Power of M

chapter 41

41. For victory there is always a price.

Ash saw every evil deed done by the cruel souls and she awoke gasping and looked at me desperately.

"There are too many. I can't choose any good memories. He has none. None at all."

I nodded furiously. "Give them all back to him Ash. It's ok."

She sighed but looked at Ru Twilight defiantly. "You want your memories back?" She spat. "You can have 'em."

I'd never in a million years have described Ash as powerful but when she hurled hot pink shimmers at Ru Twilight with an expression of dead control, I have to admit no other adjective can be used. I also must admit that I'm beginning to like the color pink. Maybe like is too strong a word. I'm getting used to it. You guys are probably like 'what the hell is this guy even talking about?' so I'll just shut up and continue with the story.

As the hot pink shimmers hit Ru Twilight he arched his back like he had got struck by lightning. I saw him regain his composure before my very eyes and his evil glint danced across both eyes and sharpened and he began to look more and more cruel every second.

Violet was trembling slightly rubbing her bruised neck. "Is it just me or is he looking a lot more cruel and evil than usual?"

Surprisingly it was Ash who had an answer to that question. She suddenly smiled. "It's the memories." I stared blankly at her. "What?"

She rolled her eyes. "Most of us only remember clips of our past when we were really small, imagine if you saw your entire life played on screen before your eyes, you see every moment, every memory, everything. Wouldn't that make you different? That's what's happening to him. This won't be good."

"Dad" Mavis said in a patronizing tone. "What's wrong?"

He swung around to face her. "You failed me." Mavis stared at him blankly, mouth falling open. "Dad?"

"YOU FAILED." He shouted.

Mavis began to turn into an extremely bright shade of red. "I brought you back flesh and blood."

Her father snorted. "Took you long enough. Good bye my child. Enjoy your afterlife."

He clicked a button on his watch and a trapdoor opened right beneath Mavis's feet and she didn't have the slightest bit of time to respond and adapt to the situation. Lucky for her, I did. I told you, I had quick reflexes on rare occasions. I ran at Mavis and pushed her onto another tile.

Hitting the floor stung but we were safe. She looked at me gasping for breath, tears filling her eyes. "Why would you do that?"

I unconsciously wiped a tear that had trickled down her cheek. This was an actual human. Someone who had messed up badly. That was all. I looked her straight into her eyes. "Because I know that there is good in you."

Her expression hardened. "Can you stop being the freaking saint here?"

My expression hardened to match hers. "I don't care what I am. All I know is you're just a confused kid who just got disowned by her family." I shouted the last bit and then I took a breath and smiled. "Luckily she now has a new family."

Her expression became blank. "Who?"

I rolled my eyes and shook her hand.

"Us."

"I'll make this up to you." Mavis said.

"A little help here." Violet yelled jumping from tile to tile as they kept opening and shutting like trapdoors. How was Ru Twilight doing this? He kept clicking the buttons on the strap of his............watch. That was the weapon. We had figured that out a long time ago.

"It's his watch." Ash confirmed. "If we can separate the two he will be powerless.

I looked around blankly completely clueless. "How do we do that?"

Even while jumping to survive, Ash somehow managed to do one her most sarcastic eye rolls. "Oh gee, I don't know. Maybe we could've done something about it when you were playing happy families with Mavis."

I couldn't respond because I had to jump to another tile. Mavis straightened up with a look of determination. Uh oh. She looked at me.

"I'll get the watch."

Ash looked at her in distrust. "And how are you going to do that?" Mavis scowled slightly. "Watch me."

She shape shifted into a small mosquito and landed on Ru Twilight's hand and transformed back into her original shape. Taken by surprise, Ru Twilight didn't have time to register that his watch was being taken off.

Mavis turned back into a mosquito and flew towards us when........

SLAP.

Ru Twilight clapped his hands together crushing the mosquito, while Ash hurriedly scooped up the watch. "No." I screamed my voice cracking. The mosquito turned into a broken, crushed form of Mavis. Ru Twilight screamed and ran to his daughter. This was the moment I realized maybe he hadn't meant to kill Mavis. Just imprison her underground. Not hurt her. He really did care for her.

He lifted her up and shook her gently, tears pouring down his face. "Why would you do that? Why would you help them?"

Mavis coughed and blood flecked her lips. "I chose." She said simply. I ran to her ignoring her father and took her hand, unable to stop the tears as I saw her body, crushed and bloody.

"I'm so sorry Mavis."

"Arbitrius." She whispered.

"What?"

"That's my actual name."

I squeezed her hand slightly. "You didn't have to do that."

She tried for a laugh which turned into an extremely painful sounding cough. I drew back in horror as blood flecked her lips but she managed to smile weakly. "Be happy with what you get Slogan." She stopped smiling. "I'm sorry for every........" her lips went still and her eyes stared upwards glazed and lifeless.

I backed away. Ru Twilight kneeled down and tenderly closed the eyes of his daughter. When he got to his feet, all that tender gentleness was over. His eyes showed hatred and pain.

"It's all your fault." He yelled and before I could react, he balled his hand into a fist and punched me in the face. My nose literally broke. It hurt so much. All I could see was blood. I stumbled to a corner, fell to my knees and started groping around for a tissue.

My instincts told me Ru Twilight was advancing me, but then I heard Ash scream, "stay away from my brother." She dramatically clicked a button on the watch and I found myself suspended in thin year. I grabbed the ledge of the other tile and managed to pull myself up. "Ash." I choked. "Sorry" she said guiltily.

Violet ran up to me and started wiping my nose with a rag. Correction. Wiping my nose with my own t shirt. Why didn't I think of that?

"Ow." I said when her face came into my focus and I'm pretty sure my voice was an octave higher. She pulled me to my feet. "Get up. Start fighting. We are so close." Her voice was surprisingly loud and jarred my head making me wince in pain.

I didn't have much of a choice, rolling my eyes and wishing I could say, 'oh gee I never realized.'

Me, Violet and Ash advanced Ru Twilight. Ash held onto the watch and advanced him smiling mockingly. Violet held onto a knife and advanced him gazing challengingly. I held onto my nose and advanced him...........wincing painfully?

What? I'm uniquely uncool. Not my problem. Bottom line we all advanced.

Ru Twilight backed away like a cornered rat.