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Half-Crazed Confessions

"Oh, Luma..." Mark breathed in shock. She had dark circles under her slightly crazy eyes, and her wavy russet-colored hair was the messiest he'd seen it.

She stared at him with wide eyes, a blank look at her face. "That... that's my name." she paused, a her light eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Or, at least it was. I don't know now."

"No, you're Luma." reassured Emersyn in a gentle voice. Luma had been responding best to Emersyn and Carressa, and Emersyn refused to leave to young teen alone. "Remember? You're just sick right now."

Luma shook her head. "No. I'm not sick. It's not sickness... It's just madness."

Mark gave a Emersyn a despairing look. He had requested to see her, and Asha had brought him to her cell, where he found Emersyn and Luma waiting to see him.

"Do all people have memories and dreams and aspirations that aren't theirs?" asked Luma, this time directed at Mark. "It's hard. I keep having to remind myself that I'm Luma, and not Phoenix. But they both make sense."

"Luma," began Emersyn, but Luma didn't let her finish.

"I know you think I'm going insane," Luma admitted, her voice sounding as though she was confessing a secret. "but I'm really not. I know that I was Luma. But that was Before. This is After, and I'm confused. Because then I was just one person, but then I was cut... You see, I understand it now, Mark." She said, sounding fairly proud of herself. "En was right. I was cut in the storm. The shard storm. And then I- Phoenix, I mean- became part of my soul and my mind and my thoughts. That's how I had magic, and that's how I knew what a shard storm was back at En's."

"Okay, who's En?" Mark couldn't help himself. He knew he shouldn't ask since she was already revealing so much, but he had so know. Besides, Emersyn looked like she was about to ask the same thing, and Mark wanted to be the first one to speak.

Luma took a careful, measured breath. "He says she's a grumpy old woman. But really she was just a nice older lady that offered for me to stay with her after Mark was kidnapped in Lalaland's Underneath. Right before that- that girl stole me right away in the middle of the night to come here." Luma's lips pressed together into a thin line, and suddenly it became obvious to Mark that Luma most definitely did not like the teenage huntress.

"It's okay though." Emersyn said softly. "We want you to be safe. We want to help you."

"But I don't know if I can keep being Luma much longer. He fights me so hard." Luma's voice was emotional. "And honestly... I don't think I want to change." She continued speaking in a rush, knowing that Mark had been about to interrupt her. "I really do relate to him, and I know that if I give up, I'll be happy. He's very powerful. He's already bribed me that we can share power in this body if he stays in charge. I've refused so far, but how long can I hold out?" She dropped her head into her hands.

"Not long now." whispered Mark. "I know someone who can help you."

Luma raised her head. "Emersyn told me that. Do you really?"

Mark swallowed. "Yes. Kinglyn mentioned him once to you. His name is Keme."

Luma's eyes cleared with realization. "That guy who is a werewolf also?"

Crap. This is going to be harder than I figured, Mark thought to himself, feeling nervous. "No, actually. Unlike me, Keme was allowed to keep his shape-shifting abilities."

"Oh." Luma had seemed to realize that she had hit a sensitive spot. "I'm sorry that might have been rude, I just can't think right now."

"It's okay." answered Mark. It really wasn't, but he tried to be brave. Seeing Luma in her broken, confused state made him determined to help her, no matter the cost.

Luma nodded, and looked to the ground in exhaustion.

***

"Mark, are you ready to go?" asked Asha.

"There's not really anything I can do to get ready." Mark said, a bite to his words. Asha raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I don't have anything to pack."

"You know that's not what I mean."

"I know." Mark answered quietly. Awkward silence filled the air, and Mark desperately tried to think of something to say to break the awful silence in between them. "Um, so, how are we getting there?"

"Portacar. Best method of travel ever." Asha said excitedly, listing some of the features of the advanced machine.

The two were back in Mark's cell after having left Luma with an exhausted Emersyn. Asha had gone to inform Kinglyn that Mark had agreed to go. Mark had stayed in his cell, trying to ignore the fact that he'd be talking with Keme for the first time in millennia.

Asha had come back to inform him that Kinglyn was ready to go. This was an unexpected development, but there wasn't anything they could do to help, except to bring her to someone more experienced.

And I'll fill you in- it's my job as your narrator to ensure that you know everything, even before it happens. That's the best sort of story, really. The kind in which there is an entire universe to explore, and you learn so very much about it, sometimes even more than the characters themselves.

Isn't that a lovely idea? For then you're watching, and you know what's going on, you don't have to wait for some side character to explain. But we're getting off track. I was about to tell you about Spirit and Sacrifice, the twin gods that Mark had seemed so afraid of.

You see, they're both insane and greedy and absolutely raving mad. Most of all they're dangerous, and they believe highly in blood and spiritual sacrifices. Going there would surely mean that they would have to sacrifice something important, something crucial like A First Kiss or your Voice. (Ursula of the famous tale about the mermaid princess learned her trade using the philosophies and teachings of the two twin gods. Things are always more connected than it seems, you see.)

Most of the time, it's a sacrifice that one cannot bear to make.

A/N Well, two days in a row ain't bad. Double update didn't work because I had basketball practice, but I'm trying to make up for my recent lack of updates with extra. We're actually pretty close to done, I think, and I'm really excited for the next couple chapters!