Please Fix the Story!

Sci Fi - 4

"Did you hear me?" Chris's voice was filled with patience and warmth. "I'll save you. I'll be your Connector."

I looked at him silently, knowing that I should feel relieved.

Whether my alternate memories were caused by the mental degradation, or if I was truly some sort of traveler tasked with saving this world, his offer solved all my problems. Forming a match with him would stabilize my mental condition, allowing me to fully understand what was real and what was not. It would help me become not only a true Guardian, but a powerful one that could help take on the Hive and save the world, completing my mission.

I should have felt relieved. I should have felt grateful for his generous offer.

But instead, I felt sick and wanted to run away.

"Thank you for offering this, but you have a dream, Chris. You want to be a Guardian more than anyone else." I found myself arguing passionately, hoping he would withdraw his offer. "I can't let you sacrifice all the work you've done, the trust others have placed in you. Besides, you already have a Connection with Princess Ilene..."

"Alaira." He frowned as I finally managed to free my hand from his grasp and leaned back to put some distance between us. "None of that is as important as your wellbeing. Ilene understands that."

"Maybe you don't have to sacrifice all that though. Maybe there's another match out there for me..." I was grasping at straws, not even sure why I was arguing. But I knew it, felt it deep in my soul.

I didn't want to match with Chris.

"There's no one else. I am your only chance to be a Guardian." The warmth was gone, his face and tone were serious. "Either you match with me, or they'll put you on indefinite leave, and you'll never be a Guardian again. "

WARNING! MISSION FAILURE IMMINENT!

TOTAL COMPLETION 2%

MISSION FAILURE WILL RESULT IN WORLD COLLAPSE AND DESTRUCTION OF THE SOUL. PLEASE COMPLETE THE MISSION.

"I don't want to force you." He reached out to smooth my hair, becoming visibly frustrated as I pulled back further, refusing to let him touch me. "I'm just trying to save you."

"..."

"Trust me."

____________________________

"Trust me."

The man in front of me threw up his hands as he paced back and forth. "Everything will go a lot smoother if you STOP CHANGING THE STORY!"

"I thought that was why we were here, though?" I sighed, leaning back in my chair, adjusting the ballgown out of the way and cleaning my nails with a blade. "To fix the lower realms, to save these worlds? That requires change, right?"

He paused in his movements, glaring at me. "Stop acting stupid! These worlds are broken because they didn't follow the rules. We know the rules. We have to follow them perfectly."

"I don't want to though." I shuddered. "No offense, but if the rules are going to require us to have a romantic relationship, I'm finding a different way. There's always an alternate solution."

"That's what the story requires, you have your role to play. I am the hero of this world, the prince, and you are the damsel in distress. I was supposed to save you. You were supposed to fall in love with ME. Why did you have to stab the witch yourself?!"

I flipped the knife in my hand. "She was asking for it."

"You can't keep doing this. You know the consequences of not playing the right part."