Cody slumped down against the prone emu. Could emus be prone? It was weird to see it as 'laying down', but he didn't care right now. It was cold, and he just wanted some heat and the softest spot of hard ground to lay on. Starting a fire was simple enough, he'd had years of training on that by this point.

Years.

It was odd to think. Being so much older than everyone else, but at seemingly zero cost. Well, the year of being in a coma probably didn't help, and his brain probably wouldn't last after all that went down on the island. It was harrowing to think, but if he had learned anything, life would find a way to make him suffer longer than most.

He laughed to himself at the thought. It was a hollow laugh, devoid of proper mirth, but he still felt some humour at his situation- who knows, maybe everyone's a time traveller just worried people will think they're crazy! Maybe everyone has a spiritual guide that they have to continually ignore to protect them! Maybe everyone is stalked by some weird omnipotent entity!

"Hey dumbass, you okay?" Cody perked up at the surprisingly harsh words, just as he finally got his fire started. Spinned around, he saw Noah, faintly illuminated by the fresh glow, a small smirk on his lips. Cody briefly sputtered, but Noah quickly shut him up. "Hope you don't mind if I join your campout. We haven't been on great terms, but I think I've found some common ground for us."

"Common ground?" Cody smirked as Noah fell on his butt, sitting across from Cody with the fire separating the two. "What, you wanna talk about anime or something?"

"You probably watch battle harems, we'd have nothing in common there." Cody didn't bother asking what the other boy meant, his dismissive scoff clearly forcing an end to that piece of small talk. "There's something far more important. Something we've talked about before, but you always manage to cut those conversations short."

Cody smiled at the ground. He figured something had changed in Noah, he'd even figured it could be this. Despite it all, there was something… nice about this.

"So, time traveler, how did you escape?"

"God, Alejandro is so infuriating!" Heather had not been dissuaded by the Australian nightfall for this challenge. She pressed on with her emu well into the night, desperately hoping to place some distance between herself and the Spanish charmer. He'd manage to encounter her- or rather, followed her- and decided to play with her.

Flirting was a tactic she hated- mainly because she sucked at it. It especially hurt when he was so good at it, at a time when she couldn't afford to fall for it. If her team lost, at best she could get Sierra to vote with her, but that would result in a tie at best, and both Duncan and Gwen were, regrettably, strong players. She'd lost to Gwen enough to realize that last one.

It was embarrassing. Her time was cut short in the first season- sure, she made it to the final four, but she wasn't even in half of it, and the less said about Action the better. She still cringed at the thought of what happened to her hair.

All because of that brat. Cody, the evil, manipulative piece of garbage that he definitely is, getting all this sympathy because his choices caught up to him. So he got mauled by a bear, boo-hoo. God, she couldn't wait for him to-

"Wah!" Heather yelped as she fell from her emu, glaring tiredly up at the creature. "Come on you stupid mutt!" She cringed almost immediately after saying that, as the emu seemed to glare back with its beady eyes, and sped off, kicking dirt in her face. Heather growled, but remained on the ground.

She'd been played so easily, huh?

Maybe that Alejandro isn't so bad…

"So, what's going on with you and Cody?" Duncan asked Dawn, though his question could be directed to any member of their group. Somehow, himself, Sierra, Dawn, and Gwen had all managed to travel together. Cody had somehow managed to become the center of attention this season, and it was kind of disheartening. Duncan was supposed to be the main attraction here!

All three girls immediately said something. One voice antagonistic, one embarrassed, and one somewhat upset. He sighed.

" Dawn. I was talking to Dawn." Duncan clarified, as Gwen sighed and got relaxed next to the fire, and Sierra silently seethed. God that girl was weird.

"He's avoiding me." She said simply. It was said so simply, it took Duncan a few moments to register how weird that was, like she was just stating a fact of life. The girl's whole demeanor could be weird, the few glimpses of proper emotion were separated by distant yet intimate staring. Weird girl.

"Well, aren't you doing the same to him?" Gwen spoke up. Their conversation at Area 51 had been buried, but being sat around this fire made them feel like it was time to let some more things out. "What you said back there… seems like both of you had the same idea." You don't want to hurt each other .

"Probably." Dawn blew some hair out of her face, only to be met with a brief blast of smoke from the fire. The spiritual properties of smoke were lost on the rest of the group in all likelihood given the current drama of the moment, but Dawn knew everything that could go wrong tonight. If Cody was alone with a fire, he'd merely be providing another opening to be attacked. "We lived the same life for so long, so when we're finally able to move forward on our own… I guess we don't want to drag the other along. Into the unknown. Our colours have been drifting further apart, and maybe one day we'll drift apart for good."

"Don't talk like that." Duncan said gruffly, jabbing at the fire's base with a stick, sparks shooting into the air. "If Cody does that to you, just let me know. I'll kick his ass." Dawn giggled at Duncan's typical brashness, but the conversation didn't go much further from there. They were an odd group, and aside from the occasional jabs Gwen and Duncan made to each other, there wasn't much in the way of conversation among them.

Dawn saw something in the fire though. Flickering in the smoke, she could see the thing that truly terrified Cody. She knew exactly what it was, but Cody was in denial. It was easy to understand why, looking into the flames and seeing that visage. The smile of that thing as it looked right at Dawn, before flickering away.

"It's funny, you know. I was terrified when you knew before, but now I'm honestly kind of relieved." Cody sighed, scooting backwards to lean against his emu. Noah just snorted, shaking his head at how simplistic his current companion was, and Cody mocked offense at the action. "Come on, it gets pretty lonely being a time looper."

"You're insufferable." Noah sighed. There was still a hint of bitterness in his tone, but something had changed, the anger having gone from red hot, to a cold resentment, to this hollow expression of understanding. Cody could still feel a strong dislike from his fellow geek, but Noah wanted to build a bridge here, perhaps from a shallow desire for knowledge, or because he understood where Cody had come from.

"So, how much do you know?" Cody asked, bringing the conversation to its point. Why they had both decided to hole up here and talk, rather than one of them departing to leave the other on their lonesome. Well, Cody would try to badger Noah a bit more, but Noah would definitely want to leave typically.

"It's a mess- you really spent too much time around me you know?" Noah's annoyance made Cody giggle slightly, remembering the few bits of fun he'd have in the later loops. "I mean, come on, did you need to ask me if I like guys every time? "

"That's the face!" Cody laughed, kicking his feet at the dirt as Noah blushed furiously. "I knew it would be worth it!" He descended into laughter for a few seconds until Noah finally threw a stone at his legs- thankfully lightly, in hopes to bring the conversation back on track.

"I only remember a 'highlight reel' really." Noah rubbed his forehead, leaning back against his own emu. "Pushing you down into the dirt and watching you fail utterly satiated a lot of my anger I suppose. A lot of it just blends together though- how long were you even doing that for? Twenty time loops?"

Cody gave him a toothy grin. "Try one hundred and eight."

Noah's eyes widened, but he still managed to whistle slightly. "Real spiritual guy huh? Actually, I doubt you know what that means, it seems more up your girlfriend's alley."

"Girlfriend?" Cody mumbled, looking over at Noah. "You mean Dawn? We're- I- we can't be that close." He hated those words, but knew they had to be said. He was too reliant on her, and with what was happening now, he felt it was better to push her away- he'd been on his own for so long. He could do it again.

"Are you worried about that little girl we saw back in Greece?" Noah asked, causing Cody to perk up.

"You saw her?" Cody said in awe, happy that he had someone else to finally talk to about all the current weirdness. "God, I thought I was going crazy for a while. She's-"

"Right here!"

The fire pit seemed to explode, the flames rising suddenly as Noah and Cody scrambled to stand, smoke filling the area- though oddly, neither emu moved. Eventually, the smoke cleared and the pair saw a familiar figure.

The short girl emerged from the flames, standing between the two, her smile wide and vivid. Like an animal. Like they were merely food for her to consume.

"Look at you two making up like good little boys." She cooed at them, a mocking tone to her words, her pure disdain clear. Evident. Dripping. "It's so depraved , isn't it? After all the awful things you did to each other, to sit around here and act like you're friends- you should be at each other's throats!"

"Get out of here lolita. " Noah blew off the mystical girl so easily that it threw both her and Cody off. "You're a non-entity to this. Just an annoying fly butting in where you aren't wanted."

"Oh?" The girl raised her right eyebrow, facing Noah. "You know, I thought you were meant to be the smart one. Surely you should realize just how important I am here. Far more important than you. "

Noah laughed some more, a haughty and superior laugh as if to one up the girl's own. He wanted to be fully in control of the situation, and the girl's brief twitching at this showed he was getting to her.

"I've beaten you before. You're just pathetic. " His laughter was met with an angered growl from the girl, but Cody was just confused. Where could Noah have met- let alone beat- this girl. As far as he knew, the only people connected to the supernatural were himself and Dawn.

"Noah? What do you mean?" Cody tried asking, but before Noah could respond the girl's fury resounded powerfully. She stamped her feet on the ground like a child as the fire shot up high into the air, and the area descended into darkness just like it had in Greece.

"Fine! A reprise!" She shouted, emotions high in her voice. "Our song goes on!"

The sound of various musical instruments resounded loudly around them, and the girl turned to Cody, a smile on her lips. A poisonous smile he had to look away from, but at the same time he tried to force himself to look right at it.

And all your stories

Of trying to fulfill her

Of trying to kill her

Became such filler?

Cody resented the mocking tone. The jabs at his attempts with Gwen and eventual resentment. It had mattered, but instead of shouting back he found himself forced to join the girl in song.

It was all too much, I had to get away!

Cody grasped his mouth as he finished saying that, and the girl smirked. How had she done that? He hadn't wanted to run away! He just- he just!

This story's the end all

A piece of true fiction!

Made meaningless in the face of creation~!

Noah seemed to have joined in, taking a stand against the girl, who still seemed agitated facing the boy despite how confident she was against Cody. Just what was different about them? Why did she seem almost scared of him?

The fire erupted once more as the girl continued the song, turning to face Cody himself once again.

But there is more to it than meets the eye!

Cody tried to clench his jaw shut, but the words flowed out uncontrolled, from the pits of his very being.

I never meant for this to ruin my life that way!

The girl grinned, a wide grin that Cody used all of his willpower to not look away from. He had to, he couldn't let himself be scared of this girl when even Noah could take such a stand against her- when this girl had already shown she didn't care for what he had done. What she could do to everyone else.

She bore a wide grin, familiar at this point, but something was off putting about her smile. Something that was familiar beyond the past few weeks he had known of her existence.

Would you say you lived a jaded lie?

The grin. That damn grin as she sang her song, forcing them all into her rhythm as that awful smile bore down on them, but Cody could see it in that smile. Why it was so familiar. Before she could force Cody to sing though, Noah grabbed her shoulder and continued the song, playing to her rules.

Dark shades could never save the day!

He pulled her and roughly shoved her into the flames, her body disappearing into the smoke like a phantom. No, Cody though. His body.

So sad… The voice whispered next to his ear, still continuing the song. But true!

He reformed, dancing out of the fire as if to mock Noah's efforts, but despite it all they were still annoyed by them, evident in their tone as they continued to sing.

Fighting the nightmares

A girl he held hostage!

A gift or a curse,

A reality made of dreams!

Cody wanted to scream. He'd never held Dawn, or anyone for that matter hostage, but deep down he knew that this what a part of him did feel, knowing who was saying all of this.

"Come on, why don't all of us join in for this part?" The demon laughed, dragging Noah and Cody forcibly into step with them. "You should know the words by now."

Show me the Champion of Light!

I'll show you the Herald of Darkness!

Lost in a never ending night!

Diving deep to the surface..!

The primal screams that followed were hollow for Noah and Cody, as both glowered at the one forcing them into this, but it had long since disappeared, leaving the two alone once again. The fire was as normal as it had been before, the emus still undisturbed, and the pair found themselves drained completely.

Cody had come to realize one thing during all of that though. An awful revelation, one he should've had before but was in constant denial of.

He could never bring himself to look at the demon's face. Its hair and mouth were constantly avoided, he could only reads its eyes as predatory, and the dress was something he had long since blocked out of his memory.

But, now he recognized it. Or rather, he acknowledged it.

"Noah, you saw all of that right?" Cody asked, his voice hoarse from the singing he'd been forced to do, and Noah merely nodded, clearly in a similar state to Cody.

Cody gulped and looked at the other boy, shaken. "That girl… wasn't a girl. He was me. Me from ten years ago."