This is chapter seven! Enjoy and note that I’ll be having the links to the other chapters before the newest chapter starts ~

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six

Chapter Seven: Changing Sides

Haruki ran forward and fell to her knees beside Tai. She shook him gently, trying to wake him. Alex closed his eyes and shook his head. It was no use – Tai could not be saved. Haruki, wiping the tears from her eyes, slowly rose, her hair covering her face.

“Who … did this?” Haruki cried. Terra and Lex looked at each other and then looked away.
“There was … slight conflict between Terra and Lex, Haruki … Tai stepped in to stop them …” Alex explained solemnly.
“CONFLICT YOU SAY?! THIS ISN’T CONFLICT! I THOUGHT I COULD TRUST YOU BOTH NOT TO FIGHT! EVERY SINCE CINDY DISAPPEARED, THERE’S BEEN CHAOS AMONGST US! I’VE HAD ENOUGH!” Haruki screamed at the top of her lungs and ran out of the inn, not looking back or towards wherever her legs were leading her.

That’s right, Haruki … Feel the darkness that’s within your heart. Let it consume you. Don’t trust such useless friends that you have …

Haruki kept on running and running, unable to stop and her mind full of thoughts. Darkness and evil and madness were clawing at her heart. Was she to follow the road of darkness or follow the safe, sure route of light? Either way … she knew that her friends would die, one by one …

~ – ~ – ~ – ~
Alex pulled the Wagner and arrow out of the lifeless body of that that had once been Tai and picked him up. With Tai in his arms, Alex left the inn to bury him. Terra and Lex stared at each other with intense, raging eyes and then looked away from each other. They couldn’t trust each other … not anymore.

Lex left the inn and ran off in search of Haruki. Terra collapsed to the floor and pushed her hair away from her face. What more could she do now that everyone was against each other? The only ones who didn’t seem to hate each other were Alex and Haruki …

~ – ~ – ~ – ~

Haruki … where are you?
“Who said that?” Haruki whirled around. She was in an unknown area just outside of Orbis. There were smiling monsters that had pointed pink hats and shot out stars. Star Pixies were what they were called.

Haruki … come to me. Go pass Alfonse Green and go to the land where the kitties reside …
“Who are you?” Haruki cried out. No response. Haruki shook her head, but did as she was instructed. Haruki passed more Star Pixies and jumped up onto a rope. She climbed the rope and went through a portal. There, she saw small red, purple, and yellow kitten-like creatures.

That’s right … now climb up and go to the place where there is a blue crystal floating above it. Enter the portal and I’ll see you there … Haruki looked around to make sure no one was there and headed up. She climbed rope after rope until she reached the platform where there were three crystals. There was a red, yellow, and blue crystal. She entered the blue crystal.

“Welcome … my dear friend,” a male voice echoed throughout the entire place. There were three platforms going up and there were flowers and grass growing everywhere. At the very top, there was a small house-like area. This place was bare and it was irregularly quiet. A warrior came jumping down from the highest platform.

“How are you, Noble Bandit Haruki?” the warrior asked, wiping the sweat off of his forehead.
“Holy Warrior Dragostean, what on earth are you doing here?” Haruki gasped.
“Following you for we still have a score to settle. Do you remember that day when we first met? I tried to hurt your precious Grendel, but you stepped in and stopped me by attacking me. If I cannot kill Grendel, then I will just kill you. However … from what I know, I don’t think killing you now would be such a good thing. There’s an evil that wants to slowly tear away at you, Haruki. Tear at you in such a way that one day, you won’t be able to do anything. Haruki … come with me, become my ally, and we can stop this evil together?” Dragostean offered a hand.

Haruki stepped backwards, her thoughts like a blizzard.

“I’ve lost so much up until this point that I have no idea what to do and where to go … I just can’t trust them anymore. My friends, that is. Especially Terra of Henesys,” Haruki’s voice trailed off. Dragostean came forward in his silver armor and hugged Haruki.
“I know how you feel, my dear,” Dragostean ran his armored fingers through Haruki’s hair. Haruki tried to break from the attempt.
“No, Dragostean … you do not understand how I feel!” Haruki pushed him away furiously. “And don’t try to think that you do! Why am I even listening to you and opening up to you? No, Dragostean, no – I cannot and will not,” Haruki turned and stormed off.

Dragostean watched her go and smiled. After Haruki left the area, he began to laugh.

“What a fool she is … she doesn’t realize that I am the answer to all her problems. No matter … she’ll find out the hard way. Silver … where is he right now?” Dragostean said aloud.
“Biorulo, the Golden Armored Warrior, is making his move and intends to kill off another. How, I do not know. I think it is time that we make our move and have Haruki learn to trust us, even if we were her enemies in the past,” Silver replied.
“Such a wise girl you are … I wonder … why do you not betray me sometimes?” Dragostean commented.
“You found me, raised me, and took care of me even though I was a magician. That is why I refuse to betray you, Dragostean,” Silver replied, her robe swishing in the wind. Dragostean smiled.

Biorulo, the Golden Armored Warrior, would slowly claw at Haruki until there was nothing left. Did she know, like Dragostean and Silver, that this was all an illusion? Did she know that she knew Dragostean and Silver in real life and that they were intruding upon her dream? Most likely not …

~ – ~ – ~ – ~

Terra sighed and left the inn. She saw Alex return without Tai in his arms and looked away. Had it not been for Lex and her conflict, Tai wouldn’t be dead.

“Alex, are you okay?” Terra asked. Alex looked up from off the ground at her, his eyes moving about.
“Terra … where’s Lex and Haruki? I don’t think I can stand to be here anymore. I feel as if I must … that I must leave this place now. Perhaps I should go back to Victoria Island where I belong and leave the rest to you three. I realize that, originally, we should have been working together to stop whatever evil there is here, but I’m losing confidence and courage. With two out of the six of us who had assembled to begin with; it’s … I’m … I’m losing hope.” Alex sighed, looking at the now darkened sky of Orbis.
“I see … No, I haven’t seen them. I’ll go look for them,” Terra whispered. Alex grasped Terra’s wrist.
“Let me come with you. I wouldn’t want to see you and Lex fight again,” Alex replied. Terra nodded.

They set off towards the Cloud Park where the Star Pixies resided and spotted Haruki running from the area where the kitties were. Alex and Terra sped off to catch up with her, and before long, they were within her hearing range.

“Haruki, where are you going?” Alex called out. Haruki stopped in her tracks and turned around.
“Alex … T-Terra … I was going to go search for Lex, but it seems to be getting late. I guess I’ve already lost my way around here,” Haruki seemed tense, almost suspicious.

Suddenly, the platform they stood on began to crack.

“What’s going on?!” Haruki cried. Alex looked around frantically and saw several Star Pixies shooting at the platform. Alex pulled out his spear, but before he could start to run towards them; the platform cracked in half and all three of them went plunging down. Desperate to become safe, Terra spotted a rope and attempted to grab it. She swung her arm, but missed by a mere centimeter. Terra cursed.

Below Terra, Alex and Haruki were attempting to grab onto platforms that they passed on their way down. Every time they got hold of one, the force caused their hands to slip and send them further down. At last, they both finally got a firm hold on a platform and heaved themselves up. Terra, on the other hand, kept on falling. If she wasn’t going to act quickly, she was going to become a pile of splattered body pieces at the very bottom.

“Terra!” Alex called. Out of no where, Lex suddenly came roaring out of the clouds and caught hold of Terra by the waist. He swung from a rope three times and they landed safely on the same platform that Alex and Haruki stood on. Terra looked at Lex, her eyes showing no thanks or appreciation.

“Lex, where have you been?” Haruki called, hugging him.
“Places … I just went exploring, that’s all. So Terra; where’s my thanks for saving you?” Lex’s eyebrow rose.
“I could’ve saved myself, Lex. You didn’t have to come out like that. God, you guys all are so annoying. Perhaps I should have killed you all off to begin w – Oh no …” Terra covered her mouth very quickly.
“What did you say?” Alex stepped forward, his armor making a very loud clinking sound. Terra looked away, slowly backing away.

“Oh, who do we have here? Terra of Henesys … the troublemaker who betrayed us all,” a male voice came from behind Haruki, Alex, and Lex. Haruki swerved around and found herself face to face with Dragostean and Silver.

“Dragostean and Silver, what are you two doing in this forsaken land?” Terra spat.
“That’s of no business of yours to know. So, you were working for Biorulo,” Silver’s expression was stern.
“You don’t understand, do you? Biorulo can save us all, even if it means destroying parts of the land first,” Terra explained.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Dragostean retaliated.
“Hmm … no matter – I’ll just kill you all now,” Terra pulled out her bow and arrows and pointed the tip of the arrow towards Haruki. “If I kill her, everyone here will disappear. You were right; Haruki … this place is all of your imagination! Once you’re gone, so are we!” Terra laughed.

Terra let go of the arrows and they zoomed towards Haruki. Dragostean dashed in front of Haruki and blocked the arrows with his humongous shield. He pulled out his traus and pointed it towards Terra. The yellowish blade gave off a very bright light and the hilt glowed. Terra gritted her teeth. Over two dozen Star Pixies suddenly emerged and surrounded all of them but Terra.

“If I cannot kill you all myself, I’ll make sure that the Star Pixies do!” Terra shouted. She pulled out another thin arrow and got ready to fire it. Pointing it towards Lex this time, her eyes flashed. Then she let go. Lex readied himself with his Wagner, but before he could do anything – Silver raised her wand and casted ‘Shining Ray’. All of the Star Pixies were obliterated and the arrow that Terra shot snapped in half.

Dragostean slowly walked towards Terra and stopped half a meter in front of her.

“Terra, stop this nonsense now and stop following Biorulo,” Silver pleaded. Terra shook her head and slowly began to walk backwards.
“If I cannot win, then I’ll just say goodbye to this world before Haruki destroys it,” Terra retorted. She stepped back into nothingness and allowed herself to fall. Terra fell and fell, as far as the eye could see. A low thud sound echoed up from below. Terra was no more.

Dragostean turned around and sighed. Silver’s green eyes flickered as she looked into Dragostean’s troubled blue eyes. He shook his head and looked away.

“Haruki … you must choose whether to continue on or stay and try to stop Biorulo. I will tell you the truth now. You are the governess of this world, even though you do not predict what will happen in this world – like deaths. The only thing you really govern is whether we stay in this world or not. You control our lives, basically.” Dragostean explained. Haruki looked in disbelief.

She was the governess of this world? How was this possible … and why?