Twinkle's Story: Chapter 23

*Again, I apologize for all the posting and confusements last chapter. That sure did tell me a lesson: Don't post a very long chapter during the school week when I'm very busy. And start typing it all at like 8:30 at night. Ya... o.e*
*Guess what? (OMG what!?!?! :O) You've survived! (Imma survivor!) Wait. I didn't explain yet. Umm uh... Umm uh... So yeah. If you've read all the chapters in my story (this story- if I'm not specific enough lawl), you've survived. You've survived the most romantic/lovely-like parts in my story. You're probably like, "Yesh! Finally! Woohoo!" or like "No! Sniffle, sniffle. The Dukle-ness. Wah! Falls down cliff." O_O*
*Hahahaha. Contradiction time! (I'm like so evil. Just read this chapter. Oh wait. To do that, I have to like have the chapter typed out. Heh, that's why I'm here now. >:3) Okay so.. The most romantic/lovely-like chapters in my story are now over with. BUT that's when it ends. In chapters that are coming up very soon, there would be drama (somewhat lovely-like) and more action. Excitement!*
*WARNING (which is actually a warning you should read): Contains violence.*
*This is the most violent chapter in my story so far. If you've been scared by reading other chapters, such as chapters 13 and 14, then I suggest you NOT reading this chapter.*
*No. This isn't going to be like the CreepyPastas. Not that type of violence. I think you'd be fine if you at least read the Warriors series. Like that amount of violence. Well, not really. Eh, just read for yourself- at your own risk!*
*This is another explanation chapter about...... Well, just read to find out! And if you can't take it anymore, you can just stop reading it. If that's even possible...*
*Now (if you're brave enough) read this chapter! And it's totally okay if you can't read this chapter. Cutepups understands.*

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TWINKLE

Innocence. At this very moment, that's all we feel. Innocence. A giggle, a chuckle, a laugh. We lay down in the shining green grass. It shines in the sunlight. I can feel each and every blade of grass that I'm surrounded by, tickle me as the breezes come and go. I sigh, happily, as I look at the sky. The calm blue sky, the fluffy white clouds.. It just feels so perfect.

I then sense something just occurred. Something just happened. Something's different. But what? I look over my right shoulder and to my right. Duke was lying down in the grass, staring at the sky, a few moments before. With an arms-length between us. He's not lying down in the grass, like I'm still doing. A shadow then obscures the sky from my view. I rub my eyes a few times, and then distinguish the shadow being Duke's. I sit upright, confused as I look at him.

His eyes are closed as he takes a deep breath, slowly letting the air out. As I stare at his intense gaze as he opens his eyes again, I feel the warmth of his amber eyes. So warm that it's not just a color. The color is an actual fire, concealed in his eyes. It feels like his eyes are melting my icy blue ones into water. But it's all my imagination. Right?

Duke's voice sounds faintly harsh as he says, "That's not all. I haven't explained everything to you yet. There's one more thing you should know." He pauses for a second, then continues. "Let's just say that I'm sorry I have to tell you this."

I stand up and pat down a fur that was sticking up at the left side of my neck. I say, in a casual tone, "Okay. Go on. Tell me what it is."

He kicks the grass at his feet, sending the green blades of grass up and out in all directions. He scrapes a toe in the dirt. He gives me a sorrowful look. "Are you sure you want to know? I really don't think you want to. Like anyone would." I see the fur on the back of his neck stick up. A moment later, he has it pat down again. "I just have to tell you it, though. It's been in the back of my mind for quite some time now. I thought of it again, just now, and I can't hold it in anymore. In fact you need to know. I am so sorry that you do."

"You still haven't said what it is."

"Twinkle, no matter what I'm about to say, you've got to believe me on this. Those were never, ever real. I'd rather die than ever think about doing those things in the real world. If you have to trust me on one thing, it'll be that. Please."

"Duke, you know we can both take on anything. Whatever the world throws our way. And besides... It can't be that bad. Nothing can be worse than-"

As Duke interrupts me, his voice sounds distant and harsh at the same time. "When you were in the hospital... Want to know why I actually stayed? Let's just say that I've had some... things. Those things being... Hallucinations."

As I'm about to blink again, I notice that everything's changed. I don't see the grass, the Tall Tower, or Duke even. "Hallucinations," he said. Why isn't he explaining them to me? Where is he? In fact, where am I? I suddenly feel my blood turning cold. An instinct tells me something. Something terrifying, in the least. I'm experiencing one of his 'hallucinations'.

A light flickers on, illuminating where I am. Illuminating the dark. I look down at my feet, first. I'm standing on a small, circular, faded gray stage that's so small that only one fox can stand on it at a time. As I try to take that step to get off the stage, I sense a forcefield. I try in a different part of the stage; the same thing happens. I try with more force and energy; the same results occur. I sigh, becoming suddenly exhausted. Then I try to look beyond the stage, but I can't. It's just too dark. After staring at plain darkness for a minute or so, I infer that this is a rather small room. I'm not exactly sure if that's good or bad.

Suddenly, I see the light illuminate the rest of the room. I give the light a peculiar look. Instead of the usual yellow-white color, it's a pale orange. Growing brighter and brighter as each second ticks by. I then hear the door, which is on the opposite end of the room from where I currently am, squeak open. It immediately gets slammed shut, afterwards. Duke stands in the room, just in front of the door, his paws behind his back.

I sigh, relieved. "Thank Zios it's you. I don't know how I even came here. Ha. Ha." Silence follows. Puzzled, I say, "You okay, Duke? Do you think that it's a bit funny how I ended up here? I have no idea where I am! Do you know where we are?" Silence follows once again. "Hmm.... You don't know either? You can just say that, you know. And why aren't you awkwardly laughing like me?" His only reaction is a cold, hard stare at me. With no amusement in his eyes. It's beginning to haunt me.

"You're gonna pay for what you did. You're gonna pay for what you did. You're gonna pay for what you did," Duke repeats himself. I'm about to ask him exactly what he's talking about, but he continues right before I'm about to ask it. "You are going to pay for what you've done to me. And yes. You will pay, if you like it or not." He steps forward, into the room. I see his paws fidget behind his back. I gasp, getting a little bit more than anxious, as I see that instead of sweat on his forehead there's blood. Tiny drops of it cover one side of his forehead. One red drop of blood falls. The faint red line ends right before a corner of his lips. I gulp as I get a sudden thought. Is that his own blood? Or is it someone else's?

"You've made me suffer ever since I was born. I've lived a life of anything but happiness. You've gave me the worst life of any creature that's ever existed. Ever. And now it's time for justice to be served. For once and for all."

I daringly say, "You think I'm your mother? Well, sorry to crash your hopes, but I'm not her. Nor is she here. It's me, Twinkle. You know..."

Duke completely ignores me. His paws move in a specific and forceful motion, behind his back. Fingers, in the direction towards the light gray floor, are spread apart. Tiny, bright orange flames shoot out from every single one of his claws. Then the fires from each of his claws, join together to create a bigger fire. Two fires per paw. Then, the two fires join together behind his back. Behind him, a raging fire stands. It's the same size of him actually. I gasp as the flames of the large fire come in contact with his fur. A bright orange light glows on the tip of each fur. As Duke opens his eyes again, I don't even see any eyes at all. Where eyes would've been are flames the size of eyes. As he stares at me, I feel my icy blue eyes start to feel weak. My vision is getting blurry. It's all so blurry. Everything's fading away, right before my very eyes. The ice of my eyes must've been melted away by Duke's blazing fires. I feel a drop of water drop onto the space between my feet.

As I look up at Duke again, I see only one thing in his fire-eyes. That thing being pure hatred. "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU DESERVE THIS, YOU- YOU..." his voice calms down, "You deserve to die. You never were my mother. We are, and never were, related. And if we are... You know what? I honestly don't give a gosh darn poop. I don't care. Nothing's gonna stop me. Because you are still a murderer. You murdered our own family member. So why not do the same to you? Since that's the only thing you've ever told me that was the truth. That you are a murderer. And that's even lower than being a vixen."

I shudder as I hear that swear spoken aloud. I then panic some more. "No, Duke. It's me, Twinkle. You... you know... your girlfriend? The ice. I'm not her. I'm not your mother. You're just mistaken. You know me. I'm Twinkle. Twinkle."

I'm not sure if Duke can hear me, or if he's just ignoring everything I say. "All I know is pain and suffering from you." He then puts his paws forward, which reveals a dart in each of them. "THIS IS WHAT YOU DESERVE!" Duke shouts out, almost like a battle cry. As he runs forward, towards me, I stare horrified. Everything behind Duke has turned aflame, and then to black ashes. The walls, the door, everything. Fires burst from where his eyes should be. They make the room extremely hot. I feel a bit uneasy. I stagger from balancing on mainly one foot, to the other. When his mouth is wide open, I see his fangs. But they aren't ordinary fangs. They're even sharper than normal. It's as if they come into contact with anything, regardless of what it is and if there's force or not, they'll pierce the other thing. As I look more closely, I see blood on the tips of each of his fangs. The crimson red dripping down. I still don't know if that's his own blood, or if it's from somebody else. Like someone he just recently killed.

As he throws the seemingly-harmless dart, I gulp as I realize that it actually is something that can be used as a murder weapon. The flames from his claws cause the end of the dart closest to him to burst into flames as well.  As the flames flow through the dart, the dart itself changes. It grows larger and longer as each millisecond ticks on by. An arrow from a bow-and-arrows flies through the air. The entire arrow now burst aflame. A flaming arrow, heading towards me. I feel my heart beating in my chest so quickly that I think it might explode. I try to force my legs and feet to move, to move away from the direction of the arrowhead. But I'm paralyzed to the spot. I curse myself, over and over again. I stare at the arrowhead's sharp and flaming arrowhead tip pointed straight at my heart, moments before it comes in contact with me. I don't lose my dignity as I stand there, frozen to the spot on the stage. I'm going to die out bravely. And nothing can ever take that from me. Not now, not ever. And that's when the collision occurs.

I stare at where the arrow is on my body. I don't even dare to take it out. For the few brief moments before my death, I just stare at it in awe. The flames from it begin to die out, the arrow having smoke arise from it. I watch the blood, my own blood, flow down towards the faded gray stage floor. It's so gentle, like a soothing river. I feel tears come to my eyes as I observe my own blood, desperately wanting to escape my body. In a matter of seconds, my feet are covered in the crimson red color of blood. And then my legs, my tail, my waist, my chest, my shoulders, my neck, my snout, my eyes. I try to see beyond the crimson red, but I can't. That's all I can see. Crimson red. Blood-red. It covers my vision. I give up, as I realize that there's no use. I hang my head down in defeat, imagining the pool of my blood at my feet having tiny crystal-like shards of ice in it. I also imagine that the ice blue of my eyes is melting away, leaving water behind the hidden beauty of ice. The ice that remains un-melted, falls into my blood. I then feel the warm blood wash over the tips of my black-tipped ears. It feels like warm water washing over me. Covering me, embracing me. Welcoming me into its mysterious world. The only difference is that this water is red, or as most would simply call it, blood.

And then it all ends.


DUKE

"... It was all in my head, though. So it didn't really happen..." Silence still follows. I'm confused about why Twinkle hasn't asked at least one question yet. I flick my tail around, clearly annoyed. "Hey, are you even listening to me? Oh come on! I just finished my explanations! I swear, Twinkle, you're sometimes so...." I look at her. "Wait. Are you even okay? Did I scare you too much? I told you, Twinkle, they weren't real. It's just me and my messed up brain and life. Yeah... Messed up. But seriously though. Are you okay?"

Her eyes are closed tight as she shudders. After just staring at her shuddering for a minute or two, I come closer to her and tap her shoulder. "You okay? Come on, you can tell Dukey here." I giggle, awkwardly finding out I'm the only one giggling, at that joke from so many months before. I sigh as I remember that time we were together, and when I called myself in third-person.

"Haha. Dukey. That's funny," Twinkle laughs, weakly. She coughs, then says, "I know you won't do those horrendous things in real life. And besides..." Twinkle presses her nose into the fur around my cheek, at the jawbone, "You're too sweet to do those things to me, anyways." She takes a step back. "And you should obviously know by now that I'm not your mother."

I nod my head in an automatic agreement with Twinkle. "So now you know why I said that when I put your tailpiece back on. Now you know how dangerous I can be." Our eyes sparkle in the light.

We fall back down onto the grass. We hold back giggles from the grass that tickles us. We look at each other again. We don't hold back the giggles anymore.

Twinkle gives me a puzzled look. "Hmm... Duke, are you okay? You seem happier than usual. Is something wrong?"

"Nah. Nothing's wrong. It's great, actually. And what makes it even greater is that we're spending time by ourselves. You and me. Ice and fire."

I bite my bottom lip as I say that. I should tell her about the dream I had last night; the prophecy message in it. I know something that she doesn't. I'm trying my best to avoid it, but I really can't. We're surrounded by the color green and grass. So that's not really possible here.

I can still remember the flashing lights. The green being the brightest light out of the three. But what still keeps wondering is this.:

How is green brighter than fire and ice? What is the green? Who is the green? What awaits us two?

Only now does our prophecy truly begin. And the adventure awaits, not having any idea what might happen next.