Samarie returned to the tower in the sky, just as she had the previous night.
She shakily stood, unease clouding her thoughts as she gazed once more on The Deceiver and his flock.
"Welcome, and to think your performance today was even more lively then the last!" Per'kele preened, brushing his feathers in the same manner one would scratch their forearm. "Tell me, has the festival been to your liking, Samarie?"
Samarie's hairs stood on end despite the seeming lack of danger of the Moon God's servant.
And yet, her instincts still felt to warn her that something was amiss. He was too amused. Too joyful of what has happened so far.
Then again, Per'kele said it himself, all was permitted during the Termina Festival. Not only that, but the state of the town was entirely Rher's doing.
So everything she experienced was only possible thanks to the influence of the Deceiver and His servant.
It left a bitter taste in Samarie's mouth.
Although, it was also thanks to the festival that she was able to grow and experience so many things, both good and bad.
In the end, she nodded her head weakly. As the smug grin on Per'kele's face grew wider.
"Good. My Master took His time making sure each participant had boodles of fun during the festival," He cawwed, covering his face with one of his wings. "Personally, I was quite disappointed that several participants had to cut their trip short…"
'What did he mean by that?' Samarie's eyes narrowed into pinpricks, analyzing each work like her life depended on it. 'Was Marina safe? Was she involved in those people's deaths?'
Somehow, the parrot's grin stretched beyond the boundaries of his mouth. "Indeed, they did not seem to have enjoyed their stay much. Though, I doubt anyone would enjoy their head splattered all across the floor."
His words confirmed Samarie's deepest fears. Someone had died, and it certainly wasn't someone from her group.
But it did make her wonder, if there were others who left in a literal sense as well, would that be the reason why she found Abella where she was?
"So, you're telling me, they're dead?" Per'kele nodded, a chill crawling down the girl's spine. "Then, should I not be aware of those who are still alive? Who knows, it might help me hunt them down."
For a moment, the bird servant of Rher stood stock still. He stretched his chest, much like a bird would and debated the idea thoroughly.
Eventually, Per'kele slowly turned towards Samarie, eyes glowing with a gleam that was unsettling. He offered the girl a hand, as the tower vanished, and there was only Samarie and this man.
Inside the girl's head, curiosity warred with the girl's own instincts. Taking the hand was a bargain Samarie knew she would not be able to repay, not while her contract with Pocketcat was still being held.
But at the same time, who was there to say taking a glimpse behind the curtain would cost anything at all?
So far, Per'kele had never set a price.
In the end, she only ever agreed to killing a couple of people when it came time to the mythological nightmare.
Samarie grabbed onto the hand as she was pulled close. She tried to react by pushing the man off, but found little success.
Then, a finger pressed itself to Samarie's forehead, as the knowledge seeped into her being.
Information printed itself into her consciousness. A-
Casualty list.
A boy named Levi, his head blown to bits.
And a body in overalls who looked like it shared the same cause of death as the latter.
Overalls that looked quite familiar on second look.
Samarie did not want to read the name next to the photo. Even if she was faced with the reality of the situation.
For it meant having to face morally difficult dilemmas.
But ignore it, run from it, the outcome was all the same.
Samarie would have to face the facts.
Abella died earlier that day. And the person she met was not who Samarie thought she was.
In her chest, the girl felt something crack deep inside.
Her first kiss. And it was not even real.
A grimace crossed her face, her eyes turning down cast as she looked down at herself.
Was it wrong that she felt something towards whatever puppeted Abella's corpse? Or was it just the attraction of having someone give her attention?
For that matter… Was she in love with Marina because… Because she was brave, and the ideal she could never be… Or was she simply attracted to the idea of her?
For once, she was able to see how wrong her entire worldview felt.
Sure, she knew the ins and outs of Marina… But that did not mean she understood her deeply as a partner should.
August had said it himself. Sometimes it was in the quiet moments that the deepest forms of love bloomed. And she hadn't ever thought of understanding outs in that way until she let everything out on Abella.
For a person to listen to her…
Her head was a mess. But she had bigger fish to fry.
The festival had only reached its third day.
And yet, for Samarie, it felt like years had passed.
"I believe that will be all the time that we have today" Per'kele stepped back, a pocket watch appearing in his hands as it swung.
The floor shook, breaking down piece by piece.
"The future is in your hands, Samarie. Don't let the winds of fate lead you astray~."
Per'kele's voice became more distant with every word, as the girl found herself falling into an abyss. The crack left in her wake sealing her shu-
Her body shot up with a jolt, her will pressing against the walls of the room.
Samarie's breaths came in heavy, desperate. She gulped each lung full like it was her last.
Sparks of blackened lightning arced before her eyes, her budding haki releasing like a torrent.
After all, Samarie needed to get to the bottom of this mess.
Her eyes darted to and fro. And yet, she found nothing.
Samarie saw neither hide nor hair of the mechanic.
A grimace left the girl uneasy. But, she activated her Byakugan in hopes "Abella" was just in another room.
Near the elevators, in the destroyed lobby, Bella sat amidst the ruins. Her face was pensive, but firm.
She was quite alarmed. Likely because of the aura Samarie had released.
Perhaps the girl should-
Samarie froze in place, suddenly unable to move. No matter how hard she tried, it felt as if her body was failing her. Despite all of the strength her blessing had granted her… Why was she suddenly feeling like this?
The girl gripped at her own chest and realized she was not breathing.
She forced her lungs to work. Though, the result was the same.
This… It was as if she were in Marina's presence. In the past, she would have felt like this too. A stuttering mess leaving pools of suspicious liquid wherever she went.
Well, it was different now. Samarie wasn't quite feeling the heat that bloomed in her chest and left her dizzy. She was experiencing something else for the first time.
Nervousness and no small amount of heartache.
She heard symptoms much like her own once. There were new disciples who just finished a ritual to Gro-goroth often found themselves in a state where their focus was heightened. And yet, their bodies refused to move.
When she heard those words through her mental tether, Samarie simply thought them weak. But now that she was experiencing what it truly meant to freeze as a biological response…
Suddenly, she was feeling a lot more human.
Through the ether, she materialized a collar. It wasn't for Abella, not after last night.
It was for herself.
Samarie wrapped the collar around her neck, the magic taking hold of her body as she commanded it. "Stop freezing."
The physical leash around her neck loosened. Finally allowing the girl a moment to breath.
However as clearer heads prevailed, she realized that rushing in was not the best of ideas.
She gnashed her teeth, twiddling her thumbs as though it would give her an answer.
But she was left stumped.
Then, her blessing chimed in with a response. The answer became clearer that the Gods wanted to steer her into a better direction.
The choices appeared in what appeared to be glass panels, hovering right before her eyes.
[Truth: +Aff with "Abella", +Rep with Marina, -Rep Tanaka]
[Our Little Secret: +Rep Tanaka, +Rep Marina, "Abella" route closed]
The options were vague. And yet, her gut told her to choose.
At the end of the day, she just hoped she chose the right thing to do.
Or else, everything she was building up to would be for naught.
{---}
Abella was paralyzed by indecision.
Every time she thought about leaving, her mind would return to the faint feeling on her lips. Of the things she said.
She didn't want to leave things there. And yet, her nature as a copy meant she was always going to leave.
It gripped at her core to think about those who would be left in the city.
The people she had grown close to in such a short amount of time. Those she fought side by side with.
Or at least, those people in her memories.
While she had only watch the "real" Abella's experiences, it did not discount the emotions she had for those in the life she observed.
It was akin to reading a book and sympathizing with the characters.
Though, Bella did feel guilty to say that she felt differently from the Abella in those memories because of what Samarie had done for her in the short time they interacted.
Despite being on the verge of mental collapse, she still had her heart in the right place.
The girl just needed some guidance… A lot of guidance. But if her story was anything to go by, Samarie was making up for the little the adults in her life did for her.
And so it was, she sat in the ruins of the lobby, having taken over watch after August went to rest.
It was accidental genius on her part, now that she thought about it.
If she was going to leave, why not be the only person awa-
Abella's hair stood on end, her eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.
Was she supposed to wake up that fast?
The mechanic did not have to wait long, when the clack of shoes could be heard from down the hall.
She appeared in an outfit similar to when she went by Lenora. Only now, she was wearing long black robes that highlighted her curves instead of black wrappings that strained at the seams.
Her body practically burst wearing that thing. How she was able to look Marina in the eye without blushing, she would never know.
Oddly enough, Samarie also wore a blindfold over her eyes. A blindfold that didn't seem to block her vision in any way with how the girl was walking…
Alas, the serious expression on her face said all there was to say.
One way or another, Samarie found out.
Helplessly, Abella raised both her hands, wrists extended to show she was no threat.
"Here to lock me up? Can't say I'm into bondage, but we could try~." She said coyly.
"No," The girl stopped right in front of her, clothes billowing in the stagnant air of the bunker. "I just want to know who you are."
A straightforward demand. It was certainly better than wrangling the answer out of her. Not like she would protest any.
In the end, the doppelganger sighed, the transformation coming undone bit by agonizing bit.
Her form unraveled, outside moving in. Like a flower blooming, Abella unveiled her inner self.
Underneath it all, this was Abella.
Her face split open, her real mouth erupting in a geyser of viscera.
Of course, she didn't have to be so dramatic, but it was half of the fun.
When all was said and done, Abella did not look that much different compared to her deceased counterpart. The only changes being the complete replacement of all her facial features and with her garments.
Speaking of, Abella's body apparently considered her sweater puppies a part of her, and something that she was allowed to keep when her transformation finished.
A minute smirk played at the corn- edg- Okay it was a big smirk. With a smile like this, it was hard not to be impressed with her generous assets.
"You're," Samarie froze, the words on her lips, and yet she was unable to say them.
Seconds passed as they shared the uncomfortable silence.
"A body snatcher?" Abella tried to recall. "A poorly made copy? Maybe a skin walker. A science experiment gone wrong… Or perhaps, I'm just a doppelganger."
Each was a label that could be attached to her, no matter how it hurt her inside.
It was her nature, after all. There was nothing she could do about it.
"Yes, that," Samarie skirted around the issue. "I still do not know what to make out of it. Frankly, everything that happened yesterday was absurd to the extreme."
And yet, the girl's hand gently grazed her cheek, brushing over the edges of her mouth. "But as crazy as it sounds, I don't regret a single minute of everything so far."
Abella's expression cracked, wearing her emotions on her sleeve. "And you finally realize that I am not who I seem to be, right? The real Abella's out there, laying comfortably in her final resting place."
Her form shifted once more, her skin turning into a patch work of stitches. As if her body was a collage of the parts of several different people.
To the point where Samarie saw a reflection of her own features over Abella's arms and legs.
"So, do you regret me too, Samarie? Do you still want to be with me after seeing all of this?" Her face came awfully close to the girl's, close enough to feel each breath tickling her ski-
Oh.
Despite having lips that spanned the entirety of her face, Samarie still kissed her.
The lady in black pulled away, her breath heavy despite how chaste it was.
"I can say for certain, it was this version of Abella that made me realize there was more to me than my sinful body," She declared. "I did not fornicate with the same Abella I met on the train. I did it with the one who saw something in me."
Perhaps it was because they were both monsters deep down. Or maybe it was because the real Abella was a sucker for people she could fix as though they were cars.
However, as she stood there, stunned into inaction, Abella felt that it was just a bit easier to make her choice.
"When you find Marina, tell her I said sorry," The doppelganger declared, as her features returned to her. "Because I think I just plucked this fruit right out of her grasp."
"Why don't you tell her yourself?"
"Because I'll be too busy."
"Busy doing wh-"
Samarie was silenced when their lips met, as her emotions melted into her partner.