The Demons of Shadow Moon

Part 33 - Shadowhall

"So...... did we like... just change the future??" Aki asked, standing outside the cave with Echo and Luna.

"Ugh, that concept is kind of irrelevant when dimensions are involved. You can't change a future that hasn't even happened yet. We just contributed to the present, shaping the ever-changing possibilities for the future," Echo returned.

"Ugh, time stuff is confusing," Aki returned.

"Echo, why did you do that? Didn't you see how desperate he was to find that time stone?! We should have given it to him," Luna lectured her.

"It's for the best, Luna. What if he'd used it to go back but failed to change anything? He'd have to live it all again. He said himself; anything can happen as consequence. It's all too risky. Why do you think there's a curse on it in the first place?" Echo pointed out.

"Yeah, but why is something like that even in the human world?? Thought artefacts were a magical world thing. The angels would go mad if they knew something this powerful was just lying around here," Aki mentioned.

"It was probably an angel that dropped it. Or maybe a demon from the Golden Age? Since it became a legend, someone must have known about it," Echo went on.

"So... do you think we use it in our dimension? In case something bad happens??" Luna brought up.

"This belongs in this dimension, Luna. Bet it won't even work in ours. Besides, how do you think I knew where this one was? I'd already found it in our dimension," Echo revealed.

"HUH??!!" Luna yelped.

"So, what did you do with it?" Aki asked.

"This," Echo suddenly LAUNCHED THE STONE INTO THE SEA!!!!!

"AGHH!!! WHY?!!!" Luna and Aki yelled out in horror.

"Don't be dumb, guys. This thing changes the timeline, not dimension. It would be stupid and dangerous to use. The only reason I took it was for Hachiro's own good. He spent seven years looking for that thing! He might even still be looking for it now, ten years later! All it's made him do is lose what little he had left..." Echo mumbled.

"What do you mean by that??" Luna wondered.

"... that it was all for nothing. He forgot what he was really fighting for. What it all meant..." Echo went on.

"Echo, how much do you know about Hachirou...?" Luna asked.

"... too much," Echo answered.

"What was it he was fighting for...? To have spent so long there, all alone...?" Luna wondered.

"... he was fighting for his family... yet neglected them in doing so," Echo told her.

"Did... something happen to his family?" Luna asked.

Echo hesitated to answer.

"I won't say any more about it..." Echo told her.

"A lot of us wanna change the past... but sometimes... it's best to accept things as they are and push through a new tomorrow. The future remains unknown... you could just find new ways to laugh and smile..." Aki mentioned.

Luna glimpsed at him, not expecting such profound words from him.

"BUT WHAT THE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO NOW YOU'VE THROWN OUR ONLY WAY HOME INTO THE OCEAN?!!!" He suddenly raged.

"Don't worry; Galaxy can get us back. I don't know if she forgot or just wanted to see us suffer, but she's linked to someone in our dimension. Meaning she can get back exactly how she got to us through Eclipse," Echo mentioned.