The George Fox Chronicles: The Elysian Tail 
(WARNING: Spoilers a plenty for Dust: An Elysian Tail. If you have not played the game, don’t read. Best experienced by playing the game (for a 2nd time) and reading the story at the same time. Otherwise, it will not make sense.)
Text in italics mean the story is different from the canon storyline in the game due to events from the previous chapter.
As Dust and Ahrah arose, inside him, the two souls of George and Cassius observed his coming to being. Inside a house, a containment of souls empty to all but George and Cassius, the portal to which they viewed through Dust’s eyes observed Fidget re-introducing herself to Dust. She completely forgot that she had talked to the two souls in Dust before he came to his senses.
“The Nimbat forgot about us?!?” Cassius yelled. “Guardian of the blade, my butt… She’s acting it up for him!”
“This is Dust’s quest. He doesn’t know we make up his being yet.” George said. “Please, calm down. This journey is one we have to take with him, and resistance to it doesn’t help any of us understand why we’ve been placed here.”
Cassius sat back down and re-observed the portal. Ahrah explained that Dust was the one to call him out of his 200 year slumber, and that Dust was his fated sword bearer. Fidget still felt she had ownership of the sword, and volunteered to go along with Dust in his journey.
“Are we going to listen to that Nimbat rant the entire journey?” Cassius said. George shushed him as Ahrah began talking again.
Ahrah explained that the answers to his being lied to the east, and so Dust began moving, with his Nimbat by his side to explore the world. Due to George and Cassius seeing the journey from Dust’s eyes, they persistently saw the top of his hat at the top of the viewing portal and Dust’s nose at the bottom of the portal.
A few minutes later, as Dust collected his first ability sphere, the walls of the house shook. 
“What was that?” Cassius spoke.
“I guess what happens to Dust still happens to us. My guess is if he dies, the house collapses.” George said.
“Funny, coming from a man that is invulnerable.” Just as Cassius spoke those words, enemies dropped in front of the trees in front of Dust. Fidget was freaking out, but Dust calmly used the Blade of Ahrah to extinguish the foes.
As Dust came to realize he had just done combat with no prior knowledge, Ahrah explained that wielders of the blade gain the knowledge stored inside.
“That’s a bunch of bull. Dust has my soul. He has the heart of a cold-blooded killer. That’s where he learned these skills from.” Cassius said. George was about to speak, but thought better of it. “Aha! For once you finally agree with me!  Dust learned the skills from me, I tell you!”
“Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. We just don’t know.” George said. The walls of the house shook again as Dust picked up another ability.
The portal started to become turbulent as Dust performed the Dust Storm. George squinted his eyes trying to clarify the blurry picture. Cassius’ jaw had dropped, as to the sheer power of the move that Dust was performing to vanquish the enemies ahead of him.
As Dust moved forward, he reached the top of a hill. Dust commented on how he loved the view up there, and how he faintly remembered it somehow. Just then, George faded from the reality he was in and flashed back to a memory of Jin.
George felt younger, his skin softer, and the wind blowing to the east. Next to him was his sister, Ginger. It was a quaint picnic, with foods from the farm near Aurora Village. It was bliss. How had he remembered this memory so clearly?
George returned to his senses and Cassius was giving him a puzzled look.
“Y… Your eyes glowed. Did you just live the memory he was…” Cassius said.
“Yes. I saw Jin’s memory. I may not be him, but the memory was real enough to pass as my childhood.” George said. George then tried to remember his own parents, but any memory of that was simply not there. His memory of Jin was as strong as ever, but he couldn’t remember his own memories for the life of him.
As Dust picked up another ability, Dust’s combat moves now had the entire world spinning as his hat and nose remained stationary. George held his hand at his mouth, and as Dust did an aerial Dust Storm again, he puked an apple out. It was in perfect condition, and no saliva or spit had touched it. George offered it to Cassius, and he refused. George proceeded to eat the apple. This continued to happen each time an Aerial Dust Storm was performed.
Dust happened upon a tent, which contained the merchant that roamed the land. The figure was familiar to Cassius. He remembered seeing him the night before the attack on Ginger’s village.
“The spy. Gaius’ inside track on the Moonbloods…” Cassius said.
“The what and the what now?” George said.
“Gaius converted one of the Moonblood soldiers to be a spy to their operation. They literally got him the day I left for your village. He will be Dust’s ally and enemy at the same time.” Cassius said.
“If only he knew. You do realize there is no communication with the outside world, right?” George said.  “I fear for our safety, Cassius. Anything that can kill him can also kill us. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”
“There’s nothing we can do anyways. You said it yourself, we can’t warn him.” Cassius said. “Let’s just hope that he doesn’t whistleblow on this “Mithrarin” before he faces the army.”
As Dust continued closer to the village, he stopped to see an old lady, warning of enemies just outside the village. As he approached the village, he faced 3 towering enemies and managed to save a couple just outside the city from them. During the battle, George and Cassius held fated breath as the house vibrated with each attack, and the portal was de-saturated at times, indicating Dust was clinging to life.
Arriving in Aurora Village, Dust greeted 2 soldiers guarding the village. He defended himself as the bigger soldier suspected them of bringing the enemies to the village, but was interrupted by the older, frailer soldier who promised to help out the couple that was under attack outside the city.
When Dust moved away from the guards, George faded away from his reality once again. He had a memory of him being dragged by Ginger’s hand, up a hill to a house, where he was staying as a temporary home away from home for that summer. Ginger was giggling, the town was just as vibrant as Dust saw it, and Ginger’s smile caught George to briefly accept that she was truly the sister he never had.
As George got out of the vision, Cassius once again had that look upon George. His face was blissfully happy and once George realized it, he wiped the look off his face and went back to observing the portal.
“You must really like her don’t you?” Cassius said.
George’s head was being filled with memories of another person, and he was unable to recall anything from his previous life. For now, George assumed that Ginger was the only source of happiness in his world.
When Dust reached the top of the hill, a familiar figure to George entered his view. It was Ginger.
“Ginger!” George shouted at the portal. “Ginger! I’m here! I’m alive! I arrived as I promised!” George jumped up and put his face right up against the portal, touching his fingers on her face. He missed her so much, and as Dust introduced himself to her, George’s eyes watered up. “Ginger…”
“She can’t hear you. She’s talking to Dust now, and you know that.” Cassius spoke.
As Dust kept talking to Ginger, she stopped briefly as she heard his name. Surprised, she didn’t expect that name from the face that was Dust’s face. George, still right next to the portal, was still running his fingers down her face.
“Can you please sit down? I can tell you miss her, but you don’t need to be theatrical about it…” Cassius said.
George finally sat back down, wiping his eyes, as Dust continued to the mayor in Aurora. Dust stopped briefly and commented on how rude Ginger was, and both George and Cassius paused in their observations to spoke.
“You would seriously talk about her that way?!? What kind of a man are you!?!” George said to Cassius.
“I’m an unforgiving soul. I see the surface layer and that’s it. Years in the army do that to you.” Cassius said.
George was distraught. “You saw me earlier, right? At least give a bit of respect for someone that just found out his sister’s still alive!” George said. George then listened to what he just said and covered his mouth. “Jin’s memories, they’re becoming more potent. I must control them; otherwise I’ll be an emotional wreck.”
“And you were doing a pretty bad job at it when you saw Ginger...” Cassius said.
When Dust spoke to the mayor of Aurora, George thought back again to Dust’s outburst against Ginger.
“I don’t get it. You never spoke the words Dust said about Ginger out loud, so how did he know to pull from your personality?” George said.
“He may not have known. That’s the thing, we may be trapped in here, but part of his combined form from both our souls may still be able to access elements of us both, just not our souls directly.” Cassius said.
George was confused. “Run that by me again?” George said.
“What I’m thinking is when our souls forged Dust, we were left conscious and alive. Dust’s soul contains elements of both our souls, and that’s what drives him. He’s driven not our conscious selves, but by the core morals we both possessed.” Cassius said.
“It doesn’t explain why I have memories of Jin without ever meeting him…” George said.
“If you really aren’t who you claim, then where the heck did you come from?” Cassius said.
“It’s too hard to explain. Also don’t get me started on how I’m invulnerable.” George said.
George and Cassius caught the tail end of Dust’s decision to save the village by finding the thug leader. Cassius was in disgust over Dust’s decision while George smiled.
“That’s exactly what I would have done. The world is never just about yourself, Cassius. That village is more important than any internal selfish need.” George said.
Cassius grumbled. “I suppose they didn’t balance the soul elements properly.”
“He’s still making decisions on his own, Cassius. He’s decided for himself to be a force of good, and we both have to respect that.” George said.
As Dust kept venturing into the forest east of town, his battles had both George and Cassius grinding their teeth. Enemy after enemy, they both hoped Dust wasn’t seeing black and white. Dust saw the body of one of the soldiers from the nearby village in a camp outside of the town. The thought death was on Dust’s doorstep terrified George, but Cassius was used to it every single day.
A fire blockaded Dust, but a quick scouting around the area found that unblocking a wall of rock caused the water to flow through. As Dust travelled through the fires of the village, he met a foe by the name of Fuse. It spoke of how Dust “killed his children.”
“The enemy I never had the pleasure to kill… Looks like this kill is all Dust’s now.” Cassius said.
“Wait. You know of this enemy?” George said.
“It’s not important now. The outcome was never in doubt. We were eventually going to get him, but it looks like he is going to die by Dust’s blade today.” Cassius said.
The portal went black and white and red for a brief moment as Dust was once again on the edge of life, but he managed to deal the final blow to Fuse. With that final blow, the house George and Cassius were trapped in faded away, like a mirage. George and Cassius were speechless, wandering through the pure white that was supposedly the border between the life thread and reality. Walking a little bit further forward, George and Cassius saw the form of Fuse and Dust and Fidget, and a small patch of grass with flowers surrounding it. Had they done it? Had they escaped the grasp of Dust’s form?
George and Cassius stood motionless, 10 meters away from the scene. Cassius was twitchy, ready to put him out of his misery. George had to constantly restrain him from doing so, but both were able to hear what was being said.
Fuse described the Moonblood race and how Dust came to kill his family. Cassius couldn’t help but smile at that fact. His smile angered George, but he knew he couldn’t do anything about it. Fuse described the sadness in Dust’s eyes and about his loss, but George referred to his words and couldn’t help but try to think of Carmelita. Though his memories of her were fading, and slowly being replaced by Jin’s memories, George still missed Carmelita, despite her name fading away from his memory. All George remembered of her now was he had a girlfriend. Dust’s eyes mirrored this sentiment.
Fuse described Gaius, which Cassius was very familiar with, but George wasn’t. Fuse described how Gaius killed his own kind, and how a single girl and her family escaped thanks to the braveness of one man, George knew it was him he was talking about.
“He even murdered his own kind. Our greatest allies amongst the warmbloods… From last I heard, a single man stood in front of an entire wave of his entire army and stopped their leader. His family and sister are safe, but he vanished along with the leader.” Fuse said.
Dust, in confusion, wanted to know where both were. “What are you talking about? Where did they vanish to?” Dust said.
“Over here, idio…” Cassius was interrupted by George placing his hand over his mouth. Dust didn’t hear his words, and Fuse said his parting words. The world started to turn black, and the house faded back in for George and Cassius.
“NO! We were so close to breaking free!” Cassius yelled.
“We were never free, Cassius. We saw his vision, and we were still inside him.” George said.
As Dust lamented on how he could have kept him alive for longer, George wondered the same thing in the back of his mind. His saliva had healing properties, thus bringing anyone back from the brink of death. He could have saved him if he wished to.
Ahrah explained that the carnage around him would make that an unwise choice. Dust then fixated on the name Gaius. Fidget picked up Fuse’s ability, and both of them headed back to town.
Dust talked to Mayor Bram about the Moonbloods, and he referred to Ginger once again. George contained the emotions that were about to overrun him from Jin’s mind. 
Mayor Bram described the scene surrounding Ginger:
“Her brother mysteriously vanished almost a year ago in Zeplich Village, a few days’ journey to the north. The villagers reported seeing a beam of light, and General Gaius’ soldiers fled as a result.”
“That was our fight.” said George.
“Hard to believe a year goes by while we were sleeping…” Cassius said.
“So why did Gaius’ army want Ginger and her family dead?” Dust said.
“They were helping the Moonbloods, of course. Helping the enemy is a treasonous offense. Her brother sent her and her parents off and defended the town on his own, but he and the leader of that wave were never heard of again.”
The Mayor reminded Dust about asking Ginger about Fuse. Dust went up the hill and spoke to Ginger.
As Dust explained how they had to stop Fuse, George had no clue as to why Fuse was important to Ginger neither. She was his sister in this reality, so why did he have no idea that he was important to both his sister and himself.
Dust then explained Fuse’s last words:
“Right before the end, he seemed lucid. He told me about a few things before he passed. He tried to tell me about the war, about the “lone warrior.”” Dust said.
“He bore witness to the fight between my brother and the army. He told me that my brother had vanished in a beam of light. He stayed behind in the village to get supplies for his people and was caught in a subsequent attack on our village later that week. I thought he had been killed. Now I wish he had.” Ginger said.
“You can at least be thankful you and your family are alive.” Dust said.
“How can I be thankful that my brother vanished off the face of the earth? Your outfit doesn’t help you neither! Photos from the subsequent attack show soldiers in outfits just like yours! Who are you, really?” Ginger exclaimed.
George had lost control of his emotions again. He was once again leaning against the portal, running his fingers down her face. “I’m here, Ginger. Can’t you see me? I miss you so much.”
“Not again…” said Cassius.  “Do I have to restrain you to ensure Jin doesn’t cloud your mind?”
George didn’t respond. As Fidget defended Dust, George’s tears started to run again. The shimmer in his eyes caught Cassius. He felt sympathy for George’s (or Jin’s) suffering soul and he let up on his attempt to restrain George.
“Fine… I’ll let you have this one.” Cassius said.
Dust recognized that his outfit being of Gaius’ origin was not a good sign, but Ginger accepted that Dust saving the village would not be in the morals of Gaius’ army.
As Ginger explained about General Gaius, Dust wanted to help in the fight:
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Dust said.
“If only my brother were still here. Sadly no, there is nothing any of us can do. Any hope for the Moonbloods vanished along with my brother.” Ginger said.
As Ginger explained how the rivers and streams were starting to dry up, George had the emotional train wreck he sought to prevent. Jin’s love for his sister was too much, and he was now on the floor next to the wall with the portal on it. “Why can’t she hear me? Why can’t she hear me? Why can’t she hear me?!?” George kept repeating.
“HEY! Calm down! Get a grip!” Cassius yelled. Cassius slapped George as he returned to his normal self.
“The thoughts… did they take over me again?” George said.
“What did you think? That the red slap mark on your face wasn’t magic, you know.” Cassius said.
“It’s going to happen each time, isn’t it?” George said.
“Fortunately, she’s leaving town soon, so we shouldn’t have any more problems.” Cassius said.
George was about to question it. “Why?”
Cassius raised his palm, ready to slap again. George backed down asking the question. As George returned to viewing the portal, a loud explosion could be heard in the distance. Creatures started attacking the village and Dust had to come into action. After defeating the creatures, parting words were given to Ginger to head north. Dust asked about her parents, and she said that they were going to tough it out in Aurora Village through thick and thin.  She gave a meeting spot, and parted ways.
“Till we meet again.” said George.
As Dust ventured into the newly discovered caves beneath the town, George took the moment to lie down in the bed upstairs. Cassius was puzzled as to why George would rest while death was at Dust’s doorstep in the dark caves. Minutes after he went up, Cassius followed him up to the bedroom.
George was in bed, and conveniently, there were viewing portals in the ceiling above both their beds. Cassius was still worried about George, and sat beside his bed. 
“So who are you really? You often refer to Jin, but you claim you’re not Jin.” Cassius said.
“I’m not quite sure anymore.” said George. “I keep thinking about Ginger, but I know I have a girlfriend I miss in my world too. I just can’t seem to remember her name.”
As George spoke, Dust encountered a spot of luminescent fungi trees and was amazed by the sight, then was interrupted by a creature with large teeth. Dust sprang into action, but the conversation between George and Cassius continued. Cassius seemed deep in thought, then after a long pause, remembered something long lost to him.
“Before the war, I had a girlfriend too. The war made me forget her name, but I’ll never forget her face. Those innocent eyes were what I returned to every night I wasn’t forced into Gaius’ army strategically planning conquests of other nations.” Cassius said. “She was what kept me from being a monster, but as our campaign begun to move outwards from our homeland, I had to leave her behind.”
Through the viewing portal, George had seen that Dust had just defeated a troll in the caves. He went back to talking with Cassius. “How was she? Try to remember her, Cassius. I know there’s good in you somewhere.” George said.
“She had crimson lips, blonde hair, and a smile that would melt any heart that saw it.” Cassius said. While Cassius described her, he cracked a smile and began describing their dates. “A candlelight dinner on the 2nd date… on top of the tallest hill in our home country. The night was crisp, the shooting stars fell and I knew I wanted to have our love last forever at that point.”
George then asked the most important question to Cassius. “Do you miss her?”
Cassius shed a single tear. “I had locked my memories of her for so long… I focused so much on my job with Gaius’ army that I forgot my innocence.” Cassius said. Another tear ran down his cheek.
George knew he was getting no closer to remembering who his girlfriend was, but helping Cassius find his meant a lot to him. “I think we both need a rest. We can still observe Dust’s journey from our beds.”
Cassius got into his bed, but oddly, both of them weren’t tired. They were as wide awake as ever. Dust discovered a boy lost in the caves that ran off at the sight of Dust. George was back to paying attention to Dust’s journey, but after 10 minutes of deep thought, Cassius remembered enough to finally recall his girlfriend’s name. “Keira. Her name was Keira.”
As Dust was hit by poison, the light coming into the house George and Cassius were in changed from white to green. The house still had breathable air, but the unpleasant green cast worried them both. Fidget gave a mushroom to Dust, and the room returned to a pleasant natural white.
Dust kept exploring the caves for another hour. George and Cassius had both returned to the big viewing portal downstairs after spending that hour in their beds. Dust finally caught up to the kid, which was trapped between him and 2 trolls. When Dust defeated the trolls, the kid ran again.
Dust then happened upon the town of Mudpot. He finally caught up to the kid with his mother. The mother first described Dust and Fidget as “surface-dwellers,” Dust then introduced himself, and described the problems of Aurora village. Bopo, the kid, then exclaimed that his dad was going to die if they couldn’t help them.
George had a gut feeling, and it wasn’t a good one, that Dust’s lack of knowledge would prove that another soul had to pass away. “He still doesn’t know his saliva can save people. I fear the worst is going to happen.”
Cassius looked to George. “Is there any way to communicate to him? Fidget perhaps?”
George shook his head. “Fidget knows we’re here, but even she couldn’t hear us. All we have is to prepare for the inevitability of Bopo’s father’s death.”
Cassius didn’t believe it. “We can still cling onto hope Dust can restore the waters in time. He doesn’t need to know his saliva can heal and cure.”
“That’s just it, he won’t be fast enough. I just know it.” George said.
Bopo and his mom explained about “The Lady,” and Dust agreed to go down and see her. Dust found an old man where the entrance was supposed to be to the Lady’s chamber. It was blocked by a wall with a very narrow crawlspace. The man spoke with a heavy accent and George and Cassius had a hard time understanding him.
“Is there a way to turn on subtitles?” George said.
“Turn on what?” Cassius, who was clueless to modern technology from George’s universe, literally had no clue what the term meant.
George let the thought slip, and Dust gained a red resonance gem from the old man. Moving past the red resonance gate, Dust continued to the basement of Mudpot’s caves.
Deep down inside George, he stuck to his original belief Dust was not going to save Bopo’s father. As Dust maneuvered past spikes sticking out of the cave walls, George’s conscience was ripping him apart from the inside. Should he use his magic to tell Dust about his secret? What would happen when Dust finds out he is comprised of 2 living souls, trapped inside his body? Would Dust go as far as to use Ahrah on himself to separate the two souls? The “ifs” and “buts” were just too much for George, and he remained speechless, processing the information.
When Dust arrived to pick up a new ability, Cassius looked to George. He was so deep in thought, it almost like he was mourning the death before he even knew Bopo’s dad was truly dead.
“You okay?” Cassius said. “You don’t look so good.”
George, on the edge of sanity, wasn’t going to lose it by speaking his mind. Instead, he opted for a physical approach. He hugged Cassius, despite the danger that there was the slight chance he would revert to being a cold blooded killer.
“Fate is so cruel, Cassius. I know sacrifices have to be made, but…” Tears started welling up in George’s eyes. Cassius didn’t know if this was Jin’s memories overtaking George, or if it was really him. He accepted that it should no longer matter whether George was Jin or himself. He had a fractured soul and he had to mend it. 
However, as Cassius was about to speak to George, he remembered Keira. The memory was vivid, almost as clear as the portal on the wall. Cassius and just finished their first kiss and pledged that they would be inseparable. Cassius, having re-lived another memory of his girlfriend, also started to tear up. Both embraced each other in hugs, comforting each other on the losses they’ve endured and the losses coming to them in the near future.
Dust took a minute after gaining his slide kick move to return to the hut where Bopo’s father laid. Dust remained silent, as to not disturb the old man’s slumber sleep. He ran his fingers along the bedsheet and a feeling came to him. What if he could save him without visiting the Lady? The thought both seemed right and wrong. For one, he would help the life of one man, but leave the problem with the Lady intact, potentially hurting Ginger’s parents, who were still staying in Aurora Village. Going to the Lady would solve the entire area’s issue, but he may not be back in time to save Bopo’s father.
“Dust? Is there a reason you came back to visit Bopo’s dad?” Fidget asked.
“I don’t know. I felt something compelled me to return to him, almost like there was a way to save him without visiting The Lady.” Dust said.
“The greater issue is The Lady, Dust. You may be able to gain the ability to cure people later in your quest, but the greater good as it stands right now is restoring the waters.” Ahrah said.
Dust sighed. “Do you have faith I can pull both off in time?”
“Try your best at it, Dust. You will learn more about yourself, regardless of the outcome.” Ahrah said.
With those words, Dust and Fidget left the hut and resumed their way to The Lady.
George and Cassius were still sitting close by each other, viewing the portal as Dust kept fighting enemies on the way to The Lady’s chamber. Cave after cave went by, and George’s faith in Dust being able to complete the task in time slowly started to diminish.
“Forget it. If it’s taking him this long, the father may as well already be dead…” George said.
“You still don’t know that for sure, um…” Cassius was still unsure what name to call George by.
“For now, just call me George.” George said.
Dust approached The Lady’s chamber. The Lady was in plain sight, but it seemed corrupted in some way due to the red aura that glowed whenever she spoke. Cassius knew this was his army’s work.
“The invisible army… They’re in charge of corrupting lands before we take them over. They plant the seed of corruption into critical points of an area and leave. Not the fighting type, unless Gaius trained them to.” Cassius said.
“YOU caused this? This was YOUR fault? Oh great, Bopo’s dad is dead for sure.” George said.
“Dust will correct this, I know he will. He and Ahrah have the power to undo the damage my army caused and save many.” Cassius said.
“…but Bopo’s father.” George said. George was now conflicted with emotions, he wanted to slap Cassius for starting the trouble, but he knew Cassius had reformed. George’s other half of lament had already started to cloud him over too, preparing for the eventuality of a death in the very near future.
As The Lady described how Dust was a killer with a broken soul, Cassius once again had to refrain from flashing back to memories of him and his girlfriend. Lady then described how she had to turn off the waters to prevent the army from using her water.
“That’s a cover up. Deep in the seed of her evil soul planted by the army, her goal was to make all perish, and not just the army she’s “fighting” to stop. It was all planned out during our invasion maneuvers meeting.” Cassius said.
George was speechless. Lady was describing how the villages cut off from the waters would be small sacrifices for the greater good, but with Cassius’ knowledge, it was the inner seed of corruption driving her to make illogical moves.
Dust had no choice but to fight with The Lady. As the red aura around her returned, her voice raised and the fight began. On the edge of death many times, George and Cassius wondered if they were going to escape the grasp of the corrupted soul before them. With a last blow, it seemed The Lady had returned to her normal self. As Dust asked about “The Darkness,” Cassius shook his head.
“The Darkness is a true legend, and many have succumbed to it… but what made her go over the edge was the seed we planted. It starts off as a memory engram then evolves into a fully fledged belief. The belief is what we rely on to corrupt the soul.” Cassius said. “We tested this on one of our informants, and got potent results when he died. The soul grew so corrupt that we had to abandon the area and rethink the amount in our corruption payload. It now haunts the Sorrowing Meadow at the base of the mountains.”
The Lady noticed Dust carried one of the Blades of Elysium, but was interrupted by Ahrah as more pressing issues were at hand. The Lady described of a man named Kane. Cassius’ ears perked up, and he knew what that name meant to the army.
“He was our experiment. The General had no desire to keep informants to him, only to experiment on how to take over new land. In death, everyone assumes to this day that he was just generally ill tempered, but it was the seed we planted to corrupt souls, including his. Sad that he had to go that way, but Gaius saw no other way to test out new weapons on corrupting lands in preparation for invasions.” Cassius said.
The Lady described how one of Dust’s pasts had been close to Gaius. She was obviously talking about Cassius. 
“How close?” George asked.
“Well, after I moved on from Keira, we were at the same wavelength planning our tactics for invading the land.” Cassius said.
As the Lady described how Dust’s soul was shattered, this raised a contradiction in George’s mind. They were intact, they were as strong as ever, but they couldn’t communicate to the outside world.
“Is it possible a copy of our memories is scrambled outside of this house? Is that what the Lady is seeing?” George said.
“If the Lady can sense life, can’t she see we’re in here?” Cassius said.
“Apparently not…” George said.
As the Lady revealed the shortcut back to Mudpot, George’s gut feeling really didn’t sit well with him. He went upstairs, grabbed his bedsheet, and sat by Cassius.
“He’s going to make it. I just know it.” Cassius said.
George, refusing to put away the bedsheet, braced himself as Dust entered the teleport. Ahrah described how even the best efforts are not enough to avert fate, and George, like a scared child, covered his muzzle with the bedsheet.
“Can you cut it out? He’s almost there.” Cassius said.
“I know.” George said.
Dust met up with Bopo. His mom came out with a sad face and he followed his mom into the hut.
Cassius stopped cold. “Oh no.”
The tears hadn’t fallen from George’s eyes yet, but they were watering already at the sight of the scene.
As Dust and everyone entered, Bopo tried to wake his father up. Tears came from him as he realized he wasn’t waking up, and George in a burst of emotion cried harder than he had in years. Cassius and Dust were in sync, they said the exact same thing in both worlds.
“Damn it! We weren’t fast enough!” Both said.
As Bopo kept talking to his father, the tears kept flowing from him and George. The bedsheet George carried was drenched in tears, as the muffled sounds of his cries filled the house. Cassius kept his head low, in disbelief how George was right. Miracles don’t happen every day, and he was seeing such evidence right in front of him.
 Dust exited the hut and talked amongst himself and Fidget. Ahrah explained the Life thread but George in his distraught state chose not to believe fate.
“No! There WAS a way to save him! MY SALIVA! Stupid 200 year old blade doesn’t know this soul contains the powers of another universe!” George exclaimed.
Dust and Ahrah continued speaking, while George kept exclaiming how wrong Ahrah was. The noise was deafening to Cassius, as he took the blanket from George and covered himself in it while moving into a fetal position. Even he wanted this to stop.
Fidget got to the point where she wanted Dust to calm down, and explained that he was no longer any of his pasts, but that he was “Dust” now, his own soul. Ahrah brought out the good that came of Dust’s deeds and he agreed on them.
George had finally calmed down enough to observe the conversation. Cassius crawled out of the bedsheet when George’s yelling stopped, and Dust decided to find somewhere to rest.
“Are you okay now, George?” Cassius said.
“No. But I know Dust is a step closer to finding out who we are, and I’m still looking for the reason why I’m here.” George said through a congested nose.
“I’m not quite certain on how we arrived here neither. One minute, I was trying to fight you, but the light that brought us both here had to have been done for a reason.” Cassius said.
“I just want my life back. Let Dust continue without me, and he would learn of my abilities through pure luck.” George said.
Dust had found a hut with a spare bed and laid into the bed. The portal began to close with black outlines that were Dust’s eyelids.
“We are stuck here for as long as Dust is on his journey. Even you said to me that we’re supposed to observe it. Come on, we need real rest too. Nothing to see when he’s asleep.” Cassius said.
Both Cassius and George went back to the bedroom, with George dragging his tear soaked bedsheet back to his bed. Both lay down in their beds and closed their eyes.
Dust, George and Cassius now shared the same dream. Everything was white, no sound, no visuals. All 3 kept walking forward in this expanse to see a mirror. It had hinges on the top and bottom sides and was supported by a beam going straight through the middle. All 3 flicked the mirror to the right, and now Dust was seeing George, George was seeing Cassius, and Cassius was seeing Dust. They flicked the mirror to see all 3 of themselves until the mirror stopped. It vanished back into the white space and none of the 3 were lucid enough to remember the dream.
Dust woke up the next morning. George and Cassius slept in, and Dust headed for the cemetery in Mudpot. George woke up first, and Dust was looking straight at Bopo’s father’s grave. Another tear came to him and it rolled down his cheek to the pillow. Cassius woke up shortly after to see the same view.
As the gathered said their final words to Bopo’s father, George already shed 2 more tears. Dust went to speak to Bopo, wishing that he had done more to help. Bopo believed in Dust’s strength and determination to save the village, and that he had to be such for his mother. Dust had to make tracks to return to the surface, but he promised Bopo that he would return one day.
George and Cassius went downstairs to the big viewing portal as Dust left Mudpot for a different town. George still had a hard time recovering from yesterday’s emotional outbursts, and Cassius needed to understand how he was able to console George, when for years, he had muted all cries for mercy as the leader of an army unit.
Dust had decided to return to Aurora Village to speak to a man named Avgustin, he spoke that he needed materials delivered to the blacksmith of Archer’s Pass. Dust agreed and headed for the Pass.
George and Cassius both let their minds wander when Dust was navigating Archer’s Pass. Both their minds had so much to process that the quest meant nothing to understanding themselves. When Dust approached the blacksmith though, both their separate attentions were brought back to the portal, where a beautiful crimson woman was standing before Dust.
The woman introduced herself as Haley. George blew kisses at the portal knowing no one else outside this room would know of this, except Cassius. After she crafted the materials from Avgustin, she gave Dust a gem. She was clearly flirting with Dust, but he couldn’t pick that up. George did, and as Dust wanted to know more about Haley, he was beginning to like her already.
Cassius only observed with half his attention, as he still was struggling to find it within himself to understand how his feelings of consolation came to be.
Fidget then hinted to Dust that Haley was attracted to her. George simply stopped and daydreamed, taking a break from understanding himself to ponder at Haley, that it could be his soul that she was speaking to.
“Oh wouldn’t I love to rub her paws one day.” George said.
Cassius was clueless to why George would say that, and he drifted back to inner thought.
Dust continued to “The Sorrowing Meadow” and met Avgustin again. They chatted about how the lady they first met on their journey, Cora, was led to the meadow to do something. He described that once she entered, a force field came up blocking the way to the Blackmoor Mountains. Dust told him to wait until he had cleared up what happened.
George and Cassius retreated to their beds again. As much as they wanted a mid-day nap, the portals above the beds were what they focused their attention on.
Facing off against a monster with scissor arms, Fidget freaked out as Dust calmly slain the creature. Dust finally managed to meet with Cora again, in a portion of the meadow that the creatures were avoiding. Cora assigned a task to Dust to scour the mansions in the meadow for items important to her.
George and Cassius were half paying attention, half still finding the meaning of what happened in Mudpot. Dust entered the first mansion to see a vicious skeleton that Ahrah explained that he could not strike at. George and Cassius suddenly had their attention fully on the “ghost” approaching them.
As the ghost slashed, each hit was a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on the house, knocking George and Cassius around out of their beds and sometimes landing face first into a wall. They moved downstairs to avoid close quarters where they would be banged around more. Dust eventually lost the being and picked up the first “memoir” along with an ability. George was scared by the tremors and Cassius was bleeding from the nose.
“You okay? Here, I’ll help.” George said. George spit into both hands and rubbed Cassius’ face. The blood disappeared and his nose had stopped bleeding.
“You didn’t have to do that. I would have let time heal that wound.” Cassius said.
“As it stands right now, even though we fought in the past, I still have to take care of you in here.” George said. “You wouldn’t want to know the consequences of dying in here before Dust does, do you?”
“I guess you’re right. Thank you for… whatever healing powers you hold.” Cassius said.
Dust navigated to another mansion and the ghost once again appeared. The same earthquakes happened, all with the same wall tossing force. It kept happening until all 4 mansions had been searched.
George mended a broken pinkie finger, a bruised toe, and a dislocated knee from Cassius as he was being tossed around. Cassius silently accepted any help he was going to get. The help George provided almost seemed too good to be true… A fox with the ability to heal all?
Dust returned to the center of the meadow to talk with Cora once again. She described how the items Dust gathered were keepsakes of her husband’s, who happened to be Kane, and how this was originally their home. Cora then described how Kane was a war profiteer, passing information about Moonblood sympathizers to Gaius, and earning money on it along the way. Cora finally explained that the ghost they had been seeing was that of Kane, and how he’s been claiming the souls of wayward travelers.
“Did you anticipate it getting this bad?” George asked Cassius.
“Nobody did. That’s why we abandoned this place to just let him be. However, there’s still hope Dust can save him.” Cassius said.
Cora believed the time was right to settle things with Kane, and having Dust collect the items was a step in that direction. As Ahrah kept talking about the darkness, Cassius still shook his head.
“…that we planted… The blade knows the legend of the Darkness, but doesn’t know the technology we invented?” Cassius said.
 In a flash of white light, Kane appeared and Dust sprang into action. This time, each slash didn’t result in ground shaking earthquakes on the house George and Cassius were in. The fight continued until a final blow caused the figure of gigantic bones and skulls to retreat, leaving the soul of Baron Kane behind.
Kane saw Cora and lamented all that he’s ever done. Apologetic, Kane believed that Cora had abandoned him. Cora expressed her love to Kane and that she would never leave his side.
George didn’t understand the full story and couldn’t help but feel sorry too. Cassius lamented along with Kane, knowing they shouldn’t have poisoned an innocent soul.
“Now I lament for him. We should have never done this experiment. It’s still in practice today, and only Gaius could stop them.” Cassius said.
“We mended this soul, and I know Dust can mend the rest. Heck, he will be able to stop Gaius.” George said.
Cassius was about to speak about Gaius, but now was not the right time. Kane gave eternal thanks to Dust that he feared couldn’t be repaid. Dust then asked Kane about information related to Gaius. Kane explained to go where the Moonbloods were, and described of their last encampment far to the north.
Kane then realized an impossibility. He revealed the location of a village of Moonblood sympathizers and had heard before his death that a family escaped the village before an attack that was supposed to wipe out an entire village. Instead, the leader of that wave along with a member of that family mysteriously vanished.
“The Family! You must be talking about Ginger and her family!” Dust said.
Kane told Dust to find Ginger, and that Gaius would eventually find them. He explained the barrier was caused by Dust’s twin souls, and that it would have loved to take both. Dust was confused, but George and Cassius weren’t. They looked at each other, then back to the portal. Kane explained that he was two souls joined as one and that he could see them, trapped in a house looking through his eyes.
Cassius sprang to the screen “Kane! Can you hear me?”
Kane nodded his head. Dust paid no attention, but Cassius knew there was still hope yet they could communicate to the outside world. Dust spoke to Ahrah and the blade refused to give answers just yet. 
“You really think this isn’t coincidental? That he could be nodding at something else?” George said.
“I believe he knows I’m in here, and he knows you are too.” Cassius said. “I just may be able to get out of this mess.”
Dust didn’t want to leave Cora in the Meadow, but Cora wanted to spend the final hours of her life with her husband by her side. Kane gave wise parting words and Dust continued on his way. Cassius sat back down as Kane’s figure disappeared from view.
“I’m happy Kane’s no longer a disturbed soul, but to know that I was responsible…” Cassius stopped and held his head down.
“Peace is all we really needed to accomplish for now. Besides, he’s got Cora now too. Our concern should be about Dust’s journey.” George said.
Dust continued to the barrier that was blocking their way to the Blackmoor Mountains. Avgustin was still there and the barrier had lifted. Dust then started to make his way up the mountain.
The snow did nothing to the temperature inside the house where George and Cassius were. Knowing it was a long climb, they still returned to the bedroom to observe from there.
Dust had climbed up halfway and had encountered an ice demon on his way up. He defeated it and picked up another ability. Dust kept climbing up to reaching a roadblock as he was about to keep climbing. Dust and Fidget agreed that an avalanche had to be created to move forwards. Ahrah expressed his caution and Dust and Fidget proceeded since there was no other option.
As Dust explored the caves, Fidget felt the effects of altitude sickness. She was making so little sense that even George and Cassius covered their ears each time she spoke. In time, even Dust and Ahrah picked up on this and reminded Fidget that they knew she was coming down with something.
Reaching nearly the top of the mountains, Dust was finally starting to remember. In turn George’s memories of Jin came back. Dust remembered the road before the village he was about to enter was not blocked before. George saw that memory, and how he would always take the main road from Aurora to here.
Dust continued on, Gaius’ soldiers were waiting outside the village and one of them cried out Cassius’ name. The guard did not know that had possessed Cassius’ being, but they were sure bent on stopping Dust.
The guards decided to press the attack, and Dust laid waste to all 3 of them. Dust was clueless as to why the army was destroying this village, and accepted that Cassius wasn’t his name. George was angry. He had grabbed Cassius in a stranglehold.
“Tell me, why did you proceed to destroy Zeplich anyways? Was it just that it was full of sympathizers?!?” George said.
Cassius knew this was Jin’s thoughts clouding over George, and slapped George again to help him regain his normal self.
“Urgh, it was him again, right?” George said, holding his face. “I have no idea why I’m having these memories. I shouldn’t be… unless he’s reaching to me from within…” George had a curious theory, but he couldn’t prove it. Not until he was back in his real home.
Dust continued to the village. Seeing the ruins, Dust couldn’t help but place regret upon himself.
“This was Ginger’s village. It looked like the soldiers made waste to it the week after I supposedly vanished from this very spot. She said it herself.” Dust said.
Dust spoke to Ahrah and he advised Dust to search the village. They happened upon Ginger’s home, and Dust had finally begun to remember.
George remembered sitting on the porch waiting for the attack like it was yesterday, sending Ginger and her parents off to Aurora, and then facing off against Cassius.
“He’s about to learn the truth.” George said.
Dust entered the house, which was identical to the one George and Cassius were trapped in. Dust was still in disbelief that he was originally one of the people that resided there.
He headed up the stairs to discover a photo. It was not surprisingly of Jin and Ginger. George knew his face wouldn’t have made it into the family memoir, but he didn’t care for that much.
“Ginger. This was where I sent her off, to warn her and my parents about the attack. I was going to protect this village no matter what. I stood my ground and fought with him to the end.” Dust said.
Fidget was in disbelief over how he could be the man in that photo.
“How? How could I have sacrificed myself to save this village, and still be standing here?” Dust said.
A voice came from behind Dust, and Ginger and a Moonblood appeared. The Moonblood introduced himself as Elder Gray Eyes, the leader of the Moonblood people. Ginger saw Jin’s eyes in Dust, but deep down inside, she knew he was George, the person that saved the village for long enough to get the women and children out.
“They do look remarkably similar to your brother’s, yes. That is because he is alive within Dust.” The Elder said. “However, to suit our needs, we required two souls. They are both alive within Dust, and I can already hear them calling out to me.” The Elder said.
George was once again flooded with Jin’s memories, calling out to Ginger in desperation, and Cassius was yelling at the Elder to get him out.
“I can’t hear them...” Ginger said with concern. “Please tell me they’re okay?”
“A soul of pureness and innocence is a noble thing, but without skill, without power, Dust would have been struck down like the villagers that stayed behind for the second attack. So Dust is a combination of both the soul of your brother and the Royal Assassin known as Cassius. One year ago, both vanished in a beam of light, which ended up trapping their souls inside Dust, but at the same time, they are both alive and well to observe Dust’s journey.” The Elder said. “We may never know how the fight went down, but we do know that the formation of you was the result of the beam of light that shined down upon the village that night.”
“I remember now. My brother was standing here, where Dust is, but it somehow wasn’t him. He called himself by another name, and warned both me and my parents to leave town.” Ginger said.
“Interesting... It seems like another soul is in place of your brother’s. He does seem… different, but I still sense the innocence within him.” The Elder said.
Dust was still in denial over what he was hearing.
 “How can I remember both Jin and this other person’s memories? You said I only consist of two souls.” Dust said.
“That I cannot explain, but the two souls that make you, one of innocence, one of power, form the one we call Mithrarin. “He who is born of the dust.” The Elder said.
“George. His real name was George. He said he was immortal. He would have taken as many hits as possible before Cassius collapsed from tiredness. I told him we would meet in Aurora, and I guess we did.” Ginger said. “George. I wish I could thank you for saving me and my entire family.”
George calmed down enough to hear her say those words. Cassius had given up on yelling at the elder. Jin’s memories left George for now and George’s tears were now his own. “You’re welcome, Ginger.”
“I… can’t say that I’m really him. I don’t know… I… I don’t know.” Dust said.
Dust then asked questions about his being with the Elder, and how with the souls alive within Dust, he was born to save the world. The Elder also told of the good deeds he had done, and that his body and mind was his own. The souls alive inside him had no influence but at their core levels. 
When asked about Fuse, The Elder described that the armor he was fitted with after the attack on the village had corrupted his mind and body beyond repair. Cassius smirked. The invisible army had done their job, and he was but one of the victims of such corruption. George gave a stern look and Cassius wiped the expression off his face.
The Elder explained Ahrah was one of the five blades of Elysium, and how it was forged when the “Way of the Flameless Light” was commonplace. He explained it was a method or ideology, and Fidget was confused by that. Ahrah explained that the blades were made to guide their sword bearers. The Elder recognized Ahrah’s voice and greeted each other.
The Elder then told Dust to join him in the Moonblood camp in Everdawn Basin. Fidget threw a fit of angst and tried to get an answer from Dust about who he really was. Dust was unable to give an answer or provide proof, but Ahrah tried to restore Fidget’s faith in Dust. Dust then spoke that he couldn’t do this journey without Fidget and she was in disbelief how no one had ever said that to her ever.
As Dust parted ways with Ginger and the elder, Dust wanted to send a message to George and Cassius. He did it the only way he knew how: Looking in the mirror.
George and Cassius were confused… Dust wasn’t walking out the door like he usually does. Looking in Dust’s own eyes, Dust spoke from the portal.
“George, Jin and Cassius. I do not know if you can hear me, but your sacrifices have driven me to do so much in this world. If you are all indeed trapped inside me, you would have seen all the good I’ve brought. If I ever meet any of you, you all have my eternal thanks.” Dust said to the mirror.
“Thank you Dust, your journey has made me understand the bigger picture of life.” George said.
“Thank you Dust, you’ve opened up my cold heart to rediscover the love and innocence I once had.” Cassius said.
Dust could swear he could hear both their voices in the dead silent house saying “Thank you.”
“I think they heard you.” Fidget said.
Dust nodded at the mirror as Fidget smiled and he continued on his way.
As Dust continued to the Everdawn Basin, George’s gut feeling returned. He had a sneaking suspicion the final fight was coming sooner than expected. He also knew Cassius’ invisible army would be somehow responsible for it.
“Cassius, just how far reaching is your “Invisible Army?” George asked.
“Last I heard they were spying on the entire land. Why?” Cassius said.
“Oh no. It may already be too late for Dust.” George said.
“The spies don’t carry physical weapons… at least, not to my last knowledge…” Cassius said.
Dust walked to the entrance of the camp only to be stopped by a Moonblood warrior, it saw that it was only Dust, and let him through.
“Are you sure your spies won’t be armed one year after your disappearance?” George said.
Cassius was now just as concerned as George about Dust’s fate.
Dust once again met with Elder Gray Eyes. He explained that this group of soldiers was the last remaining army of Moonbloods, and that Dust would be the one to “Turn the tide.” He then mentioned the Merchant named Sereth, and how his exchange of goods with Gaius’ soldiers helped him elude capture. With the exchange, he was also giving Dust’s location to Gaius.
Cassius bowed his head down, knowing George’s words were coming.
“See? See how even spies that aren’t part of your army would put us in danger?” George exclaimed.
Dust and the elder now knew they didn’t have long to prepare, and that the full brunt of Gaius’ army was approaching. Dust asked about the lamps surrounding the camp, and about the Way of the Flameless Light. The elder described that the Moonbloods originally lived in a great society called the Cynthak, and they knew how to wield such power. They harnessed the power to create technology such as the lamps surrounding the camp. History had not kept a record of how the Cynthak fell, and the Moonbloods were left as outcasts in the aftermath. The belief was that the Moonbloods were the only ones wielding such power, but Gaius’ army seemed to have crafted similar technology to the Cynthak from the ancient times. The elder described of siege weapons of high technology, and Fidget and Dust both showed concern.
“The same Way of the Flameless Light created cities in our homeland. Electricity flows through power lines, and we cook meals and keep the lights on using the same principal.” Cassius said. “It’s how my girlfriend is keeping herself alive, back in the city I left her in…”
The Elder said that the camp’s chief engineer was in need of assistance, and how the scout of the camp had not reported back. Dust proceeded east, only to meet up with Ginger first.
George stopped. Jin’s memories didn’t come back this time. At this point in any earlier encounter with Ginger, George would have already been close to the screen calling out to her.
Ginger called Dust by George, but then called him by Dust. He asked if she was alright, and she replied that she had a lot on her mind. Dust wanted to ask about George, and what he was like. She replied that he was a hero to her family in the hours before he vanished. Dust believed both George and Cassius were influencing his choices for good. Ginger believed he was listening to George, but Ginger still could not get over that Cassius was still inside Dust. She described how if George was mortal, Cassius would have easily cut him down. Dust described that he needed Cassius’ soul to survive and Ahrah would be the one to balance the two souls and that George would always be there to quell the desires of Cassius. Ginger still didn’t believe it, that as long as Cassius was still in Dust, he was in danger of being pulled to the wrong influence. Dust reinforced that he still needed him to defeat Gaius and that there was no other way. Ginger was glad they had the talk and Dust parted ways.
George and Cassius were confused. They didn’t feel the presence of Ahrah balancing each other out, but apparently Dust did.
“Where was Ahrah this whole time? If he was supposed to balance our souls, we heard nothing of it.” George said.
“The walls of the house… they’re what protect us from being scrambled into Dust’s soul. They must have also prevented Ahrah from influencing us.” Cassius said.
George then realized something. With no influence from Ahrah whatsoever, Dust’s journey had the effect on both of them to repair each other’s broken selves.
“We didn’t need Ahrah. Dust’s journey brought out something in both of us that we couldn’t see until now. It’s what brought peace and happiness and kept our innocence, and it’s the love and care we bring to people we cherish. For you, it’s Keira. For me, it’s Carmelita.” George said. He was shocked he could finally remember her name, after having it lost since the beginning of the journey.
“Carmelita! I remember her now! The sweet velvety fox that I still love… I just wish I’ll be able to see her again.” George said.
Dust proceeded eastward to meet up with the engineer. He told that the water and electricity pumps below the camp were malfunctioning due to earthquakes in the area, and that Dust had to restart both for the troops to prepare against Gaius’ army.
Dust jumped down to the hot magma chamber below, navigating through many lava streams to reach the generator and water pump. Fidget used her power from the Lady to restart the generator and then used her power from Fuse to burn the vines off of the water pump. 
Heading back up, Dust decided to check on the scout only to find he had been killed by “spies.”
Cassius, normally not caught off guard, was taken aback that Gaius’ spies had now been converted into assassins.
“He’s stepped up his game. I’m willing to bet he’s outside that gate right now.” Cassius said.
Dust returned to the camp and described how the scout had been killed. The elder then had no choice but to begin the assault on Gaius’ army. Dust thanked the elder, and the elder gave parting words that it was an honor to have stood before Dust.
“You ready for the ride?” Cassius said.
Puzzled, George was going to reply, but thought better of it.
Dust headed east, past the gate, and met up with the Moonblood army waiting for him. The path out of the camp was blocked, and Dust had to clear it. Dust descended into a cave, where he picked up another ability. Dust ascended above the soldiers in the camp to another cave area above the camp. Navigating through the lava tubes, he ended up on the other side of the wall and managed to clear the blockade.
Continuing through to battle, George and Cassius almost could not look at the portal fearing the death of Dust and themselves trapped in Dust’s body. Enemy cannons had blocked a direct assault, so Dust had to venture beneath into some caves to find a way around them and to defeat them. Jumping above to a cave perched above a cannon, Dust came in and laid waste to the remaining cannons in the area.
Dust was almost there. He was going to avenge the Moonbloods and defeat Gaius. Cassius initially didn’t sit well with Dust being set to destroy the leader he once was proud to stand beside in an authority of power. But as time went on, Cassius knew Gaius’ sacrifice will bring him one step closer to Keira. To the woman he loved, to a new life together, to be rid of ending the lives of so many at the hand of his blade.
Dust ascended to the throne where Gaius was. Dust screamed for his name, but Gaius wanted his soldiers to lower their weapons.
Gaius still thought Dust was Cassius. He described how he vanished off the face of the earth, and how he was betraying him by leading the people they were sought to destroy.
Dust remained defiant, but Gaius was still confused, he called him out by Cassius’ name. Inside Dust, both George and Cassius were in stunned silence, just waiting for the eventuality that the fight was going to happen.
Gaius still tried to get Dust to remember himself by Cassius, thinking it was a brainwashing campaign by the Moonbloods that caused him to turn sides. Fidget tried to make Dust remember that he was George, but Dust’s memories of Cassius started to come back. Gaius kept reminding Dust of the conquest they did together, but Dust was reminded of the slaughter that took place.
Gaius, still willing to believe Dust was Cassius, kept pushing that Dust as Cassius led those exact waves of slaughter. He wanted Dust to lower his blade and undo the brainwashing that the Moonbloods supposedly have done to him.
Fidget tried to get Dust to remember who he really was, but Dust had focused on his life as Cassius. Inside Dust, George and Cassius still waited with fated breath whether he was going to declare himself as one or the other.
Ahrah made it clear that Dust was not Cassius. Dust still had trouble coming to terms with his memories of Cassius that had started flooding in. Fidget then made it clear that George was in Dust as well, pointing out all the good he’s done up to facing Gaius. She said that Cassius would destroy the Moonbloods, but George would protect them.
George and Cassius knew this had changed, and the outside world knew nothing of it. Cassius was actually willing to do anything, to get her Keira back, and to reform a love once lost.
Dust had then realized that George didn’t do any of the good. He realized both had vanished and that they were locked inside him, giving him no influence except in their core forms.
Dust then faced up to Gaius, describing himself as “justice incarnate”, brought to stop his conquest and to cleanse the land.
“I am Dust, and your campaign ends here, now.” Dust said.
George and Cassius knew it was coming. The end was near. Whether it was of Gaius, Dust, or both, they had no clue.
Dust ordered Gaius to surrender, or face an enemy like nothing they’ve ever seen.
Gaius still pleaded to Dust as Cassius. He knew Cassius couldn’t possibly win the fight against him.
“Let’s end this.” Dust said.
The fight began, and both George and Cassius reached out a hand and shook on it.
“To you finding your Keira.” George said.
“To you finding Carmelita.” Cassius said.
The fight raged on, and a critical blow made Gaius fall back through a wall onto another section. Gaius reinforced once more that Cassius could not win over him. He once again tried to remind him that he and Cassius were originally allies. Dust denied this and wanted Gaius to raise his blade or drop it. Gaius was now convinced that even if this was Cassius, it no longer mattered. They were going to fight to the death.
The fight continued to ensue, a platform had given away and Gaius tried once again to reach what he still believed was Cassius. He asked why he would turn his blade against his fellow soldiers and his leader. Dust, again defiant, saw Gaius’ campaign as the destruction of the world. Gaius still tried to reach through, trying to make him remember his duty and closest soldiers. Cassius inside Dust was at peace with letting them go.
“They no longer matter. I’m ready to let them go, Dust. It’s all up to you now.” Cassius said.
Dust remembered everything, but it didn’t change his perception on Gaius. The battle continued on. 
Another platform had given away. They were now in a magma chamber surrounded by lava. George and Cassius now had reason to be concerned. The lava… scolding hot viscous fluid of molten rock, would destroy any fragile body, even Dust’s.
“Do you have a Plan B? Please tell me you have a Plan B.” Cassius said.
“I really don’t want to use it, but I do.” George said.
Dust exclaimed that this was where it was going to end. A few slashes later, and Dust had laid waste to Gaius.
BOOM!
Moments after the critical blow, an enormous explosion set Dust flying, and the walls of the house where George and Cassius were stuck in finally started to give way. To them, the magnitude was a 10.5 on the Richter scale. This was when they knew they were in deep trouble.
TO BE CONTINUED
(Chapter 8 will be the alternate ending to the game. Huge Major Spoilers tag will be on that one.)