She stretched out her hands for her lightning bolt to return, but on its way back, Other Aru hit it with another lightning strike and Vajra went soaring toward the opposite wall. Aru tried to stand up, but her foot slipped on the stone pavement and she fell.
“When you think about it,” said Other Aru, “it’s really your own fault.”
Other Aru lifted her javelin. Sparks flew from it and rained down on Aru, burning her flesh.
“NO!” yelled Kara.
“My blade is revenge, and my aim is true,” whispered Other Aru.
Kara flung herself in front of Aru. Light spangled across Aru’s vision. Too late, she felt the familiar electric purr of Vajra back in her outstretched hand. Too late, she found her footing and managed to stand up.
Kara was splayed out on the floor between Aru and Other Aru, her golden eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.
Aru couldn’t make herself move. She stared and stared at Kara’s motionless body on the floor. Maybe if Aru just looked hard enough, the scene would change. But it didn’t. If anything, the world broke faster around her.
Wind, dust, and violet light swirled through the area. Aiden and Other Aiden growled and thrashed, their scimitars now dented and lightning flashing between them. Behind the Other Aru, the blue lotus glowed brighter.
Aru finally bent down to reach Kara only for Other Aru to block her with a lightning sword.
“You can’t help her,” her clone said. “Now she’s just another person you ended up destroying. Pretty familiar pattern, to be honest.”
Aru stood up and Vajra turned into a sword to match her opponent’s.
“You were too weak—that’s why Boo turned on us!” Other Aru screamed, waving her lightning bolt. “You couldn’t finish the Sleeper when you had the chance!”
Every terrible thought that had lurked in Aru’s brain now found voice in this hateful person. And yet, no matter what insults her replica flung at her, Aru’s gaze kept returning to one person: Kara.
Was she dead? Or just wounded? What could Arudo?
Aru dodged blow after blow. She grew tired and weak, and her footing became clumsy. Her arms felt heavy, her eyelids even heavier.
Eventually, she slipped and fell. Aru scrambled to get up, but Other Aru was faster. In a flash, she had cast out her lightning bolt as a net, pinning Aru to the wall. Vajra thrashed furiously, hurtling itself at the imposter lightning bolt, but it made no difference.
“My blade is revenge and my aim is true,” said Other Aru.
A blade of revenge,thought Aru. It was the same thing Other Aru had whispered right before she got to Kara. And when Aru heardrevenge, it triggered a memory of Boo quoting Confucius:“If you seek revenge, you should dig two graves.”
Aru didn’t want to destroy herself, and yet that was exactly what was happening.
So how could she stop it?
Maybe it was her tired mind jumbling voices together—the voices of so many people who had tried to teach her—but Aru also remembered Uttanka’s gentle words:We are all our own beginnings and our own ends….
Aru felt as if her whole soul had exhaled a sigh. She understood now.
Other Aru pulled back the lightning net. Vajra stretched into spear form, crackling proudly, but Aru made no move to throw her weapon.
“I knew you were weak,” said Other Aru.
On the other side of the arena, the dust settled long enough for Aru to see Brynne and Mini standing back-to-back. Brynne was sporting a black eye. Their counterparts faced them, breathing heavily and looking just as scuffed. A few feet away, Aiden had thrown off Other Aiden’s scimitars and kicked them across the room. He looked victorious for exactly one second before Other Aiden rushed at him with his bare hands and they tumbled to the floor.
This has to stopnow, thought Aru.
Mini saw Kara sprawled out on the floor. She looked quickly between Aru and Other Aru, her eyes widening.
I don’t like that look on your face, Aru. We have to keep fighting to save Kara.
No,thought back Aru.We don’t.
