Øverturning the lies (a twenty one pilots fanfiction)

~Tyler~

The two figures stand, directly opposite one another.

One is dressed in red, tall and strong-the very image of power.

The other, dressed in gray, small, and-by all appearances-weak.

"When you look at me," the figure in red says, "What do you see?"

Silence.

"I asked you a question," the figure says sharply.

"I know you did," the figure dressed in gray says, lifting his head and staring into th eunforgiving face of the fiure in red. "I heard you."

"Well?" the figure dressed in red says, his cloak swishing across the floor. "Don't keep me waiting, child."

At the world "child," the figure in gray seems to flinch.

"You don't scare me."

A pause.

"...Nico."

The figure in red laughs. "No? Then what-"

Nico takes a step forward, "-Are you scared of?"

After a moment he adds, almost as an afterthought, "...Tyler?"

"Stop," Tyler says, taking a step back, away from Nico.

"Oh, I don't think I will," Nico says, and he moves too fast for Tyler to even realize what's going on.

Only that, one moment Nico is standing away from him, the next, he's placing his cold, cold hance on his face.

And it hurts.

Like something's being yanked away from him.

Nico laughs, though there's nothing humorous about the situation.

"You were telling the truth," he says, meeting Tyler's brown eyes with his empty red ones.

"You aren't scared of me, not quite. What you're scared of is-"

Nico taps Tyer's shoulder in a gesture that would be comforting-at least, if Nico was anyone else.

"What you're scared of is right there. You, child, are scared of-"

He leans forward and whispers in a chilling, chilling tone, "Yourself."

Tyler flinches and tries to pull away.

Nico looks at him almost pityingly.

"You can't even deny it, can you?"

Tyler looks at the ground, hoping to hide the fact that tears are starting to form in his eyes.

"Look at me," Nico says.

It's not a question.

Slowly, slowly, fearfully, Tyler does.

Nico reaches out, holds his hands in a viselike grip.

Tyler tries to pretend he's somewhere else, somewhere safe.

But-

Safety.

He no longer even knows what that looks like.

So he can't stop Nico-doesn't even know what to stop him from doing because of how disoriented he's become.

All he knows is that he seems to be growing weaker and weaker, while Nico, hands gripping his own tighter and tighter, seems to be growing stronger.

"Let..." he manages to whisper.

"Let me go."

"No," Nico says, "I don't think I will."

Tyler shuts his eyes.

His heart is pounding.

I'm going to die, he thinks.

In fact every second that he continues to exist, he grows even more scared.

But he doesn't die.

"Open your eyes," Nico orders him, and, even though his brain is screaming at hi not to listen, he does.

Now Nico looks different.

But now in a good way.

Tyler doesn't know how to describe the transformation, only that now Nico looks like some kind of ghost or spirit, nearly transparent.

And...

Tyler shuts his eyes.

"Oh, child," Nico says, almost sympathetically. "Open them. Do it."

So he does.

He can't look at Nico, he realizes, not without seeing his own deepest and darkest fears and thoughts reflected back at him.

"No..." he whispers.

Nico sighs.

"Don't you see?" he asks. "Pain makes me stronger. And you, you are full of it."

When Tyler looks back at him, he's back to his usual red-cloak wearing self.

"I always am a part of you," Nico says. "Whether you like it or you hate it, you cannot get rid of me."

He pauses. "...Not so long as you are alive..."

"Stop it," Tyler says, "Please...stop talking like that-"

"You want it," Nico says, "Stop trying to deny it. Stop trying to pretend that this life is worth keeping. It's not."

"Yes, it is," Tyler says, his voice shaking.

"You have angered me," Nico says. "I cannot stay here any longer."

"Wait," Tyler says, suddenly desperate, "Don't-don't leave-"

"You want me to stay?" Nico asks.

Tyler stares at him.

"I don't know what I want," he says, exhausted. "Nothing makes sense anymore."

"Perhaps its meant to be like that," Nico calls as he begins to talk away.
Perhaps the world had turned against you from the start!"

Then he's gone.

Tyler should be relieved but he isn't.

In fact he no longer knows what to do.

Staying scares him...

But so does the thought of leaving.

In more ways than one.

~~~

He doesn't know how but he finds himself lying on the same cold floor as this morning, eternities ago.

Doesn't remember walking there, or any recent thoughts he might have had on the way.

But he doesn't care.

Doesn't care at all.

Is nothing but empty, empty, all throughout his body.