Andria Andromeda Rivera and The Chalice of Belief

Scary Scars

"Of all the liars in the world, sometimes the worst are our own fears."
- Rudyard Kipling

When Roy woke, it was to a dull ache all over his body, the type you'd get after becoming exhausted. But it was his head that hurt the most. Pounding and confused, it was seriously messing with him. A worried duo was seated beside him, engaged in conversation. He quietly turned his head to his other side, and found Carter lying next to him. What had happened this time?

"-could have happened?" Will was saying.

"It's all upto our imagination now until they can it share for themselves." Said Olivia sadly, but she looked like she'd just cried, "If they even... recover..."

"I-I can't," said Roy, groaning, "tell the legendary tale, I mean."

Both heads snapped towards him faster than lightning, but their gazes were softer than fudge. Or atleast, Will's was.

Olivia looked like she wanted to hit him.

"You-you!" She said hoarsely, "I never discouraged you from trying new things, just showed you how to be more careful, and seeing as how Carter was with you, you probably were trying to be! Then.... WHY? Why must you always be in the center of horror? Why must you always get hurt? And why can I never do anything about it?"

"And you!" She snapped at Carter, who'd apparently woken up with her not exactly loud, but not soft voice either, "You..." She sighed and got up as though to leave, and then just slumped to the ground, face buried in hands.

Roy looked at Will helplessly.

"Can't say you didn't have it coming, Morris." Will said, sighing, "I don't even know what happened and yet I still know that with just a little more caution, this could have been avoided. Roy, intent is not enough. You have to keep your wits about you."

Roy couldn't even cry without wincing, "I-I'm sorry."

Olivia looked up at him sadly, "Don't- uh. I don't even know what to say anymore."

Carter lifted one of his hands and placed them gently on Roy's, "Don't be too hard on yourself. I saw you- and I'll forever be thankful for-"

**

How? Roy simply could not understand how Jennifer had gotten so good at fighting- but that was not all. She barely seemed to be putting much effort, and yet her sword always managed to slash against Roy's skin. It was paining and stinging like hell.

Roy had only managed to sneak a glance at Carter twice. The last he saw Carter was dodging Eava's dagger as it struck from the side.

They couldn't do anything. No matter how much Roy tried to be optimistic, Jennifer and Eava were too good. Only Velarium could beat Velarium. But Roy couldn't summon more Velarium- if he did, they would just make more enemies. He couldn't even control his imagination. He felt like crying and falling to the ground. What was the point anyway? They were going to die regardless.

"Roy! Snap out of it!" Carter yelled from behind him. Roy moved or rather, fell aside just in time to miss another slash of Jennifer's.

He rolled on the ground and got up as fast as he could. His wooden sword had been broken a while ago. He couldn't keep this up for long. The only thing that was keeping them alive was the fact that they weren't looking to kill them.

But what if they changed their mind? What if Carter would die because of him?

He only just thought of it and looked at Carter when he saw that Eava's whole stance had changed and that now she was getting into an aggressive mode. Carter had no choice but to duck and dodge and roll again and again.

Jennifer was fighting mercilessly too, now. Left, right, and ever inch of his body was getting attacked. He too fell into the same pattern as Carter.

More Velarium, thought Roy, that's the ONLY way to get out of this. Velarium really couldn't be destroyed by anything but itself, unless the master learned to control it. Which Roy couldn't. He gave it a last try- hoping with all his might as he dodged another attack that his imagination retreat back from where it came, that it became part of him once more, but to no avail.

He was about to summon more Velarium when - "Oomph!" Came Carter's voice.
No. No no no no NO! He turned around and saw, to his horror that the dagger had pierced through Carter's shoulder. He tried to breathe, atleast there was no vital organ there.

Jennifer managed to grievously infure his back when he was turned, and Roy's brain stopped working much. It was too much pain for him to bear. His body was really tempted to go unconscious- but he couldn't. He would surely die if that would happen. He continued to try to dodge her attacks to the best he could.

His mind was really going to combust any moment. Velarium! He reminded himself- gasping frantically- Produce something! Anything! Something to protect us!

Nothing can protect you. Not from yourself. Though you may try, scream or cry, everyone you trust will always fail to save you, Roy, and you can't do any better for them either. You're just like your father.

And as though laughing at him, his mind produced a model of his father right before his hands.

No! Stop!

Why? Don't want a twin to compete with your incompetence?

That set Roy off. He was nothing like his father. And he would prove that.

His dead father emerged from his mind's image, now in the form of Velarium.

He WOULD prove that!

Carter hit the ground the same time it suddenly hit him. He didn't need to. Why would he explain himself to his imagination?

His father froze. It was working. Hurriedly, Roy continued down that train of thought.

"I can't believe I let my insecurities get so strong that today, I'm fighting for my life from a sliver of my illogical imagination." Roy said aloud, trying to send the message across to himself, "That was dumb. This is dumb."

"But every mistake teaches you something, they say." He said hoarsely, "And now, I've known myself."

Fool. You think feigning confidence gets you anywhere?

This battle is internal. Thought Roy, All of this is just a projection of me, I shouldn't have produced Velarium to prove my capability when I felt fearful in the first place.

Yes. Because you can do nothing.

No. Because I should have addressed my fear first. I should have told myself it would be okay.

Yes, I'm scared, but everyone is scared. It can't handicap me so much that I'll die of it, though. So BYE!

Jennifer, Eava, and his father disappeared. He sighed in relief.

It only lasted a few seconds.

"Carter!" Roy yelled.

He was lying unconscious on the ground. Maybe even- Roy ran and fell to his knees, his injuries and despair getting the worst of him.

He couldn't let anymore harm befall Carter- that would just be too much. The first thing he checked was whether he was alive. Barely.

**

"Don't be too hard on yourself. I saw you- and I'll forever be thankful for-" Carter frowned. "Funny, I can't recall."