Chase was still trying to stand, when another force pushed him hard into the ground.
Then only seconds after he had hit the crimson ground once more, a speedy black blur launched over top of him.
He looked down to see red stained, white hair above his chest.
Poppy had landed on top of him, which wasn't helping the terrible pain coming directly from the leg she had landed on.
"Sorry!"
She yelped, pushing off of him as quick as she could.
Chase pushed himself up, only to notice that they had been surrounding by two of the three larger mimics.
Strange things were happening to the one, that was still standing far enough away to not pose a deadly threat... Yet.
The other, was crouching with its giant maw nearly touching the ground.
Then it began to change.
Black hair began to escape from the crown of its large mouth.
Poppy seemed to flinch next to him.
Then it turned, in a slow and terrifying manner. Its long neck reaching around its side, like a terrible snake.
Then what appeared behind its shoulder could have been the worst thing he had ever seen.
A human face was morphing onto the mimic's head. Its grimy dark-green flesh, was collapsing in on itself.
The face had become beautiful, as its lower body shifted into an elegant woman.
"No... No No No, anything but her..."
Poppy was saying, her body trembling terribly.
Chase tried to stand, only to let out a groan and collapse again.
"Poppy... knock it off, it isn't real."
The mimic had become someone clearly familiar to the girl, as it tilted its head with a sly smile.
She was probably the second most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Her hair was as black as the night sky, and her eyes were a bright blue. A silver crown had grown into her dark hair.
Her skin looked flawless, and her figure of that of a model.
"Come on... Don't give me that look, girl."
The mimic said, imitating a voice that Chase could not recognize.
Poppy's fingers were barely holding the grip of her spear, as if she would let go at any given moment.
Chase tried to reach out, and grab hold of her other hand; however, putting pressure on his bad leg would only spell even more doom.
"Poppy! It isn't real."
He tried to tell her.
"I know that..."
She growled.
"Who do you think convinced Zen to let you live? Don't ever give me that look."
The strange woman hissed at her.
Poppy shut her eyes as hard as she could, which wasn't the brightest of ideas.
"You aren't her..."
She sounded more as if she was trying to convince herself, which made Chase realize just how quick he needed his leg to heal.
"Why not? Who do you think brought you into this world? Who let you live under their own roof, even though they already have an heir that could carry on the house legacy..."
'Oh shit...'
Chase realized what the mimic was doing, it was mimicking the fears of the one it wanted to fight.
Which made him glance at the one that still hadn't moved.
It was still just standing there, licking its own lips while staring at the injured boy.
Then with a sharp crack, Chase realized that his leg had mended itself.
Before the pain could even fade, he launched himself at the woman he had assumed was Poppy's mother.
His blade lashing out with his own sense of anger, after seeing the annoying royal in such a terrible state.
He didn't know why it made him so mad, in some twisted way: He thought that maybe, it was because he thought he was the only one who could piss her off that much.
Before his blade could meet the woman's neck, another even larger blade had met his.
This one was not a sword; however, but a large topaz tipped axe.
Now Chase was expecting not to face a normal type of fear, since he didn't really have a true fear.
But what he was not expecting: Was too see such a familiar figure, one that he had not seen since his life had truly begun... Or ended in a way...
He felt his hairs stand up on his arms, and every thing around him seemed to twist and crumble.
Granted, it wasn't really happening. After all, none of this was technically real.
The man's orange hair was then consumed by a raging fire, that filled the air with raw and powerful heat.
Had it been a couple of months ago, the aura probably would have killed him.
It was about twice as strong as the leader of the Frostfang savages that had raided his home.
"Father..."
Chase said, trying to bite back a mix of anger, sadness, and even a good amount of terror.
The mimic grinned, as the battle axe easily knocked his blade to the side.
Sending a powerful kick directly into Chase's chest, the man who had taken the form of a younger Blaze let out a terribly familiar laugh.
Then he hit the ground.