Dead Inside

66.

Emburn let out a sudden hiss, causing the entire group to pause and face her. 

"What is it, Emburn?" Bright Steve, who stood beside her, asked. 

"I smell something," she informed him. "But I think you already know what it is."

Sabre didn't need any more explaining. Anxiety and anger burned through his veins at his name. He was hoping he didn't have to hear it until the final battle, but he guessed not. Forest Steve was close, according to Emburn, and it just made Sabre even more determined to kill him, along with a load of fear to come with it. What if the God of all Steves was right? 

Then so be it, Sabre forced himself to accept the fact that the God of all Steves was always right, meaning there was no way out of what had to be done. 

"W-where?" Entity Steve stuttered. "Here? N-now?" 

"The scent is fresh," Emburn replied. "I think he passed through here earlier. We need to follow it."

"W-why, though?" Entity Steve asked nervously. "W-why don't we avoid it? H-he is d-dangerous, after all. H-he could k-k-kill us in an i-instant!"

"We want him gone, don't we?" Emburn challenged. Entity Steve fell silent and Dust Alex took his hand in hers. 

"He won't kill us on my watch!" She spoke so determinedly, Sabre felt jealous about it. "Just you wait, maybe I'll be the one to finish him off. How cool would that be?"

Entity Steve nodded, looking a little bit better than before yet a hint of fear still lurked in his separate coloured eyes behind his glasses. 

Sabre sighed softly. He wasn't ready just yet to face his father, or kill him, for that matter. What if there was a way to change his mind? To have him join them instead of choosing the path of evil?

Remember what the God of all Steves said, Sabre told himself. What's to come is what's to come and there's no changing it.

"Are you alright?" Rainbow Steve's voice startled Sabre back to reality. Sabre turned to face his friend. Rainbow Steve was gazing at Sabre with a concerned gaze. Sabre couldn't help but shake his head. 

"I don't think I'm ready," Sabre told him. 

"Neither are we," Rainbow Steve brought up. "Think of Entity Steve, or Bright Steve. They're as scared as we are. Even the God of all Steves seems uneasy about this!"

"Forest Steve must be worse than we expected, then," Sabre said. Or the God of all Steves knows about what's going to happen during the final battle, he added to himself. 

"He may or may not be," Rainbow Steve pointed out. "But we have to fight him. It's for the good of the Green Steves, you, and everyone else. Whatever happens, out there, I'll be there."

That's exactly what I worry about, Sabre thought with a stab of dread. You won't be happy about it.

Sabre nodded. "Okay."

Emburn was leading the way around the towering, bare trees. The sky was filled with thick black clouds; A storm was on its way, and it's not just the rain. Distant thunder boomed, making Entity Steve jump with a short and quiet squeak. Blue Steve stood next to Rainbow Steve beside Sabre, both looking anxiously ahead. Cala's ears were pinned back and Sally- seemed carefree as she skipped along after the group with Dust Alex and Entity Steve with her. Carodu had her fists tight at her sides, her gaze sweeping the area around them. Portal Steve stood tall, though there was doubt in his aqua blue eyes. The God of all Steves, too, looked determined, his eyes dull with age. Alex hugged her arms with her gaze fixed on the ground. Sabre fell behind to walk beside her for a while. 

"Sometimes I feel thankful he isn't here to witness what we're about to go through," she told him once he walked beside her. Sabre knew exactly who she was talking about. 

"I'm sure Galaxy Steve will watch over us during the battle," Sabre reassured her. 

"I still wish he was here with us," Alex looked up at Sabre, her eyes dull with sadness. 

Sabre set a hand on her shoulder. "Everything will be fine. If we do end up dying, we'll meet up with him once again. I promise."

That affected Sabre more than it did to Alex. Alex seemed to be a little reassured, but Sabre could still feel the dread that nagged at himself. 

If... he thought. 

The lightning that crackled overhead made Sabre jerk his head up. Ahead, Emburn had stopped with her fur bristling. Beside her, Bright Steve looked horrified. The rest of the group slowed to a stop along with Sabre and Alex in the back. Sabre clenched his fists. He could recognize the shadowy figure of a person with branches sticking out of his back, a pair of white eyes glimmering through the fog. It was Forest Steve. The final battle was close.  

"Ah," Forest Steve greeted with his toothy smile. "Nice to see you again, my old friend."

"You, too, Forest Steve," the God of all Steves narrowed his eyes. "You know why I'm here, don't you?"

"To end me," Forest Steve replied smoothly. Why wasn't he scared? "Why else would you bring everyone here? Yes, you're too old to fight me alone. You need these fools to help you."

"I'll take you on myself, then," the God of all Steves raised his voice. "You and me, right here, right now."

Forest Steve chuckled. "Fine by me." And just like that, the beginning of the end had only begun.