As Storm began to awaken, memories of how he ended up in this position flowed to the forefront of his mind.
After losing consciousness, he found himself in a dark featureless landscape.
"Anyone there!!" Called Storm desperately.
"We're in your mind you idiot!! There's no one here but us!!" Came a voice.
Suddenly Storm's doppelganger appeared in front of him.
"You!! What have you done to me!!? Where are we!?" Yelled Storm.
"I already told you!! We're in your mind!" Responded the doppelganger.
Storm looked around the dark landscape.
"What happened? Why is everything so dark?" Asked Storm.
"Your body is failing and so your mind is beginning to die with it." Explained the Doppelganger.
"I'm dying!?" Asked Storm.
"What did you think was going to happen!
Your body is barely holding together at this point!" Said his doppelganger with irritation.
"So you came here to gloat before I die!?" Asked Storm.
"I don't know why I came here?! Maybe I'm just trying to have a discussion one last time before the end!?"" Stated the doppelganger.
"What are you talking about? I'm the one that is dying? Not you?" Stated Storm.
"Have you already forgotten!!? We're linked!!?
When you die, I will cease to exist. " Explained the Doppelganger.
Storm was speechless.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry. " stated Storm.
"Meh, there are worse fates." Stated the doppelganger.
The two sat in silence together.
"I always envied you! What you had with your family. But I considered you an ungrateful idiot for throwing yourself into constant danger." Explained the Doppelganger.
"I couldn't just turn my back on people's plight. " Explained Storm.
"Who cares about anyone else!!!? You had everything you could have possibly wanted!!
And yet you threw it all away for what!!?" Yelled his doppelganger.
"Once, I might have said the same. I wasn't all that different from you." Stated Storm.
"Haven't you figured it out yet? I am you!
I'm what you could have been if you didn't have your family. " Stated his doppelganger.
Storm suddenly realized something.
"If you are me!Then you feel as Strongly for my family as I do! That's why you saved Orian!!" Stated Storm.
His doppelganger averted his eyes.
"Do you know what hell it is? Seeing the people you covet more than anything, finding happiness with someone else, while at the same time fearing and loathing you?
That has been my live since I first gained sentience. " stated his doppelganger.
Storm actually sympathized with his shadow after this revelation.
He could only imagine what torment it would be if Aurora rejected him.
He also knew he would hate her suitor more than anything.
"There must be a way to go back." Stated Storm.
"We don't get to choose when death comes. We can only accept it. " Explained the shadow.
"I do not believe that!! You must help me!!" Stated Storm.
"Even if I knew a way, why should I help you?
So we can go back to the way we were before?
You spending eternity with the people I love while I am forgotten and loathed!" Stated his Shadow.
Choosing his words carefully, Storm tried to convince his shadow.
"You claim you love them, right? Which means you want them to be happy?" Asked Storm.
His shadow nodded his head.
"Would my passing make them happy?" Asked Storm.
"It would hurt them more than you can imagine." Stated his shadow.
"Are you willing to inflict that hurt on them just to spite me!?" Asked Storm.
"No" said his shadow flatly.
"Then help me go back. Not for my sake. For theirs." Stated Storm.
His shadow averted his eyes.
"..."
"... There... 'Might' be a way... But I don't think you're going to like it." Stated his shadow.
"I'm willing to accept anything!" Exclaimed Storm.
"Even symbiosis?" Asked his Shadow.
Storm had no reply.
"There are 2 ways for a doppelganger and his host to resolve their differences .. The method Leyocan explained to you... Or the two can settle their differences and merge into a single being again... It's one of the ways two headed dragons come into being.
Sharing their life experiences with each other..
The two must be in agreement with each other however or the merger would fail." Explained the Shadow.
"If I'm already dying, how would this help?" Asked Storm.
"The process would seal you away from the world while your body alters itself. "
This will heal any wound, no matter how severe. " Explained the Shadow.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get started!!" Stated Storm.
"You don't fully understand what the consequences of the process are!! I will cease to be a seperate entity. And all my experiences, powers and views will be transferred to you.
There's no guarantee that you will come back exactly as you were before.
Can you accept that?
And are you willing to spend the rest of eternity sharing your family with another?
Because if you aren't, then the process will fail and we will both be erased.
Storm considered it for a moment.
"I'm willing to do this!" Stated Storm after a moment.
"Then I guess this is 'goodbye' then. I won't lie to you and say it's been 'fun'. But I don't regret gaining sentience. " stated his shadow.
He stood in front of Storm and placed a forelimb on the center of Storm's chest.
Magic seemed to flow between the two and the landscape around them dissappeared.
As the memory faded, Storm awoke in a cramped dark space, surrounded by dark energy.
He pressed against the borders as he tried to break out.
Aurora and Orian were still sitting together when they suddenly heard the sound of cracking.
They looked up startled as the egg began to rock and crack in places.
Storm instinctively drew on the dark magic around him. Refilling his energy enough to break his prison.
He collapsed on the ground as it shattered and vented all his frustration in a roar that shook the city.
A column of dark energy flew out of him and shattered the roof of the building.
He could hear the panicked cries of people outside the building, who no doubt thought the city was being attacked.