Fall: A Confident Plan Knocks Down; Greed PT. 2/3

I woke up from my normal nightmare to see Aether just putting his paintbrush down.

"There, I'm finished." He nodded to himself before looking at me, realizing I had woken up. "Nice nap?"

I couldn't help but let out a sigh. "No, it just made me even more tired."

"Eh, sleep is for peasants anyway. It's why I don't do it." He admired his handiwork on his canvas before motioning for me to come take a look.

Is it really all that good? I thought as I made my way to him.

"Since you haven't gotten a good look at yourself, I decided to help you out. Be grateful I did this for you."

I took a peek at his work, and a resounding sigh soon followed after.

"Hey, could you explain what this is?"

"It's the look of yourself that you need."

I don't even know where to begin. The entire canvas was almost entirely black, with only six colors in the center shaped in a circular pattern if you connected them all. The colors, represented by circles, eventually faded to black in the painting. The colors, in no particular order, were yellow, orange, purple, pink, blue, and red.

"Oi, how the hell does this represent me!? This makes no sense at all!"

"It's his first time, so cut him some slack!" The teacher yelled from the back, and that only made me even more bewildered.

I rubbed my face with my hand and sighed. "Alright, is this your masterpiece?"

"Of course, the best comes from the best."

I rolled my eyes. Seriously, where does this confidence come from? "Where to next?"

He nodded at me, and we continued our lesson together.

The next place we ended up in was the pool, which was empty since it wasn't swim season. The pool took up the entire building, being an indoor pool and all, and had multiple lanes barricaded off for practice. Aether immediately went for the deep end, 20 ft. deep, and I couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Um, I know you can't swim," I said as I watched him strip to his underwear.

"I can do whatever I want. I'm the best after all. There's nothing I can't do."

That doesn't say anything about you being able to swim! I decided to strip too, because I'm assuming I'm gonna have to save his ass.

"Watch and learn from the master." I can't wait to save the master. I watched him jump into the water and sink like a stone, not even putting an effort to try to swim.

Maybe I can just let him drown, I thought as I knelt next to the water.

(Coldhearted.)

I watched the bubbles rise before sighing. What the hell am I even doing?

I jumped in, swimming down towards the bottom as I saw Aether's body sink. Hell, can I even reach him without running out of air? Panic flashed through me, but it was too late to give up. I just swam faster, managing to grab his arm and wrapping it around my shoulders.

I looked back up and saw that we were basically at the bottom. Damnit, this is a fucking pain. I'm not in any sort of shape to drag this guy back up, nor am I confident in me reaching the top without me drowning.

(Dying is the easy way out.)

Shut up! I don't have time to deal with you! I began to swim upwards as fast as I could, slowly making my way to the top.

(You're gonna die.)

Fuck off! I don't need this right now! I began to swim faster, struggling as I carried the weight of Aether back up with me. Damnit, I knew I shouldn't have let him do this.

(…Are you going to use it?)

Like hell I will! I could feel my chest growing tight as I was struggling to hold the air, but I was so close.

(Use it!)

Like! "Hell I will!" I reached the top and took a huge breath of air, my heart hammering after my too close brush with death. I managed to swim over to the ladder and drag Aether to the floor, where he started to cough.

"Ugh, too close Depra."

"And whose fault do you think that is!?" I yelled out, trying to catch my breath. "We almost died thanks to you!"

"But we got saved thanks to you, right?" He groaned as he sat up, pushing back his wet hair. "I knew you could do it."

Eh? What is he going on about now? I pushed the wet hair out from my eyes, staring at Aether. "How could you have faith in someone as useless as me?"

"If you were useless, would you have been able to save me?"

I really don't know where he gets all this confidence in himself from, let alone from me. Honestly, that's just like-!

I stopped my train of thought, confused. "Huh? Why did it seem like…?" Like I already knew him before…

Before I could continue my train of thought, Aether was already back on his feet. I didn't notice this before, but he had a six-pack. "C'mon, lets dry off and get to the next place."

"There's more!"

He nodded as he grabbed his clothes. "Of course. You should consider yourself lucky that I'm spending so much time with you."

I let out a weary sigh. This is gonna be a long couple days, isn't it?

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After drying ourselves off and getting dressed again, we made our way outside the school. To where, who knows?

"Where exactly are we going Aether?" I asked as we exited the school gates, the sun on its way to setting.

"Back straight, eyes forward!" I felt another kick to my back, lunging me forward. "We're going to my followers of course."

I winced as I stood up straight, holding my back from underneath my backpack. "Your followers?" I asked, looking at Aether as he stopped in front of me.

"Yep, someone as glorious as me would have a fan-club. Come, let's go."

He then continued at a brisk pace, and I really didn't have a choice but to follow him. "Lead the way master…"

Huh, thinking on it, our eighth member called Hiro that all the time, I thought as I followed him. Honestly, she was kind of weird at times, but she was a good girl. I started to mess with my still wet, unkempt hair. I only knew her for a semester, but she was great. Honestly, those two were really close, Hiro and Anna. I wonder whatever happened to her?

"Depra? Why are you hanging out with this idiot?"

I was brought back to reality as I noticed a familiar voice, and I turned to my left to see Necessitas. We were in a suburban area, going near the city, and it looked as if she was waiting at a bus stop. She readjusted her glasses as she noticed the two of us, and Aether and I stopped when we noticed her.

"What does a peasant like yourself want with us?"

She ignored him and started to walk towards me. "So, what's up? Why aren't you with H.P.?"

"Oh, he's supposedly teaching me, um, actually, I don't really know what he's supposed to be teaching me. Self-confidence I guess?" I managed to keep my gaze going with her as she looked at the both of us, and she crossed her arms when she reached the two of us.

"Confidence? Well, I guess that's a thing he has in spades." She pushed her hair behind her ear and looked at me. "Where are you going?"

"No clue, although he said he has a fan club he wants me to meet."

She started to laugh. "Oh, so you're going to karaoke then?"

Huh? "What does karaoke have to do with anything?"

"Oh, whenever you finish a song, there's recorded applause that plays at the end of each song. He's talking about them."

I blinked a couple of times before sighing. "So, you wanna sing?"

"Nope, introduce you to my fan club, the most loyal of followers-!"

He got cut off by Necessitas, who threw a book at him. Honestly, I don't even know where she pulls them out half the time, and they always disappear afterwards.

"If it's karaoke, then I'll come along too, so he doesn't torture you Depra," she said, smiling gently at me. "Let's take the bus there, or where you guys trying to walk all the way?"

"I'm telling you, it's my fan club!"

"Of course it is, so that's why we're going to karaoke!" She had a smile as she said it to him, but the tone of her voice bordered on killing intent, and he quickly caught on.

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"Okay, let's get this started! I wasn't really planning on singing with you two guys today, but all's well that ends well!"

We were in the karaoke place, sitting down in the room while Necessitas happily chose a song for her to sing.

"Ooh! Do you guys mind if I sing a single!?"

"Uh, sure…" I've never seen her this excited before, except when she's talking about Erebus, although that's a different type of excitement.

"My fan club…" Aether said, his usual straight face now gone, as he sadly looked at the girl who took over his plans.

I placed a hand on his shoulder and sighed. "My condolences."

"Alright, here we go!" The music started, and the lyrics started roll across the screen, and the girl sung.

"Whoa, she's pretty good. And the song is…" I was at a loss for words as she sung. It had happy vibes from it, but the lyrics from it remind of her situation a lot. I can see why she likes it so much.

When she was done, she nodded at the two of us, her happiness almost palpable, as if she had released some pent-up stress. She grinned as she handed Aether the mic, and he just snatched it from her.

"This is for my fan club."

He started to search for a song, and Necessitas went and ordered us all drinks while he was busy choosing.

"Hey, what do you want Aether?"

"The drink of the gods! That'll only do for me!"

"Okay, so fruit juice for him. I'll take grape soda, and how about you Depra?"

"Root beer."

She finished ordering right as Aether decided on a song. "Okay, take it away Aether!"

He scoffed. "Be amazed by my musical talent." And he began to sing, and I wish I could've died right on the spot. It felt like his voice was grating away my sanity, although I really didn't need help on that front. The lyrics, or what little I hear of them, were interesting to say the least.

He nodded as the applause marked the end of the song. "Magnifique."

"Yep, it was amazing," Necessitas said, taking ear plugs out of her ears.

"Wait, why didn't you give me some!?"

She winked at me. "Oh, call it an initiation of sorts." Aether handed her the mic, and she pointed it at me. "Anyone, you're up next for our round of singles."

"Eh!? Oh, I can't sing."

"Sure you can! You must have something you like, right? Just choose the song and sing it. Oh, and I'll make sure he sings too." She thrusted the mic into my hands and started to drag me to the screen, where I could choose my song.

Even when I'm out with the Hidden Club, I don't sing solos. I often sing duos with Hiro, or group songs where we all sing together completely out of sync. Hmm, maybe we should go to karaoke again soon. I really enjoy doing it with them.

I sighed and continued to scroll through the songs. Well, that can be on the back burner for now. After struggling to choose a song, I finally managed to choose one I listened to on my own occasionally.

The slow start of my song began, and I started to sway back and forth, getting lost in the music. And then I sang. I don't think I did any good, but I for once, I didn't care, and let the music flow through me, channeling all the feelings I had felt into my performance. And when I was down, although brief, I felt as if the albatross around my neck vanished, leaving me free.

I turned around to see two very shocked faces, and I tilted my head in confusion. "Was it that bad?"

Necessitas was the first to recover. "Oh, on the contrary, it was quite beautiful. I was just at a loss is all. I never realized you were so good at singing."

"Not as good as me."

"Shut up Aether."

I couldn't help but chuckle, and the weight latched back onto me again, but for me, it was all that I needed.

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After that, we sang a couple of songs together, and before we knew it, night had already fallen. Aether decided to walk me home, and we said goodbye to Necessitas, who had to go another way to get home.

After a quick bus ride, we were only a couple minutes from my house, which me and Aether walked together.

"You didn't have to accompany me this far," I murmured. "You have to go home too, don't you?"

"I decide when I go home, and no one else," he said simply. Ah, what else did I expect at this point.

"I don't really think I learned anything today though."

"Back straight and eyes forward!" I fell forward as he kicked me, falling onto my face. "You learned that at least. And, that's what tomorrow is for after all, first thing tomorrow."

I managed to get back up, groaning as I clutched my back, which suffered severe abuse from the "master" all day. And tomorrow too? Maybe I should've just skipped today after all.

I nonetheless straightened out my back and tried as hard as I could to not look down at the concrete sidewalk. I instead decided to look at Aether, whose hair was shining in the moonlight.

"Will all this really help," I thought aloud, and Aether nodded.

"Of course. I am the best at everything, including helping you."

I stopped, and Aether stopped and looked at me. "What's wrong?"

"I'm at my house." He looked at the house and then back at me.

"I obviously knew that."

I let out another sigh. "Good night Aether."

"First thing tomorrow morning, understand?"

I waved him goodbye and grabbed my key from backpack to unlock the front door, and as soon as I passed through my front door, a heavy, constant wave of exhaustion overcame me, to the point where I almost collapsed on the spot.

"Ugh, I need to sleep," I moaned, as I kicked off my shoes and dragged myself to my dark room. I collapsed onto my bed, thinking over the events that happened today.

Is there really a point to this? I couldn't help but have that thought cross my mind throughout the entirety of today. I basically just watched Aether fail today. I glanced at my window, the moonlight filtering in, dimly lighting up the room.

(Greedy.)

…

(Always taking help from others, yet never trying to help others, least of all yourself. Greedy Coward.)

I clutched my stuffed bear, a recent companion I had gotten last year, hoping she would take away the voices that forever tormented me.

(Even relying on a stuffed toy? How miserable can one get?)

I clutched her even tighter, and I fell asleep, unable to get the voice out of mind.