Blaine's Tales Comm: Betrayal 3/3

Blaine could hardly believe the situation. Her younger sister, Chessa, was holding a throwing dagger to her throat while she stood still. Blaine’s transformation had been completely seen through, with almost no moves for escape left, Blaine spoke.

“Chessa, whatever you think I did, it wasn’t me.” Blaine dropped her disguise and stood still with her hands up.

“Oh, like your disguise from a few seconds ago wasn’t you? I could recognize your scent then and now. Don’t bother lying!”

“Chessa, it doesn’t make sense. Why would I attack you, mom and dad? You were nothing but kind to me.”

“I asked myself that while my arm was healing from being broken. I asked myself why you’d go after us. I figured exile had driven you insane and that killing you would be a mercy.”

“Chessa, how is that mercy?” Blaine asked, almost exasperated.

“The sister I know is dead and gone. In memory of who you were, I’d like to keep you from sullying your own reputation.”

Blaine noticed a quiver in Chessa’s voice. It was like she was having trouble moving. Slowly, Blaine turned and placed two hands on her shoulders. Chesa still had the kunai up, but didn’t move.

“Chessa, I love you. Why would I hurt you? Can’t you tell it wasn’t me?”

Chessa was silent for a time before responding. She did so slowly and with a lack of sureness. “The scent was the same as yours, and it even acted a bit like you…but, there wasn’t anything good about you there. I’m not sure if it was or wasn’t.”

“Wait…The thing that attacked you, it had one tail right? I have three now.” Blaine pointed to her tails. “Test ‘em, they’re no illusion.”

Chessa needed a moment, but touched all three and tugged them lightly. Were they illusory, they would’ve faded upon being pulled. “They are real! You’ve gotten strong, Blaine.”

“Thanks, but I’m sorry…I should’ve been here to help you guys.”

“You were exiled, but how did this other you come around?”

“I had a dark version of myself pulled from me, but I thought I got rid of her. It was around a month and a half ago.”

“Which is a little before the evil version of you came here. So, you aren’t responsible?”

“No, but I will make things right. Please, I need your help, Chessa.”

“Alright, I trust you, big sis.”

Blaine wiped a tear from her eye as she hugged her sister. She was a step closer to fixing things with her family.

“Thanks. Now, let’s go see Mieko. She’ll probably be able to help.”

“Mieko? She hasn’t spoken to us since her uncle came to live with her. Are you sure?”

“I trust her. She might know something about the dark copy of me.”

“Then I guess we should visit her.”

Having made their plans, the two sisters left and hiked up the mountain path and back to Yamauchi castle. They entered, unhindered by anything, though Blaine wondered where the Kyu brother servants were.

Once inside, Blaine noted a peculiar scent.

“Sora and Kairi are here, someone else, too.” She continued to sniff the air. “I can smell them.”

“Who’re Sora and Kairi?”

“Two people I formed contracts with. I left my book with Mieko. I wonder if she summoned them here.”

“If she did, then they’ll be helpful in bringing down your evil version. We just gotta find them. I think I can track them down, after all, I am a ninko now.”

“A ninja kitsune? Since when?”

“I took it up a few months ago. I only got serious after the evil version of you attacked. Now I can put it to use.” Focusing her energy, Chessa changed into a small fox, indistinguishable from a normal one. At a rapid pace, she followed her nose towards two strangers who smelled very faintly of Blaine.

Meanwhile, Blaine went to Mieko’s room. It didn’t take long for her to arrive, where she saw Mieko was reading her book of contracts, still.

“Oh, you’re here at last. I was beginning to worry you wouldn’t arrive on time.”

“On time? What’re you talking about?”

“I was trying to estimate how long it would take for you to return. Did you learn anything new?”

“Yes. Some psychopathic copy of me is making a mess of things here. We have to find it so I can clear things up with the villagers.”

“I see. I’ll help however I can. I did bring some of your friends here. They were even nice enough to bring me a new contract partner.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’ll bring you to them soon. For now, follow me. I think I may know where the evil version of you is hidden.”

Obeying, Blaine went with her friend outside and soon reached the back enclosure of the castle. It was a vast area, with many beasts of burden hard at work, while there were others in a building not too far off. It seemed to be a guesthouse of sorts.

As Blaine walked on, she noticed one of the animals looked familiar.

“Kairi?” The transformed princess of heart looked up and saw Blaine. She tried to run over, but the way was blocked by an invisible wall. Blaine ran over and rached through it, to Mieko’s surprise, and managed to pull Kairi out. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, but she took Sora and Selphie…That Mieko girl. She took us,” Kairi managed to say weakly. She was tired from being put to hard labor, a fact that made Blaine’s gaze turn vicious.

“Mieko…Did you do this?” Blaine asked, her tone suddenly serious.

The sound made Mieko’s fur stand on end, but at the same time, intrigued her. “I did.”

“Tell me why.”

“She was a human. Their only use is to serve ones such as ourselves. I planned to make her a beast of labor until your return and then raise her station, if she proved worthy.”

“She’s my friend and contractee! You betrayed the agreement I made with her!”

“Agreement? There is only subjugation and demands. She’s your servant, not your friend.”

“What makes you say that? I’ve met humans who can do hundreds of things we never could.”
“You mean things you never could, at least as you are now.” Mieko snapped her fingers and a scroll appeared. Opening it, she summoned a small, fluffy, white creature with bat wings and a kind of red pom-pom coming from its head. It had brown hair, blue eyes and a fearful expression “Selphie, dear. Please gather a few things for me. I’d like to forge one of these “keyblade” devices.”

“B-but Mistress Mieko, you need to be chosen in order to have one, kupo.”

“Perhaps, but Sora will handle that.” Snapping her fingers again, Mieko summoned the brainwashed and half-lion Sora to her side. Mieko then faced the horrified Blaine and spoke. “You see? With my power, I can easily make anything mine to command. So can you. Once you have a few more tails and knowledge that only I possess. Will you join me and claim glory?”

Blaine seemed to whisper something under her breath, which confused Mieko.

“I couldn’t quite make that out. Repeat it, please.”

Blaine shook her head and smiled defiantly. She then stood and drew her sword. “No. I won’t. I’ll take you down and free my friends!”

“You’ll take me all by myself?”

“No. We will!”

Mieko turned to see Sora, swinging his Keyblade at her. The weapon hit Mieko in the side, knocking the wind out of her before he followed with two more strikes, knocking her back. Mieko rose, agitated.

“How? I had you under my command.”

“You did, but I invoked a part of the contract that eliminates outside influence. The three of us will take you down.” Blaine stood ready, just as Sora healed Kairi. With the Keyblader trainee healed and returning to her humanoid form, they pointed their weapons at Mieko.

Blaine was about to strike, when she felt something pass through her chest. Looking, she saw a hand wreathed in black fire.  She turned to see her dark counterpart, smirking.

“Hah, too easy.”

“You? H…how?” Blaine asked. Before her allies could aide her, both vanished. Forcibly sent to Blaine’s realm.

“I was keeping her as a failsafe in case you chose to be foolish. I see I was right to do so.” Mieko walked to Dark Blaine and patted her on the shoulder. “You see, I plucked her from another realm after you defeated her. With the exile being on you personally and not her, she was able to come back.

“Since then, Mieko has taught me a lot. For example, draining life-force.” Dark Blaine began to suck Blaine’s energy from her, taking her power and stamina. “Soon, I’ll be the only Blaine, and you’ll be a memory.”

“You..Can’t do this! Mieko, didn’t our friendship mean anything to you?”

“Once upon a time, but now I see some things do not last. I was hoping to raise you up, but your copy will be more than sufficient. Take heart in knowing some small part of you will always be with me.”

“Or most of her, anyway.” Dark Blaine’s grin grew more wicked. She began to manifest two more tails, while Blaine’s went missing.

Blaine was becoming smaller and weaker by the second. She would fade before long. She struggled to escape, but Dark Blaine’s arm was firmly lodged within her chest.

Just as Blaine was about to perish, Chessa showed up.

Jumping in and tossing two kunai, the weapons struck Mieko’s shoulder and Dark Blaine’s arm, making the latter wrench back in agony.

“Agh!”

“Now, Banishment!” Chessa began to channel power into her palms and revealed strings were attached to the kunai. The spell travelled through the string and hit their bodies, just as they began to pull them out.

The two menacing Kitsune were frozen in place as the spell took hold, giving Chessa enough time to grab Blaine and flee.

Mieko and Dark Blaine both growled in annoyance.

“I’ll bring her back and finish her!”

No, don’t worry about those two now,” Mieko said to Blaine’s copy. “The child used an exile spell. We cannot go where Blaine is or any realm she has touched aside from this one.”

“Then how will we find her?”

“It doesn’t block places she’s going to be. I’ll look up a counterspell, but for now we have work to do. You can remember the names of universes she visited, yes?”

Dark Blaine nodded.

“Good, then we will find parallel ones and seek an army to crush her pitiful forces. Then you may make them yours.”

Dark Blaine began to swish her tails in satisfaction, glad for the opportunity. Her power had just started to grow, but soon, she would have much more.