Running through the trees Kat just kept running straight ahead, on the lookout for anything that might get caught up in whatever was about to happen to her. *Should I be trying to fly? I’m not sure if that’s actually faster and I’ve really only had the chance to glide. Better not risk it I can test that out later.*

Thought Kat as she passed a small clearing without stopping. Kat could feel herself heating up, at an alarming rate, rapidly increasing her temperature and she noticed that if she brushed past branches the leaves were singed where she passed. *Shit, am I even shorter on time then I thought? Is it the running? Is my body heating up from the exercise or is it that the timer was wrong. Perhaps neither though, perhaps the running is wearing away at whatever protection I have. I wish I knew. Would it be better to slow down and walk? I can’t risk it though; I have no idea what the fallout from this is going to be.*

Kat continued to run, trees whizzing past and yet everything started to blur together as she progressed on her journey. The heat clouded her ability to think and the scenery hardly changed. Kat tried to force some energy into her eyes which resulted in a lot of the heat moving into them causing her eyes to water but that brief moment allowed her to spot something useful. Off in the distance was a rock outcropping with a noticeable lack of trees. At this point Kat didn’t know how long she had left or if she was far away enough at all, but this clearing seemed like the best that she was going to get on short notice.

It took Kat perhaps thirty seconds to get to the clearing, but even that was uncertain, time had begun to be radically distorted in Kat’s mind and the heat was starting to overwhelm her. Kat tried to stay standing and catch her breath, but she immediately fell onto the stone. Where her body touched the ground dried leaves and other debris burnt up turning to ash rapidly. Despite the ever increasing heat Kat was pleasantly surprised to note that her skin and hair were doing quite well it seemed, suffering no damage whatsoever either from the temperature or scratches from running through the trees.

*Ok, try and think, what do I need to do.* Thought Kat as she tried to wrangle her mind into order. Without thinking about it too much she pressed her aura into her head towards her brain hoping for some clarity in her thoughts. Searing pain was her more immediate answer before a startling clarity gripped her mind. The burning was still present, but she could simply choose to ignore it as she considered what to do. *Something has to change. My body doesn’t seem to be taking too much damage on the outside, but I don’t know if my insides have been changed yet so I’m probably being cooked alive. The system said that I needed to condense my Demonic Flame. It used the word condense specifically, so somehow, I need to condense this already excessive amount of energy somehow. I remember it said a normal aura could subdue it but not mine. Do I have any other choice though?*

Kat pondered on that question. *Do I have any other choice?* Her mind spun through as many possibilities as she could manage unaware of the passage of time, and yet as it wore on the clarity, she felt increased but so too did the burning sensation but at a faster rate. I need to act now. I’ll try my aura. Aura flaring around Kat, she initially tried to use it to compress the demonic energy burning inside her however as soon as she released her aura fire exploding from her eyes, mouth nose wings and tail. An eruption of purple flames raced up into the sky continuing on until it was out of sight. Kat felt her control over her aura slipping and the clarity she had momentarily attained was leaving with it.

*Not like this, I have to do something.* Thought Kat through gritted teeth as she desperately tried to reign in the growing column of fire. Just as the fire started to slip completely from her grip, something cracked. The air churned and an unbelievable weight descended on Kat driving her into the stone. The fire followed suit slamming into her back burning through her Demonic Attire and started to tear instead of burn into her back. The moment the fire entered her back the pain skyrocketed again but a measure of clarity also returned. *I have to do something else. I need to deal with this somehow.* Thought Kat as she reached towards the energy pressing her aura into it, and for lack of a better word twisting. Instantly the ground around Kat froze solid and darkness claimed her.

Kat clutched her head in pain as she tried to stand up. Shakily finding her feet she looked around to find nothing but darkness. Stretching out as far as she could see there was just nothing. The floor didn’t exist or perhaps she couldn’t see it. But Kat found her body in full colour, nothing seemed amiss except for the endless inky black.

“Why do you look so confused”

Kat whirled around looking for the source of the voice until her eyes landed on… herself? Now in front of her stood a face she saw in the mirror every day. Same pale face, dark blue eyes, wearing the same kimono Gramps had given her. However that is where the similarities ended. The wings behind this other Kat were a burning purple fire, and on her head were a set of horns beginning at the back and running around her forehead like a tiara ending in two points in the centre of her head.

“What are you?” said Kat

“Well that’s rather rude I’d say I certainly qualify as being a who” said Kat(?)

“Alright then who are you?” said Kat

“Well, I’m you” said Kat(?)

“Your me?” said Kat

“No I’m you, you’re me” Kat(?)

“So, I’m you?” said Kat

“No, no, I’m you, but you are me” said Kat(?)

“So I’m… me?” said Kat

“Yes” said Kat(?)

“And this joke has gone on too long?” said Kat

“Also yes” said Kat(?)

“So who are you?” said Kat

“Why I’m you” said Kat(?)

“Really? You didn’t get it out of your system the first time?” said Kat

“You have to admit we’re never getting a chance to make that joke again. We really had to do it” said Kat(?)

“You’re right… I would like some answers though” said Kat

“But what makes you think I have them? Are we not the same person?” said Kat(?)

“No I’m me and your you” said Kat

“I thought you wanted to move on from that joke” said Kat(?)

“We both know I couldn’t resist one more” said Kat

“Touché” said Kat(?)

“So what are you then” said Kat

“I’m hurt me, I thought we agreed that I was at least a who” said Kat(?)

“Would you take a when?” said Kat

“No, we are not having time travel in this story, it’s already hard enough to keep track of the passage of time when the author made sure all the dimensions run on the same time scale” said Kat(?)

“What author?” said Kat

“I didn’t say anything about an author” said Kat(?)

Kat glared at Kat(?) suspiciously. “Right I suppose not. Am I really that bad when people ask me questions?” said Kat

“No, but we do like to beat around the bush when thinking to ourselves on the occasion” said Kat(?)

“Does this really count as thinking to myself?” said Kat

“How should I know I’m your delusions right?” said Kat(?)

“Are you a delusion?” said Kat

“Well I sure hope not, maybe you’re the delusion instead” said Kat(?)

“We are running around in circles” said Kat

“Really? I thought I was standing still at the very least” said Kat(?)

“Has my sense of humour always been this bad” said Kat

“Yes. Sadly it is” said Kat(?)

“Well that’s just dandy isn’t it. So how did we get here, I can’t seem to quite recall” said Kat

“I think we were running away from Vivian” said Kat(?)

“Running from Vivian? That doesn’t quite sound right, but then why do I remember it?” said Kat

“Perhaps the context matters?” said Kat(?)

“Perhaps” said Kat

“Ok, how about we go back as far as possible and work forward. Can you still remember your parents?” said Kat(?)

Kat just gave her counterpart a deadpan look.

“What. It’s a valid question” said Kat(?)

“Neither of us should be able to remember them we were a baby” said Kat

“Dam, I was hoping you’d know something” said Kat(?)

“Really?” said Kat

“Nah we made our peace about that whole thing a long time ago” said Kat(?)