An Angel and A Demon

"Just going to stand around watching those two?"

"Nah, let's go back to sleep."

"Not going to join them?"

"I'm sure they'll be fine on their own."

With that, two sets of footsteps headed back to sleep. This wasn't their place to step in, so he wouldn't bother them. Ever since those two had come back they had gotten a lot closer. He had seen it very clearly but there was this wall between them. He had no idea who set that wall up but neither of them wanted to break it down. "Or at least it feels that way." Grabbing Tearia's hand, Xilo walked back to their room as tiredness overwhelmed him. Following Xilo, Tearia was slightly worried about Xelfia and Relia but in the end figured it was best to let them sort through it.

"You say you're just another part of Relia right? Well I have trouble believing that so easily. I don't know what to think, whether you're still Relia or someone else entirely. I know very little about you...two."

Staring up into the night sky Xelfia watched the moon slowly move as it shined it's light on the world of sleep.

"....."

Keeping silent, Azalu listened as Xelfia talked.

"When we found you, there were scars all over your body and you were running from someone. Those scars are still there and so is that scared girl. Sometimes I think you're just with us because you have to be not because you want to be. It's hard to tell with you, it really is..At the time though when we asked you what happened you refused to give us any real form of an answer besides minor details. That was fine then since I didn't really care about you much back then. We were just strangers who happened to meet."

"....."

"Now though, you've helped me more than twice along with Xilo. I've grown close enough to the persona you put up to even consider you a sister. Yet, I still feel very far away from you and I'm sure Xilo does too. You play the mood maker and try to keep balance between us but never do anything beyond that for yourself. The Scars you have may never heal, however I still want you to be honest with us. Be yourself whatever that may be. Ironically sometimes I don't even think Relia's your actual name...that all of you is just fake and will someday disappear from our grasp when you no longer need to be with us. You're just playing a role you've made and filled it in."

"What exactly is it you're after then?"

Steeling herself Azalu broke the silence.

"Wasn't this supposed to be me talking to myself? Pretending? Well, I guess I want to know who you are and not just the act or lies. The truth. It's okay to let yourself be real with us. None of us will hurt you."

"What if it's not my place to say, or if I don't have the power to do it?"

"Heh, no one in this world can stop you besides the shackles you created yourself."

Pausing Azalu thought around in her head about what she wanted to say next. Sadly, without Relia around though she wasn't in any place to actually speak. "Why'd you go to sleep now of all times." Complaining inside her head Azalu heard a very soft spoken voice whisper something with fear. "Tell...her." Hearing that Azalu felt slightly shocked as she heard it once more. "So you're awake after all, too afraid to do it yourself?" She didn't hear any reply after that though. Taking a deep breath Azalu sighed as she took a good long look at Xelfia.

"..This is all pretend right, so let's pretend I have the power to tell you, to say I'm being honest and show you who Relia is. When Relia was born she was given a wonderful life. She had a family and friends who loved her. As she got older though she started to hear things normal kids or people couldn't. Voices in her head swarmed and overwhelmed her mind one night, the next day she awoke to the Fire Element. Unlike normal fire though this fire had the power to heal injuries or illnesses. It was a gift given to her that helped many people. Relia saved hundreds of lives by the time she was nine years old. Word of her fame spread around the world and it spread like wildfire."

It was Xelfia's turn to listen now.

"Along with her incredible healing power it also came with another perk. Strength that was beyond normal. Even being only stage one and just starting the Astral Path by force she could burn someone alive at the tenth in seconds. She only found that out though when someone tried to take her from her home one day. She murdered a man without even realizing it in seconds. People are greedy though and instead of feeling fear when hearing that, they sought after her more than ever before. Especially one man in particular. Setting his sights on her he sent hundreds of people to their deaths in order to capture Relia."

"...."

Grief and hatred filled every word that Azalu spoke.

"One by one, from the weakest to strongest they slowly increased in strength. That man was testing her before he even caught her. Why didn't she just run or move to another town you might wonder...Her parents were sick and the biggest joke of it all was that no matter how hard she tried she couldn't heal them. Praised as an angel for her healing abilities and seen as a demon for her killing abilities but no matter what she did she couldn't help the people that mattered the most to her nor could she abandon them. Her mind was torn in two as those voices eventually came back. Whispering in her ears, influencing her, Trying to take control."

"Then one day, it happened. All too fast for the poor girl to handle. The voices consumed her mind and ripped it apart. They wouldn't allow her any happiness in the state she was in. Unable to do anything she was felt to the ground unable to move. Forced to the ground for hours she watched the door of her house as people walked by while she struggled to stay sane. After a couple hours though she heard the door get knocked on as a tall older man walked inside the house. The sick bastard who wanted to capture her had finally shown up in person and there was nothing Relia could do. Forced to watch him walk up to her, Relia couldn't move as she felt her body get grabbed and dragged away. Barely aware she didn't fight back as she was dragged out of the house with only a few screams escaping her mouth."

"No one in the streets helped her or called for help, they all just watched as a young girl was dragged away kicking and screaming. Every single one of their faces etched into her mind as their disgust attacked her mind, even people she had helped before. However in the next few seconds she felt two sets of hands grab at her legs. Looking down she saw both her parents desperately moving their bodies trying to save her. Feeling her mind break she began to cry as she kicked her parents away. She desperately tried to save them with all the strength she had left. The man that was holding her wasn't patient enough though. Within seconds Astral Energy rose as cries of pain filled the air."

Taking a deep breath Azalu tried to control her breathing as she felt Relia's panic.

"He had cut both of their arms off in seconds. That didn't stop them though, her parents dragged themselves forwards without relenting to save their daughter. This is no happy story though, no one came to help them either. The man grunted as he gripped the girl's hands tightly and forced her eyes open. The next moment more Astral Energy flew into the air as it ripped their bodies into shreds killing them instantly. Forced to watch her parents die in front of her, Relia screamed at the top of her lungs as she passed out from shock. The next time she awoke she was in a strange room bound in chains to a wall. From then on every day she was injected with drugs, tortured, suffered endless amounts of pain as her body was ripped apart and healed. Forced to kill even more people and attacked by those voices constantly as her body killed itself from the inside out."

Listening in horror Xelfia felt sick.

"Her memories and brain were damaged beyond repair to the point that she forgot how to speak properly, eat properly or even move properly. She was a walking corpse that lost all emotion and want. Until one day she was finally given a small bit of freedom and finally learned the reason behind why this happened. That man that took her finally paid her a visit and put an invisible collar of threats around her neck, He wanted the power inside her, to abuse it for his own gain and make his stupid Clan powerful. Forced through all that pain...and just for what? Some fucking scumbags selfish wants. It made me sick, the voices sick, and Relia sick to even think about it but there was nothing we could do. Experimented on for over seven years and forced into solitude."

Gripping her hands, blood started to seep out of her skin as her fingernails dug in hard while she tried to calm herself down.

"Eventually though she met Tearia...A weirdly stubborn and annoying girl that would never leave her alone when they met."