Parallel Illusions

Chapter 4

The two raced into the unfamiliar terrain, the building fading into the distance behind them. The world outside was a chaotic blend of colours and shapes, and they sprinted away, hoping to find safety.

Just then, Ace and Astrid appeared in the distance, rushing toward them with a fierce determination.

"Sunny! Umbreon!" Ace shouted, relief flooding his voice.

"What the fuck did you guys do?" he adds, his tone changing into the kind of anger a mother has when her kids do something stupid and almost die and she's worried about them, but also thinking to herself what were these idiots thinking?!

"Better question: What the fuck are you doing here? And why bring Astrid?" Umbreon snapped. "She could've gotten hurt!"

Ace fired back. "First off, I didn't even know you had a sister until tonight! Second, your little portal stunt caused your house to collapse—with her inside!"

Umbreon's eyes widened. "Shit! Astrid, are you okay? I'm so sorry!" He pulled her into a hug, guilt washing over him. Astrids height towered over him, or at least she likes to exaggerate that it does, but now wasn't the time.

Astrid hugged him back. "I'm fine!" she said. "How did you guys get here?"

Umbreon sighed, releasing her from the hug. "I'm not entirely sure. Sunny tripped over a cord, which set off the portal, and then we got sucked into this... place."

"Would there be any way of turning it on from your dimension?" a small voice behind them asks, unfamiliar to Ace and Astrid.

"What are you doing here?!" Umbreon snaps.

It was Beau. He stood awkwardly behind them, kicking a stone like a bored kid waiting to be called on in class. Was this kid with them the entire time they were running to the middle of whoop whoop?

"Hey! I'm taking any chance I can get to get away from those maniacs!" Beau said, voice light, trying to make himself sound brave but coming off more like a kid pretending to be a superhero.

Ace frowned, leaning toward Umbreon. "Who is this kid?" he asked in a low voice.

"It's a long story" Umbreon muttered, though his tone was more uncertain now. His protective instincts flared as he looked over at Beau.

"I'm really good at portals, by the way," he chimed in, completely ignoring the serious atmosphere. "I could probably get us out of here if I tried. Easy-peasy!"

Umbreon glanced at him skeptically. "You're sure you weren't following us to be that fuckfaces messenger boy?" His tone was sharp, but Beau seemed unphased.

"Why would I do that? That's dumb!" Beau scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "I just wanna leave. You know how boring it is being stuck with a bunch of grumpy, angry people all the time?"

Both Ace and Astrid just stood there confused, they had no idea what was going on. Or to be fair, none of them did!

Sunny's face softened, but he asked a bit more pointedly, "Why do you want to get away from them so badly, though?"

Beau paused, fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve. "Uh... well, because they're mean. And, uh... I don't like it when people yell all the time." He tried to smile again, but it was more forced this time. "And I didn't really sign up for this whole 'evil group' thing in the first place, sooo... yeah."

Umbreon rolled his eyes, clearly not buying it. "Sounds like a pretty weak excuse, kid."

Beau's fingers tightened around his sleeve, his voice suddenly dropping, the playful tone vanishing. "I didn't have a choice." His words were quiet, but they carried the weight of something darker. His gaze flickered to the ground, as if the dirt beneath his shoes was far more interesting than the conversation.

"Why not" Astrid asked gently, kneeling down to his height. She almost always knew how to talk to someone who was upset. She was like a therapist, minus the counselling diploma.

Beau bit his lip, his shoulders sagging. "I... I didn't want to be there. I didn't want to do any of it. But Abaddon..." His voice cracked at the mention of the name, and for the first time, his childlike demeanor wavered entirely. His eyes became distant, as if replaying something painful. "He made me stay. And if I didn't—" He swallowed hard, unable to finish.

Umbreon took a step back, the realization hitting him like a wave. "You couldn't leave," he said quietly, the protective anger he'd felt melting into a sense of responsibility. "He forced you to stay."

Beau nodded, finally meeting Umbreon's gaze, his childlike mask fully gone. "I wasn't following you guys to hurt you. I just needed to get away. I don't want to go back there."

The group fell silent, and Astrid opened her arms for a hug. Beau accepted.

"So, uh... you can get us home, right?" Sunny finally asked, breaking the tension.

Beau nodded quickly, releasing from the hug, regaining a bit of his earlier energy. "Oh yeah! Easy-peasy! The portal's right over there." He pointed toward a barely visible shimmer in the air, hidden behind the chaos of their surroundings. "Just... let me work my magic."

"Our house is wrecked remember. The portal dragged part of it into this dimension." Umbreon reminded them.

Beau shrugged. "Still better than staying here, isn't it?"

Sunny nodded. "Let's just go. Now. Please" he insisted, being reminded of Niko's remarks towards him. Just thinking about it sends a shiver down his spine.

With a deep breath, Beau stepped forward and approached the portal, fingers trembling slightly as he started to work with the controls. The group watched him in tense silence, unsure of what to expect.

Seconds later, the portal whirred to life, flickering with the same chaotic energy that had brought them to this dimension.

"Come on," Beau said, his voice soft but determined. "Let's get out of here."

One by one, they stepped through, leaving behind the apocalyptic nightmare and returning to what remained of their home.

As each of them returned to their home dimension, they looked around at what once was their home. The familiar sights were now marred by chaos and destruction. Hopefully insurance covers this, Sunny thought, a knot tightening in his stomach.

Ace broke the heavy silence. "You guys can come stay with me if you want," he offered, his voice steady but tinged with concern. The rest of them glanced around, realizing there wasn't really any other choice. This wasn't just a house anymore; it felt like a memory fading into the past.

"Thanks, man. Appreciate it," Sunny replied, forcing a small smile, though he could feel the weight of uncertainty pressing down on him.

Sunny looked down to notice Mr Pickles was somehow still alive. His face beamed as he picked up his feline friend, holding him in his arms.

Astrid looked at her brother, her eyes searching for reassurance. "Are we really going to be okay?" she asked softly, her voice trembling slightly.

Umbreon nodded, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "We'll figure it out, Astrid. We always do." He felt a mix of gratitude and guilt for Ace's offer; they were lucky to have a friend like him.

As they started walking toward Ace's place, the group fell into a silence, each lost in their thoughts.