Radiance

Found

|Light|

*Several years ago*

"Halt! Take a rest crew, we'll set up camp here!" I call out as the squad of Colorless Guard I had brought with me pause. With sighs, they all start to sit down and take off their helmets to breathe and cool off. By usual, I wouldn't allow them, but it was an especially warm day, so today was an exception. Armor wasn't the best for hot days or direct sunlight.

I look at my right hand Elite, then nod to him and walk off into the forest a bit. I wanted to check a bit ahead, but also have some alone time. A lot had been on my mind these past months. So to prevent myself having a total breakdown, I frequently scouted ahead on disturbance calls or general group patrols. Which leads to why I was out here in the first place.

Some of the local Steves in this area had reported in a disturbance call. Something in the woods sounded like an anguished scream and none of the locals wanted to check it out. Well, for good reason. With caution, I had brought with me a squad for more eyes and so that I wouldn't get ambushed by any stray monsters or rogue Steves.

But I guess we were closer to the reason why none of the locals wanted to scout out the area than I had thought, because soon enough I saw a huge empty portal frame standing stark against the fading sunlight.

A portal that once led to the home of the darkness.

I shudder, then look around. I'd never seen the portal when it was active, thankfully, but this was the place I had last seen Sabre and Time... To which both had disappeared for several months now. I believe it was encroaching on the seventh month now since that. But regardless of the prior purpose of this dark place, one thing still roamed freely.

Nature had been slowly, yet steadily reclaiming the area, for a solid layer of vines and grass covered the decayed crates climbed up the sides of the portal frame. I walk forward, staring around in disbelief at this area. To think it was once used for bringing in darkness was hard to grasp.

Tick. Tick. Tiick.

"What the-??" I mutter as I look around, suddenly on full alert with the new sound breaking this peaceful area. With my hand on my sword, I inch forward, pinning the loud ticking to be coming from the forest to the right of the portal frame.

What even could be making that noise? Could it be the disturbance that has been out here?

I grow closer to the sound, then feel my heart drop and my eyes go wide.

"H... Help... Pl... Please..." A weak voice speaks out from a space between the trees as only the shine of a glassy face and a brown scrap of a jacket was my indicator to the figure laying limp there.

"T-TIME STEVE!" I shout, ignoring caution and rushing over to his side. I gently start to clear him off for he was half covered in plants and looked like others had started to grow into the cracks of his face.

"L... Light Steve...?" He looked like he was in pain as I cleared off his body and started to clear his face. I nearly loose my late lunch as I clear his face off.

To say I've witnessed worse injuries than this is an understatement. His skull had both Steve and clock parts which made it difficult to remove the vines and plants that snaked their way in. But it was also horrifying because of the way I could see into him.

I manage to clear most of it out before I slowly realize something. Out here isn't a good place to do any sort of healing, especially with his face needing to be bandaged to allow it proper time to heal. I glance to my side to see the shattered off piece of Time's face, then place it on his chest.

With a grunt and attempt at being as careful as I could, I slide my arms under his chest and knees, then pick him up. He grimaces and makes a groan of pain as I settle upright. I have to be quick about this.

Gritting my teeth, I turn and dash back the way I came. Cooling wind blew past me as my feet thudded on the soft grass. If I had the time, I would have stopped to admire the beauty and peace of these woods. However, I had to save my old friend.

I duck several branches as the sun peeks through the trees, but exclaim out as I don't dodge one and it strikes me right across my right eyebrow. I grit my teeth as I stumble, but regain my footing and keep on running. Time yells out in pain and writhes a bit, but I manage to keep my grip on him as I break out of the forest into the middle of my camp and crew.

Several Colorless Guardsmen stand up as I go to the midst of them and set down Time on the dirt by the campfire. 

"I need bandages, a blanket, and anybody with healing knowledge right away!!" I bark and almost immediately, a Green Steve guard dashes over with a blanket in hand and an Orange Steve carrying a med kit.

"By chroma! Is that Time Steve?!" One of my Elites exclaim as I quickly grab the blanket and prop Time's head up with it. The Green Colorless Guard moves to look at Time's face, then grits his teeth.

"Oh that looks bad..." But with that he quickly picked out any straggler plants and got to work on Time. He grabbed the shattered pieces to set them back, then used his abilities to heal what he could.

I back up to give him room and take several deep breaths to make up for what had I lost while running. But...

Oh Light's ambassador. TIME IS ALIVE!! Does- does that mean Sabre is somewhere around here though?! I don't know. Something horrid could have happened or-

"Captain Light?" My Elite places his hand on my shoulder which shocks me out of my thoughts and I meet his eyes.

"Yes?" I try to answer as calmly as I could, but one look into his eyes told me I had been outwardly panicking or at least showing signs of it.

"Sit down a moment. You were breathing really heavily so I can only guess you were sprinting back here." He guides me over to a carpet near a tent, then makes me sit down. I wouldn't have fought him about it anyways because of how tired I felt.

Yet again... Where was Sabre?

"Shy..."

What the-?

I awaken from the memory of my past into the blank void again. I... Forgot I was still here.

"Shy Orange." The figure stands nearby, it's white garments almost blending into the background we were in. It extends its hand to help me up. Wait- Help me up...? Wasn't I-? 

I suddenly realize that I felt warm, that my body wasn't frozen solid. I stare at my hands before the figure takes one to haul me upright. I start at the sudden movement, but the figure just stared at me with its eyes hidden behind the crystalline mask.

"Appologies... I didn't mean to startle you." Its echoey voice starts, then fades as it lets go of my hand. I open my mouth, trying to find words as my hand felt tingly in its. Like... almost as if it was bleeding out its excess powers around it and I had touched those powers. It was like a pure light...

"... hmm Don't talk much...?" The figure tilts its head at me and I stammer, realizing I hadn't been answering it at all.

"I uh- Sorry. I do but- I'm just-" I trail off, realizing I had been stammering a lot like how I used to before I became Light Steve. I... Wait...

The figure places its hand on my shoulder, as if it knew what I was gonna ask.

"I... Need to know... are you Light Steve, or am I?"

"I am the embodiment of the light crystal here in your mind. You are Light Steve, formerly known as Shy Orange Steve."

What shocked me the most wasn't the way it told me what it was, but what it did.

It took off its mask so that I was staring at a Steve face, one that looked like mine.