TwoKinds: Dimensional Catastrophe

Part 5: A Tale of Two Keiths

Keith woke up, hearing swearing and shouting from a shadowy figure. When he regained his strength, the figures--two of them--wore masks ansd hoods, and everything was covered (including their tails) in cloth. One of them came up to him and shouted at him, threatening him with a handmade spear.

??? 1 <Get up, you lounger!>
Keith Where am I?
??? 1 <I said get up!>
Keith <Where are my friends!?>

Keith felt stabbed; and he was. A slight yet painful prick that released a thin trail of blood.

??? 1 <Get. Up. Now!>

Keith did.

??? 1 <Who are you? And what are you doing with them? Are you shaming the Basitins!?>
Keith <What? No- Wait, what are you doing to them?>

He noticed all of his friends were tied up.

Keith <What you have stowed with you are the Grand Templar, a Silverlock, and filthy Keidran.>
Sythe Don't talk to us like that!
Raine Why am I so crimimalized?
??? 1 <It's time to show them both, brother, who are superior.>

Keith attacked the masked figure before he could strike.

Keith Why do want to kill them!?
??? 1 <Trace has done enough damage to Mekkan, and I don't him polluting the Basidian Islands!>
Keith But this isn't the Trace you're looking for!
??? 1 What do you talk about!? Has he poisoned your mind?
Keith That's the good Trace; the evil one is searching for us as we speak!
??? 1 You brought me an inposter?
Keith I didn't bring him here! You knocked us all out!
??? 1 Wait, what? I didn't hit you...
??? 2 I did...

The other--a woman--stared at the two, the figure getting up and Keith just standing and staring.

??? 1 Why'd you hit him?
??? 2 Because I didn't want to frighten him, so I can bring him here.
??? 1 Why did you bring him here in the first place?
??? 2 Just look at him! Doesn't he look...familiar?
??? 1 No! Well, maybe, but-
??? 2 But doesn't he look like-
??? 1 Don't talk about him!
??? 2 Fine, then I'll ask him myself!

The female figure approached Keith.

??? 2 I'm sorry I knocked you out.
Keith But why?
??? 2 Because you look familiar... *whispering* He keeps talking about a Nickolai Alaric.
Keith Nickolai?
??? 2 You know him?
Keith He was a close friend of mine.
??? 2 So was his.
??? 1 Don't bring me into this! And stop sharing private information with strangers!
??? 2 You are...interesting...and as handsome as... What's your name?
Keith My name is Keith Keiser.
??? 2 *gasp!*
??? 1 W-what!? That's impossible!
Keith What?

The figure took off his mask; it was another Keith. The others were also shocked.

Keith Woah...
Keith 2 Uh, d-do y-you see w-what I see?
??? 2 Yes.

She took her mask.

??? 2 Another you. But how?
Keith ... L-Laura...?
Laura 2 Yes...?
Keith 2 Stop playing these tricks on us, foul-
Trace I'm not doing anything! I'm tied up! What you see is true!
Laura 2 Then that means...

Laura hugged the second Keith.

Laura Yay, two husbands!
Keith 2 Ack!
Kyle Two husbands...?
Keith/Keith 2 H-how's this possible?
Kyle If you untie us, I'll tell you.

He did.

Kyle We're from an alternate universe.
Keith 2 What?
Trace Another timeline, where I'm not evil.
Keith 2 Are these lies?
Kyle No. <And Keith, this is an alternate realm, remember? Every event has reversed. That means she didn't die.>
Keith Oh my... Uh, Laura?
Laura 2 Oh, sorry...
Flora What happened to your eye?

Trace and his friends then immediately took notice of the other Keith's right eye; it was closed shut, with a scar over it.

Keith 2 I was sent here by Nickolai himself to kill Trace--er, the evil one--and it didn't end beautifully. In short, he gave me this scar, almost killed Laura, and scared every Basitin at the Basidian Islands.
Keith Jeez, very traumatizing.
Keith 2 What experience did you go through?
Keith Well, Nickolai died during a fight with me on a bridge--I became the Ambassador for Mekkan because of him--for a first.
Keith 2 Ambassador?
Keith Second, Natani made an illusion of Laura. And the longer it stayed, the more I started dying. I had to let her go...

A tear flowed down Keith's cheek, but he wasn't the only one...

Laura 2 I'm...dead...?
Keith Also, I was banished at a young age because I was committed of killing my father.
Keith 2 Oh my!
Keith And, yeah... That's pretty much it.
Keith 2 Man, you faced a much harsher life than mine.
Keith Nah, yours was worse.
Laura Other Keith, d-did I-
Keith Yeah, sorry. Trace tried saving you, but it wasn't enough.
Laura ...

Laura couldn't stop crying for minutes on end.

Keith 2 I believe you. You want to go home. You're from another timeline. But why? Why can't you?
Kyle The device I used still needs to charge. About ten to thirteen hours more then we can head out.
Keith 2 You can come with us then. I know it sounds crazy--your name wanted everywhere and by everyone--but with a proper disguise...
Raine Would Nickolai get angry when you returned emptyhanded?
Keith 2 Pfft, I did, three times. He has a short temper.
Sythe What about Flora and me? Keidran aren't allowed at Basitin territory!
Keith 2 You think I kept Laura a secret?

It took some time for Sythe and Flora to understand.

Trace Er, can you, uh-
Keith 2 Oh, right...

The Keiths united Trace and the others.

Kyle Thanks. Now, let's head to the islands!
Keith 2 And about time!

Guards found them, but they were faster.

Evil Trace I'll find you, imposter...!