Moving Along Remastered

Chapter 13: Inhibitions Part 2

Moving Along Chapter 13: Inhibitions part 2

I didn't know where this surge of energy came from as I charged my darker half. All I knew was that I needed to get out of here now! Out of my mind! Out of my fears! Out of my own inhibitions!

Our scimitars clashed as we sliced with one sword and blocked with the other at the same time. We glared at each other muzzle to face. Our blades ground against each other, not giving the faintest bit of wavering. "You know.....this could've been avoided," Simon grunted as I pressed him back a few paces. "If your stupid mother......hadn't got in our way!"

That did it. Strength surged through me and I angled the blades down to headbutt him. He ducked and pushed me away. I jumped forward and swung both swords. Simon vanished in an instant and appeared behind me to stab. I just barely parried the blow, but couldn't block the kick to my stomach. I flew back into the brick wall of one of the crumbling buildings.

"You think you're better than me?!" He practically growled out as I stood up from the wreckage. My head was bleeding from the crook in my ear. How was that possible? I'm in my own mind. Maybe it was to represent my mental state? If that was the case, then it would be best not to die. I shook off the twinge of pain I felt and charged again. "I never thought I was better than anyone!" I growled back out.

He ran at me, but I was ready for it this time. I sidestepped and kneed his ribs. I heard a crack as I brought my sword down onto his lower back. Simon grunted and punched me square in the jaw. I fell back onto the rubble and let go of my blade. He pulled it out of himself, then threw it at me. I rolled out of the way where it impaled the spot my head had been.

Simon smiled and swung his scimitar at me to which I blocked with my other sword. Just like he probably planned, I was open for attack by his other weapon. It slashed towards my muzzle quickly, so I tried something new. With one small thought, my other sword re-summoned in my paw in time for me to parry the hit. In an instant, I swung my blade and it sliced into his chest. He grunted again, then I shot up and rammed my head into his.

"You ready to give up?" I grunted as he fell back this time while I stood up. There may have been more damage done to him, but it was all I could do to keep up. If I slipped up just a little bit, he'd get the best of me. I placed the tip of my sword to his chest. "What's it going to be?"

"Death," He impaled himself against my sword and stabbed my stomach. I coughed up blood onto his face and backed off of his sword, clutching my stomach tight where blood poured from it. "You can't get rid me, Atticus. I'm not something you can just wish away."

I fell to my knees, then Simon fell to his too. We were both gasping for breath that could hardly flow properly. "Who...said I was...getting rid of you?"

Simon glared at me and spat, "You abandoned me all those years ago, Atticus. I was your anger. You just got rid of me like I was trash! Locked in the back of your mind all these years!"

So that's what he felt. All this darkness. All this resentment. All this anger. He felt like I abandoned him. I guess in a way I did. But that wasn't because I thought of him as anger.

"That's not what you are," I shook my head. "You're not my anger. You're something else." Simon's eyes widened at these words. They must have been the last thing he was expecting. "Something that a lot of humans and possibly furs don't have. Something I was afraid to accept and casted it away like it was darkness. When really it was the opposite."

"And what is that?" Simon raised his eyebrow at me in suspicion.

"You are..." I smiled at him through waves of pain, "my courage."

At that moment, a softness flooded his red eyes. "I'm your...courage?" He asked in a calmer tone.

"Yes you are. You're the me that had the strength to do what was right when the time arose. I fought those bullies that day because I had the strength to stand up to them. I pushed you away because I was afraid of my own power," I admitted to him, my throat tightening with emotion. "For that, I am truly sorry."