The Place Before the Core (Reprise)

Chapter 4: She Is Me and Me Is Evil

As we ran down, the hall seemed to stretch and become endless. And my prey seemed to be teasing me as it ran, it slowed down and sped up, but it never missed a beat. Then the figure soared into the air and spun around to face me, causing the hood to come off. Fiery hair flew from the hood and a familiar face revealed itself from under the hood. Before I could react, ice began to form on the ground in front of me.

The ice was growing from the ground as if were grass. Then out of the ice grew sharp icy spikes, looking to be around four inches. The spikes were beginning to get closer to me as I ran after my doppelgänger. The walls seemed to be my only escape so I took it. I lunged myself to the left wall and wall ran past the menacing ice. I landed on the ground with a hard 'thud', and still continued the chase. Doppelgänger me was running, again, as I completed the wall run.

The copycat rose to the air, again, and gave a mischief smile. She the raise her, spoke a word, and a pier of fire shot towards me. I dropped to my knees and slid under the pillar feeling the intensity of the flames. I rose to back up, still not missing a beat, and ran to my flying replica. She then gave me a smug look and summoned a two pieces of stone out of thin air.

She launched one towards my head and the other towards my legs. I sprinted, full force, towards the projectiles and dolphin dived forward. I soared right between the stone as they flew pass me. I somersaulted before I hit the ground. The flying me's smug went into a slight frown as she chanted something. At her feet, formed a tornado, it swirled rapidly and bringing everything near it. She trusted her hands to me and the tornado bid to her command.

It spun towards me bring me into it. I decided to help it and I picked up my pace even more. When it was right at me feet, I jumped into the air and preformed a backflip over the tornado. My face skimmed over the tornado as I did this trick. The tornado continued on pass me and soon died out. Looking pissed off as ever, she raised her hand and lifted me into the air, choking me.

"Little Star Wars here, I see." I coughed out.

"I don't get thy reference. But I bid thee fair well. I prefer to kill thee anon but thou are very annoying." The red head said.

"Speak English!" I yelled just for the fun of it because I somehow understood what she said.

She gave me a muddled expression but then she cleared her voice and spoke.

"Happy now, my dear. Now where was I? Oh yeah, I was about to annihilate you!"

"I don't think so!" I shouted as I threw my sword, towards her.

Still Darth Vader choking me, she cause flew to the side dodging it.

"Did you really think that will work? C'mon I'm an evil sorceress..."

I blanked her out as she spoke. My eyes were focused on my blade. The blade had begun to ricochet across things down the hall and soon I saw it flying to the back turned me.

"What are you looking at? I'm talking here!" She turned around to see my blade coming at her.

"Oh no." was the last thing she said as my blade pelted her in the gut, leaving a flesh tearing sound to resonance down the hall. Her force choke released me and I fell onto my knees. I coughed, bending over, as I saw Jessica two fall feebly to the ground. From behind me, voices rang and the sound of footsteps reverberated to us. The foyer returned to normal, to reveal that we were at the end of it.

The other me, peered pass me, and looked at the people running to us. She crooned a few word and a black fog engulfed her. The fog vanished and so did she. My blade fell to the ground letting out a low metal buzz. The essence of ichors stained the sword. I picked it up and got to my feet, painting with exhaust.

"Are you alright?" Galactus voice came from behind.

"Same as before, just confused." I answered back.

He laughed "How did you survive an encounter with her? That is the one who has turned this kingdom into turmoil."

"Really, the one who came up to Aquanis..." my voice trailed off as I realized I said the stupidest thing ever. Comparing the bed time story to this world. But why did I just think of that now.

"So you know part of the story?" Galactus said astonished.

"I guess so then, my mom, Esmeralda, told me when I was little..." I looked at Galactus whose jaw dropped when I said my mom's name.

"What's a matter, Galactus?" I asked moving towards him.

"Follow me, Justalyne. We shall talk in private about the prophecy and other thing in a secret room." He abruptly said walking to the beginning of the hall.