La Recoleto

9

Purple

She stoops to the ground and whispers something to it. Suddenly, my mind is flooded with memories.

Realizing she was about to give up, me slamming her to the ground, revealing to her about the energy I had stored away, the fifteen times she died before she ran into the forest.

As if sensing the last memory, she gets up and walks toward the forest. Still firmly grasping my blade, I follow her, ready to run after her if she flees. She won't though. I can tell by the way she walks that she won't run. With her hands in her pockets, she seems relaxed. No, she is at peace. My mind corrects me. She walks slow enough for me to keep up with her and if I fall too behind, she waits patiently for me to catch up. When I am a few paces away, she starts walking again. We go through the forest and reach a clearing. Trailing her fingers along the waist-deep grass, she mutters something under her breath.

I wait for her in the middle, humming my own little tune. I beckon her over and ask for her arm. I run the knife, which was hers, along her skin and slice her arm open. Getting up, I tell her to run and she does.

She keeps walking. Back in the forest, she puts her hand on a tree and closes her eyes. This time, I can hear as she whispers, "Let him remember." Instantly, more memories flood my mind.

Me chasing her down, finding her trying to bandage herself with a Flos sanitatem and waiting patiently for her. She jumps at me and I catch her hand. When I ask her about my new skill, she roundhouse kicks me and starts to run away. I catch her from behind and slam her on top of a sharp rock, her back meeting it first. I tell her about her new potential and she finally accepts it. She drifts away, letting the darkness take control of her. Her red eyes close and branch-like lines begin to appear below her eyes, signifying the beginning of the transformation. I wait. The lines on her face turn black and spread to her cheeks, almost making a mask. Leaning down, I touch one of the lines. I can see her fantasy as the Red Lioness. Her lust for blood is so beautiful. She is ever eager; she is always hungry for a taste of it. I take my hand away and walk over to a tree. Propping myself against it, I close my eyes and start humming again. <i style="text-align:center;">I will see her fully transformed soon enough</i>. Moments later, her eyes flicker open and focus on me. By then, my eyes had focused on the ground. I look up and walk over to her. After inquiring about her being transformed, she stabs me in the side. She rolls off the rock and goes to a tree. She summons a sword. Her eyes are inflamed and are fixed on me, daring me to do the same. When I do, we fight. She breaks my weapon. I take hers and point it at her. Breaking hers, I summon a better version of my own. I increase her pain endurance. After hours of strengthening her, I break her spine and she finally gives in. She asks me to carry her over to the rock and I do. When we get there, she flings her arms around my neck, saying that she will miss me. Before I can say anything, she puts her hand over my heart and stops it.

I open my eyes.

"Why did you show me all of this?"

"Because you needed to know."

"Why?"

"So, you can understand the next bit." She turns away and starts walking again. This time, I walk alongside her as we walk to our next destination. I glance over and see a sad expression on her face. I can't see her eyes because they are shut. I can hear her heart though. It beats steadily, but with a sad rhythm to it. She must have something on her mind.

**

Gabri

I can tell that he is looking at me curiously. No doubt, my face is showing what my heart is feeling and what my brain is thinking. He walked with me through these woods too.

"You may ask your question," I reply with my eyes still closed. He seems a little taken aback at first.

Then he asks, "What is on your mind?"

"You will find out soon enough." I respond. Suddenly, I open my eyes. I can feel the energy radiating off this place. This is the place I had been trying to avoid this entire time, and in the end, I had come back. In the middle is a table made of rock. There are carvings of little pictures on the sides. A chain and a cuff are on each corner. Running my fingers along the carvings, I ask, "Do you remember this place?" My eyes take in the pictures, remembering them all.

"No." Hesitantly, he then asks, "Gabby, before all of this, were we more? Were we more than friends?" I chuckle and I meet his gaze.

"I wish it was that simple, Isaias, but no." Tracing the pictures, I speak again, "Do you remember how I keep referring to a 'him'?" He nods in reply. "About a year ago, though with the many realms it doesn't seem like it, he walked me through those same woods and we came here. I was as hesitant as you are now. He told me that there was this place where Love was tangible, and you could actually see and touch it. My curiosity got the better of me. I really wanted to know what form Love took. So, I followed him, sword in my hand as well." I laugh at the memory and then continue, "When we got there, this same exact table was here. It was-still is-so beautiful that I wanted to touch it. So, I went forth and proceeded to touch it. All of the sudden, the chains on the table reached out and grabbed both my hands and my ankles. Each cuffed limb was placed on a corner, while my body was laid in the center. I yelled at him, cussing him out. I told him that he was such a liar and that there was no Love in this place. Only Hate."

"What did he say back?"

"That Love would soon appear, and it did." I close my eyes as I remember it. Being here in this place helps the memories to come more swiftly. "The souls of our friends appeared, and my energy started to funnel out of me. I tried fighting back, but the energy I tried to use also got lost in the vortex." He looks away.

"Why would Cole do such a thing? I never expected for him to do that."

"It wasn't him, Isaias. It was you." He looks at me in shock.

"Wha-at?" My eyes meet his.

"You are him."

"I get that....Why did the others help me though?"

"Because I was the evil one and you were the good one." Sighing, I go back to my tracing. "There was so much Darkness coming from me that the souls couldn't bear it anymore. So, you sacrificed yourself. You took the Darkness, and we switched places. In that instance, Love won over the Darkness and what have should have been was lost."

"Shouldn't I have been killed?"

"You were, but Time never forgets, Isaias. You created a new pathway by sacrificing yourself. Time reimbursed you, giving you more time even if you were in Darkness." He sits down on the table and his weapon disappears.

"So the Red Lioness was real?"

"More than you know." His dark pink eyes shift up from the ground and land on me.

"What now?"

"That's your choice. I already told you my story." After a few moments of silence, Purple gets up and turns toward me.

"I am sorry, Gabby, but my plans have not changed. The Red Lioness will come back one way or another." I nod.

"That's fair." I close my eyes and stand still. I hear as he summons his blade once again. G, I know you're still here. I need your help. I need him to go to the table, but it only works if he is willing. I feel a light emit from where Purple stands. His eyes are still flashing a dark pink, but his soul is a bright orb of light. Purple starts to make his way over to me, but instead of stopping in front of me, he keeps going. As he passes me though, I see deep brown eyes. "G," I say under my breath. He lays his hand on the table.

"I concede." Instantly, the table grabs him. It was like in slow motion as the chains reach out and the cuffs clasp around his limbs. For a brief second, he hovers above the table. Then, the chains go down, slamming him onto the table. He gasps at the impact. His eyes flare back to dark pink. The orb of light in his soul disappears, like a door has been shut all of the sudden. His eyes meet mine. "You are such a fucking liar! I hate you. I HATE YOU!" He struggles against the chains, but if anything, they tighten more each time he does. "When I get out of this, you will be wishing that I killed you! You will be begging for death to come carry you away! Fuck you! I HATE YOU." I put my forehead to his.

"I love you, my dear friend. Never forget how amazing you truly are," I whisper softly. I stand back up and put my hand over my heart. I look down into his eyes. "Forgive me, G. I had to get you out of the way so you wouldn't stop me." I sink my hand into my chest and bring out my heart. I cradle the small bundle in my hands as if it is a baby. The beats gradually become slower and slower. My eyes flick to Purple's. "It's my turn to save you." Fixing my eyes on the tiny life in my hands, I take out a knife.

"You promised me!" I look down again into HIS eyes. Deep dark brown. "You promised me even if it took 15,000 times that you wouldn't give up."

Smiling, I answer, "And I won 15,000 times."

"You know that's not what I meant!"

"Goodbye, G." Holding my heart up to the sky, I then say, "I willingly give myself up!" Then, I jab the knife into my heart.