Chapter Sixty-Eight

Chapter Sixty-Eight

The cabin was quiet after the strangers left. Peace at last. “Wow, they took off pretty fast,” Hanna commented, breaking the silence. 

DJ nodded with a yawn. He looked at his watch. 23:19. Maybe they should have rested after all. No helping it now. “Was there any soup left?” he asked hopefully. 

Hanna looked into the soup pot. “Nope. Are you still hungry?” She moved the empty dish to the sink. 

DJ shook his head. “I’m good right now.” He looked back at the frozen EDJ, realizing he would have to somehow drag his EO out of the cabin and back up the mountain. It wasn’t a job he was looking forward to. His thoughts wandered to Lui. The Other still looked asleep. Lui was going on eight or nine hours stuck wherever he was. That alone couldn’t be good for him. At least he could sleep, that was something. Something was better than nothing. Maybe they could talk to him again when he woke up. “Better get going.” DJ let out a tired sigh before he walked over to EDJ. Surprisingly, the Evil Other was still contained. Hanna would have to reinforce the prison again at some point before he gets the chance to break out. The melting ice made it impossible to do anything more than slide the frosty block across the floor. DJ did just that, sliding the frozen EO to the exit, leaving a trail of water and slush behind. He opened the door and walked out into the freezing cold of the mountain. 

DJ shivered, the cold air waking him up. He didn’t like having to leave the warm, cozy cabin behind, but it was necessary to get off the mountain and rescue Lui. It was still light outside when they entered the little cabin. Now, the woods were dark. Different. Too many shadows. If the moon was present tonight, it was hidden behind the trees. There was no light save what poured out onto the snow from the cabin windows. Hopefully Hanna remembered the way back to the castle because he sure didn’t. Not in this darkness. He didn’t have the energy to light up the area with magic either. He dragged EDJ through the door and into the snow, hauling the popsicle to the snowmobiles. There was a light dusting of snow over them. DJ’s face scrunched up as he stared at them. Strange. Both of them are still here. Where’d Misty go that she didn’t have to use a snowmobile to get to? I don’t think Ace and Jester had snowmobiles either… At least, I didn’t think I heard them… He shook his head and returned to his task. It was too cold to stay out here pondering. He had been on Everest far too long to fully appreciate the awe of his location any more. Maybe the next leg of their journey would lead them somewhere bright, sunny, and warm. One could hope. 

Hanna was going to help DJ move his Evil Other, but paused and looked around the cabin. Dirty dishes were still in the sink, the countertop was a mess, and the coffee table was out of place with mud on it from Jester’s boots. Flower petals, dirty water, and slush covered the floor. Something about the uncleanliness greatly irritated her. Not that she wasn’t irritated already. The cabin was pristine when they entered. Leaving it in this state didn’t sit well with her, especially when the kind and hospitable host was absent. Hanna started by clearing off the counters, throwing away trash and collecting any scattered dishes. She washed the dishes in the sink and placed them in a rack to dry. Taking a rag, she wiped down the coffee table and scooted it back into place between the couch and armchairs. She gathered all the books still left out and placed them back on the shelf, even the ugly yellow one with the twisted face. She could not find a mop, but she found a broom. Using that and the dirty towel Misty brought out for the melted ice earlier, she made her own mop and cleaned the floor as well as she was able to. The cabin wasn’t perfectly clean by the time she was finished, but at least it didn’t look like the aftermath of a bad storm.

DJ walked back into the cabin. “I think I got EDJ loaded up to where he won’t fall off while we travel.” He noticed Hanna sweeping up and throwing out the last of the flower petals that were on the floor. He looked around for a way to help only to realize all the chores were already taken care of. “If you had waited a moment, I would have helped you clean...” 

“I know,” she replied, putting away the broom. She took one final look around. “I wanted to thank Misty for letting us use her cabin, but I don’t think she’ll be back before we leave.” 

“You can always leave a note,” DJ suggested, moving to collect the mirror before he went back outside.

Hanna nodded, grabbed a paper and pen, and paused with her pen in the air. What was she supposed to say? Hanna was not good with words. In the heat of the moment, her words flew out without a second thought, usually to the detriment of everyone around her. Written words weren’t much better. The last time she wrote a proper thank you note, it came off sounding pretentious and insincere. Too many big words. She didn’t really know Misty that well and she didn’t know if she would ever see her again, but Misty showed her true friendship. Misty stayed and helped when she didn’t have to. She offered them shelter, food, and medical attention. She even offered the coat off her back. She saved Hanna and her friends outside EDJ’s castle. That meant something to Hanna, even if she couldn’t find the right words for it. And how had she responded to Misty’s kindness? Hanna was rude, untrusting, ungrateful, and self-absorbed. Every time Misty spoke, Hanna cut her off. Misty tried to tell her something important and now she was gone. Hanna let out a frustrated sigh. She owed her. Maybe one day Hanna could pay her back. Maybe. One day. Until then, Hanna jotted a couple lines down on the scrap of paper, collected the last of her supplies, and left the cabin, tightly closing the door behind her. 

Thank you, friend. 

~ Hanna

**********

Hanna took a deep breath of fresh mountain air when she stepped outside. The cold, night air felt so much better than inside that stuffy cabin. She looked up at the sky. Between the trees and cabin roof, she could see stars shining through the darkness. She’d be able to see them better once they were out of the woods. DJ was on one of the snowmobiles with EDJ secured to the seat behind him. He was trying to figure out how he was going to juggle the mirror, driving the snowmobile, and making sure EDJ didn’t fall off. “Here.” Hanna reached out, offering to take the mirror off his hands. 

“Thank you,” DJ said, handing her the mirror. As she carefully took the glass object, a look he had never seen before crossed her face. He could not place exactly what it was and he never saw it again.

Hanna twisted the mirror to face outward while she gently held it close in her arms. “I don’t need to drive,” she said softly. “I’ll just fly next to you, if that’s okay.” 

“Yeah, that sounds good,” DJ answered. “Do you know the way?” 

Hanna nodded. She looked away and pointed in the direction DJ assumed the castle was in before she smiled back at him. “Shall we?” 

He grinned and started up the snowmobile. “After you.” 

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Hanna was sitting on the couch, the contents of her pouch dumped out on the cushion beside her. She rummaged through the leftover snacks and medical supplies, deciding what was worth keeping. “Did you know about this Other world they keep talking about?” 

“I had heard rumors,” DJ answered, grabbing two bottles of water from the fridge and walking back to the sitting area. “But I didn’t believe them.” He set a bottle on the table in front of Hanna before sitting in the armchair he inadvertently claimed. 

Hanna glanced at the mirror occasionally while she sorted through the supplies. “Do you think we should tell Lui the plan?” she asked quietly. 

“I don't think it would hurt anything,” he said. “It might comfort him a bit too. I would wait until he wakes up though.”

“Even the part about his memories?” Hanna stopped her task. “DJ, if we can’t help him from the other side… will you let his memories be erased?” 

“If there is absolutely no other option,” he said carefully. “I guess we would have to resort to that. I don’t know that I could bear seeing him not know us…” He offered a hopeful smile. “But we’ll make sure we don’t have to do that, right?” 

She returned the smile. “Right.” 

At that moment, Misty, Ace, and Jester walked back into the cabin. Hanna returned to her task and kept her head down. Maybe if she could focus on something productive, she could keep herself from lashing out at the strangers. She didn’t mind Misty, but she didn’t have the energy to deal with the other two any more than necessary. Her social battery ran out back in EDJ’s castle. Jester went over and plopped onto the other side of the couch. This action sent Hanna’s supplies into disarray. Realizing he sat on a book, Jester pulled the yellow tome out from under him and flipped it open. He propped his boots up on the coffee table, oblivious to the icy glare he was getting. Hanna held her tongue as she rearranged her items in the little space between them.

“Have you made your decision yet?” Ace asked. 

“We have,” DJ answered. “We’ve chosen to go to Thorae. Will you be going with us?” 

They said they would, Hanna thought, still focusing on her task. Then again, they said a lot of things that have yet to be proven. 

Ace narrowed his eyes at Hanna, but responded to DJ. “Of course! I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want us with you, but the Other world will be very dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.” 

“We don’t mind,” DJ answered pleasantly. “We’d be glad to have you along. It’s just that we’ve had a tough time of late with choosing who to trust.” 

“Understandable.” Ace walked up to EDJ and inspected the frozen form. “DJ, how dangerous is your Evil Other?” he asked. 

No hiding it then. “He isn’t terribly dangerous,” DJ responded. “As long as you don’t let him talk… and keep him trapped in that block of ice.” So I guess as dangerous as anyone else would be in the same situation. He tilted his head. “Why do you ask?” 

Ace walked in a circle around the frozen block before turning back to the group. “I asked because maybe Jester here and EDJ could make a team. You and Hanna make a team. And I can take Lui. That way we don’t leave anyone behind. Unless Misty…” He twisted around, but Misty was nowhere to be seen. Odd. He turned back to DJ. “Would you trust me with your friend?” 

“I’d sooner trust you with my life,” Hanna muttered, forgetting she was trying to stay out of trouble. 

Hearing Hanna’s comment, DJ grimaced before he turned to address Ace. “Are you sure leaving Jester and EO together is a good idea?”

“Well, you told me he wasn’t that dangerous,” Ace countered with a shrug. “Besides, I think they’d get along well.”

That’s what I’m afraid of, DJ thought. 

Seeing nothing of value in the empty pages, Jester tossed the book onto the table and readjusted, once again throwing off Hanna’s progress and accidentally knocking over her water bottle. Hanna inhaled sharply, trying to keep it together, as she picked up the bottle and started over. This warranted an odd look from Jester. “What’s your problem?” he asked. 

“Oh, nothing!” Hanna shot back sarcastically. She gave up and stuffed all the supplies back into her pouch. “Nothing at all. Just Joker here getting on my nerves.” She closed the pouch and stood up while Jester stared back at her in confusion. 

“You… think I’m annoying?” he asked in a hurt voice, as though her words cut him to the bone. He shook his head and took on a more offended tone. “And who you callin’ Joker?!” Hanna ignored him and stormed off to the kitchen to sort through the supplies in peace. 

“Hehe, sorry about that, Jester,” DJ offered. He watched the offended and sulking stranger on the couch stare at his own empty hand. 

With a twist and flick of his wrist, a flower suddenly appeared in Jester’s fingers. The Evil Other twisted the delicate flower as he stared at it, ignoring everything and everyone else in the room. He began plucking the white petals off. “She hates me… she hates me not… she hates me… she hates me not...”

DJ eyed the Evil Other suspiciously, before turning back to Ace. He could see Hanna watching from behind the kitchen island and noted her apprehensive expression. “EO’s danger is in his speech,” DJ said, attempting to return to the conversation. “He can convince even the best of people to do something they don't want to do. But you probably already knew this.” A look of shame crossed Hanna’s face before she snapped her attention back down to the countertop. She reorganized and sorted through supplies, but DJ suspected it was more of an attempt to keep herself occupied.

Misty emerged from the back again and looked around the room. DJ was weighing his options as he watched Jester. Hanna was glaring at the counter while she color-coded protein bars in neat rows. Ace was standing near EDJ with his arms folded, seemingly waiting on an answer. Of course, EDJ was still stuck in ice and Lui was still stuck in a mirror. Lastly, Jester was ripping petals off a flower saying, “She hates me… she hates me not…” over and over again. Misty let out a weary sigh. This group? This is the group that is going to save Lui? They get along as well as oil and water. And here I am trying to clean up the mess. She shook her head and walked up to Hanna. “Hey, can I talk to you real quick?” 

Hanna raised a brow. “Sure?” 

“Awesome, so you know how I said I-” Beep. Beep. A series of buzzes and beeps interrupted Misty. She looked down at her watch. Oh no. I missed check-in. This isn’t good. She looked at Hanna, who was still waiting for her to finish. This conversation is going to have to wait. Misty smiled apologetically. “Sorry. I need to go.” She walked up to Ace and said in a low voice, “Can I trust you to get them to Thorae?” 

“Of course,” he answered. 

Misty nodded. “Good. I’ll meet you there. Please take care of them.” She wrapped her scarf around her neck and left the cabin. 

“She hates me… she hates me not…” Jester continued until there were no petals left. He ended on, “She hates me.” 

“You’re starting to creep me out, Jester,” Hanna said. “What’s your deal?” She finally settled on which supplies she was taking along for the ride. She packed them with care in her satchel while throwing the rest away. 

Jester ignored the remark almost completely. He looked up from the flower he had been destroying, after all the petals were on the floor, and absently called out, “...did you say something?” 

Clearly, there’s no hope of these two ever getting along. Ace facepalmed, exasperated with his brother’s ambivalence. Frustrated, he asked, “So, what’s the verdict here? Do we send Jester with EDJ or not?”

“Well, that depends,” DJ answered with raised brows. “Will they be coming with us into Thorae?”

Ace nodded. “They’ll be there, but you won’t have to deal with them,” he responded. “Jester has a few… errands out of the way. Sending them together just seemed fitting, because they’re both Evil Others. Perhaps Jester can talk some sense into EDJ while they’re together.” Now there was a thought. If anyone could talk sense into DJ’s EO, it might have to be another EO. It wasn’t the worst idea ever. 

DOO DOO DOO DOOOOOO BAH-DEE DOO BEE-DOO! A loud chime startled Jester from his seat. He jumped up and searched his pockets until he fished out a phone. He muttered something about thinking it was on silent before he answered. “Hey… what?!” He glanced around before darting into another room. If he was hoping for privacy, it was canceled out by the volume of his own voice. “No! I’m busy … yeah, that… She what?! Of course not, you know I… okay, bye…” He strode back into the room a little too quickly, running into the coffee table with his leg. “Ow!” He rubbed his injured shin with a wince. “So, what’s the hold up? I'm losing what little patience I had in the first place.”

Ace narrowed his eyes and cryptically asked, “The call was from… her?” 

Jester nodded slowly. “Yeah…” 

The slightest sign of a smile crept over Ace’s face before he quickly replaced it with a blank expression. “Don’t feel bad, brother.” 

Hanna and DJ exchanged an awkward glance. Neither one of them had any insight on the conversation and both felt oddly out of place. “Whatever,” Jester said, apparently now in a fouler mood than before his phone call. “Are we doing this or not?” He went up to Ace and leaned in, whispering, “We have a proximity alert we need to take care of ASAP.”  

“I see,” Ace said quietly. We need to wrap this up quickly then.

“It’s probably none of my business,” DJ spoke up. “But since you seem so intent on helping us, I’m going to make it mine. What in the world was all that about?” He could see Hanna waiting for an answer as well. If distrust had a face, it was hers. 

“Oh, that? Just a bit of personal stuff… nothing important.” The only surprise in that response was the fact that Ace had said it, not Jester. “You are correct though, it is none of your business.” Ace smiled while DJ frowned. The Original was beginning to have second thoughts about leaving his EO in Jester’s care, but it was too late now. 

“We’re wasting time,” Hanna stated. “The sooner we get there and rescue Lui, the sooner things can go back to whatever semblance of normalcy I can manage.” 

“Agreed,” Ace said politely. “Tell me, do you know how far it is to the spot where EDJ’s castle was?” DJ laughed before he caught himself. He found the idea of the castle’s state being past tense funny. Ace scowled at him for a second before turning back to Hanna. 

“No more than a few minutes by snowmobile, I’d say,” she answered. “It wasn’t far.” Having just recently been to the castle ruins and back with Misty, she was fairly certain she could make her way there unassisted. 

“Good.” Ace nodded. “The easiest way to Thorae is to use an interdimensional rift to create a portal. There’s one just over a ridge on the other side of the castle. My brother and I have something we need to deal with first. We will meet you at the castle when we are finished and go from there.” 

“Fiiiiiiinally!” Jester turned and headed for the door. “I was getting tired of all the incoherent blathering. Let’s get outta here.”

“It was much more than incoherent blathering,” Ace said as he followed his brother. 

“Not to me, it wasn’t.” Jester opened the door and walked out. Ace turned to give a short farewell bow before closing the door behind them. 

Chapter Sixty-Six

Chapter Sixty-Six

Misty threw three new logs into the fire, trying to get it going again. She plopped back onto the couch with a sigh and rubbed her eyes. She still could not remember who Ace and Jester were or why they looked so familiar. 

“Why didn’t I know any of this before,” Misty overheard Hanna asking. 

“Because most of it’s lies,” she answered, turning around only to realize Hanna and DJ were on the other side of the room discussing the events in whispers by themselves. They didn’t seem to hear her. She frowned. Whatever. At least those two liars can’t interfere any more. Where have I seen them before?! Misty watched the fire pick back up. She got up and prodded the logs with a poker. This is wasting so much time. I could have all of us teleported to Thorae, Lui rescued, and be back home by this time tomorrow. What was all that about only having one portal between Earth and Thorae? Rifts appear all over the globe. Maybe they meant he’s in the only unguarded portal? That, I would believe. And all that stuff about Others? I’ve studied Others a little and worked with plenty of them, but it’s still confusing to me. The number of Others an Original can have seems to be dependent on their personality, from what I can tell. I’ve got Eve. DJ’s got EDJ. That one’s obvious. I’m guessing Lui’s a good Other. I don’t know why Hanna was trying so hard to hide that. I’m sure she has her reasons. Still, it’s super frustrating being lied to your face. And that’s another thing! Where do those two guys off thinking they know what’s best for an entire planet?! Or two planets, for that matter! I’m gonna go have a long conversation with them in a second. Just need to warm up a bit.

“Do you believe them?” Hanna asked DJ, arms folded. 

“I’m not sure,” DJ answered. If there was any truth to the strangers’ words, and he believed there was at least a little, the entire situation became extremely complicated. If they spoke the truth, this problem extended beyond the individuals in the cabin, even beyond Earth. Originals, Others, separate worlds. It was a lot. He was absently staring at the stack of books he had pulled from the bookcase earlier. Not so much at them as through them while he thought, but his eyes lingered on the cover of the topmost book, depicting a little girl next to a mirror. How far does this go? Jester admitted to being an Evil Other. Is it even possible for one to become reformed to that extent?

Hanna twisted around to look at the frozen body of EDJ, as though only just now remembering he still existed. Thankfully, he was still encased in ice. The hasty blast of frost to his face was enough to keep him quiet, but Hanna could tell the layer was far too thin. It looked ready to melt off any minute. “Does EDJ even know how to get Lui out or has he been leading on us this whole time?” she asked.

“If Ace and Jester’s information is true,” DJ answered. “That would lead me to believe EO was lying.” Which was always a possibility. “Do you think we should trust them?” 

Hanna turned back to him in surprise. “You’re asking me? I'm the girl with the trust issues, remember?” 

DJ chuckled. “Heh, well, I guess that is true.” He walked back to the chair with the mirror to check on Lui. He didn’t see the Other in the frame at first. The room beyond the glass was dark. If there was anything of value to see in the background, it was almost impossible to see it now. DJ narrowed his eyes and changed angles. There Lui was. Resting in the back corner, leaning against the wall again. “Lui?” No answer. Poor guy is out cold. I don’t blame him. This whole ordeal has gone on a lot longer than it should have. Hang in there, buddy. Help is on the way. The Original returned to Hanna. “I was going to see if we could talk to Lui, but he’s sleeping. Probably a good thing. I don’t know that he would like our options either.” 

Hanna nodded. “I know he wouldn’t want us to get him out if it made him forget,” she said. “He probably wouldn’t want us to risk our lives going to the Other world to save him either.” Her shoulders dropped and her arms flopped to her sides in resignation. “Is Iceland even an option at this point?” 

DJ shrugged. “It’s going to take time to get there and even more time for them to figure out what’s going on.” He rubbed a hand over his face, fatigue catching up. “There’s a chance this Other world stuff is nonsense and they can get him out some other way.” 

“And if Ace and Joker aren’t lying?” Hanna pressed. 

“Then we’d still have to go to Thorae to get him out,” DJ answered. “We’d lose time, but we’d have help.” 

“He’s been in there long enough as it is,” she said quietly.

“I know.” 

“I’m not waiting.” 

I figured. DJ took a deep breath. “Out of those two options, I would choose going to this alternate world to save him and his memories.”

She nodded in confirmation. “We’re both going to this Other world, then?” 

“Hmm…” DJ contemplated for a moment before he shook his head. “No. I’d rather go alone… he’s my Other. If I go, I’m sure Misty would let you wait right here for us. Or you can take EO back.”

Hanna snorted. “Pfft, I’d much rather have you stay while I go to the Other world. You know that, right?” she asked with a smirk. “There’s no way I’m letting you go alone. The sooner you get that through your stubborn skull, the better.” 

“I’m the stubborn one?” DJ leaned back with a baffled look on his face. 

“Naturally,” she answered. “Where do you think Lui and EDJ get it from? Honestly, trying to keep you three in line is enough to drive anyone crazy.” Her smirk turned into a genuine smile. 

DJ laughed easily for a moment before giving in with a nod. “I would be glad to have you along in case something happens. Hopefully nothing does though.” It was good to know they were still a team, even after the events in EO’s castle. Hanna had his back. They’d be able to get Lui out together, no matter what faced them in this alternate world. It was the alternate side of Hanna he had to worry about. A concern he dismissed for another day. This day was full of enough trouble as it was. 

“Did you understand what they called me at the beginning?” Hanna asked tentatively. 

“No, but I wouldn’t dwell on it.” DJ looked around the cabin. “Where did Misty go?” 

Hanna also turned around. Misty disappeared from her spot on the couch without a sound. She did make a sound, just neither of them heard it. Misty emerged from the back room, fully bundled up in her multiple layers of winter weather gear. She marched past the two and went to the door. “I’ll be right back,” she said as she left. 

Misty found the two strangers standing not far from the cabin. They seemed to be in the middle of a conversation so she approached quietly and hid behind a tree, hoping to figure out what was going on without them trying to cover their tracks. 

“You really think my hat’s stupid?” Ace asked, turning the top hat in his hands. 

“It ain’t doing you any favors, bro,” Jester replied, tossing rocks in the air out of boredom. “Makes you look old… like, thirty.” 

“Thirty isn’t old.”

“It isn’t young.” 

Ace put his hat on with a huff. “See, this is exactly why you never get sent on any diplomacy missions. You have no filter.” 

“I deactivated it years ago,” his brother answered. “I can’t help you have no sense of style.” 

I’m not getting anything from this. “Excuse me.” Misty emerged from her hiding spot. 

“Well, if it isn’t another little earthling Original,” Jester muttered. “Do you always throw your guests out into the snow? That’s pretty rude, you know.” 

“You busted into my cabin uninvited,” Misty answered. “Want to tell me why you’re lying to these poor people? They’re just trying to get their friend back.”

Ace stepped in before his brother could shoot a smart reply. “While we might have twisted some facts to better suit our needs,” he started politely. “I can assure you that we only have the best of intentions. These matters do not require your involvement. I apologize if the conversation of Other worlds was a bit beyond your comprehensi-”

“Ok, you can stop right there,” Misty interrupted, putting a hand up. She pulled out a badge and showed it to them. “I work for the Organization of Rebellious Others. I live in Thorae. I’m well acquainted with what goes on there.” The wide-eyed look of pure mortification on Ace’s face even made Jester chuckle with a tight-lipped smile. “You’re taking my job and making it go from bad to worse,” Misty continued. “If you hadn’t shown up, Lui would be out of that mirror and at home in bed by now! But no, now I have to do things the long, complicated way. And that way means more paperwork. And I hate paperwork!”

“I- I sincerely apolo-”

“Save it. Why didn’t you tell them they could teleport to Lui?” Misty demanded, placing a hand on her hip. 

“Because they can’t.” Jester answered instead of his flustered brother. “There isn’t a teleporter in the world that can get them to where Lui is being held right now. Not safely, anyway. His life very much hangs in the balance here. We’re trying to get everyone in and out alive, even if that means taking the long way.”

Misty narrowed her blue eyes and stepped back. Their narrative changed. “What do you mean?” she asked. 

Jester was about to say something before his brother intervened. “We can’t tell you any more than that without jeopardizing our mission.” Ace glared at Jester for a second before smiling at Misty. “This information is top secret.” He bowed. “I am sorry. I truly meant you no disrespect, ma’am. Huma-” He stopped himself. “Originals… can be tricky sometimes. Knowledge of Thorae and Others is a closely guarded secret among certain parties.” 

“Believe me, I know,” Misty commented, rolling her eyes. She finally felt like she was getting somewhere. “Can you tell me who you work for?” 

Jester gave a broad grin. “The Rebellion.” 

Misty stared back at him with wide eyes. It finally clicked. That’s where he’s from?! I knew he looked familiar! I’ve seen him with the boss! She wrinkled her nose. “Well, that’s great! Sounds like we’ve been on the same side this entire time!” 

“We tried telling you as much,” Jester said with amusement. 

“I guess you can come back inside then.” Misty turned back to the cabin. “Just quit lying to them.” I guess I shouldn’t be so hard on them. I didn’t exactly tell Hanna the truth either. I need to come clean. Ugh. What a mess. 

Chapter Sixty-Five

Chapter Sixty-Five

The cabin was quiet, temporary silence heavy with the words of the strangers. Misty sat on the couch watching the interaction play out, still wishing she had a bowl of popcorn. She gave up trying to be heard and determined she would make more progress if she waited out the conversation and spoke up after everyone was finally done talking. DJ also kept his thoughts to himself. The growing suspicion that his Other was not actually in a mirror, but trapped somewhere else entirely, was confirmed by the strangers. He believed them to that extent. However, the options provided to alleviate the problem did not sit well with him. He tried signaling to Hanna that they needed a chance to discuss the situation in depth, away from the strangers, but to no avail. Hanna was zeroed in on Ace’s words and would not be diverted from hearing him out entirely. It was the same when she set her mind on going after EDJ alone. Nothing in the world was going to stop her. Her single-mindedness was both a blessing and a curse. 

“It just had to be something like that, didn’t it?” Hanna asked, offensively defensive stance relaxing into begrudging acceptance. She acted as though she already had a wheel of possible worst case scenarios spinning in her head and all the strangers did was confirm where the arrow landed. He wouldn’t remember me. Any of the times we had… including all the pain I caused him… He’d have a clean slate, but… She turned to the mirror for guidance, but Lui was not visible from where she stood. The image of his face in the glass when they were still on the mountainside near EDJ’s castle came to mind. “Would rather die than forget.” Isn’t that what he said? The pain in his eyes at even the mention of not being friends… I couldn’t do that to him… I can’t break his heart again… Hanna could feel her eyes watering. Keep it together. 

Ace watched her curiously for a moment. “It does not seem you want to give your friend up.” His tone was oddly void of feeling. “Can you find the strength to come to his aid?” 

Hanna let out a puff of frosty air and returned to her frigid disposition, burying as much emotion as possible. “Are…” She cleared her throat and tried again. “Are those the only ways?” she asked, her emotionless tone matching his.

NO! Those aren’t the only ways! But is anyone going to listen to me? Of course not! Misty thought to herself. It was taking everything in her to keep from marching up to the strangers and shoving them out the door. The only thing stopping her was the eerie familiarity she still could not place. I know I’ve seen them before, but where?! This is going to bug me until I figure it out. Maybe if I just stare at them long enough, it will click.  

“Afraid so, friend,” Jester answered. 

Hanna’s fury ignited immediately. “Don’t call me your friend, pal. A friend is more than a mere ally.” 

Jester flinched in surprise. “Sheesh, don’t be so hostile! We’re trying to help you here.” 

Hanna’s anger abated as she considered the options presented. Perhaps the best thing for him would be to give him up… for his own benefit. But I… I don’t think I can do that… She looked to DJ. He was focused on the mirror, deep in thought. It appeared he did not like the options either. Hanna turned to Ace. “If I go with you and we fail,” she started, always contingency planning. “Would you still be able to get him out using the card?” 

It was Jester who answered her. “We’d be able to get him back using the card, yes.”

Ace nodded with a smile. “We will be with you every step of the way.” Their answer did not provide the comfort she was hoping for. 

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Jester flippantly added on. “You always said Lui was annoying.”

I never said- when did I say that?!

“Think about it,” he continued before Hanna could voice her thoughts. “Would you really be such close friends if your friendship hadn’t been strengthened through this ordeal?” 

“We were close friends before this!” Hanna snapped before biting her tongue and taking a breath. Has our friendship really been strengthened? Even if it has, what’s this have to do with them? None of this is making any sense… “What will happen after we get him out?” she asked. 

“We can finally turn this Original world back to the way it should be,” Ace answered. “When the world is the way it is supposed to be, your evil side will be washed away.”

Hanna stared back at him in shock. “My evil side… gone?” How can that be possible? 

Ace nodded. “Your evil side would be wiped clean forever. Isn’t that what you want?” His head tilted. “Or do you want to keep your evil side?”

“No!” Hanna shook her head. “Of course not! It’s just…” She frowned. Shard gone? Forever? She’s been with me for as long as I can remember. It’s hard thinking of a life without her, but if what they’re talking about is possible… If I could be free of her… No. “It’s impossible.” Hanna crossed her arms. “In fact, it sounds too good to be true. You expect me to believe that you would leave your lives of contentment behind, travel to our world, offer to help us get our friend back, and somehow rid the world of evil for good?” Her icy glare did not waver. “Even if all that were possible, it’s too selfless… for anybody!” 

A cold chill ran down Misty’s spine. She looked at the fireplace. The fire was down to embers and needed feeding. When did that happen? Didn’t I just add logs a minute ago? She glanced back at Hanna. Guess that’s what happens when you stress out an ice mage. If they don’t quit soon, I’m going to have to put a stop to this. 

“That’s it, Ace,” Jester said, finally having enough of Hanna’s attitude. “We’re out. Originals just can't comprehend our means. This was a waste of time.” He turned and walked toward the door, but Ace grabbed his arm. 

“No, we must not give up so easily. I’ll put it in a way she’ll understand.” Ace released his brother and turned back to Hanna. Perhaps ‘content’ was the wrong word. “We may live in contentment with ourselves, but that’s not to say we don’t have problems.” Ace pulled out a metallic device and pressed a button. A small hologram of Earth lit up above the object in his outstretched hand. “Our problem is your kind,” he continued. “Originals created Others. Others were always there, but they were inside you, where they belonged. Thorae exists to get Others out of your way and you out of ours.” He tapped a button and the planet changed. It looked similar to Earth, yet somehow reversed. Not an exact mirror image, but close enough. “No Other wants to be a human. They want to remain inside of you and be part of you, not an individual of their own. As I’m sure no Original wants their Other to become someone else entirely either.” He turned off the hologram and put the device away. “You created us, yet you live so differently from what you originally intended. Putting things back in place would help everyone.”

“Maybe there is a reason Others were created,” DJ finally spoke up. His reflective tone indicated he was carefully considering the information presented. Something seemed off, but he could not place what. DJ and his Others had been living separate lives for years. He certainly didn’t feel he could speak for them, but forcing them back into himself after everything they’ve been through? Was that possible? What was the point of preserving their autonomy and rescuing Lui with his memories intact if he was going to disappear in the end anyway? And Iul? He might as well be a complete stranger. It was easier to spot the differences between DJ and his Others than the similarities. To think they were complete clones at one point in time was almost laughable. What does “back to the way it should be” even mean? Something is missing. A critical piece of this puzzle felt just out of reach. Or perhaps it was being withheld. He couldn’t tell. 

“Exactly,” Hanna jumped in. “Maybe it has something to do with the way we live here. If our world was as nice as we would like it to be, why would Others even exist in the first place? Do you think that by setting things back into place that they won’t unfold again?”

Ace stood straight. “They might unfold again, but this gives us a chance to make sure things don't.” 

“Believe it or not, I’m actually an Evil Other,” Jester commented, as if anyone was going to be surprised by the statement. Hanna was just about to shoot him a sarcastic ‘no, really?’ before Misty intervened.

“Ok, I think we’ve heard just about enough of this,” Misty said as she stood up and walked up to the strangers. She reached her limit. “If you will excuse us for just a moment to think this over, I would be most grateful.” She ushered them to the door as she spoke. “And since you are so, as Hanna put it, selfless and kind, you won’t mind stepping out for a bit. Thank you!” She opened the door and, as gently as possible, shoved them outside and closed the door.