Demon Lord

Lord Xander stepped closer to Ariana. "You... my mother."

Ariana pensively squeezed her hands together close to her chest. She was worried sick about everything. She worried if he would recognize her, if it was even really him, if Tarry was alright, if her companions would be safe, if they would have to do something drastic; her heart and her head raced at dizzying speeds.

Xander looked her over. 

"...Ridiculous. Another card played in the damn saint's game." The malicious violet aura flared to life. "This is a step too far."

Ariana gasped and stepped back. "No... no no no, please, Alex! Let's go home, forget all of this!"

Xander bared his fangs. "THERE IS NO HOME! ONLY LIARS AND KILLERS!" 

Xander swept forward with crackling black claws. 

Ariana lept back, Sophie jumped up with her staff ready. "Reflect!"

Ariana reached out to her. "NO!"

Xander struck the barrier, and his shoulder was torn to pieces. 

Ariana stood in the way of Sophie. "STOP! DON'T HURT HIM!"

Sophie pulled Ariana away. "He tried to kill you!"

Xander's shoulder quickly reformed as if nothing had happened. Even his clothes were undamaged.

Xander lept at them, and Sophie put up a barrier that was instantly shattered by him simply moving through it. His movement wasn't shifted or slowed in the slightest. She rolled out of the way just in time to avoid his hand. He landed with his arm elbow-deep into the tiled floor. The castle shook at the impact. He quickly pulled his hand free with a trail of debris and rubble. 

Ariana was reminded of the time in Reddenton when she had gone berserk. Her arm passed through a wall and shattered it unimpeded. If Xander could do the same, even to magic barriers, this was truly a greater danger than any before it. And yet, her danger sense hadn't triggered except against Koichi in all this time. 

She struggled to process everything. 

She was assailed by Xander and pulled around by her allies. They retaliated against him, and he retaliated in kind. She pleaded with everyone to stop, but no one would listen to her. The people she loved most in this world were all trying to kill each other. She tried casting her magic to restrain them, but her mycelium thread scattered if it got anywhere near Xander, and trying to restrain the others only put them in danger. She tried putting walls between them, but they did nothing to impede even Xander's most casual steps. 

Nothing she did could stop it. 

It was like she was being forced to choose again. 

...was it even a choice she had the right to make?

She was tossed aside as Xander decided to deal with the distractions first. 

All she could do was watch.

Ariana sat beside herself with grief, and the world faded away.

The Witch of the Wood settled next to her. "It seems... I owe you an apology."

Ariana gasped and noticed her. "W...what?"

"I was unable to procure the strawberries you so wished for."

"What... what are you talking about?"

"On the bright side... we made it. We found him."

Ariana turned back to the fight. Her friends were struggling for their lives. "Please, you're the strong one, you could stop this without hurting anyone, right?"

The witch shook her head. "Pitiful little thing... still struggling with the weight of a choice you already made."

"Already... made?"

"And here I thought you'd already figured it out..."

"I... don't understand..."

"And you never will. You are incapable."

Ariana was quiet.

"Despite all of that... It was an impossible choice with no correct answer. No blame lies with you. I know that I don't blame you for it."

"Then who do I blame!? Someone has to be responsible!"

"You ask the wrong question, dear. When no one is to blame, who takes responsibility?"

"That... how am I supposed to answer that?"

"You don't."

"Then what am I supposed to do?!"

"What do you think you should do?"

"I don't know!"

"Yes, you do, Ariana, it's the same answer you always had."

"Then what is the answer?!"

"What do you think you should do, Ariana?!"

"I don't know!!"

"WHAT DO YOU WANT, ARIANA?!"

"I WANT TO SAVE THE PEOPLE I LOVE, ALTHEA!!"

There was a silence. 

The Witch smirked. "Althea... that's a name that you haven't said in a while."

Ariana cried a bit. "It's... a name I thought I forgot... along with Anton's..."

The Witch held her hand. "He was a good man... he loved you, you know."

"And I destroyed him."

"You destroyed nothing. He chose you, remember? Anton loved you more than anything, and then he loved Alex."

"Althea... I wanted to forget that name, but... it was always a part of me... I didn't even remember it was until now... and yet... it was going to be your name."

"It was a good name... I would have been glad to have it... to have you."

"I can't believe I forgot everything..." She wept. 

"It was... a lifetime ago... and you were broken."

"I'm... glad I got to meet you..."

"Stop that... you can't get rid of me that easily. We're in this together. We made it this far, despite your woes and misgivings."

"Together..." 

The Witch... Althea... gripped tighter to Ariana's hand. "Yes. Like I promised. But look, now."

Ariana's head turned back up. 

"Our dearest Alex is broken. He has forgotten you, as you've forgotten yourself. He needs you."

"Alex..."

"And look there, at Ellie, at Sophie, at Hayden. They, too, need you."

"How am I supposed to choose? Is it even my right to choose?"

"Ariana... you ask the wrong question again."

"Then what do I do?"

"Is there even a choice to be made?"

"Isn't that the same question?"

"Is it?"

Ariana was quiet once again. 

Althea held her hands tightly. "We're going to find your Alex... our Alex. He's in there somewhere, and we'll find him... together. What happens from there... We'll see."

Althea brought up the status display and then the Skill page. Ariana looked at it, and the Phylactery skill was gone. Althea touched the page. A new skill appeared on the list: Althea's Blessing.

"Let's go. They need us."

Ariana stood once more. 

She was ready.