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Intrestsofthemind — Reality Chronicles Book 5 Ch. 19
Published: 2017-12-04 18:26:16 +0000 UTC; Views: 299; Favourites: 1; Downloads: 0
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AliceSoren stood there staring at the orb before looking back at Owen; there was a strange mix of confusion, realization and determination in his eyes that flickered until he raised the orb into the air and threw it at the ground.
"Soren, no!" I screamed as the orb shattered into pieces and a bright light enveloped the entire room, consuming me as well as everyone else…what was he thinking?
"So that's what he was thinking…" That voice. When the light died I was surprised to find the entire room was unchanged; everyone was still where they were and nothing was destroyed or moved…except for Soren, Owen and the dome; which had all disappeared completely.
"What the-…I don't understand." Gareth said with wide eyes and agape mouth, "Soren destroyed the orb…doesn't that release the energy and eliminate, well…everything?"
"From all the information we gathered, that's what should have happened." Lily said looking at the ground with a furred brow, "…But we're still here."
"What about Soren and Owen?" Dennys asked as the group came down from the balcony.
"Where did they go?" Penny asked.
"I'm not sure…the blast went off…we all had the light blind us…but-"
"The dome." Jarek said, "The blast was strong enough to blind us but only affected those in the dome since that's where it went off!"
"Then Soren and Owen are just gone?" Sukia asked and Jarek went into thought.
"…Soren broke the orb…but why?"
"I saw a weird mix of emotions go through his eyes before it happened." I chimed in, "A bit of confusion, realization and then determination." Jarek's eyes grew slightly larger before he growled.
"That moron took a gamble!"
"What do you mean?" Shifty asked.
"He must have realized something in that moment that made him doubt what the orb would do…so he took that chance and decided to test it out." Are you kidding me!?
"Damnit Soren!" I yelled, "What was he thinking!?" Then it hit me; Soren never gambled higher than his own life…which still pisses me off but regardless, he must have realized the orb wasn't going to take out reality…and it seems he was right, "They're alive." Everyone looked at me in shock and confusion, "That's the only reason he would do something like that. He knew it wouldn't kill us…which means it didn't kill them."
"How do we know it didn't just take them out?" Shifty asked and both Gareth and Lily both shot him and angry look.
"Like hell it took him out!" Gareth yelled.
"Not a chance!" Lily added and I nodded in agreement.
"They're alive, I'd bet my life on it…Sukia." She stood up straight as I called her name, "Is there anywhere here that monitors travelers? Not the records; live recording." She thought for a moment before nodding and heading down the hallway we came in on. I looked at everyone before following Sukia as everyone did the same.
Soren
When I opened my eyes I found myself lying on a tiled floor that seemed like it had been recently cleaned; I could almost make out my face from the shine it gave off. Standing up I looked around, finding the area devoid of anybody; I couldn't even hear the wind echo off the walls…it was like this place had nothing to it.
"…Owen!" I whipped my head around looking for Owen only to find left over fingerprints dug into the tile nearby leaving a clear imprint, "…Then this must be the right place."
I moved around the area looking for any sign of Owen; he must have woken up a few minutes before I did so I had to try my best to guess at where he would have headed once he woke up…but first I have to find out where I am. Hearing footsteps behind me I turned and was surprised to find myself face to face with a man in an ornate robe and sprouting large white wings from his back; his hair was long and had platinum color to it while his face seemed devoid of emotion…until he gave me a small smile that honestly made me feel a lot better about my situation.
"Hello young traveler." He said simply.
"Hello." I replied, "…Wait...how do you know I'm a traveler?" He chuckled.
"You are not the first I've encountered with the ability to roam from reality to reality…you would be the fifth…and your friend would be the third…unfortunately he looks for the fourths spot of demise." Owen!
"Where is he!?" I asked desperately, "I need to find him!"
"He has headed for my chamber…follow that path and head up the stairs. I am sure you will find him there." I nodded before taking off for the path he pointed towards; I rounded the corner only to find a set of stairs guarded by two others with white wings. Before I could even say anything they stepped aside and opened a path for me.
"The Seraph has given you permission to enter his sacred sanctum. You may pass."
"…Thank you." I replied before rushing up the stairs. At the top I came face to face with a pure white door; I put my hand to it and felt a surge of sad emotions course through me for a moment before I pulled my hand away and backed up a few feet. Owen is definitely on the other side of this door; those emotions couldn't belong to anyone else…especially while inside that room. Taking a deep breath I approached the door again and gave it a hearty push as the emotions washed over my body; I could feel my eyes tear up slightly as the door moved out of the way to reveal a room with an alter at the very back…and Owen sitting before it on his knees. I entered and looked to the side to see a red flower planted between the cracks of the tile. So we were back…we were back to where Owen had lost Nina that day.
Alice
Sukia led us into a big room that seemed to be the equivalent of the Nasa's command center; the monitors were mostly static with one displaying an area where Soren and Owen were.
"So this is how you guys monitored us." I said looking around in surprise.
"Usually it's just a room for the empty to record." Shifty said simply as he leaned against one of the desks.
"Let's see…maybe we can enlarge this?" Gareth said fiddling with the computer, "Maybe…this?" Suddenly the larger monitor showed the video of Soren and Owen, "Ha! Take that technology!" I stepped up and looked to see they were in a strange alter like room. I could hear four separate gasped from behind me and looked to see Sukia, Penny, Dennys, and Shifty all mouth agape.
"Something wrong guys?" I asked and Sukia fell to her knees as her eyes started to water.
"Sukia!" Lily cried moving over to her as she started to sob.
"What wrong with her?" I asked and Penny took a deep breath as Dennys moved to help Sukia.
"That…That's where Nina died." What!? I looked back to see Owen slightly shivering, huddled on his knees as Soren slowly approached him…so this was Soren's idea…I'm a little worried about how this is going to turn out.
"…Is there any way we can get there?" I asked and everyone thought for a moment before they sighed.
"The only ones who can open a tear are Soren and Owen." Jarek said scowling, "None of us know how to do it yet." …Wait…that's not true.
"No, Jarek…you can do it." Everyone gave a look of surprise, "You came from Soren and I'm willing to bet you put a lot more effort into getting stronger than Soren did."
"He still beat me."
"Regardless, it's in you. If Soren could do it, so can you." Jarek looked down before his eyes drifted to Sukia and then back to me.
"…Alright, I'll try." He reached onto his back and pulled out his two handed sword before looking at the screen and concentrating. He took a deep breath before slashing quickly through the air creating a tear in front of him.
"He did it!" Gareth said with a smile. Suddenly Jarek collapsed to the ground and started breath heavily as he clutched his head.
"Jarek!" Sukia moved over and helped him onto his feet.
"Ngh…thanks." Jarek replied taking a deep breath, "…That should take us right to the alter."
"You sure?" Lily asked.
"If they're anything like Owen's tears, then yes." So, no.
"Everyone get ready, this is going to be a bit of a walk." I said.
Soren
I slowly approached Owen as he sat there; he shivered slightly until I took the first step, he froze in place completely as I walked forward. Stepping up to him I moved to touch his back but recoiled as he stood up and turned to me.
"Soren…why?" Huh?
"Why what?" I asked and he stepped forward making me step back.
"Why did you bring me here? What's the point of showing me a version that still exists?" Wait, he thinks…oh no.
"Owen, you didn't destroy your world. All you did was transport yourself and the others into another reality."
"Don't lie!"
"I'm not! We're still here…even if this wasn't your world it's still here…the orb wasn't full of destructive power…all it was full of was the abilities of the travelers. All we did was open a tear that transported us instantaneously here."
"How do you know? What if we just destroyed my world and were dumped here?"
"Then why didn't it destroy us? What could have made it so we survived…besides…I know everyone is still alive."
"Well I don't care anymore." I looked up to see his eyes were lifeless, "If you're right…then that means everything I've done up to this point has been for nothing. I've caused so much pain and suffering for nothing except a giant teleportation device that only transported the two of us back to my end point…nothing came out of it and it was worth nothing." Owen…
"I-"
"Why did you do this? You shattered everything I wanted and revealed that it was useless to begin with…everything I've worked for was worth nothing…my ambition has been crushed…are you happy?"
"…Yes." I said and he looked at me in shock, "Because now you aren't blinded…I know you'll listen to me now." He started to laugh.
"You think that I'll really listen to you? You think that after everything you've done to impede me, after shattering my dreams and bringing me back where my pain began…you really think I'll listen!?"
"Well then what are you going to do?"
"I…I…I don't know…"
"Then listen, listen to what I have to say and think about what I'm trying to do." I took a deep breath, "Mary?" I asked to the sky before turning to see Mary standing with a sad look on her face.
"…I'm sorry Owen."
"What do you want?"
"Owen…you don't regret the decisions you made right?"
"…Up until this moment, no…I was ready to keep this up until the end…which I can never attain."
"Do you know why?"
"…Because you made it that way. Out of everything you gave us the power to do…you couldn't let us destroy."
"Travelers can move between the various realities and assist those places while becoming stronger themselves. They retain their form from reality to reality; a normal person would have their physical form shredded to pieces when crossing."
"Like with my team."
"…Yes. Only a powerful traveler can bring people through the tear when they aren't a traveler."
"Or an emotional surge." I said and she nodded.
"I didn't want those I picked to be consumed by too much power…so while they can travel, they cannot use that power for destruction. The power I offer is limitless and ever growing-"
"But non-destructive." Owen finished and Mary nodded.
"I first chose those with a natural power that could be molded and become even more powerful…but that changed the day I chose you, Owen. You brought Nina, a girl who had no strength of her own…and in all likelihood would have died." I looked to see Owen clench his fists, "…And yet, in that world she became stronger…through her purpose to protect the one who gave her a second chance she became even more impressive than I could believe…and she even made you rethink your outlook. It…it showed me just how someone can grow even more impressively from turmoil…and influence those around her. Everything she did was for you…to help you through your own weakness I couldn't see…and she succeeded."
"Yeah…at her own life." Owen said bitterly.
"Well…she didn't want this either…but your impulsiveness to save her made everything a bit…muddled. Your willingness to kill a reaper, your sin of killing the Archangel to save her…those sins were tightly secured to your love for her…she felt guilty from that."
"W-What are you saying?" He looked scared; he knew the answer.
"Owen…she wanted to repay you…she gave herself up to pay for the sins you got from saving her." I said.
"No…that's…that's not fair…it's not fair! I tried my hardest to hold onto what I had…to make sure she didn't have to pay for her sins…damn it, I was willing to pay for them!"
"Owen…you held on too tight." I said and he grabbed me by my shirt collar.
"I don't want to hear that from you! What do you know!?"
"I know that trying to take someone's place is a stupid idea!" I said staring him in the eyes, "You tried to hold all of HER pain…but you can't! You know what happens when you try to do that!? You completely disregard the person you're trying to help!" I loosened his grip and dusted myself off, "You can't hold someone else's pain…you have to let them face their own problems or they can never become better people…and neither can you." Feeling a strange tingle I turned to see everyone coming out of a tear, "And everyone here can attest to that…they all faced their own problems…and that's why they're standing here now." I turned to Alice, Gareth and Lily who all nodded before stepping forward.
"Soren was there for me…he protected me from going off the deep end…but we both knew I had to face my own insecurities and overcome them if I wanted to stand strong…I know things aren't perfect for me…but I'm not going to run from them because I know I can face them…and I won't go down as long as everyone is there." Alice.
"Maybe I'm not the most stable person; hell, I've hurt my friends…but having them there just makes me want to become better, stand up to my problems and come out the other side better for them. I know there are things I have to face, and my friends know to trust me to handle them on my own when I ask…but I also know they'll be there when I need them." Gareth.
"I…I used to be afraid to face something alone…but not being alone has shown me how much I want to protect…how much I want to take for them…and we each have our own burdens to face…and we will face them. Because we care enough to get past them for those we care about…regardless of how scary or powerful it is…we have to be able to get past them if we want to stand with those we care about…we can't just let someone else handle them for us; they're our problems to face in the end and they don't go away just because someone else took care of it." Lily.
"I think…that's why Nina sacrificed herself for you." Sukia said.
"She had to take responsibility for her own weakness." Dennys said.
"For all the things she avoided." Penny finished.
"…And that's why your marks disappeared…she reclaimed, and paid, for her weakness." Shifty said.
"No…that's not fair…I didn't…I didn't want to lose it." Owen said falling to his knees.
"…That's what happens sometimes." I said stepping up, "Sometimes you can want to hold onto something so tightly that it slips out of your own fingers before you know it…I'm sorry Owen…but you need to accept that Nina paid for her sins…you need to move on…for her sake more than anyone else's. Respect the decision she made…and move on with your life."
A cold silence filled the air as we all stood there waiting for Owen's reply; he just sat there, breathing slowly as everything we told him ran through his mind like a bullet, it was a lot for him to process altogether…but I knew he would make the right decision.
"Soren." He said catching my attention, "…Why are you doing this for me?" Why?
"…Because at the end of everything I know that we're more similar than different. We both have things were trying to protect, and we're willing to go to the very end to protect them. We care about those around us and maybe we're on opposite sides but we both have something were trying to hold onto. We're not different Owen; we're the same right down to our core…and I'm not about to kill those I can sympathize with." He chuckled before standing up.
"It's weird to hear somebody I almost killed sympathizing with me…but I understand your reasoning. Even when I met you that day in my world, I sensed something resonate between us…I couldn't recognize it until now but…I know that we both care deeply for others…which is why I have to give up…right?" I felt my eyes widen for a moment before I nodded, "Alright then…I guess this is the end isn't it?" …It is…after everything he went through, this is the end of his quest.
"So…we did it?" Gareth asked and I nodded.
"We finally stopped Owen." Lily said with a sigh.
"So…what now?" Alice asked and I was at a loss for words. Even if we had stopped Owen there was still everything that he had done up to this point…whether I like it or not there was still a lot of pain and turmoil that was left in his wake.
"…I have to pay for my sins don't I?" Owen asked and I slowly nodded, "I know…I have caused a lot of pain in my plan…for both travelers and residents of their world."
"And that's why I wanted this end." Mary chimed in as she stepped forward, "I've gathered all of the travelers you recruited and I can send them back to their reality. As for the worlds you visited…I needed Owen for this one." She stepped forward and placed her hands on each side of Owen's head; a light began to pulsate off both of them for a few minutes before Mary pulled away and took a deep breath, "Through your memory I was able to catalog every reality you majorly affected. Through those I should be able to find a way to return them to the state they were in before your interference; any reality that was affected by you shall be returned back to normal…as will the travelers you gathered together."
"So…it'll be like it never happened?" Owen asked and Mary shook her head.
"I will be able to bring them back to their previous state…but the memories of what you've done will remain. I can never change that."
"…What about Remnant?" I asked.
"And Final Fantasy?" Lily asked.
"For Final Fantasy I cannot change what you had already fixed…and Remnant will remain as is."
"What?" Gareth said shocked.
"Why?" Alice asked.
"While Owen's interference added to the turmoil the plans set in motion were prepared long before he appeared…the world was headed that way before all this happened."
"…That's okay." I said making everyone turn to me, "I know our friends can handle it." Alice, Gareth and Lily all nodded in agreement.
"So…what about us?" Sukia asked.
"That's up to you. As far as I'm concerned, you four are as much travelers as the others. If you like I can take those abilities away and you can remain in this world…or you can hang onto those powers and decide what to do with them yourselves." A moment of silence passed as they all thought.
"I…I think I'll give them back." Shifty said first.
"Us too." The twins added.
"Are you sure?" Mary asked.
"Yeah…I think I'll make my own future here." Shifty said with a genuine smile.
"We want to keep living…and we want it to be here." The twins said confidently. Mary turned to Jarek and Sukia who seemed to be thinking for a bit longer.
"I…I want to hang onto mine." Sukia said, "This whole matter has made me wonder what else is out there…I want to keep moving forward…but I also want to see what else is out there…meet new people and see new things. So I'll hold onto these powers and…travel, funny enough." She said with a smile and I couldn't help but smile at her conviction. The last one was Jarek who seemed the most conflicted.
"Jarek…would you like to go back?" Mary asked, "Because if you want…I can do that."
"…No." He said, "I exist now because I want to keep moving…even if I came from Soren, I'm my own person…and I want to find out what kind of person I can become…so I think I'll hang onto this power and go find out who I can become…but I won't forget who I was." He looked over at me and smiled, "Isn't that right Soren?"
"Yep, hit the nail on the head Jarek." I replied.
"No…not Jarek. How about…"
"Jack?" Sukia offered and he chuckled.
"Works for me."
"Even if it's plain?"
"I'll give it meaning." That's it Jack.
"In that case…name me."
"Huh? Well…um…Sarah?" Jack said looking flustered making everyone snicker as Sukia giggled.
"Perfect." Suddenly we heard footsteps approach us and I looked to see the silver haired man approaching us.
"The Seraph." Owen said.
"Hello again Owen." He said.
"I…I'm sorry for yelling at you before."
"Owen…have you learned your lesson since you left?"
"…Yes…but I still have to pay for my sins." He stepped forward and towards the Seraph, "So please…pass judgment on me."
"…Very well." Everyone moved to stop him but I quickly outstretched my hands to stop them. This was his way of paying…we couldn't interfere.
"Hey Mary?"
"Yeah?"
"…Sorry for blaming you…I was a bit hard headed."
"…It's okay…I'm sorry you had to suffer for so long."
"And Soren,"
"Yeah?"
"Let's meet again…as friends next time." I nodded in agreement before a bright light engulfed him and he disappeared completely.
"Owen has been removed from his form to be tried for his sins…may he pass through his punishment and emerge reborn on the other side." The Seraph chanted, "…I must thank you for your assistance in this matter."
"Well…we were glad to do it." I replied and he chuckled.
"Hopefully he will emerge a better person." No…he went in there a better person…I'm positive he'll come out an even more amazing man, "As I hope she does too." Wait…she…! Clever gods.
"Some lessons have to be learned before the truth huh?" Mary nodded at my statement.
"It had to be done." You know…I have to agree on that…he wouldn't have become a better person if everything was revealed…just like us…I'm sure it makes it even more worth it.
"Well, I guess we should head home now." Alice said and I nodded before suddenly a gently light started to engulf Alice, Gareth, Lily and myself.
"I can cover that." Mary said and I turned to the others.
"Thanks for meddling." Shifty said with a smirk.
"Let's meet again on better terms." The twins said.
"Definitely Gemi and Nini." Lily said slightly surprising me; so that's their actual names. I turned to Jack and Sarah who both stood behind a tear before they nodded to us and stepped in; we would see them again…I know it. With those goodbyes we all felt a warmth overwhelm us as the light consumed us and sent us away from here…and back home.