I never felt a dissonance so chaotic than just then. So many thoughts, so many emotions running rampant I didn't even know which I should tend to first.

Thinking so much, and yet thinking nothing at all - like someone just uncoupled the compartments from my train of thought, and just to exacerbate things further, the brakes were out... and a broken bridge was right in the distance.

Jay was that broken bridge in the distance, and every step he took closing in towards my position also brought one step closer to that cataclysmic plunge.

It was the same back then. Like hell if it was going to be the same now. I wasn't going to fall just yet.

That invisible muscle, that tennis ball in my palms, I held it, strained it... I raised my hand forward.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that, man..."

He said it so easy. The hell does he think he is trying to sound like a friend? We were never friends. Never have been, never will be.

I kept my hand up.

"No, seriously..." He came to a stop, far enough away to look unthreatening, yet close enough a distance to still stay threatened. "Remember what happened when you tried that last time?"

Wasn't an idiot. Certainly ain't crazy enough yet to think I could ever possibly go one-on-one with a master magician. He'd do me in ten times over before I could even blink at his general direction, and I'd never even see it coming.

So why wasn't he?

Answer's simple, been here before, haven't I? If you aren't dead yet when you really oughta be... then that just means you better brush up on your charm and speech skills, cause you got something the other desperately needs.

"If you came to offer me another deal, it better be a good one," I said, stretching my other arm to shield Ash from infuriating prying eyes. "Otherwise, kindly see yourself out and fuck off."

He continued to keep things amicable, sniping back with the most dejected of sighs.

"You're upset," He said.

"So perceptive," I said shocked, awed, baffled but actually not really. "Guess the glasses aren't just for show, after all. Amazing."

"I don't mind this too, you know? Keeping barking away then, waste everyone's time, go on," He adjusted those thick lenses. "I know you won't and don't bite."

He got me there.

"Why are you here?" I asked, this time, without all the snark. "How are you here?"

Those weren't the only things I wanted to know. Trust me, I had an entire collage of questions at the ready and within that collage was an assortment and within that assortment was a bundle, continuing ad infinitum.

He clearly knows it too, his little cockish smirk wouldn't be there otherwise.

"You can chill, man. Not gonna do anything you won't like unless you make me. So please, don't make me."

When I didn't respond, he let his eyes wander... raising a brow to the slumbering Matriarch at the wayside, raising the other for the phoenix just right beside. The harsh glint of his glasses twinkled fascination, and then when it drifted over to the Ash, contently burying her face deeper into my jeans - the fascination stopped... and the bitterness started to shimmer.

"She looks lovely as ever," He muttered, that rigid smile of his almost struggling to force the words out. "I've never seen her when she's sleeping before."

Take it in as much as you can, then," I said, surreptitiously trying to nudge her awake. "You won't ever be seeing it again."

Jay just shrugged his shoulders. Evidently, he wasn't taking the claim as serious as I. Not like I gave him any reason to - what can I do? So far all he's seen of me was a glare and an outstretched arm... and that arm wasn't doing anything either.

Wake up, Ash... come on, wake up.

His gaze lingered just a bit longer, given ample time to sit and stare back in return. It's been a couple days since we last confronted each other - I still remembered that day completely. I can still feel the aches, can still smell the blood... hear the screams. Neither side came out of that skirmish unscathed, that's for sure.

But hey, we dusted ourselves off and picked each other up back on our feet and look at us now - never worse for wear save for a couple of dark rings around some pairs of eyes... meanwhile Jay over here looked as if he's never left that ruined storage room ever since we've entered it.

Bright bruises black and blue all over. I knew there was something weird going on with his walk-cycle... every second step he took came with a limp, and while also hiding it, a wince. Quite understandable, these slender hands here resting curled atop my lap hit like a six-ton truck going down a freeway at Mach five.

And right now I needed those hands again, I ain't able to do a damn thing with my own even if he is injured. But under his continued scrutiny, my attempts at rousing her awake were still only limited to quick, light taps.

I'd have kept trying too anyhow, but then he said something that had me pausing momentarily. Just as his gaze broke away, just as he turned away and blew another weary sigh.

"None of your friends know I'm here."

I kept silent. He kept talking.

"And I'd prefer if it stays that way. Listen man, I don't want to start any trouble here, so..." He turned around again, his eyes meeting mine. "Stop trying to wake her up."

Guess I wasn't as subtle as I thought.

When he first made his abrupt, unwanted appearance, it was like my senses sharpened tenfold. I could see better, here better… vigilance has got me paying close attention like a hawk.

So the fact that even after all that I still couldn't find a trace of malice anywhere on him has seriously got me questioning just how sharp these senses were.

Really he sounded like any other guy you'd find in the streets, he looked just like I saw him back then - that odd young fellow passionate for his love of video games.

That was the him I saw now, and against my better judgment, I left Ash's slumber continue uninterrupted.

I slowly lowered that straining hand.

"So what are you really doing here?" I muttered, throwing out my faith to precarious winds. "It's not for Ash."

Jay shook his head. "Always on my mind, but not this time. Heck, man, even if it was… not really in the best condition to go up against you all. I'd just have to disappear again."

I asked again, this time firmer, louder, "Reason. Now."

Tough-guy act wasn't fooling him, though. All that spurred was just another vexing smirk… and for some strange reason, it even had him bringing his hands together - clapping, cheering, his raging applause echoing lonesomely in the quiet.

"Congratulations," He said, in-between claps. "For learning the necessary means to accomplish a summon ritual."

To say I was bemused would be like saying the sky is blue. No shit, I was staring at him like he was a madman.

"How long have you been watching us?"

"Not watching," He corrected. "Just listening. You've been tossing and sprinkling your magic for days now. Finding you all again was as simple as following a GPS route."

"How long?" I asked again.

"Long enough to get an idea of what your plan is… and the things you'd do to make sure it actually happens. I heard, you know… I heard everything."

Everything.

He slanted his eyes down again. I saw everything mirrored back from his lenses. Could see the resentment, the outrage, sadness… but more than any, it was the reflection of Ash that shimmered more than any other.

"I should kill you for what you made her go through, but I won't," He said, still as light and casual as ever. "Cause I can see your resolve, and I relate, man, I really do - I mean, after all… I'm also willing to do whatever it takes to achieve my goal… as you can probably see for yourself."

Yeah, I can… everything I look out any damn window in the building, I can always see it.

"What is your goal?"

I knew it was futile to ask, he'd never say - but it was worth the try.

And just as expected, he was wagging his finger at me.

"That's for me to know, and for you to… maybe find out. But, who knows? Maybe you'll stop me. That's what you're trying to do now, right? Undoing the Blight and all.

"Smart of you, copying what I did. It's that monkey see, monkey do? I summon Eshwlyn, you summon Sera. I'm still amazed you're actually trying to do it. You got days of basic training. Me - I got sixty years, and I still kinda botched up the summoning."

I blew a breath. "So, you don't think I can do it?"

"Oh no," He said, vigorously shaking his head. "Quite the opposite, dude. I think you will do it."

Once again, I'm a man at a loss for words… the way he said it was like - why does he sound so utterly fascinated, so giddy about the fact?

"So if you think I can do it, and that I will do it..." I said slowly, trying my best to gauge his true intentions. "Just what are you going to do about it?"

From the moment I saw that smirk flare up again, I knew I shouldn't even have fucking bothered because seriously - I don't think I'll ever put together the puzzle piece that was Jay the Lovestruck Magus.

"I'm going to let you do it anyway."