8 True Identity

"Your world...Your perfect Utopia...comes to an end." A man said to me and smirked as he slowly unsheathed his sword.

"That may be true...but you forget, this is MY world. You're merely only living in it." I chuckled and my red eyes shined as I pulled out a mask from behind me.

I woke up from my dream and stared at the ceiling. I heard the door to my room open then saw Candy walking in. I closed my eyes and covered my eyes with my arm.

"Good morning! It's time to wake up, Hakai!" Candy spoke in a happy soft voice.

"Leave." I said and sighed. "Too early in the morning for this."

"Too early? It's 10:32 AM! You sleep in a lot!" Candy said and pulled me out of bed. "C'mon, we're going to the kitchen!"

"Ugh.." I groaned as I was dragged out of bed by Candy.

I followed Candy into the kitchen and sat in a chair while Candy got out pots and pans and got ready to cook breakfast. I watched her and rested my cheek on the palm of my hand. As I watched Candy, I smiled at her. She reminded me so much of Trixy when she was little.

{Flashback}

"Look look! I'm helping mama cook breakfast!" Trixy said happily with dough on her face and in her hair.

"We're gonna have to get you cleaned up, you got extremely messy. Right love?" I looked at Rinka.

"Yeah, my little assistant is very messy." Rinka smiled and ruffled her hair.

{End of Flashback}

Candy looked at me and noticed tears rolling down my cheek. She looked surprised and worried. She ran around the counter and towards me. She wiped my tears and saw I was smiling.

"Hakai..?" Candy spoke. "You're crying...are you okay?"

"Yeah...just got some happy memories.." I sniffled and wiped my tears. I looked at her and nodded. "You don't have to worry."

"Okay." Candy gave a smile and walked back around the counter. "Oh, now that we have time...I wanna know a lot about you! I overheard some of your conversation with Lyn a few days ago. It made me wonder who you are really."

"Oh? I've really peaked your interest now huh?" I chuckled and sat back in my chair and watched Candy.

"Well duh, goofy! Of course I'll be interested in you!" Candy looked at me. I gave a smirk and Candy blushed hard, realizing her what she said. "W-Wait! I meant as in- What I mean was of course you peaked my interest! Hmph!"

"I know what you meant." I laughed softly. "Alright I'll tell you everything about me."

Candy listened closely and I looked at her then leaned forwards then showed my spirit to her. She looked at me curiously then I looked at her.

"Touch it. You will relive my most important memories." I said.

"Touch it..? Are you sure?" Candy asked.

"Trust me, I know you can do it." I said.

She nodded and touched my spirit then it glowed brightly and it transported her to a world of memories. I was with her in my spirit form. I walked beside her and looked around.

"Welcome to a very important place in every person, Palace of Memories. This place is very important for more reasons than one." I said then walked forward. "You'll know everything about me through these few memories."

"Okay.." Candy nodded and looked at me.

"Let's start where it all began.." I said.

{Memory 1: Sky vs Yuto}

I looked at Sky and readied my sword. Sky looked at me and glared. I didn't want to fight her, yet it came to be like this. Sky dashed towards me and slashed with her sword. I blocked the attack and our auras surged. I pushed her back and dashed towards her and slashed continuously. She blocked and parried my attacks. She slashed back but I dodged the attack then ran past her.

"You're working with the enemy! Your Great Spirit can not be trusted! She is too dangerous! Why can't you see that?!" Sky yelled. "She is the one who summoned those Light Devourers! Those black dragons are her creation!"

"I do see it, but the reason I'm stopping you is because she's too powerful! You wouldn't listen to reason so it comes down to this! Me having to fight you to listen!" I said and dark particles spiralled around my body. My purple cape flowed in the wind. "That place will kill you instantly! Too many people have fallen in that world named Eden."

{End of Memory 1}

"Eden..? I think I've heard of Eden before but from where..?" Candy asked herself.

{Memory 2: Steven vs Andrew}

"Steven...We stand at the place it all started. Head of Heroes Academy. It's just me and you in this desolate world now." Andrew smirked. "We finally settle this once and for all!"

Andrew dashed to me and summoned a bow that has dark aura surging around it. He pulled the string and a dark arrow appeared between his finger tips. I looked at him and red aura flowed from my left eye. Andrew laughed and released the arrow then I vanished and appeared above him. He looked up then looked surprised. I grabbed his face and flew straight to the ground and slammed him into the ground. I got off him and tossed off my jacket then roared as flames surrounded me and I transformed into my Zodiac Mode. Andrew stood up slowly and grunted as he looked at me.

"You think you can defeat me Andrew? Betraying me and my friends just to beat me in a fight? You're more pathetic than the God you work for! If you think I'm fighting to protect..you're wrong. I'm fighting to kill you!" I bellowed and my flames turned purple and the symbol on my left eye shined.

"What..the hell is this power..? His aura is so chaotic...where does this power originate? I haven't felt this before.." Andrew said to himself.

{End of Memory 2}

"So you were a Legendary Zodiac Knight?!" Candy looked at me surprised.

"Yep. That's not all from this timeline that's important." I said and walked ahead.

{Memory 3: Cipher}

I sat on the roof of a building then looked at my mask. I stood up and put my mask on then closed my cloak and looked back. I saw Emilia, Rinka, Rhea, and Mitsune walk up. They were accompanied by Arcane.

"Cipher. There's gonna be an attack on this very building. How should we prepare?" Arcane asked.

"Prepare?" I looked ahead and gave a slight chuckle. "We are already prepared. Our organization named Cipher is the strongest it's ever been. To prepared for this attack would be Overkill for the enemy."

"Big Brother...will we be safe?" Emilia asked.

"Yeah we will be safe. As long as I'm alive...no one is defeating us." I said then looked at the group of people walking to the building. "They are here.."

"There they are! Cipher! We're gonna take you down you vigilante bastards! Going against real authority is unforgivable! You are the very ones who killed our president!" A man yelled.

"You found us...congratulations. For your reward..." I teleported to the man and grabbed his neck and raised him off the ground. Red aura emitted from the left eye of my mask. "You will never live to see another day."

I snapped his neck and dropped his body. I looked at the rest of his group as red aura emitted from the left eye of my mask. Emilia's green eyes glowed. Rinka snarled and her gold eyes emitted aura. Rhea's purple eyes shined brightly and she smirked. Mitsune summoned his sword and his blue eye emitted aura. Arcane had red aura emitting from both eyes of her mask.

"We are Cipher...We will bring justice to all. Your leader is planning to revive someone who will end all civilization. We will find her and kill her." I said.

{End of Memory 3}

"You lead a group of vigilantes and was named Cipher? That's actually really cool! I wanna see you as Cipher one day!" Candy smiled. "Hm? This memory here is locked."

I watched her walk passed me then closed my eyes. Candy saw a key and grabbed the key to unlock the memory. She tapped the memory and her eyes widened.

{Memory 4: Steven vs Trixy Part 1}

"You think you are the hero, Steven?! You think you can stop me from completing the goal you were going for?! I did all this for you! You are the only reason I'm going this far!" Trixy yelled.

"I never told you to walk down this path Trixy...I can't stand to see my own daughter hurt herself for me. Stop this now Trixy. The Phantom Eyes will only hurt you.." I said.

"I don't care! I will use these eyes to send myself up to the Realm of Gods and kill Nymphira!" Trixy said. "If you're gonna stop me...then I will kill you!"

{Memory 4: Steven vs Trixy Part 2}

"Remember this as my final lesson to you Trixy! Always be strong! Walk with your head high! Remain brave! Most importantly remember I am always with you! Immolation Flame!" I bellowed and flew towards Trixy and slashed downwards at her with my sword.

Trixy looked shocked and I stabbed my sword into the ground beside her and smiled then held her head. Trixy looked shocked as she was pulled in a hug.

"My most important lesson...is that I will always love you. I'm sorry...I couldn't stay to spend more time with you..." I said then fell backwards and slowly turned normal. My eyes became lifeless slowly. Trixy looked at me and realized what happened.

"Papa!" Trixy crouched down and pulled me up, looking at me with tears forming in her eyes. "Don't die! Don't die please! What am I gonna tell Mama?! Big sister, Masaki?! Aunt Emilia?! You can't die now papa! Please!"

Trixy gripped my shirt and sobbed on my shoulder.

{End of Memory 4}

"You...died." Candy looked at me surprised. "How are you even here right now..?"

"I was revived...by the very woman who gave us our power." I said and walked towards the exit. "This universe we live in...is an entirely new timeline. I got a chance to make everything better. I made this timeline and will protect it. Candy...we have met in the past. I know you won't remember it, but soon you'll know. We don't have enough time to relive our memories from the past right now. Just know, when the time comes..we will relive our old memories and we will get your memories back."

"Hakai..." Candy looked at me and followed me to the exit.

"I will get your memories back..." I said and walked through the exit.