"I didn't think you were going to show up."

"Well you wanted me here, so here I am."

"There isn't room for the both of us here. In this world, only one of us can be king."

"You're weak, just like him!"

"You seem to like to try things that are destined to fail, so why don't you go kill yourself and come back when you're ready."

Anti instinctively winced as the words echoed around his room. Even though he knew that the words weren't directed at him, but at the Anti he was arguing with, it still stung to see someone that looked so much like Dark say the words in his face.

He was curled up in bed watching his phone screen intently as Jack, or "Anti" faced Mark's dark persona, neither of them breaking eye contact as Dark spoke, the argument continuing.

It was around midnight, but Anti couldn't sleep since he knew that at four in the morning he would be boarding a plane with a first class ticket to go to Finland.

What scared him the most wasn't the competition, but the tons of people that would there.

Who knew what they would think of his multicolored eyes.

"This world is mine, these people are mine!"

"You don't belong here. Why don't you finally go home."

"I don't need to go home...I'm already there."

Anti nearly fell out of his bed in surprise when his screen suddenly went black and showed that Dark was face timing him.

"Hey." Anti answered, shifting on his bed so he was laying on his back instead of in his side so he could stare up at Dark, his arm extended in front of his face with his phone.

Dark's room was pitch black, the only thing visible behind Dark's head was part of the pillow his head was resting on.

"Hey, I figured you'd be awake." Dark chuckled quietly, wearily rubbing his eyes.

"I'm surprised you are. You nervous about the competition?" Anti asked, secretly hoping Dark was so he wouldn't look pathetic.

"Not really." Dark shrugged nonchalantly.

Anti could instantly tell he was lying when his gaze quickly averted Anti's.

"It's okay if you are, you can tell me." Anti assured him with a small comforting smile.

"No, I'm fine." Dark shook his head.

More lies.

"Okay." Anti reluctantly let the subject drop, hoping that Dark would eventually tell him at the competition, if not sooner.

"I'm guessing you're nervous?" Dark countered.

"N-yeah." Anti sighed in resignation, knowing that it would be pointless to lie to Dark.

"I'll protect you, no matter what happens there." Dark promised, his dark eyes glittering with fierce determination and another emotion Anti couldn't identify.

"So what have you been up to?" Anti abruptly changed the subject, not wanting to think about the competition.

"Watching YouTube." Dark answered simply.

"Same here." Anti admitted, thinking back to what "Dark" had said in the video he was watching. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forget the coldness in "Dark's" eyes.

"You okay? You look depressed." Dark snapped Anti out of his thoughts, his tone laced with concern.

"Yeah, just lost in thought." Anti plastered what he hoped would pass as a smile on his face to show Dark that he was okay.

He felt far from okay.

"Alright. Did Infelix tell you that we have to pretend we're meeting for the first time when we arrive?" Dark asked casually.

"No." Anti frowned. He hadn't heard much from Infelix, other than when he asked for an occasional progress report.

"Of course he didn't." Dark scowled in irritation.

"Anyway, I was thinking we could have dinner together once we both get settled in." Dark continued.

"Are you asking me on a date?" Anti smirked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

Dark blushed in response, his bright red face still easily visible despite the darkness of his room.

"I guess it would kinda be our first date." Dark mumbled sheepishly.

"See you then." Anti winked.

"I'll count down the seconds until I can see you in person again." Dark stated dramatically, trying to disguise how much he actually missed Anti by being overly sarcastic.

"Close your eyes and put your hand up to the screen." Anti instructed abruptly.

"What?" Dark frowned in confusion, staring at Anti as if he had gone crazy.

"Just do it!" Anti commanded.

Anti watched as Dark rolled his eyes before closing them and doing as Anti told him.

Anti copied him, imagining the heat he felt as Dark's hand instead of his phone screen.

They both were silent for a couple of moments, the only sound audible being each other's shallow breaths.

Anti was the first to remove his hand from his camera lens, watching as Dark slowly moved his hand away and opened his eyes as well, although he seemed hesitant to do so.

"Thank you." Dark whispered.

"No chic flick moments." Anti quoted the show they had been watching together.

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

Anti broke into laughter and watched as Dark tried, but failed, to stifle his own laughs so he didn't wake up his neighbors.

"Anyway, I'm gonna try and get a little sleep before I go. Buh-Bye." Dark used Mark's outro, waving goodbye until Anti reluctantly ended the call.

Dark's smiling face was frozen on the screen for a brief second before he was brought back to his contact list on Skype.

Dark and Infelix's names were the only ones there.

Anti glanced at the time on his phone, only to be disappointed that it was only two.

Anti killed more time by double checking he had everything packed and by the door before he went back to watching more YouTube.

Anti waited until it was three before gathering his things, glancing briefly over his shoulder at his home for what he hoped would be last time before he closed the door, locked it, then threw his black suitcase into the back of his bug and drove off to the airport.

Anti met Murphy by the entrance and took his ticket, waiting impatiently for his flight number to be called.

The airport was mostly empty, except for the several business people milling around with their pressed suits and briefcases, as well as a couple of off duty flight attendants and pilots.

"How're you holding up?" Murphy asked as the two sat down in a couple of chairs away from everyone else.

"Fine." Anti lied through gritted teeth as his leg bounced up and down vigorously as if he was trying to create an earthquake.

"Obviously not." Murphy chuckled as he placed a hand on Anti's leg to stop it from moving.

"Sorry." Anti apologized, running a hand through his recently re-dyed emerald green hair.

"First time flying?" Murphy asked.

"No, it's just...what will people think of my eyes?" Anti whispered so he didn't catch other people's attention as he turned to face Murphy.

"What's wrong with them?" Murphy asked, equally quiet.

"They're different colors!" Anti hissed, wondering if Murphy was color blind.

"So?" Murphy countered.

"People are going to make fun of me!" Anti pointed out, not realizing that he had shouted until he heard his voice echo around the spacious room.

Thankfully, no one bothered glancing over at him.

"They won't judge you for your looks, only for your skill." Murphy assured Anti.

Anti opened his mouth to protest more, but was cut off by a flight attendant announcing their flight number.

"That's us. Are you ready to go?" Murphy grunted as he stood up and grabbed his suitcase with one hand, offering Anti a hand up with his free hand.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Anti sighed as he grabbed Murphy's hand and allowed himself to be lifted up out of his seat and onto his feet. He grabbed his suitcase by the handle, hearing the wheels squeal as it trailed behind him as he walked quickly to keep up with Murphy.

"Enjoy your flight." A brunette flight attendant beamed at them as they handed her their tickets before stepping inside.

Anti dashed for the window seat, barely beating Murphy to it.

Anti triumphantly stuck his tongue out at Murphy as he reclined in his seat, listening to the engine roar to life before the ground soon seemed to fall from underneath them and disappear into the sunrise.

Anti stared out at the window at the golden sun that was rising over the horizon in front of them, feeling like a superhero riding off into the sunrise.

Except Dark isn't here, Anti thought, instantly breaking his good mood. His eyes fluttered shut as he allowed himself to be lulled to sleep by the purring engine and the faint sunlight bathing his pale skin.