Real or Fake?

Fighting Against the End

The Author had split himself in two, a part of him with Damien and his guest and the other with Anti and Sean in the other realm. Of course Sean was gone now and it was just Author and Anti.

The one with Anti smiled greedily at him, "You saw this happen that day. I had to do something, you know. I wanted to create the greatest story-"

Anti growled at him, "Y-you're not Host-"

"Of course I'm not! I'm better than him! I'm-"

"Author"

"THE Author to YOU!" The man wore a dark red and black flannel and jeans. He had a shorter haircut than he had ever seen on any Iplier. Like a younger version of Mark. With a mountain's worth of arrogance.

Anti stood his ground, "So what? . . . You've been . . . you've been controlling everyone this entire time?"

Author smiled, "Oh, not everyone. Certainly not. Just the egos. Mark doesn't even know and Host was always too cowardly to do anything to stop me. Sean merely gave in and as long as I didn't kill any of you . . . . I could do as I pleased. Make up any story with you that I wanted."

Anti swallowed, "Septiceye was-"

"Fake. . . .just a tool I used to mess with you all. Worked quite well, too, didn't it?"

"You're really fucked up, man, and that's saying something coming from me"

Author snorted, "Maybe. But at least I have control. I've tried everything, you know." he grinned wide, "The first time was giving you a 'disorder' of sorts. A story of bringing everyone together after a misunderstanding. The second time . . . I made you crazy. I madman who glitched back and forth from a torturer to a tame being. You were caged and so feral. The third time I made it so you had been the good guy all along but no one would trust you until the very end. The fourth time, you were the hardcore villain again intent on ruining their lives only to have a change in heart at the end. The FIFTH time, -"

"SHUT UP! Shut up! I get it, alright!? You've DONE this millions of times already!" Anti didn't want to hear all of it. How many times had he hurt his family?

But Author just smiled, "Almost done. . . the fifth time . . .I took away your memory and made YOU into the puppet. The sixth time, I crushed your soul and made you watch as a demon terrorized everyone you cared about. The seventh time was a dry spell on me. You were the villain minding your own business. Someone who was just lonely. Wasn't my best work. . . . . But NOW . . . the EIGTH time. . . ." he sighed to himself, "I gave you happy endings in all the previous works, you know. I thought it would. . . . satisfy me. I thought it would be a good ending to leave it on a high note. But every time, I tasted something sour in my mouth . . . I had to keep trying"

"I've never figured it out before?"

"No . . . . it's never come to this. Fourth-wall breaking, really. But now it's time this story ends, too. And I'll just have to keep trying"

Anti shook his head, "You'll never be satisfied"

Author glared at him and took a step closer, "Why do you say that?"

Anti just stared at him, "All writers get it . . . . don't they? But you can't just keep . . .hanging on to one story"

Author slapped him across the face, forcing him to stumble back, "DON'T YOU ACT LIKE YOU KNOW ANYTHING I'M GOING THROUGH! I'LL FINISH THIS STORY AND THEN THE NEXT ONE. . . . THE NEXT ONE WILL BE THE GREATEST!! IT'LL BE THE BEST!!"

"No it won't" Anti snarled, "You'll just keep doing this . . .over and over.. . . like a fooking addict. . . And I'd know all about that. . .wouldn't I?"