XVIII : Face It Alone II

Her eyes began to sparkle as soon as her eyes met the soul trapped for so long alone, in a cage in the heights of a mountain and now in a small caged bottle. A special glass bottle, that would bring and restore her soul and powers back, it's a life to me or death to all scenario, it would only lead to two possible answers its either I survive and be a legend, or be an idiot like my father who believed in the devil. I have to make my choice wisely and take every single chance of opportunity in taking a huge risk. If the spirit of my father is watching me somewhere, I'll show him how to properly take the risk.

She took a slow step forward, and I quickly paid attention to every single movement she makes, she had a little bit of magic stored, and slightly recovered since the last time I've seen her. I think I wasted a little bit of too much time. Unlike a spirit who can fuse, eat other spirits and rest for a bit, I no longer have the energy to continue saving myself, however my heart is ready, this is the final battle that I've worked hard on. No matter the outcome, victory or defeat, I knew that if I failed, a variant of me would take over, a variant who can put an end to this.

She took another step and slowly she formed her spirit into the child, shaped in the image of the child that started it all, a soul shaped Bell, trying to grab the true Bell herself. I had an eye to eye contact with her and she envies me so much. All of the people I've met along the way, my usage of the innuendo, and the journey itself. If she had a wise decision in the past I knew we would get along pretty well, maybe in an alternative timeline.

Alternative.

"Joseph!" a voice from behind slightly scared me, I was too focused. I didn't turn my head for it might slip in my hand. "Are you really gonna give that devil the power again? She had been really hunger for it since my own body's death." I could hear her voice cracking as she began to cry, I know it's a hard choice but its worth taking the risk. I think I have my plan, I'm just not sure if it would be effective it or not, I only just got the power of the innuendo, I don't  know how much it can impact my choices. But again, I'm taking all the risk. It's a coin flip after all, there's a chance of landing at heads, or a chance for landing at tails. "Joseph Castlevine, I trusted you after the death of my body, your team had broken my silence, please do not make that devil ruin my image again! You also kept a promise to me please do not break it. You don't know what it means to Me." she cried out loud, I could feel my heart exploding already, all of my emotions.

It's a bit too much. Happiness for being successful, sadness for everything that happed due to the devil, fear in the humanities future, anger at the devil for everything, and disgusted in a place like this. I felt my tears falling in my cheeks as well, I am confused even at my own emotions, and I am stuck here in the darkest pit of hell, with a choice to save the innocent child's spirit or to bring back the powers of the devil. Another choice that I would have a hard time to reset for it is not written in the book. I'm going to write it in the blank page of his fulfilled prophecies.

Every choice counts, I've made a mistake on Scaramouche, I will not do the same mistake again, experimental like the White Queens.

"Hey, answer me Joseph, please save me!" please stop, I really pity you after knowing who you are. Please bear with me, guide me.

All of a sudden everyone started to hear swinging bells as the hot wind blew behind me, those bell and chimes that sounded like those used in the rituals of the Redstar's clan. Those chimes came from the other devils, when the spirit shined her light on the wall I saw them running away, their bells rings more and the leader felt motivated. I took a deep breath and my grip grew stronger to my sword.

They aren't aware of my existence, yet. They are about to meet the warrior of the prophet. The spirit cried more and her spirit glow a beam of light from around, and in a glimpse of their eyes I saw them, their eyes told me one thing, they we're also innocent; and I knew a few of them.  They were the non- believers from my island who died before everything happened. And some of them, they were from the side of the devil. I could hear them playing a tune that made everything intense, whistles that blend into the wind, whispers from their language that I didn't understand, and the tension of the pressure become more and more hard for my body to handle, I should be dead, but I'm not. I'm confused, yet wide awake to find the answer. Their tune, they sounded something similar. Similarly to what the prophet sings.

"Joseph Castlevine, I know that you been through a lot, all because of me, but if you wanted the world to restore the world, if you wanna save humanity… I can restore it, promise you, I've accepted my fate, I'm in hell all alone, and I just need that small power to restore the world." She took a few steps but I lowered my hand and took a much stronger grip over the potion she's been thirsty to drink, I also took a step back and I hear the spirit cried even more, due to the fear in Beelzebub's face. The more time I stood, the scarier she gets in the eyes of the child. I wanted to end everything a soon as possible. I'm already puzzling my plan. "Believe me Joseph Castlevine; I can restore the world this time. I am weak and no longer have the capacity to do so." She added and took another step before I took a step backwards.

I stared into her soul and everything flashed in a blink of an eye, everything that happened, the journey that I've been through trying to put an end to her chaos, since the start. From her marching down the halls of the beautiful royal kingdom Foshof. Together with the White Queens' prepared to face the prophecies. The moment she killed those innocent slaves, the moment her crown touched her head, the moment she grew into a giant using another person's body, the moment we had dinner at some sort of heaven, the moment I was warned by Valkyarie and Grave, the moment when she was killed but the time was rewind by Grave, the moment when we danced at her giant palm, the moment when I realized that she was my childhood friends that forgotten my own existence,  That moment she made me kill a lot of innocent lives, I was manipulated and controlled by her puppet strings, the moment where I saw her in a dream after meeting the prophet, she foreshadowed me the meeting at the small village with the false religion, that moment when she found out the hidden island of Barcelona and chased after me, the moment when she finally caught me in the top of mouth nevermore and slid of the world in half, the moment she was killed and her soul was chained by magic, the moment when I saw her in the heart of the dead Queen, the moment that I saw her traveling with us to the fourth island, the moment when she manipulated me more and act blasphemy against the prophet, that moment when my two own eyes saw the death of my wife. That time when she obtained another person's body to construct a false religion, when we finally uncovered your past as the roaming spirit, when I had finally found a match against you. I defeated you and you run away in fear of my soul. I remembered it all clearly in my head, you are always the first, the root, and my true enemy.

It's time to end the conflict, may the prophet guide me.

"Joseph Castlevine, Give me the damn potion!" she quickly casted a magic into my soul and I quickly felt burning inside, I tried to cast a healing spell into my self but I couldn't, in a blink of an eye she was gone, I didn't know where she went and I couldn't sense her. She took the first attack that I expected the most, greedy for the power in my hands.  I fell down on my knees and I quickly slid the potion back into my pocket before touching my chest and tried to heal again, I screamed and cried clearly as I feel the pain getting worse and worse, I couldn't stand up, the only thing that's supporting me is my sword, stabbed on the ground, I felt a kick from behind and before I got a glimpse of who it was, a group of spirit from hell gathered in the dark, all their eyes were looking into my burning soul and as soon as one man stepped into what I can see, I quickly recognized him. "Suffer from hell you fool! Hand me the damn potion for your salvation!" I heard her voice from the distance, I tried to look but it's to dark to see.

"Screw you!" I quickly said and a huge man jumped In front of me, I quickly pulled out the sword on the ground and fought the spirit while I'm laying on the ground heavy breathing and trying to survive. "Beelzebub comes back here!" I screamed in rage and knocked of the spirit who has been annoying me for the past few minutes already, I pushed him away and after getting enough air I was able to move slowly but strongly again, I swing my sword and their bodies quickly turned dust after being cut in half, then I felt my heart, having an extreme sheer inside, I fell down on my knees again and quickly took out the potion in my bag, but I quickly fell to the ground when a bunch of spirits jumped into me, the potion rolled over a rock near me, I tried to grabbed it, but quickly stopped when I felt someone pulling my soul away from my body.

They are taking my breath away.

With all of my strength left I touched the glass with the tip of my finger and it managed to rolled into my direction I quickly opened it up and the head of my soul, it's already out of my body, I quickly drink it and felt a small amount of energy entering my body. These spirits are damn annoying. I managed to stand up again with my own two legs, screaming in rage I slashed those monsters behind me, the spirit seeing all of it in fear cried more producing more light and scaring them away. I quickly run away, leaving her alone. I have to end it now, or else.

I swing my sword to cleared the spirits blocking my way and I started hearing the song of the prophet slowly becoming louder and louder, and the long my path a huge army we're coming closer and closer to me, that's why I quickly knew the prophet had guided me, I danced to the tempo to activate my power and I felt my heart burning with love to save my people, to save the world.

My soul was still burning and its draining my life energy away slowly, but it won't stop me for being super-sonic in this fight.  I think I wouldn't be able to last longer if failed to find her, but as the song in my head gets louder and louder every step I take, every soul I kill, and every beat of my heart pumps. My fate is destined to win. My eyes roamed around the darkness, and my nose we're active in the search, and then a few blinking lights appeared  from a far, I didn't know where it came from or am I being fooled again, no matter what I had a feeling that it would guide me to somewhere.

I was getting tired the more and more I walk, but I know that my fate is coming to an end; my journey… was it all worth it?

The song was loud in my ear.

I saw her.

"BEELZEBUB!" Everything started to feel slow, I saw her shocked face as she heals her spirit with the spirit of my own dead father eating his dead body and almost fixed, I jumped to give my self a momentum, I saw in her eyes her next move, and its not good, her hands we're already prepared for my impact, its gonna land into my stomach that would instantly kill me, and my soul, she already planted something earlier, I could feel it inside, as it slowly explode just like what she did to my wife, but her target, killing my own soul.

I took out the potion of Bell and quickly opened it with my teeth biting the hard wood cover, her eyes widened to see her own twin coming out of the potion and then I did what I have to do.

I rewind the time.

Everything went back, I could feel it all, instead of falling I was flying up, I swim backwards, and jumped into the cliff, I could see everything.

I closed my eyes as I hear the songs of agony play, and then slowly the song was replaced with the voice of the people happily living in silence.

I opened my eyes and I stood there, at the dark alley ways of the village, I saw the innocent Bell trying to find the way to the Innuendo. She had an eye to eye contact with me and she stepped to me closer and closer until I have her a warm hug she deserved. But my tears prevented me from being happy.

"Grave, I did it; I did change the course of time." I whispered while my blade slowly slides into the neck of the innocent Bell. Her blood slowly drips in her neck and her eyes were closed and crying, accepting the fate bounded to her innocent soul.

"Mr. Joseph, thank you for freeing me." Those gentle words were spoken by the young innocent girl, as I felt her tears and blood dripping into my hand

In the jungle there was Larry Melina and Tawal Alshamas both smiling at us, and in their eyes I saw hope.

"Well done… Joseph." Grave opened the same bottle I have in my hand earlier and slowly the spirit of Bell returned to her small home, the spirit of Beelzebub then flowed out into the world freely and we both knew that we have to. "The fate of the mother is unfortunately been said and done; we can't do anything about it." Grave told me as he sealed off the potion and puts it in a special bag. "Welcome to your fate… let's go and end this already, I wanna go back home." I simply nodded and then closed my eyes.

I then fast forward the time, and after a few seconds I opened my eyes. I am back to where I learned everything, when Galileo Cross was staring at the house of one of the descendants of the royal family. He looked into me as soon as we approach the house and I just nodded, he smiled back and touched my head and patted it a few times before giving me a  fist bump and then T.E. Conway walked from a cross the street and he smiled as soon as he saw me. I waved good bye to him and we quickly entered the home where everything was covered in blood, the baby on the table was crying as if she didn't have any idea about the world.

"Are you gonna ruin my image?" The young spirit asked while holding into the cloak of Grave.

"No, we're not gonna harm you. We're gonna take the spirit of the devil and you may enter your own body, she no longer had the power of the innuendo for I have the spirit of Bell in my hands, but to be sure and bring you Joseph's promise." He gazed into me and I quickly smiled kneeling In front of the young innocent spirit.

"I'm sorry for everything I've done, I hope you understand my reasons. All of my past mistakes forget about it, I'm making the reality something more appropriate. The world would be safe from now on." She quickly run and gave me a warm hug. I hugged her back and after a few seconds she started crying and I quickly wiped her tears away and laughed happily reflecting on my own journey.

"Promise me one thing only." Grave's voice was surprisingly silent. I bet I satisfied him with my choice of using the innuendo. "When the day comes, where you will march to the lullabies of the choir. Promise me that you will be a good… no, you will be the best reigning Queen in the history." The snakes of Grave stabbed the baby and she started crying and then her spirit was absorbed, slowly the child lose her consciousness and everything was successfully executed. The spirit was put in a separate bottle and he quickly casted a magic creating a barrier around it.  

A thunderstorm struck outside, I thought it was an error but when I looked into the window it was the heavens who was crying. The moon of the night didn't glow, everything was dark for there was no light in the sky. "The moon has lost its glow; we're choosing the correct path." Grave closed the potion and walked into the dead body of the innocent baby; he then took it and kneeled In front of the Queen. "Before you enter, what name would you like?" Grave asked. And she whispered it in his ear.

I smiled and as soon as the spirit of the Black Queen entered the body and the child began to cry, Grave looked into my eyes and he quickly gave me a hand.

"It was nice travelling with you Joseph Castlevine, now… it must come to an end. You'll have to face her alone again just to end her, you know what to do, fuse these realities to create your true fate, and finally put an end the Prophet's timeline." I let go and gave him my final nod, he vanished traveling with the wind and I closed my eyes.

By the power of the innuendo, may the cursed timeline be removed from existence, and replaced it with the alternative timeline we all created… and I will fuse two realities into one, deleting the devil in existence. I closed my eyes and travelled into the present.

"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DON—" I stabbed her spirit and she screamed in agony as her spirit slowly fades away like air, she started crying and I quickly catch my breath, I don't have enough time.

"Beelzebub… you have to face it all alone." I spoke stabbing her one more time and quickly calling to the Prophet's power. Everything flashed in my eyes as soon as I felt his finger touching my forehead, the spirit of Beelzebub slowly vanished and I felt weird. I felt dizzy and everything hurt. I slowly lost my conscious and I closed my eyes.

I felt something odd. I gently opened my eyes and my eyes widened to see that everything I've worked for. It was all worth it. It was all beautiful.

Your crown has been put in your head.

The people we're cheering for you and the White Queen's casted a special magic show for you, Scaramouche danced a special circus dance In front of the kingdom and everyone was honored to have a new Queen. I'm so glad that I was chosen by you personally to narrate the news to the world, that the new Queen of Foshof has been crowned.

The celebration was a success. I looked to my right and saw my wife laughing along the circus jesters who we're entertaining us all. I must admit this is fun and feeling like the heaven. They never knew the truth behind the march, created an alternative universe where everything never happened, they weren't aware of who I am aside from a journalist who happened to bring the most trusted source onto the world. Every sacrifice faces a consequence, in this manner all of the journey and pain I've been through we're just a fantasy story in my head now.

It felt like yesterday but, after my conscious returned, Valkyarie woke me up, announcing me that the new Queen has been announced, after the unfortunate accident with the current Royal family together with the brother of the Queen in a ship, she had been automatically promoted as the upcoming Queen. And then when I ask Valkyarie about my journey, she told me that it was all a dream and those things didn't happened I was a bit confused but it gave me hope. Those events are still stuck in my head clearly every single detail, to the point that I can publish it as a book, however an interview to the White Queens' they revealed that they all dreamed about the event, and there was this man who they been traveling with, they went through my journey and did what I am destined to do.

They all remembered my journey as a dream. Not just them, in fact even the Queen herself, however she chose not to publish it in public. My mindset quick brings the thought that my journey was gonna be forgotten in a few days, however after thinking about it for a while It doesn't really matter. Somehow I still have the power of the innuendo, the power to purge, and the power to talk to the prophet, which became my greatest blessings. I am no longer the normal tired journalist I used to be, I've become one of the highest and most respected human in Foshof. So I guess my power to rule my people never left as well.

I'm genuinely happy to see the Queen's eyes shining brightly and her smile was beautiful, you have been saved, our majesty, Queen Mary of Foshof.

I'm doing alright with my job now, I'm satisfied.

"God, save the Queen!" We all sang to you.

Joseph Castlevine

The End.

***

"Thank you very much, Goodnight Sweet Dreams We Love you."

- Freddie Mercury

Queen - Live at Knebworth 1986.

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Queen Face it Alone

Second Verse - Outro