The Time Hopper

Return Of Power

"Are you real, or a figment of my imagination?" I asked Consequences, eyeing the book in his hand. I wanted to dart forward and snatch it back, but everything in me was warning me of danger, telling me to stay away from him. I also had no idea what was happening, or what was going on with my body, because I was fairly sure that this shifting, strange form I was in right now wasn't the form I usually took, as ditzy as I could be. Consequences smiled at me, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. 

"At this moment, I would say that I'm more real than you are. How on earth did you end up here, Sadie?" Consequences asked me, not a note of anger or irritation in his mind. I shrugged once. 

"I'll be honest, I don't bloody know. I was with Obsivian and he was trying to break my mind open again, so I was trying to stop that, and I could feel some weird link to here. I just followed it before he killed me." I explained, wondering where we were and what exactly he could do to me here. His face darkened with concern and a little anger, and he shook his head at me. 

"Sadie, you are in great danger. You shouldn't have followed that link, and I think you need to go back." He advised me, still holding my book. I frowned and shook my head. 

"No, I don't agree. Even if I did believe you and trust you, which I don't, by the way, if I go back I'll have my mind cracked open and I don't think he'll be leaving me with anything this time." I explained to him, glancing around the shapeless void as though someone or something else would be there to help me. There was nothing. 

"You don't have much choice, Sadie. Either you go back and figure out how to survive whatever Obsivian is doing for yourself, or I will force you out and do my own damage to you." He threatened. I watched him for a moment, nodding my head slowly. 

"I hear you, yeah, but also, nah. Because if I go back there, I really don't think I have a chance of living, but here I have my book. So tell you what, if you hand it over, I'll be out of your hair in a moment, aight?" I said, holding my hand out for it with more confidence than I felt. Consequences arched a single brow at me. 

"I'm not going to give this back to you, Sadie. This stays with me until you come back and bring the rest of your brothers and sisters back with you." He warned me, in that fatherly tone that I had once found comforting and now just seemed patronising. I shook my head. 

"You know, that really makes no sense. Because I can't make it back there without my powers because I'm pretty sure he's going to kill me." I said, trying to bargain with him. If I could just get my notebook back, I could figure out some way to fix this, I was sure I could. I could survive Obsivian's assault, get my parents back, and figure out some way to bring Kat back to herself. I survived the crack in my soul, and I was almost back to normal, so I was sure there was something they could do at the sanctuary. I just had to start by getting my powers back. 

"Sadie, that is quite clearly not my problem anymore, you lost my protection and care the moment you decided to leave the valley and take everyone else with you. Why would I give you the notebook when all signs point to you using your powers to betray me further?" He asked me. I scowled at him. It was infuriating to have my notebook this close, to be able to feel my power calling to me, and not be able to answer and travel through time as I longed to. The link was so much stronger now- Sadie, stay focused. 

"The way I see it, you betrayed us all first. You were just going to send us to die like you have with thousands of other of my ilk before now. You wouldn't even tell us how this stupid thing got started, never mind that you've killed generations of us before now. Once I'd learned that, how was I ever supposed to trust you again?" I asked him, incredulous, and trying not to let my hurt show through my voice. I had trusted him ever since I was a child, and he had just been using me the whole time, and that did sting. Consequences at least had the good grace to wince.