>"Hey, you're pretty good," his double commented. It was hard to believe but in their sparring so far it was Paradox Luka who was victorious, despite it being extremely close each time. The fact that he was even talking to himself in a sense was baffling, but he gave up on questioning things long ago.
>Suddenly, a blinding flash of light came from Prime Luka, before his body was wreathed in flamelike holy energy, coalescing in angelic wings and one red eye. It seemed... familiar, as though locked behind a stray memory.
>"I can tell you've awakened your angel powers, but not to this degree. That's not how it happened for me, how did you beat Ranael without it?" the fallen angel asked.
>"Ranael? The angel? We never fought. I felt my powers awaken after fighting some wierd monster in the forest of spirits," Paradox Luka answered, causing a disbelieving look to flash across his counterpart's face. Both of them tried to sense the other out, trying to determine how much of the others life was different.
>For the original Luka, a sense of wonder gripped him as he realized how much his world shaped him as much as it did his counterpart. A world that was already in a state of coexistence before he was born? Would he have still become a hero then? Would his parents still be alive? Would he have met Alice? The implications weighed heavily on his mind.
>For Paradox Luka, his feelings were much more conflicted. As he looked upon himself, he realized that this was the man his father, White Rabbit, everyone wanted him to be. Needed him to be, in fact, since diverging would lead to more chaos. Yet already he knew that was an impossible task, his counterpart had gone through a set of experiences he could never have by virtue of living in a different world. It was petty, but he felt envious in that moment. He felt like an impostor standing before him.
>"You shouldn't have to feel bad," Luka commented as though sensing his discomfort. "You don't have to be like me to be a hero. You always have a choice," he smiled. " and if you're me, you'll make the right choice, no matter who stands in your way."
>Paradox Luka bowed his head, processing the words that were just said. Being acknowledged by his counterpart stirred something within him, pride was unfamiliar feeling. Feeling more confident than ever, he sat in a meditative pose to focus his holy powers.
>"Alright, don't make fun of me if I don't get it on the first try."
>"Hey, be thankful it's me and not Alice. She slapped me silly when I was training with Undine!"