A Skeleton-born, an Enderborn, and a Desert Thief

Confronting Duncan Part II

"NO!" Came a desperate voice, as gentle but firm hands clasped mine, ripping the cutlass out of my hands, then hugging me from behind.

"Tull... Don't do it... Don't let the darkness consume you... Don't repeat the Twilight Forest... Don't..." She whispered, and I calmed down. She was right. We mustn't repeat Twilight Forest, otherwise History shall repeat itself, and this world would be doomed. Rythian had slammed Duncan into a wall, snarling at him, his eyes slowly turning black. Amelia kept holding me in place, holding me back. Rythian was "talking" to Duncan.

"You think I want this, you think I wanted to lose my magic, you think I wanted to inherit the blood of Endermen? I want you to die Duncan, but I want you to leave Zoey and me alone even more. Why did you want to buy nukes from Amelia, huh? You tried to kill her. YOU TRIED TO KILL US ALL! DUNCAN, YOU KILLED ME, YOU NEARLY KILLED ZOEY, YOU NEARLY KILLED AMELIA, AND THE ONLY ONE YOU BARELY HAD A REASON TO KILL IS TULL, BUT YOU WILL SOON, BECAUSE YOU'RE A FUCKING BASTARD. YOU ARE A FUCKING BASTARD DUNCAN! HOW LONG WOULD IT BE UNTIL YOU HAD ENOUGH?!" Rythian had taken to slamming Duncan against the wall with each exclamation. But neither me nor Amelia stopped him. Duncan's eyes grew wider in shock, pain and disbelief.

"I. Nearly killed. Zoey. And Amelia?" I heard him say in a small voice, just before he lost consciousness and slid to the ground, a bit of blood staining the walls. Rythian stopped, shaking, looking down at his hands.

"What... Did I do..." He whispered, shaking. I walked towards him, Amelia's worried hands outstretched. I glance behind me, with a small smile.

"I'll be fine." I said, reassuring her. Amelia's worried expression never faltered, even for a second. It made me feel guilty. But I went onwards, grabbing Rythian by the shoulders to shake him out of his trance.

"You knocked some sense in him bro. Literally. Don't think he'd be visiting us for a while." I said, trying to reassure the younger guy in front of me. A kid younger than me, just barely out of his teens. He was still scared and alone. And especially since Zoey... Rythian stared down at his hands again, and stood up.

"Where's the restroom... I- I need to... Wash my hands I can't..."

"Dude. Won't it hurt if you touch water."

"Don't care." He said defiantly, yet his voice was still trembling a little. I sighed. I decided to lead him there instead of pointing the way. It felt safer. Plus, I had only a vague idea. I only ever visited it once. Amelia followed us, and it was then I realised she had no armor. And it was then I began to wonder why she was even with us at Duncan's castle. But as it seemed, I already knew. After all, Amelia always had amazing intuition. I smiled at her, but she still looked worried, afraid. And I knew why. The darkness almost consumed me.

The darkness that nearly killed her... Was going to eat me up and... Kill her...

The Twilight Forest.

○●○●○

I admit, I was almost too glad to be right on time. Otherwise, there would be a mess of murderous men in my hands to settle. Rythian I could understand, and I got why Tull would try to help. But when I saw that black miasma of darkness start to appear around Tull, I had to stop him somehow. By some way or another, I couldn't allow it to be awakened. Rythian nearly killing Duncan might have been a massive blow to him. Rythian washed his hands, and then his face, or whatever was exposed of his face. The guy never removed his mask. But I knew he had a good reason to. Like every other Monster Child, we all had obvious traits we try to hide. As for me... It was a secret. Tull was helping Rythian relax, and he breathed.

"I'm good. Yeah. Totally fine." He said, more to himself to us. I wondered if I should tell him a piece of good news I recieved from the doctors back at Sick Bay, but I decided against it. He couldn't take any shock at the moment, negative or positive. I kept my silence, standing aside, until Rythian smiled at us with an unusually casual expression.

"I'm okay. Let's go back." He said, walking out. I wondered if he minded that I had a jet pack with me. Perhaps he did, but he didn't say anything. I just flew with it, while Tull vanished again behind that fluttering black cloak. He always seemed insignificant with that cloak on, by some unfathomable power. But I noticed him, and that arm, that shadowy black arm. I sighed. He was, without a doubt, an idiot. If one was asked not to touch something, what was the natural reaction?

You don't touch it, that's what.

A/N Short Chapter yay. I'm really sorry, but my brain can't seem to function properly these days:( Will write more when I think of something.

-Kyoko OUT-