Redemption in Red

The Trials

(Lady Willows above is later explained in the story, sorta)

had to change ;!+(3 realized old one was to short, so now it's [^!+(=3 )

?? pov

Days later i'm in a room that one of the guards assigned me as there are many participants in these Trails, but i have to win, no matter what, to get back to my friends and family. I we're forbidden to watch other matchs as to not give unfair advantages or such, so i wait for my turn, minutes turn to hours, and hours turns to a day, but still i wait.

{knock, knock}

My door knocks and I stand, walk over, opening it, outside are a group of participants and a few guards, one guard says "The Trial of Patience has been passed, you have succeeded and may proceed to the next trial" I blink and nod. The group and myself follow the guards. We exit a hall, to the outside, an arena waits for us, many spirits of death watch us, i see =]0;\ and +@#!0 in the stands they smile and wave, I wave back. A voice crackles over some sort of speaker like system, granted we're in the spirit realm who knows what magic is here, anywayyyy, the voice speaks "the next is The Trial of Resilience, each of the remaining Participants will be given a sector to enter, they must be resilient and overcome a tribulation one they faced in their lives, one they may have overcome or not, is up to the Lady." my eyes widen and i fear what my trial will be, after all if they give me like what i had over the year.....i'd never pass.

We're all sent to our sectors in a flash of light, I blink as the light fades. Before me is not what i thought....it's Alcohol and i gulp "i see, i must overcome my stupid mistakes.....i can do this, you got this [^!+(=3 just breathe and keep calm" i sit in the chair and in come stewards offering me many beverages ones i desire and love but i turn away from them saying politely that i decline. I will beat this, i have to.

Trial after Trial, one harder than the last, the Trial of Will, to prove my will to do something is strong, the Trial of Mind, to prove I am mentally capable of things, Trial of Soul, to prove my soul is true. I, now, am on the Trial of Body, to win I must get to the other side of an obstacle course, either before everyone else or not be the last person, but there's a catch, we're all given weak bones, weak lungs, and no athletic abilities. I look to my left, 2 participants, i look to my right, 2 as well, just us five remain, and we're all determined to win. "On you marks!" we ready "get set" i take a deep breath to calm myself, like my brother told me will help "GO!" the announcer shouts and the five of us are off, we run through the running part, then we get to the climbing part, we are all neck in neck. We arrive at the last part, we're all a bit panting, some more than others, i can feel my lungs rattling and wheezing but i must win this. We all start the last part, jumping from floating cubes to other floating cubes, all above water. {Jump, jump, jump} i slowly am making my way across. "ACK!" I hear a shout from my right, I spin and see one of my competitors is on the edge of a cube and slipping, knowing how I feel and that we have the same, I know they won't have the energy to get up on the cube. I quickly jump to their cube and bend down and grab their hand, pulling them up. They pant and look at me "th-thank you" i smile and nod, panting myself, we both stand and we make it across, sadly i reach in last place, meaning my disqualification.

I get ready to leave the arena when gasps ring out and i turn to look, spotting none other than the Lady herself. I gaze in awe, as i did when i first saw her, when i arrived, her grace and gentle aura is one to be reckoned with, add to her double sided nature, when her eyes are open she is a warrior, and is able to see all, when they are closed she is a calm healer and caretaker always able to protect. She lands in the arena and walks toward me "though your time in the trails are over, a wish i grant you, for you have passed The Trial of Heart, one pure and kind, willing to put their own winnings in the hopes to make sure another is alright" i blink and shake my head "i can't accept this, M'Lady, my life i had was full of mistakes and many people were hurt by me, i only saved them knowing we felt the same with our bodies, due to the catch in this Trial and i really didn't want to fall in that water so i assumed they wouldn't want to either" she smiles and nods "as i said, your heart is pure and kind" i blink "but the others who..." she chuckles "the winner still will receive their gift but for you i wish to give one as well" i bite my lip before taking a breath "i wish to return to the land of the living, but i know that's forbidden, so i wish to somehow return in a new form, be a new person, something else, because my family and friends are hurting and i wish to help them" she hums, tapping her chin "the only way to grant this wish is to erase you" i blink confused "as in if i were to give you a new body you would not remember who you are, and if i were to give you a body who had just recently died and no one were to discover them you would become they who died, and you would be put to the back of the mind" my eyes widen.

"M'Lady!" a voice rings out from the crowd and down floats a male "i recently died to a male looking similar to this one, but he had a horn, and a pink eye" i blink "The Demon King!" he nods "i had no friends nor family near me and i died in an alleyway, let him take my body" my eyes widen in surprise. Lady Willows smiles and nods "wonderful, tell me your full name" the males smiles "my name is Trevor {insert middle and last name}" The Lady smiles and nods forming an orb and offers it to Trevor to touch, he places his hand on it, and it glows, then she shows it to me. I slowly reach out then pause "may i say goodbye to my friends here?" Lady Willow laughs her smile brighter than ever "but of course!" i turn to look to the stands only to find my two friends beside me. They both hug me "good luck" +@#!0 says =]0;\ only nods to me, i smile "bye you two" they smile back. I turn back to the Lady and touch the orb......

A light glows over a corpse. My body gasps and shoots up eyes wide, looking around, I realize I'm back. I grip head hissing, as my memories and the memories of this Trevor fight each other. Two flashes of light appear and i see both +@#!0 and =]0;\ they place hands on his, our, my, shoulders "you must forget" they say in sync, I nod, knowing they're right, letting out a weak whine. Slumping to the side I allow the magic to work my eyes closing "goodbye old friend" one whispers, "may you bring happiness to the guild once more" i blearily open my eyes once more and smile weakly at them reaching out and taking their hands "goodbye Tapio, Bjorn, may you two be at peace again" they smile gently and hug me one last time and saying "goodbye Ritchie" then all fades to black.