Well...looks like it's time to wrap this part of the story up and reveal so much stuff
So...well, you know the drill by now
And a word of warning, this chapter does contain sad moments...
Anyways, let's finish the chapter
PETALS OF THE PAST (Part 2)
The day afterwards
At Dundas Street Coach Terminal
"Get on the bus, you're leaving today." Wallace (Status: Currently forcing Scott go on some strange thing called a Wilderness Sabbatical. Wallace's Note: Hey, don't give me that. It's for his own good!) said while trying to shove Scott onto the coach, all as Lucas and Roxie followed him close behind. "W-Wha?! I don't understand what's even happening!" Scott (Emotion: Confusion. As in, he wasn't told the plan Wallace he cooked up.) exclaimed whilst trying to push back against Wallace with all his might. Apparently Wallace decided that taking a Wilderness Sabbatical, as Mobile had told him once, was the better option for Scott.
"Think of this whole thing as a Wilderness Sabbatical. All you have to do is go cleanse your mind, then come back and fight Gideon. Lucas, you and Roxie can look out for Scotty right?" Wallace then explained to Scott before turning to Lucas and Roxie (Ramona's Second and Fourth exes. Fun Fact: They're the only exes that aren't all that evil to begin with). "We'll obviously try, Wallace." Roxie responded while rolling her eyes in pretty much an annoyed look. Even Lucas nodded firmly for confirmation. "What?! I don't wanna fight him! And I promised I'd look after Knives too after-" Scott began, trying to protest against Wallace while making a good point.
Knives was also wanting Scott to get better, but the way Wallace was doing things, she had her doubts. "She'll be find with me until you get back. So shut up and go train." He then said, shoving Scott onto the coach (Even paying the driver to not let him off until he gets to the destination, which is the Great White North). "But I don't have any reason to fight anymore!" Scott yelled from inside the coach. One look between Lucas and Roxie immediately told them, especially as they boarded the coach that this would be a very long trip. "How long will it take for Scott to clear his head?" Knives then asked gently. "Only time will tell, Knives..." Wallace responded.
All the while, as the coach then left (Along with a complaining Scott), Gideon (Age: 31. Occupation: Head of GGG Heavy Industries and an XXXXXXX. Status: Watching his foe yet again) watched from his lair's monitors and smirked. "Running away are we, buddy? Heh...you'll be beck soon enough. I can wait an eternity." He said with a smirk. He would've noticed that Lucas and Roxie were with him before he was suddenly interrupted by his intercom going off. "Yes, what is it?" He asked while rolling his eyes. "Your seventh Chaos Theatre is complete. I just got word that the builders had finished up the last of the building's structure." One of his interns said.
Hearing about this, Gideon smirked with pride. "Thanks for telling me. I'll be down momentarily to see them and thank them personally." He said before turning off the intercom and walking to his personal elevator.
The next day or so...
At Kim's Parents' Home
Scott, Lucas and Roxie were currently having their breakfast with Kim and her own parents, both of which never stopped talking, given how, as Kim put it...weren't born idiots, yet she was till annoyed with them. The trio had just gotten in yesterday, though they had to sleep in the basement (Lucas' Note: Not the ideal for actors but whatever...), which wasn't new for Scott but new for Lucas. Though a few hours afterwards, Kim led the group to the nearby forest her home was near. "Yeah...so this is life at my place. Amazing, I know." Kim said rhetorically, even before Scott could even say anything...and then there was an awkward silence.
"So uh...what are you currently doing up here in the Great White North?" Scott then asked awkwardly. "Last time I checked, you weren't my mom Scott." Kim then bluntly responded to him. "No, that's not what I meant. I-I mean, are you actually going to school or something or...?" Scott then asked, only to be met with Kim's casual glare (The one and only in fact. It's part of her character. Can you blame her?) to his face. Though seconds later she turned towards Lucas and Roxie. "And last time I checked, you two gave up on your whole evil ex business. Where are you at these days?" She then asked the two exes.
"Taking things easy on my end. And Roxie's still in the art business." Lucas brought up despite getting a hit from Roxie, almost enough to make Scott and Kim chuckle a little. "By the way, you hear from Lisa these days?" Scott then asked Kim, mostly mentioning Lisa (Occupation: Soon-to-Be Hollywood Actress. Status: Currently unknown) too. "A little...she told me she was currently auditioning for roles left and right, but she's also got a part time job as well." Kim then mentioned from what Lisa told her. Sure, it wasn't the original plan, but Kim knew that Lisa was working her way to the top.
"Also...how's Knives? I figured she must've been really sad when I left, let alone got the whole band split up, the best thing to ever happen to her. So yeah, how is she...?" Kim then asked, a little bluntly, but not as bluntly given how she cared about Knives. Hearing this, Scott sighed heavily. "To be honest, she's not doing that good. She wished that we'd get back together, as a band I mean, worrying about the changes in her life and I'm kinda doing whatever to help her." He then explained, and this made Kim sad despite being glad that Scott was helping her bandmate out. "That's good to know..." She responded with a smile.
"I mean, I would've stayed in Toronto and trust me, I never meant to split the band up, but...after what happened with those twin XXXhats, I just need some time to myself." Kim then continued while admitting why she left. The mention of the Katayanagi Twins made Lucas and Roxie look at each other in annoyance. "Never did like those jerks anyway..." Lucas said with a huff. "So anyways, uh...where we heading?" Scott then awkwardly asked as he noticed the path the group was currently on. "Well, Wallace said on the phone that you needed a Wilderness Sabbatical, and well...you're gonna get the real deal, Scott." Kim then explained, bringing the group farther to the forest.
At the same time...
At Ramona's Dad's place
Ramona (Status: Just tried to get on the internet) had just gotten her phone out, trying to text Scott, but the only thing stopping her was her fears and doubts, no matter what she thought, she figured it would completely end in disaster. A moment later, her father (Joel Flowers. Concern Levels: High. Q: Does he know how to help his little girl? A: Yes he does.) saw how agitated and anxious his daughter was, and decided that enough was enough, immediately walking towards his daughter and grabbing her hand. "Alright, come on Missy. Get your coat and shoes on." He said, guiding her towards the front door.
"W-Wha...?! Dad, what are you doing?! I was just-" Ramona tried to protest, only for her father to gently cut her off. "We're just going for a little walk in the Fogbound Forests. It's been years since you stepped foot in them and I believe somebody needs to clear their heads." Joel explained while he got his big coat (Given his big size, he's always had it in the best of situations) on. "Fogbound Fo-dad, can't we go somewhere else?! I always used to hate going in there." Ramona immediately said, trying to back out of her father's idea of a walk, only for him to bring her out the door without another word.
About 10 minutes later, the father-daughter duo had reached the forest, or as they both knew them...the Fogbound Forests (Fun Fact: It's an ancient mystical forest for those who enter, and it knows all who enter). It was a large forest that always seemed to emit mist, one which Ramona hadn't been to in so long given it spooked her out when she was six. "Why here...? You know I got scared when you took me here." Ramona asked, nervous on entering this vast forest and not to mention how foggy it would get too. "This'll help you, Ramona. It helped me after...well, you know what I mean." Joel said reassuringly to his daughter.
And a few moments later, the two walked into the Fogbound Forests together, oblivious to the fog beginning to emerge from the trees.
Meanwhile...
Scott, Lucas and Roxie continued to follow Kim into the wilderness (The real deal as she put it earlier). Roxie was currently leaping across the ground in her rabbit form, and Lucas...well, he just looked around the place, having never seen anything like these woods before. "It feels like the four of us are alone in the world! No grown-ups! It's like The Tribe!" Scott said while looking around the wilderness himself. "Uh Scott...you do realise that we're grown-ups, right?" Kim pointed out in annoyance. "And plus, none of us know what The Tribe is." Lucas added, slightly confused at Scott's choice of words.
"Oh man...come to think of it, I don't think I'm ready to be a grown-up." Scott then said after a heavy sigh. In fact, Roxie could roughly sympathize with him, given how it took her she often felt childlike during college and while in the League (Fun Fact: It never bothered Ramona that much during College). "Yeah, believe it or not...none of thought that at first, buddy." She said after jumping off the tree she was on and changing back. "I concur. But hey, you'll get it pretty quickly. It just takes practice." Kim then added, giving a hint of reassurance to Scott, even smirking at him a little too.
"Just like it took me 200 tries to get as good as I am today." Lucas butted in. Kim decided to ignore that remark, though it was more or less true in the case of her friend's 2nd ex. As they walked onwards, Scott took in the sights (Including a nearby cottage he thought he saw (Fun Fact: This was in the game)), appreciating what he was seeing, up until he and the others decided to have a bit of a rest. However, out of the corner of his eye, Scott could've saw something zip by him in a black shadow, only to dismiss it when he saw nothing. Though the strangest thing about that figure...he could've sworn it laughed in a pixel-like manner, ominously.
Back in Fogbound Forest...
Ramona and her father kept walking down the forest path (Caution: Incoming Fog from the forest), though if she was being honest, Ramona herself was already feeling very nervous being within the forest. She hadn't felt this afraid since she was a little girl, and the last time she was in the forest she ran away the moment it (The forest's main capability in any case) began happening. "Dad, don't you think this is far enough? I-I mean, not that I'm-" She began, only to be cut off by her father. "Relax, Ram-Ram. You'll see there's nothing to be afraid of soon enough. I promise you." Joel said as he rubbed his daughter's shoulder.
"You said that the first time I came here too..." Ramona muttered to herself sheepishly. "Well I still keep my word regardless." Joel then added with a slight chuckle, even making Ramona chuckle a little herself. A moment later when Ramona finally began to relax, she noticed that it began to get foggy, VERY foggy. The fog of which had scared her as a child, and it was already making her afraid (Fear Levels: Traumatically maxing out) for the first time since then. "Oookay, dad there's coming, can we turn back please? I-I don't think-" She began to protest to her father...only to find that he wasn't beside her at all.
"D-Dad...? Dad where are you?!" Ramona called out almost immediately, even looking around the forest for any sign of her father, but he was nowhere to be seen at all, especially as the fog thickened within seconds. "Oh my god, oh my god! This isn't happening! Come on, Ramona...wake up...!" She said to herself, panicked and on the verge of a breakdown. Her father had always told her about how to deal with the forest's fog, but it was years ago and she couldn't even remember how to do it now (No-So Fun Fact: She really doesn't). And what's worse was that she saw a few shadows zip by the trees within the forest itself.
When one of them was too close, Ramona yelped and ran down the path in the direction she assumed would take her back to the entrance to the forest itself, but was oblivious to the sign behind pointing towards the entrance itself...meaning that Ramona didn't realise she'd run the wrong way.
Back with Scott and the others
The group, still sat on that patch of the forest, had a bit of silence, though in a good way. "Thanks for coming up to visit me by the way, Scott. I've been getting pretty sick of being up here to be honest." Kim eventually spoke up, and admitting she was pretty annoyed with staying at her parents too. "Well then why did you move back here in the first place, Kim." Scott then asked in confusion (With Lucas and Roxie both listening at the same time as well). "Still trying to figure that one out, Scott...but to be fair, I think I wasted my time those last months." Kim then admitted, cursing herself for leaving Toronto...but then smirked at Scott after a few seconds.
A few moments later, Scott began leaning in towards Kim, preparing to kiss her (Just like in the novels) to her slight shock...only for Kim to push him away at the last second. Realising what he would've done, Scott growled to himself in annoyance. "What the XXXX was I even doing there?!" He cursed himself, cursing himself for taking advantage of the situation and Kim, and nearly being an idiot like he used to be. "Woah...did you just try to...kiss her?" Roxie asked, shocked at this. "Well not anymore, I mean...it's stupid now that I think about it. I already messed our relationship up once in High School, and...I'm not about to make it again." Scott finally spoke up.
"Even if you were being an idiot there...at least you came to your senses there." Kim then slightly muttered in slight annoyance yet relief. "It's just...you were always there for me and Ramona this whole time, Kim. You and everyone else...were there for us. Things were sometimes complicated with Ramona, but you were like the one thing before all that that was pretty constant. Uncomplicated even." Scott explained while blushing a little. "Uh...did that make any sense?" Roxie asked Lucas in, who merely shrugged in confusion. After that, another moment of silence befell the group.
"Yeah...that's right. I always was, fighting or not fighting the exes. No offense. Heck, I'm the reason you even survived that One Guy's attack back at the Rockit (Read Ramona Flowers' Race Against Time for more information). I'm honestly glad I did that for you...but let's face it Scott, our relationship wouldn't work if we dated again. I mean...don't you remember High School? It wasn't like a crappy romance movie." Kim then spoke up, being blunt about the idea Scott had to kiss her before bringing up their high school days. Hearing this, Lucas and Roxie began to get interested in what Kim meant.
"Don't you remember? I told Ramona the story that day: We were High School sweethearts but I had to move away to Toronto. That was my parents' fault, and I blamed them for that ever since." Scott brought up, remembering the day he told Kim he was moving away...only for Kim to interrupt said memory. "Seriously...? You didn't tell the whole story to Ramona." Kim exclaimed in annoyance, nearly anger in fact. "Uh, what do you mean, Kim?" Roxie asked while cocking her head to the side. "Scott never told me he was leaving. Lisa told me after hearing it from Scott and I never talked to her for a whole month afterwards!" Kim bluntly revealed.
Hearing this, Scott thought back to that moment where he told Kim...no...told Lisa that he was moving to Toronto back in High School. "Woah...that would make an awesome plot twist." Lucas said to himself, surprised after he heard the truth. "As if that wasn't bad enough, Scott, you screwed over Simon Lee! Ok, we both did, but seriously, that look on his face when you attacked him...!" Kim continued, rubbing her eyes slightly. "W-Wait, he kidnapped you back then along with the Benvie Tech Boys! All I did was fight to-" Scott began, remembering how he fought to save Kim from Simon Lee, only to get cut off by his ex before he could finish thinking about the moment once more.
"Don't you even remember that Simon Lee wasn't some crazy guy who flew, or shot lightning bolts from his eyes and XXXX. He was that Chinese kid. I was dating him back then Scott...actually, maybe he only hugged me once and not that." Kim explained, and the moment she said those words...Scott froze on the spot, remembering that day...what REALLY happened that day, and the fact that he'd actually hit an ordinary kid during his High School days. He was shocked, head glowing brightly while the constant thoughts kept buzzing around in his mind. Was he a fraud? A bully? A joke?! He couldn't believe what he was remembering...
"All this time...was any of this...what we went through, with Ramona...just a lie?!" He exclaimed, a panic attack ensuing as everything began crashing down on his head within seconds. "Just forget what I did or said...I just wanna move on from all that." He said to to Kim, tears beginning to well in his eyes. "S-Scott...your head..." Kim began with worry. "Scott, are you ok?" Lucas then asked, trying to snap Scott out of his panic attack, only for his hand to get slapped away. "I'm fine! I-I just want this whole mess to be done!" Scott exclaimed aloud, his voice echoing throughout the whole forest.
Everyone was stunned as soon as he heard those words, unable to say anything...Kim tried to calm Scott down, only for a pixel-like mocking laughter to break the silence before her. His heart skipping a beat, Scott slowly turned around to see (With a death glare) the one thing he was trying to outrun since forever...and there, Kim, Lucas and Roxie also saw it, or rather, him, the Nega Scott (Scott Pilgrim's Evil Counterpart. Powers: Antimatter and roughly near enough the same fighting skills as Scott). "Told you I'd find you, Scotty. I think we both know what the time is, don't you...?" He spoke to Scott, preparing to fight, and this time, Scott was ready to fight him.
Back within the Fogbound Forest
Ramona ran along the foggy path in hopes of getting out of the forest, but so far every direction the path had taken her didn't take her any closer to the entrance. "Dad, where are you?! This isn't funny!" She screamed, her mind beginning to play horrible tricks on her within the forest. It was almost like that scene (That scared her XXXXless...) from a 30s animated movie she used to watch with her family, and boy did that feel like this moment. "DAD?!" Ramona called out once more, still getting no response like that first time. Eventually, it was all too much for her, and due to all the running she'd done, Ramona ultimately collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
For a while she just lay there, unable to move a muscle..., yet she had the strength to look up towards the sky where she saw, or at least, thought she saw the sun trying to pierce the fog with no avail. Eventually though, Ramona sat up to see that the path had gone and she was completely lost in the forest, or in this case, in the middle of a clearing. "Oh great...now how am I supposed to get out of this place?" She groaned in annoyance...only to stop when she heard a child laughing nearby, but that laughter was something she hadn't heard in years, not since the day when...no, it couldn't be...
"H-Hello...? Who's there?" Ramona then called out, only a lot more gentle than she had just done. There was no answer, yet Ramona could hear the child's playful laughter along with another familiar voice, almost motherly-like to the child. She couldn't make out the words of course, but as she looked around a little more, Ramona saw two figures within the dense fog, one the size of a little boy and the other the size of an adult woman, both of whom then looked towards Ramona after a moment. "Ramona...?" The woman spoke, and instantly, Ramona gasped in shock.
The figures emerged from the fog, revealing to be a young boy, around 7 years old, and a woman with flowing dark auburn hair in her near-mid 30s. Though different in age...Ramona knew who they were from heart. "M-Mom...? Charlie...?" She stuttered out in disbelief, seeing her mother (Lorelai 'Lori' Flowers. Ramona's Mother. Fun Fact: Nobody knows true kindness like she does) and older brother (Charlie Flowers. Ramona's older(?) brother. Emotion: Happy to see his sister) for the first time in far too many years, right after they approached Ramona. "Ram-Ram, it's so good to see you after all this time." Charlie exclaimed with excitement.
"Charlie couldn't keep his excitement held in for long, but we both knew you'd come home eventually. How have you been Ramona?" Lori asked her daughter, who looked away, both sheepishly and awkwardly. "I've uh...been through a rough time, like a really rough time." Ramona admitted. She couldn't deny she was a mess to her mother (Especially when she can see right through a troubling lie.) after everything. "Well don't worry, it's nothing we can't fix as a family." Lori then said as she placed her hand on Ramona's shoulder gently. Seconds later, Ramona was guided towards a tree not too far away, a tree where Charlie was currently swinging on.
It was nice that Ramona got to spend time with the rest of her family, seeing her brother on the tyre swing their parents had set up at one point and the way her mother used to sing to them both...but then, Ramona knew something was off, and it was something she had known since she was five years old...and it's also what caused her to slow and her smile to fade. "This...this isn't right...mom, this isn't possible." She eventually said, placing both her hands on her forehead while catching both her mother and brother's attention. "What's wrong, Ramona? Aren't you happy to see us...?" Charlie then asked in concern, coming off the swing to approach his sister.
"I am...for the first time, I'm glad to see you both again." Ramona said, and she was really grateful to have this chance to see the rest of her family again. "So why the grim expression then?" Lori then asked her daughter, and what Ramona said next reminded her of how harsh reality had been to her. "Because...you're both gone." The very words that Ramona used immediately brought silence to the whole clearing...especially her brother and mother.
Meanwhile with Scott and the others...
Scott and his negative counterpart (Both polar opposites) stood a few feet apart from each other, with Scott glaring angrily and Nega Scott grinning at him mockingly. "Why didn't Scott tell us about this guy? If he's his negative counterpart..." Lucas began in confusion. "Maybe he knows him by instinct. Though something tells me this guy was created by Gideon." Roxie then brought up, knowing Gideon all too well in her mind. "Well? Gonna make the first hit, Scotty? I'm right here." Nega Scott then spoke, gesturing himself to Scott. "Fine by me, you negative piece of XXXX!" Scott yelled as he ran towards his negative counterpart.
NEGA SCOTT
VS.
SCOTT PILGRIM
FIGHT!
Leaping into the air, Scott tried to land his punch on Nega Scott, only for the latter to both block the attack and smack him in the face, or at least he tried to before Scott kicked him in the stomach, sending the negative clone flying backwards into the tree painfully (Like seriously...do you know how hard a tree is?). Scott briefly sighed, assuming that he'd defeated his negative counterpart, only for the latter to teleport behind him without any warning. "Did you get him, buddy?" He asked before Scott tried hitting him again, only for the latter to punch him towards the same tree with just a single strike.
Lucas and Roxie were shocked at how powerful Nega Scott was, but Kim felt like this had gone on for far too long than she'd thought. "Scott, stop! You can't keep living like this!" She yelled to her ex, but due to his brightly glowing head and stubbornness, Scott ignored her. "Stay out of it! I need to kill this XXX so I can move on!" Scott yelled as he rushed towards Nega Scott once more, including the latter who rushed towards him like a shadow or something. "We gotta stop that phony!" Roxie growled as she got out her katana, trying to intervene and help Scott, only for Lucas to stop her in her tracks.
"I think only Scott can fight this dude." He said, not wanting to interfere just in case. But Scott's fury had gotten the better of him despite how well he was fighting, and Nega Scott proved to be the more powerful one with how he mimicked Scott's own fighting skills, and not to mention that Negadouken move was too much of a problem as well. "Well well well...looks like somebody's not living up to their own legend, wouldn't you say so, Scotty?" Nega Scott mocked while avoiding the countless punches Scott was throwing his foe's way. "Who cares?! I'm not letting you get away with your plans! I won't let you win!" The he yelled furiously.
"Scott, you can't forget your mistakes! If you do you'll only keep making them again. And again. and again!" Kim immediately yelled, trying to get her ex to stop fighting, but to no avail. "I don't care! I don't want to live with myself after everything I caused! EVER AGAIN!" Scott roared before grabbing Nega Scott and smashing him into a tree several times, even on the verge of tears before his foe grabbed him and dragged him down a very steep hill behind him, tumbling over one another while landing so many punches as hard as they could. "Finally...he said it, ladies and gentlemen!" Nega Scott said with a smirk, even mockingly applauding Scott.
Growling, Scott got out his sword (The Power of Love) and tried to slice his foe, only for the latter to get his own negative version of the sword (Name: I dunno...the Power of Hate or something?) and the two fought without getting tired as they tried slicing each other...but after a moment, Scott felt like he was getting tired. "You know everything bad about you is just gonna keep following you around, buddy. Especially me, not that I needed to say that out loud or whatever." Nega Scott said to him. The instant that nerve was touched, Scott kicked his negative counterpart in the stomach before swinging his sword at him, slicking the cheek in the process.
Seconds later, Scott kicked Nega Scott's sword from his hand and pounced on him. "You really like getting your kicks out of making me feel horrible?! Or enslaving people in the salt mines or whatever?! Well let's see who's laughing after you get sent back to the void from whence you came!" He yelled before trying to slice his foe, only for Kim to grab his arm and stop him. "Kim, what the hell are you-?!" Before Scott could finish, Kim cut him off harshlty. "Scott, you've gotta hold on to your past, painful and XXXXXX as it might be! Otherwise...ugh, I don't know! You'll be your own worst enemy!" She yelled in frustration.
Hearing this...Scott stopped where he was, even seeing a concerned Roxie and Lucas too. In fact, looking to his right, after he'd teleported out of harm's way...Nega Scott had also stopped fighting. For a brief second, Scott felt his head glowing, but not out of rage...in this case, out of a more positive emotion. He even saw glimpses of his own girlfriend, how cool she was, her smile, her amazing fighting skills...and how far she and him had come since day one, even if there were some bad memories. "R...Ramona...?" He muttered out, all as Nega Scott's wicked expression dropped to one of genuine concern.
At the same time...
Ramona (Emotion: Emotionally Sad) sat up by the tree, sobbing and muttering how it was all her fault and that she didn't mean it, all while her mother and Charlie watched in concern. "Ramona...a-are you ok...?" Charlie asked, but the second he got close, Ramona gently turned away, overwhelmed with guilt and remembering that both her mother and brother were dead. "I'm sorry...Charlie, I'm so sorry!" She cried, tears flowing down her cheeks freely as Charlie placed his hand on his sister's shoulder. "Ram-Ram..." He responded gently, as if trying to calm her down and reassure Ramona.
"I-It was my fault...I got you both killed. I-I destroyed our family!" Ramona exclaimed, her trauma getting the best of her while clutching her choker gently. It was the reason why she kept running, why her seven evil exes even existed in the first place: it was because Charlie's and her mother's deaths. She could never erase that memory from her mind. When she was five years old, her mother took both her and her older brother for a drive to someplace when Charlie stated teasing his little sister, but when she whined to her mother, who looked away for a brief moment, they got into a really bad accident, one that had killed both her mother and Charlie instantly.
Needless to say, Ramona, having been the only survivor of the accident, was scarred for life, overwhelmed with so much guilt in fact that she ran away from their funeral and hid, thinking she was responsible for both of their deaths. And her own choker was one of her brother's shoelaces from his favourite shoes, she originally tied it around her wrist growing up until she began tying it around her neck, all to keep that part of her brother's memory alive. "Ramona...you mustn't blame yourself for what happened. You were only a child back then, and you aren't the reason for what happened." Lori gently said to her daughter.
"But if I hadn't whined and distracted you, then you'd both still be here and..." Ramona sobbed, wishing things were different along with wondering what life would've been like if her brother got to grow up. "And maybe I wouldn't be the huge mess I am today. Maybe...maybe I would've had a normal life..." She finished, cursing herself on that last part for messing her own life up as a child. "And yet your past, regardless of the mistakes you made along the way, are what made you the woman you grew up to become today." Lori then pointed out with a gentle smile, trying to reassure her own daughter.
Ramona, however, couldn't see the good she did in her life. Thinking about her past right there and then, she knew all to well about what happened. After her mother's and Charlie's funeral from that day onward, Ramona was never the same, she never got close to anyone, made any friends for seven years, and overtime isolated herself from everyone so they wouldn't get hurt because of her. "In what way...? I pushed away everyone who was nice to me and anyone I've dated...I left them in the end..." She spoke, recalling the moments where she dumped all of her seven exes at once at that moment...
Flashbacks (All the moments she dumped her exes):
Flipping off Matthew Patel in middle school after dumping him...
Dating Todd Ingram while leaving Lucas heartbroken... (Ramona's Note: I never should've left him back then...)
Leaving Roxie Richter the way she did back in College (Also Ramona's Note: She deserved so much better...)
Dumping Kyle and Ken after they tried to go after her
Abandoning Gideon for everything he'd done to her
And lastly...abandoning Scott and his...and her friends out of guilt.
"Scott...guys...thank you...I...had a good time."
Her own words echoing trough her mind, Ramona looked away with shame. She felt so much guilt and shame, leaving Toronto and her friends like that. Sure, she wanted to stay, but she didn't want them to get hurt because of her... "All that running...that was my problem, wasn't it? Just skating on, calling those relationships another failed experiment, running away from the thing I love...?" She asked, though it didn't take the looks of her mother and Charlie's expressions to tell her. "What am I saying...? Of course it was. I-I guess I was always trying to beat the clock, outrun the universe, like nothing could change me as long as I changed first." She then said with a sad sigh.
"At what cost though, Ramona? You'll just keep making yourself miserable like this. What happened to that mischievous little sister I used to know?" Charlie then said while getting his sister to look him in the eye. "I don't know anymore...I-I feel like I'm getting swept along this river and if I hold on to anything for dear life...I'm stuck, not getting anywhere..." Ramona admitted gently. "And yet you got somewhere in Toronto. You had a life there, friends, love, a somewhere to call home. You changed for them and were there for them too. That's what I meant when I said about who you became now." Lori then mentioned to her daughter.
The mention of her time in Toronto, Ramona began to remember all the good she'd done for Scott and their friends since day one, and all the good they'd done her in return. The fact that their absence the last four months of her life which had made her miserable immediately proved that point. And for a brief moment, Ramona thought of Scott, especially how much of an idiot he originally was...only to grow as a person afterwards, being there for others when they needed him the most, and sparing two of her exes after he found out that they weren't really that bad after all.
Back with Scott
The latter continued to lie on the ground while his negative counterpart (Nega Scott. Status: Error! Nega Scott has stopped working) just knelt over him, his expression still looking concerned, even with Kim, Lucas and Roxie watching this. "Well what the hell are you waiting for then? Don't you have your plan to take over the universe and enslave everyone in the salt-" Scott began, concerned and confused all at once before Nega Scott cut him off gently. "That's now what I was after, Scotty...you keep shunning your past and running from it, and that's frustrating. I came here to make you remember all that XXXX for your own good!" He complained in frustration.
"I mean...don't you even remember how long we blamed our parents for having us move to Tornoto just to cope with leaving Kim behind? How long we thought Envy being a villainess after she dumped us and took Kid Chameleon when our argument was the real reason we lost her? How in those precious seven days we met, dated and then broke up with Knives just for Ramona? And while we're on the subject, do you remember how long you kept that from Ramona...?" Nega Scott then asked rhetorically...and the Scott's eyes widened with shock.
He immediately began recalling how things really went, with Kim confronting him about him going to Toronto, the night Envy dumped him, that brief moment he saw Knives see him with Ramona at the Rockit...and the last words Ramona had said to him and their friends before disappearing. "I...I do. So it's all true...I really am a fraud. I was never the best fighter in the province!" Scott said to himself, tears welling in his eyes to the concerns of his ex and Lucas and Roxie too. "Hold on there, Scotty. You're many things, but a fraud, that isn't one of them. Don't you remember the All-Ontario Fighting Tournament we took part in five years ago?" Nega Scott then said reassuringly, and the moment those words came to light, Scott did in fact remember that memory.
Back when he was 19, he took part in that tournament (Fun Fact: This was actually true according to Bryan Lee O'Malley) and won it all, which was how he earned that title in the first place. The odds were against him, but Scott never gave up the fight against the tougher enemies, not even when brutally beaten by them either, and in the end, he came out on top. It was so long that Scott nearly forgot how amazing he had been. Heck, Wallace was there for him half the time, and when he met Kim again and eventually told her about the tournament, she was impressed, a lot more than usual.
"How could I not...? That tournament was the day I put my fighting skills to the test, to prove I wasn't some idiot. I wanted to show everyone that-" Scott then responded after remembering it all. "There was more to us than anyone thought." Both he and Nega Scott finished. "But what's the point of all that now? Rammy left, and I don't deserve her. I don't think I ever did." Scott then said as he sat up with a sad sigh. "Hey come on now, that's Julie talking. And what does that XXXXX and a half even know anyway?!" Nega Scott then complained, though on a more positive note when he talked XXXX about the one person who hated Scott's guts.
"We've got a big fight ahead of us. And yeah, it does seem like all is lost, but there's still a chance...if you still want it?" Nega Scott then said before he got to his feet and held his arm out to Scott, who took it and was pulled to his feet, though not before Nega Scott allowed himself to be absorbed by his positive self. In an instant, Nega Scott vanished completely, leaving Scott alone, on his two feet, having accepted his past as an unsure yet newfound tenacity emerged. "How am I supposed to finish the fight when-" Scott then began, a bit confused on how he was gonna fight Gideon when Ramona wasn't present...well, at least until Kim cut him off.
"It's simple: You get your XXX back to Toronto, fight that final XXX for Ramona and earn her back." She said, placing her hand on his shoulder as she spoke. "She ain't wrong there, Pilgrim. Ramona made peace with us two, and knowing her these days, she'd definitely take you back too." Roxie added with a smirk, even followed with Lucas nodding in agreement. At this, Scott began to smirk a bit and feeling his old self return to normal, at least, what he felt was his normal self anyway.
Back with Ramona
Ramona had calmed down after thanks to her other family (Brother and Mother), her senses had returned, along with her usual smile. "I get it now. I was a mess for so many years, and I made a huge mess too...but it's like you always told me, mom: It's never too late to clean up a mess. I was always running away from the thing that I love the most, but what I did in the past, doesn't have to define me in the future." She said, and upon hearing those words, Lori gave her daughter a sweet look, the kind Ramona herself hadn't seen since she was younger. "There's the Ram-Ram I remember." Charlie then said with a smile as he and his sister hugged.
"I think it's safe to say I'm done running. I've gotta face my problem and end this once and for all." Ramona then admitted, finally done with the mess she was in and above all else, willing to regain her life in Toronto, Canada for good. "Atta girl. And yes, we may be gone, but please...be happy again. Promise me." Lori then said to her own daughter, right before a blinding light appeared from behind her and Charlie, engulfing the whole area within several seconds. When Ramona opened her eyes, the light had vanished and the fog had receded from the area, let alone the whole forest...but Ramona's mother and brother had ultimately vanished after that.
Looking around upon getting to her feet, Ramona tried to find any trace of them, but there were no traces of them or where they went. However, looking down at her right hand, Ramona saw her choker had become undone, though she saw a brief shimmer of light on the tip, possibly indicating that her encounter with them had really happened. "I'll promise, mom." Ramona finished with a smile, trying her choker back around her neck while a lone tear fell from her cheek. "Ramona!" Her father suddenly called out, sounding panicked before he appeared at the edge of the clearing and spotted her beside the tree.
"Oh thank god you're ok. I couldn't find you and got worried you went the wrong way and-" Joel began after running up to his daughter and hugging her. However, he was cut off when Ramona hugged him back, something she hadn't done for years after half their family passed away. "Dad...I'm ok...at least, now I am." Ramona gently spoke. At first, Joel was confused by this...until he began to realise that his daughter had overcome her problems due to the forest itself, and then hugged her back gently.
The day afterwards (Back with Scott and the group)
Scott, Lucas and Roxie (Status: All mentally healed and ready to take the fight to Gideon) were all ready to hop back on the bus back to Toronto Canada to finish the fight. "Well then, we're coming for you Gideon...just hope you're ready." Scott said to himself as he prepared to board the bus, only to stop when Kim caught up with the group with a few bags. "Uh, did you forget your own luggage, Lucas?" Roxie immediately asked in annoyance, glancing at a confused Lucas. "I only packed one bag." He responded, even shrugging to show he was just as confused.
"It's because they're mine." Kim revealed to the surprise of Scott. "Yours? Wait, why are you-?" Before he could finish, Kim cut off Scott. "I'm heading back to Toronto with you guys because, and I quote, I'm sick of being around my parents 24/7. Plus...I do miss you guys too, that and I'm gonna help you defeat that XXX." She explained to the relief of Scott, feeling that things were returning to some form of normalcy. She also pecked Scott on the cheek. "Ohohoh boy, well then, what are we waiting for?! Let's do this thing!" Scott giddily exclaimed before boarding the bus, leaving Kim with Roxie and Lucas briefly.
"Rammy won't like that if she finds out you-" Roxie began in slight annoyance. Kim, however, just put her hand up to cut her off. "Relax, that was just for luck. And trust me, it'll never happen again." She explained before boarding the bus. "Eh, I'd have probably done the same to Ramona too." Lucas then said with a shrug before he and Roxie also boarded the bus.
Meanwhile (At Ramona's Dad's place)
Ramona had just packed her things into her subspace bag, put on her roller-skates and was about to take off back to Toronto and fix her mess once and for all, though not before she turned back to see her own father, who stood on the porch behind her. "Thanks for everything, dad. It's just what I needed...and thanks for being there for me, even...when I didn't want you to be there." She said to her father gratefully. "Anytime, Ram-Ram. If you ever need me, I'm only a simple phone call away." Joel said to his daughter, who nodded before skating off down the road.
Carrying the memories of her past with her on that choker, Ramona felt like she'd left behind the old her who always ran and dawned a new kind of personality, one that she could live with for the rest of her life (Fun Fact: A good sign to indicate her new choices). As she skated onward to find a subspace door, Ramona thought back to her new friends in her life, and especially her boyfriend himself.
RAMONA FLOWERS...
"Hang on, Scott...I'm coming..." She thought in her mind, her speed on the somewhat steep roads increasing by the moment.
All the while...
The bus to Toronto, Canada kept speeding down the road to it's destination, only three figures stood atop of the vehicle, at the very front. They were Scott Pilgrim (Best Fighter in Toronto, Canada. Status: Determined to finish the fight of his life. I mean, who wouldn't?), Lucas Lee (Skateboarding Hollywood. Emotion: Thrilled to be riding the bus like this.) and Roxie Richter (Half-Ninja. Ready to fight Gideon and save Ramona if necessary).
AND SCOTT ARE COMING HOME...
The three of them looked towards the horizon, awaiting the moment when they would finally reach the city, determination in their eyes and united over the goal to stop Gideon and help Ramona again.
...AND THIS TIME, IT'S PERSONAL!
A moment later though, Kim stuck her head out from one of the windows and looked up at the trio in the slight amount of annoyance. "You know you guys could just ride inside the bus like me, right?!" She yelled at them despite the wind on her face. "Nah, it's more awesome this way!" Lucas responded, feeling the awesomeness of the moment coursing through his blood.
Meanwhile...
"Well? How's this?" Envy (Age: 25. Status: Still famous yet currently preparing for the Seventh Chaos Theatre opening the day after) asked, annoyed at how long she had to keep putting on outfits like this, especially for Gideon (Age: 31. Occupation: Owner of GGG Heavy Industries, seven Chaos Theatres and of course, an XXXXXXX) no less. "Hmm...not sure. Maybe lose the shoulders, give her options on shoes and for XXXX's sake people, I want you to build a bonfire in her hair." He said to his employees, who were responsible for helping Envy with her outfit options.
Once the design team discussed ideas amongst themselves, Envy sighed, like she was just about near the end of her rope with this madness. "Gideon, can we talk?" She asked Gideon, who turned towards her with a simple smirk to say yes. "Sure thing, babe. Sure, I've gotta review the lighting and check on my third-to-last walkthrough doors in about...104 minutes and counting." And after he spoke, the two walked down the corridor and checking how much time the two of them had. "So anyways Envy, what's on your mind?" He then asked Envy gently, who then took a deep breath before speaking.
"Ok, please don't take this the wrong way or anything but...I'm just so damn tired! I've been training and learning choreography for several weeks and tried on 77 dresses. Can't we just stop for about an hour to relax? I'm perfect with whatever outfit I wear. I'm totally gonna nail this." Envy exclaimed, admitting how tired she was (Not-So Fun Fact: Like REALLY sick and tired too in fact.) of having to do so much stuff for just one event. "Nat, come on. This is your debut. Tomorrow's the opening of my seventh special place in the world, Toronto. There's a good reason why your outfit is important." Gideon then explained to Envy in slight annoyance.
"I've had many of the best young designers chained to sewing machines for several months, literally. And come to think of it, dressing you up like a doll is very fulfilling for me." He went on to the annoyance of Envy herself. "More like the only in your case..." She muttered to herself. "Sorry? Didn't catch that." Gideon then asked, swearing he could've heard Envy say something bad about him. "Nothing..." She sighed in defeat. This kind of obedience was something Gideon required from everyone, and it pleased him. A second later, he was interrupted by someone appearing in front of him.
"S-Sorry to interrupt you, boss. But I've got news on Scott Pilgrim and I've got a letter for you." One of Gideon's interns said as he held a black letter, that contained the number 7, which Gideon then took off his hands. "Ok, what's the news?" He asked as he held the letter in his left hand. "He's coming back to Toronto to face you, and he's not alone Lucas Lee and Ms. Richter are accompanying him." The intern explained, all to the delight of Gideon himself. "Thanks for telling me. That's all for now." The latter said before observing the letter he was given, but what he saw next completely shocked him.
Dear Evil Exes
All seven of you are cordially invited to the opening of my seventh Chaos Theatre...
Signed...
"Gideon...? Wait, did I just invite myself to my own opening?" He then said to himself, wondering just who the hell could've sent the letter to him...only to dismiss it after believing it to be a reminder of tomorrow. Though unbeknownst to him, five other letters were already sent to others.
A letter with the number 3 on it went to an ice cream parlour in Montreal, where a depressed Todd Ingram (Former Vegan Rockstar. Status: Eating his feelings out... Emotion: Still depressed since losing to Scott and Ramona) ate his third flavour of the day.
And two others, with the numbers 5 and 6 on them, both went to one of the more distant cities of America, where within a lone coffee shop, Kyle and Ken (The Katayanagi Twins. Occupation: Still inventors. Status: Rethinking their lives after defeat), and Robot-01 (Status: Also reading, even supporting his creators with their current decision) were currently reading a couple of books on how to become better people.
But for the other two letters, well...that's when things really get serious, especially for Scott too. He just didn't know it yet...nor did his friends.
And there we have it, the chapter is officially done ^^
But we're not out of the woods just yet, there's still the matter of Gideon to deal with, and will Scott and Ramona ever get back together? Well you probably know from the novels, movie, game and anime, but for this...? Well...we'll just have to wait and see
Until then, stay tuned
Negaboss2000 out ^^