Raw and ugly-like.

I was frozen; wether it be in fear, anticipation, or even some magical trickery, I simply couldn't move. Sarmenti, the man who had orchestrated a gang of zealots to **** me, was standing dead center in the room we had just entered, sipping at a cup of tea. He looked... different; before, he was a middle aged nobleman, with long hair, but now he seemed... younger, much younger. That hair, an elegant blonde, had shortened considerably, and any wrinkles or scars that might have been across his face or chest were gone. Any indication of the writhing tendrils Madness had killed him with was non-existant, same went for the wound through his windpipe.

He was the same height, an inch taller than me; putting him at six'five. His younger face was handsome barring that same sinister smile. I check his waist, but am surprised to see no blade, nor sheath. I note his clothing; a mockery of the word, really. His old noble attire had been ripped apart along with his corpse, and so now he wore what seemed to be a freshly made outfit of red silk; from his tunic, which showed his bare chest, to his trousers. His boots, however, were black leather, visibly tipped with steel.

His eyes... they contrast his old blue ones. They are now the same brown hue as his patron, Pyurus.

His voice; younger, but still as strong as before, says."Surprised? Of course you are. Lord Ariel informed you, quite incorrectly might I add, that I was... what? Two weeks away? In all do reality, I am but three days flight from Saltmoore as of now; two if I don't sleep."

Damn it, even this chump is confusing me. How can he be three days away if he's right here?

"You're a construct, then. A scout." Cilla replies.

I relax slightly at her words; this not being the real thing means we might have a chance...

"Indeed, I've been watching you since you arrived. You really should look up more often." He mocks; exploding into flame.

Before us now sits a simple red bird, inconspicuous in appearance.

It too explodes, returning to the form of Sarmenti, who says. "I can make as many of these scouts as I wish. An ability I share with you, my kindred rival."

Oh yeah... kinda forgot that...

Not that I have any clue HOW to do it, but, I could...

"Now, I wish to let you know, my constructs are very physically weak..." He says, approaching me; causing all present to tense up.

"A single punch would do, to end this scout... but I have a gift for you; a thanks, for bringing me closer to my Goddess. Would you like it?" He says in a mockery of a sincere tone.

"No."

"Too bad!"

Before anyone can react, the construct has placed its hand on my forehead. A searing pain wrecks my senses, causing me to spiral down to the floor as Cilla puts two bolts into the construct's chest.

It falls to the floor, and just before it fades into ashes, I hear it say. "My gift, to you... a cleansing flame..."

The world starts to flicker in and out, between the waking world, and my mindscape. I see the stage, the bar, and a cage in the darkness....

All on fire.

I begin to shudder violently, hearing the voices in my head being to shout out in agony. I fully submerge into the mind, most likely collapsing in the real world. I'm in the bar, with the Us of Urge sitting, fire coating his form. Despite the horror of what's happening, he simply waves his hand, beckoning me over.

"I guess this is it for all three of us, Monster." He says; his words are almost... gleeful.

"What do you mean?! We need to get Gabbie..." I begin to shout, but a flaming finger is put to my lips.

"It's too late. Whatever he did, Me, Logic, Ego... we're already dead. Just shut the fuck up and listen like you always do, alright?" Urge stands up, walking over to a small stage at the bar; his right arm falling from his body; turning to ash.

"We're going to give you all of the memories we stocked up on; the ones that haven't been destroyed already. They're in our hiding spot; in the tree. You'll find em." The figure of Her appears, standing next to Urge; tears pouring down his face.

"My time's almost up... Logic will tell you the rest. I... I want to remember. I want to remember that night, before I go..."

Two poles are on the little stage, and Urge seems suddenly drunk out of his mind. He, and Her, they begin to sing a sad, silly song together...

The fire swallows all I see, and Urge is gone forever; a part of me is dead.

I'm back in the main room, flopping about like a fish out of water, Gabriella trying to heal me with some complex incantation that I can't hear, as Pyre runs up to see what's happening.

I'm on the stage, with Logic in his Us; already burning away.

"Silence, Monster." He demands, tears in his eyes. "I'm going to tell you something. Something you'll need to prove to her that you're you."

He begins to play that same sorrowful sonata, telling me. "Our name... Her name... With us gone, there won't be anything left to break by letting you know... our name is..."

He stops suddenly as his right hand turns to ashes, saying. "He will tell you, I... I have to remember the words to the song... my favorite part... I'm so sorry."

He turns away, the piano and himself engulfed in the blaze; the music goes on, and Logic begins to sing.

"I've not long... for this world... through my ****... It's all a blur..."

"But I won't give... won't slow down... It's all... for... Her..."

The inferno takes Logic from me; it takes away even more of me.

I'm in the waking world again, being held down by my companions as I spasm uncontrollably; Cilla seems to be crying.

And now I'm in a cage... sitting across from another Us, who seems untouched by flame. There's bottles and old musical papers by his side.

"Our name is Damian... Her name was Sible... but we called her Bell..." It says.

"Madness..."

"No. I let that part of me out of the cage, so it would burn first." Says the one I now know to be Ego.

"Don't forget who we are, who we we used to be. Who we can become. I tried to tell them both the same, but that... Thing. It warped me, warped my words."

I notice a string, going from Ego's back, to outside the cage.

In the direction the string leads toward, I hear the screams of many voices. "THUMP THUMP THUMP! WE BURN! HAHAHA! WE BURN!"

The string too, catches flame, and the blaze soon wraps around Ego, burning the right side of his body. He simply lays down, accepting his fate.

As I take hold of his left hand, trying to keep at least this distant shard of myself alive; he says. "Its... its like the end, all over again. I held Dad's hand... and we talked..."

"He said 'Damn this world, damn how it broke you...'"

"And I told him... 'This is a world of broken people, trying to hold it together. Hold it together for me... I'm going to see her again... isn't... isn't that a good thing..."

The cleansing flame burns away all that is left of Ego as he repeats our final words.

The cage fades away, and all that is left is me, the hill, a tree, and Her; ashes falling like snow.

I wake in the guest bedroom, tears streaming from my eyes uncontrollably. I try to rise from the bed, but collapse instead. The room around me feels... wrong. I feel as though nothing is true; all is a falsehood, a lie told to me by that burning inferno that stole my self from me.

Are you still there? Logic? Urge? Ego?! I'll even take Madness at this point!

No answer; for the first time, I'm alone... and the feeling couldn't be any more hollow; truly bereft of any sensation. Tears fall even more from my face, plastering the floor.

Cilla, her one eye red and bloodshot, runs into the room at the commotion, seeing me awake. "By the Gods! You're alive!"

She wraps her arms around me tightly, but I can barely feel the warmth of her touch; she says. "I thought he had made you braindead, that damn bastard! Everyone! He woke up!"

The others come in, some cheering, some crying... but I barely feel a thing.

Well, I do feel one thing.

A burning nugget of anger in my heart, directed towards HIM, for what he's done to me; to us!

Cilla see's my expression, asking. "Monster? Are... are you alright?"

Monster... that's who I am. I don't deserve our true name; not yet. Not until He is dead.

Clenching my fist, I **** myself to stand, and walk out of the room, through the hall, down the stairs, and out of the door. The others keep calling to me. But I'm not me; not anymore. He burned me away, leaving only the beast that will tear his still-beating heart from his chest.

I sit outside, staring at the sky, hoping to see a red bird; a sign that he is coming... and I see none.

"Pal? Hey! Where you going!" The voice of Ariel calls out behind me.

I can't let them know what happened... I need to follow the plan; even if 'Damian' is dead.

For him, I will find Her... and kill Sarmenti Hoffman.

"I'm fine." I call back. "Just needed fresh air... and to be alone."

Uncertain at my words, Ariel makes a noise akin to a mixture of 'Eh' and 'Ok', returning inside.

Cilla; who hadn't spoken on her approach, ignores the latter half of my request, sitting next to me.

She sighs, saying. "If you can walk... we must leave by today. You were asleep for two days, so the bastard will be here soon. If a mere construct of his can do... that, to you; I fear his full power."

A serious, yet uncharacteristically caring look comes over Cilla's face as she places a hand over my heart, and she speaks in as gentle of a tone as she can muster. "What did he do to you?"

I don't answer; holding back both my tongue, and more tears, I simply stare at the sky...

Damn this world, damn how it broke me...

No. Hold it together. Hold it together for him... I'm going to see Her again.

"I'll need my weapon."