Chrono X Angel, Book 8: The Sands of Time

Chapter 17

As the epic struggle began, several hundred yards away Usoko was engaged in her own one-on-one battle of the ages. The glitching form of Kanata was bearing down on her with katana strikes, devastating punches, and nearly-supersonic kicks, all fueled by a rage from beyond time and space that Usoko could not even begin to fathom. Normally such an enraged foe should have been a simple matter for Usoko to take down, she could just simply wear them out, then swoop on in with the final blow once they were exhausted. The problem was, Kanata was not wearing down, even just a little bit. If anything, Usoko's evasiveness was further fueling the time-warped girl's inferno of fury, and making her volcanic blows all the more powerful. All the while as they fought, Kanata was still roaring and screaming Usoko's name, along with threats to end the Pinkette's life. Standard fare for such a fight Usoko supposed, but even with all this wrath on display... something about all of this just did not sit completely right with Usoko. Though to say the two girls never did get along would be an insane understatement, the pair's last meeting had gone about as amenably as could be expected of them. They had agreed to a second round when Usoko returned, true, but she did not think this is what Kanata had intended for it, nor did it feel good to Usoko. This was not Kanata, not really. This was a being of pure hate wearing the familiar face of her adversary.

"You're starting to get it now, aren't you?"
A familiar voice echoed in Usoko's mind, though it took her a moment to realize who or what it was.

"Are you that... that face from the shrine??" She exclaimed telepathically as she narrowly avoided another blow from Kanata, "How did you follow me back??"

"I didn't," the voice replied matter of factly, "I simply waited until I felt the Archangel return, and willed my essence to you. Is this girl a friend of yours by chance?"

The voice was of course referring to Kanata, who was scratching at her own scalp in a moment of sheer madness. Something in Usoko's expression must have made the entity assume there was indeed a connection there, and so it continued.

"If you want to save your friend, you'll need to first discern the cause of her madness. Given the distortion around her... it is likely she is Time-Crossed. Essentially, two versions of herself are attempting to exist at the same time, in one body. Your species' brains simply aren't equipped to handle such a thing, and it's driven her quite insane. You'll have to find a way to either drive out the other version of her, or otherwise bring them into balance."

As it was speaking, Usoko barely had enough time to perform a series of backflips leading into a rapid vertical takeoff just to avoid what looked like a lightning bolt fired from Kanata's hands. Since when could she do that?? Wait, she always could right? That was her elemental power... but... but how did she know that?? Was it a side effect of linking minds with Misato? Was she getting memories from that other world? Then... wait. If Kanata really was "time crossed" as the voice said, if she was two Kanatas trying to kill her... why? Unless...

"Hey, Kanata, stop it for a sec!" Shouted Usoko, deftly ducking under another punch, "You wanna get even with the evil me, don't you? Well killing this me won't do squat! She's from another timeline, she's someone I swore I'll never-WHOA BOY!!"

Usoko was nearly barbecued by an intense storm of energy unleashed by a scream from Kanata, who gripped her head in agony once more. Usoko could not even begin to get in closer, as rotating bands of electrical energy encircled Kanata like a prison cell.

"L-like I was saying Kanata, I'm not like her!!" Pleaded Usoko, "I admit I still only have like... the basic ideas of what she did, but that was all I needed to hear to vow I'd never become that monster."

Usoko could not tell if it was working, though Kanata had not moved for the duration of her speech. She moved in to get a better look at Kanata, when she suddenly spun around and slashed at Usoko with her katana. The pinkette was just barely quick enough to avoid a fatal blow, but still caught a slash across the back of her left hand. Usoko reeled back and cried out in pain, but she did not back off. As her crimson blood stained the white glove she wore, Usoko pulled out her spear and used it block Kanata's next slash. The sheer force of Kanata's strength, even when matched up against Usoko's own Archangelic power, pushed Usoko's weapon back into her chest, with the two girls' faces mere inches from one another. It was only for a second, but Kanata's expression shifted from all-consuming rage, to terrified confusion. In a horrified whisper, the true Kanata could only get out four words before being consumed by the hatred once more.