The Balancers

Part 12: Returns and Departures

One day had past. That was all the time we had had to train Rebalance and Debalance. I hoped it would be enough. I stood on the edge of the floating island, staring out into the infinite horizon. Unbalance was was leaning against the temples wall, staring at the Light Tree with an odd expression, almost like he was trying to remember something. Debalance and Rebalance were sparing in the area the machine that had made them into Balancers had used to be. We had taken it down for resources. Stuff like redstone wasn't all that common around here. Rainbow Steve was doing something in the temple. I believe he was messing around with potions. I kept thinking about my fight with Empty Steve. I had beaten him. But he had gotten back up and done something to Unknown Alex. I still couldn't hear her, even after three weeks. I had mentioned it to Unbalance before, but he didn't know what Empty could have done. As I was thinking about what to do, I sensed someone appear on the island. I turned around to see who it was, and a shiver went down my spine. Standing at the middle of the island was Empty Steve. I saw Unbalance's eyes flare with anger. He stood up and lunged towards Empty.

"Unbalance wait!" I yelled. I was surprised that he actually listened. He slid to a halt a few blocks away from Empty, his hands emitting a dark mist. Empty seemed startled, but not really scared. Rebalance and Debalance ran around the temple and also skidded to a stop. Empty turned to look at them and seemed to be even more shocked, his mouth opening slightly. I saw Rainbow in the opening of the temple holding what seemed to be harming potions. 'Lets hope we don't need to use those.' I thought. I began to approach Empty and he turned to look at me. His face suddenly looked grim, like a child who had been caught doing something they weren't supposed to. I stopped a few blocks away from him. Debalance and Rebalance had also walked around him, so we now surrounded him completely. Rainbow looked ready to through the potions at any time.

"Hello again, Balance." Empty began. It was strange that he didn't sound sarcastic when he said that. "I've been looking for you."

"We noticed." Unbalance interrupted. Empty's gaze went from me to him.

"I recognize that voice." he said, a twinge of awe in his voice. "Your Unknown, the one I sent out looking for Balance here." He gestured to me, causing Rebalance and Debalance to tense up. "It seems that you decided to stay and help him."  He paused for a long moment. I knew the look on his face. It was the face of someone questioning things. A lot of things. "That was probably for the best." He finally said. That actually caught me off guard.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked Empty, a tinge of skepticism appearing in my voice. Empty sighed and put his hand to his head. Unbalance, Rebalance, and Debalance all switched to their fighting stances, but I put my hand up to signal them not to do anything, yet. 

"I'm aware that many of my decisions may not have been the best." Empty said. 'That's a massive understatement.' I thought. I was going to point that out,  but Unbalance beat me to it.

" Not the best!?" Unbalance yelled, his hands and eyes flaring with even more dark mist. "You treat the Unknowns and Blanks like your puppets! And I don't even know how you treat the fusions Steves!" I hadn't thought about the Fusion Steves. I hadn't actually seen any of them while I had been in the Unknown Facility. Unknown Alex had said that Empty kept the Fusions away from the others. I didn't know to what extent that implied. 

"I know I treated you Unknowns, Blanks, and Fusions badly." Empty said quickly before Unbalance could continue. "But I want to make up for my mistakes." Unbalance scowled and scoffed, and Rebalance and Debalace didn't react at all. I don't think they fully knew what was happening, but they still knew Empty had done some very bad things. But there was something in is voice that made me at least hope he was being truthful.