The Mask Maker

Fear

The Dream Realm was quiet. Morai didn't often stop and listen closely, mostly on account of being attacked at some point by her dark counterpart, but both Shadow Morai and Light Morai were missing from the center of the garden. Morai stood for a moment and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. This world seemed to have different...vibrations...than the real world, as if it operated on a different frequency. 

"Morai, watch—!" 

Morai had nearly gotten lost in the distant vibrations before she snapped her eyes open and turned to see her shadow counterpart lunging forward. She didn't react in time, so she braced to fall and roll instead, but she never hit the ground. When she opened her eyes, she was standing beside Shadow Morai, facing her half of the garden. Morai realized she had been hypnotized and started to say something, but her counterpart gestured at the garden before she could speak. The roses, which were black, had started to wither. 

"Look at this," Shadow Morai said. She plucked a rose from the middle of the garden, ignoring it's thorns. "And this." The roses that grew in the middle of the garden were special, as they were usually half white and half black, the two colors swirling around to meet in the middle of the flower. Morai had figured that it was symbolic of her two counterparts. This time, however, the white petals outnumbered the black ones. 

"The world's been thrown out of balance because of your cowardice," Shadow Morai continued. She tossed the middle rose onto her side, and it immediately withered. 

Morai raised her eyebrows. "Well, to be honest, I never liked you from the start. Why would this only happen now?" 

Her counterpart raised her mask to her head. "Your hate for me grew much stronger after what happened last time, I suppose," she answered. She seemed much calmer than usual, and it was almost off-putting. "You've completely lost access to any abilities I have. I didn't even get to teach you the other really fun one." 

Morai faltered a little. "I don't hate  you, per say, it's just that—"

"Oh, shut up," Shadow Morai interjected, a hint of anger in her voice. "You're afraid of being a monster like me. Your worst nightmare is that you truly are like me. You hate that I'm here, because my existence makes your nightmare a reality." Shadow Morai's expressionless face began to change as she spoke, and the hint of anger in her voice gradually grew. Light Morai stepped forward, preparing to intervene.

"The sheep are afraid of you, so you try to be a sheep, but your wool is ill-fitting. No matter how much you cut your claws or file down your teeth, no matter how much you try to cover yourself with wool, you cannot change what you are and what you are meant to be. You're a wolf among sheep, Morai. A monstrous, bloodthirsty creature given great power. You might as well embrace it, or it'll show itself in the most ugliest of ways." 

"I'm not  a monster," Morai insisted. 

"Keep telling yourself that. I'll be out training while my half of the garden withers away, and you can have fun being the helpless pawn being played by every side. I wonder what they'll do once they realize you're missing half of what made you useful. Either that, or you'll finally snap and prove that you really are a danger." 

"I'm not a helpless—!" Shadow Morai lunged forward, grabbed Morai's arm to pull her forward, and put a finger to her forehead. Morai's eyes widened and she sharply gasped in pain. It was spreading all throughout her body, but there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn't move. All she could do was wince and grunt, frozen in agony. 

"I told you many dreams ago that I can make people pray for the gift of forgetfulness," Shadow Morai whispered. "All with one hand and one mind. See what you're missing out on? I do have to say, physical violence is more fun." A wide grin spread across her face. "But sometimes there's just no time."