Shadow of Destiny - Once Again
*** Hey everyone. Sorry it's been a while since I updated this fic. I've been preparing for exams and I've been writing other stuff as well. Anyway, big thanks to everyone who reviewed. I love ya'all! Here's the next chapter for you! ***
//You utter creep// Eike thought as he traveled on to his unknown destination. //You utter creep of a demon. Just hurtling me into danger. You'd better know what your doing, Homunculus, or.// Or what? If anything went wrong he wouldn't exist anymore. He would exactly be in a position to pummel the living hell out of the demon.
He squeezed his eyes shut when he felt himself slow down, and then felt the firm ground under his feet. He waited, half expected his body to implode or something. When it didn't, he opened one eye and gave an exasperated sigh. He was /still/ in the same town, and it looked just the same as when he had left, except that for some reason it was day now. There was no sun though, only gray clouds. Eike hoped that wasn't a bad sign.
Now all he had to do was figure out what to do. Eike wasn't exactly sure how it worked this way round. You couldn't change the past by manipulating the future after all. So maybe he would just have to find out how things had gotten this way and work out what to do from there.
But how the hell was he going to do that?
The street was deserted. Looking back, he could see the town square. Maybe there was something there that could help. Someone anyway. He could here noises from that direction. So he broke into a brisk jog, not certain how much time he was allowed in the future. He was pretty sure he would get a warning from the Digipad if he needed to return to the past, or maybe from Homunculus. But he wasn't going to take any chances.
Rounding the corner, he stumbled and almost fell over at the sight that loomed in front of him. He steadied himself on the wall and his breathing became ragged gasping as he stared at the chalk markings on the ground. It was surrounded by yellow tape, and a policeman stood nearby, trying to keep away the gossiping ladies and drunken youths Eike recognized from previous encounters. Eike felt weak when he spotted Margarete in the crowd. She was standing quietly, her hands clasped to her chest. She stared at the chalk marks with a kind of controlled horror. When the light caught her face, Eike could see glistening tear-tracks on her cheeks. His eyes moved back to the chalked outline of a body on the cobbles.
//Is that my outline?// Eike asked himself. //Did. did I die? But if.//
Eike suddenly realized the awkward position he was now in. If it was him that had been killed, then it would be very strange for Margarete, even the whole crowd, to see him standing there looking remarkably well, excepting for being a little pale. Quickly and quietly Eike turned and went back round the corner he had just turned. He leaned back against the wall, trying to catch his breath and work out what was happening.
Had Homunculus failed? Or had the demon finished with him at that point? Maybe, somehow, Homunculus and found a way to detach his destiny from Eike's, so that he no longer needed to save Eike, and then Eike had been killed by Hugo again, and now he was dead for good. Was that it? It was a horrible thought, but it certainly made sense. If Homunculus didn't need Eike anymore, why would he go out of his way to help him? That complete.
Eike tried to calm himself down. He took a few deep breaths and rubbed his temples. But anger still bubbled inside him and he wanted more than anything to scream out. How could Homunculus do that? He was such a sneaky bastard and it was the sort of thing he'd do. But why? And far more importantly. how?
Eike decided he had better get away from the town square and the scene of his murder. It was depressing to think of it that way but it was the truth. Besides, he couldn't risk being seen by anyone. Especially Margarete. So he began to walk south towards the art museum or the library. He couldn't really remember. He was really starting to lose track of things. It didn't matter in the end. If he needed the library he could always go back in time and change it.
Eike paused. It was amazing how natural it al seemed to him now. Time- travel. Demons. He would probably need some serious therapy when all this was over.
He stopped when he reached the small patch of trees, the place where he had seen Homunculus and learned about him switching Margarete and Dana. Eike winced at the thought of how those two girls and been messed around so badly. It wasn't fair, wasn't right, for Homunculus to treat people like that. And how could he have been so casual about it. Like he didn't care.
Eike rolled his eyes. //That's because he doesn't care, you moron. /He's/ not human, remember?//
He was about to walk on, when a movement behind one of the trees caught his eye. Turning back, he saw for the first time that someone was standing there, their back against the tree, watching the alleyway nearby. He couldn't see who it was, but Eike felt certain that they could help him.
"Um... excuse me?" he said, loudly.
The figure turned, and Eike's next question caught in his throat as he recognized who he was staring at.
Himself.
Considering what he had just seen back at the square, it was the greatest shock in the world, to see himself, looking entirely well and very much alive, standing right there in front of him. If that was the case, then it couldn't have been /his/ outline on the cobbled ground at the square.
But then who's was it?
"Great you're here," the future Eike was saying. "I thought you might have gone to a different time, but I thought it would be good to just make sure."
"Huh?"
The other Eike waved his hand. "Doesn't matter. You'll figure it out eventually. /I/ did."
Eike swallowed and shook his head in confusion, still trying to come to terms with the fact that he was, quite literally, talking to himself. "What are you talking about?"
"Look, your here to find out what happens to us. Or rather, what has already happened to me and what will happen to you."
Eike lined up all the words he'd just heard; eventually decided they made sense and nodded slowly.
"Right," his other self said, looking relieved. "So you remember Homunculus telling you there might me more to this than just Hugo out for revenge? Well, in this thread of time that didn't happen. Something went... wrong. I'm not actually sure. Maybe Homunculus worked it out. But you have to make sure that Margarete isn't involved in any of this. Okay? If she's there when you have to do this then... I don't even like to think what will happen."
"When I have to do what?"
The future Eike winced slightly. "You have to let Hugo get killed."
Eike looked at himself; shocked and horrified that he was hearing himself say this. He realized what should have been completely obvious from the moment this other Eike had stepped out of the shadows. /He/ hadn't been killed, so it must have been Hugo that...
"But why do..."
"I know," the other Eike said, and to his credit, he really did look unhappy with the whole concept. "But it has to be done. Homunculus told me that interfering in that event could cause an even worse disaster."
"Like what?"
"I didn't dare ask."
Eike leaned against the wall, completely dumbstruck by all this, by what /he/ was suggesting. "I can't believe this," he murmured. "How can you just tell it to me like that."
"It wasn't exactly easy for me to do, you know," the other Eike said. "I am sorry for being so blunt with you. I just knew we didn't have much time. You can't spend too long in the future; otherwise things really get screwed up. I'm really sorry, Eike, but it's just what you have to do. It's what /I/ had to do."
At that moment, Eike felt the familiar vibrating in his pocket. The digipad glowed red, signalling the need to return to the past, he guessed. He pulled it out and his finger hovered uncertainly over the buttons.
"Well, I wish we had met under more pleasant circumstances," his other self said, managing a small laugh, which Eike couldn't quite return. "I'll leave you to it. I've gotta get back to the library. Mr Eckhart has a hard time dealing with everything on his own."
Eike's finger dropped on the button to return to the past just before he had time to ask what his other self had meant by "on his own".
With a sickening whirl, he was hurled through the streams of time. It was different this time. He felt as though every part of his body wanted to fly off in a different direction. Time was trying to drag him off down a dozen threads of time at once. Eventually, after a few moments of stomach- churning uncertainty, he was set down just in front of the library. He landed hard, and actually cried out as he was thrown forward on his face. He moaned into the cobbled path, looked up slightly, and moaned again.
A pair of black boots were just in front of him. One was tapping impatiently, waiting for him to get up.
"Nice to see you're still in one piece, Eike," Homunculus said.
Eike pushed himself up, dusting off his pants and trying to scrape up what remained of his dignity. Homunculus seemed to go out of his way to make Eike feel like a complete idiot and, unfortunately, succeeded every time. He decided not to bother with the usual 'small talk'.
"I spoke to myself," he said flatly. Homunculus nodded. "You knew I'd have to do this didn't you." It wasn't a question.
"You wouldn't have believed me if I'd told you, Eike", Homunculus said calmly. "I thought it best you here it from yourself."
"Boy that makes me feel better," Eike said bitterly.
There was silence for a moment, before Homunculus spoke. "You don't have much time. You woke Margarete when you cried out, and you'll have to lock her in her room so she doesn't interfere."
Eike nodded. "And then I go to the square?"
"Yes."
He nodded again, and walked past the demon, unlocking the front door and slipping in as quietly as possible.
*** Hey everyone. Sorry it's been a while since I updated this fic. I've been preparing for exams and I've been writing other stuff as well. Anyway, big thanks to everyone who reviewed. I love ya'all! Here's the next chapter for you! ***
//You utter creep// Eike thought as he traveled on to his unknown destination. //You utter creep of a demon. Just hurtling me into danger. You'd better know what your doing, Homunculus, or.// Or what? If anything went wrong he wouldn't exist anymore. He would exactly be in a position to pummel the living hell out of the demon.
He squeezed his eyes shut when he felt himself slow down, and then felt the firm ground under his feet. He waited, half expected his body to implode or something. When it didn't, he opened one eye and gave an exasperated sigh. He was /still/ in the same town, and it looked just the same as when he had left, except that for some reason it was day now. There was no sun though, only gray clouds. Eike hoped that wasn't a bad sign.
Now all he had to do was figure out what to do. Eike wasn't exactly sure how it worked this way round. You couldn't change the past by manipulating the future after all. So maybe he would just have to find out how things had gotten this way and work out what to do from there.
But how the hell was he going to do that?
The street was deserted. Looking back, he could see the town square. Maybe there was something there that could help. Someone anyway. He could here noises from that direction. So he broke into a brisk jog, not certain how much time he was allowed in the future. He was pretty sure he would get a warning from the Digipad if he needed to return to the past, or maybe from Homunculus. But he wasn't going to take any chances.
Rounding the corner, he stumbled and almost fell over at the sight that loomed in front of him. He steadied himself on the wall and his breathing became ragged gasping as he stared at the chalk markings on the ground. It was surrounded by yellow tape, and a policeman stood nearby, trying to keep away the gossiping ladies and drunken youths Eike recognized from previous encounters. Eike felt weak when he spotted Margarete in the crowd. She was standing quietly, her hands clasped to her chest. She stared at the chalk marks with a kind of controlled horror. When the light caught her face, Eike could see glistening tear-tracks on her cheeks. His eyes moved back to the chalked outline of a body on the cobbles.
//Is that my outline?// Eike asked himself. //Did. did I die? But if.//
Eike suddenly realized the awkward position he was now in. If it was him that had been killed, then it would be very strange for Margarete, even the whole crowd, to see him standing there looking remarkably well, excepting for being a little pale. Quickly and quietly Eike turned and went back round the corner he had just turned. He leaned back against the wall, trying to catch his breath and work out what was happening.
Had Homunculus failed? Or had the demon finished with him at that point? Maybe, somehow, Homunculus and found a way to detach his destiny from Eike's, so that he no longer needed to save Eike, and then Eike had been killed by Hugo again, and now he was dead for good. Was that it? It was a horrible thought, but it certainly made sense. If Homunculus didn't need Eike anymore, why would he go out of his way to help him? That complete.
Eike tried to calm himself down. He took a few deep breaths and rubbed his temples. But anger still bubbled inside him and he wanted more than anything to scream out. How could Homunculus do that? He was such a sneaky bastard and it was the sort of thing he'd do. But why? And far more importantly. how?
Eike decided he had better get away from the town square and the scene of his murder. It was depressing to think of it that way but it was the truth. Besides, he couldn't risk being seen by anyone. Especially Margarete. So he began to walk south towards the art museum or the library. He couldn't really remember. He was really starting to lose track of things. It didn't matter in the end. If he needed the library he could always go back in time and change it.
Eike paused. It was amazing how natural it al seemed to him now. Time- travel. Demons. He would probably need some serious therapy when all this was over.
He stopped when he reached the small patch of trees, the place where he had seen Homunculus and learned about him switching Margarete and Dana. Eike winced at the thought of how those two girls and been messed around so badly. It wasn't fair, wasn't right, for Homunculus to treat people like that. And how could he have been so casual about it. Like he didn't care.
Eike rolled his eyes. //That's because he doesn't care, you moron. /He's/ not human, remember?//
He was about to walk on, when a movement behind one of the trees caught his eye. Turning back, he saw for the first time that someone was standing there, their back against the tree, watching the alleyway nearby. He couldn't see who it was, but Eike felt certain that they could help him.
"Um... excuse me?" he said, loudly.
The figure turned, and Eike's next question caught in his throat as he recognized who he was staring at.
Himself.
Considering what he had just seen back at the square, it was the greatest shock in the world, to see himself, looking entirely well and very much alive, standing right there in front of him. If that was the case, then it couldn't have been /his/ outline on the cobbled ground at the square.
But then who's was it?
"Great you're here," the future Eike was saying. "I thought you might have gone to a different time, but I thought it would be good to just make sure."
"Huh?"
The other Eike waved his hand. "Doesn't matter. You'll figure it out eventually. /I/ did."
Eike swallowed and shook his head in confusion, still trying to come to terms with the fact that he was, quite literally, talking to himself. "What are you talking about?"
"Look, your here to find out what happens to us. Or rather, what has already happened to me and what will happen to you."
Eike lined up all the words he'd just heard; eventually decided they made sense and nodded slowly.
"Right," his other self said, looking relieved. "So you remember Homunculus telling you there might me more to this than just Hugo out for revenge? Well, in this thread of time that didn't happen. Something went... wrong. I'm not actually sure. Maybe Homunculus worked it out. But you have to make sure that Margarete isn't involved in any of this. Okay? If she's there when you have to do this then... I don't even like to think what will happen."
"When I have to do what?"
The future Eike winced slightly. "You have to let Hugo get killed."
Eike looked at himself; shocked and horrified that he was hearing himself say this. He realized what should have been completely obvious from the moment this other Eike had stepped out of the shadows. /He/ hadn't been killed, so it must have been Hugo that...
"But why do..."
"I know," the other Eike said, and to his credit, he really did look unhappy with the whole concept. "But it has to be done. Homunculus told me that interfering in that event could cause an even worse disaster."
"Like what?"
"I didn't dare ask."
Eike leaned against the wall, completely dumbstruck by all this, by what /he/ was suggesting. "I can't believe this," he murmured. "How can you just tell it to me like that."
"It wasn't exactly easy for me to do, you know," the other Eike said. "I am sorry for being so blunt with you. I just knew we didn't have much time. You can't spend too long in the future; otherwise things really get screwed up. I'm really sorry, Eike, but it's just what you have to do. It's what /I/ had to do."
At that moment, Eike felt the familiar vibrating in his pocket. The digipad glowed red, signalling the need to return to the past, he guessed. He pulled it out and his finger hovered uncertainly over the buttons.
"Well, I wish we had met under more pleasant circumstances," his other self said, managing a small laugh, which Eike couldn't quite return. "I'll leave you to it. I've gotta get back to the library. Mr Eckhart has a hard time dealing with everything on his own."
Eike's finger dropped on the button to return to the past just before he had time to ask what his other self had meant by "on his own".
With a sickening whirl, he was hurled through the streams of time. It was different this time. He felt as though every part of his body wanted to fly off in a different direction. Time was trying to drag him off down a dozen threads of time at once. Eventually, after a few moments of stomach- churning uncertainty, he was set down just in front of the library. He landed hard, and actually cried out as he was thrown forward on his face. He moaned into the cobbled path, looked up slightly, and moaned again.
A pair of black boots were just in front of him. One was tapping impatiently, waiting for him to get up.
"Nice to see you're still in one piece, Eike," Homunculus said.
Eike pushed himself up, dusting off his pants and trying to scrape up what remained of his dignity. Homunculus seemed to go out of his way to make Eike feel like a complete idiot and, unfortunately, succeeded every time. He decided not to bother with the usual 'small talk'.
"I spoke to myself," he said flatly. Homunculus nodded. "You knew I'd have to do this didn't you." It wasn't a question.
"You wouldn't have believed me if I'd told you, Eike", Homunculus said calmly. "I thought it best you here it from yourself."
"Boy that makes me feel better," Eike said bitterly.
There was silence for a moment, before Homunculus spoke. "You don't have much time. You woke Margarete when you cried out, and you'll have to lock her in her room so she doesn't interfere."
Eike nodded. "And then I go to the square?"
"Yes."
He nodded again, and walked past the demon, unlocking the front door and slipping in as quietly as possible.