Chapter Text
Xisuma woke to the sound of rain falling. He lay in bed for a moment, the events of the previous day playing in his mind like a comforting melody. For the first time in an age, he felt a slight sense of hope. The band had welcomed him with open arms, and for a brief moment he had forgotten about… everything else.
He sat up and brushed his fingers against the cool strings of his guitar. A smile rested on his lips as he remembered Cleo’s enthusiasm, Iskall’s jokes and the way the music had flowed through him effortlessly. It felt like a dream-a good one, for once.
He decided to get up and embrace the new chapter in his life. He got ready and headed to the coffee shop. Thinking about it, he didn’t have much to do, there was a practice at 7 later, but he could easily walk back home and get his guitar closer to the time.
Pearl was standing at the counter as usual, writing something in her notebook as no one was in line. She looked up as Xisuma entered, her face lighting up with a smile.
“Morning, X! How’d you sleep?” she asked, closing her notebook and leaning on the counter.
“Pretty well, actually. Yesterday was good<“ Xisuma replied, accepting a cupcake she gave him. He paused for a moment unwrapping the cupcake and taking a bite. “Thanks again for introducing me.”
“Of course! I knew you’d fit right in. So, what you up to today?” Pearl asked.
“I’m meeting up again later on today, but not much other than that. If the weather clears, I might go for a longer walk somewhere.”
“Sounds fun, can’t wait to see what you create with them lot.”
Xisuma nodded, he basically had another fresh start with the band, he needed to take it. He was ready to focus on the future, but a nagging thought crept into his mind. One that he couldn’t shake off easily. The old memories that had started to haunt him again were scaring him. He knew he couldn’t ignore them forever, even if he didn’t remember them. He had lived it, he knew what he was remembering. They weren’t like thoughts, they were more like simulations or some sort of lucid dream. He felt like he had been put back somewhere, seen something again, from an outside angle, like it was something crucial. But he couldn’t remember exactly what it was that he had re-experienced. His own brain was locking him out of himself, in a way.
“Hey, Pearl,” he began hesitantly, “Do you ever think about … the past? Like something you’ve tried to leave behind, I guess?”
Pearl’s expression softened. “Sometimes, yeah, it’s hard not to. But you have to keep moving forward, that’s what Gem says, at least.”
Xisuma nodded. He always appreciated Gem or Pearl’s advice, they always seemed to have his best interests at heart.
“If something is bothering you X, you can always tell one of us,” Pearl added.
X nodded and smiled, but he knew that he would never tell them. They would hate him, resent him, fear him.
“Yeah, thanks. Maybe I just need a distraction,” X said.
Pearl giggled, “I think I’ve just found one for you,” she said.
Xisuma followed her gaze, to behind him, where Ren had just entered through the door.
“Hey dude! What’s up?” Ren called out to X, with levels of enthusiasm that X had not experienced at 10 in the morning before. “Also, Pearl, Cleo summoned me to tell me to give you this.” He dramatically extended an envelope, that Pearl accepted.
“Right, I think I know what this is, so tell Cleo thanks,” Pearl responded.
“Is this all I am now, a lowly messenger, forced to travel back and forth all day?” Ren asked, theatrically.
“It astounds me everyday, with how False puts up with you.”
“False only pretends she doesn’t like the theatrics, she is a theatre kid at heart, as much as she tries to hide it.”
‘Right, sure mate,” Pearl said, laughing. “Anyway, if you’re complaining about having nothing to do, which is what I think I got from all that, X here is also free till the practice.”
“Sweet, we can get to know each other,” Ren replied.
“Sounds good,” X said.
He was still a bit confused over that whole conversation. Ren was definitely as weird as X had first thought, maybe even slightly stranger. He was definitely a lot, but X felt welcome in his presence, even from the few conversations they had had. Ren was almost comforting, non-judgemental and just a friendly person.
Xisuma and Ren went to go and sit at a table.
“So, X, tell me about yourself, where do you come from?” Ren said, leaning back in his chair with an easy smile.
X hesitated, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. “A distant town, quite small, you wouldn’t know it.” X thought that maybe his answer was too brash, but he needed to get the point across. It wasn’t like he was about to tell him about EX and the incident and-. No he wasn’t going to even think about that.
Ren noticed Xisuma’s shiftiness and changed the subject towards himself, not wanting to make his new bandmate uncomfortable.
“Well, I’m not from here either, I come from the next city over. Only Cleo’s from here, actually,” Ren said, before taking a sip of his coffee..
“Oh cool, what about False and Iskall- where are they from?” Xisuma asked, keeping the conversation off himself. He was curious to know more as well.
“Iskall is from the same city as me, we moved together, and False is like you, she’s from a small town, I can’t quite remember the name, but they used to hold those like big fights there.”
“Hallowford?’ Xisuma blurted out, without thinking.
“Yeah! Thats the one. You familiar with it?” Ren asked.
“Not really” X lied.
He was in fact terribly familiar with it. It was the closest town to his, he always used to go there with Ex. In fact, he could remember something-
~
The sky is a bright blue and a young X is
~
No. He wouldn’t do that now. X had felt himself slip into something, but somehow had managed to pull himself out of it. He couldn’t question how or what or why, Ren was looking at him, slightly concerned and slightly expectant. What were they talking about? Oh, yeah, Hallowford.
“I think I saw a show or something about it, those tournaments back in the day seemed crazy,” X said.
“I know right! But, apparently, according to False, they still have a few, but like secretly,” Ren whispered.
“Really?” X whispered, trying to sound shocked.
“It’s crazy,” Ren said, “Anyways, what was I saying. Right, False. She moved here like a few years ago, something happened or whatever, she doesn’t really talk about it much.” Ren paused his story to drink some more coffee.
X knew exactly why False had moved, only one event had happened in the past few years that would scare someone from Hallowford. However, he wasn’t thinking about it. It was done.
“Yeah, when False moved, we just started the band and she was friends with Cleo, so she was invited. Then she saw me and she fell in love- I mean who wouldn’t?” Ren said, adding the last part hurriedly.
“Are you sure about that?” X laughed, Ren seemed desperate for him to call him out on the lie.
“You got me,” Ren held his hands up in mock surrender, “I asked her out many times, I must admit.”
The two men laughed and continued to talk for a few hours about the city and their parent mutual fascination with trees. Luckily for X, no topic seemed to reconjure the memory.
As the clock struck 6, Xisuma realised he still needed to get his guitar.
“Ren, I left my guitar at home, I’ll see you later, sorry,” X apologised.
“No worries dude, see you later!”
X left the coffee shop, saying bye to Pearl and putting his coat back on. H started to head in the direction of his home, his head spinning with new information. He couldn’t help but think about Hallowford. He knew he’d been there twice, but it was far more painful to even think about the second visit. The first however-
~
The sky is a bright blue and a young X is clutching onto EX’s hand. X seems no younger than about 6 and he clings onto his brother as they walk through the streets of Hallowford. The town seems sleepy, until they pass through a few alleyways. Everyone looks alive with excitement, the air buzzing. Distant cheers of a crowd can be heard from a room underground.
EX looks down at Xisuma, a reassuring smile on his face. “You’re going to love this X. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before.”
Xisuma nods, wide-eyed with excitement, “Will it be scary?”
“Maybe a little,” EX admits, “but I’ll be right here with you. Our dad used to come here as well, it’s a family tradition.”
They enter the room underground and see a makeshift fighting arena. The roar of the crowd seems to envelop them. The two boys find their seats and look towards the middle. The fighters in the ring are locked in combat, their movements a blur of speed and strength. The crowd cheers and jeers, the atmosphere electric.
For a while, Xisuma is captivated by the spectacle. The fighters are like heroes from the stories EX tells him, each move more impressive than the last. But then, something seems to go wrong, one of the fighters lands a blow that sends his opponent right into the barriers where, X and EX are sitting. The fighters crystal weapon breaks and the other man is declared the winner.
Amidst the chaos, Xisuma feels a sharp pain in his arm. He looks down and sees a dark scratch from a shard of the crystal and a sharp, tingling sensation spreads from the wound. His vision blurs and he collapses.
“X!” EX’s voice is panicked as he scoops Xisuma into his arms. “Hold on buddy, I’ve got you.”
The next thing that can be seen, is X in a small, sterile room. The smell of antiseptic is strong, and his arm is bandaged. He blinks.
EX is pacing the room, his face engraved with worry. He rushes to X’s side.
“X, thank god. How are you feeling?”
“Sleepy,” X murmurs.
“Okay, you should be fine, let’s go home.”
As they leave, EX holds Xisuma close, his protective nature evident.
“I promise to take care of you X. Hopefully nothing will change that.”
~
Xisuma rushes back to reality. He’s sitting, kneeled on the street, a few blocks away from the coffee shop. He knew exactly what that was, but he couldn’t recollect it. There was no complete burning sensation taking over him, like what had happened the first two times. He’d been thinking about Hallowford, right? So, it would be the first one.
Even though he didn’t remember what had happened, X was pleased. He’d managed to rebel against the memory once and he’d managed to work out what it was.
However, it was getting dark. Xisuma knew he couldn’t sit and think, with fears of another experience, something potentially more damaging, and with fears of missing practice. He sped walk home, to get his guitar, pushing any memory out of his brain, other than chords and strumming patterns. He’d be fine, right?