Journey | Albedo's Descent Book 3

Part 3: INTO The City, Ch 39: Heavy Hearts

Inside, Albedo saw the larger half of that thing. Well, not exactly a half. It was the size of a full grown adult, meaning it was taller than Albedo, too.
It noticed their presence immediately, "get out."
Albedo frowned, "give me back my body."
"Hmm? What's this? You want it back?" It laughed, its form shaking. It didn't have a real appearance like the young girl beside Albedo. It looked like it had when Albedo had lead it down the mountain. Shapeless and forever swirling. "You said you wanted to help. This is how you help."
"No. I said I would help her." Albedo squeezed the young lady's hand.
She held his hand with a frightened grip, her lips trembling.
"Yes! Help us! We are one-"
"No." Albedo said firmly, "you are not one. She is her own person. You. You are a parasite."
It's shook with anger, directing its fury at the child, "you would choose to betray me after all I've done for you!? I saved you!!! And this is the thanks I get?!?!"
"No..." she spoke quietly, staring at Albedo's hand as she clutched to it, "you didn't save me... I wanted to die and you kept me here... I don't want to be with you if it means I'll be this cold forever..."
"WHAT?!?!" It was completely outraged, its gangly arms reaching towards them from across the room.
Albedo realized this room was the same as the one he had found the girl in. No discernible ground, yet he could walk with no problem.
"I'm done..." she said it barely louder than a whisper, "I don't want you to be a part of me anymore..." Her eyes overflowed again as her body began to glow more brightly.
"No! NO! You can't do that!!!" It began to panic, "YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME! I'M A PART OF YOU!"
"Not anymore," she smiled with her eyes closed as she lifted her head, her tears dripping onto the invisible ground around their feet, "I don't need you anymore."
She squeezed Albedo's hand tighter, whispering, "I'm ready..."
"You can't- YOU CAN'T GET RID OF ME! I'll always be a part of you! A part of you both!! You can't get rid of me!!!"
The hand inside Albedo's hand transformed, turning into sparkling white and blue particles and reforming into an elegant blade with a jeweled hilt. Right where the blade met the crossguard was a glittering black jewel in the shape of a tear.
Albedo held that sword tight, "I'm ready, too."
That parasite growled, creating many of its own weapons and throwing them at Albedo haphazardly.
Albedo was able to weave through its attacks with no trouble. The blade in his hand moved as if it were an extension of his body, perfectly balanced like his perfect proportions and insanely sharp like his intellect. He could feel a soft hum from inside the sword as if the girl where gently cheering him on.
"Nonono!!! Get out! Get out! GET OUT!!!"
Albedo was right in front of it, staring down at its now cowering figure.
It held its hands over its head, crumpled into a pitiful heap, "wait! Wait! I didn't want this, either!!! I swear! I never wanted to hurt anyone!"
Albedo stared down his nose intensely.
It peeked through its fingers, showing no eyes to see with. Only small crevices, as if it were an empty skull.
"I don't believe you."
It shook, "... what?..."
"I don't believe you." He repeated it more harshly, gripping the hilt of his sword tighter.
There was no way this thing could feel anything. It wasn't made to feel. It was made to kill.
The being screamed and jumped at Albedo in a pitiful attack.
Albedo shifted his sword forward and the thing impaled itself. He was half convinced this wouldn't do anything, considering they were inside his own head. Fighting probably worked very differently here.
That being's breath caught as it was stabbed and Albedo felt searing pain in his own back, as if he, too, had been impaled. It staggered forward, the sword moving further through the alchemist's enemy.
It laughed, barely able to breathe, "whatever they do to me, you feel it too..."
Albedo noticed his left arm was sliced open and bleeding, as well as a large pool of blood forming around his boots.
Albedo pulled the sword out and that being fell to the floor, making a splash and spraying Albedo's clothes in red.
It laughed again, laying limply in the pool of blood, "have a fun few minutes..."
The sword in Albedo's hand transformed back into its original shape, squeezing Albedo's hand, "go. I'll watch it."
Albedo nodded, closing his eyes with a heavy breath and a heavy heart, "I'm putting an end to this."
Albedo and that thing could both see and feel want was happening outside now.
"How do you take down an eye of the storm?" Rosaria held a stony expression as she gripped her polearm tightly, looking up at Albedo, "you wait for it to fall."
Kaeya's eyes were empty, "Rosaria... I..."
"We don't have time to talk about this," she marched forward, "I'll wait for your signal." She approached the Frostbearing tree, never taking her eyes off of her objective.
Albedo could hardly breathe. He was in excruciating pain from his wounds, his left eye oozing out the black substance. But he could see just fine. His mind was clear. He had a message to relay.
His body started lowering to the ground on its own. About halfway, it fell altogether. It smashed into the snow, creating a small crater. His sword fell a small distance away, sinking into the snow with a sizzling sound.
Rosaria was there first, staring down with a glare, "it doesn't seem very conscious..."
Another face appeared above the hole, Diluc's. He was staring down with a claymore in hand, "what do you think happened?"
Lisa's face popped up next, "Albedo must have broken through! Why else would it have screamed like that?!"
Albedo almost smiled. They were okay. Other than cuts, scrapes and bruises, they were okay...
Finally, the last face appeared beside Lisa. Kaeya's. He wore a complicated expression, his eyes both heavy with grief.
Albedo felt his own eyes filling from the pain. He couldn't force his mouth to move, he could hardly force his lungs to breathe.
"Kaeya?" Rosaria looked over to him.
Kaeya opened his mouth.
Albedo felt his mouth move on its own, his broken body springing to life, "I WON'T LET YOU!!!"
It lunged at Kaeya, closing a hand tightly around his arm, the other going straight for his throat, but it stoped just inches away.
"No..." Albedo managed, his arm shaking, flexed and fighting to get to Kaeya's neck.
Kaeya's eyes widened, "Albedo?"
Lisa flicked her hand at Albedo and in an instant he was bound and falling back to the ground, encircled in a glowing purple whip.
Albedo and that thing cried out as they hit the ground.
Kaeya fell to his knees, putting his hands on Albedo, "you-"
"Kill me!" Albedo screamed, "Kill the host!! Quickly!!!"
Kaeya stared at him, unable to move. Unable to think.
"Kaeya!" Rosaria yelled.
Diluc held his weapon tighter, about to say something unhelpful.
Lisa tightened the bindings, "Kaeya-"
"Tell me when." Rosaria stood over Albedo, her weapon ready to plunge into his chest.
Kaeya looked up at her with wide eyes.
"You can't do it," she said sternly, "I won't allow it."
That thing was struggling violently, screaming and kicking. It bared its teeth at Rosaria, "I dare you! See what happens!! You think that'll kill me?! Watch!! Your-"
It screamed as Rosaria stepped on its arm, making a dull crunch.
Albedo regained control, looking at Kaeya, "please!"
Kaeya's eyes met his. Of course Albedo was asking something impossible. This wouldn't be easy for anyone.
Before Albedo could say what he wanted, he was pulled back into his mind.
The girl lay on the floor, her parasite over her, choking her. Her hand was embedded into its abdomen, where the sword had previously been, but it wasn't bleeding. It didn't even seem to notice that she was digging into its wound at all.
It laughed manically, "you don't know how hard it is to fight both here and there!!! Let me have your life, won't you? You were always such a good little girl!"
Albedo, with his newfound strength stemming from sheer spite, kicked that thing off of her.
She was crying bitterly, obviously a lot weaker than before. It fed off of the life it took. Had it been stealing from her this whole time?
She huffed, turning back into a sword, "one more time. Your friends will save you. We just have to hold out."
Albedo nodded, "just for a bit longer."

Albedo's body, under the control of that being, in one powerful surge of movement, broke free of its bonds. The force of its momentum drove everyone backwards by several meters.
It got to its feet, stumbling and staggering, before looking up with a mad smile, "I feel so much better. I'll show you what I can really do, now."
Lisa cast a few spells, healing her allies and enchanting their weapons. Diluc charged in head first, as always. Rosaria was quick to back him up.
Kaeya stood, shaking as he was, watching his friends and family fight against the body of his beloved. What was he to do?... He had to kill Albedo to stop this...? He had thought Albedo might have known of some other way... Was this really the only way?... How is this fair...? His eyes watered.
He made his decision. He spoke to Lisa without opening his mouth or even looking at her, "I have to be the one to do it."
She nodded, "I understand."
Kaeya spoke directly into everyone's minds, "keep it busy, give me as many openings as you can. Exploit any blind spot, tear it apart if you have to."
Diluc and Rosaria nodded. Now was not the time to question how Kaeya was able to do this.
The being was glowing a deep black and blue color, radiating a fire-like substance. It's smile grew as it watched its attackers approach.
The mountain shook and snow fell from the top of the tree, raining down around them. Pieces of the earth-big pieces-were beginning to float into the air.
Albedo's arms shook as they were raised up, his throat groaning as it was forced to laugh once more.
The being was tearing the mountain apart and creating a whole new landscape as it fought. It chose to stay on the ground this time. There was no way any of these humans could get to it, anyway!