I lost track off how long and how far we'd been running. It seemed like there was no end to this forest. Every time we stopped to catch our breath, I would always turn around and look back the way we came, hoping that good news would follow. Niall...or Connie. Something to let us know that we didn't have to run forever. Something to reassure us that we weren't losing our breath for nothing. However, the deeper we went into the forest, the more I came to doubt that this would ever happen.
"I can't run anymore..." said Yuta, breathing heavily as she skidded to a stop in front of a tree. "And I mean it this time...I don't just want a break...I want to stop running permanently." Leaning against its trunk, she slid down it and collapsed onto the ground, sweat drops running down her face.
Jean and I looked at each other. I could easily tell by his expression that he had no intention of arguing with Yuta, and to be honest neither did I. "It's okay," I insisted, sitting down on the nearest stump I could find. "I'm out of breath, too. And besides, I think we've run far enough."
"I agree," said Jean, but he remained standing. For some reason he didn't look even remotely as exhausted as Yuta and I did, but I decided it was probably best not to say anything about it.
The three of us remained in that part of the forest for quite some time. We all listened closely to the faint sounds that could be heard from afar off, where I guessed a fight was taking place. Connie and Niall...I didn't know which one I was more worried about. Connie claimed to be the most powerful demon in the Midnight Legion, and I surely didn't doubt that she could hold her ground against anyone who opposed her, but something about the situation made things seem a little more than different. To say that Niall had changed would be an understatement. Even Connie sounded afraid when she spoke to us earlier, even though I could tell she was trying her best to keep a straight face. There was no predicting the outcome of this. We would all just have to wait and see...
Just as I had finally made myself comfortable atop the tree stump, the ground suddenly began to shake with great force, rocking me side to side until I eventually fell off the stump and hit the ground. I had planned to wait the tremor out before trying to stand again, but after enduring about three minutes of continuous shaking, I knew something was wrong. This wasn't just the usual tremor we had experienced before. This one was increasing in power, almost as if...something were approaching us steadily.
I grabbed hold of a low branch and pulled myself to my feet, clinging to the tree it was attached to with all the strength I had in me. Yuta and Jean were also struggling to keep themselves together, but I had faith that they would be alright. More importantly, the anxiety I was feeling deep within me was gradually increasing, nearing the point where I thought I would burst. What's gaining on us?! I shouted mentally. Is it Connie and Niall? Reiha? Something else? Is Niall even the one causing these tremors? This whole thing has me on edge...I need to know now whether or not I should be worrying in the first place. All this pressure could just be playing tricks on my mind.
"Morgan! Something's coming!"
I knew it... "Alright!" I called back. "Yuta! Jean! Just hold steady where you are! Don't move!"
"Are you sure that's safe?!" Yuta exclaimed. "What if-"
"Just trust me! It's not like we'll have time to run anyway, so just hold on!!"
Yuta quickly turned her head away, just as a powerful gust of wind swept along the forest floor, picking up rocks, dirt, fallen branches, and just about anything it could find, then slapping it in our faces. This wind lasted a solid minute, and the second it finally died down, I released my grip on the tree I was holding on to, then crashed to the ground. And not a moment after I opened my eyes to see if Yuta and Jean were alright, I instead found that both Connie and Niall were standing just yards away from me. However, upon closer observation of the two, I noticed a few details about their appearances that almost made me wish I had kept my eyes shut.
Connie's sword was still drawn, but this time nearly the entire blade was covered in blood. There were scars all over her body, as well as a deep gash in her left arm. Despite the injury, Connie still gripped the sword with both hands, blood dripping from her fingers and onto the forest floor. Her eyepatch was gone, and the eye it had once concealed was now wide open, revealing a mysterious pattern resembling the shape of a moon. Niall had a similar pattern in one of his eyes as well, but for some reason the second I gazed into this eye, I felt a surge of pain in my chest, and an ill feeling washed over me. I had to look away immediately, fearing that if I stared any longer, I would most likely pass out.
"Connie!" Yuta shouted, reaching out her hand as if expecting Connie to take it. "What the heck happened to y-"
"ARE YOU BLIND, WOMAN?!!" Connie snapped, her eyes flashing black for a mere second as she glared at Yuta. "Can you not see what is happening?! Niall is out of control!"
"It is a foolish decision to ignore your opponent, dear sister of mine..." Niall swung his sword at Connie, who barely managed to guard herself in time. A smirk appeared on Niall's face as he laughed in spite of her. "Quite a pitiful thing you are..."
"You're starting to sound like Reiha," Connie muttered, using all her strength to deflect Niall's attacks. "It's disgusting, so please...please just stop!"
"You are the disgusting one, Connie!! You are the one who abandoned the boy you were assigned to watch over, and because of that, his little sister died! Now doesn't that make you feel guilty? Immensely guilty..."
"Shut up!!" Connie took a step forward and threw Niall's sword back at him, then proceeded to make a series of consecutive strikes, each one being effortlessly blocked. "I didn't abandon him! He rejected me, and there was nothing I could do about that! It wasn't my fault that Neimi died, you hear me?! It wasn't my fault!"
This was a whole new side of Connie I had never seen before. Extreme determination mixed in with regret and sentiment...it was a new look for her. Even though I hadn't known her for very long, I could easily tell that this was something she wouldn't let anyone see by choice. "Connie! Niall" I called out once to them, hoping that I could delay the fighting, even if it was just for a little bit. "You guys both look pretty worn out. What do you say we take a break and call it a tie?"
"Amusing, Hiro," Niall snickered. "Perhaps I ought to toy with you next."
"My name is Morgan!" I shouted, pushing myself away from the tree to get closer to him, but at the same time keeping a safe enough distance. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth before, but Hiro isn't my real name. I wanted to keep my identity safe from the people that trusted me, and for that I know I was wrong. I know now that you've been keeping your identity a secret up until now as well, haven't you Niall? This is the real you. You've kept your true self hidden from us all this time, but tell me, Niall, what was the real reason for that? Were you afraid we would judge you? Turn you away? Fear you? Or did you just want to protect us?"
Niall was silent for a moment, which I thought to be a good sign. Perhaps I'm actually getting through to him...maybe he'll break free...
"None of that is true," Niall said crossly. "I chose to hide behind a mask to shield my own mind from the truth. Look at me, Morgan. Look at this monster you see before you. This monster that cannot control itself. I'm being driven by anger...by hatred...my sadness...my frustration...my guilt and regret...pretty much every negative emotion I've kept bottled up inside me for so long. The dam has burst..." Niall's eyes darted up to Connie. "It starts with you, dear sister of mine. My anger starts with you..."
Niall brought his sword into the air and held it up high above his head, clenching his teeth as he glared at Connie. "You are the demon of deceit, sister, whether you accept it or not! You used to treat me with kindness when we were younger, acting as though you were actually a proper older sister. But you turned on me, Connie. You turned on all of us! You were the one who taught me how to hold a grudge! It's because of you that I am unable to forgive myself for what happened in the past!"
"Niall, what are you saying?!" Connie leapt back just in time to dodge an areal attack from Niall's sword. "I...I didn't intend for any of this to happen!"
"But you are at fault," said Niall. "Each one of my siblings is at fault for making me the way that I am. You implanted anger. Sora and Evelyn implanted hatred. Edithania taught me sadness, as well as love. Reiha showed me what it was like to have somebody to lean on. Karm and Charis taught me how to hide behind a false smile. Natalya taught me how to fight when I had no strength left in me. Ignis showed me what real regret feels like. And Ylverys...Ylverys taught me how to forgive. However, he never did teach me how to forgive myself."
"Niall-"
"I should let you know beforehand that I do not hate you, Connie. If anything, I would like to thank you for what you've done. I love all my siblings dearly, even the ones who have done nothing but cause me suffering. I needed to be taught a lesson, I know that. I thank you for all you've done to try and teach me that lesson. However, there is still one thing I have not yet learned. A question...that I still do not know the answer to. If it were in my power, I would kill myself right here and now. But I must find the answer to that question before I die."
Connie's legs trembled noticeably as she struggled to remain standing. To be honest I couldn't read the expression on Niall's face. But it was easy to tell what Connie was feeling. Her blood-stained tears said everything.
Connie reached out her hand to Niall, her expression now becoming filled with an immeasurable amount of sadness and sympathy. "Take it," she whispered. "Take my hand. I know I haven't been a very good sister to you up until now, but it's never too late to start, right? I want to help you, Niall...I want to help..."
"You can't."
"Let me try!!" Connie forced a shout through the tears that were now streaming down her face. "I know that an apology won't take back what happened, but Niall...I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to end up this way. You didn't deserve any of this. I love you, little brother, from the bottom of my heart. I've watched you since we were little. I've seen how you've grown, Niall. You've grown up to be a fine man. You've been able to achieve things I could only dream of. Your accomplishments...the friends you've made...the impact you've had on their lives. You've been able to do that without my help. You don't need me, I know that. But please, Niall. Let me show you that I still care. If you love me, take my hand."
Niall looked at Connie's hand and watched as a single drop of blood fell from her fingertip and stained the patch of grass that lay below it. After a few moments of silence, he brought his hand up to where Conne's was and knocked it away. "I do love you," Niall said in a quiet voice. "Whether you believe it or not, I love you, Connie. However, I cannot risk allowing you to make the mistake you've made before. I understand now that you also need to be taught a lesson. I am here to repay you for what you've done."
"So what, are you going to kill me now?" said Connie. "Is that how you're going to punish me for my wrongs?"
"Do you want me to kill you?"
Connie was rendered speechless by Niall's question. Her arms fell limp at her sides as she gazed into Niall's eyes, dropping her sword in the process. She reached out her quivering hand once again, only to have it rejected a second time by a deliberate smack. Connie then fell to her knees and hung her head, her eyes now being shielded by the long blonde hair that fell in front of her shoulders. "It's a cruel joke ..." I heard her mutter. "Our lives are all just one...cruel joke. I never asked...to be born. Created, rather. We've never had a mother. We've only had each other. And now...I've finally come to realize that I've taken that all for granted..."
"You have," said Niall. "We all have. But think of it this way; we're demons. I've made the mistake in the past of believing we had the right to have a happy life. Don't you see now? Demons were never meant to stand at the same level as humans. We're different. We were created for the sole purpose of serving our creator. If we do not wish to do so, the only other option we have is to run. However, we can't run from our pasts. You do know that...don't you, Connie?"
"Of course I do," she replied, voice low and solemn. "I know that now more than ever. You've broken my heart, Niall, but I can't possibly be mad at you for that. Is this...is this the lesson you wanted to teach me all along? In return...for the anger I've taught you how to feel. You wanted to show me what it feels like to have your heart shattered into a million pieces...well, congratulations, my little brother. Lesson learned..."
+++
It pained me as well...severely...just watching the two of them express their deepest emotions to each other. Connie, said to be the most powerful of the Midnight Legion, was sitting on the ground in front of the man who had just broken her heart. Her little brother...Niall. I wanted to say something, but there was no way I could do anything to fix this. These two had a long history that I had no knowledge of. I was aware there were many things about Niall that I wanted to find out, but never had I foreseen this. His expression was calm and unvarying, yet I knew he was holding back a great deal of tears. Jean was as well. He wanted to do something to help...I could tell by the look on his face. But he, too, was well aware of the fact that there was nothing he could do. So he simply stood firm where he was, his eyes fixed on Niall, waiting for the blue-haired man to look up at him.
"So what will you do now?" asked Connie. "If you do not wish to kill me, then what is it you want? Are you going to continue running?"
"Yes," said Niall. "But I'm not just running away from something. I am also running towards something."
"You mean Hanako...am I right?"
Niall nodded slowly. "I believe that he can give me the answer I am searching for. You claimed to know where Hanako was, but that was a lie, wasn't it? You don't even have the slightest clue where he is."
Connie's silence let me know that Niall's accusation was correct. She lifted her head and gazed at him sympathetically, then mouthed the words 'I'm sorry.' Niall turned his back to her and sighed heavily. "Do you understand why you are called the demon of deceit? Lies, Connie. Lies have been spilling out of your mouth since the day I first took your hand. You took me to a peaceful place secluded from a crowded city. But then...you left me there. I was young, and I couldn't find my way back home. I would have been stranded there for a long time...had it not been for Reiha."
"Yes...had it not been for me~..."
A devilish cackle rang out through the forest as the scarlet-haired demon revealed herself to us. And judging by the smug look on her face, I decided it was safe to say that she had been listening in on Connie and Niall's conversation from the beginning.
"Reiha, stay back!" Connie shouted, jumping back to grab her sword. "Don't come near me!"
"Oh, Connie dear, I would never dream of hurting you," said Reiha. "I only wanted to pop in and see how you two were doing. Fine and dandy, aren't you? Ah, how wonderful. Although, I do have one question...for you Niall. Why haven't you killed her yet? You've already done a number on her, I see. So why haven't you finished the job? I asked you to do one thing for me. After all I've done for you...why can't you return the favor?"
"I do not wish to kill any of my siblings," said Niall, narrowing his eyes at Reiha. "That includes Connie."
"Coward!!" Reiha's eyes shot open and became filled with fury as she began to make her way over to where Niall was standing. "I ask one thing of you. One thing...and you fail me." Slowly she craned her neck until her gaze locked onto Connie, who was helplessly gripping the handle of her blade. "No matter...I can always finish the job myself..."
Just as Reiha had seized Connie's collar and was about to attack her, Niall took hold of Reiha's arm and instantly caused her to release Connie. Immediately she retaliated by smacking Niall across the face and seizing his collar. She hoisted him up into the air and showed off her teeth in a furious scowl. "Give it a rest, Reiha..." Niall spoke softly. "You act rather irrationally when you're tired."
"Show some respect to the one who protected you all those bitter years," Reiha spat.
"Do what you want with me," said Niall, turning his head to the side as if to offer up a place to hit him. "I will not strike back. I would never hurt you, Reiha. So go ahead. Release your anger and frustration."
Reiha's eye twitched as she gripped Niall's collar tighter. "Respect..." She mumbled, throwing Niall against the ground and placing her foot on his chest. "That's all I want. Just a little respect is all I'm asking for. I'm one of the oldest in this stupid family, yet all my life I've been looked down on." She lifted her foot and gave Niall's side a single, yet powerful kick. Niall rolled over and clutched his side, his eyebrows quivering as he endured the pain. However, I was sure that the pain he was feeling wasn't only coming from the force of the kick, but also the fact that Reiha was the one kicking him.
"Stop it!"
I quickly turned my head to Jean, who I supposed had finally had enough of Niall's behavior. He staggered away from the tree he been resting against and gradually began to walk towards Niall. "Stop letting her do this you," Jean pleaded. "Connie was right when she said you don't deserve any of this. So stand up for yourself. I can't...I can't handle seeing you like this any longer..."
As she watched Jean grow closer, Reiha only seemed to become more and more irritated. "Back off, boy," she hissed, but Jean kept walking.
"No. I won't. I have one good thing left in my life, and I'm not just about ready to let it get away from me again."
"Tch." Reiha clicked her tongue against her teeth in annoyance, giving Niall one last kick to roll him onto his stomach before giving her full attention to Jean. "Fine. I dare you to stand up to me and say that. Come on, boy. If you have confidence, then show me."
Jean didn't hesitate to accept Reiha's challenge. With his head held high, he looked Reiha dead in the eye and said boldly, "Give Niall back to me."
As if this had set off a trigger in Reiha, the scarlet-haired demon threw out her hands and took hold of Jean's neck, then began to squeeze it with all her might. I watched as her nails dug into his skin, and blood trickled down to his collarbone. Jean's eyes were fighting to stay open as he attempted to keep his gaze fixed on Niall, who was silently watching the scene unfold.
"You're as stupid as he is," Reiha scoffed. "It's pathetic. I don't understand humans...or Niall, for that matter."
"But I...I do," Jean managed to force out, all the while struggling to take breaths. "I know...how humans feel. I may not know how...how Niall feels, but I...for the years he and I...spent together...I found him to be a true...friend. He watched over me. He...he cared for me. He was the only one...I could turn to. And that's why...that's why...I can't just stand here and watch you hurt him. I owe him...I owe him my life."
"Jean..."
A single tear ran down Jean's face right as a crooked smile formed. "If you leave here...in one piece..." Jean's hand reached up, but soon fell back at his side as his eyes were just about ready to close.
"It's going to be okay, Niall..."
"Jean!!"
At the sound of Jean's body hitting the ground, Niall scrambled to his feet and rushed over to him. He fell to his knees and frantically placed his fingers on Jean's neck to feel for a pulse, then pressed his ear to Jean's chest. It was only after a tear fell from Niall's eye that I noticed the moon symbol disappear. And just by watching that tear fall, I knew for certain that Jean didn't make it.
"Not feeling so strong now, are you?" said Reiha, bitterly, as if she truly held no sympathy for her brother at all. "This is why you couldn't kill Connie, wasn't it? You become too attached, Niall. You shouldn't rely on friends to help you out when you're struggling. I've done that once before, and...well, you know what happened to her. Learn to be a better man...a better demon. Maybe then, you'll finally understand why it is you should give me the respect I deserve."
With that said, Reiha disappeared into the forest, leaving behind her brokenhearted siblings and the body of a man who only wanted to save his friend. As for Yuta and I, well...there was nothing for us to say. We were just there...unable to help...afraid to offer a shoulder to cry on. We both wanted to cry, too. After all, we had just lost a friend. He was only with us for a short time, but for Niall...Niall had lost a lifetime friend. Someone he could never get back, no matter what he did.
Suddenly I remembered something Niall had told me...back when I first asked about the man in his photograph. His words...how he spoke about Jean...
"If Jean were to ever lay eyes upon me, he would remember who I am. And I just can't let that happen...I refuse to let him get involved with my train wreck of a life again. Jean is an innocent, misfortunate boy who once carried the burden of having known me. I ruined his life before, and I don't plan on doing it again. Jean has a great opportunity in this reality...he can start a new life without ever having to cross paths with me. When I woke up in this new reality, his face was one of the only faces that remained in my mind, that is, besides Hanako and the rest of Midnight Legion. I had thought that this was meant to be a sign to me. A sign that he and I were supposed to be reunited one day. The thought of that happening thrilled me...it made me so happy. Jean was the only person that could really understand me, and I was the only person that could really understand him. He was...my only friend."
Niall...I am so sorry. You have my deepest sympathies, good friend. I honesty don't know if you'll be able to continue on in the state you are now, but...hang in there...