Malakai found himself as a child again, his legs returned to the healed but ugly state they were in. He saw various knickknacks of random items taken from various places. Like a giant ring that had spikes on it. A Rose that shoot out a poison mist that make you sexually aroused. He remember Aphros specifically having that.
In fact the room he seemed to be in was like a mishmash of several different rooms he known. From the way Cheelege's drapes twisted and turn and trick your mind into thinking it wasn't moving at all. To Eris carpet that changes texture from wool to dog hair to sand ever so subtly. From the flowery fragrance that would calm him down when he would enter Aphros's palace.
There was even a bar from the times he went to Winfrey's house and fixed her stills and brewhouse. She didn't ask but he was happy to do it.
"Well hello there my little genius." A woman said behind him. It was a voice he instantly recognized and it filled his heart with joy. Malakai turned around only to fall to the cold ground. His legs being torn off slowly, the now bloody stumps begin to sprout metal tendrils that formed into his new and more familiar legs. He was baffled by this as he saw his old legs wither away into burning embers that scatter into nothingness.
He raised his head to see his mother Eris, wearing her indigo hood, her wild blonde hair peeking out from under it. She was looking down at him with disgust.
"You really disappoint me, Malakai." She got down on her knee and grabbed him by the chin. She sighed and smile at him like a mother would to her very dumb son.
"From the moment i saw you, i knew you were a parasite who was just unlucky enough to survive. I got to admit that you are useful. I mean you have to be, correct? Otherwise, why are you here? What purpose would i have for plucking you from that ground which your birth mother carelessly toss you aside on?" Eris continued, her face lighting up at his confusion and sorrow. Why was his mother saying these things to him?
"Oh wonderful! I wonder what will you do? I mean surely you know that this all in your head, right?" Eris asked of him with a knowing glance as she sat cross leg on the floor across from him.
Malakai was confused before he remembered Swano.
"Seriously? You didn't know that? no wonder i left your pathetic and broken self for Apollo." Another voice said behind him. He didn't want to see who said that, he already knows from the way she instill anxiety and doubts in his heart just from being in his presence. Her voice alone was enough to cause a anxiety attack.
"Why are you here?" He spoke through gritted teeth. Aphros laughed at this truly moronic question.
"What part of this being in your head do you not get?" Aphros asked, sharing a look with Eris who just shrugs.
"My little ugly monster, Swano was blessed by the man who cuckolded you. One of her abilities is to sing and trap the victim in their own twisted mind palace that attack their character." She helpfully explained to the disappointment of a son that was before her.
"For someone who create so many wonderful things, your brain is completely rotting from the inside out." Aphros insulted the child. He instinctively put his hood over his head, trying to block everyone out, bad habit of his but that all he had to defend himself. What a pathetic being he was.
"Oh look at that, poor little Malakai is going to hide his face again! What a surprise." Aphros deadpanned mockingly.
Eris grabbed him by his hood.
"Hiding under a hood won't save you from all the people you slaughter with your machines, just some motherly advice." Eris said warmly as she walked across this sentence and dropped Malakai off it.
He felled to the ground in a heap. He felt a painful snap in his legs, he look down to see his legs in a horrifying combination of flesh and metal, with bones stick out every which way.
He felt the tears comes to his eyes, he didn't want to break down. Not here, in front of his mother who continued to watch him with what seem like pity in her eyes. In front of Aphros, like she needed more fuel to consider him a complete and worthless being unworthy of love.
His eyes rested upon the numerous corpses made by him, more specifically his weapons and the machines of war that he created by his own hands. He was lying on top of them, it was a whole mountain of slain bodies.
He sighed.
"I was so eager to be needed, to feel useful. At the cost of their lives i got to feel not completely worthless for once." Malakai thought to himself as he chuckled bitterly. He then begins to ponders how awful he truly is.
If you needed weapons and armor you come straight to him. And he was all too eager to please.
"Even if I haven't kill you all personally...i might as well have." Malakai said to the corpses as if they could hear him. Why would they want to hear from their indirect murderer?
"I'm sorry." Malakai apologized to the copses, they didn't respond. Nor would they. He wasn't worth anything to them.
"I created Almonda, Jag, and Rickter with the sole intention of not wanting to be all alone in my workshop. And while they seem happy, i can't help but wonder if they secretly resent me on some level." Malakai thought as he slowly arose from the corpses only to be drag back in, slowly sinking in the pile of flesh and blood. They began to dig their pointed and rotten nails into his skin and he found it surprising that they are actually tearing his skin off.
And yet he wasn't scared. Hell there was a part of him that was very accepting of the end of his miserable life.
But he didn't deserve to die, no. Death was far too good for him.
"Like i was expecting a easy way out." Malakai thought to himself somberly as the pile of flesh and blood spit him out into the air and back into the room where Eris and Aphros stood before him.
"Amazing! How utterly hopeless you have to be for your mind to deny you the sweet embrace of Thermes?!" Eris said, she had to laugh because it was hilarious!
"As if Thermes want him, they can't even have a proper conversation together even with her husband around to bridge the gap between the two. Face the facts Malakai, no one likes you. We just use you to get stuff. Everybody thinks you're a pathetic shell of a person much less a God. Honestly I only dated you out of pity, hoping that you can gain some confidence in yourself, but we all know how that ended." Aphros explained with a cold smile on her face as she glared at the broken child before her.
His heart shattered just like on that fateful day she told him those exact same words.
Malakai nodded, understanding now.
He slowly got up, much to Eris and Aphros's surprise. He was now a adult. Wearing his orange tuxedo from before.
"I'm really worthless am i? You know that , don't you mother?" He ask of Eris who now looked uncomfortable. It was quite alien to Malakai as she usually had a look of amusement on her face most of the time.
Malakai look down at his leg that was covered by his tuxedo pants, he lifted up the cuff to see his metal leg and stared at it with anger and revulsion. It was just an easy fix to a problem that didn't really need to be one had he just accepted himself.
But he didn't so...
He ripped off his metal leg with ease much to their horror.
"No my little genius what are you doing?!" Eris asked of Malakai who could stare at her apologetically. He was still standing, surprisingly.
"You were right mother, my legs were beautiful and now they're gone. How foolish of me to think that replacing them with metal legs would help." Malakai apologized as Eris hugged him. Aphros looked on disturbed. He caught her eye.
It wasn't her fault, it was all his own. He was selfish to think that just because you were in a relationship with a Goddess of Love, She was exclusive to him. Nothing about him was attractive to a woman or man for that matter. The fact she even humored him showed her kindness, a kindness he never deserved at all.
"Aphros can you forgive me for being...what did you call me? I'm sorry it been so long i forgot." Malakai asked of the Goddess of Love who wanted to leave.
"I...Malakai..." She faltered. It could've been his imagination, but he swore Aphros's eyes rolled back into her head.
"A degusting pathetic whimpering man-child. That what it was." He finished before she could answer and gave them a small smile, tears falling down his face. Aphros look around, slightly confused by her surroundings before gaining her bearings.
"I'm sorry that i couldn't make it work. I really am. I hope that if nothing else, you can at least rest easy knowing that you made the right choice." He told her honestly, Apollo was a superior God in every way, he actually had a personality and charm as well. He wasn't no sad broken shell trying to please others when he couldn't even please himself.
"This have to stop Malakai, this isn't healthy." Aphros gently told him, which shocked him.
"Wha-" Malakai was cut off by Eris.
"Malakai, this cycle of self-hatred you found yourself wallowing in is only going to be your destruction." Eris said calmly as she held his hands.
The somber God thought for a moment.
"I hope so. Maybe i will stop being a parasite to my brother Cheelege, maybe Winfrey wouldn't have to spend time with someone so broken." Malakai said more to himself than the two. Eris looked horrified and sent a angry glare at Aphros. The first Goddess of Love felt a chill go through her.
"Why are you looking at me like this is all my fault? I'm not the one who died when he was barely a teenager and abandoned him along with his brother!" She said accusatory, pointing a finger at Eris who smiled sardonically.
"Yes well dying usually means not being able to be in your precious children life. You would know considering you was there raising your pitiful weapons against me along with the other Gods."
Aphros open her mouth to say something, but Eris was not about to let that sentence even be typed.
"Besides i came back into their lives not long after. Considering you the one who couldn't turn him down the first time because of your vanity and childish need for beautiful jewelry led to you leading him on and breaking his heart in the most unnecessary way imaginable. Well, I can't say you don't share a large portion of the blame, now can I?" Eris told her, looking like she wanted to skin her alive and hang her on her wall.
Aphros looked guilty, somewhere else her own daughter gazes upon her mother next to her in the hot springs of her abode. Aphros eyes were glazed over, her daughter Devilla knew what this meant, and she was rooting for her.
"You're right." Aphros agreed, Malakai didn't deserve to be done the way he was did by her. She should've just broken things off amiably.
"Oh good for you, do you want a cookie for admitting you are a grade one harlot?" Eris asked of Aphros who almost walked over and slap Eris but she restrained herself.
Malakai broke free from Eris and begin to hop on his one metal leg.
"It nobody fault I'm like this." He told them quietly.
They both turned to him.
You see, i learn one truth in my existence, nobody will be able to hate me more than i already hate myself." He said to them, his face one of serene calm as he opened the door. He flew out the door suddenly and rose into the orange skies. The same skies he would watch with Cheelege. He felt a serene calm as he felt his remaining metal leg fall off.
He look at his hands and saw that he was disintegrating slowly but surely. He was burning, but it didn't hurt. He smiled. A calm and peaceful oblivion. That what he wanted, right?
Oh well, it doesn't matter anymore.
He felt somebody grabbed onto him and bring him back down to the ground, well crash into the ground. He saw that his automated legs was back on him and he turned to see Winfrey who was rubbing her head with a goofy smile.
"Wow Malakai, when it to the point the inner demons are feeling bad for you and giving you good advice. Maybe it time to reevaluate your life?" She said gently as she hugged him.
"Winfrey i-" Malakai began but Winfrey put a finger on his lips, she rose from the ground and step back.
"No Malakai, listen. I can't force you to change this self-destructive view of yourself, only you can." Winfrey advised him as she took a swig from her bottle.
"She right you know." Everybody heads turn to the God who said that. He walked up to them, his face obscured by shadows, a hood covering his head.
"There two of my lovely sons now, what a interesting development!" Eris said excitedly.
"Cheelege?" Malakai asked as the figure remove his hood.
"Hello again dearest brother! I would've come sooner but my son Peter was such a brilliant performance at the Town About Circus i just had to stay and congratulate him." Cheelege explained.
a small smile crept onto Malakai face. Anything to distract him from this hellish nightmare of self-reflection and hatred was a blessing.
"Tell Peter, Alice, and Damien that there Uncle Malakai said hello!" Malakai jubilantly told Cheelege who hugged his brother.
"Of course, but first you need to break out of this spell." Cheelege said seriously as Winfrey nodded.
"How?" Malakai asked.
Winfrey pondered this. Eris slither to Cheelege. Aphros stayed where she was, hesitant.
"Are you really my son or are you just another illusion?" Eris asked, very curious.
"I could ask the same about you." Cheelege retorted with a smile.
Malakai try to think of a way to get out of this mess.
"It not like i can invent something that can magically undo the...wait a minute, yes i can!" He said to himself.
Suddenly, the room morphed before everyone's very eyes as it became Malakai's workshop.
Almonda, Jag, And Rickter was standing around, all of them looking very confused as to what was happening until noticing their creator. They rushed over to him.
"Now Malakai, you know we all love you and would never said this in any normal situation but considering where we are and the nature of this shit? YOU A BITCH!" Rickter insulted, Malakai was taken aback before calming himself down.
He attempted to move past them only to be stopped by Almonda.
"Sorry Mr.Malakai, please know that i think you are amazing but you are quite possibly the most pathetic creature i have seen in my short existence." Almonda said coldly.
Malakai pushed past them, knowing that they were forced into saying these horrible things. Winfrey and Cheelege followed closely behind.
"Nobody forcing us, i mean you agree with how much of a waste of space you are. Right?" Jag asked of his creator who was at his workbench. Malakai nodded his head at this truth as he grab his hammer.
"Look i know this is going sound extremely rich coming from me but...don't you think you three are being a little too harsh on my former lover?" Aphros asked of the three who were in shock that she would defend Malakai. So was Malakai himself.
"Like she have any ground to stand on." Eris said a little too loudly next to Cheelege who nodded in return. Aphros glared at the mother of discord as she happily waved at the Goddess of Love. Cheelege did the same.
"Hi, yes we're talking about you!" Eris said jauntily. Aphros ignored the crazy old hag.
"You're just as old as me sweetie!" Eris told her as Aphros sighed in frustration of her uncanny ability to read her thoughts.
"You truly never miss the mark, mother." Cheelege said affectionally.
"Well he is pathetic. I mean most Gods wouldn't have to create life so they wouldn't be lonely." Rickter pointed out although it pained him to.
"He not wrong." Malakai said as he continued to think of something that could theoretically break the illusion.
"Former lover? You never even kissed him!" Almonda said angrily at Aphros, wanting to punch her in the face, in fact. That what she did.
Aphros head jolted back as she felt her nose was broken. Malakai and Winfrey was shocked at what happen. Eris clapped with delight. Cheelege just smiled and watch the show unfolding before everyone's eyes.
"ALMONDA!" Malakai roared.
"NO MR.MALAKAI, SHE DESERVE THAT AND SO MUCH MORE FOR WHAT SHE DONE TO YOU!" Almonda roared back, unhinged.
"Destroy her! Malakai i love your little friends that you created!" Eris said happily, summoning popcorn from a portal. Cheelege reached in and grabbed a handful of snacks. Jag and Rickter was unsure of what to do. Well Jag more so than Rickter as he was hyping Almonda up.
"BEAT HER ASS! BEAT HER ASS!" Rickter cheered on.
Aphros sighed, she couldn't even find in her heart to be mad right now. Wouldn't she have done the same to Malakai had he been the one to cheat on her?
Winfrey rushed over and held Almonda back as she kept trying to hit her.
"Woah woah now, Ally let calm down now!" Winfrey told her.
"Fucked that pretty boy God on Mr.Malakai's own bed!" She said angrily as she kicked Aphros's leg hard. Aphros yelped in pain and was surprised at how much pain that barely disguised fetish that Malakai called his friend was able to cause. Almonda was able to break out and rush The Goddess of Love again.
"It is because we're in his Mind palace, well if anything he might be taking it easier on me compared to what he could've done." Aphros thought as she dodge the haymaker that Almonda delivered.
"What wrong Aphros?! Scared of finally getting your comeuppance? That mean retribution in case you didn't know which you probably didn't! YOU DON'T DESERVE HIM! " Almonda continued her rant.
Malakai went to restrained her, he couldn't help but feel sicken by the part of him that was enjoying this.
He grabbed her arm, she turn to him. It was strange to the god, the pure fury that decorated her face almost frightened him because he have never seen her this mad before. It almost reminded him...of himself that fateful night.
"You remember it too, right Mr.Malakai?" She asked of him.
"I-" Malakai couldn't even finish his sentence, a lump in his throat formed.
"Those nights you spent sobbing into your pillow, those long nights where you went on deranged rants of self-hatred. You had the tact to keep it in your head but remember we are linked to your emotions." Almonda continued on. The God of the Forge nodded, shame and regret filling his core.
"But did she care? No. She never cared for you. The only reason she here now is to absolve her guilt. I won't let her hurt you again." Almonda told him, her once soft voice had a sinister edge to it as she broke free from her creator...no her friend. Malakai went to grab her hand again.
"Oh just let her do it." A voice said from behind Malakai.
Everybody stopped and turn to see that voice came from another Malakai. His face obscured by the same hood Cheelege gave him. His smock and clothes covered in dark blood that dripped onto the floor.
"You're me." Malakai said, getting close to himself, inspecting him.
"Unfortunately, yes." The other Malakai said with pure distain.
"Ooh now we going to have a clash of self, seems to be really popular nowadays." Eris said, looking pointedly at Winfrey who fidgeted under her gaze.
Cheelege watched the situation unfolding, intrigued by the many scenarios this will lead to. He will keep an eye on this other version of Malakai just in case he tries anything.
"Almonda." The other Malakai said to the pink assistant who was startled at this but quickly regain her composure.
"I mean this is Malakai, right? So i should still listen to him." Almonda rationalize in her head, but she couldn't shake this feeling that something bad was about to hap-.
"Rip Aphros's heart out." The other Malakai commanded of her.
"Oh that all? I thought it was going to be something terrible!" Almonda said happily as she turned to Aphros who tried to take a step back but got wrapped up in metal tendrils that sprouted out of the ground.
"You know in any other time and any other place, this would've have been kind of kinky." Aphros joked to relieve the tension.
Rickter seemed unsure as Jag grabbed hold of Almonda who turned in confusion to the golden automation. Aphros stared at the two Malakais, wondering how was she going to get through to him when she caused him so much pain? I mean if the roles was reversed, well...
She would probably do worst to Malakai then what he did to her, let be real.
"Stop. This." Malakai angrily told his other self who shrugged.
"Don't tell me you actually still in your deluded, self-hating mind you still care for her?" The other Malakai asked of himself, Malakai went to open his mouth to deny it but nothing came out. The other Malakai shook his head in utter degust at himself.
Eris rolled on the ground until she reached her son Malakai and hugged him from behind, crying.
"PLEASE OH NO, DON'T TELL ME THAT, ANYTHING BUT THAT!" Eris cried out in mock-despair.
"STOP THIS NOW!!!" The Sheer volume and rage in Malakai's voice took everyone aback besides his other self. Cheelege within a moment was next to this other Malakai.
"Listen, my hallucinogenic brother. I know how you feel, i also wanted to kill Aphros and Apollo for hurting you the way they did. I know that what I'm about to say is cliché but-" Cheelege couldn't finish this sentence as Malakai punched his other self in the face and send him flying into the lava pit, the room begins to melt away.
"Or you can do that. That works just as well." Cheelege said, kinda surprised.
Winfrey cheered for Malakai as the metal tendrils unwrapped themselves around Aphros. The Goddess of Love used this opportunity to get out of here and back to the bath in her home. She would have to try this again in person. Although she did so with hesitation.
Malakai barely was able to push Cheelege out of the way as a giant geyser of lava erupted from the area they were standing.
"Wait can we even die here?" Jag wondered out loud as he moved Almonda and Rickter away as another geyser of lava burst forward from the dark ground. Malakai and the rest of the gang look towards the other Malakai, who eyes was now glowing a bright orange, each step he took another geyser of lava erupted behind him.
"I'm not brave enough to find out!" Rickter screamed in a panic as he barely dodges another geyser.
He raised his hand and clenched it into a fist. A low rumbling sound was heard throughout Malakai's mindscape which became a high pitched screeching sound that played inside everyone head.
In what seem like a second Malakai was forced down on his knees. Winfrey and Cheelege both rushed over to his side as enormous metal pillars sprouted from the ground, Malakai look at them with wariness. Winfrey look at the metal pillars and gasped.
"Huh. Well you don't see that everyday. Almost everyday." Cheelege said as he looked upon the metal pillars that was half-way built with corpses. The arms and feet stuck out of the concrete like a rose in a field of dandelions.
Malakai was hit by a metal pillar thrown by the-
"I'm going to call him Malacai, it simpler. For both the readers and everyone else. Myself included." Cheelege said as he teleported Malakai back to his original position.
"Nice one!" Winfrey complimented as Cheelege did a showman's bow.
"Thank you Cheelege." Malakai told him gratefully.
"Stay out of this, brother." Malacai told Cheelege as he continued to walk towards them.
" Tremendously difficult to stay out of it when it the wellbeing of the best brother in the whole world." Cheelege retorted as he walked towards Malacai.
"You can't be serious? Me? The best brother?" Malacai spat out.
"Yes. That is what i said in the sentence before yours." Cheelege told him as Metal spikes impaled Malakai from seemingly nowhere. These spikes weighed him down heavily.
"Why are you doing this?!" Winfrey demanded of Malacai as she marched up to him.
Malacai sighed. "Look Winfrey i know you mean well but this doesn't involve you." He told her politely.
"It does actually. I mean, I'm here, aren't I?" Winfrey challenged him.
"Not by your own free will." He countered.
Winfrey opened her mouth to counter that but stop and began to ponder.
"Technically you're right considering that bitch trapped us here. But i'm still here to help my best friend!" Winfrey yelled at the faker.
Malakai attempted to stand before getting more spikes impaled into him, each of them weighing a ton.
"Malacai, stop this. Will hurting yourself really accomplish anything but breaking your poor dear mother's heart?" Eris said as she made a makeshift heart and crushed it to emphasize her point.
Malacai continue with torturing his other self.
"Why should it matter?" Malacai asked them. There was no hint of malice in his voice, he was genuinely curious.
"We love you son, you know this. So i'm very curious to know why do you do this to yourself?" Eris asked of him.
"Isn't it obvious? Have you two not been paying attention all these years? I made it very clear that i'm nothing more than a parasite that very existence is a drain on those who i claim to care for. Why should you two care?" Malacai asked of them once again.
"Why shouldn't we? Answer me that other version of my son that i love so much?" Eris questioned him.
"I myself am very curious to hear your response Malacai." Cheelege said to him as Malacai just sighed. He was dreading this but if it will get them to truly understand that they shouldn't waste their energy on him then so be it.
"Because you're not my mother. And you're not my brother. you two never was." Malacai said to Cheelege and Eris. There was a long silence that followed. A look of pure sadness decorated Malacai's face. There was no malicious intent behind his words, there was only the truth.
Malakai felt his heart drop as Cheelege uncharacteristically took a step back and Eris frowned at what this imitation of her son told her.
He never felt so angry in his life. He tends to swallow his anger, his feelings because the last time he let them out. Well it was scary to the God to say the least, he almost killed Apollo. He still remember the look Aphros had on her face. She look at him like he was a complete and utter monster. He remember how Cheelege despite being all smiles after that situation was a little hesitant to get near him. He overheard a conversation between him and Thermes where they discuss what happen that day.
"In all my years of living with him, i have never seen him like that. It scared me." Cheelege confided to Thermes.
"You? Scared? I have to admit , I wasn't there but even i felt unnerved at that moment in time. I could hear your brother's screaming, it was full of hate and pure resentment." Thermes said, her voice taking a concerning tone.
"I'm worried about him. He probably listening in to this conversation as we speak. I'm concerned about you brother." He said to Malakai who didn't move from his spot.
"Malakai i know we don't speak much but if you ever need to vent, i'm here. I won't promise that i listen but the offer there." Thermes said to him gently.
Malakai despite the metal spikes impaling his body managed to ripped them out by sheer force of will as the spikes went in every direction. He rushed his other self and started beating him relentlessly before he could even properly react. He ripped his other self's leg off and began to beat him with it as he fell on the ground trying to block the blows. Malakai stomped on his stomach causing him cough up blood.
Malacai not one to be outdone, especially by this pathetic waste of cells fought back.
They savagely tore at each other, their senses completely abandoned and replaced with the rage that they tried so desperately to keep inside.
I don't think he remember who he was anymore.
Why did he hate him? And why did he hate him as much as he did?
To the group of Gods that look on in utter astonishment, all of them glued to the ground. Much to Cheelege's surprise and slowly building dread, he couldn't tell the two apart anymore.
He began to wail on his face with his own hands, his steaming hot blood splashing on his face. He heard the pleas begging him to stop, where was that coming from? Who was it coming from? It didn't matter, this waste of life and resources didn't matter any more.
Blood splattered onto his eyes and yet he continued.
He could hear himself...no his child self crying and yet he continued.
He have become undone, unbounded by the shackles he placed on himself to contain his demons.
Malakai stopped and wiped the blood from his eyes and saw...
himself, no it was him as a child again. His face mangled beyond recognition and his body look flatter, he was missing his legs. Of course he was. He had to stop himself from laughing it was all so utterly funny.
All the hatred and anger bled from his system as he stared down at himself. He look at hands in a mixture of shock and degust. A dawning horror seized his soul as the child whimpered for their mother.
"Why...why did you make me do this?" Malakai asked himself as tears threatened to spill over.
He slowly turned to look at the others, all of them completely horrified at what had transpired. Eris had a look of pure surprise, no it was mixed with something else. Sadness? Well that not a surprise anymore. He wasn't sure if that was really her at this point.
Cheelege look at him with a mixture of pity and anger. But the anger wasn't for Malakai. His hands trembling.
Winfrey look at Malakai worried. She took a step forward and continue to do so. Jag , Rickter , and Almonda was nowhere to be found.
Malakai ignored her and look down at his other self who look up at him in pure fear.
"I'm sorry." Malakai said somberly, it caused tears to fall forth from the child's eyes as the lava died down.
"Forgive me for the hatred i carry for myself. I don't know why i wanted to destroy you. Why did it felt so good, or why some part of me felt elated at the thought of dying." He told him, bearing his soul to this child who look like he just had a revelation.
Malakai wordlessly cradled his child self in his arms who was listening intently and turned to Winfrey. The one who may possibly understand what he was going through.
"I want to be better." Malakai told her.
"You can be, but you can't keep doing this to yourself." Winfrey said to him as she placed a hand on the child who flinched at first but still let her touch him. It was odd to the child how calming her touch was.
Cheelege teleported over to where Malakai was and hugged him from behind.
"I'm sorry my dear brother, if i knew your self hatred ran this deep than i would have-I can't even finish that sentence. I don't know what i would have done to make you feel better." Cheelege said, his voice now somber.
Eris walked over to the two, she could sense that this part of the story was coming to a end soon.
"Malakai, you always were a genius and you will always have us. Now it time for you to figure this out for yourself. I think you know what to do." Without warning she grabbed child Malakai and began to rock him back and forth. Malacai was content in her arms.
I love you both." Eris said as she grabbed both Malakai and Cheelege and gave them a great big hug. The sons savored this hug, it brought them back to when they were just children.
"I'm sorry for what i said, you two will always be my family. It was just-"
"We understand Malakai." Eris said with a warm smile as she continued to hug her sons.
"No need to explain yourself, just know that i'm so proud to have you as a brother."
Tears fell down Malakai's face.
"Thank you all." He said with pure gratitude.
He look down at his child self, still mangled in his mother's arms. He needed to start somewhere.
"I forgive you." He told himself.
The child version of himself was shocked at this, but slowly a small smile formed on his face.
"Thank you."
They both woke up from their nightmare, wrapped in each other arms. Winfrey look over to see Swano staring at them, shocked, confused, and bewildered.
"Winfrey are you alright? He asked, concerned for her wellbeing.
Winfrey was silent for a moment before hugging Malakai even tighter.
"No, but i think i will be alright, is it the same with you?" She asked of him, she felt completely drained and yet better than she had been feeling in the past century.
"Yeah. I think so." Malakai told her, tears streaming down his face.
"Thank you, if it wasn't for you i would've died." Winfrey said gratefully, Malakai shakes his head.
"No, thank you. If you, Cheelege, and Aphros haven't come along , i would have been trapped in the recesses of my mind forever." Malakai told her, realizing how much he had to be grateful for.
Winfrey looked towards Swano who was still standing there with that comical expression of shock on her face and flipped her off.
Malakai reluctantly gave Swano a thumbs up.