Chapter 7: Lost?
Bekka was just realizing exactly how lost she was."I shouldn't have run away from Corinn. Even if I was mad at him. I can't see anything out here! I'm sure Corinn will find me soon? Argh! I still don't want him to find me!"
Jarith and Corinn were still debating on how to find Bekka.
"Well, we're telepathic, right?" Jarith said.
"Obviously," Corinn said.
"Shut up. I'm trying to make a point. We should be able to link our minds enough for you to sense Bekka through my powers."
"Isn't that kind of dangerous, though?" Corinn asked. "I mean, we're completely antithetical. What if our minds annihilated each other?"
"Well, there are always risks," Jarith answered. "But this is the only way I can think of to find Bekka."
Corinn shrugged. "I'm ahead in this life anyway, so if we both die, I win. Fine with me if you want to risk your life stupidly. So what do we do?"
"I have no idea," Jarith answered. "You figure it out. You were always better at working out technical problems anyway."
They stared at each other for a while.
"Okay?I think I've got it," Corinn said. He reached his hand toward Jarith's forehead. Jarith pulled a knife out of the air and slashed at Corinn's hand, leaving him with a rather painful cut.
"Ow! What did you do that for, stupid?" Corinn shouted.
"Sorry, just a reflex," Jarith apologized. He didn't really look too sorry, though.
"Well, you'd better quit having reflexes or I'm not going to help!"
"I said I'm sorry. That's the closest I've come to apologizing to you in the last seven billion years, so live with it."
Corinn used his powers to heal his hand. At least that was working. "I have to touch you for the contact to be strong enough to link our minds," he explained, touching Jarith's forehead again. "Now close your eyes and concentrate."
Jarith complied with Corinn's instructions. Soon he could feel Corinn's presence in his mind. Corinn?
Of course. Who else would it be? Corinn said.
You don't need to be so smug about it. Jarith replied, annoyed.
But that's a part of my charm, O Guardian of the Light.
STOP CALLING ME THAT!
Corinn laughed mentally. It's so much fun to tease you like that, though, he said. But anyway?picture Bekka's location in your mind, he instructed. I'm going to take us both there. You'll be protected from the anti-light defenses because you're linked to me.
She's right here, Jarith said, trying to convey his sense of Bekka's location.
All right, then. Here we go. They disappeared without leaving a flash of light like Jarith or the odd sparkling effect that Corinn's teleportation had. Apparently they had canceled each other out.
Bekka heard-or sensed-something behind her. She turned around.
"Corinn? Is that you?" she asked.
Jarith and Corinn blinked into existence in front of her.
"Jarith! Corinn!" she said. "Jarith, what are you doing here? I thought Corinn said you couldn't-"
"It's only possible for me to get to this world if Corinn brings me," Jarith said. "He needed me to help find you."
"Find me?!" Bekka turned to Corinn. "You mean you couldn't find me? On your own planet?"
Corinn stared at here. "This can't be right," he said.
"What can't be right? What are you talking about?" Bekka asked.
"I can't sense you," he answered. "For all I can tell, you aren't there! You shouldn't be there!"
"You still can't feel her aura?" Jarith asked.
"No!" Corinn said, annoyed.
"What does that mean?" Bekka asked. "Is there something wrong with me?"
"There's nothing wrong with you, Bekka," Jarith said. "I'm sure Corinn's powers are just a little messed up."
"They are not!" Corinn said. "Something is shielding her!"
"So there's something in this universe strong enough to block your powers, but not mine." Jarith said.
"Exactly--hey. Are you implying that you're more powerful than me, Jarith?" Corinn asked threateningly. Jarith smiled.
"Would I do that?" he asked.
"Well, there is something blocking me from detecting Bekka!" Corinn shouted.
"I don't know what either one of you is talking about," Bekka said, "And I'm sick of you two arguing all the time! Can't you just get along with each other?" Corinn and Jarith just stared at her.
"Uh?Bekka, we're supposed to kill each other?" Jarith reminded her.
"Well, do you have to?!" she yelled. "Do you really know what you're supposed to do? What if you're both wrong?"
What if we're wrong? Jarith thought. Is that possible? Could all these billions of years that we've been fighting all have been a mistake?
"It's not possible, Bekka," Corinn said. "We've already discussed this. The universe is mine, and I will eventually destroy all light. Even if it takes another ten billion years!"
Bekka was startled and frightened by Corinn's outburst. She'd never seen this side of him before. "Corinn-I'm sorry, I didn't mean?"
Corinn looked at her, suddenly confused. "No, I shouldn't have yelled at you. I-it's just-you don't understand, Bekka. It's inevitable. I will kill Jarith. The universe will return to darkness."
"No, it's you who doesn't understand," Bekka said sadly. "I know it doesn't have to be like this. You're wrong, you have to be!" Her eyes went out of focus and glazed over. "You cannot win like this. You cannot go back to the way things were. For so many eons I have tried to tell you-" Bekka's eyes went back to normal for a second. "What?" She looked around, confused. Then her eyes closed and she fell to the ground.
Image Gallery: : Characters: : Theme Song: : Link "Darkness and Light"