The Trial of Dreams and Memories (TMM 2)

Ceremonies

Morai lied in bed for a long time, staring up at the ceiling. She felt as though her soul had been taken away from her. She hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to the two people she was the closest to. 

"I didn't spend as much time with Light Morai in the end," she whispered to herself. "I'm the reason she's gone, yet she took her fate with nothing but kind words and a smile."

Light filled the room and a few silhouettes appeared in the doorway. Morai didn't make an effort to see who it was or even to get up at all. 

"Morai?" a guard called. The prisoner didn't respond. He walked up to her bedside and looked at her, nudging her with his baton.

"Kid? You sick or something?"

"In a way," Morai replied. 

"Well, everyone knows you're sick in the head, but what's the matter with you now?"

"I don't know."

"You should see the doctor, then," he said. 

"Sure," Morai simply replied.

The prisoner rose from the bed and cleaned herself up before being blindfolded and escorted to the doctor's lab. Morai didn't make any witty remarks or try to fight in any way, which made everyone around her suspicious. 

"Good morning, Morai," she heard the doctor's voice eventually say. They must've arrived at the lab.

"Good morning," she said flatly. 

"Is something wrong?" he asked. They had been left alone, and he had demanded that Morai be completely free from handcuffs or blindfolds. She simply sat down, resting her head on her hand without saying a word. 

"Are you unwell?" he asked again, checking her vital signs.

"I...don't know," she said with a hint of frustration in her voice. "I don't know what's happened to me. I just...don't feel like myself. I don't feel like anything at all, really."

"I see," the doctor replied. "Did something happen?" 

It took a long moment for Morai to answer. It was easy to see that something in her had changed. 

"I suppose so," she finally said. "It's a bit difficult to explain."

"Take your time. We really do have all the time in the world."

Morai paused for a long moment again, closing her eyes and heaving a heavy sigh. She took one of her old journals and handed it to the doctor, beginning her explanation as he flipped through it. 

"A long time ago while I was training my psychic abilities in Galar, I ended up in a place called the Dream Realm, where I met two versions of myself. One of them represented the good in my soul while the other represented the evil, and they made up different parts of my psyche. I called them Light and Shadow Morai. Before she took the serum, Morai—"

"Wait a moment, if you will," the doctor interrupted. "You've just referred to yourself in three different ways. I understand Light and Shadow Morai are in your dreams, but you also just referred to yourself in the real world as a different person. Do you think that the you before you took the serum and the you after are two different people?"

"Yes, and it's true," Moria said. "Let me finish and I'll explain."

The doctor nodded her on. 

"Past Morai, as I call her now, was very close to Light Morai in nature and appearance and she hated Shadow Morai. As a result, she couldn't use Shadow Morai's specific psychic abilities, and Shadow Morai herself was weakened. I'm the opposite case. I was nearly identical to Shadow Morai, so much so that I threw the entire Realm of Dreams too far out of balance. When I returned there in my dreams last night, both Light and Shadow Morai's physical forms had been cast into stone, and my past self stood in their place. I witnessed their passing. They were the only friends I had, and the only ones who understood me. We were all connected by our shared soul, yet now those pieces of my soul are gone."