thousands of years of repressed memories flooded into his mind, and with them, a headache like none he'd ever felt before. It felt like someone had fired a flintlock right between his eyes.

From his life in Gravesfield, to the day of unity. He remembered everything.

He…he was…Emperor…Belos…

Partially from the pain and partially from the shock of the revelation, he once again fainted. Collapsing onto the ground in a heap.