"I don't . . . I don't understand" 

Celine pat his shoulder gently, "It's okay. You don't have to. I know this is a lot to take in, little brother"

Dark shook his head and stepped away from her, "What? Are you crazy? I- I'm not Damien. You know this! I-"

"I know" She sighed, "You go by Dark, right? It doesn't matter. You still have a piece of Damien inside you. Without him as your core, you wouldn't exist."

"Wh-what? What are you saying? I don't understand"

Celine chuckled, "Just as clueless as he was, too."

Dark grumbled, "Look, I'm sorry. But I have more pressing matters to attend to right now. If I don't find a way to get out of here soon then. . ."

"I know. I've been watching, Dark. Although still tired, I could feel your stress. I brought you here to talk. To help you. We don't have long but . . . it'll be enough"

"Enough for what?"

"Come over here" she went over to the cabin's bed and pat a space beside her, "Sit with me? Please?"

Reluctantly, Dark walked over and sat next to her on the mattress and all of the questions he had started rambling out, "Is this where you've been sleeping all this time? Are you going to be awake from now on? Are you able to get free as well?"

"Whoa whoa" Celine chuckled, "One question at a time, brat. But to answer. . . yes. I've been here in the void but this isn't what you think exactly. I can't stay awake for long. Still tired and I won't have enough strength to leave with you, I'm afraid."

". . . . That only raised more questions. So I take it you know what's going on?"

"Of course" Celine nodded, "My garbage of an ex-husband sent you here. He's been plotting this for a while, I guess, while I've been asleep. He's been collecting from the void, getting stronger. I should have gave him more than an ax to the chest" she grumbled the last part.

"What's his plan? Surely he can't-"

"He can and he will" she hiked her legs up on the mattress and sat cross-legged, "His plan is to kill Mark. Probably most of the other egos, too."

Dark suddenly stood, "Then what am I doing here chatting with you!? I have to find a way home NOW! I-"

"Calm down!" Celine chastised him, "Sit back down this instant and calm yourself! You still have time." she had a stern look on her face and Dark shuddered before sitting down again.

'Man, she's scary' he thought, 'No wonder Actor feared her'

"Anyways" she went on, "Back to what I was saying before. Well actually, first I guess I should ask you what YOU think the void is?"

Dark was stumped at her random question but answered, "I don't know, really. I thought it was a sort of mirror world. Another dimension locked inside Mark's mind, maybe? But then I saw Anti through a different mirror. Anti used to be a friend of mine. Anyways. . . . I really don't know. Maybe just a mirror world existing in itself?"

Celine hummed, looking into the fire that was warming the small cabin, "You're partly right. Now what do you think about the abilities you have?"

"My abilities? What do they have to do with any-" he cut himself off, seeing her irritated scowl, "Uh . . . I guess I never really thought about it much in detail. I can teleport if needed in the real world. There's this. . . blackness that radiates from me sometimes when I'm feeling any strong emotion. This red and blue aura will also peel from me. The aura makes others around me frightened. Or at least it used to. I think the others have just gotten used to it by now."

Celine nodded, "Right so. . . how do you think you got your abilities?"

"Mark"

She groaned, "Think harder. Blackness. The auras. The fear. What does it remind you of?"

Dark stared at her before just wrinkling his nose, "Look, if you know something, will you just tell me instead of acting like a freaking mentor or prophet or something?"

"What? Like a Seer?" she snapped back at him, "Dark, for someone as smart as you, I would have figured you'd be able to understand better."

"Understand what!?"

"The void, Dark! Your powers are derived from the void itself, you moron!"

Dark ran a hand through his hair, a confused expression on his face, "What?!"

Celine plopped backwards laying on her back and stared up at the ceiling, "You're hopeless." she suddenly smiled a little, "Just like always, little brother"

"Celine, I'm not-"

"You are. I don't care, you can deny it all you want but Damien lives on inside you. I placed that fragment in you myself before the void claimed Damien's body. If I hadn't then Actor's plans would have happened by now, with you being his precious villain."

"Wait, what? You mean I'm . . . . I'm not the monster he wanted to create?"

Celine smirked, "Not in the slightest. With Damien's fragment inside of you, you're far from being the villain he wanted in his little hero tale storybook." she sat up again, "Which means. . . You're still my brother."

Dark blinked before looking away, thinking. He suddenly had an epiphany, "Wait a second! You said that the Void claimed Damien's body to make me? That means. . . "

"So he finally figures it out"

"I'm a part of the void itself?"

"Bingo" she gave him a thumbs up, "Took you long enough"

He glared at her and lightly shoved her, "Shut up. But it still doesn't explain some things. What is the red and blue aura?"

"Okay, well this I can answer simply. The blue aura is Damien's soul fragment. And the red is my soul."

"Y-your soul? But. . .  You're not-"

"Dead?"

He grimaced.

"Dark. . . . even if do gather enough strength again, it doesn't mean I'll be free from here. Both Damien and I died that day in Actor's mansion, trapping our souls here in the void. Damien's soul got another chance within you but . . .I'll still be here forever. Or for however long you exist, Dark. I'm a part of you now, little brother. I always will be"

"I  . . " Dark didn't know what to say, "I'm sorry"

"What are you sorry for?"

"If I didn't exist. . .then. I don't know. Perhaps you'd be at peace"

Celine stared at him for a while before shoving him to the floor, "Ow! What was that for!?" he stood up, dusting his clothes off of the grime from the wooden floor.

"That's for being stupid! YOU had no part in keeping me here. That was all on me, Dark. Damien is the one who insisted I rest. He knew what he'd become. I warned him. You don't need to be sorry, Dark. You didn't do anything."

He crossed his arms and looked away and towards a mirror that hung on the cabin wall, "Alright then. Fine." he smirked and glanced back at her, "You're just as stubborn as me, you know"

"Hm." she smirked back, "I wonder why?"

Dark turned serious once more, "Celine. You said you could help me get back. I need to take Actor down once and for all"

His sister stood up with him and smiled, placing her hand on his shoulder, "Dark, have you learned nothing? You ARE the void. You're not trapped here. You're just making yourself THINK you are. Remember what Anti did?"

He looked surprised and she continued, "Yeah I saw it, too. Although he broke through in a different way, he still managed to get a message through to his brother by destroying the mirrors. You, however, don't need to destroy them."

"How else do I get through? I tried banging on them and that didn't work for me"

She rolled her eyes, "Relax. It just takes a little 'finesse'. You'll be able to do it. You just have to trust in yourself. You and the void are one. Actor might think he has control over it but he'll never be as strong as you. You ARE the void, Dark. And with Damien and I on your side, you're unstoppable."

Dark chuckled a little, smiling softly as she suddenly hugged him tight. He held her back, "You couldn't just lead with that?"

Celine giggled, yawning a bit, "Sorry, little brother, but I know how dense you can be." she started to disappear from his arms as did the cabin, "Remember what I told you"

Dark felt a tear crawl down his cheek as she vanished into the darkness, "You got this, brother. I'm always at your side"

Swallowing thickly, Dark blinked slowly before gathering himself once more. He turned to the mirror that was still there just hanging in the pitch black.

Taking a breath, he walked over to it, looking through to see what was on the other side. Low and behold, it was the one mirror Actor forgot about in the house in Raspy Hill that wasn't in a secluded room. It was in the foyer when you'd walk in the door. 

'Out of all the mirrors, he forgot the very first one' he smirked. He was about to try and go through like Celine suggested when Actor himself walked through the door of the house. Dark stood still, not sure if he could see him but it seemed like not. 

Actor had a smirk on his face as he strolled in, Dark's cane in hand.

'Why does that bastard have MY fucking cane!?' Dark was a bit peeved off but watched on.

 He saw the other egos in the living room seemingly worried. Dr. Iplier was pacing, Google and Bing were standing resolutely still as if in wait and the others were sitting, either tapping their feet anxiously, chewing on their nails or if they were the Host, they were sitting there in a chair calmly like they knew what was going to happen. Or hoped would happen.

Actor frowned when King shot up and rushed over to him, "Actor! There you are! Have you seen Wilford or Dark anywhere?! We can't find them! They haven't been around all day yesterday or last night and they're STILL gone!"

"Oh dear" Actor 'acted' surprised, "That IS worrisome. Perhaps someone should call Mark? Maybe they're with him and forgot to mention it?"

"Oh that's brilliant!" King nor the others obviously hadn't thought about that, "Thanks, Actor! We'll call right away" he scurried off to the others and Google called Mark's home. 

Dark watched the interaction in distaste as Actor sneered at the whole thing. He had to think of a way to get through fast. It was now or never.

Dark placed his hand on the mirror, slightly expecting for it to fall through but nothing happened.

"Uh" Dark was a bit stumped again, "She said finesse. I thought she meant gently." he tried again but still nothing. He tried even more softly again and again bit it still didn't work.

'Uh-oh'

Some minutes went by of Dark trying over and over again to calmly get through but Celine's advice just wasn't working with him! Dark was starting to get panicked when Yandere suddenly shouted.

"Hey, that's Dark's cane!" they pointed at Actor criticizingly, "Why the hell do you have it!?"

Actor shrugged, "Oh, well I found it. I thought I'd keep it until he got back. For safe-keeping, you know"

Yandere defiantly stomped over to him," Nuh-uh. Hand it over. Dark wouldn't want YOU to have it"

Actor smirked, "It wasn't his to start with. It was Damien's. And I was the one to gift it to him years ago, child."

Eric spoke louder than usual with a little bravery, "No you didn't. Dark told me his sister got it for him."

"It was a jointed gift!" he huffed, "Both Celine AND I gave it to Damien! Besides, he's not even Damien, anymore so it's not even Dark's at all! If anything, I should get it back!"

Google titled his head, "Your logic is not sound. Dark was created from Damien thus the cane would still belong to him"

Actor growled at him but Yandere came closer with a blood-thirsty look in their eyes, "Hand it over. Now."

Dark watched apprehensively as Actor merely smirked. He was about to do something when there was a knock suddenly at the door.

'Mark!' Dark tried banging on the mirror, 'It won't work! Dammit, Celine! How am I supposed to save them if you never gave me any concrete answers!?'

Bim walked over to the door to answer it, wanting to escape the tight tension. Dark banged on the mirror again, "Bim! Bim please! It's me! I'm here! Don't let Mark in! Bim, listen!"

Bim stopped for a moment and looked around but he didn't seem to see anything so he shrugged and proceeded to answer the door. Mark was at the foot of the door seemingly worried, "Hey Bim! I got Google's call. Is anyone else missing?"

He shook his head and let him in, "No, it's just Dark and Wil. We haven't seen them since the night before."

As Mark came in but so did some others.

'Oh no.' Dark groaned, 'Why are they here, too!?'

Alongside Mark, Amy, Tyler, Ethan and Kathryn walked in, just as worried.

The Jims rushed up to them as they met them in the living room, "We just saw Wil yesterday morning"

The other Jim continued, "Wil was actually looking for Dark."

"He was in his office but when we went to go check on him with Actor, he was just gone."

Mark's suspicion of Actor lowered but he was still on guard.

Tyler crossed his arms in thought, "Weird. Where could they have gone?"

"C-could Dark have left us?" King asked and everyone started whispering and muttering fearfully.

Dr. Iplier piped up, "Now, now, everybody, calm down. Trust me, I'm a doctor. There's got to be a clear explanation on their disappearances. We can't rush to assumptions."

"The doc's right" Mark agreed, "So the Jims were the last ones to see Wil. Who was the last to see Dark?"

"That would be us" Google addressed himself and Bing, "Dark had some questions about camera footage he wanted to view and then he left for his room the rest of the day."

Amy pried gently, "What kind of footage was he asking for?"

"Footage on Actor. However, he couldn't find most of the data he asked for." Google answered.

Bing was glancing at Actor who looked almost too calm, " Yeah, man. It was almost as if it had gotten deleted."

"But you guys never delete anything from your hard drives" Ethan said, "How could it just get deleted?"

"What was he looking for that was deleted?" Tyler asked. Bing answered.

"He wanted to see the footage from the night Actor first came to us. I didn't say why"

"I know why" Dr. Iplier piped up and everyone turned to listen to him, "I expressed my worry to Dark about Actor's injuries having healed so quickly. At first I thought all egos could heal faster than normal humans but" he looked over at Actor who was just watching the conversation unfold as if it had nothing to do with him, "I tested my theory and it proved wrong. Actor's injuries should have took a LOT more time to heal. Over a month, actually, but he was fine after just a couple days."

"Actor" Mark addressed him, "Got anything to say about that?"

He just shook his head, "I can't help it I'm special, Markimoo"

Mark stared over at Actor but spoke to Google once more, "What footage on Actor was found, Google?"

Actor merely stared back at Mark, emotionless.

Dark shuddered as the tension just rose higher and higher, a blue aura pulsing from him, alerting him, 'Damien?' he thought briefly.

"Thanksgiving. It appeared he was the one to cause the damage in the first place, causing the food to vanish and manipulating others. Dark also asked for footage from in the attic where he placed cameras but he was reading a book."

Mark knew immediately, "You hate books, though"

"A man's tastes can change, you know" Actor just said flippantly, "But do go on accusing me. I know you want to" he waved the cane with his hand motions and that's when Mark finally noticed it.

"That's Dark's cane." Mark suddenly looked pissed, "Why do you have it!?" he went to lunge at him angrily but Amy held him back.

"Safekeeping" Actor smiled, "Not that he'll ever get it back"

Everyone in the room hushed silent at his words.

Actor sighed, "I was going to go about this differently but I suppose since all my plans have been changed anyways." he grinned, "Your accusations are correct, dear friends"

Most of the egos gasped in surprise.

Dark clung on the mirror, knowing time was of the essence, "Come on! Come on, Dark! You got this! You ARE this fucking void. This void is everything you are!" he shouted at himself, "You can't let Actor hurt them! Not them" he groaned.

"Where are they!?" Mark demanded, "Actor, you better tell me now, or so help me, I'll-"

"You'll what!? Delete me!? Eradicate me? Destroy all that I am and ever was?" Actor started to laugh, "Hehehhehehhhehehhahahhha! My god, you're so stupid! You don't think I haven't prepared for this?!"

He stomped the cane and a swift black aura blasted from him, sending the egos flying into the walls. It also sent Mark and his friends back.

"No! Dammit!" Dark clutched the mirror so hard his hands started bleeding from the force, "Actorrrrrr" he growled, his aura turning red.

Host started to speak, "He was running out of time and he needed to hurry fast if he was going to save them"

Actor turned his attention to Host with narrowed eyes, "What are you saying?"

Host stood up shakily and pointed his clothed gaze towards the mirror Dark was looking through, "Dark clutched the mirror in the void, watching from the other side, unsure on how to escape. But there was a way. He just had to think deeper on his sister's words"

Actor slashed at him, a black streak hitting the Host, knocking him back with a slight gash on his front.

"Host!" Mark stood up to run to him but Actor stood in his way.

"Dark is gone! There's no saving you from me! Oh Markimoo. Don't you want to know how this all came about?"

"What was Host talking about? Where is Dark? In a mirror?"

"Not quite" Actor grinned, "I sent him into the void. He can't ever escape. I barely did but I DID manage and kept a little part of it for myself. I control it now, you see. It's mine."

Mark kept his friends behind him as if to protect them, "But that's impossible. The void can't be controlled. Not even I can control it!"

"That's because you're weak, Mark!" Actor shouted at him, throwing a blast his way again, knocking him back. 

Amy went to help him but was shot back with a flick from Actor and he did the same to Tyler, Ethan and Kathryn. The void did indeed give him power and the others were too afraid to come near him, even Yandere.

"Amy!" Mark shouted for her bur Actor prevented him from moving away from him, closing in on his creator.

Dark pressed his forehead against the mirror, shaking, still holding onto it for dear life, wishing and pleading with himself.

'You ARE the void. You're not trapped here. You're just making yourself THINK you are. Remember what Anti did?'

Celine's words rang through his head. There had to be a deeper meaning to what she said. Like Host said. There's always a deeper meaning. She was a Seer, after all. It's what she DID was give deeper meanings to simple things.

'What DID Anti do?' he thought, 'He destroyed all the mirrors with all his energy but I don't want to do that. I need to go THROUGH the mirror. But how? She said something about finesse. I'm NOT trapped here'

Actor walked over to Mark, taking each step with the cane with a sick smirk on his face, "Wil and a friend of his have been taken care of, too, for now. I'll kill them later. But it's time I end YOU, Mark. Then I will finally be in control."

"Come on, Dark, THINK! Ggrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaah" the red pulsed from him along with blue, buzzing erratically in his stress. 

He had never been so out of his mind like this. His eyes started glossing over black but he barely noticed.

Actor cornered Mark by the mirror in the foyer and Dark could see Actor's gleam in his eyes clearly. The blood lust. He really was going to kill Mark. 

Mark wasn't going to give up, though and spoke desperately to himself tightly closing his eyes to concentrate, "You don't exist. I don't want you here. You're nothing but my imagination. You're not real" when he opened his eyes, Actor was still there smirking.

"What? Did you really think that was going to work? You've never even destroyed an ego before, have you!? You don't even know if you CAN get rid of me!" he laughed and suddenly lunged, gripping Mark's throat in his hand, squeezing.

Mark whimpered and choked,"A-Actor. . .  please"

Actor just giggled, "But I can get rid of you. I'm gonna kill you, Mark. And once you're dead, your other precious egos will fall behind you and then your friends and for the hell of it, I might just even kill your fucking dogs, too!"

Dark shook and so did his aura and that's when he noticed.

The red and blue auras were mixing together and practically vibrating. They were practically becoming one, turning almost purple here and there before snapping away again to their separate colors.

He looked up through the mirror and took a few steps back glaring at it. He had never felt such rage before. Rushes of emotions waving over him like the waters from the cabin. That's when he realized.

'The finesse of Damien and the rage of Celine' he thought, 'Celine was making me think of Anti because he could break through with his rage. And Damien is the blue aura. Stubborn and yet so  peaceful and delicate as to not break the mirrors. . . Together. . . they ARE the key'

Dark's auras mixed, still vibrating like mad and shaking the pitch black world around him. The auras condensed around his body onto his skin and he went to touch the mirror again, light sparks emitting from him like they had Anti in his rage.

Actor laughed in Mark's blue face, "And once everything of you is wiped away, it'll just be ME. And then EVERYONE WILL LOVE ME! I'LL BE A STAR AGAIN! I WILL BE THE HERO OF THIS WORLD AND NO ONE WILL EVER BE ABLE TO STOP ME!" 

He was about to strangle out Mark's last breathe when a hand gripped around Actor's own throat.

A flash of blue and red turned and threw Actor into the wall beside Mark, breaking the plaster and into the foundation. Everyone was stunned at the arrival.

All except for Host, of course.

Dark looked up into Actor's eyes, gleaming pitch black and ready to kill, a high pitch noise ringing through the air. Their surroundings were pitch black as Dark's void and power filled the room, the only light coming from the red and blue streaks pulsing from the ego, "I bet. . . . " His voice echoed, "I bet this wasn't part of your plan . . .. . friend."

Actor looked terrified but choked out, "H-how?! How did you es-cape? How are you d-"

"You don't control the void. I AM the void and you have no power over me." he leaned over Actor menacingly and the man shuddered.

"B-but that's impo-ssible. I cre-ated you. The void is mine-"

"You can thank Celine for that. She's the one who put part of Damien in me when the void took his body. It's thanks to Celine I finally realized what I really am." he gripped Actor's throat tighter.

"Ce-line" Actor gasped out, turning purple, "How did you-see her?! She's dead! What do you- mean?! Ans-swer me!"

"I don't owe you an explanation. Just die already" suddenly Dark snapped Actor's neck and his red aura crackled around the dead body, disintegrating it into nothing but ash. He didn't even give Actor a chance to scream or beg for his life.

There was utter silence. 

No one had been expecting that.

Mark gaped at him for a while until Dark's aura calmed down, the high pitch ring dissipating and his eyes turned back to normal. The darkness crept back into Dark's body like nothing happened. 

He stared down at the ash plainly, kicking it up slightly before leaning down to pick up his cane, holding it to him.

"Thank you, Celine"

Mark had heard the whisper and reached out a hand to him to lightly touch his shoulder experimentally.

Dark finally looked into Mark's eyes and the two felt it heart to heart, "It's over"

Mark hugged him suddenly, gripping him tight and Dark could barely hear a soft sob from him, "You did it. . ... Y-you saved us"

Dark held him to him, leaning the cane on the wall, a few tears escaping him as well, "It's okay, Mark. I got you. I'll never let ANY harm EVER come to any of you."

The other egos came around the two as did Mark's friends and Amy. They were cautious before Yandere just barreled into the both of them, "I'm so glad you're back, Dark! We were all so worried about you!"

Eric and King joined in the hug with Yandere and then everyone else immediately joined in as well, surrounding Dark and he accepted the love dearly. A few minutes rolled by until Dark sighed deeply and they all parted a little. Mark handed Dark his cane and he just caressed it gently, "I killed him." 

He had never killed anyone before.

Mark pat his shoulder gently, "You had no other choice, Dark. You did the right thing."

Dark was about to say something else when the front door was suddenly barged open.

BAM!

Wilford and the Detective sprang through and Wil looked around wildly, "Where is he?! Where is that son of a bitch!? I'll knock his flipping lights out, that masquerade twat!"

The detective was more seeing of the situation and lowered his gun, "Damie- I mean D-Dark? Where is he? Where's Actor?"

Wilford calmed and looked around in just as much confusion, "Dark, you're back . . . . . What in the blazes did we miss?! 

"Yeah" Abe put his gun away, "We thought you were trapped in that mirror world Actor was talking about?"

Dark suddenly gasped, remembering something important talking about that realm, "Mark! Do you have Sean's number on you!?"