Dragonfire II: The Twilight Invasion

Chapter 30: The Final Piece

Albedo found herself in a dark, cold place. She had been there before, long ago yet every night. It was more than just a location, it was a part of her very being. Or perhaps it was a part of someone else's...someone who still lingered somewhere deep in her mind. Though surely that wasn't possible... "Hello...?" She called out. There was no answer. There was only blackness all around her. She was standing atop a cloud of dark mist, something she didn't quite understand. Yet deep in her heart, she had a feeling of what this mist was... "K-Kei...?" She called out. Once more, no response greeted her. It was so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat. At that moment, she had an idea. She decided to use her heartbeat detection trait. If someone was in the darkness, they couldn't hide from her. She activated it, only to collapse to her knees! The sound of countless heartbeats filled her ears, pulsating through her eardrums painfully! It was completely overwhelming! She let out a cry of pain, swiftly deactivating the ability! "Kei...I...I'm scared..." She mumbled. At last, a voice spoke out. Though it was hardly a voice at all - more like a gentle whisper, hardly audible; "To victory, or death." Fear gripped her heart. "No...not again..." She mumbled. It whispered again, accompanied by another voice whispering the same words. "To victory, or death." She held her hands out defensively. "Stop it...!" She exclaimed. There were four voices now, all whispering in synchronization. "To victory, or death." The voices only continued to rise in number, until there were countless whispers all at once. And at the peak of their numbers, they all silenced. A sound, like the beat of a heart, pulsated through the air. She slowly turned around, finding a familiar staff behind her. It had risen from the mist below, sending shivers down her spine. 

It was the staff of Tarjiel, the Dreamweaver. The staff pulsated once more, the dark crystals within the skull glowing ominously. She shuffled back, tears rolling down her face. "Stop it!" She shouted! All of the sudden, a hand grabbed her chest! She let out a scream, jolting upward! She was in bed, and had just aggressively jolted away from Kei's gentle touch. If Kei didn't notice her hand being tossed aside, she certainly heard the scream. Though in the real world, it was more of a whimper. She sat up, looking at Albedo. "What's wrong? Are you alright?" She asked. Albedo turned to her, a terrified expression on her face. She threw her arms around Kei, burying her face in her shoulder. It wasn't long before tears began rolling down her face. Kei wrapped her arms around Albedo, rubbing her back gently. "It's okay...I'm here..." She said. Albedo began sobbing. "Kei...! I...I love you...!" She desperately exclaimed, "I love you too." Kei responded. This was far from the first time Kei had comforted Albedo after a nightmare. Though with all the recent stress, the nightmares seemed to be taking a heavier toll on her. After a few minutes, Albedo calmed down. She pulled away from Kei, taking slow breaths. Kei put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Do you want to try sleeping again? Or do you want to just stay up?" She asked, "I...I can't go to sleep...not after that..." Albedo answered. Kei nodded. "Alright. Do you wanna stay in bed or...?" She asked, "I'm gonna go for a walk..." Albedo answered, "I'll go with you." Kei said. With that, they got dressed in their pajamas and left their chambers. As they walked through the peaceful halls, Kei couldn't help but notice how jumpy Albedo was. Typically it was hard to get the drop on her, but every little thing caused her to jolt. She was far more on edge than usual. In the middle of one of the hallways, Kei put a hand on her shoulder. 

They stopped, though Albedo didn't meet her eyes. "Are you alright? You seem way more stressed than usual..." Kei asked, "I...I can't do this..." Albedo mumbled in response, "What...?" Kei asked, "All of this...I can't do it. Moona...the artifact...Tarjiel..." Albedo answered, "Tarjiel is gone..." Kei said, "Stop saying that like you know it! You don't! He could be watching us right now! It feels like every night I dream about him...who's to say they're really just dreams?!" Albedo snapped back. Kei was shocked. Albedo hadn't snapped at her like that since she was possessed by Tarjiel. She gripped both of her shoulders, giving her a hardy shake. "No one has seen him in two years! You have to accept that he's gone!" She exclaimed, "You don't understand!" Albedo aggressively responded, shoving her arms away, "Yes I do!" Kei shouted! Albedo took a step back in surprise. Kei always spoke in a gentle tone to her. This was the first time she had shouted at her in a long time. "You've been struggling with PTSD since before I met you. Every night we spent on the field...you had nightmares about the Snake Kingdom. And now you're having nightmares about Tarjiel. You've been scarred all of your life. And I've done my best to comfort you every chance I could. I always have...and I always will. I love you, Albedo...and if anyone understands...it's me. So please...don't push me away like this..." Kei said. Albedo looked down solemnly. Kei gripped her shoulders once more, this time comfortingly. Albedo came in closer, hugging Kei tightly. "I'm sorry..." She said, "You don't have to apologize. I understand..." Kei responded, "I know you do..." Albedo quietly said.