Identity Crisis

[22:32] <Jran-Kri> "W-well, it was... I- I think she j-just said she was g-g-going h-hunting," Alexa admits lamely, her stutter showing even more plainly. It sounds so stupid -- she wishes she could stop that. Kreimhild shakes her head. "'No' would have sufficed. You do not know where you're going?" She leans forward, her head tilting in that unnervingly avian gesture. "Then why bother? She may return." Alexa bunches up her shoulders,
[22:32] <Jran-Kri> <Jran-Kri> reddening. "M-m-may?! No, that's -- no, I've got to find her! Something could have happened!" Kreimhild's frown deepens. Her neck cranes closer to Alexa. "And HOW will you find her? The Overcity is a dangerous place. And the Puchuu gave you no swords to go with your shields."
[22:35] <Jran-Kri> The harpy's hand slides up Alexa's arm. Her blush deepens. The unsaid thought rang through her ears -- the Puchuu hadn't, but Kreimhild could. Alexa gulps. She shakes her head. "Th-then come with me! Y-you'll, um, you'll...  I-I thought you w-wanted to look out for me!" Kreimhild sighs heavily, nostrils flaring. "You cannot rely on others to fight for you forever." Alexa shrinks further within herself, until
[22:35] <Jran-Kri> Kreimhild continues. "But I will help you this time. Come, let's look for the bluebird." Patting Alexa on the shoulder, Kreimhild guides her out, Alexa scurrying ahead for the portal.
[22:38] <Tangent_> When they reach the portal, it's already rippling. Someone's coming through it...
[22:43] <Tangent_> There's a flicker of blue light, then another, and when the light fades...a girl's stepping through, her features obscured by the backlight...and a familiar faint blue glow coming from the gaps in her metallic, vaguely familiar armor.
[22:44] <Tangent_> She looks about fifteen or sixteen- maybe a bit older than Alexa and a few inches taller. Slight, but with a familiar tension about her as she looks from one girl to the other. Her brow furrows.
[22:44] <Tangent_> She has Amelia's face.
[22:45] <Tangent_> Or, rather, she looks very similar. Close enough to be mistaken for an older sister, perhaps- there's the familiar ripple of blue light around fresh, deep wounds all over her face and what little skin's visible under the armor...armor that on closer reflection looks like it's melded to her.
[22:46] <Jran-Kri> Alexa steps back in shock as the girl steps through, eyes wide. Kreimhild steps in front of her, glaring daggers at her -- but the familiar look about her gives them both pause. "Wh-who... Amelia? Is that you?" Alexa asks, uncertainly.
[22:46] <Tangent_> In magical senses, she's a flare of light- almost blinding. The girl looks at Kreim first, and her hand goes to her sword. Almost reluctamtly, she looks over, to Alexa. Her mouth opens.
[22:48] <Tangent_> "Alexa!" A high pitched, younger voice sounds through the city, and Alexa finds herself tackled by a small, blue and black blur. There's another girl here- again, she looks like Amelia, but she's far too...small, even for her. And young- she can't be older than twelve. Still, she's stronger than she has any right to be by the way she's tackling Alexa around the midriff in a tight hug. "You...It's so good to see you, I ...I didn't want to worry you...and, and..."
[22:50] <Tangent_> The older girl suddenly looks vaguely exasperated at her companion's antics. She looks like she'd probably sigh if it wasn't undignified- but she settles for giving Kreim a cold look instead, her hand not leaving her sword hilt.
[22:52] <Tangent_> If the taller girl is a blinding flare, the younger one is a faint, fading candle or a stray ember- flickering, tenuous, erratic. She's clearly happy to see Alexa though as she looks up at her through teary eyes.
[22:52] <Tangent_> "I-I didn't want to worry you...and, and...I didn't know..." She sniffles.
[23:00] <Jran-Kri> Kreimhild twitches sharply as the blur rockets past her, but she makes no move to stop it, recognizing that the girl before her is the real threat. The sclera of her bright pink eyes turns yellow -- and her iris' flash bright pink as her Third Eye dares to glimpse at this girl's magical energy. While she regrets that decision, Alexa yelps in surprise, wiggling in the small girl's grasp. The tries to breath around her
[23:00] <Jran-Kri> vice-like grip, but reflexively hugs back, sputtering as she tries to form a response. "A-A-Amelia? Is THAT you? I- I mean? Are you -- What happened?!"
[23:02] <Tangent_> "I...We..." She shoots a nervous glance at her companion, who's busy in a staring contest with Kreimhild and who looks sorely tempted to go for her sword. "We...we were going...hunting like usual and...we got ambushed...with a bunch of other people..."
[23:03] <Tangent_> "Kreimhild." The...other Amelia says, coldly.
[23:04] <Tangent_> The tiny Amelia takes a breath. "Y-Yeah...It's...us." She gestures, seeming to cringe away from her other self even as she speaks. She seems reluctant to look away from her for too long, as though afraid of her...or something about her.
[23:05] <Tangent_> "We...It... hit us with...something that split our soul...in two." The smaller girl explains. "We...we beat it and got away b-but..."
[23:06] <Jran-Kri> Kreimhild continues to stare back at the other girl. "Bluebird," she grins, nodding her head brusquely. She flexes her fingers, her claws flashing for half a second. "Th-th-that's terrible!" Alexa cries, seemingly ignorant of the standoff. "Oh dear, oh dear -- I knew I should have gone with you. We have to fix this!"
[23:07] <Tangent_> "She doesn't want to go back." The taller girl breaks off her starting contest long enough to explain. The same voice- Amelia's voice, but strangely...flat. Like someone speaking through a knight's helm. "She doesn't want to do what she's supposed to. What our *duty* is."
[23:08] <Tangent_> "Y-you...No." The smaller girl cringes away. "Y-you want to...You want to KILL me! To just make me into...into...that again..." She shakes her head furiously, her long hair flying everywhere.
[23:09] <Tangent_> "Alexa...My magic was..." The tiny Amelia looks miserable. "It was....Her. I-I thought I was being a hero, but it was...messing with my head. I...I wasn't...I couldn't even be...s-scared anymore, and she wants to...to go back to being...I...I wasn't even going to be me...anymore..."
[23:10] <Tangent_> The taller Amelia looks furious. "We agreed to this. It's what's right. You said you wanted to help people, but you just keep running away. If we don't use our magic, what GOOD are we?"
[23:10] <Tangent_> She all but spits the words out. "You're a coward."
[23:11] <Tangent_> "And y-you're a...a thing!" The tiny Amelia shrieks back. "You're not even a person, you're just some thing the magic did to me!"
[23:11] <Tangent_> The two glare at each other with very, very familiar expressions.
[23:12] <Tangent_> One's tiny and in a blue, almost feathery dress. The other's a knight in shining, form-fitting armor with a red mantle around her shoulders.
[23:13] <Tangent_> The tiny Amelia is still hugging Alexa.
[23:13] <Tangent_> She finally notices and lets go with a blush.
[23:13] <Tangent_> But doesn't really step away.
[23:17] <Jran-Kri> Freed from her burden, Alexa rises back to her feet, looking between the two of them in shock, horror and some fascination. She adjusts her glasses, opening her mouth to speak -- but Kreimhild, sneering, beats her to it. "As expected -- It is only natural, when a mind is broken, for the foreign part to be excised," she explains, glaring at the knight. "The Puchuu's foul meddling in human form -- disgusting. The tiny
[23:17] <Jran-Kri> bird is right to want it gone." Alexa, paling, steps forward. "W-wait! Um! I-I'm sure w-we can, um... f-figure this out! Y-you're both part of A-Amelia, r-right! Surely! O-on some level!"
[23:19] <Tangent_> "I am not *broken*." Knight Amelia grates, armored fist clenching. "I'm what we're *supposed* to be. I'm doing what matters. Helping people. And you..."
[23:20] <Tangent_> The Knight seems about to snarl, when Alexa steps in. "Yes. Alexa..." Her expression softens a bit. "Don't worry about this. I'll fix it. It'll be okay."
[23:21] <Tangent_> For a moment, there's a very familiar look- the same look Amelia gives when she's trying to comfort Alexa.
[23:21] <Tangent_> "Y-you...No." The smaller Amelia shakes her head. "I'm...I'm...Mila. No, t-that's not right...I...I don't remember...But I'm not YOU."
[23:22] <Tangent_> Tiny Amelia...Mila...seems to shrink back. "I...I just wanted to...do something that mattered. To be a hero..."
[23:23] <Tangent_> "You can. Just...be Amelia again." The taller Amelia- Amy- seems frustrated. "We agreed to do this. This is what we chose. It's our chance to matter, to do something right, to keep people safe. Don't you care about that at ALL?"
[23:23] <Tangent_> "Of...of course I do, but..."
[23:24] <Tangent_> "I don't want to die." Mila whimpers. "And...if we do...I...I'll just be...gone. You'll take over and there'll be nothing left..."
[23:25] <Tangent_> Amy seems disquieted at that. "I...That's not true. I'm not...like that. We're not. We can...fight, you just have to...let us."
[23:26] <Tangent_> Mila shrinks back, hand reaching for Alexa's.
[23:26] <Tangent_> Amy stands where she is, slumping slightly for the first time. There's a faint smell of ash and embers about her.
[23:30] <Jran-Kri> Alexa unhesitantly takes Mila's hand, staring at Amy nervously. She can't help but appreciate how gallant she looks at first -- with a shake of the head, she dispels the memory. She looks between the two of them nervously, biting her lip. "Th-there's... There's more to life than fighting evil," she says quietly, gaze settling on Amy. She furrows her brow. "You... What ar eyou?"
[23:34] <Tangent_> Amy blinks. "I'm Amelia. Part of her. I think, anyway." She says simply. "I'm a magical girl. I'm keeping people safe. And...I'm your best friend." She echoes, holding out her free hand. It's warm, even from here- and the gauntlet catches the light from the portal.
[23:34] <Tangent_> The gauntlet fingers are almost clawed. Avian. With faint feathery motifs in the metal.
[23:35] <Tangent_> Amy holds out her free hand as the moment stretches on, looking to Alexa earnestly. Those same bright blue eyes.
[23:36] <Tangent_> Mila bites her lip, looking like she wants to either look at Amy or run away...equally badly.
[23:36] <Tangent_> Her grip on Alexa's hand tightens.
[23:41] <Jran-Kri> Kreimhild's own claws drift over as she steps between the two of them, silently glaring at Amy. Alexa glances over at Mila, taking a step forward, but keeping behind Kreimhild. "I... You... I-I see... You're what I... normally see from Amelia," she bobs her head, chewing on her lip. "B-but you're not... you're not all of her. Neither of you are." Kreimhild sneers, half-glancing back at Alexa. "I think you will find
[23:41] <Jran-Kri> this is a mere construct -- the Puchuu's dog. You hold the truth." Alexa cringes, but shakes her head. "N-no. This... They're both part of her, s-surely."
[23:44] <Tangent_> Amy pulls back her hand as though burned, her familiar features twisting into an involuntary snarl. "I knew you were up to something. You wanted Alexa to use the coin and now you want me gone. I thought you were just...misguided, but you're just as bad as the rest of them."
[23:46] <Tangent_> Mila looks more...scared, cringing back. "I..." She shakes. "Don't...Please, just...Kreim, A-amy, don't..."
[23:46] <Tangent_> "I...I'll do it! A-amy, I'll do it, just don't..."
[23:47] <Jran-Kri> "I could say the same for you! No more than another tin soldier!" Kreimhild sneers, her skin seeming to dissolve as her claws form in full, green flame licking at their tips. Alexa cries out, breaking her grip on Mila to rush between the two of them. "Wait, wait, no! Stop! P=please don't fight!"
[23:47] <Tangent_> Amy isn't listening. She's drawing her sword with a flare of blue light. "I should never have trusted you." She snaps, holding her sword. Alexa takes her off guard, and she shoots an upset look at Alexa.
[23:48] <Tangent_> "Alexa, get out of the way! She just...wants you to be like HER!" Amy snarls. Mila looks terrified from the sidelines, frozen with her eyes on her friend in the crossfire.
[23:50] <Tangent_> Mila's trembling, her gaze daring from person to person as she's forgotten.
[23:55] <Jran-Kri> "I don't care! I won't let you hurt her! She- she's my friend!" Alexa shakes her head emphatically, sticking her chin up despite the palpable fear in her eyes. "A-and s-s-so are you! I w-won't let you fight!"
[23:57] <Tangent_> "But she'll HURT you!" Amy yells. "Damnit, Alexa, please..." That's no construct. "Why won't you let me keep you safe..."
[23:57] <Tangent_> "Alexa, please, get out of the way..." Mila's trying to pull Alexa free.
[00:02] <Jran-Kri> Alexa bites her lip, holding her ground. She does a double-take at Mila, blinking owlishly. "Y-you, too?" She says, as if betrayed. She shakes her head, looking back at Amy. "No! Sh-she saved my life! I... I j-just want my b-best friend back!"
[00:06] <Tangent_> Mila looks guilty...but keeps tugging. She's a lot stronger than she looks. "Alexa..." Amy and Mila say...in stereo.
[00:06] <Tangent_> They look at each other. One determined...the other scared.
[00:06] <Tangent_> The moment stretches on. Then Mila lets go of Alexa's hand.
[00:07] <Tangent_> "A-amy..." She says, voice quiet and scared. "Come on. I'll do it."
[00:07] <Tangent_> "What?"
[00:07] <Tangent_> "Y-you're...you're right...We...Maybe it's...b-better this way...If I...I just go...go away again..."
[00:08] <Tangent_> "And if we're Amelia...It'll go back to...n-normal..."
[00:08] <Tangent_> She can't keep her voice from quavering. She knows that's not true. She'll just...go away. But...didn't she want to do something right? Just once? Amy wasn't wrong...
[00:08] <Jran-Kri> "No!" Alexa cries out, whirling to face Mila. She grabs her by her cloak, shaking her head. "No, no, no! You're... You're part of her, too!"
[00:09] <Tangent_> Mila shakes, but...holds out her hand to Amy.
[00:09] <Tangent_> Amy starts to reach back...then drops her arm. "No." She says flatly, glancing to Alexa.
[00:10] <Tangent_> "We...we have to. But...not...not like that. Kreim..." Amy's lip curls. "Isn't...isn't wrong. There...there's something wrong with me. Us. We...The Puuchu...did something wrong. And...it'd hurt Alexa."
[00:10] <Tangent_> "Then..." Mila trails off. "What do we...do?"
[00:12] <Jran-Kri> "Remove the problem, of course," Kreimhild begins to sneer, her claws flexing, but Alexa shakes her head with a warning glare. "No. No, there's g-got to be a b-better way! S-something that c-can... fix you!"
[00:14] <Tangent_> "Just TRY it." Amy snaps, on edge again. The familiar blue flames flicker around her. Mila shakes her head too.
[00:16] <Jran-Kri> Alexa sighs, grimacing nervously. "L-look, I-I mean, we... We can fix this, okay! O-or maybe h-her Puchuu c-can fix it?" Kreimhild snorts, unconcerned. "Why would they ever do such a thing?"
[00:19] <Tangent_> <Indeed.>
[00:21] <Tangent_> There's a flare of red and orange, and a familiar butterfly flutters down. It's Catalyst, Amelia's Puuchu. <This is unfortunate.> It says blandly, in its sing-song voice.
[00:22] <Tangent_> "...Catalyst?" Amy and Mila say at the same time, giving each other startled glances. Mila's the first to speak. "W-what did you do to me?" She shouts.
[00:24] <Jran-Kri> Kreimhild hisses, stepping back, away from the alien. Alexa is shocked into silence, before indignation crawls across her face. She awaits its answer, tense as a coiled spring.
[00:29] <Tangent_> <I gave you exactly what you asked for. A chance to be someone that mattered. And you spent it on *this*.> There's a note of genuine emotion. Disappointment. <You were doing so well. You would have shone so brightly...But you didn't focus. You associated with things like *that*, and the impure like her...And you did nothing.>
[00:29] <Tangent_> Mila's staring in shock. Amy's clenching her fists, shaking her head.
[00:31] <Tangent_> <Your memories, your soul...As they were, what good were they to anyone? But if used to bring light to the darkness...But that didn't happen. Because you didn't believe enough.>
[00:31] <Tangent_> "M-my...soul?" Mila whispers. Amy's starting at Catalyst like she's never seen it before. Which she technically hasn't.
[00:32] <Tangent_> <...Every fire needs fuel. In that sense, your magic's no different.>
[00:32] <Tangent_> Catalyst seems almost wistful. <Or was.>
[00:32] <Tangent_> Mila stares, utterly horrified. "What...How..."
[00:33] <Tangent_> <You did want to be someone that mattered.> Catalyst reminds her, blandly. <Congratulations.>
[00:34] <Tangent_> And that's the point where Amy dashes forwards, sword flaring with angry flames. A swing at the butterfly...and it vanishes before the blow can strike home, leaving just smoke behind.
[00:35] <Tangent_> She stares at the spot, looking...sick. Mila's shaking like a leaf. "My...my soul? I...I was..."
[00:38] <Jran-Kri> Alexa seems stunned into silence, staring at the spoke the creature had just occupied, eyes wide. She barely seems to be breathing, the air caught in her throat. "Oh god. Oh god, I'm so sorry."
[00:39] <Tangent_> Amy is staring down at her armored gauntlets. Numbly, mechanically, she's trying to pull them off...but they're not budging. They can't. That's all she is. She's not a hero, she's a...construct. A thing, made from someone else's soul. Kreim...Kreim was right.
[00:40] <Tangent_> Mila's just slumped. She's...she's not even dead. She's just a piece of what's left of someone she doesn't remember, and the worst part is...she'd SIGNED UP for it. Thrown a life away that she doesn't even remember.
[00:41] <Tangent_> She sobs, running for Alexa.
[00:44] <Jran-Kri> A choked cry makes its way out of Alexa's throat. She takes a step to meet Mila, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. She buries her head in Mila's hair, as if she needs comfort as much as her. Her shoulders are shaking. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."
[00:46] <Tangent_> Mila just holds onto Alexa, locks of her black hair wet with tears as she cries onto Alexa's shoulder. Everything she's done, everything she's told herself...It's all gone up in smoke. But Alexa's there. She...she's there for her, even though she can't even keep her safe, and like this- a worthless THING...she's no good to her or anyone...
[00:47] <Tangent_> Amy watches the two, silently. Her thoughts are her own, but the fire's gone out of her.
[00:52] <Jran-Kri> Alexa continues to hold Mila silently, her grip tightening as if she meant to hold her forever. She takes a deep breath of the scent of her hair -- 'the fragrance of your garment is like the fragrance of Lebanon,' springs to her mind unbidden. "I-i-it'll b-be okay," she stammers uselessly. Kreimhild, meanwhile, has allowed her disguise to settle over her again as she slowly steps closer to Amy. "As... shocking,"
[00:52] <Jran-Kri> sarcasm drips off the word as she pauses, "as that was, ah -- We must still put you two back together, if you are to go on."
[01:01] <Tangent_> Amy automatically bristles at Kreim's approach, but doesn't snap again. "...You heard what it said. You were right." She says dully. "You want me gone. Fine. I'll go. I'm supposed to fight, and even if the...that *thing*..." She shakes her head. "Is...is a monster too, at least if I just...go fight monsters..." She shakes her head.
[01:05] <Jran-Kri> "No, no, no!" Alexa cuts in, perking her head up and out of Mila's hair. She shakes her head, staring pleadingly at Amy. "No, I... Surely there's something to live for other than fighting! I... I need you! Both of you!"
[01:22] <Tangent_> "Alexa...." Amy looks back, looking torn. Mila just hugs her tighter. "What...what good am I? I can't even keep you safe...I just keep making things worse...I screwed up, and...I shouldn't even *exist*. I...I don't deserve to be your friend."
[01:24] <Jran-Kri> "What? Don't -- You don't know what you're saying!" Alexa protests, shaking her head. "I- I don't know what I'd do without you! I... I need you, Amelia!" She looks between the two of them, squeezing MIla. "You're the finest girl I know. Both of you."
[22:58] <Tangent> Mila sniffles in Alexa's arms, shaking uncontrollably. Amy's just...standing there, head lowered like a puppet with its strings cut.
[23:01] <Tangent> Amy laughs, hollowly. Actually laughs. "Alexa...I'm not worth it. I'm...You'd have been better off without me. I...I acted like I was some kind of bigshot hero but...I haven't actually done anything good for anyone. Not really. I...I'm useless. I...I can't even keep you safe, and I keep...keep screwing up. Figures...even magic can't make me someone worth anything..." Mila shrinks into herself with her counterpart's every word...But she doesn't protest.
[23:10] <Jran-Kri> Alexa's grip on Mila tightens barely perceptibly. She hugs the girl closer to her as she bunches up, looking somewhere between horrified and furious by this line of thinking. She shakes her head, her brown hair flicking from the motion. "No, no, no! You're... You're none of that! You're brave and kind and sweet and... and you're my friend! A-and you -- I-I-I'd probably b-be d-dead if not for you!"
[23:21] <Tangent> Amy hesitates, then shakes her head. She isn't listening. "You...you don't give yourself enough credit, Alexa." She says simply in the end. "And...and you deserve someone better than...me." Abruptly Amy slumps, legs giving way under her. Her armor doesn't clank, metal pieces interlocking perfectly- flowing like silk even as their owner just...gives up and buries her face in her hands and slumps on the ground. "I...I'm not brave. I'm...some sort of thing."
[23:23] <Tangent> Mila looks to Amy, then to Alexa. Amy's angst aside, Mila's only got eyes for the state Alexa's in. Feebly, she hugs Alexa back. What Amy's saying is true...all of it, but...Alexa's right there, and she's hurting.
[23:24] <Tangent> *the Puuchu made."
[23:29] <@Tangent> Mila continues to cling to Alexa, and Amy just...slumps, hair falling into her eyes as the proud young knight...seems to have her fire go out.
[23:31] <@Tangent> What good is she? She can't keep Alexa safe. She can't do any real good on her own, and her own magic was all that made her worth anything...by eating her from the inside. She only keeps getting people hurt, and now...she's not even herself anymore. At all. It's not her name, who she *used* to be...She's *supposed* to just be this monster-hunting...thing, and if it wasn't for just how much- who- she'd lose by becoming that...she isn't even sure she cares anymore.
[23:36] <Jran-Kri> Alexa tries to break out of Mila's grasp as she forces herself over to Amy. Whether or not Mila actually lets go, Alexa stops before Amy and brings herself to her knees to rest a hand on the taller girl's shoulder. "Y-you're not a th-thing, you're my friend! I-I need you, Amelia!"
[23:57] <@Tangent> What good is she? She can't keep Alexa safe. She can't do any real good on her own, and her own magic was all that made her worth anything...by eating her from the inside. She only keeps getting people hurt, and now...she's not even herself anymore. At all. It's not her name, who she *used* to be...She's *supposed* to just be this monster-hunting...thing, and if it wasn't for just how much- who- she'd lose by becoming that...she isn't even sure she cares anymore.
[23:57] <@Tangent> Mila clings for a moment longer, then reluctantly follows a step after Alexa instead. Amy looks up. "I...You heard Kreim. You heard that *thing*...I'm...I'm not even her. I'm just...a joke. You...I shouldn't..." She makes as though to cringe away, but instead leans into Alexa. She's warm. Too warm. "You...you...should have someone better. You deserve someone better..." The beacon girl's sniffling, tears at the edge of her eyes as she shakes her head.
[23:57] <@Tangent> (typo)
[00:01] <@Tangent> "What *good* am I..."
[00:19] <Jran-Kri> Alexa trembles nervously, resting her other hand on Amy's shoulder and leaning into her. The first hand snakes up over Amy's back to pull her into a hug. "I c-couldn't ask f-for anyone better. Y-you're m-my best friend. A-and you're... You're... You're the her that I know. The one I... need."
[00:53] <@Tangent> And there go the floodgates. Sobbing, Amy hugs Alexa- painfully tightly. "I'm..not...I'm...." She trails off into sniffles, holding Alexa tightly as though she's never planning on letting go. It's almost painfully hot as she embraces her friend. To the side...Mila watches, expression torn.
[00:59] <@Tangent> Alexa...needs her, Amy thinks, her thoughts whirling wildly. As her friend. She's her friend, even after...all this, even after she's turned herself into this half-human, useless...thing. Alexa...she doesn't want her to fight. She wants...her as herself.
[01:00] <Jran-Kri> Maintaining her grip despite the pain, Alexa rubs her hand over Amy's armoured back. It eventually moves into her hair at the touch of hot metal. She shakes her head, murmuring. "It's okay, it's okay. It'll be fine. We'll make it right."
[01:02] <@Tangent> Even if she's useless...even if she wasn't doing what she thought she was supposed to...she has Alexa. Her best friend. Amy blinks through teary eyes, nodding slowly. Then she blinks again. "Your...your hands...They're..." They're red- burnt. "You...I hurt you." She mumbles, cringing.
[01:07] <@Tangent> Mila watches. She's shaking slightly. Amelia...she'd never even noticed as more and more of *her* went away. Even she isn't quite sure about...anything she was before. She just knows...She'd thrown it away to...be that knight. And even now, watching Alexa comfort her...some small part just wants to go away again. Maybe...Maybe Alexa just never really knew the real her instead of what the puuchu wanted her to be. That was more of a friend to her than she ever was...
[01:09] <@Tangent> Would Alexa still want to be her friend if she knew what she was really like? Maybe...maybe she should just...
[01:09] <@Tangent> She'd still be her friend if she just...let Amy take over, right? Maybe it'd be better that way. She wouldn't be useless anymore...and Alexa wouldn't worry...and she could just...pretend none of this happened.
[01:12] <@Tangent> The small, slight girl stands there, arms limp at her side as her thoughts tumble over each other.
[01:14] <Jran-Kri> "... Ah. So you did," Alexa acknowledges dully, resting her elbows on the armour to stare at her palms. She flexes her hands, wincing as the motion sends the singed skin singing. Shaking her head, she brushes her cheek against Amy's before pulling away. "It's fine. It's fine. You're... You're hurt more than I am. We-we're going to fix you, alright? P-put you back t-together, but, um... without the... um... the bad
[01:14] <Jran-Kri> stuff," Alexa mumbles, looking between the two.
[01:16] <@Tangent> "It...It's okay." Mila tries to smile, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Don't...don't worry about it. Hey...A-Amy...I...You...You're right. I'll do it."
[01:17] <@Tangent> Amy looks up. "What? But...You...You said you'd..."
[01:19] <@Tangent> "I was wrong! It's okay!" Mila's suddenly almost feverish, her voice rising to shrill heights. "Like you said...you're...you're what we're supposed to be, remember?" She steps forward. "I...I'm...I'm r-ready..."
[01:20] <@Tangent> Mila holds out one small, feather-sleeved hand, eyes wild as she stares at Amy. She can't hide the way she's shaking. A look to Alexa. It'll just a minute, then Amelia'll be back and it'll all be okay...and if she goes away...maybe it's better that way.
[01:21] <@Tangent> Amy frowns, looking to Alexa. Alexa. Her friend. Who she's burning just by being near. What'd happend if...if Mila was right before, and...she did just go away.
[01:21] <@Tangent> What kind of magica...no, friend. Person. Would she be if she just...burnt away part of who she used to be? Hurt her friend?
[01:22] <@Tangent> "No." She shakes her head. "Not like that. Alexa's right. We'll find a better way."
[01:22] <@Tangent> "But...but it's you she's friends with...She said it herself..." Mila whimpers, feeling and sounding utterly pathetic. "I'm...I'm no good to anyone...I should just go away again..."
[01:24] <@Tangent> "No." Amy insists. "You're...you're the real one." And that admission hurts. "Without you...I'm n-nothing."
[01:24] <@Tangent> Mila sniffs, looking between the two. Her...other half, and her...Amy's...friend.
[01:26] == Jran-Kri [~Jran-Kri@Rizon-AB184CCB.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com] has left #JustMegucaThings [Leaving]
[01:26] == Jran-Kri [~Jran-Kri@Rizon-AB184CCB.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com] has joined #JustMegucaThings
[01:27] <Jran-Kri> "R-r-right!" Alexa stammers, looking back at Mila. She steps forward, extending her burned palms, pleading. "I-I need both of you! Together! Y-you're b-both part of Amelia! I need you as much as her!"
[01:28] <@Tangent> "sorry...i'm sorry..." Mila shakes her head, then stumbles foward into Alexa's arms with desperate force. Her heartbeat's hummingbird fast as she clings to the-taller- girl.
[01:29] <Jran-Kri> Alexa is quite relieved to hug someone that isn't burning hot, crushing Mila close to her, though she keeps her palms free. She nestles her head in Mila's hair. "It's okay," she murmurs again.
[01:30] <@Tangent> Amy looks down at Mila. The real her. The part that got...burned up to make...her. She looks down at her best friend. The person she wants to protect, who matters. Who she matters to. Who fighting for feels...right. She closes her eyes, forcing herself to...let go. To push down her magic. It calls to her- her chance to matter, to remove evil, to do what's right...But right now, her friend matters more.
[01:31] <@Tangent> The heat- the never-ending pulse of her magic- fades, pushed to some dim corner of her consciousness. And she joins the hug, arms wrapping around Alexa from behind, her head just above Alexa's.
[01:32] <@Tangent> There's a faint glow, coming from nowhere and everywhere.
[01:32] <@Tangent> "Al-" Amy starts to murmur.
[01:33] <@Tangent> "a-" Mila starts to stammer.
[01:33] <@Tangent> There's a flash, and they're gone. Mila's hair is suddenly not there anymore. Amy's arms aren't there anymore. The light fades.
[01:36] <@Tangent> "-lexa..." Amelia finishes, standing there in front of her. She looks different- still recognizably the same person...mostly. Almost a twin. Taller. Maybe a year older. Slender but less...flat than Amelia had been. There are silver feathers in her hair, and some armor over a familiar yet strange blue mantle...but the biggest change is in her expression.
[01:37] <@Tangent> She looks happy. At peace with herself...Something ruined a second later when she eeps in surprise. "I...I'm me?" She blurts out. "I'm me! Alexa, I...I'm...back." She shakes her head. "I'm...Amelia." She says, almost laughing to herself at her own words.
[01:38] <@Tangent> And then she tackles Alexa in a bone-crushing hug. No painful heat this time- just a tight hug from someone now a bit taller than Alexa is. She's Amelia. She's Alexa's best friend. For now, she's okay with that.
[01:40] <@Tangent> She remembers Amy's thoughts, and Mila's...and part of her's worried about what she should do, about her magic, about monsters and everything...But right now she's hugging her friend.
[01:41] <Jran-Kri> Although initially caught off guard by the light and the sudden lack of soft dark hair and the pleasant smell, Alexa recovers quickly at the sight of Amelia. A wordless cry of joy leaves her mouth, despite the minor differences, and she hugs her back as well as she can muster. Letting her head rest on Amelia's chest, she laughs. "A-Amelia! I was so worried!"
[01:43] <@Tangent> "I'm sorry...I'm sorry I worried you..." Amelia's grip tightens for a moment- and she still has Alexa's gauntlets. "It's okay..." She murmurs, hair falling into Alexa's own as she lowers her head and hugs. She doesn't let go for a good while. If she's warm...it's little more than normal.
 *still has Amy's gauntlets
[01:50] <Jran-Kri> Alexa gasps in slight surprise at the gauntlets' fingertips, but she doesn't break the hug, shaking her head as she tries to nestle deeper into Amelia. She presses up against her, sighing. "Yes. It is now."
[01:56] <@Tangent> Amelia makes a happy noise. It's...nice. Hugging Alexa...Her friend...That's real. That's worth fighting for. Keeping her friend happy. Being with her friend. Eventually she opens her eyes again and smiles down at her friend. "Ah...Sorry I made you worry..."
[01:58] <Jran-Kri> Alexa cranes her neck to look back up at her, blinking tears as she smiles, exhausted. "It's okay. What matters is that you're fine now. That's all that matters."
[02:02] <@Tangent> Amelia brushes gently at her friend's face. "Yeah..." She smiles back. A sigh. She...misses the purpose, the righteousness, the certainty already...but she has Alexa. Her best friend. That's good enough for her.
[02:05] <Jran-Kri> Alexa nods again, resting her head on Amelia's chest again. She's silent for a moment, seemingly reluctant to pull away. Eventually, however, she suggests, "Perhaps we should go inside?"
[02:07] <@Tangent> "Yeah. Uh, sorry." Amelia laughs, faintly, smiling like an idiot. Her smile fades for a moment as she looks to Kreimhild, but she shakes off her moment of uncertainty. "Yeah, let's...let's go." Suddenly, she yawns. "It's...It's been a long day..."
[02:07] <@Tangent> She lets go after another moment.
[02:13] <Jran-Kri> Kreimhild, silent and stolid as she is at the other end of the alley, looks on strangely ambivalently, cocking her head this way and that. She, too, nods, and leads the way back to the apartment. Alexa slips out of the hug with clear regret. "Right. Right. Let's, uh... I could, um... make you a cup of tea. Maybe. Or, um... some rest would do, too."
[02:15] <@Tangent> "Tea..." Amelia mumbles, reaching for Alexa with her hand as she walks alongside her...friend.
[02:16] <Jran-Kri> "Yes, good choice," Alexa agrees, taking her hand and striding purposfully after Kreimhild. "Yes, um... How do you take it, again?"
[02:17] <@Tangent> "Oh, um..."
[02:17] <@Tangent> Amelia blinks. "I...forgot." She mumbles. She feels like she should know, DID know, but...
[02:17] <@Tangent> Her grip on Alexa's hand tightens for a moment. "I guess...the way you like it? That sounds good."
[02:22] <@Tangent> She stumbles midstep, not quite used to her longer legs. It's like the first few days all over again...Just not quite as bad.
[02:23] <@Tangent> Or maybe she's just tired.
[02:23] <Jran-Kri> "... Oh, um, well... That's okay. Must just be the shock, is all," Alexa shakes her head, tightening her grip. She slows her stride to make sure Amelia's alright, looking back at her, concerned. "Yes, um... Just a bit of milk and sugar with it, always calms me down."
[02:26] <@Tangent> "Sounds great." She looks to Alexa, offering her a reassuring smile as she steps to catch up- it's not hard. Briefly, reflexively, she notices the absence- the silence- where her magic would have been. She didn't notice just how much it'd been there until it's gone...dormant. She almost shivers. What...will she do now? She can't just...give up on...everything, but. Alexa. She's there. "Guess we're taking the day off, huh?" She tries to play it off as a joke.
[02:33] <@Tangent> She tries to play it off as a joke.
[02:37] <Jran-Kri> Alexa smiles thinly back up at her, nodding somewhat sheepishly. "U-under the circumstances, we, ah -- Well, it'd probably be a good idea," she agrees. "You're probably exhausted. And you must tell me all about this latest adventure."
[02:40] <@Tangent> Amelia's smile flickers. Fades. Two sets of memories. Mila, terrified, helpless, just...wanting to go away again. Amy...Burning through everything that she thought was evil, and it feeling so...right. Adventure. "Yeah..." She moves closer to Alexa as the two walk.
[02:41] <@Tangent> She's Amelia. She's Alexa's best friend. That's what matters, right now. She tells herself that, again, as they walk.