Chapter Text
“SHADE, WAKE UP!!” I screamed at him shaking his shoulders. Cecil was slapping his cheeks, a panicked look upon her face. He had been crying in his sleep. His eyes shot open.
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" He said in anguish. "I… I was with her. When you dream with the war room on as a soulshadow, your dreams are real.”
“You were lucky we didn’t go with Cecil’s plan. She wanted to dump a bucket of ice water on you. Shade, you were crying though. Why don’t we just go to the Palace?”
"Because that reality was closed. It's one-way. you can go out, but not back in."
"Then how were you there?"
"It was a vain hope, one that was successful. However, I probably will never be able to do that again, and she won't even remember." He said. then his face hardened. not in anger, but in a sense that he had made a decision. One that we would never be able to talk him out of. "I've made up my mind. I'll take the long path. the only way in, through oblivion. no chance of temporal warping, it's designed like that. I will get to her," he said.
“Not without us, plus we gotta get home. I need to at least tell my family. And, um, I can’t wear these jeans much longer.”
"I agree, we won't let you go alone." Cecil said.
"I have some friends, including someone who'll be crushed if he doesn't get to go. my brothers will likely be waiting for us there, along with my father and uncle.”
"So, Shade what is up with Zack, I’m afraid he’s gonna, you know, take us.” I sat on Thomas’s lap.
"His master has a way to the Infinity Kingdom. we'll see him again,"
"Well I have no desire to see that creep again, much less get taken away by him" said Cecil.
"I showed him my fangs, so to speak, he wouldn't dare. He knows what I do to people who hurt my friends.”
“If that creep got my girlfriend, I would beat him to a pulp, then drop him in the ocean.” Thomas wrapped his arms around me.
“I would rip him until no cell was joined, and use magic to make sure he was conscious and felt the agonizing pain of each cell.”
“Same for me!” Cecil joined in showing a terrifying display of shadows that whirled and coiled around her body.
“I’ll do the best I can not to get captured then.” I smirked.
“What does he want with me anyway, Shade?” I asked. “He said I would be a good addition to his collection. What am I? A collector’s pride and joy?” His face darkened.
"I have a sister." Cecil's eyes widened. "her soul was blackened against her will and she knows nothing of who she was, only that she must be evil."
“Shade, I asked you a question. Answer me” I said sternly.
"that will likely happen to you. ask cecil about her."
“Shade, I do not want to be “collected” by him. Why does he want me?”
"They exist to interrupt the balance of existence. tampering with time would be a valuable addition."
“I try to get McDonalds from down the street. How is that tampering with time? What did I do.”
"What if you were forced to change the past, or the future by telling people how it will happen?"
“I just want to live a normal life. And have a boyfriend! I didn’t ask to have these powers.”
"I didn't ask to be rejected by society because of something I had no control over," he retorted.
“Also, what in heck happened to him? And, why did I dream about Thomas dying?”
"Your abilities. it's called the sight. you can see possible futures and change them.
“DON’T SAY FUTURE, DON’T YOU DARE!"
"now that you've seen it, it's guaranteed that that particular future will not happen."
“Yeah, well, I might’ve seen you and OrderShift"
"It means that that particular scenario will not come to pass. Others could have similar results. It just eliminates the ones you see."
“I swear, if my boyfriend dies because of you. I will personally kill you.”
"I don't have the sight! YOU DO!"
“No, not that. If he dies because you got us into this. I will kill you.”
"THAT'S RIGHT, BLAME EVERYTHING BAD ON THE SOULSHADOWS, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE CAUSE OF ALL THAT IS WRONG!" This time he actually sounded hurt. "YOU THINK THIS IS MY FAULT? IT WAS ALL DUE TO THE FACT THAT OBLIVION CORRUPTED THE BEST KING WE HAVE EVER KNOWN!"
I was so surprised I just started yelling back.“I DON’T KNOW HOW LONG YOU AND ORDERSHIFT WERE TOGETHER, BUT THOMAS HAS BEEN THERE FOR ME SINCE FOREVER!! I WENT THROUGH MY FIRST HEARTBREAK, AND NO ONE WAS THERE, EVEN CECIL, EXCEPT FOR THOMAS. I NEVER FELT ACTUAL LOVE FROM ANY BOY OTHER THAN MY FAMILY, I ALWAYS FEEL LOVE FROM THOMAS THOUGH! I SWEAR, IF HE DIES, I MIGHT NOT KILL YOU, I WON’T KILL ANYBODY. BUT I WILL DIVE INTO A DARK AND DEEP EMOTIONAL COMA!" Thomas pulled me back down on his lap and whispered in my ear. I nodded and leaned back again.
"Zack used to love my sister. he betrayed her and she…”
“She’s Rose, isn’t she?” Cecil said. He looked away. I looked over at Thomas and he let go of me. I went over to Shade and hugged him.
“Shade, it’s okay. You have us, we won’t leave you unless we have to. Like if someone dies, or I get collected.” He warped away. I tried to find him until Xirale, silent until now, said;
“Don’t follow him. He needs to cool off. he can’t help it, he’s a lot more sensitive than he seems.” He paused for a moment of thought, and added: “Ironically.”
“is he going to be ok?” I ask, worried.
“yes. give him about an hour. Shard has arrived. He will knock some sense into him.”
“Who’s Shard?”
“FireShard is his best friend. He is the person who would be crushed by not getting to go,” He said, the hint of a smile on his face. “I understand that he has a rather large interest in his sister. he never stopped loving her, not even when she picked Zack, not even when she turned into what she is. He believes the old Rose is still in there, and will stop at nothing to get her back.”
“Oh, sure.” I felt kinda let down that I wasn’t one of Shade’s best friends. “I’m gonna go find my boyfriend.” I walk and walk and walk until I find him. He’s in his room. I knock on his door.
“Hey!” He smiled as he opens the door.
“Hey, can I come in?”
“Sure, of course.” He let me in then shuts the door after me. I flop on his bed and he lies next to me. “Did you mean that stuff that you said to Shade?”
“Of course, every word.” He smelled like grass and books. My boyfriend, smartest kid at our school (about practical things, but when it comes to the mythical and magical, Cecil's your girl) and the quarterback on the football team. I’m a cheerleader. Hate it, but it is kinda fun to flip around. I love it when I just lie on his bed and he reads to me.
“I won’t ever let Zack get you. And if he does, I will hunt him to the ends of the Earth.” He held me as I fell fast asleep.