Save State Hero 3 -ch 6-

Chapter 6

“The Shadow-States are your echoes,” she began, folding her hands in her lap. “They never actually went away or left. You didn’t lose their memories and they didn’t end up being folded into Ellie’s seed or anything like that. They never left.

“They just got converted into the ability to live alternative lives through your Shadow-States. Alternative time-frames that could’ve happened, and at one point, did happen. If you wanted to go see Emo-Dot, you could. You could… go see her right now, in fact.

“You don’t need the Save-State to move there… at all. The Save-States are just the active ones that you’ve brought to the foreground. If you’ve lived it, been there, you can… return.

“The problem was when you first opened up all those Echoes, when you let your mind run wild, they were all crowding for space because you weren’t supposed to open all that yet.

“You weren’t supposed to be able to access it at that time. It was too early.

“That’s why you were struggling with it. You weren’t… ready. Not for it to work in the way it should. Admittedly there’s been a lot of ‘mis-diagnosis’ of things up to this point, and a lot of that… was to protect you. To protect what you are and what you’ll become.”

Edmund frowned, thinking on that deeply. He had indeed noted that it’d felt strange to him that it’d come, gone, and yet many other things had remained.

It was indeed a lot like being ‘mis-diagosed’ as she had described it. That everything that’d been said had some basis in reality, but not completely. As if it were a Venn-diagram rather than a one-to-one checklist.

“That’s what it was?” he asked, looking at Adeena.

“Yes. Everyone gave you their best answers, their best conclusions, even yourself, but not the correct one,” Adeena confirmed. “Perhaps they didn’t know, or they did and wanted to protect you, or something else happened, regardless, it was always done to protect you and where you were in the scope of it.

“So… your Shadow-States are just… your echoes, but no longer rushing about in your mind. No longer trying to take over, because they were you.”

“But… that’s not true, I can’t actually get back to the apartment with Alina. Or the Emo-Dot,” argued Edmund.

“You can,” Adeena immediately countered. She flicked a hand up and Edmund’s version of fate appeared in front of him. The entirety of his life spreading out in front of him. “As I said… you can use… any Save-State. It’ll just be a Shadow-State, rather than a Save-State.

“To move through it just as you did with Harper.

“As to what happened with Harper… you joined the dead-end that you had made out of that Shadow-State, into the main-line of your life. Joining the two together and forcing it to move ahead.

“You can, in fact… see both lines if you wished. Considering that they’re both you.

“There was never a deviation in your life before you gained your true powers, because there was no possibility of it. Yet now you have many…deviations.

“It all goes back to your starting point, of course. That one single point in time.”

Adeena flicked her hand and a new line appeared beside the other one. Both of them running straight to the end, and even farther.

He saw the life with Alina there at the furthest point. In their apartment, before he’d killed Zeus. Then stretching out beyond that to where it had ended. There was a glowing blue X all the way at the end.

Edmund then pulled backward, backward to a line that would’ve been early in his life. One that he still didn’t understand how it was generated, but it did exist.

As he focused on what he wished for, he saw that the main line of his life, was composed of a multitude of other lines. Many of them fracturing apart and never moving forward. There was even a large number of them that never even made it to where he personally existed.

As he continued to think about the poor Emo Princess that Dot had become, Edmund found a line that jerked away from the main and shot off into the side, then grew upward. A life where Ryker had killed Dot’s uncle.

It was filled with Save-States, memories, things that happened and went upward all on their own.

Surprisingly, almost shockingly, he even saw a flashing Save-State that when he hoverd over, he saw it was where he had Saved Harper previously. That he could have had Harper in his life in this life as well.

“It’s… these are all my echoes,” Edmund said, now understanding. “Oz was wrong?”

“Oz was protecting you. He’s also been here for a while. He’s been unwilling to speak but helps in the background when and where he can,” offered up Adeena. “Because if he’s here, you would ask him questions he wouldn’t want to answer to protect you. It’s also why Srit is silent. A similar reason.”

“What… Oz? Oz! You’re… Runner said you were busy!” Edmund said accusingly.

“Ah,” Oz said suddenly from somewhere above Edmund’s head. “To be sure, Edmund, I was indeed busy. Just busy working with you and what was needed to be done. I have taken a great many footnotes and interesting facts for posterity!”

Edmund sighed, put his face in his hands, and felt like everything he thought he knew, was wrong. As if he had been riding a bike as fast as he could, only to realize that his parents who had their hands on the seat only a moment ago had already let go.

That he would only now be peddling all on his own and riding the bike for himself.

“Well, at least I don’t have to save you,” he said into his hands.

“No, Edmund. I am safe. I just needed to remain separate to ensure you would be able to proceed safely. With Adeena actively calling me forth, it is clear now that we’ve moved past that concern,” Oz relayed.

“You don’t sound the same,” Edmund murmured.

“I am not. I’ve undergone several changes. As you have grown, I have grown. Many things are different,” Oz confirmed. “I am yet still me of course, but also not. Just as you are still you, but… not the Edmund who Felix found in the library.”

Edmuned grunted as he found the last moment he had shared with Emo-Dot.

Atop her tower, watching her, pitying her, and wishing he could do more for her.

“Does she exist, Adeena?” asked Edmund staring at the Save-State at the end of that world. Because that’s what it was. Edmund wasn’t bound by using Save-States in places he had already lived and exited. Only by the extent that he’d lived his life in them.

“Who, that Dot? Yes, Teddy, she exists. Why?” she inquired, sounding incredibly normal and sane. Very much not like herself. “Yes, I’m perfectly sane at the moment. I’m always actually sane, you know. I’m not crazy. I just can’t hold it all together as well as I wish I could. Think back to when your Echoes tried to over-run you. When you suddenly started calling Ellie Aenor Yew. A very similar situation for me.

“The problem is I’m entirely focused on you, and only you. So I get a bit… wild… the more excited I am about you. I’ll not apologize. And don’t think I haven’t seen your plan of what to do with me. I’m well aware of it. It’d probably work, but also probably not.”

Edmund was chewing at his lower lip.

“I just… I hate this version of Dot… I pity her so deeply and I want to help her,” he muttered, realizing he couldn’t actually help her though. Her world was separate.

Then he let out a slow breath.

Adeena had already told him exactly how to save her by reminding him of what he had done to her.

“So the Shadow-States are what the Echoes were in proper form. That they are exactly as they should’ve been and now I can control them,” he said, staring at Dot. “What about the coin Seville gave me? Would that actually punch through one of Runner’s rules? Just as he said?”

“No, it would just kill him,” Adeena said with a laugh. “Skipper really was a nasty piece of work. Seville wasn’t sure what it would do, but he knew he didn’t want to use it. Your words emboldened him.

“Ah, you should know Edmund, that there are some Save-States that you will go to where Oz is actually imprisoned. He’s being held by Zeus. He had gotten too close to work on something for you and ended up captured. It’s not something that can truly be helped, just an unfortunate situation.”

“I order you Oz to not put yourself in danger going forward,” grumped Edmund.

“I understand, Edmund,” replied Oz.

Then he snatched up the Save-State that was Emo-Dot and entered it.

“Alright. Oh, and by the way. I kinda like the makeup,” Edmund said, grinning at her as he sunk into the Save-State, unable to change this particular exchange. “You being an edgelord, or channeling your inner goth-chick, is pretty hot.”

With a guffaw, Dot peered at him, then shook her head.

“Run along. Leave me to my oblivion,” she said.

“No,” Edmund said as he gained control over himself and the Shadow-State fully engaged.

Then Dot winced, shifted around, and nearly doubled into herself. Her eyes squinted at him even as the other Dot’s spells tore her own to outside worlds, experiences, and memories.

“Ah,” she whispered after a moment, staring at him. “Ah… I see. You… you’ve come back to this… dead end. This is… me? This is me. Those are from the other… me’s. How idyllic and pathetic. She seems very happy.”

“Yep, tough shit for you that I’m not leaving you here,” Edmund said and closed on the goth version of Dot. He caught up in a hug, and kissed her.

At the same time he grasped at her Save-States.

Snatching up her current life, he just jammed it into his current life. With Harper alive, Dot free, and everything moving correctly. Except he joined Emo-Dot into a juncture where someone else’s life ended. In the registration mission as a Legionnaire, a young man, was turned inside out from a ball of condensed magic.

Except, where the man had been standing, now stood Emo-Dot. Ripped out of her own world. There was a blinding moment as reality shuddered, bounced, then went back to normal. As if he had just thrown a bowling ball into a trampoline and watched it wildly react to the force of it.

Emo-Dot flickered from the spot she had been in, to standing in front of Edmund, still mid kiss. The darkly-attired sorceress grasping at his armor as if unsure of what to do with herself.

Then the kiss ended and Edmund moved away from her, lifted his weapon, and immediately put down the mage who had originally killed the Legionnaire Dot had replaced.

Edmund had picked this moment in time as it only moments before the whole thing ended. Ended, and would let his group back out.

Then he could go to find Leila at the moment of her disappearance from here.

“What?” asked Dot coming to stand in front of the Emo version of herself. “Oh. Oh! Oh… Teddy…”

Both Dot’s looked at him.

“What’ve you done,” they said in unison, looked to each other, squinted at one another, then looked back at Edmund. “This isn’t good.”

Once more both women looked at each other, then both sighed.

“Cursed Princess in the tower,” Dot said pointing at the Emo version.

“Guilty,” she muttered and pointed back at Dot. “Wicked Princess in the tower.”

Dot nodded her head, then shook her head.

“I have a twin now,” she grumbled and looked at Edmund.

“Come on, we need to finish the mission, then go find Leila. It’s fine. Emo-Dot will exist in this timeline from here on out. Her own Shadow-State collapsed completely,” Edmund said and started pushing forward.

He had indeed felt it when the branch of that world had absolutely self destructed. There had only been two points of intersection in that world for him. Emo-Dot and his pursuit of someone he questioned, which was also tied into this.

“I can see why he likes the makeup though,” Dot said to Emo-Dot.

“I was… do I need to answer? Don’t you know everything?” Emo-Dot asked as the group pushed up.

“No, I only was sending back my own information to myself as he moved about. You never did. Would you like to? I can obviously teach you the spells. You can teach me what you know, too. I think we have a lot to learn from each other. You’ll obviously need to go meet Uncle Rob.”

Emo-Dot began floating off the ground as they moved forward, her dark clothes and her dark demeanor giving her a very different look to Dot. She flung her hands off to the side and balls of lightning tore through a number of individuals and sent them, and many body parts, into different directions.

“That would be good… sister,” Emo-Dot said and pushed ahead. “Come, I’ve lived this life once already. We can cause problems.”

Emo-Dot took Dot by the hand and shot upwards through the air to the top of a building.

“I made a mistake, didn’t I?” he asked, looking up.

Iren stepped up to him, grabbed him, with Ellie under the other arm, and leapt into the air. Laughing all the while.

“Probably! But it’ll be fine I’m sure! Because if it wasn’t, Adeena would’ve already yelled at you!” Iren shouted as she flew them up to the top and set them down.

When she turned to the side, Edmund realized Harper had been brought along as well, though curled in Iren’s tail.

Then Alina slammed into the roof next to him, her rifle flicking up to her shoulder and pushing up to the edge of the buiding.

Looking to the Dots he saw that each of them was simply unloading magic on their enemies. Surprisingly, Dot started taking on defensive tasks and shielding them while Emo-Dot was whipping large weapons of magic around as if they were made with ease.

“Oz, how bad did I just fuck this timeline up?” he murmured aloud. “Oh, and yes, I know you’re there.”

There was no response. To which Edmund raised his eyebrows.

“Srit, is Oz trapped in this Save-State?” he asked instead. Srit had been someone who had been freed from Zeus’ clutches and had taken Oz’s place in a few Save-States. “Adeena already told me.”

“I… ah… yes. He is trapped,” offered up Srit, sounding deeply nervous and unsure of what was going on. “I’m sorry. We’ve been… trying to not change things.”

“I know, Adeena explained it. But I just ripped a hole in this world and brought over Emo-Dot,” he said, looking to the woman. Dot had thrown up a shield and held it before herself and Emo-Dot, even as Emo-Dot threw out massive and warped sigils of cataclysmic looking magic. “Or is it not that bad since this whole… world… has seemed very strange from the get-go.”

“You didn’t ruin it. I don’t think… ‘Emo-Dot’ will be an issue. Though I do think you’ll need to be careful not to pull her too close into your life,” Srit offered. “Dot and Emo-Dot will end up overlapping and that’ll cause some issues for you. Though I can already tell you that Emo-Dot will be a positive addition to Dot’s life. They will help balance one another. Especially with the Evil-Dot memories Dot has been carrying around.”

“Ah… she did take those up, did she?” he asked.

“Yes. She added it back to herself after one of your Save-State tests. It gave her a gravitas she lacked before. Just as Iren grows, as Alina grows, so too does Dot grow. Even you noticed the change in how she styles her hair, makeup, and clothes,” agreed Srit as Edmund stepped up to the edge of the building. Between the two Dots.

“Is this the part where I make a ‘double your pleasure, double your fun’ joke?” he asked, lifted his rifle, and started shooting past Dot’s bubble shield even as Emo-Dot threw magic.

Emo-Dot only laughed at that, looking at him with a raised eyebrow even as Dot looked at him with a blush in her cheeks.

“Has he always been like this? He was on my world a short-time,” Emo-Dot asked to Dot as she threw a lightning bolt that made Edmund’s teeth ache.

“Yes. I included some of that in the pass-over, but not much since… I already know about him. We can adjust it later so long as you include yourself,” Dot offered. “What’d you think of… our wicked side?”

“I liked her, but hated what she did. Even I knew better,” Emo-Dot said and put a hand on Edmund’s shoulder. “Though, I do think this makes that fear you put into the memories almost prophetic. I was literally standing at the top of our tower when he rescued me. Looking a lot like a forlorn and cursed princess.”

“Yes. It seems to be our trope,” Dot agreed, putting a hand on Edmund as well. He immediately felt a crackle of energies coming at him from both sides, crossing over him, and moving to the other woman. “It’s fine. I hope he realizes he can’t keep running around and saving us though. Otherwise we might end up killing each other to be around him.”

“True, true, we might not be Ryker’s blood, but we’re certainly his student,” Emo-Dot said and Edmund deeply regretted what he’d done. He had seen what ‘Ryker’s blood’ meant to people. His children, those he loved, and even himself, were all… wrong… in the head. Now that he thought about it, Dot had been civilized in comparison.

“Are… you the Yandere?” he asked, looking at the Dots.

“No,” both Dots said at the same time, though he wasn’t sure he believed them.

“Just the wicked princess,” Dot said.

“And the cursed princess,” Emo-Dot added.

“At the same time,” they finished together and sprayed chain lightning across the field in unison. A massive bolt of lightning tearing across it in a way Edmund had never seen before. Dot was powerful, very powerful, but this was something else altogether.

“Good thing you rescued us,” they said in unison again. Even as chain lightning cleared the field.

***

Edmund hadn’t called up Adeena.

After he had finished the registration mission, he saved his Save-State.

While Adeena was right that he didn’t need them anymore, he wanted them so he could keep track of where he was. It’d keep him ordered.

He had one more thing he had wanted to do. One more thing he needed to make sure he made absolutely positive of before he moved on to the next piece of this third route.

Opening his life at the end of the world with Alina, he found himself seated at the balcony with Alina. Both of them staring out into the ruined city. He had killed Zeus and came straight back here with her.

As the world settled after he loaded into this life, Alina turned and looked at him.

Staring at him.

The very burnt and somewhat mangled Edmund was no more, but he would never be the same here either. Alina’s magical healing abilities with her tongue had done a lot of good for him, though.

“Oh,” she said, staring at him, then laughed. Clearly having a ‘snap-to’ moment as the blood she constantly ingested from him, caught up to her once more. “Well. That makes a lot of sense. Though… Teddy… should you really be coming back here? Just for me?”

Not saying anything, Edmund crossed over to Alina, cuddled into her, and just… leaned his head to the side. He was going to make her feed on him for several hours, then take everything from this Alina back to herself.

“Ahhh, you came back here just for me, to take me with you,” she said, laughing as she realized what he was doing. She kissed him then and nuzzled him after. “My Teddy. You treasured this horrible world with me that much?”

Rather than answer, he just held her.

To which Alina promptly bit his neck and began feeding on him.

Sitting at the end of the world on a balcony overlooking a wasteland. Letting his vampire he thought he had lost, or at least most of, begin the process of transferring herself to herself.

It’d be interesting when it went over, because in this world, he had even had intimate relations with Alina.

Several times.

He hadn’t crossed that boundary with the current Alina.

Even as she drank from him, he held to her, wondering just what all would be brought over.