Reunion Before the Nightmare

“Yamin!” I shouted, running at her for a big hug. “You’re okay!” My embrace warped around her tightly, squeezing her more then I intended.

“Eh…who are you?”

I pulled away from the hug, but still kept my hands on her shoulders.

“Oh no, have you forgotten me too?” My expression turned blum.

She gazed into my eyes, really trying to think deeply about me.

“Are you Yalda’s mom? My gosh, you look just like her.”

“Gah!” I was struck with shock. How could she say I was a mom? I don’t look that old! Did I?

I mean, the good news is that she at least remembered my name, so she probably just mistook my age. Rightfully, if I may add.

“No…I’m Yalda.” I spoke in a silly crying tone.

Yamin’s lips curled, and she blinked a few times until snapping her finger. “No way. How did this happen?”

I explained everything to her about this dream realm and all its weird properties, and she met my tale with one of her own about flying through space and being lonely in a dream.

As evidence of her story, she was cradling a book in her hands, pressing it close to her black wedding dress. When I asked about it, she didn't know any more than me.

One of the men we'd subdued was rolling and grunting on the floor, sweating as veins of purple and black crept across his skin.

His body was filled with darkness energy.

“Not again…” Yamin swabbed a glowing hand over the man's forehead, causing the veins of black to vanish. No more darkness could be detected in him. “This keeps happening to them for some reason. I think its because were in this evil castle.”

“What’s going on with them?” I asked.

“These people were stuck in some kind of demon trap, and it was keeping them asleep. Maybe it was eating there dreams? I don’t know.” She gestured for us to sit the men up against the walls. “I used my stardust to save them from that. Then they decided to help me clear all the demons out.”

I figured that’s what they were doing, but attacking us ran counter to that business.

Judging by the darkness corruption, I’m sure they mistook us for demons. It wouldn’t be the first time people called me a demon and tried to kill me. When a human's mind is warped by a demon, they tend to see the world a lot differently than normal.

“I hate to be pushy, actually I don't mind…” Indena started, “but now that Yamin’s back, can we go kick the demon lord's butt and leave?”

Yamin hadn't yet processed that Indena was now a little kid. She was looking back and forth at the two of us until letting out a surprised squeak.

“You're an adult, and now she's a kid…”

“Yeah, and we have a ba…baby…?” Indena was looking all around, but the baby wasn't anywhere in sight.

“You lost the baby?!” I gave her a really mean look.

“No…no you don't understand. She was here, I was holding her. She's just gone.”

Mella of all people vouched for her. The baby was here up till a moment ago. Even with all the action, Indena would have noticed the baby squirm away. She had to have just vanished without a trace.

There's an old saying in my family: Once you've narrowed down all the possibilities, whatever explanation remains, however improbable, must be the case. So, if the baby isn't here and nobody saw her go away, she must have vanished.

Like Mella suggested before, the baby was probably connected to Yamin. Now that they were both in the same room, they probably couldn't both exist in the same place at once.

While Yamin was using her stardust to flush the darkness out of those people, I also aided by letting stardust energy radiate out of my palms.

“Like this?” I asked her.

“Yeah. I figured out this can exercise people of darkness.”

It was a lot less violent, that's for sure.

~☆☆☆~

Yamin had an idea where we'd find the demon lord, it was a room in the upper level. She passed by it a few times, and it was the only room that the people she saved hadn't checked. Mella's instincts were also pointing that way.

When we reached the door, everything went quiet. A heavy pressure filled my stomach, dreadfully giving me a nauseous feeling. Those who couldn't resist the urge to throw up had to take a moment to gather their bearings. Only Uncle, Yamin, Mella and I kept our cool.

“No doubt the demon is in there,” I said, recognizing the powerful darkness leaking from cracks in the door. I'm pretty sure we were about to enter that big portal.

“Let’s…get inside,” Indena struggled, pushing herself to get through her nassia. “I wanna get this done so I can take a nap.”

“Let’s not be hasty.” Unlce kneeled down to Mella. “Keep those potions handy. Everyone else, let Yalda and I handle the fighting.”

Sounded good to me.

Uncle began opening the door. The wood creaked and sent a rush of evil air toward us. The darkness here was brutal, not easy to adapt to.

But beyond the arch way was a checkerboard floor that seemed to stretch for miles. Beyond them was a bubbly sky of pinks and reds, mountains of green and far away pillars like statues of strong men.

A tame fog misted by, but I saw through it. A figure wasn't far. He was our target.

I took point, Uncle’s stride overtook the others and he was beside me. Mella and Indena fell behind.

“Fire Mage…” Mella looked up at Indena with piercing sharp eyes, “you understand, our truce only goes until the demon lord is defeated, yes?”

“Yeah, I know,” Indena nodded. “Just wait till I get back to my normal size.”

“Of course. Challenging you now would do me little in the way of honour.” Mella pranced past Indena, head held high.

Indena scoffed, putting hands over her hips. “What do you know about honour?”

Mella turned her head back, her little cat face slyly smirking.

“I don't fight weaklings.”

Even without fire magic, Indena’s blood boiled. Ire visibly cringed her face, she clawed at her own side. But then her head went down with a maniacal smile met her lips.

“At least I'm not a pussy-cat.”

Both of them were under the other's skin, easily showing the universe that their rivalry wouldn't go away overnight.