Chapter Text
Where was he? The last thing Alan remembered happening was having Saga shoot him. That got rid of Scratch. He knew that. He couldn't feel Scratch's presence anymore. But he and Scratch were supposed to die. So why did his body stand up? Why did he talk like he hadn't just died? It wasn't him *or* Scratch, so who could it...
"Wake, you coming?" Saga asked before she was about to leave the Writers Room with Casey. His body shook its head, "I'll be there in a moment, go ahead without me." It told them, Casey muttered something about Alan being a weirdo before he and Saga left. As soon as he was alone, his body sighed.
"Alan, I know you have-" 'No, what the hell is this? Who are you?' His voice wasn't spoken. It sounded so clear to him, though, but his lips never moved. "Alan. You know who I am already." Although his voice was unmistakably his, just the way that it reminded him of... 'Zane? No, how? You're still in the Dark Place' "Not Zane." The Presence corrected, and before Alan could say anything else, it continued. "Just like how the Dark Presence needs a host, I, too, need one." It explained, it didn't take Alan long before he figured out what it was getting at. 'Wait, so, you're the Bright Presence?' "Yes." 'But- why do you need a host? The Dark Presence- Scratch-' "Isn't dead."
If Alan still had control of his body, his heart would've dropped into the very pit of his stomach. 'But-' "Dark and Light need balance. The most you can do to the Dark Presence is put it to sleep for a few hundred years. You cannot kill a concept." 'So everything that happened- it was for nothing?'
"Not nothing." The Presence started, "You saved Bright Falls, Anderson's daughter, Casey. Your efforts weren't for nothing." It comforted, but it's voice sounded hollow. Insincere. 'But- Alice-' "She, too, will be safe Alan. And it's thanks to-"
'No! God damn it, I want to go home- to Alice, not have my life ruined by another fucking being who wants-' Before Alan could finish his sentence, he felt... well, he couldn't feel dizzy, it felt like his brain was shut off to keep him silent. "That's enough of that, Alan." The Presence told him, it's voice firm. "This will all be for the better in the end, you will see."