Quoted By:
>Continued
"I remember what you've said about him," you say defensively. "And I saw him in my dreams a couple of times. But I— I always thought he died before I was born, and that my aunt mainly raised me— I know that's not true!" Henry has opened his mouth. "I know. That's just what I thought, okay?"
Oh, God, now Henry looks sad and also mad. Not at you, right? He's pressing his fist into his lips. "You can only remember <span class="mu-i">Ruby</span> raising you?"
"Isn't that what I just said?" It's definitely what you just said. "And she did raise me. So it's not like I was making things up. I never said I was— I never said I thought I was very happy growing up."
"The situation was hardly ideal, but he worked so damn hard to... you were such a happy child, kiddo. You had such a bright spirit."
You're silent. "Well, I still do."
"Despite something's best efforts." Henry squeezes his eyes shut. "Would I be right to assume that messenger was responsible for this?"
"...Yeah."
"So it could manipulate you?"
"So he could," you say. "Yeah."
"Into coming to this point. Into obtaining that, and becoming this, and ushering in the end of the world. Do I have that right as well?"
If you told Henry you forgot him sooner, would he have caught on just like this? Would he have warned you months ago? Would you have even believed him? "Yes, but he changed his mind about ending the world. I know it sounds bad! I know! But I trust him, okay? He saves my life all the time, and he—"
"Kiddo." Henry isn't very tall for a man, and ordinarily not very imposing— but all the good spirits have gone out of him, and he stands at a slant, one hand on his knives. "I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Do you realize how this sounds?"
You thought you said that too. "Yes," you mumble.
"I'll ask you another question. Can this messenger be killed?"
"...Not really. Not by you." You fold your arms tightly around the Crown. "And you don't need to kill him, because I'm going to do it myself. I <span class="mu-i">know</span> he ruined my life. And I'm the one bossing him around, and he doesn't even know the Wyrm, and— it's all really complicated. I can't explain it in time. Henry..."
His brow is deeply furrowed. "Kiddo."
"...I'm not a little kid anymore. I've grown up since you knew me up there, and I— I make my own decisions, now. I know you're trying to look out for me. I know I'm playing into what the Wyrm thinks it wants. But that doesn't mean it's <span class="mu-i">right.</span> The Wyrm doesn't know everything."
"Doesn't it?"
"No! It's been asleep under a load of stupid rock! It thinks humanity is a bunch of dumb bugs. It didn't even set up this whole Crown plan— the messengers did it all by themselves, and even their plans mostly didn't work. It still might not work." You meet his dark eyes. "I don't know. I might end the world. But didn't you say it was going to end anyways? Any year now?"
"That is the teaching," Henry says.
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