The End
Despite their best intentions, nobody could completely hide the truth from the public. It was no secret to Nino, and certainly not to the rest of the palace, that the end was fast approaching. Each day that passed drew them a step closer to their final goodbyes and each nurtured their own melancholy sentiments as they gazed at the meteor; looming larger as it hovered closer to their planet.
In one official meeting, the palace astronomers had been asked to give their reports. Like everyone else privy to the secret, the astronomers were under oath to keep quiet, and had been asked to fashion some story about a momentous celestial event that takes place once in a million years to keep the masses from panicking. According to them, the meteor may strike in as little as five months, and the effects would be nothing short of devastating, they further added that the effects would be felt in as early as three months, with rivers drying up due to an immense heat wave and probably more than a few forest fires. Once it finally collides with their planet, nobody would survive the impact.
Old myths and superstitions, however, prevailed over official announcements from the King and it was proving to be quite a feat to keep the panic and the distrust from spreading. The public may not have been made aware of the truth, but that didn't mean they couldn't sense it. This was what Nino had learned when he sneaked out of the castle with Sho, Jun, Aiba and Ohno. There was no particular reason for this escapade other than a desire to see the world outside the palace walls. This time, he had at least reassured Yuki of his whereabouts, because of Sho's insistence and his discomfort with deceiving people.
It was a special day when the five had ventured out. It was a time for celebrations and festivities as people welcomed autumn and bade summer goodbye. They had arrived at the fairgrounds early in the evening, taking a leisurely stroll while they relished the welcome drop in temperature, the balmy autumn breeze ruffling through their hair. Aiba behaved like an excited child at the sights and sounds that welcomed him. The fairgrounds were teeming with people dressed in festive garb as they sampled the various goods that each stall had to offer. Aiba clung to Sho's sleeves and constantly pestered him with questions about the various stalls and tents that littered the fairgrounds. Jun's eyes wandered curiously while he walked in long, languid strides with the rest of them. He made sure to reinforce his shields so that his experience would not be ruined by the onslaught of thoughts and emotions that floated about the place. Beside Jun, Ohno and Nino walked hand in hand. Ohno was spelled to look like a peasant girl wearing a baby blue dress; his short, unkempt hair was made to look like long brown locks that fell in waves past his shoulders and just a few inches above his waist. Nino tied Ohno's hair in a half pony, fastening it with one of the jeweled clips he snitched from Yuki's vanity. Ohno's bangs were swept to the side and fell slightly below his brows, accentuating his soft brown eyes. Anyone who saw Ohno would not have mistaken him for anything but a pretty young girl who was out for some fun with her boyfriend. Nino, on the other hand, went out of the castle looking like an ordinary palace servant who was spending his day off with his girlfriend. Ohno still wore a dazed, vacant expression on his face while he calmly took in his surroundings; his gaze often lingering for about a minute or two at a particular stall or attraction, not minding at all, that Nino made him look like a girl...
"What's that over there?" Aiba asked, pointing to a black tent embroidered with silver stars and moons
"Oh, well, that's a fortune-teller's booth" Said Sho "There's a woman inside who tells your fortune with cards and crystal balls"
"But I thought that only Ohno could do that"
"Some also have gifts, but they aren't as strong as Ohno's or his family. Besides, they're mostly for show"
"What do you mean?"
"They only tell you what you want to hear."
"Oh... Let's try it, anyway!"
"Why? What for?"
"I want them to tell us that we'll end up married!" Aiba exclaimed, pulling a blushing Sho towards the booth, with Jun, Nino and Ohno snickering behind them.
While the two had their fortunes told, Jun, Nino and Ohno were left to wander by themselves.
"Have you ever been to one of these before?" Nino asked Jun
"Once or twice, when I was younger. It was really fun back then... up until my powers were awakened." Jun reminisced, "What about you, hasn't your dad ever taken you here before?"
"We'd be present during the opening ceremonies like we usually are, while my father officiates but he never really allowed us outside the castle... Well, my mom, along with a bunch of guards tried to sneak us out once, but she found that Yuki and I were too much to handle. Once we were inside the fairgrounds we ran like crazy and my mother was afraid she'd lose us. It took them around an hour to find Yuki and around two hours to find me. I remember wandering into the tent that had the freaks in it, and being pulled out in the middle of the show. After that, we've never been allowed to attend."
"I see..."
"I've always liked the food here." Ohno spoke out of the blue, “I remember the candied apples that they used to sell. They were really good. After that, my dad would play games and win prizes for us. He used to take us here every year until we were 12..."
"What happened? Why did he stop?"
"His visions ... most of us don't have any control over it when it comes... It reached the point when he was no longer aware of where or when it was because he kept mixing up the present with the future. There came a time when he was so disoriented because he saw all the possible futures that could happen and it gave him debilitating headaches... He couldn't hold anything down and he often had high fevers."
"Has that ever happened to you?" Nino asked.
"Not as bad. I guess you could say I'm one of the few whose powers are a bit weak. Not that it bothers me though. After the last thing I saw--"
"There's candied apples over there! Let's go have some." Nino pointed at a random stall, leading Ohno by the hand.
"There's also a booth over there that gives toys to those that can shoot the most balls into the hoops. Let's try that one after!" Jun added, trying to maintain their festive mood.
The three headed towards the merchant's stall, determined to make the good mood last as long as they can. Their hopes for a worry free night, however, were crushed the moment the merchant decided to unload on them ...
"See that big star over there?" The old lady began, her spindly finger pointing at the meteor, ”all the astronomers tell you that it's some sort of big celestial event, like it's a happy thing," she sighed, "if you ask me, I think they're covering up for some big disaster. My old uncle always used to tell me that nothing good can ever come from those comets. My farm hasn't yielded as much crops as they used to, and all my apples are smaller this year... Oh, what am I saying? You kids best enjoy the night while you can. Don't mind an old lady like me, go out and have fun..." She said, handing the boys their change with a wry smile, before waving them off dismissively.
The three walked away feeling lonelier than they had when they entered the fairgrounds. They halfheartedly nibbled at their apples while they sat in silence at an empty bench, waiting for Sho and Aiba to emerge from the fortune teller's booth.
"Even if we don't tell them, they'll know anyway..." Jun mumbled glumly to his barely eaten apple.
"What is this all for? We couldn't really do anything in the end." Nino replied, wishing that they hadn't entertained such a silly whim to begin with.
Ohno merely looked at his half-eaten apple, twirling the stick between his fingers while he leaned his head on Nino's shoulder and squeezed his hand reassuringly.
After a few moments, Sho and Aiba emerged from the tent, not looking as happy as they would have expected the pair to be. They were half-hoping that Aiba would be twice as giddy after some great news of marriage and a prosperous life, (as most fortune tellers were wont to tell their clients.) while Sho would come out blushing and stuttering as Aiba recounted the experience. Instead, Aiba came out looking a little confused and a bit sad; Sho mirrored Aiba's expression and wore an uneasy smile on his face.
"So, how did it go?" asked Jun
"Well, it was kind of weird" said Aiba "She said we were going to be married someday... then she said we better enjoy this night while it lasts."
"The woman told us to have all the fun that we can...while we can. Her readings were a bit halfhearted and her well wishes felt a little forced," Sho added "It's almost as if--"
"They know." Nino interrupted, "all of our cover ups won't deceive them, and all of them are practically just waiting for the meteor to hit. They don't give a damn what the palace says."
"I know."
"I think we should be going home." Said Jun, "the hopelessness in this place is getting too heavy for me."
"I thought you blocked them out" said Aiba.
"There are some things I couldn't block out even if I knew how," said Jun, "just looking at their faces would be enough to tell me what we already know."
The five walked home, each lost in their own thoughts as they made their way towards the temple where they'd be staying the night. Just before they entered the grounds, however, Nino decided to stop and sit in a clearing that stood near a small pond reflecting the night sky.
"Shouldn't we be going?" asked Ohno who sat beside him
"Let's just stay here for a while" Nino replied, resting his head on Ohno's lap while the other three took their places around the pair.
Nino closed his eyes and pictured a clear midnight sky where the full moon shone brightly, surrounded by a vast number of stars and constellations. The air around them shimmered for a while and the pond slowly started to mirror the sky's new image. Nino further strengthened his enchantment, stretching out his fingers to trace different glyphs and patterns in the air. One by one, shooting stars zipped across the sky and soon there was a shower of silvery lights that sparkled and faded. Nino opened his eyes to find the others sitting in silence and staring wistfully at the sky and its impressive display of lights.
"I wish we'd all make it through this somehow..." Aiba spoke softly, his brown eyes reflecting the vibrant lights of the meteor shower...
The following morning went on uneventfully with the scorching sun beating down their backs as they trudged back to the palace. After receiving news from the astronomers, Sho and Nino did their best to hide their apprehension around Jun, though they knew that Jun had grown to trust them enough not to use his abilities on them. Jun, perhaps, was the biggest obstacle to their plans. They could never really tell when Jun's shields were up, or when he left himself open. There had already been several occasions when they almost left themselves open to Jun's scrutiny, and it was something that should not happen again; not when the lives of their friends depended on it.
The thought of the deadline occupied most of Nino's thoughts, and for the past few hours, he had thought of nothing but gathering the ingredients for the potion.
**********
Without a definite date to beat, Nino's anxiety grew. The signs were all around him, yet he didn't know the exact date when the blasted meteor would strike. There had been droughts, plagues and several deaths in the city alone; each day, they woke up to news of similar tragedies happening to different people. Eriol's six pupils had not even bothered to come to their lessons the following weeks because they were convinced it was futile and delusional to even try and fool the people that this was not happening, and the old wizard could not blame them. Eriol later revealed that he was merely humoring the King who somehow clung to a false hope that he could save his people, and for a time, even he had convinced himself that there was some hope in all of this...
"So, what about the Key?" Nino prodded the old wizard for answers.
"Even if Yuki did manage to traverse alternate dimensions, she will not be able to take any of us." The Wizard replied, “in each journey only its wielder survives... in which case, I hope your sister manages to save herself." Eriol shook his head wistfully, “I am deeply sorry for having fooled you. It was not my intention."
"I understand." Nino replied, keeping mum on their plans to freeze the other three.
Five months... five months, and the effects would be felt in as early as three. Nino thought, anxiously...
***********
Two months had already passed and the people around them have already succumbed to hopelessness. Some had chosen to kill themselves while some, who were in fervent denial, reverted back to old faiths, offering sacrifices and prayers to nameless gods that wouldn't hear their pleas.
Aiba decided to return home and spend his last days with his family, only to find an empty lot with the bodies of his animal friends slain by the manic villagers who offered them as a sacrifice to their pagan gods. Nothing remained of his old home, not even a small trinket was left behind to tell him that his family had been there. The rose garden behind his house had been burned to the ground, and for that single moment, he regretted not being able to say goodbye to his favorite rose; the prickly one that reminded him of Jun. Aiba returned to the castle teary eyed and inconsolable, hoping that somehow, his family had escaped the clutches of the angry villagers. Nino watched helplessly as Aiba cried his heart out to Sho, who devoted his complete attention in making sure that Aiba received all the comfort he needed.
The other two had somewhat similar stories.Ohno had walked for three straight days from his home without stopping to rest or eat until he had reached the palace. He arrived a day after Aiba's return, with news that his family had decided to poison themselves, holding in his hands a crumpled note written in his father's handwriting...
"Nino, he knew..." Ohno sobbed "He wrote that he was sorry he couldn't make it with me" Ohno uttered in a harsh whisper as he collapsed into Nino's arms, crying himself to exhaustion and falling into a troubled sleep.
Jun, fled back to the palace two days after, and arrived at the palace terrified and out of sorts. His white shirt was grimy and bloodstained, and his face was pale as he doubled over and vomited all over the floor.
"Jun! What happened?" Yuki, Nino, and Sho immediately came to Jun's aid as soon as he had entered the palace.
"They killed them. They killed all of them, and they're after me..." Jun shivered. With his shields down, Jun felt the full effect of the mindless terror that gripped the villagers. His family had apparently been accused of lying and covering up for the King, and had thus been labeled traitors that must be slain. He fled from the scene, careful not to arouse any suspicion from the villagers and broke into a run as soon as he had approached the palace gates. Sho immediately wrapped Jun in his arms and proceeded to heal the distressed empath, letting his warmth flow into Jun's frail body, untangling the confused mess in his mind and restoring some semblance of calmness. Aiba and Ohno helped Sho clean up Jun's wounds while Nino and Yuki ordered the servants to bring him warm food and a clean change of clothes.
The rest of the weeks were spent nursing the three back to health and offering them as much comfort as they can. Neither of them had enough energy to talk and spent much of their time grieving in silence, with one of them occasionally breaking into crying spells that would last for an hour or two before they retreated back into their shells, or went into their rooms to be alone. Each time one of them would break into sobs Nino, Sho, or Yuki would be there to offer their shoulders for comfort and embrace them tightly while they cried.
It was not what Sho or Nino had in mind, yet in a selfish way, they were grateful that they didn't have to scheme to get their friends to ingest the potion. If it all had turned out differently for the three, none of them would even think of returning to the castle and all of them would have died with their families. Nino and Sho would have probably abandoned their plans and done the same, and Nino guessed that Yuki would not have bothered using the staff at all.
*****
Outside, the situation was not any better. With only a few weeks left, most of the palace guards had either run off to join their families, or had their hands full with fending off crazed and angry citizens. In a matter of days, even Nino's family had fallen to madness. The six spent the few remaining weeks hidden inside one of the castle's larger guest rooms, far from the King who had lost his mind to despair and was determined to take his family down with him. Nino's father was set on destroying the castle, randomly setting things on fire with a big torch, and flinging objects out of the window while heavily drunk on wine. Eriol and the Queen led the six into a safe hiding place and dismissed all of the palace servants who wanted to spend their last days with their loved ones, but offered the castle's protection (or what little it could provide) to those who wished to stay, or sought shelter from the angry mob lying in wait outside its gates...
*****
Inside the cold and empty room,Nino and the others sat huddled, fearful in their silence as they waited for the mad king to find them.
After a while, Nino spoke up:
"I'll place an enchantment on the room so that he won't find it." He said "I'll even make us invisible to him, so he won't be able to see us even if he gets here..."
Nino's small announcement was met with silence. Jun, Ohno, and Aiba stared vacantly at the heavy burgundy drapes covering the window in front of them while Yuki, similarly lost in her own thoughts, fiddled about with the Key that was currently in its shrunken form. Sho, on the other hand was busy looking around. For a guest room, the place was big enough for more than four people to live in, and it offered most of the comforts that one would normally find in a smaller house.
Nino decided to diffuse some of his nervous energy and began pacing about the small place. As he reached the door he took a deep breath and recited a spell that would make its target believe he had arrived at a dead end, and as he promised, cast an enchantment on himself and on his companions that would render them invisible to the King if he ever managed to find them. Nino continued walking around the room with his hands in his pockets, fingering the small vials containing the potion.
Out of a morbid curiosity, Nino stopped at the window and lifted the drapes to take a peek. He stood planted on his feet as he numbly looked on at the devastation happening outside. Fires raged on, burning the tall trees and the once green grass of the garden where they spent lazy summer afternoons, and where Yuki's cat was buried. Dead bodies of both people and animals lay scattered, and some were already being consumed by the fire that was rapidly approaching their palace. Several loyal guards tried in vain to put the fire out with the scant water they had gathered from a nearby well, whose supply of water was probably already depleted. Moments later, Nino felt a hand brush against his shoulder, and a mop of unruly curls suddenly blocked his vision. Sho had gotten up from his perch and was soon followed by the rest, all of them watching the chaos from the safety of their little room, trapped and unable to do anything while the world outside was being burnt to cinders.
Nino's eyes met Sho's and both decided that it was time.
The two broke away from the group and retreated to a small kitchen located inside the guest room, while the others continued to watch from the window. Luckily for them, the kitchen was well stocked, even though times had been hard and there was scarcely any food outside. None of them, Nino guessed, seemed to be in any mood to eat, so he took a bottle of wine instead and prepared six glasses for them to drink in.
"So..."
"This is it, then?"
"Yeah..."
"What was it you said about watching the world explode?" Nino tried for some light banter to ease their mood, still uncertain about what they were about to do, but ultimately convinced that they were right.
"I said it might be fun..." Sho replied, forcing a smile on his face.
"Well... I prepared a big show, especially for you, since you missed out on most of my performances..."
"I'll be looking forward to it..."
Nino poured generous amounts of red wine into each glass, nearly filling it to the brim, but leaving enough room for the potion.
"Now for the final ingredient..."
Nino fished out a small silver blade from his robes and made a deep cut on his forefinger, letting the blood drip onto the three glasses containing the potion. He then handed the knife to Sho who did the same, and had afterwards healed their fingers. The wine changed its color from a dark red to a slightly purplish hue after their blood had been added. They waited for a moment or two until the wine returned to its original color, after which, Sho handed Aiba, Ohno, and Jun their glasses while Nino quickly scribbled a note to Yuki.
All six drank their wine at the same time, finishing it in one gulp as a toast to all the good times they've shared. Moments later, Jun's empty glass slipped from his grip, shattering to the floor in a million tiny fragments...
"Jun?" Yuki asked
"I..." Jun started, "I can't ..."
"JUN!" Yuki screamed in panic as Jun collapsed into Yuki's arms, stiff and unmoving with his eyes wide open. Ohno and Aiba soon followed suit and Yuki found herself in a state of deep distress, looking at Nino for help as her younger brother stood there, watching.
"Nino, help me! I don't know what's happening!"
"Yuki..." Nino began awkwardly
"Nino, please!"
"I'm sorry, big sister. I'll make up for it, I promise." Nino said as he handed Yuki a small, folded piece of paper.
"What's this all about?" Yuki demanded."Sho, what about you? You'll help me, right? You can cure them..."
"I'm sorry, Yuki... We're counting on you. If we see each other again, I'll definitely make up for it."
"What's the meaning of this?!" Yuki cried, clutching at the crumpled note in her hands, with Jun still lying limp in her arms. When Yuki looked up, she found herself alone with the still forms of Aiba, Jun, and Ohno...
Nino had cast a spell on himself and Sho, and made themselves invisible to everyone as the warily made their way outside the palace gates.
"Remember that show, I promised you?"
"Yes, I'm looking forward to it. This better be great."
"You bet it will..."
****
Previous: Faith Next: Transitions
In one official meeting, the palace astronomers had been asked to give their reports. Like everyone else privy to the secret, the astronomers were under oath to keep quiet, and had been asked to fashion some story about a momentous celestial event that takes place once in a million years to keep the masses from panicking. According to them, the meteor may strike in as little as five months, and the effects would be nothing short of devastating, they further added that the effects would be felt in as early as three months, with rivers drying up due to an immense heat wave and probably more than a few forest fires. Once it finally collides with their planet, nobody would survive the impact.
Old myths and superstitions, however, prevailed over official announcements from the King and it was proving to be quite a feat to keep the panic and the distrust from spreading. The public may not have been made aware of the truth, but that didn't mean they couldn't sense it. This was what Nino had learned when he sneaked out of the castle with Sho, Jun, Aiba and Ohno. There was no particular reason for this escapade other than a desire to see the world outside the palace walls. This time, he had at least reassured Yuki of his whereabouts, because of Sho's insistence and his discomfort with deceiving people.
It was a special day when the five had ventured out. It was a time for celebrations and festivities as people welcomed autumn and bade summer goodbye. They had arrived at the fairgrounds early in the evening, taking a leisurely stroll while they relished the welcome drop in temperature, the balmy autumn breeze ruffling through their hair. Aiba behaved like an excited child at the sights and sounds that welcomed him. The fairgrounds were teeming with people dressed in festive garb as they sampled the various goods that each stall had to offer. Aiba clung to Sho's sleeves and constantly pestered him with questions about the various stalls and tents that littered the fairgrounds. Jun's eyes wandered curiously while he walked in long, languid strides with the rest of them. He made sure to reinforce his shields so that his experience would not be ruined by the onslaught of thoughts and emotions that floated about the place. Beside Jun, Ohno and Nino walked hand in hand. Ohno was spelled to look like a peasant girl wearing a baby blue dress; his short, unkempt hair was made to look like long brown locks that fell in waves past his shoulders and just a few inches above his waist. Nino tied Ohno's hair in a half pony, fastening it with one of the jeweled clips he snitched from Yuki's vanity. Ohno's bangs were swept to the side and fell slightly below his brows, accentuating his soft brown eyes. Anyone who saw Ohno would not have mistaken him for anything but a pretty young girl who was out for some fun with her boyfriend. Nino, on the other hand, went out of the castle looking like an ordinary palace servant who was spending his day off with his girlfriend. Ohno still wore a dazed, vacant expression on his face while he calmly took in his surroundings; his gaze often lingering for about a minute or two at a particular stall or attraction, not minding at all, that Nino made him look like a girl...
"What's that over there?" Aiba asked, pointing to a black tent embroidered with silver stars and moons
"Oh, well, that's a fortune-teller's booth" Said Sho "There's a woman inside who tells your fortune with cards and crystal balls"
"But I thought that only Ohno could do that"
"Some also have gifts, but they aren't as strong as Ohno's or his family. Besides, they're mostly for show"
"What do you mean?"
"They only tell you what you want to hear."
"Oh... Let's try it, anyway!"
"Why? What for?"
"I want them to tell us that we'll end up married!" Aiba exclaimed, pulling a blushing Sho towards the booth, with Jun, Nino and Ohno snickering behind them.
While the two had their fortunes told, Jun, Nino and Ohno were left to wander by themselves.
"Have you ever been to one of these before?" Nino asked Jun
"Once or twice, when I was younger. It was really fun back then... up until my powers were awakened." Jun reminisced, "What about you, hasn't your dad ever taken you here before?"
"We'd be present during the opening ceremonies like we usually are, while my father officiates but he never really allowed us outside the castle... Well, my mom, along with a bunch of guards tried to sneak us out once, but she found that Yuki and I were too much to handle. Once we were inside the fairgrounds we ran like crazy and my mother was afraid she'd lose us. It took them around an hour to find Yuki and around two hours to find me. I remember wandering into the tent that had the freaks in it, and being pulled out in the middle of the show. After that, we've never been allowed to attend."
"I see..."
"I've always liked the food here." Ohno spoke out of the blue, “I remember the candied apples that they used to sell. They were really good. After that, my dad would play games and win prizes for us. He used to take us here every year until we were 12..."
"What happened? Why did he stop?"
"His visions ... most of us don't have any control over it when it comes... It reached the point when he was no longer aware of where or when it was because he kept mixing up the present with the future. There came a time when he was so disoriented because he saw all the possible futures that could happen and it gave him debilitating headaches... He couldn't hold anything down and he often had high fevers."
"Has that ever happened to you?" Nino asked.
"Not as bad. I guess you could say I'm one of the few whose powers are a bit weak. Not that it bothers me though. After the last thing I saw--"
"There's candied apples over there! Let's go have some." Nino pointed at a random stall, leading Ohno by the hand.
"There's also a booth over there that gives toys to those that can shoot the most balls into the hoops. Let's try that one after!" Jun added, trying to maintain their festive mood.
The three headed towards the merchant's stall, determined to make the good mood last as long as they can. Their hopes for a worry free night, however, were crushed the moment the merchant decided to unload on them ...
"See that big star over there?" The old lady began, her spindly finger pointing at the meteor, ”all the astronomers tell you that it's some sort of big celestial event, like it's a happy thing," she sighed, "if you ask me, I think they're covering up for some big disaster. My old uncle always used to tell me that nothing good can ever come from those comets. My farm hasn't yielded as much crops as they used to, and all my apples are smaller this year... Oh, what am I saying? You kids best enjoy the night while you can. Don't mind an old lady like me, go out and have fun..." She said, handing the boys their change with a wry smile, before waving them off dismissively.
The three walked away feeling lonelier than they had when they entered the fairgrounds. They halfheartedly nibbled at their apples while they sat in silence at an empty bench, waiting for Sho and Aiba to emerge from the fortune teller's booth.
"Even if we don't tell them, they'll know anyway..." Jun mumbled glumly to his barely eaten apple.
"What is this all for? We couldn't really do anything in the end." Nino replied, wishing that they hadn't entertained such a silly whim to begin with.
Ohno merely looked at his half-eaten apple, twirling the stick between his fingers while he leaned his head on Nino's shoulder and squeezed his hand reassuringly.
After a few moments, Sho and Aiba emerged from the tent, not looking as happy as they would have expected the pair to be. They were half-hoping that Aiba would be twice as giddy after some great news of marriage and a prosperous life, (as most fortune tellers were wont to tell their clients.) while Sho would come out blushing and stuttering as Aiba recounted the experience. Instead, Aiba came out looking a little confused and a bit sad; Sho mirrored Aiba's expression and wore an uneasy smile on his face.
"So, how did it go?" asked Jun
"Well, it was kind of weird" said Aiba "She said we were going to be married someday... then she said we better enjoy this night while it lasts."
"The woman told us to have all the fun that we can...while we can. Her readings were a bit halfhearted and her well wishes felt a little forced," Sho added "It's almost as if--"
"They know." Nino interrupted, "all of our cover ups won't deceive them, and all of them are practically just waiting for the meteor to hit. They don't give a damn what the palace says."
"I know."
"I think we should be going home." Said Jun, "the hopelessness in this place is getting too heavy for me."
"I thought you blocked them out" said Aiba.
"There are some things I couldn't block out even if I knew how," said Jun, "just looking at their faces would be enough to tell me what we already know."
The five walked home, each lost in their own thoughts as they made their way towards the temple where they'd be staying the night. Just before they entered the grounds, however, Nino decided to stop and sit in a clearing that stood near a small pond reflecting the night sky.
"Shouldn't we be going?" asked Ohno who sat beside him
"Let's just stay here for a while" Nino replied, resting his head on Ohno's lap while the other three took their places around the pair.
Nino closed his eyes and pictured a clear midnight sky where the full moon shone brightly, surrounded by a vast number of stars and constellations. The air around them shimmered for a while and the pond slowly started to mirror the sky's new image. Nino further strengthened his enchantment, stretching out his fingers to trace different glyphs and patterns in the air. One by one, shooting stars zipped across the sky and soon there was a shower of silvery lights that sparkled and faded. Nino opened his eyes to find the others sitting in silence and staring wistfully at the sky and its impressive display of lights.
"I wish we'd all make it through this somehow..." Aiba spoke softly, his brown eyes reflecting the vibrant lights of the meteor shower...
The following morning went on uneventfully with the scorching sun beating down their backs as they trudged back to the palace. After receiving news from the astronomers, Sho and Nino did their best to hide their apprehension around Jun, though they knew that Jun had grown to trust them enough not to use his abilities on them. Jun, perhaps, was the biggest obstacle to their plans. They could never really tell when Jun's shields were up, or when he left himself open. There had already been several occasions when they almost left themselves open to Jun's scrutiny, and it was something that should not happen again; not when the lives of their friends depended on it.
The thought of the deadline occupied most of Nino's thoughts, and for the past few hours, he had thought of nothing but gathering the ingredients for the potion.
**********
Without a definite date to beat, Nino's anxiety grew. The signs were all around him, yet he didn't know the exact date when the blasted meteor would strike. There had been droughts, plagues and several deaths in the city alone; each day, they woke up to news of similar tragedies happening to different people. Eriol's six pupils had not even bothered to come to their lessons the following weeks because they were convinced it was futile and delusional to even try and fool the people that this was not happening, and the old wizard could not blame them. Eriol later revealed that he was merely humoring the King who somehow clung to a false hope that he could save his people, and for a time, even he had convinced himself that there was some hope in all of this...
"So, what about the Key?" Nino prodded the old wizard for answers.
"Even if Yuki did manage to traverse alternate dimensions, she will not be able to take any of us." The Wizard replied, “in each journey only its wielder survives... in which case, I hope your sister manages to save herself." Eriol shook his head wistfully, “I am deeply sorry for having fooled you. It was not my intention."
"I understand." Nino replied, keeping mum on their plans to freeze the other three.
Five months... five months, and the effects would be felt in as early as three. Nino thought, anxiously...
***********
Two months had already passed and the people around them have already succumbed to hopelessness. Some had chosen to kill themselves while some, who were in fervent denial, reverted back to old faiths, offering sacrifices and prayers to nameless gods that wouldn't hear their pleas.
Aiba decided to return home and spend his last days with his family, only to find an empty lot with the bodies of his animal friends slain by the manic villagers who offered them as a sacrifice to their pagan gods. Nothing remained of his old home, not even a small trinket was left behind to tell him that his family had been there. The rose garden behind his house had been burned to the ground, and for that single moment, he regretted not being able to say goodbye to his favorite rose; the prickly one that reminded him of Jun. Aiba returned to the castle teary eyed and inconsolable, hoping that somehow, his family had escaped the clutches of the angry villagers. Nino watched helplessly as Aiba cried his heart out to Sho, who devoted his complete attention in making sure that Aiba received all the comfort he needed.
The other two had somewhat similar stories.Ohno had walked for three straight days from his home without stopping to rest or eat until he had reached the palace. He arrived a day after Aiba's return, with news that his family had decided to poison themselves, holding in his hands a crumpled note written in his father's handwriting...
"Nino, he knew..." Ohno sobbed "He wrote that he was sorry he couldn't make it with me" Ohno uttered in a harsh whisper as he collapsed into Nino's arms, crying himself to exhaustion and falling into a troubled sleep.
Jun, fled back to the palace two days after, and arrived at the palace terrified and out of sorts. His white shirt was grimy and bloodstained, and his face was pale as he doubled over and vomited all over the floor.
"Jun! What happened?" Yuki, Nino, and Sho immediately came to Jun's aid as soon as he had entered the palace.
"They killed them. They killed all of them, and they're after me..." Jun shivered. With his shields down, Jun felt the full effect of the mindless terror that gripped the villagers. His family had apparently been accused of lying and covering up for the King, and had thus been labeled traitors that must be slain. He fled from the scene, careful not to arouse any suspicion from the villagers and broke into a run as soon as he had approached the palace gates. Sho immediately wrapped Jun in his arms and proceeded to heal the distressed empath, letting his warmth flow into Jun's frail body, untangling the confused mess in his mind and restoring some semblance of calmness. Aiba and Ohno helped Sho clean up Jun's wounds while Nino and Yuki ordered the servants to bring him warm food and a clean change of clothes.
The rest of the weeks were spent nursing the three back to health and offering them as much comfort as they can. Neither of them had enough energy to talk and spent much of their time grieving in silence, with one of them occasionally breaking into crying spells that would last for an hour or two before they retreated back into their shells, or went into their rooms to be alone. Each time one of them would break into sobs Nino, Sho, or Yuki would be there to offer their shoulders for comfort and embrace them tightly while they cried.
It was not what Sho or Nino had in mind, yet in a selfish way, they were grateful that they didn't have to scheme to get their friends to ingest the potion. If it all had turned out differently for the three, none of them would even think of returning to the castle and all of them would have died with their families. Nino and Sho would have probably abandoned their plans and done the same, and Nino guessed that Yuki would not have bothered using the staff at all.
*****
Outside, the situation was not any better. With only a few weeks left, most of the palace guards had either run off to join their families, or had their hands full with fending off crazed and angry citizens. In a matter of days, even Nino's family had fallen to madness. The six spent the few remaining weeks hidden inside one of the castle's larger guest rooms, far from the King who had lost his mind to despair and was determined to take his family down with him. Nino's father was set on destroying the castle, randomly setting things on fire with a big torch, and flinging objects out of the window while heavily drunk on wine. Eriol and the Queen led the six into a safe hiding place and dismissed all of the palace servants who wanted to spend their last days with their loved ones, but offered the castle's protection (or what little it could provide) to those who wished to stay, or sought shelter from the angry mob lying in wait outside its gates...
*****
Inside the cold and empty room,Nino and the others sat huddled, fearful in their silence as they waited for the mad king to find them.
After a while, Nino spoke up:
"I'll place an enchantment on the room so that he won't find it." He said "I'll even make us invisible to him, so he won't be able to see us even if he gets here..."
Nino's small announcement was met with silence. Jun, Ohno, and Aiba stared vacantly at the heavy burgundy drapes covering the window in front of them while Yuki, similarly lost in her own thoughts, fiddled about with the Key that was currently in its shrunken form. Sho, on the other hand was busy looking around. For a guest room, the place was big enough for more than four people to live in, and it offered most of the comforts that one would normally find in a smaller house.
Nino decided to diffuse some of his nervous energy and began pacing about the small place. As he reached the door he took a deep breath and recited a spell that would make its target believe he had arrived at a dead end, and as he promised, cast an enchantment on himself and on his companions that would render them invisible to the King if he ever managed to find them. Nino continued walking around the room with his hands in his pockets, fingering the small vials containing the potion.
Out of a morbid curiosity, Nino stopped at the window and lifted the drapes to take a peek. He stood planted on his feet as he numbly looked on at the devastation happening outside. Fires raged on, burning the tall trees and the once green grass of the garden where they spent lazy summer afternoons, and where Yuki's cat was buried. Dead bodies of both people and animals lay scattered, and some were already being consumed by the fire that was rapidly approaching their palace. Several loyal guards tried in vain to put the fire out with the scant water they had gathered from a nearby well, whose supply of water was probably already depleted. Moments later, Nino felt a hand brush against his shoulder, and a mop of unruly curls suddenly blocked his vision. Sho had gotten up from his perch and was soon followed by the rest, all of them watching the chaos from the safety of their little room, trapped and unable to do anything while the world outside was being burnt to cinders.
Nino's eyes met Sho's and both decided that it was time.
The two broke away from the group and retreated to a small kitchen located inside the guest room, while the others continued to watch from the window. Luckily for them, the kitchen was well stocked, even though times had been hard and there was scarcely any food outside. None of them, Nino guessed, seemed to be in any mood to eat, so he took a bottle of wine instead and prepared six glasses for them to drink in.
"So..."
"This is it, then?"
"Yeah..."
"What was it you said about watching the world explode?" Nino tried for some light banter to ease their mood, still uncertain about what they were about to do, but ultimately convinced that they were right.
"I said it might be fun..." Sho replied, forcing a smile on his face.
"Well... I prepared a big show, especially for you, since you missed out on most of my performances..."
"I'll be looking forward to it..."
Nino poured generous amounts of red wine into each glass, nearly filling it to the brim, but leaving enough room for the potion.
"Now for the final ingredient..."
Nino fished out a small silver blade from his robes and made a deep cut on his forefinger, letting the blood drip onto the three glasses containing the potion. He then handed the knife to Sho who did the same, and had afterwards healed their fingers. The wine changed its color from a dark red to a slightly purplish hue after their blood had been added. They waited for a moment or two until the wine returned to its original color, after which, Sho handed Aiba, Ohno, and Jun their glasses while Nino quickly scribbled a note to Yuki.
All six drank their wine at the same time, finishing it in one gulp as a toast to all the good times they've shared. Moments later, Jun's empty glass slipped from his grip, shattering to the floor in a million tiny fragments...
"Jun?" Yuki asked
"I..." Jun started, "I can't ..."
"JUN!" Yuki screamed in panic as Jun collapsed into Yuki's arms, stiff and unmoving with his eyes wide open. Ohno and Aiba soon followed suit and Yuki found herself in a state of deep distress, looking at Nino for help as her younger brother stood there, watching.
"Nino, help me! I don't know what's happening!"
"Yuki..." Nino began awkwardly
"Nino, please!"
"I'm sorry, big sister. I'll make up for it, I promise." Nino said as he handed Yuki a small, folded piece of paper.
"What's this all about?" Yuki demanded."Sho, what about you? You'll help me, right? You can cure them..."
"I'm sorry, Yuki... We're counting on you. If we see each other again, I'll definitely make up for it."
"What's the meaning of this?!" Yuki cried, clutching at the crumpled note in her hands, with Jun still lying limp in her arms. When Yuki looked up, she found herself alone with the still forms of Aiba, Jun, and Ohno...
Nino had cast a spell on himself and Sho, and made themselves invisible to everyone as the warily made their way outside the palace gates.
"Remember that show, I promised you?"
"Yes, I'm looking forward to it. This better be great."
"You bet it will..."
****
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