The TV flickered and two years had passed. Liz looked similar to what she looked like now. Manny and her were exiting the stairwell onto the second floor, chatting and catching up on what they did over break.
"Yeah, I had to shadow my sister all summer long." Manny groaned. "I know I have the same exact healing powers as Dad but I literally have like another two years of school. Why do I need to start the business part now?"
"You've gotten way better in the last year. You even let down your bad habit of sleeping around." Liz chuckled. Manny rolled his eyes at her. "Your sister and dad probably want you to use that positive energy while you still have it, y'know." Manny nodded, smiling.
"How 'bout you? You have a good break? Your, uh, folks any… better?" Manny asked. Liz nodded.
"They're… Handling it better. They don't, y'know, think I should be doing this, but…" Lightning crackled in Liz's hand as she crushed it, looking up at Manny. "They're adjusting themselves to it… By the way, didn't you say there were loads of Third Year transfer students?" They rounded the corner as a familiar Asian boy in a t-shirt and black leather jacket, blue jeans and nice sneakers.
"Mmmhm." Manny nodded. Liz watched as Manny turned and both of their eyes widened. "Hey! You're my roommate?!?"
"Oh, lucky me!" Lee Seng smiled. Manny jogged over and the two did their handshake as Liz stood off to the side, folding her arms. "I guess I don't need to stress about anything now that you're my roommate."
"You'll probably have to worry about how messy he is." Liz commented. Lee SEng turned to look at her, obviously knowing he had met her before. "I'm Elizabeth. Elizabeth Walt. Call me Liz. It's nice to see the best friend of Manny, again. Can't believe you got in. Congrats on that milestone."
"Thanks." Lee Seng smiled.
"Man, you're one of them! I'm so stoked now. I think you'll have fun during Transfer Hell weekend, then." Manny smiled at him.
"Wait." Keng spoke up. The TV screen paused as Liz looked at Keng. "This wasn't how it went."
"What do you mean?" Liz asked. "They're friends. Best friends. They've always been like this." She was confused. Keng shook his head and tapped the screen on Manny and Lee Seng.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"These two's relationship was bad. They didn't talk until weeks ago." Keng told her.
"Yeah." Liz nodded. "And they figured things out awhile back after Manny broke things off with Sara. He felt extremely bad about it."
"No. They never did that." Keng shook his head. "It seems like the memories go back far enough, but it seems sloppy…"
"Huh?"
"Did Manny ever mention to you what Sara and Manny were arguing over?"
"He just said it was about his best friend. They weren't…" Liz's eyes widened. "That's… They made up though."
"Do you remember when they made up?" Keng raised his eyebrows. He waited for Liz to answer, only to get a simple head shake from her. "Exactly. The farther back you go with these sort of things, the harder it is the manipulate the memories because its already so ingrained in you."
"T-that theory could be correct, but… I don't see why it would —" The scrapbook sparked forcing Liz to let go of it. She took a couple steps back, watching as the scrapbook opened to a random page. Whispers grew as the book floated up into the air. Keng's eyes already settling on the book.
Liz's Soul world rumbled as the two of them stumbled backwards.
"What's happening?" Liz asked. A strange symbol appeared on the book. It pulled the lightning around the Soul world, fueling it as it glowed a bright rainbow color.
"Is that it?" Keng whispered. The page was filled with a strange rainbow-colored glyph. The whipping wind grew from the book, pushing the two back as Keng and Liz tumbled onto the ground.
"W-what's happening?!?" Liz asked. "Why's it… Why's it doing that?!?"
"I don't know!" Keng shouted. Lightning arced on the cloud floor, hurting Keng as he tried to get a grip. "I… I think that's it!" Liz screamed as she flew through the air. "Liz!" Keng grunted, whipping his tail outwards to snatch her. A bolt of lightning flew from the book, hitting his tail as Liz flew further.
"HELP!" Liz screamed. Keng gritted his teeth, fingers ripping away as lightning forced him away. Keng flew through the air, igniting the aura form. He pushed against the whipping winds, reaching for the glyph. The storm clouds grew more violent, rumbling the entire Soul world as Keng inched closer to the book. Lightning hit the book, igniting it in prismatic flame as gravity shook in his hand. He pulled the book towards him, watching ten lighting bolts fire out of the book.
"Argh!" Keng grunted, throwing himself back. A couple lightning bolts hit the spot he was at while the others followed. Keng kept a hold on the book, continuing to let the wind take him. He twirled in the air, pushing himself further and further. "C'mon! Get! Over! Here!"
Six lightning bolts flew out, missing Keng as he easily twirled through the sky. The skies raged firing more bolts as the book flew into his arm.
"Got it!" Keng shouted. Purple electricity sparked, exploding from the book. Keng flew backwards, grunting as Liz's screams grew louder.
"Help!" Liz shouted. She could see Keng smoking and flying straight for her. "Help!" Keng's form flickered off, tails whipping through the air. "Dammit! He's out!" They moved further and further from the book that created this whole mess. Lightning fired out for Keng as Liz managed to flip herself to watch the whole thing happen.
"No!" Liz shouted. LIz extended her hand out for Keng. "Move! Move!" Something triggered within her body. The entire cloudscape pulled into her, covering her in a raging storm of rain and lightning. Her eyes glowed bright purple as the wind bent to her will. She rocketed forward, throwing herself in front of the lightning bolts.
Liz through her arm out, watching the lightning come to a complete stop in front of their master. Keng's body hit the floor hard, sizzling as the intense energy grew within her body.
'No, not now!' Liz thought. She screamed dropping to the ground in an instant. The cloudy energy burnt brightly into pure lightning as it began to crawl up her face.
"AHHHH!" Liz screamed.
Keng gasped, eyes opening as he threw himself up. Liz's unstable Dark Matter energy was taking over her as the stormy landscape was now bright and sunny. The darkness grew from Liz's point, quickly spreading across the Soul world. Keng jumped to his feet and sprinted straight for Liz, grabbing her without thought. The two screamed as Keng embedded his tails into the ground. Lightning sparked in every direction, firing off through the sunny skies.
Liz's screams grew loud as Keng squeezed his eyes shut. His mind growing blank.
"Solarium: Defy." Keng screamed.
***
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Where did he go?!?" Manny screamed as he held Ritsuka. Ritsuka and Manny's faces were looking worst for wear as Olivia hovered around Liz's side. "What the fuck did he do?!? Liz is out and you're telling me you don't know?!? Do you think I was born yesterday?!?" Manny swung another punch at Ritsuka. Ritsuka's face turned left as he grunted.
"H-hey, now's not the time to fight!" Evan shouted trying to break them up. Manny shoved Evan to the side and continued to punch Ritsuka. Manny's eyes shook as he continued to punch Ritsuka. Someone who looked exactly like Lee Seng and even knew everything he needed to know wasn't Lee Seng! Ritsuka had known about this and didn't say anything!
Manny continued to punch as Olivia watched Liz's body float.
"Oh shit." Olivia took a couple steps back. "Guys! Now's not the time to fight! Her body!" Manny punched Ritsuka one more time before letting him drop to the floor. He turned to watch as Liz's body began to form with massive storm clouds all around her. "What's happening to her?"
"Get away now!" Manny shouted. He ran straight for her as Olivia started for Evan and Ritsuka.
"Over here! I'll throw a shield up!" Evan beckoned Olivia over. Olivia slid besides Ritsuka and looked at the beaten and bloodied teammate. Her eyes asked the question she wanted to ask, but Ritsuka simply pushed himself up and wiped the blood away.
"Kinetic Border!" Evan shouted. A large wall appeared wrapping above and around them in a U-shape.
"What about Manny?" Ritsuka quietly asked.
"Do you think you should be worrying about him right now?" Evan asked. "He beat you to a pulp!"
"He… He won't survive that." Ritsuka pointed at the border wall. He began to move as lightning sparked in every direction.
"Liz!" Manny shouted running to look up at her body. "I'm here! It's okay! It'll be—" A lightning bolt fired at him, knocking him away. Manny grunted, pushing himself up as another bolt flew at him.
"He's not gonna survive that!" Ritsuka shouted, pushing Evan away from him.
"Ritsuka, now's not the time!" Olivia grabbed him. Ritsuka grabbed her and ripped Olivia off of him. "Stay here! It's safer here!"
"He's good as dead! Who am I gonna beat to a pulp after I'm right?!?"