Blessed Combat

29 - Self Discoveries

 “How is this even possible?” Zessica asked cautiously, keeping her guard up to its maximum calibre as she eyed her clone, Ivy warily. The girl with the two long ponytailed grinned back at her duplicate, not finding this bizarre in the slightest as Zessica grumbled silently. Even Arma was feeling as if he was lured into a trap, staring at his own replica who had a much more calmer air around him that Arma would ever had. His double, Seth seemed to be a lot more mature than him, having this some sort of grace around him. It was difficult to digest they were both staring at their genetic copies, yet at the same time, someone else entirely.

“We are nothing but data picked up on your Exoskeletons. You see, your Exoskeletons are a bit like armour that has artificial intelligence itself. Only it doesn’t speak like we do. It instead listens and processes your thought patterns and personality. However since the Exoskeletons can only do this much, the data it picks up can be inaccurate.” Seth answered, seeing that Ivy had no intention in replying back a question. Ivy pouted openly and huffed out a long scoff before turning back her attention back to Zessica again.

“So basically what you are trying to say is that even though you two are our copies, you aren’t exactly us?” Zessica asked again, trying to absorb each and every single detail of just exactly what she was dealing with. Arma could tell unlike Zatch, she was using great effort to believe what was happening right before her eyes. He couldn’t blame her, since he too, felt like he was walking in a surreal dream. Right as the moment the question left her lips; Seth shook his head negatively and smiled in a gentle and patient like smile.

“Not exaaaactlyyy~” Ivy slurred cheekily, her emerald green eyes twinkling in mischief. Both players turned their attention to the younger girl who was now smiling broadly with her white pearls showing. Arma could sense some sort of dark aura emitting from Zessica by then. Why? He did not know but he could only guess it was because this girl Ivy, who is supposed to represent Zessica, was doing exactly the opposite.

“What you see right in front of you are the people you want to be in your heart! Isn’t that amazing?!” Ivy cheered both hands punching the air as she skipped a few steps forward and a few steps back. Arma’s eyes widened, not having that much difficulty in believing that this girl before them was not Zessica. She was more...overly enthusiastic while Zessica was more of a...realistic thinker.

The moment Ivy confessed this; Zessica looked like she would die in shame. Both her cheeks were flared up in a bright shade of red which Arma wonder whether what Ivy say was true or not. Looking at his own replica, the guy with a serene atmosphere surrounding him, Arma would admit that was the type of person he had wanted to be back in the days where everyone loathed him.

Right now? He wasn’t really sure at the moment. However, does that mean Zessica secretly wanted to be a bubbly, cheerful and mischievous girl like Ivy? Was the younger Zessica, who she constantly tricked everyone, still there behind that heavy barrier of inhibitions? Judging from her fresh expressions, Arma was almost positively sure she was trying to deny it herself but was slowly coming to realisation that even that was false. She couldn’t decide.

“Well since you two are a little lagging behind at what you are supposed to do, I will gladly explain” Seth pitched in, his ever friendly going smile unwavering while smiling warmly at both of them. For a moment, Arma wondered what would his life would turn out if he was a person like Seth? Would it give him a better childhood? Or will everything stay the same? What would be the difference?