“I honestly thought those two would work.”  a shadow said, watching as the troupe of both students and teachers slowly passed by.  

“It would appear that he is much stronger than we previously thought.”

“Indeed, but the question is is he strong enough to grab the orb?”

“I believe so,”

“I hope you are correct, otherwise the entire plan falls to pieces, and we shall all feel the repercussions.”

“It will work.”  the sat on in silence as they passed underneath there purch. “It will work...”

[Streets below]

“We are nearing where the orb should be, everyone keep an eye out, I doubt those two are the only ones that are lying in wait for us.”  The headmistress said, they were approaching a large ceremonial structure, or at least Leon thought it was a ceremonial structure, based on the flourished architecture and the round building.

“Yeah because this obviously is not a trap.”  Fluffy said with a sigh.

“I am going to agree with fluffy here, there is no way that is not a trap.”  Lira said looking at the large building in front of them.

“Why exactly do we need to do this?”Krya asked

“It is like confronting your demons,”  Leon replied, he adjusted the weight that was fluffy on his back before continuing.  “You either confront them on the dry land where you are most comfortable or you attempt to drown them only to realise they can swim,” he looked over at Lira, “It's now or latter.”

“I would rather have it done now,”  she said as she took a deep breath.

“That makes two of us.” he replied.

The doors of the building were decorated with intricate engravings depicting something, honestly there were people carved into the surface everywhere,and events going on and it was all too much for him to take in at once.

It didn't matter either, seeing as the thing they needed was behind the door.  Using one arm he pushed open the large wooden door.  It made a huge creaking noise as it opened.  The room inside unlike the city outside was impeccably clean, almost like someone was maintaining it.  

Marble floors shimmered and shone in a blue light, the source of which was a small orb suspended in mid air above a centralized alter.

The orb floated, suspended by nothing and radiating a blue light that washed the room in a soft color. It slowly rotated, as it bobbed up and down softly.

The strangest thing about it to Leon however was none of this, he had gotten used to seeing some of these strange arcane things now that he had been here a while.  No the strangest thing was the feeling that he had been here before.

That he had seen the orb.

He took a step forward and time seemed to stop, he looked around as all the color drained from the world.

“Long time no see,” The other him said with a smile that held no good intent.Leon had seen this dream before, but it was different this time, the other him was different somehow. “It has been a long time nasci.” it said as it looked Leon over.

“So, you are back, or should I say I am back?”

“I don't know should you?” He asked, a slow smile creeping onto his lips.

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“Do you know what I think?”

“What do you think?”  the other him asked, a hint of curiosity on its face.

“I think you are what I used to be.”  Leon said, “Before all of this before coming here.”

“That is an interesting theory, tell me, what evidence do you have.”

“None, just a deep feeling in my chest.”

“So, you came to this conclusion with no evidence?” he asked with a laugh.

“Yes” leon replied looking at the other him.

“Do you know how fascinating you actually are?” he gestured to Leon. “You can't remember at all can you?” He laughed, his face twisting with disgust, “it is your own fault, it is all your fault that she died, and yet still she loves you?” he spat on the floor at Leon’s feet.  “Nasci, you are truly as your name.”

“You can curse me all you want,” he growled, looking at his other self. “After all this is nothing more than beating myself up.”

“Is it now? How do you know? Do you even remember who gave that name to you?”

“Nira.”  Leon said simply.

“Oh, so you are remembering, tell me what does the name Abyzou mean to you?”

“She was my wife, I was not faithful.”  Leon replied, the memories all started to click, connect.

“You were indeed unfaithful,” he said, circling around him once again. “You are a Nasci, parading around wearing my face, using my voice, and confusing young girls.” He growled, stopping directly in front of Leon.

“No, I may have been you, but I am no longer I like what and who I am, and I will not allow you to take what I am from me.” Leon said.

“Take from you? No, I am the real you.” the other self said.

“That is irrelevant.”  Leon said with a smile. “You see, I now remember who I am, or rather who I was.”

“Oh?”

“It's not entirely clear, but my name, your name rather was Maahes was it not?”

A smile spread on the other self's face. “Ahhh, it feels good to be remembered.”  he said, black wings sprouted from his back, and the skin on his face split, revealing a lion’s head underneath it. “Indeed I am Maahes, god of war, husband of Abyzou.”

“No one wants to be forgotten.”

“You are correct, now I will take control again.”

“I cannot allow that,”  Leon said, looking at Maahes.

“You are just a figment of my imagination, a creature of my mind, created when I was shattered, when I died, you are part of me, you cannot deny me.” Maahes growled.

“I can, and I will.”  Leon smiled. “Destroying me is the only way to take control again.”  he said, black wings sprouted from his back and his face also formed that of a lion, leaving two identical godlike beings staring at eachother. “Therefore the only way for me to ever be free of you, of my past, is to kill it, to kill you.”

“You are part of me, would you really rather be destroyed than come back into me?” Maahes asked, the look of shock on his face was apparent, he had never thought this was a possibility. There was no answer and Maahes face twisted into a rage. “So be it.”

The world around them changed, looking down Leon found himself in sand dunes.

The collision was spectacular,Leon was hit with such a force he sunk into the sand and lost his footing. The two fell to the ground and both showed a surprising amount of grace as they twisted to get back to their feet.

Leon lunged at Maahes, who blocked the blow with the open palm of his hand. Leon didn’t just stand around to see what would happen next; he rushed forward and came in from Maahes’s exposed right.

He thought he had a solid blow connected with the god’s head as he was regaining his balance, but much to his surprise its hand shot up and grabbed the his wrist, nullifying  the force that was in Leon’s strike.

“You are me, I know everything about you, how you move, how you attack, there is no chance of you winning this fight.”

At the same time his knee was planted into Leon’s gut, pushing him back two feet, and causing a small amount of blood to leak out of his mouth.

A sword of fire formed in Maahes’s hand.

The blade arced with a fluid motion that was all too smooth and powerful for a human, and possessed a speed made it hard to even follow. He dodged the blade by leaning back instinctively.

Leon lunged forward, grabbing his arm. The god twisted in his grip, running the blade through his stomach. “Useless, you are me, to think you could best me was wholly incorrect and misguided.”

Leon smiled, a smile that brought a small amount of trepidation to Maahes’s heart.

Memories of the times he had spent with Lira flashed through his head, all those times, all those memories, if he died now, then they would die as well.  He gripped tightly on the forearm of the sword that pierced him. “You are wrong.”

“Wrong about what?” Maahes growled.

“I used to be you.”  Leon said, “But I am no longer.”  He smiled a smile that would have scared the god of death. And holding the blade in place he lashed out with his free hand, clamping it around Maahes’s throat. “I AM ME, LEON!”  He roared, his mane caught on fire,  flames burned in his eyes,  and with only the power in his arm he threw the god.

He looked down at the flaming sword still in his gut, and with a roar he pulled the blade free of its flesh scabbard.

He looked at the god lying there broken and battered in the crater he had been thrown into. “I am you! Killing me will Kill you!” Maahes said, coughing up blood.

“No, killing you will free me.”  Leon growled, he placed his foot on the god’s chest, holding its broken form down with his boot, and plunged the blade into his chest.

“Do you know what you have done?”  Maahes asked, with a wheezing voice.

“I have cast off my shackles.”  Leon replied, grabbing the quillons of the blade he twisted, shredding the god's heart.  He watched as the light faded from his eyes and sighed.  The world around him started to change, before long he was back in the ornamental building. Time was still stopped, and he could see himself carrying Fluffy, with Krya and Lira not far behind.  He smiled and slowly returned to his normal form.

Yes, he was Leon now.

He resumed his original position, allowing time to flow once again.

“Leon?”  Lira asked, she felt something change, it was impossible to describe, but Leon was, different, she ran around and stared into his eyes, they were, different, brighter somehow. “Are you ok Leon?” she asked worry in her eyes.

“Never been better.” he replyed with a smile, and leaned down and kissed her.

“HEY,”  Fluffy called out in protest. “I want a kiss too!”  it caused Lira and Leon to smile.

Yes he was leon, no matter what, this was who he was.