Flame Rider II: Rise of Chaos

Losing Your Memory

I walked slightly behind Josh. I didn’t know why, but I was slightly nervous about seeing Blaze again. He hadn’t really recognised me when he had gained some of his senses, but I had brushed that off as him still being slightly disorientated.

He was talking to Corner, the Marine Colonel who had found us in the Airport before Shadowflame had arrived. Stopped Josh, and turned him around so that he was facing me.

“What’s the matter?” Josh asked.

“I don’t know if this is a good idea anymore,” I replied quietly.

“There’s only one way to find out though,” Josh replied, “C’mon, it won’t be that bad, trust me.”

I nodded, and followed Josh closer to Blaze. When we were standing in front of him, Blaze seemed to gain a somewhat curious expression. He looked between me and Josh, a look of confusion on his face when he studied my face, then one of thoughtfulness when he glanced at Josh.

“Blaze, it’s an honour to once again be in your presence,” Josh stated humbly.

“The honour is mine,” Blaze replied, inclining his head, “And it is my honour alone.”

Blaze stood up, and took my hand, bending down as he kissed it lightly. He then let my hand go, before turning to Josh and hugged him. Josh returned the hug after some hesitation.

“Who is this lovely woman?” Blaze asked, flashing a smile in my direction, “I do not believe we have met. And even if we have, it must have been brief or in the field of combat.”

I looked at Josh, and he looked at me. I could see the confusion and loss in his eyes, and I couldn’t believe my ears. Blaze had just said that he no longer remembered me.

And that shocked me to the very core.

*-*-*-*

‘He doesn’t remember me,’ Anna shouted into my mind, ‘How does he not remember me?’

I could hear the panic and hurt in her mental voice, and I could see it in her eyes and expression. Blaze must have seen the expression that Anna had, as he quickly looked between me and Anna, worry clouding his face.

“I am sorry if I have caused you pain,” Blaze quickly apologised, “I wasn’t aware that I would strike a nerve by saying something like that…”

Blaze droned on for some time, and I tuned it out, as I looked into Anna’s eyes, and listened to her voice, as she spoke into my mind

‘How could he not remember me?’ she said, ‘I was his first crush, and I had been one of the few that understood him to a degree. It just doesn’t make any sense.’

‘Maybe coming back to life did something to him,’ I suggested, ‘why don’t we ask him, if there is anything that he remembers?’

‘I guess that won’t hurt,’ Anna replied, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’

With that, she withdrew from my mind, and we turned to face Blaze. Anna took a deep breath, before asking, “What was the last thing that you remember? Like, before you died.”

Blaze looked down into his hands, before glancing up and me and Anna, his expression a cloud of confusion, pain, and loss. He glanced between us, before swallowing slowly.

“The last thing…the last thing that I remember…” he said, “That would be playing cards with my sister Maria. And then I died…”

“Do you remember how you died?” I asked.

“I only remember that it had something to do with a great evil,” Blaze said, shaking his head, “Other than that, I am at a lost. Why do you ask?”