The Darkest Side Of Me

Come on… let me out. I retreated back several steps, and then suddenly charged forward, my arm in front. My body slammed into the barrier, shoulder-first. It doesn't budge. Snarling, I raised a clawed hand and lashed out with it. Black nails scraped against the solid wall in front of me, leaving a long slash. The mark remained there for a time, shimmering brightly. Then it slowly faded away. I kicked at the barrier once more with my foot, then growled with frustration and sat down, drawing my legs up to my chest, resting my head against my knees. Stubborn brat! Why wouldn't he release me? I had already proved myself to him! Did he need any more persuading? I sighed and shook my head. Of course not. I had only proved to him how dangerous I was. Although I had saved his life. But just one little deed couldn't undo all the evil I'd done to the world. Then again, I was evil. I am evil. And I was just doing my job….Whatever "job" it was…

Suddenly, my ears pricked up. Someone was here. I leaped to my feet, all senses alert. Slowly, I walked forward. The silver-mist parted before me, like a group of soldiers separating as they saw their commander approaching them. Perhaps it was just one of those Precursors beings, sent to warn Jak about me, how powerful I was growing. I snorted. Yeah, right! He could overpower me easily, and he already has. Keeping me trapped here, in his own mind, like a prisoner. Yup, he already had me powerless. They didn't need to worry about me.

I stopped, sensing that I was near, and called out "Who's there?" Hearing no reply, I stepped forward…and came face-to-face with an angel.

Well, not exactly an angel, just a person with wings. And who glowed. And had pure white eyes, with no pupils whatsoever. Okay, yes, an angel. But he had no halo on his head and wasn't wearing a white robe. Still…

I stared at him. Whatever (and whoever) he was, he was powerful. More powerful than me, than Jak. Powerful enough to control me, to make me do whatever he wanted me to do. He looked back at me. Calm and peace radiated from him. In his eyes, I could see curiosity and surprise, with just a hint of wariness.

For a while, we just looked at each other, wondering what we should do. Whether to welcome each other, or lock arms. Then, slowly, hesitantly, he raised his arm, fingers splayed, palm tilted upwards slightly, at me. The he spoke

"Hello. You must be my new roommate."

His voice was soft, king of mellow, yet whispery. It carried an air of confident authority. But, deep inside, I sensed a sort of emotion, one that made the introduction waver slightly. A kind of feeling I recognized: Fear.

I eyed the outstretched limb warily, wondering whether to accept it and greet him back, or to reject it and sever it. First of all, I didn't know him. Never heard of him or spoken to him (even though he had just spoken to me just now). Second, he was superior. If I looked at him the wrong way, he had the choice of annihilating me. But, as I gazed at him, I sensed something…permanent. In his eyes. That even if I did scare him out of his wits, he would still stay. With me, always with me. I had no choice. Great…

I reached out and grabbed the hand roughly. And regretted it.

As my fingers closed around the lump of flesh and bone, touching the skin, pain shot up through my hand, and into my arm. It circled my shoulder, making the socket ache. I instantly withdrew my hand, held it up in front of my face and flexed it. Satisfied that it was still in one piece, I let it rest by my side, and then looked at the holy being. He too was gazing at his hand, the uninjured one grasping the wrist. He stared at me.

"You are made of Dark Eco." He murmured in astonishment.

I smirked. Well, duh! Didn't he see the fangs, the claws? The horns sticking out of my head? My pitch-black eyes? Huh. Obviously not. I turned and walked away, my footsteps echoing around the room. Then I stopped and glanced back at him. He was still standing there, gazing at me. I sighed inwardly, and then said to him "Well? You coming or what?" He nodded and followed.

"So…what's your name?" I asked him as we walked. "…Light." He said after a pause. "Oh…name's Dark." I replied. He nodded approvingly.

As our conversation unfolded, so did our respect for each other. I'm not saying I admire him or anything, but he was…handsome. Full of grace and wisdom. Ever word he spoke was fluent, every gesture flowed. Everything I wasn't. Wasn't that cheering?

We arrived at the other side of the room. The mist cleared a bit, revealing…nothing. It was completely empty. Still, we stayed. I strode over to the left corner and sat down, crossing my legs. Light walked forward several paces, stopped a few feet away and did the same, only in a different posture. Knees were upright and his body was more spread out, leaning back on one arm. He seemed calm and relaxed. I, however, was not. My body was stiff and tense, ready for action. I didn't blame myself. I had been brought up (and grown up) in a world full of danger. A world which reeked of death and where there was no trace of justice. My past…Ah, if only you knew…

For a moment, nothing happened. We didn't speak to each other, nor did new make contact. Never again will we be doing that. Silence stretched between us and around the room. I'm sure Jak was enjoying the peace that was occurring in his mind. Didn't have to worry about us quarreling. Too bad it only lasted for a while.

Light decided to know more about me. He started asking me annoying questions, which I completely ignored. While I did accept him as an equal, I wasn't about ready to open up to him yet. But don't worry…he'd learn soon…very soon in fact…

Then he started telling me about his past. I didn't ask him about-as long as he stayed out of my business, I was contented. I guess he was getting sick of the intense silence. To tell you the truth, I was getting tired of it myself. So you could say I was kind of relieved.

From what I heard (and understood) He had grown up with the Precursors the holy beings that the elves in the universe all worshipped. No, he didn't see them clearly-he would get a glimpse of them every now and then- but he had known elves that were close friends of them or knew him well. They were devoted to them, obeyed every order they said, lectured every person who criticized them. Jeez…talk about loyal.

Light said that he was special, that he had been made for a unique purpose. From as far back as he could remember, he had trained with the Precursor's followers, who were preparing him for him duty. Became friends with them and trusted them. When the time came, they bid him goodbye and left. He never saw them again.

He was transferred to a temple dedicated to the Precursors, where he endured more training for the same intention. To the citizens of Spargus city and to the monks who lived in the temple, he was simply another elfin being whom they would pledge their loyalty to. That is, if he'd been known to society. But he wasn't. Hidden from the world, deprived of all sights that had anything to do with cruelty, abuse, killing, hate slaughter, torture, death…Basically, all things bad. In a way, he was lucky. But, then again, he didn't know anything about the outside world, about reality. He had been born in a place people longed and envied for. He had been born in a fantasy.

His trainers and teachers, they never told him what all the work was for. What they were preparing him for, the trials awaiting him in the future. Whenever he asked, they would just ignore him and continue with their lesson. Here, they were stricter and didn't tolerate ignorance. And they should, for this was all he had left before his host came.

Al of a sudden, they confessed. Told him why he was being trained, why he was here, why he was unique, why he was born. They told him all they knew, leaving nothing out. All about his life, how he had grown up before being chosen.

He had been selected for a major role. To live inside an elf whose body had been tainted with Dark Eco. Try to save him from falling into the hands of the Dark Makers. Try to save him from failing himself. And to also try to tame the beat inside him. An animal that was made of rage, hatred, fear…his own soul.

It was me, of course. Could you try to find someone else who had been born like that? Out of Dark Eco? Out of the emotions his host created while being in prison? Who had been injected with a horrible substance in order to fit his master's needs? Had been tried-and failed- to be turned into a "Dark Warrior"? Nope, I don't see anyone else who experience hell and came out alive. Keep searching though.

There was a tense silence after he spoke. We didn't move from our positions, eyeing each other from our positions, both with our own thoughts. Then, I decided to tell him what was on my mind, the question that had been haunting him ever since he came here, when I had fist met him, spoke to him, accepted him as a harmless being.

"Do you know about the war?" I asked him. That was my main purpose, my sole intention, in the world. Why I was alive, breathing. Why I had been created. To serve as a veteran in the hard, cruel battlefield that was Jak's home.

"War?" He echoed. He looked puzzled.

"Yeah." I responded. "Between the Krimzon Guards, Metal Heads, and the Freedom League."

"Oh…" Was all he said.

.There was another pause. I suddenly grinned, fangs gleaming in the dim light.

"But when we're out there, we'll give them one hell of a time, eh?"

Light simply smiled. Not a warm, laughing, joking smile that was supposed to come from him. A cold, chilling smile, with no trace of humor or happiness. A smile that sent shivers down my spine and made my blood freeze. A smile that was really, absolutely, positively, evil.

Creepy…