Transitions
Nino and Sho trudged wearily along the cobbled path leading out of the palace, each step weighing heavily on their hearts as they tried not to run back while Yuki's panicked screams echoed throughout the long and dark hallway.
Fighting to hold back the tears, they bravely walked out into the open fields where the overpowering stench of blood mingled with the smell of charred flesh. Outside the palace gates, the chorus of heartbreaking wails and the manic screams of the confused mob reverberated loudly in their ears and sent goose bumps prickling along their skin. The sunset sky was splashed in a glaring red orange and lined with thick, sinister streams of grayish black smog which rose from the growing fire that consumed acres of land along with the carcasses of people and animals alike. From a distance, Nino could make out the deep and haunting wail of a lone dog, strangely alive despite all the chaos that consumed the land. The dog's lament pierced through Nino's heart and he felt as though the dog took it upon itself to mourn the dead and the dying.
Unconsciously, Nino's hand went up to brush off a stray tear that slid down his cheeks. Turning his head to the left, he saw Sho walking a few paces behind him in mute shock as he surveyed the destruction that was happening around them. Terror was outlined in Sho's pallid face, and Nino knew that if he didn't stop Sho, he would easily lose himself in the mob's frenzy and try to save the millions who were in the clutches of death, all by himself.
"Sho! Sho, stay with me!" Nino gripped Sho's arm tightly and yanked him back to his side just as Sho was about to run.
"Nino... they're... Why? It's awful!" Sho broke out in a harsh whisper, as he slowly turned to face Nino, looking at him with imploring eyes as though Nino knew the answers.
“I don't know Sho. I don't know..." Nino's voice cracked as he held Sho in a tight embrace, tears freely streaming down his face as he sobbed openly into Sho's robes. "We did the right thing, didn't we, Sho? Ohno and the others... they wouldn't have to go through this..."
"Aiba... Aiba will be safe. Yuki will save them." Sho's trembling arms wrapped themselves tightly around Nino's frail form. “We did good..." Sho mumbled words into Nino's hair as they stood holding one another amid the death and devastation around them.
"Close your eyes, Sho. I have one last promise to fulfill..." Nino briefly pulled back from the embrace to look at Sho's puffy eyes. “I have a show to do, remember?" Nino managed a wry smile despite the pain that weighed heavily on his chest.
"Okay. One last time. Make it good" Sho sniffled, closing his eyes as Nino began working his enchantment.
Nino closed his eyes, trying hard to clear his mind of the smells and the noise as he focused on weaving his last enchantment. Little by little, the angry red glare of the afternoon sky began to fade and was slowly being replaced by the refreshing baby blue of spring's early morning. A lemon-yellow sun peeked from behind a curtain of fluffy white clouds, lending the place a soft, fuzzy glow. Lush and vibrant greenery spread over the blackened cinders like a carpet of freshly cut grass. Here and there, patches of flowers bloomed in their cheeriest springtime colors, and the tall, strong trees that surrounded the palace were revived, once more, by Nino's vivid imagination.
Underneath the trees, the outlines of five figures began to take shape. The first was of a tall lanky boy, dressed in a loose cream robe. His short strawberry blonde hair fell in soft layers, framing a small triangular face, set with expressive brown eyes that crinkled whenever he smiled. On his right shoulder, a small brown squirrel was perched, holding a berry in its small paws and giving it a nibble every now and then. Beside this boy sat another, whose striking beauty stood out despite his sullenness. Ringlets of wavy black hair fell neatly around his small face, outlining his pale, ivory skin. The boy sat reclined, resting his weight on the thick trunk of the tall tree as he fanned himself from the heat, while his companion cheerfully chattered on. To the boy's right, a tall girl in a white dress lay sprawled across the green grass. Her black hair fanned out like a halo around her head, her arm resting across her forehead as she tried to shield her eyes from the sun's rays.
To the far left was a young man sitting contentedly with a sketchbook in hands and a serene expression on his face. He sat, facing the other three, who were busy enjoying some idle time while his hands busily sketched the idyllic scene before him. It was nearly summer and the air was warm and sticky, it also marked the time of the harsh and rigorous training that had just begun for the six. It had been the time when they were still adjusting to each other's presence, each one trying to sense where they stood with one another, and being careful not to tread on each other's toes. This day also marked the first real break they've had in a long while...
"You can open your eyes now."
"Oh! It’s our first picnic together. I remember this so well..." Sho exclaimed; his eyes wide open in amazement as he took in the scene before him, "Aiba thought of the whole thing..."
"He did, didn't he? Which kind of explains how prepared we were..." Nino smirked
"Yes. Jun said it was silly, even Yuki was against it at first... I remember how insistent Aiba was about having fun...He climbed up the trees himself and got all of us an apple."
"And Jun was about to protest too, except that Ohno already accepted the apple, and the rest of us just sort of followed suit...We didn't even have a blanket. Yuki just lay on the grass, and you were busy telling her how angry our mother would be if she got her dress dirty."
"Well, eventually we all didn't care that we got muddy..."
"Yeah... after that bit of wrestling you had with Aiba after he pushed you into the pond!"
"It was hot! You jumped in too."
"After I stopped paying attention to your hen-pecking..."
"And you pushed Jun into the pond after you got out."
"Hey! He was avoiding Aiba who was busy chasing him and was about to get his clothes wet. It wasn't my fault he went near me. Besides, he needed to cool off..."
"Ohno didn't even need any persuasion. He jumped right in...What was he doodling in that sketchbook..." Sho asked his companion whose gaze was currently directed at the said boy.
Ohno was busy sketching his friends, oblivious to the smoldering heat and the disinterest of Yuki, and Jun, who merely nodded their acknowledgement as Aiba carried on a conversation by himself. The features of Ohno's childlike face--the chubby cheeks, the light pink of his lips, and the subtle and steady strength in his eyes that never wavered, had all been burned into Nino's memories. He remembered sitting beside Ohno contentedly, watching the artist as he was lost in a Zen-like trance while his hands captured the beauty of the scenery, down to the tiniest detail.
"...This was when you fell in love with Ohno, wasn't it?" Sho smiled, stating a realization, rather than a fact.
"Yes." Nino replied simply, his cheeks tinged with pink.
"...Do you really think we can make it?" Sho asked, himself, lost in Aiba's image as Aiba began dragging a hesitant Sho into the pond.
"We need to, and they'll find us. It's the only way..." Nino's brows furrowed his eyes resolute.
"I believe you..." Sho replied, frowning slightly as though he had swallowed something bad.
All of a sudden, Sho started coughing violently. His hands clutched at his chest as his breathing became more labored and irregular.
"Sho?! What's happening?"
"Smog... I think I inhaled too much" Sho replied in between fits. "You cast a great spell..."
"Oh no..." Soon enough, Nino started coughing himself. The illusion of a tranquil spring afternoon shattered into a million pieces, bringing them back to the dreary world of death and violence that lurked beneath. They had strayed too far into the smog, and the flames had surrounded them. There was no way out. Sho had inhaled too much of the thick smog and was already suffocating. Both boys knelt down, keeping their faces close to the ground in an attempt to breathe cleaner air but it was too late.
"Sho..."
"I'll see you there, Nino..." The monk lost consciousness and collapsed, his eyes closed as though he were in a peaceful slumber.
Nino struggled to keep his eyes open, but soon began losing consciousness as he lay curled up beside Sho. Beneath him, he thought he felt the ground quake. He also felt the heat as the flames started licking the edges of his robes. It was only a second more until his final thoughts were extinguished and Nino heaved his last breath, giving in to the peaceful darkness that death offered...
****
.
.
.
It was a rather rude way to get his soul back to his body, Nino thought, his eyes snapping open as he gasped for air, feeling as though he had just broken through the surface after hours of swimming upwards. Nino familiarized himself with his surroundings as he sat, drenched in sweat and still trying to catch his breath. He was in one of the rooms of Yuki's sanctuary, and they had been trying to reawaken his memories, for god knows how long. Right across where he sat, Yuki looked at Nino with very tired eyes. She was unusually pale, and like Nino, she was also covered in sweat. Yuki seemed to have difficulties sitting upright and she looked as though she may collapse at any moment...
"Yuki... are you okay?"
"Yeah. Fine... just need to sleep a while..." Yuki replied, breathless, "The circle's already broken; you can go in and out of it now."
"Yuki," Nino asked, agitated, "can I go in and out of this room without the Key? You're looking bad, and I'm not the healer here. We might need to get you to a doctor or something."
"I'll be fine... Just wore myself out... barely any magic left... all up to you now..." Yuki whispered, her unfocused eyes sliding shut, before she fell onto the cold floor of the prayer room.
"Yuki!" Nino stood up unsteadily and scrambled on to Yuki's side. He tried shaking his sister awake, but it was all to no avail. Yuki had a pulse, much to Nino's relief but her body felt hot to the touch. It seemed like Yuki had developed a very high fever and Nino knew that this only happened when Yuki had either too much magic in her system or too little, and for each time that this occurred, Sho had been summoned to heal her.
Nino could only hope that his stash of over the counter medicines (which he fervently prayed, he had stuffed in his knapsack,) could work on his sister. He also needed to get Yuki out of the room...
Nino draped one of Yuki's arms over his shoulder and pulled Yuki up with him as he stood. The Key, much to his relief had shrunk back into its miniature form. Kneeling slightly, Nino used his free hand to pick the key up from the floor and conveniently placed it in his pocket. With what little strength he had, he was able to drag Yuki into the living room and lay her down on the sofa while he took a short break, wishing that one of the spectres would come out to serve him a cup of warm tea. Yuki lay limply on the couch; unaware of what was happening around her while Nino sat on one of the armchairs, fiddling with the small key in his pocket. Deciding to give it a try, Nino stood up and approached the door. He didn't quite remember what Yuki said when they entered the sanctuary, then again, he didn't recall doing anything special the first time he got out of it...
*****
Sho woke up with a start, sitting up and clutching his chest as his eyes snapped open. His clothes were drenched in sweat, and so was his bed. The greenish numbers of the digital clock by his bedside read 10:40 AM. It was a weekend, and in two days time, he'd be going back to Yuki's shop to do a short feature on them. The morning began fuzzily for Sho who, had, for the third time found himself saddled uncomfortably in between sleep and wakefulness. The nightmares of his childhood have resurfaced and had begun haunting him once more-- unfortunately, he was recalling them in more vivid details than he cared to remember. Sho's breathing was ragged and uneven as he cradled his aching head in his trembling hands.
It's a dream. It's just a bad dream... Sho yanked off the blanket and swung both legs off his bed as he got up barefoot, and unsteadily wobbled his way into the kitchen for a glass of cold water. A shaky hand reached for a tall glass and placed it on the small table while another reached in to get a bottle of cold water inside the fridge, pouring most of its contents all over the table while the glass was only left half full.
Who are these people and why are they in my nightmares? Sho wondered, about to take his first sip when the glass slipped from his hands and fell onto the floor, shattering into sharp fragments and cutting the skin of his feet.
"Oh crap!" Sho bent down, careful to remove the slivers of glass wedged between his skin, cursing the fact that he forgot to wear his house slippers and making sure he didn't step on any more or injure himself any further as blood began to pool around his right foot...
"Oh god. No. What the hell is happening?!" As soon as he had removed the sliver of glass embedded in his skin, Sho watched deliriously, as the torn skin began knitting itself together, leaving no trace of the wound that was once there. Sho removed another piece of glass and once more, the wound began to heal itself. He repeated the experiment several times, and in each instance, the wound would close and heal perfectly. Sho went into the bathroom to rinse off the dried blood, hoping to find at least a scab to prove that a wound was once there only to find that his foot was perfectly normal.
On the cold, wet floor of his small bathroom, Sho curled up, hugging his knees to his chest and unconsciously began to rock himself...
TBC
Previous: The End Next: Intersections
Fighting to hold back the tears, they bravely walked out into the open fields where the overpowering stench of blood mingled with the smell of charred flesh. Outside the palace gates, the chorus of heartbreaking wails and the manic screams of the confused mob reverberated loudly in their ears and sent goose bumps prickling along their skin. The sunset sky was splashed in a glaring red orange and lined with thick, sinister streams of grayish black smog which rose from the growing fire that consumed acres of land along with the carcasses of people and animals alike. From a distance, Nino could make out the deep and haunting wail of a lone dog, strangely alive despite all the chaos that consumed the land. The dog's lament pierced through Nino's heart and he felt as though the dog took it upon itself to mourn the dead and the dying.
Unconsciously, Nino's hand went up to brush off a stray tear that slid down his cheeks. Turning his head to the left, he saw Sho walking a few paces behind him in mute shock as he surveyed the destruction that was happening around them. Terror was outlined in Sho's pallid face, and Nino knew that if he didn't stop Sho, he would easily lose himself in the mob's frenzy and try to save the millions who were in the clutches of death, all by himself.
"Sho! Sho, stay with me!" Nino gripped Sho's arm tightly and yanked him back to his side just as Sho was about to run.
"Nino... they're... Why? It's awful!" Sho broke out in a harsh whisper, as he slowly turned to face Nino, looking at him with imploring eyes as though Nino knew the answers.
“I don't know Sho. I don't know..." Nino's voice cracked as he held Sho in a tight embrace, tears freely streaming down his face as he sobbed openly into Sho's robes. "We did the right thing, didn't we, Sho? Ohno and the others... they wouldn't have to go through this..."
"Aiba... Aiba will be safe. Yuki will save them." Sho's trembling arms wrapped themselves tightly around Nino's frail form. “We did good..." Sho mumbled words into Nino's hair as they stood holding one another amid the death and devastation around them.
"Close your eyes, Sho. I have one last promise to fulfill..." Nino briefly pulled back from the embrace to look at Sho's puffy eyes. “I have a show to do, remember?" Nino managed a wry smile despite the pain that weighed heavily on his chest.
"Okay. One last time. Make it good" Sho sniffled, closing his eyes as Nino began working his enchantment.
Nino closed his eyes, trying hard to clear his mind of the smells and the noise as he focused on weaving his last enchantment. Little by little, the angry red glare of the afternoon sky began to fade and was slowly being replaced by the refreshing baby blue of spring's early morning. A lemon-yellow sun peeked from behind a curtain of fluffy white clouds, lending the place a soft, fuzzy glow. Lush and vibrant greenery spread over the blackened cinders like a carpet of freshly cut grass. Here and there, patches of flowers bloomed in their cheeriest springtime colors, and the tall, strong trees that surrounded the palace were revived, once more, by Nino's vivid imagination.
Underneath the trees, the outlines of five figures began to take shape. The first was of a tall lanky boy, dressed in a loose cream robe. His short strawberry blonde hair fell in soft layers, framing a small triangular face, set with expressive brown eyes that crinkled whenever he smiled. On his right shoulder, a small brown squirrel was perched, holding a berry in its small paws and giving it a nibble every now and then. Beside this boy sat another, whose striking beauty stood out despite his sullenness. Ringlets of wavy black hair fell neatly around his small face, outlining his pale, ivory skin. The boy sat reclined, resting his weight on the thick trunk of the tall tree as he fanned himself from the heat, while his companion cheerfully chattered on. To the boy's right, a tall girl in a white dress lay sprawled across the green grass. Her black hair fanned out like a halo around her head, her arm resting across her forehead as she tried to shield her eyes from the sun's rays.
To the far left was a young man sitting contentedly with a sketchbook in hands and a serene expression on his face. He sat, facing the other three, who were busy enjoying some idle time while his hands busily sketched the idyllic scene before him. It was nearly summer and the air was warm and sticky, it also marked the time of the harsh and rigorous training that had just begun for the six. It had been the time when they were still adjusting to each other's presence, each one trying to sense where they stood with one another, and being careful not to tread on each other's toes. This day also marked the first real break they've had in a long while...
"You can open your eyes now."
"Oh! It’s our first picnic together. I remember this so well..." Sho exclaimed; his eyes wide open in amazement as he took in the scene before him, "Aiba thought of the whole thing..."
"He did, didn't he? Which kind of explains how prepared we were..." Nino smirked
"Yes. Jun said it was silly, even Yuki was against it at first... I remember how insistent Aiba was about having fun...He climbed up the trees himself and got all of us an apple."
"And Jun was about to protest too, except that Ohno already accepted the apple, and the rest of us just sort of followed suit...We didn't even have a blanket. Yuki just lay on the grass, and you were busy telling her how angry our mother would be if she got her dress dirty."
"Well, eventually we all didn't care that we got muddy..."
"Yeah... after that bit of wrestling you had with Aiba after he pushed you into the pond!"
"It was hot! You jumped in too."
"After I stopped paying attention to your hen-pecking..."
"And you pushed Jun into the pond after you got out."
"Hey! He was avoiding Aiba who was busy chasing him and was about to get his clothes wet. It wasn't my fault he went near me. Besides, he needed to cool off..."
"Ohno didn't even need any persuasion. He jumped right in...What was he doodling in that sketchbook..." Sho asked his companion whose gaze was currently directed at the said boy.
Ohno was busy sketching his friends, oblivious to the smoldering heat and the disinterest of Yuki, and Jun, who merely nodded their acknowledgement as Aiba carried on a conversation by himself. The features of Ohno's childlike face--the chubby cheeks, the light pink of his lips, and the subtle and steady strength in his eyes that never wavered, had all been burned into Nino's memories. He remembered sitting beside Ohno contentedly, watching the artist as he was lost in a Zen-like trance while his hands captured the beauty of the scenery, down to the tiniest detail.
"...This was when you fell in love with Ohno, wasn't it?" Sho smiled, stating a realization, rather than a fact.
"Yes." Nino replied simply, his cheeks tinged with pink.
"...Do you really think we can make it?" Sho asked, himself, lost in Aiba's image as Aiba began dragging a hesitant Sho into the pond.
"We need to, and they'll find us. It's the only way..." Nino's brows furrowed his eyes resolute.
"I believe you..." Sho replied, frowning slightly as though he had swallowed something bad.
All of a sudden, Sho started coughing violently. His hands clutched at his chest as his breathing became more labored and irregular.
"Sho?! What's happening?"
"Smog... I think I inhaled too much" Sho replied in between fits. "You cast a great spell..."
"Oh no..." Soon enough, Nino started coughing himself. The illusion of a tranquil spring afternoon shattered into a million pieces, bringing them back to the dreary world of death and violence that lurked beneath. They had strayed too far into the smog, and the flames had surrounded them. There was no way out. Sho had inhaled too much of the thick smog and was already suffocating. Both boys knelt down, keeping their faces close to the ground in an attempt to breathe cleaner air but it was too late.
"Sho..."
"I'll see you there, Nino..." The monk lost consciousness and collapsed, his eyes closed as though he were in a peaceful slumber.
Nino struggled to keep his eyes open, but soon began losing consciousness as he lay curled up beside Sho. Beneath him, he thought he felt the ground quake. He also felt the heat as the flames started licking the edges of his robes. It was only a second more until his final thoughts were extinguished and Nino heaved his last breath, giving in to the peaceful darkness that death offered...
****
.
.
.
It was a rather rude way to get his soul back to his body, Nino thought, his eyes snapping open as he gasped for air, feeling as though he had just broken through the surface after hours of swimming upwards. Nino familiarized himself with his surroundings as he sat, drenched in sweat and still trying to catch his breath. He was in one of the rooms of Yuki's sanctuary, and they had been trying to reawaken his memories, for god knows how long. Right across where he sat, Yuki looked at Nino with very tired eyes. She was unusually pale, and like Nino, she was also covered in sweat. Yuki seemed to have difficulties sitting upright and she looked as though she may collapse at any moment...
"Yuki... are you okay?"
"Yeah. Fine... just need to sleep a while..." Yuki replied, breathless, "The circle's already broken; you can go in and out of it now."
"Yuki," Nino asked, agitated, "can I go in and out of this room without the Key? You're looking bad, and I'm not the healer here. We might need to get you to a doctor or something."
"I'll be fine... Just wore myself out... barely any magic left... all up to you now..." Yuki whispered, her unfocused eyes sliding shut, before she fell onto the cold floor of the prayer room.
"Yuki!" Nino stood up unsteadily and scrambled on to Yuki's side. He tried shaking his sister awake, but it was all to no avail. Yuki had a pulse, much to Nino's relief but her body felt hot to the touch. It seemed like Yuki had developed a very high fever and Nino knew that this only happened when Yuki had either too much magic in her system or too little, and for each time that this occurred, Sho had been summoned to heal her.
Nino could only hope that his stash of over the counter medicines (which he fervently prayed, he had stuffed in his knapsack,) could work on his sister. He also needed to get Yuki out of the room...
Nino draped one of Yuki's arms over his shoulder and pulled Yuki up with him as he stood. The Key, much to his relief had shrunk back into its miniature form. Kneeling slightly, Nino used his free hand to pick the key up from the floor and conveniently placed it in his pocket. With what little strength he had, he was able to drag Yuki into the living room and lay her down on the sofa while he took a short break, wishing that one of the spectres would come out to serve him a cup of warm tea. Yuki lay limply on the couch; unaware of what was happening around her while Nino sat on one of the armchairs, fiddling with the small key in his pocket. Deciding to give it a try, Nino stood up and approached the door. He didn't quite remember what Yuki said when they entered the sanctuary, then again, he didn't recall doing anything special the first time he got out of it...
*****
Sho woke up with a start, sitting up and clutching his chest as his eyes snapped open. His clothes were drenched in sweat, and so was his bed. The greenish numbers of the digital clock by his bedside read 10:40 AM. It was a weekend, and in two days time, he'd be going back to Yuki's shop to do a short feature on them. The morning began fuzzily for Sho who, had, for the third time found himself saddled uncomfortably in between sleep and wakefulness. The nightmares of his childhood have resurfaced and had begun haunting him once more-- unfortunately, he was recalling them in more vivid details than he cared to remember. Sho's breathing was ragged and uneven as he cradled his aching head in his trembling hands.
It's a dream. It's just a bad dream... Sho yanked off the blanket and swung both legs off his bed as he got up barefoot, and unsteadily wobbled his way into the kitchen for a glass of cold water. A shaky hand reached for a tall glass and placed it on the small table while another reached in to get a bottle of cold water inside the fridge, pouring most of its contents all over the table while the glass was only left half full.
Who are these people and why are they in my nightmares? Sho wondered, about to take his first sip when the glass slipped from his hands and fell onto the floor, shattering into sharp fragments and cutting the skin of his feet.
"Oh crap!" Sho bent down, careful to remove the slivers of glass wedged between his skin, cursing the fact that he forgot to wear his house slippers and making sure he didn't step on any more or injure himself any further as blood began to pool around his right foot...
"Oh god. No. What the hell is happening?!" As soon as he had removed the sliver of glass embedded in his skin, Sho watched deliriously, as the torn skin began knitting itself together, leaving no trace of the wound that was once there. Sho removed another piece of glass and once more, the wound began to heal itself. He repeated the experiment several times, and in each instance, the wound would close and heal perfectly. Sho went into the bathroom to rinse off the dried blood, hoping to find at least a scab to prove that a wound was once there only to find that his foot was perfectly normal.
On the cold, wet floor of his small bathroom, Sho curled up, hugging his knees to his chest and unconsciously began to rock himself...
TBC
Previous: The End Next: Intersections