Chapter 174: Long Awaited Meetings

- Central Abelis, Near Labyrinth City – Rose's POV –

It was Mary. Although older, her freckled face, red hair and delicate facial features were clear on the womans late-20's face. Briefly wondering how she had gotten here with our ages nearly reversed from our previous relationship, I was forced to focus on something far more important as she struggled even more under my grasp, nearly escaping while I was distracted.

[M-Mary! It’s me! Ros- I-I mean Austin! I’m your big brother!] - Rose

[...!] - Mary

Briefly forgetting to say the name I no longer identified with, I switched to a nearly forgotten persona, one that I hadn’t felt comfortable with for over 8 years, or the nearly 20 years I’d been living here by Earth standards.

Even so, despite my heartfelt plea, my precious sister from my previous life didn’t cease struggling, even pinned under a massive boulder, as her greater strength started to loosen my grasp. Desperation filled me as I realized that the blindfold either hadn’t been connected to her brainwashing at all or it wasn’t enough to break it by removing. Holding on for dear life, I tried to think of something that would help only for a familiar voice to break through the panic!

[Her choker, that collar is the focal point of her brainwashing! Take it off!!!] - Logic

[The collar?!? Argh!] - Rose

Seeing the collar Logic spoke of I immediately reached for the buckle to try tearing the offending object off my sisters' delicate neck only to feel a jolt of pain travel up my arm as my fingers touched it, instinctively flinching away as I felt my grasp nearly breaking on the struggling woman beneath me.

[Screw you! I’ll save you even if it costs me my life! Come off you damned thing!!!] - Rose

Determination filled my eyes as I once again grabbed ahold of the collar around Mary’s neck, the pain even stronger than previously as waves of excruciating electricity arched away from the buckle, into my body. Steeling myself against the agony, I put all of my considerable strength into tearing the collar apart, unable to actually control my fingers through the pain. And, with a sickening screech, the metal gave out as darkness took me.

- ???, ??? – Rose's POV –

I woke with a start, my thoughts trying to catch up with my current predicament. I remembered finally succeeding in ripping the metal collar off of Mary’s neck, followed by an explosion of some kind and then... nothing?

[Ugh... w-where am I? H-Huh?!?] - Rose

Groaning with pain I froze a second later as I questioned my surroundings.

My old bedroom, just as I remembered it, except it seemed to be much smaller to my larger body. Frozen like a deer in the headlights I quickly realized what had happened as I felt a familiar sensation spread through my body followed by two familiar faces appearing in middle of the room in front of me, their appearance breaking a casually flung video game controller that I barely remembered the brand of after all these years. Glancing at what used to be my pride and joy, the video game collection spread out along the wall meant almost nothing to me anymore and I quickly rose from the far too small bed without paying it any more attention.

[We’re...] - Rose

[In your sister’s Mind Palace, yes.] - Logic

[Wait! I thought only dragons got that?!? How does your puny little sister from a backwater like Earth get one?] - Wrath

[Hey! Earth isn’t som... okay actually I have the same question?] - Rose

[Hah.... neither of you paid attention to anything you’ve been taught, have you? Heroes also have a limited realm of their own. Although the function of it is far less versatile...] - Logic

[Hmmm... well with that out of the way whe-] - Rose

[H-Help me! Why won’t anyone help?!? Please!] - Mary

Rushing out of my barely remembered room on Earth I didn’t even bother to open the door properly as I smashed through the fragile wood with little effort, my head swiveling as I tried to find the source of Mary’s plea for help. Luckily, I didn’t have to look long as I heard it again down the hall where I remembered Mary’s room being.

Bursting through that door as well I froze again at the incomprehensible sight before me.

[W-What the hell?!?] - Rose

A vast emptiness spread out before me. Expecting to see the familiar room of my sister, instead I was presented with a void that spread in all directions, including the one that I had come from as I saw the remains of the door, I had entered through quickly moving away from me as if the space was infinitely expanding between us.

Just as I was about to react however, a deep, rumbling laugh that reminded me of someone despite its malice shook the black void.

[Oho? It seems that some puny speck has dared to intrude on my property! Foolish little dragon you are... hmm?] - Voice from the Void

[Ahhhhhh!] - Rose

[Oh, it seems that you aren’t just a foolish intruder, are you? Interesting... I would never have thought that the youngest would have had something like this... Fine then, I will leave for now young one, I believe that we will meet again soon. Enjoy your prize... for now.] - Voice from the Void

Pain. Unimaginable pain that crushed any thoughts of resistance pushed down on me from every direction. The pressure increasing as a feeling of being scrutinized washed over me. And then nothing.

Just as I felt my soul about to break under the weight of its gaze it suddenly relented, leaving me gasping as I realized just how close I had come to complete annihilation, the words it left me as the presence vanished burning in my brain.

- Outer Reaches, Mary’s Mind Palace – Rose's POV –

Pushing the lingering terror out of my mind, as I realized that I was in a daze in what I recognized as my sister’s old room, I saw Mary sleeping on her bed, tossing and turning as if in a nightmare, her grumbled complaints tugging at my heartstrings.

[Mary... how are you...? No! Now’s not the time to question that! I need to help her first!] - Rose

Slowly approaching the petite woman that was still much smaller than me despite her increased age from my memories I gently shook her awake, her eyes opening dazedly far easier than I’d expected them to.

[H-Huh? Where...? W-Who are you?] - Mary

[Mary, I’m...] - Rose

[Rose! What happened?!? We felt like your soul was on the verge of breaking before suddenly nothing! I- Ah... shit...] - Logic

[Big Brother?!?] - Mary

Blearily looking around in confusion, Mary’s eyes finally focused on my unfamiliar face as I contemplated how to answer her question. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get it out before Logic, in a body that was identical to my old form, burst through the ruins of Mary’s door, the confusion in her eyes becoming excited as she saw the person she thought was her beloved big brother.

- Central Abelis, Near Labyrinth City – Rose's POV –

We came to immediately after that, Mary’s eyes no longer robotic as they darted around before coming to rest on my face, still holding her down as I had been before going into her Mind Palace.

[Umm...? Who are you? And where did big brother go?] - Mary

[Umm... well... Actually... I’m him...] - Rose

I got it out! I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to clear up the misunderstanding easily, but it started with me introducing myself so, pushing down the inexplicable embarrassment that rushed to my face, I told her that I was actually her beloved big brother, her questions turning into a shocked face as she slowly confirmed who I was while I helped her escape from the boulder pinning her to the ground. A feat that I wouldn’t have been able to manage all on my own but with both of us was easily done.

[Hehe! Big brother is so cute now! So how is it?!? Being a girl must be so strange after all! Or maybe you’re used to it? You were pretty comfortable with dressing in a maid outfit that one time after all?] - Mary

[M-Mary! U-Umm... but well... this body just feels like my own, you know? Like, I don’t feel like anything since I’ve been in it for so long that it just feels like normal at this point.] - Rose

[So... long? How long has it...? Huh... Big brother, how long have you been in this world?] - Mary

[18 years by Earth standards? I’m almost 19 actually... A-Anyway we’ll talk about this later! First, we need to escape from here and I’ll get you away from the Church! We’re currently pretty far into enemy territory. Fighting you, in your... ah! I mean, I was forced here while figh-] - Rose

[It’s fine. I remember. Sort of anyways... I... don’t have all of my memories, like they’re stuck behind a pane of glass. I remember... a-anyways I know how we got here! Besides that, big brother, I think the Church wanted you here they-] - Mary

Suddenly a groaning rumble shook our newly made cave, light streaming in as the ceiling lifted upwards, the blinding brilliance of it blinding me to our rescuers, or foes, as it turned out as a voice came from the blinding sunlight.

[Oh, it seems that trash has regained its mind? Do we have you to thank for that, animal trash?] - General Mercy

My eyes finally adjusting to the sudden light I despaired as I saw countless Church soldiers behind the arrogantly smiling plate armored man, the look of triumph on his face directly opposed to the pale face of Mary as she started breathing heavily at the sight of his face, fear in her eyes.