Tale Of Souls (Cathartic Nightmare)

Selfish repeating stories

There's a knock at my door, and it's a really quiet one. I'm too chicken to go figure out who or what it is, or either that or I'm too selfish. This story is repeating itself around my head, and I can't figure out the answer to the riddle. I'm like a dog out in the ocean, I'm paddling but I'm getting nowhere.

"Justin, it's me."

Who is 'me' and what do they want...

"Can you let me in?"

It sounded like Lily, but I didn't want to make an assumption.

"Please?"

She was too soft spoken to be our Lily. Which was a really strange theory, knowing how this worked. Lily was never that quiet, not that I can remember... not even me, I'm never that quiet am i? God, I feel like I'm losing it already.

"I really need to talk."

About what, since you don't know who I am, or what I'm meant to do.

"Please?"

Since you asked...

"Hi." I blinked, it was Inuko. I was expecting some childlike version of Lily at my door. "You, you're ok now?"

"Yea. What were you expecting?"

"I dunno, a bunch of flowers with your name on it and a death certificate from another timeline?" I raised an eyebrow out of confusion. This was weird.

"Smart ass." Inuko smirked, and pushed me past the door frame and rolled her eyes. "I have things to ask you let's sit."

"My room, I stand."

"We sit, because if you don't sit you'll klutz out."

"Let's talk shmalk.. what are you on about now that's so important that it can't wait til morning?"

"Because, morning may never come in an eternal dusk." Inuko spoke like she knew something nobody else did. Under these sheets, the fire rages on and melts and molds the third key quicker than the supernova of a star.

"What's up."

"I know where Strode is."

"And I know where my dick is so?"

"Don't play coy with me, we don't have much time – you need to get everyone to come with like Izu-san said. Including the others."

"And do what."

"Save the world. We can restore everything, we just have to put Strode back where he belongs, and Kam back where he belongs and everyone else similarly." Inuko nodded and showed me a flowchart explaining everything. "I worked this out about twenty minutes ago."

"Holy fucking, mother of all gods how did you manage that one?" I raised my eyelids wider then they'd go; and coughed at the detail. The sarcasm was lifted for a moment, which sucked because I was having fun at being a sarcastic bastard. "This makes total sense... but how do we do it?"

"Strode belongs in the time with Makoto, and Kam belongs in the time where Izuchi is human, and is never our teacher. Yasuo belongs with Reiko and Tensei on their timeline – I'm a copy per se of myself and Reiko, but there's another Reiko and another me we have to move to their respective places." She nodded, "Each step has to be careful, and we need Yasuo's help at first."

"To do what?"

"Fuse with you temporarily to give you his abilities."

"What, no... that'll make me go nuts again."

"Dude, you're a fucking fruitcake by now – get off your high horse and pay attention."

I rolled my eyes, something never ceases to leave me wondering why I even bother to ask. I sighed, and took another deep breath – God can't save me now, Lucifer isn't wanting my ass any more than he wants a Satanic cult's butthole...

"Kay, so what's your plan."

"We have to put back some of the lesser important people first, then it won't seem so strange. Then we have to find Strode, and battle him on his time. Kam similarly we have to rejig his brains to forget he ever found his way to this time." Inuko nodded, her innocence wasn't there anymore. Something was different, and it was scaring the crap out of me. Just, it was what – five minutes ago she was reading picture books to the kids around the haven?

"Rejig?"

"Yes, he came here in about 1998 thinking he'd screw with his brother's life on this time, and instead decided to get tested with the government and became a hot ticket for destruction." Inuko pointed to the final bits on the flowchart, "Here, is the last bit – there will be a possible black hole in the middle of Colombia, Missouri. You and Terrin will have to close it up at all costs."

"And this is a theory?"

"Well, theoretically when you have 20 people telling you they've seen this shit, it's more than a hunch. So nice try."

"I can't believe it's going to be almost this easy."

"Easy is far from it..."

"I know but if we would've known this route we would've done it sooner."

"Also, Shiro, the blonde one needs to return with Kam. He unfortunately is not from this time either."

"You're shitting me..."

"He obtained the role of where he is, because he assumed Izuchi was the same as his time – and went along with his needs."

Drum roll please...

Q}vM