The Unnecessary Balance VII

(Continued)

That voice... It couldn't be... Could it? Another shade steps out from the cover of the crystal, crowned in a brilliant blue aura. You recognoze the figure instantly. But then how could you not? A sister always recognizes her kin. "Your memories aren't solely your own. They belong to your family, to all who have been touched by you in your long life. They belong to those you have helped, and to those you have hurt."

"And would you be counted among the latter, brother?" You ask quietly, dreading the answer.

He gives a subtle nod, and you flinch. "Yes. But it's not your fault, Sel. My sister...Tell me something... Why? Why ask for this?"

"Pardon?" You ask, slightly confused.

"You had the chance to start over!" He snaps, surprising you with his ferocity. Is that... Anger in his voice? Or... Something else...
His ferocity dissipates as suddenly as it came, and he shakes his head sadly. "But that door is closed now, it closed forever as soon as you stepped into this cave. But why? Why would you willingly choose to return to your old life, knowing full well only sorrow and death lie ahead?"

Odd... What he's saying sounds strangely familiar... Wait a moment... He read your mind earlier, didn't he? Your brother never had that power... Unless... "I figured it out," you breathe, everything suddenly making perfect sense. "You're a part of me, aren't you. You represent all my recent doubts and fears."

He nods again, and you notice the hint of a smile. "Yes. Your previous test was your past. I am your present, and I am your second test."

My second test... "And what must I do, brother? Must I take up arms against you?"

"Perhaps," he replies, and you notice a trace of deviousness in his otherworldly smile. "That depends on how well you do."

How well I do...? What the bloody hell is he talking about?

The shade's grin widens even further. "Why, the game of course."

Sorry guys, but I was in the middle of updating when I lost my post, and now it's gone. Don't expect me to be able to update for a while, my muse has left, and I need to calm down. Don't expect an update until tomorrow night at least. Again, I apologize, but it can't be helped. I absolutely refuse to write unless the writing is my best, and I can barely think straight I'm so pissed off right now.

(Continued)

When your vision clears, you're standing in a very familiar forest, though you can't seem to remember what you were doing... Or even why the forest is familiar. You look around in an effort to regain your bearings, though there isn't much to see. Just trees in all directions. The sun overhead is warm but gentle, and the sky high above is a clear blue. The only noticeable landmark is a particularly large tree a few feet away from you, with a hollowed out center. Your stomach suddenly grumbles, and you realize you're starving. You should probably look for something to eat but... You can't help but think you're supposed to be doing something... What to do...

A: Hunt for food.
B: Search around some more.

Hint: The golden rule of Time Travel.

Note: Even if you get this choice wrong, you still have a chance to pass the test. You just have to defeat the test giver to do so. This should be really easy to figure out if you know H.G Wells and you look closely at a 'spoiler reply' of mine a few posts ago...

B.

If she was hungry then, she'd go hunt for food. However, since this is a memory, and the golden rule is not to change, I'm going with B as to see what happens.

I really want to explore that tree... But it's early and I'm hungry so I'm backing Grayjack.

A.

B. Just call it "CYOA voter's instinct". Combined with a comparison the timing between voting and locking in the last vote. I think I may be on to you, Neo.

Well the almighty coin flip compels me to go with B so B it is.

(Continued)

Have you ever had that feeling, where a word is right on the tip of your tongue, but you just can't remember what it is? Yeah... Now imagine that but a million times worse. It really sucks.

Something nags at your mind, at the edges of your memory, just beyond your reach. No matter what you do, you just can't catch it. You remember everything with Gregory, how you collapsed on his doorstep, and you remember leaving in search of your lost memories, heading off towards the city of Stonethrall. And then... That's it. Everything else is a complete blank. And yet... Still this feeling persists. This feeling that you're supposed to be somewhere right now, doing something. And every second this feeling grows more urgent. So much so, that you begin to panic a bit. You forget your hunger almost entirely and scramble through the forest, in the direction you hope is north. The sun continues to light your path, but now it doesn't seem so friendly. It seems almost... Harsh. Ominous. You quicken your pace until you're practically flying through the woods. Branches scratch at your face and neck, swiping at your body, but you barely even notice. All you know is that you have to reach the forest's edge. You have to. You don't know why, just that you do.

And then you hear it. You hear the screams. The screams of women, of children, and... Of men. You hear the sounds of battle. You reach the forest's edge and burst out like lightning, only to see a village in flames. The once great walls lay collapsed in piles of smoking rubble, and the former sentry towers stand engulfed in pillars of fire. Your eyes widen. What... What happened here...?

"Hey!! Is anyone here!" You yell at the top of your lungs, as you frantically search for survivors. You find... Nothing. What little remains of the village is but charred wood and ash. The entire place has been utterly devastated. A great deal of the village is still burning, and you guess the village was attacked only a few minutes before you arrived. Whatever, or whoever attacked the village has long since fled though. You make your way to the largest building in the village, a once grand home of oak and stone, now reduced to black wood and scorched rock. Your ears suddenly twitch, and you notice the flicker of color from beneath the rubble. You bolt over and hoist the wooden beam off the body, revealing a young girl in tattered yellow clothes.

"Are you alright?" You ask urgently, only to realize how stupid that question is. The girl's face is horribly disfigured, and her arms and legs are badly burned. Her chest still rises and falls, albeit slowly, but she won't live long.

"Please... Save..." The girl croaks so softly even you have to strain to hear. "Please... Save... Him..."

"Save who?" You plead gently, placing the girl's head in your lap in a vain attempt to alleviate her pain.

"My... Chief... In... Forest... Hunting... For... Promise... Me..."

Whatever she was going to say is lost, as her chest slowly stops moving. But you manage to get the picture. You gently close her eyelids. "I promise," you breathe, though no answer comes.

After you give the girl a proper burial, you dash back into the forest, intent on finding this mystery 'Chief'. All the while, you can't help but feel... This is wrong. This is all wrong. This is NOT how it was supposed to happen. Your instincts take over, and instead of blindly stumbling through the branches like you did before, you navigate through the forest like a huntress, like you know it by heart. Soon you wind up at a large clearing, a clearing that had obviously seen recent battle. The signs of a fierce struggle are evident all around you; burnt and blackened trees, twisted grass and scorched earth, broken bows and swords. But perhaps the most prominent signs are three bodies. Two are of older men, garbed in leather armor, and both are bent and twisted beyond recognition, clearly dead. The third is a younger man, propped up against a broken tree. His brown hair is matted with blood, both fresh and dried, and a deep sword wound marks his abdomen. His right arm is broken and his left foot is missing. Most of his face is swollen, and while he still breathes, he clearly won't last much longer.

In that instant, you remember everything. Meeting Gray, the village of Elmsdale, Lahar, your journey to the Cavern of Souls... Suddenly you realize this must be an alternate reality created by the Crystal's power. Even so, this reality seemed as real as the one you came from, and you rush to your friend's side, terrified. "Gray!!!!"

You kneel at his side, your hands trembling, and he turns slightly to look at you. To your shock, you don't see any recognition at all in his familiar brown eyes. "Who... In the blazes are you?" He croaks, his voice hoarse and raspy.

You open your mouth to respond, but no words come out. He... He doesn't know you? With a great effort, he shakes his head. "No... That doesn't matter now... Please... Save my village..."

You're too shocked to reply, and before you can his eyes roll back in his head and his chest stops moving. He slumps against the tree, motionless. Your eyes widen, and you cry out. "Gray...!!! GRAY!!!!" You cradle his lifeless body in your arms, as the tears rain down your cheeks. Why... Why didn't he recognize you?

"Because you two never met in this timeline."

At this point, you aren't really sure you want to complete this trial. If the next test is anything like the last... "Remember what I said, Rata."

You give Lahar a questioning look, and he smiles. "You aren't alone. No matter what happens, I'm here for you."

You just about melt. How does he always know exactly what you need to hear? "Oh Lahar... What would I ever do without you?" You ask, half playful, half serious. You really are grateful for him, though you'll never admit just how grateful you are, at least not to his face...

He scoffs. "Don't get sentimental on me yet, Rata. You can leap into my arms later, after we've gotten your memories back."

You roll your eyes and sigh. And here you were just starting to think he was a gentleman... Well, you won't be making that mistake again. "In your dreams, buddy."

Lahar actually laughs. "It is in my dreams, that's the funny part! I dream about you all the time!"

You groan. Oh come on... That has to be the corniest line ever... "Lahar, stop it. Please. You're making Minstrels everywhere weep in shame with your bad lines."

He laughs even harder, and you giggle a bit. You can't help it.

"It's nice, isn't it? Having someone to laugh with. It's amazing how something so simple can be so precious. And yet... How often do we take such a wondrous thing for granted?"

Your eyes widen significantly at the extremely familiar voice. You know that voice like your own, because it is your voice. Even Lahar looks surprised. Moments later a bright flash of white light illuminates the cavern, forcing you to shield your eyes. When it clears... Your breath catches in your throat. What appears to be an exact replica of you stands a few feet in front of you, save for a few minor differences... Well, maybe not so minor. This shade glows a fierce gold, almost like the sun, instead of the usual blue. Her eyes are a mystical swirling silver, and her hair is snowy white instead of your golden hair. Her silver armor is similar to yours, save for crimson embroidery and a small white cape. Perhaps the most striking difference is her wings. Twenty foot wings extend from her back, and they look more like black angel wings than dragon wings. A long black sword is sheathed at her hip, a sword as black as midnight.

"Are you... Me?" You ask in disbelief.

She nods, smiling kindly. "I am. I am your true self. I represent both your future and your past. I am what you once were, and what you will inevitably become once again. My name is Selena."