As he tried to keep up with her fast pace, Diverion ended up smacking his head into a tree branch, finally breaking himself free from Fenra's strong hold as he jerked back.

"Ouch!!", he collapsed, one hand holding his head, "God Dammit...", he cried out rubbing his forehead as he sat on the ground. Forehead throbbing a little, he blinked away the spots before forcing himself to get back on his feet.

Sitting around on the forest floor wasn't going to do him any favors. With whatever creatures lurked out there or with monstrous girls named Fenra.

"Would you do me a favor and stop trying to get yourself killed?", Fenra commented, watching him with her arms now crossed.

Diverion sighed.
What else was new? She had gotten worse over the years and kept proving how selfishly her mind worked.

She huffed impatiently watching him rise, "Oh my god.., you're wasting so much time Diverion, stop being a wimp and just keep up with me. It isn't that hard."

He glared back at her, "You're the one going so fast I can barely keep up! You just grabbed me and yanked me along!!", he reasoned, "How was I supposed to see that branch and duck it?! I assumed if you were going to drag someone you'd at least steer clear of obstacles! Obviously I was expecting a little too much!"

"It's not my fault you lack proper recognition and reflex skills. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you were never trained or taught anything.", she retorted, before pointing out the fading light in the sky, "Listen, we're short on time to get to safety and I'm not about to get caught with what's out here, so are going to continue being stupid or are you going to let me help you? It's fast or nothing."

Diverion had half the mind to try to figure it all out himself, he didn't want to be stuck with her, but he was still weak, slightly unstable and lost... surviving out here in the condition he was in wasn't very high.

It seemed he would have to put up with her for the night at least and then maybe they could part ways...
The last thing he wanted was to loose control of his magic again because something crazy was chasing and harming him.

Rubbing his head one more time, he nodded hesitantly, "Yes, fine I'll come. Just no more yanking!", he said as she made to grab his wrist again.

"Fine. But if you fall into a pit or something don't cry to me about it, keep up and follow my lead.", she then took off running without another glance, giving Diverion no other choice but to follow or be left behind.

Muttering under his breath, he followed, sticks and leaves crunching underneath him as he swerved around the endless trees.

His heart beat fast though as he avoided the waiting rocks and roots, his healed injury cried out to him to not push himself so soon; but he had no choice except to continue after Fenra, her hair being the only indication of where she was at moments as she went behind and out of sight between the trees.

As he caught up with her a little more, he watched as Fenra jumped a small chasm, leaping over it effortlessly as she ran with top speed.

Gasping as he realized he'd have to do the same, Diverion pushed the fear fluttering around in his stomach and drove his feet into the ground for the leap as he rushed at the yawning gorge.
The separation was at least 8 feet apart, a risky jump to do especially with the still aching pain in his side.

Trying not to think about it too much, he just acted. Using his past knowledge and skills to get him across as he locked out the fear.

Screaming out in determination, he leapt after her, his arms streamed behind him as he tried to make his body aerodynamic. He then twisted his body slightly, preparing to land, rolling onto the other side of the gap with practiced ease.

Now safely on the other side, he rubbed his aching side for a moment before standing, getting himself ready to take off once again.

He then looked up at Fenra slightly surprised, who was waiting with her arms crossed once again which made him feel very irritated, "Alright, I made it. Stop staring at me and let's just move if we're going to.", he said annoyed, "I might not be in the best shape but I'm not weak."

"I never said you were. Stop being so grumpy... besides their isn't any real reason to keep running now cuz the shelter is over there.", she snapped back at him, pointing to a small stone cabin surrounded in a clump of trees and shrubs.
"Also, it's kinda hard not to look at you...", she added, her blue eyes staring right into his, her face perplexed as she looked frustrated, angry and hurt, "You don't look like how you should.."

Trying to push down the guilt, Diverion pushed past her and kept his head down, "I already said I can't control it, just ignore it or don't look at my face.", he told her letting his anger in so he wouldn't feel so bad about hurting her in that way.

Always the same... it was ALWAYS the same...
The looks he got once the mask came off.
It wasn't his fault...

Diverion gritted his teeth as his side stung and his heart beat fast from the dash through the woods. He then massaged his aching ribs as he walked to the lone cabin, which had vines growing on the side with a creepy abandoned look.

"You changed again.", he heard Fenra comment, coming behind him as he stood in front of the wooden door, "And I don't mean just your face. It's like you've got some fire in you to do something with your life."

"I've been through a lot since we last met.. and the world.. my world at the very least, has changed.", he said quietly, his voice laced with irritation before rounding on the girl, "But let me make this clear, I'm not letting you bully and mess around with me anymore. EVER. And I won't be a victim of your anger of confusion. So once we go in there, let's just act decent. We're not thirteen anymore."

He watched as she just stared at him, before breaking out into a small laugh, "I wasn't planning on it Freak, besides, you're right. That was such a long time ago, I've matured since then. I don't want or need to bully you.
And so what? About your world changing? Everyone's world has been screwed ever since a couple months back, especially mine. So let's not act so dramatic, yeah?", she then moved him over slightly, opening the door to the dark drafty cabin, "I didn't sign up for drama."

"Then you shouldn't have invited me over.", he counteracted bitterly, following her inside as she walked over to the big fireplace.

He closed the door behind him as she lit it, watching as she snapped her fingers and causing a small burst of blue flame to erupt from the action. The blue flame caught onto the waiting logs, immediately glaring and casting the whole room into eerie light.

"Well, I was getting tired of having one sided conversations, so you're better then nothing.", she sighed before sitting down on an old easy-chair.

"You couldn't just use some flint?", he asked walking over and looking around at the dusty space, "That's a stupid waste of your power."
The armchair she was in, a couch dumped with clothes or blankets and a stove lined the small common room before leading up into what he presumed was a bedroom and bath. The whole place was dusty and the windows were smudged to the point of them almost not being see through.

"Haha WOW, yeah I was definitely right about the fire thing in you.", she laughed, "Old you would've never said that. Also nahhhh... it's easier just using what I got.", she said, "It's already too much work making sure the other guy is still breathing and finding food."

"Guy? What guy?", Diverion asked snapping his head around to see if there was someone behind him.

Fenra rolled her eyes and stood up, "Don't you remember? I wanted you to see someone because he looked like you, or at least, used to. Since your face has changed I can't really say it does anymore but whatevs." She then walked up to couch and pulled off the blankets concealing him, "See? He's the  first person I found out here but I thought he was dead, kinda like with you."

Diverion stared at the pale and completely unmoving teen in disbelief, "Are... are you sure he's still alive?", he asked shakily.

"I think so, his heart is still beating.", she felt his pulse and nodded, "Yep, still alive. Unfortunately he's in a coma or something."

He came forward and felt his pulse too, staring at the other male's face, "So, you just found him around here? When?"

"I dunno, almost three months ago. I stumbled into him right after I got myself stuck here and found this excuse for a house. He was somewhere out there but any exact location in that damn forest I can't say...", she looked at him, "Why? You know this guy?"

He felt his stomach squirm with anxiety and a sense of foreboding as he nodded, "Not exactly... but I have a feeling I do."

"Alright, then who do you think it is?", Fenra asked poking the unconscious teen's cheek, "And why did you look like him?
Also heyyy, I realized you both have stupid hairstripes!", she laughed, tugging on Diverion's fuchsia locks.

He sighed. Why was he stuck with the most frustrating person to ever exist? He forgot how much her mood and her train of thought changed... and how childish she could be along with those random tangents...

She continued to tug on his hair, laughing at her own joke as he stood over the couch.

"Stop.", he said slapping her hands away as he refocused on the freckled male, "If this is the right person I'm thinking of Fenra, I looked like him because a woman named Cassandra thought he was gone forever. I took on some of his features as a result but, I thought he would've been dead, not alive. She called him Varian...", he felt butterflies swarm around his stomach again as he looked at her, "If it is him... he shouldn't be alive."

He felt his own face draining with dread as she processed what he said, knowing exactly what she would ask and need to know in order to understand.

"I know he shouldn't be alive because that's my curse.", he said quickly right as she opened her mouth, "I look like those who've died in the past for the person who sees my face, the one that is most missed.
It has always been someone who's dead, so... so, if I looked like him,", he trembled pointing to unconscious body, "He should be dead. It goes against everything I know about my curse."

It was real quiet as he watched her look between the two before stopping and staring at him. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to talk for a moment before she managed to get something out, "So, you're telling me you ONLY look like dead people? Are you sure it's not really really missed people?"

"Unfortunately, it's always and only been the deceased... this is literally the only exception. That is, if it is him.", he added not wanting to jump to conclusions, "I mean... there are doppelgängers."

Fenra looked like she wanted to smack him, "REALLY?! That's what you have to say about a situation like this?! A. Fucking. Doppelgänger? REALLY?! Do you hear yourself? Stop being a cowardly bitch and just admit that something freaky is happening here Freak!!", she exploded, "Why are you always running from a challenge?"

Diverion felt himself angry along with being hurt, "Bold words for someone who is always running from her problems!", he fired back, "I'm just trying to make sure I'm certain; I don't want to assume the worst and have my world turned upside down! I don't want more people getting hurt!
You, on the other hand, always assume the worst of everyone and everything!! And you don't care who gets hurt! Just like when you burned that bloody castle for the fun of it!"

"What do you know?!", she screamed back, her face bright red with a hint of tears, "Nothing!! You don't know a fricking shit!! So don't go talking to me about things you don't understand!!"

"Then don't go attacking me about this kind of stuff! Stop being so selfish for once in your life and try to think about the bigger picture!!
I don't understand how one person, how you can be so self centered!! It's incredible in the worst way possible!!", he laughed bitterly, "I can't take anymore people yelling at me for wanting something to be easy for once or being cautious and caring!! Especially when it's from people like you!"

She glared at him, "You know I could burn you, right?!"

Diverion stared back at her challengingly, not backing down. He wasn't going to cower anymore... not with her at least.

"Yeah, I do, but I'm not going to be afraid of you anymore. What I said was true... the truth hurts Fenra. It can't be molded into what you want."

She clenched her fists, a spark of fire igniting, "Then why are you trying to run from it too? You're doing the same thing.", she accused, "It's not any different."

He stopped.
And for once, she was right. The one who never listened to reason said something true. He was running from the truth.

He looked down at the couch and the person that lay there. Was there really that many people who looked like he had with Cassandra?

Deep down he knew the answer... he knew the truth. But was it so wrong to keep open possibilities instead of accepting a harsh reality that could open up disaster?

Diverion looked back up at the angry girl, "You're right. I'm not being any different. We both are running from the truth and the past. And we both have our motives...
I shouldn't be so quick to judge yours, but you shouldn't be so hard on mine either.", he said quietly, all anger gone from his voice, "I'm sorry about what I said, I really am, and I'm sorry for lying to myself about Varian."

Fenra's flames in her fist went out, her face furrowed with surprise and thought.

"The truth is this, I'm scared that if I accept that guy over there is Varian, which it most likely is.., everything will change for me again. Drastically.
I'm scared that something bad is going happen because of his existence when I know he should be dead. I'm scared of what it might mean...", he took a shaky breath but kept his voice steady, "So I've been trying to deny the truth for as long as I can, until it is clear there is nothing but to accept it. It's selfish of me... and stupid. But I'm so tired of the change that my life has taken and the disaster with it. I can never be happy... and having HIM in the picture will only make it worse."

"Yeah, he does look like the kind of person that fucks everything up.", Fenra commented walking over to him, "Listen, I appreciate you saying I'm right... not just 'cause I was but also 'cause you're not acting like a hypocrite anymore by admitting that."

"Oh, is that all.", he breathed out, thinking there'd be some confession on her part or something meaningful.

"Nope. There's more.", she said smiling, "I was just going to say you're right about me too, the running from tragic stuff part. And being selfish... but that's only sometimes! I've had to be selfish, alright? Not being that way... it gets you hurt.
So I get it not wanting to have everything going crazy and denying facts..."

He sat down on the floor heavily, leaning against the couch tiredly, "I just don't know what I should do next. Cassandra and Hubert, the people who kidnapped me and are looking for Varian, miss him and care about him, and I'd feel guilty not trying to give him over to them."

She looked down at him and crossed her arms, "We'll figure it out, one step at a time. You're an assassin Diverion, you can do this.
You have the skills and if you keep your head, it'll work out."

"I'm not proud to be one..."

"Yeahhhh... but you gotta admit you learned a lot of cool stuff!", she replied, "Without that training, you'd definitely get eaten alive."

She then sat beside him, her legs splayed in front of her as she pulled a berry out of her pouch and offered it to him.

"What is that?", he questioned critically eyeing the strange fruit.

"It's a berry that makes you like you're drunk, helps you forget problems.", she answered in way too cheerful tone.

Diverion blinked at her, "Yeah, no. Hard pass. I'm not that down... seriously, Fenra, what is wrong with you?"

"Probably a lot of things.", she admitted, "I just thought you'd like to feel happy, but that's your loss.", Fenra but her lip for a moment before looking back at him, "So how do you know that guy is Varian? What's his defining qualities?"

He looked behind him at the teen who's freckles almost seemed to be glowing as he slept, "Well the first thing would be his blue hair stripe, the goggles he always wears, the vials of alchemy he's got, he's around my age, the freckles and...", he gently opened one of Varian's eyes with his hand, seeing the blue iris and confirming his suspicion, "and he's got blue eyes. He's pretty much how Hubert described him. Oh, and he's missing so... yeah. It's most likely him."

"Seriously... are you going to be okay?", Fenra asked awkwardly as he slumped back down against the edge of the molding furniture.

"Yup... things are just going to change though... I know that much.", he said closing his eyes, "I'm not sure if I'm ready for it."

"Who is?", he heard her stand up,
"I'll let you rest now. I'll be sleeping in the chair just so you know, so when you get tired of resting on the floor you don't accidentally sit on me.", she joked patting his head, "We can back at each other's throats tomorrow."

He shook his head and let himself rest, knowing he'd need it.
Hopefully the raven and blue streaked haired boy would wake up soon so they could get answers... and he hoped beyond anything that his gut was wrong about the chaos ahead.

Hey guys! This is the longest chapter I've done so far, lmao it's over 3,217 words-
Anyway I hope you enjoyed this one since it's finally getting to the interesting stuff!! I was so excited to get this out and I can't wait to read your theories and ideas you've been cultivating!! Stay chill Ma dudes and keep hanging in there!