The other side
Nino's incessant questioning came to an abrupt halt the moment they approached the door. Unaware, he held his breath, mesmerized by the blood red glyphs carving themselves deeply upon the pine finished wood. The foreign alphabet looped and chained words in an elaborate script; not much different from the glyphs that warded the journal away from prying eyes, but the spell that guarded the door betrayed something far more intimidating than the playful script on Yuki's journal.
As Yuki began chanting, small background noises began to fade drowned out by a thick wall, invisible to the naked eye. Each letter was etched slowly, and with much more purpose by an ancient presence that spoke through the walls, spelling out its message to its seeker. Nino watched, his fist tightly closed, and his shoulders tense, as Yuki slipped the key into the doorknob. His eyes were trained on Yuki's hands like a hawk while his mind actively tested the accuracy of his recollections, waiting to see whether all he recalled was the result of some fever induced hallucination...
First, she places her hands on the door and she says... something... What is it?
Yuki leaned an ear against the door and whispered; her eyes closed in concentration as she quietly conversed with an unnamed being on the other side...
Why do I know what she's saying?
Nino wondered, his brows furrowed, as he stared at Yuki whose lips mouthed words onto the door. His mind registered something different from what his ears heard, and the familiarity of the spoken words stirred something inside him into waking. Had he listened closely, he would have heard an ancient voice speaking from the other side. Yuki, in a firm voice, uttered a command for the doors to open. A blinding yellow light seeped through the cracks as Yuki turned the knob and Nino watched as the door opened to reveal the very same mansion that he spent the night in while recovered from a horrible fever nearly four months past.
"Let no one else enter or disturb us" Yuki gave the final order as she ushered Nino in, closing the door behind her as she followed her very stunned brother inside.
Nino was in a state of stupor as he looked around, gripped by the same awe and terror that claimed him when he first entered the dimensional sanctuary. The Victorian-inspired interior remained the same, and in the morning sun, the brightly-lit room looked much grander than he last remembered it. The yellow light splintered through the facets of the crystal chandelier reflected a kaleidoscope of rainbows all over the living room. It lent the place an ethereal glow as its rays landed on cream-colored satin cushions, littered lazily upon the big white sofa. Yuki held her brother by the hand and guided him down the steps to have a seat on one of the big armchairs facing the coffee table. Nino remained silent, unaware that he was tightly holding on to Yuki while his mouth opened and closed to form soundless words while his mind tried stringing incoherent thoughts into questions, not knowing where to begin or which question to ask first.
Yuki sighed, "I thought you would have gotten over the shock after my diary...Oh well..."
Yuki traced a few runes in front of Nino, whose face reminded her slightly of a goldfish with its mouth opening and closing while it circled the aquarium. A few moments later, Nino's tense shoulders drooped and his eyes grew focused on the figure in front of him waving a hand to his face. Annoyed, Nino swatted the hand away and turned to glare at Yuki, assaulting her once more with a barrage of questions.
"Who are you? Why did you call me your brother just now? Where are we? And what the hell---."
"My, you're such a crab, and I just stopped you from fainting!" Yuki replied, raising one perfectly groomed brow, and placing a hand on her hip as Nino tried working out why things seemed to be moving in slow motion.
"Were those sedatives?"
"Huh?"
"Did you sedate me?"
"Well, something like that... "
"Oh... this place is kind of creepy, it's like there are strobe lights in the middle of the day..."
"I know. I think you need to ask me a lot of things, and we don't exactly know where to begin..." Yuki sighed, "Anyway, don't blame me for the place, it was like this when I got it."
"Oh, er... where are we, exactly?"
"That's a long story...this is sort of a secret place that I could enter from anywhere, as long as I have the key with me."
"I spent the night here when I was sick, didn't I?"
"Yup... I thought that shocking you back then would somehow make you remember. I guess I was too excited about finally finding you and I forgot how sick you were... Anyhow, let's have some tea first; this is going to be a long day..."
Nino nodded in agreement, trying to make himself comfortable as he curled one leg under the other. He grabbed a stray cushion and wrapped his frail arms around them, leaning comfortably onto the backrest while quietly pondering the questions through his groggy mind...
Unfortunately for both of them, Yuki's plan of bringing familiar objects into Nino's possession wasn't enough to awaken his memories. Although traces of it seemed to be breaking through the surface, they were nowhere near the dramatic reawakening that Yuki had hoped for, and sadly, she only had so much time before the dimensional gates of this world permanently closed and they were trapped for the rest of their lives. It was just as well that she had saved more than enough energy for a last ditch effort to jolt her little brother back to the brat she knew and loved.
Their snacks arrived courtesy of a spectre that floated towards the table; it was nearly invisible in the daylight and appeared as wisps of smoke vaguely resembling something human. It soundlessly arranged teacups and saucers on the table and then poured piping hot tea from a silver teapot, leaving a small plate of tarts and sugar cookies for them to nibble on. Nino's eyes wandered to the spectre as it floated away, carrying the empty silver tray as it vanished into another part of the house. His gaze lazily shifted focus, and landed on Yuki who sat on the chair across from him with her legs crossed. She seemed nervous as she busily nibbled on a cookie while another hand held the teacup by its ear. The air was rife with unspoken questions and sentiments, and both of them were uncertain of how to break the silence and make the other feel at ease.
"Yuki..." Nino began hesitantly, head tilting to the left as he met Yuki's eyes. He inhaled deeply before he continued, “Who are you?"
" I am your sister... or maybe it's more proper to say, I used to be your older sister" said Yuki, meeting Nino's gaze as she sipped on her tea, gently blowing the steam away before placing the rim of the cup on her lips.
"Was I adopted, or taken away?" Nino asked, uncertain of where this conversation was headed.
"You... left us... “Yuki grasped for the right words as she tried to explain, "Listen, Nino, do you believe in past lives, or reincarnation?"
"Right now, I think I could believe anything. Reincarnation sounds reasonable, except that being reborn means that..."
" That you have to die first, yes"
"So... You mean to say that I died?"
"To put it bluntly, yes, you died."
"So... why do you know that I'm your brother--was your brother? If I died, and you're that young... I must've died when I was two... and..."
"No, no, nothing like that..." Yuki was trying to interrupt Nino's train of thought
"So that means that I died, but you never did...Are you're immortal?"
"No... Not really. Besides, if I were immortal, that would make you immortal too." Yuki sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. This really was going to be a long day ..."I don't recoil from the sun and you don't see me growing fur during the full moon do you?" Yuki vainly tried to lighten the mood.
Nino scratched his head, frustrated that his questions were only getting him more confused. "Okay, um, can we just start from the very beginning? Tell me everything. I really don't know what to make of it all"
"Okay... Well, to put a long story short, we were all about to die, but you and Sho insisted that we don't die, and when the three protested, you kind of froze them and both of you told me to escape with them and to leave both of you behind... to die, that is"
"That just sounds bizarre, and that doesn't really answer how you found me"
"Well, it has a lot to do with the key and this place, " Yuki patiently explained, "there were some places where different versions of you existed, but in those places, different versions of me and the others were there too. Here, there's only one of us."
Nino scratched his head, disbelieving "I'm sorry but it sounds a bit like the movies, and I'm starting to think that I'm in one of my video games... I think I believe you; some of the things you say make sense, although I can't really explain how... I'm sorry I can't remember anything. One moment I think I'm finally making sense of things, but it all slips away as soon as I ask the next question... Are we from another planet or something?"
"Don't be sorry, it's not like you did it because you hated them or anything, and no, we're not aliens, not like that anyway... You're starting to sound like Aiba"
"What about the door and the book? The glyphs, they're like spells, aren't they? I was able to understand what you were saying but I don't remember ever hearing the language before. It just made me think we're not from here"
"Well, that's a bit true. However, as much as I'd like you to take your time remembering things, at the rate we're going you might not be able to recover your memory until a few years or so... and, right now, we're starting to run out of time..."
"What do you mean?"
"Places like these, don't exist in this world. If the magic runs out, this place won't exist; neither will I be able to perform any magic. I'll just be taking the place of the person who's supposed to be me in this world, and I'll be as ordinary as the next person around you. If... if you don't get your memories back in time, I don't know what would happen to Ohno, Aiba and Jun" Yuki exhaled shakily.
Nino fell quiet for a while after hearing the hint of urgency and the desperation in Yuki's voice. His plans had changed-- what was most important right now, was getting his memories back. His questions would have to wait, or would be answered when they returned. At Yuki's mention of the dolls, he remembered Ohno in his small, quiet voice telling him to get some rest and take care of himself, the night Jun revealed that they were no ordinary mannequins. Something deep inside him wrenched at the thought of never hearing Ohno's voice again, and so, he decided that all the craziness in the world would be worth it if it meant getting Ohno back to the way he was. And because he also felt an unusual attachment to Jun and Aiba and decided that he'd save them too. With a renewed determination, Nino straightened his back and looked at his sister in the eye
"So what's the plan?"
"Oh, wave my hand around, say a few magic words. Turn you into a toad...." Yuki managed to smile, relieved that Nino's finally become more accepting of the situation.
"No, seriously."
Yuki sighed, resting her chin on her hand, happy that things were finally going her way. "Do you remember three months ago, when you first saw us?"
"Yes, it was raining. I was soaking wet and you let me in. I saw Aiba, Jun and Ohno and I thought they were real... well, I thought they were real, then I thought they were mannequins..."
"You didn't remember that I used to have no idea what a television was?"
"You didn't! I also thought it was weird you let your dolls watch TV... and you were talking to them too... wait, I thought you couldn't hear them?"
(And you have a mean streak too, making them do funny poses...)
"I couldn't, but I knew they were still alive. I thought that they could probably hear me too... I arrived in this dimension, not knowing anything about it. I didn't even have any idea what a mobile phone was. All my energies were directed at looking for you or other versions of us..."
"You learned everything in three months? How did you do that, and why didn't you just magic my memory back in the first place?"
"Magic, much like your battery operated toys, takes energy and I also need to recharge every so often to perform even the tiniest of spells. Also, there aren't spells for every little thing... Besides, when you first came here, you were so sick and it was unfair to force things on you when you were in such a delicate state. I was hoping you'd come to remember things on your own without much help from me, by spending time with Ohno and the rest, but it didn't happen fast enough."
"Ohno, huh? "
"Yes, the doll that you grope the most" Yuki smirked, "don't think I don't know how you touch him..."
Nino blushed a bit, recalling his recent incident with the dolls. "Ohno and I, were we...? "
"Yes, and you were shameless about it too!" Yuki giggled, "Now you're remembering..."
"Anyway, how do you plan to get my memories back” Nino replied, trying to change the subject
"Go into your head and mess you up"
"What?!"
"Kidding."
"Don't make jokes like that. What about Sho? Was he your boyfriend or something, because Aiba seems worked up about him too."
"Sho, unfortunately, belongs to Aiba... He's just too cute though! He used to be so scrawny back then, but now he's... oh, never mind." Yuki shrugged and waved her hand dismissively. "Anyway, I was serious about going into your head. I... borrow people's minds, if you will. I could live through all of their thoughts and their experiences without disturbing their lives. It's like I could download them into my head. That's how I was able to know everything I needed to adapt in such a short time."
"I see... but how are you going to remember things that I don't?" Nino warmed his hands on the teacup as he brought it near his lips for a quick slurp.
"If I wanted, or needed to, I could share my memories with you. It's going to be tiring and it requires a great amount of energy. I've been saving it up for the past months so that I could use it for this if I needed to"
"What would happen if I never got my memories back?"
"You will, or I'll kill you." Yuki joked,”I've done it before, so don't worry..." Yuki's nervous look returned but she quickly replaced it with a determined mask. "You have to do this. It's not just for me, but for Ohno, Jun, and Aiba too. Besides, you promised..."
"Promised what?"
"You promised that you'd meet us again in another life..."
"So, why did I freeze the three of them?"
"I don't know. You're supposed to tell me that. When I got there, they were all frozen and all you were blabbering about was how we should get out!" Yuki took a deep breath, trying to rein in her temper before she continued, "so, you owe me, and the three of them an explanation...Will you do this, please?"
"O-okay" Nino nodded "Don't mess me up or anything"
"Don't be silly. Now, follow me..." Yuki stood up and walked towards a long hallway with Nino trailing after her. They passed through a long corridor and several more rooms before reaching the last door in a very secluded area of the mansion. The door was painted with a dark mahogany stain and had a knocker shaped like a lion's head, carved out in silver. The room was illuminated by the soft glow of a handful of candles scattered in each corner, lighting up after a snap from Yuki's fingers. At the center of the room was an altar and an image of a Goddess dressed in white robes, her flaxen head was crowned with a wreath of violets and in her arms was an infant cradled close to her bosom. The figures were surrounded by animals big and small, watching over them as the calm lake reflected the pale, silvery beams of the full moon above. On the floor, were several intercepting circles outlined in symbols and runes that emitted a faint purplish glow as Yuki and Nino stepped inside them.
Yuki retrieved the small golden key from her pocket and stretched her hand to the side, exposing the key to image of the moon that shone brightly behind the Goddess. With her eyes closed and her head bowed down, Yuki uttered a few syllables as the key glowered from a warm golden yellow to a blinding white light that illuminated the room. As she finished chanting the key grew from a small piece that fit snugly into Yuki's palm to an ornate silver staff, embedded with jewels, and nearly as tall as Yuki. Nino gasped, remembering the very same staff that he saw in his dreams. The image of Yuki in his dreams, dressed in her white robes reminded him faintly of the picture of the Goddess behind, except that the Yuki in front of him, had black hair and was currently in jeans and a shirt, but it did nothing to lessen the awe that Nino felt at the moment.
"You... that staff... I remember it." Nino stuttered, and then: "You used to hit me. A lot. Are you sure you're my sister?" he pouted
"Oh, shut up. You weren't such a nice brother yourself" Yuki stuck her tongue out. The old Nino was so close to coming out...
"So, what comes next?"
"Come here." Yuki brought her brother beside her so that they stood at the center of the circle. "Close your eyes and imagine a barrier protecting us. When you've completed the circle, open your eyes."
Nino closed his eyes and envisioned a beam encircling them, protecting them with its green light, alongside it was a dark blue one, which he knew was Yuki's. Nino felt a surge of energy go through him, as he continued reinforcing the circle. It felt as though he were remembering the steps to an old dance he had long forgotten, and magic was the music that fueled the life in his veins. Nino finished forming his barrier, making sure that the dome was thick and formidable as he opened his eyes to see his sister grinning widely at him.
"Wow, you must've missed doing magic so much. There was no need to build a fortress." Yuki laughed
"Huh? How come I can't see it?" Nino asked; looking around for the green and dark blue wall he had seen a while ago.
"Close your eyes, you'll see it again." Yuki explained as Nino complied.
"Oohh… How did that happen?"
"It's a long story... Anyway, now, we'll get your memories back." Yuki replied, forcing a smile.
"Are you okay? You look a bit nervous"
"Yes, now sit down and close your eyes, please."
Nino sat cross-legged in front of Yuki. Both of their eyes were closed as they held each other's hands while Yuki recited the words to an ancient spell that Nino repeated, one syllable after the other, not minding how foreign it sounds on his tongue. It had been such a long time since he had done magic and his body missed the rush and was longing for more. After a few moments, Nino felt as though he were being separated from his body. He also felt Yuki with him, formless as he was, floating above their physical selves which were sitting inside the circle protected by the translucent blue and green barriers they've created.
"This is so cool!" Nino exclaimed, looking down at their unmoving bodies sitting down inside the circle.
"Psh. You used to be so bored by this."
"Hey, I'm only remembering things now. So, what else could I do?" Nino replied, zipping around the room, examining the altar and poking at things experimentally, only to find out that his fingers went right through them.
"A lot...Well, you'll find out more later. Now let's get down to business."
"Okay, what do I do?" Nino zipped back beside Yuki
"Think back on when you first met us and focus on all the emotions you felt, and everything you feel when you're with us, with me, or with Ohno..."
"Okay..." Nino replied, repressing a slight dread.
"I know that it probably wasn't pleasant, but I'm afraid there's no other way..."
"Don't worry. I've already gone this far..." Nino said as he centered himself and thought back to his first encounter with the dolls...
"Promise me not to pull out when things get bad."
"I won’t."
Previous: Yuki's Diary Next: Flashback
(*Sorry for the looooooong time it took to update. Real life's not been cooperating with me, and a lot of things got in the way ;___; I still have quite a few chapters to go, and I hope to have the next one posted sooner. Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it.)
As Yuki began chanting, small background noises began to fade drowned out by a thick wall, invisible to the naked eye. Each letter was etched slowly, and with much more purpose by an ancient presence that spoke through the walls, spelling out its message to its seeker. Nino watched, his fist tightly closed, and his shoulders tense, as Yuki slipped the key into the doorknob. His eyes were trained on Yuki's hands like a hawk while his mind actively tested the accuracy of his recollections, waiting to see whether all he recalled was the result of some fever induced hallucination...
First, she places her hands on the door and she says... something... What is it?
Yuki leaned an ear against the door and whispered; her eyes closed in concentration as she quietly conversed with an unnamed being on the other side...
Why do I know what she's saying?
Nino wondered, his brows furrowed, as he stared at Yuki whose lips mouthed words onto the door. His mind registered something different from what his ears heard, and the familiarity of the spoken words stirred something inside him into waking. Had he listened closely, he would have heard an ancient voice speaking from the other side. Yuki, in a firm voice, uttered a command for the doors to open. A blinding yellow light seeped through the cracks as Yuki turned the knob and Nino watched as the door opened to reveal the very same mansion that he spent the night in while recovered from a horrible fever nearly four months past.
"Let no one else enter or disturb us" Yuki gave the final order as she ushered Nino in, closing the door behind her as she followed her very stunned brother inside.
Nino was in a state of stupor as he looked around, gripped by the same awe and terror that claimed him when he first entered the dimensional sanctuary. The Victorian-inspired interior remained the same, and in the morning sun, the brightly-lit room looked much grander than he last remembered it. The yellow light splintered through the facets of the crystal chandelier reflected a kaleidoscope of rainbows all over the living room. It lent the place an ethereal glow as its rays landed on cream-colored satin cushions, littered lazily upon the big white sofa. Yuki held her brother by the hand and guided him down the steps to have a seat on one of the big armchairs facing the coffee table. Nino remained silent, unaware that he was tightly holding on to Yuki while his mouth opened and closed to form soundless words while his mind tried stringing incoherent thoughts into questions, not knowing where to begin or which question to ask first.
Yuki sighed, "I thought you would have gotten over the shock after my diary...Oh well..."
Yuki traced a few runes in front of Nino, whose face reminded her slightly of a goldfish with its mouth opening and closing while it circled the aquarium. A few moments later, Nino's tense shoulders drooped and his eyes grew focused on the figure in front of him waving a hand to his face. Annoyed, Nino swatted the hand away and turned to glare at Yuki, assaulting her once more with a barrage of questions.
"Who are you? Why did you call me your brother just now? Where are we? And what the hell---."
"My, you're such a crab, and I just stopped you from fainting!" Yuki replied, raising one perfectly groomed brow, and placing a hand on her hip as Nino tried working out why things seemed to be moving in slow motion.
"Were those sedatives?"
"Huh?"
"Did you sedate me?"
"Well, something like that... "
"Oh... this place is kind of creepy, it's like there are strobe lights in the middle of the day..."
"I know. I think you need to ask me a lot of things, and we don't exactly know where to begin..." Yuki sighed, "Anyway, don't blame me for the place, it was like this when I got it."
"Oh, er... where are we, exactly?"
"That's a long story...this is sort of a secret place that I could enter from anywhere, as long as I have the key with me."
"I spent the night here when I was sick, didn't I?"
"Yup... I thought that shocking you back then would somehow make you remember. I guess I was too excited about finally finding you and I forgot how sick you were... Anyhow, let's have some tea first; this is going to be a long day..."
Nino nodded in agreement, trying to make himself comfortable as he curled one leg under the other. He grabbed a stray cushion and wrapped his frail arms around them, leaning comfortably onto the backrest while quietly pondering the questions through his groggy mind...
Unfortunately for both of them, Yuki's plan of bringing familiar objects into Nino's possession wasn't enough to awaken his memories. Although traces of it seemed to be breaking through the surface, they were nowhere near the dramatic reawakening that Yuki had hoped for, and sadly, she only had so much time before the dimensional gates of this world permanently closed and they were trapped for the rest of their lives. It was just as well that she had saved more than enough energy for a last ditch effort to jolt her little brother back to the brat she knew and loved.
Their snacks arrived courtesy of a spectre that floated towards the table; it was nearly invisible in the daylight and appeared as wisps of smoke vaguely resembling something human. It soundlessly arranged teacups and saucers on the table and then poured piping hot tea from a silver teapot, leaving a small plate of tarts and sugar cookies for them to nibble on. Nino's eyes wandered to the spectre as it floated away, carrying the empty silver tray as it vanished into another part of the house. His gaze lazily shifted focus, and landed on Yuki who sat on the chair across from him with her legs crossed. She seemed nervous as she busily nibbled on a cookie while another hand held the teacup by its ear. The air was rife with unspoken questions and sentiments, and both of them were uncertain of how to break the silence and make the other feel at ease.
"Yuki..." Nino began hesitantly, head tilting to the left as he met Yuki's eyes. He inhaled deeply before he continued, “Who are you?"
" I am your sister... or maybe it's more proper to say, I used to be your older sister" said Yuki, meeting Nino's gaze as she sipped on her tea, gently blowing the steam away before placing the rim of the cup on her lips.
"Was I adopted, or taken away?" Nino asked, uncertain of where this conversation was headed.
"You... left us... “Yuki grasped for the right words as she tried to explain, "Listen, Nino, do you believe in past lives, or reincarnation?"
"Right now, I think I could believe anything. Reincarnation sounds reasonable, except that being reborn means that..."
" That you have to die first, yes"
"So... You mean to say that I died?"
"To put it bluntly, yes, you died."
"So... why do you know that I'm your brother--was your brother? If I died, and you're that young... I must've died when I was two... and..."
"No, no, nothing like that..." Yuki was trying to interrupt Nino's train of thought
"So that means that I died, but you never did...Are you're immortal?"
"No... Not really. Besides, if I were immortal, that would make you immortal too." Yuki sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. This really was going to be a long day ..."I don't recoil from the sun and you don't see me growing fur during the full moon do you?" Yuki vainly tried to lighten the mood.
Nino scratched his head, frustrated that his questions were only getting him more confused. "Okay, um, can we just start from the very beginning? Tell me everything. I really don't know what to make of it all"
"Okay... Well, to put a long story short, we were all about to die, but you and Sho insisted that we don't die, and when the three protested, you kind of froze them and both of you told me to escape with them and to leave both of you behind... to die, that is"
"That just sounds bizarre, and that doesn't really answer how you found me"
"Well, it has a lot to do with the key and this place, " Yuki patiently explained, "there were some places where different versions of you existed, but in those places, different versions of me and the others were there too. Here, there's only one of us."
Nino scratched his head, disbelieving "I'm sorry but it sounds a bit like the movies, and I'm starting to think that I'm in one of my video games... I think I believe you; some of the things you say make sense, although I can't really explain how... I'm sorry I can't remember anything. One moment I think I'm finally making sense of things, but it all slips away as soon as I ask the next question... Are we from another planet or something?"
"Don't be sorry, it's not like you did it because you hated them or anything, and no, we're not aliens, not like that anyway... You're starting to sound like Aiba"
"What about the door and the book? The glyphs, they're like spells, aren't they? I was able to understand what you were saying but I don't remember ever hearing the language before. It just made me think we're not from here"
"Well, that's a bit true. However, as much as I'd like you to take your time remembering things, at the rate we're going you might not be able to recover your memory until a few years or so... and, right now, we're starting to run out of time..."
"What do you mean?"
"Places like these, don't exist in this world. If the magic runs out, this place won't exist; neither will I be able to perform any magic. I'll just be taking the place of the person who's supposed to be me in this world, and I'll be as ordinary as the next person around you. If... if you don't get your memories back in time, I don't know what would happen to Ohno, Aiba and Jun" Yuki exhaled shakily.
Nino fell quiet for a while after hearing the hint of urgency and the desperation in Yuki's voice. His plans had changed-- what was most important right now, was getting his memories back. His questions would have to wait, or would be answered when they returned. At Yuki's mention of the dolls, he remembered Ohno in his small, quiet voice telling him to get some rest and take care of himself, the night Jun revealed that they were no ordinary mannequins. Something deep inside him wrenched at the thought of never hearing Ohno's voice again, and so, he decided that all the craziness in the world would be worth it if it meant getting Ohno back to the way he was. And because he also felt an unusual attachment to Jun and Aiba and decided that he'd save them too. With a renewed determination, Nino straightened his back and looked at his sister in the eye
"So what's the plan?"
"Oh, wave my hand around, say a few magic words. Turn you into a toad...." Yuki managed to smile, relieved that Nino's finally become more accepting of the situation.
"No, seriously."
Yuki sighed, resting her chin on her hand, happy that things were finally going her way. "Do you remember three months ago, when you first saw us?"
"Yes, it was raining. I was soaking wet and you let me in. I saw Aiba, Jun and Ohno and I thought they were real... well, I thought they were real, then I thought they were mannequins..."
"You didn't remember that I used to have no idea what a television was?"
"You didn't! I also thought it was weird you let your dolls watch TV... and you were talking to them too... wait, I thought you couldn't hear them?"
(And you have a mean streak too, making them do funny poses...)
"I couldn't, but I knew they were still alive. I thought that they could probably hear me too... I arrived in this dimension, not knowing anything about it. I didn't even have any idea what a mobile phone was. All my energies were directed at looking for you or other versions of us..."
"You learned everything in three months? How did you do that, and why didn't you just magic my memory back in the first place?"
"Magic, much like your battery operated toys, takes energy and I also need to recharge every so often to perform even the tiniest of spells. Also, there aren't spells for every little thing... Besides, when you first came here, you were so sick and it was unfair to force things on you when you were in such a delicate state. I was hoping you'd come to remember things on your own without much help from me, by spending time with Ohno and the rest, but it didn't happen fast enough."
"Ohno, huh? "
"Yes, the doll that you grope the most" Yuki smirked, "don't think I don't know how you touch him..."
Nino blushed a bit, recalling his recent incident with the dolls. "Ohno and I, were we...? "
"Yes, and you were shameless about it too!" Yuki giggled, "Now you're remembering..."
"Anyway, how do you plan to get my memories back” Nino replied, trying to change the subject
"Go into your head and mess you up"
"What?!"
"Kidding."
"Don't make jokes like that. What about Sho? Was he your boyfriend or something, because Aiba seems worked up about him too."
"Sho, unfortunately, belongs to Aiba... He's just too cute though! He used to be so scrawny back then, but now he's... oh, never mind." Yuki shrugged and waved her hand dismissively. "Anyway, I was serious about going into your head. I... borrow people's minds, if you will. I could live through all of their thoughts and their experiences without disturbing their lives. It's like I could download them into my head. That's how I was able to know everything I needed to adapt in such a short time."
"I see... but how are you going to remember things that I don't?" Nino warmed his hands on the teacup as he brought it near his lips for a quick slurp.
"If I wanted, or needed to, I could share my memories with you. It's going to be tiring and it requires a great amount of energy. I've been saving it up for the past months so that I could use it for this if I needed to"
"What would happen if I never got my memories back?"
"You will, or I'll kill you." Yuki joked,”I've done it before, so don't worry..." Yuki's nervous look returned but she quickly replaced it with a determined mask. "You have to do this. It's not just for me, but for Ohno, Jun, and Aiba too. Besides, you promised..."
"Promised what?"
"You promised that you'd meet us again in another life..."
"So, why did I freeze the three of them?"
"I don't know. You're supposed to tell me that. When I got there, they were all frozen and all you were blabbering about was how we should get out!" Yuki took a deep breath, trying to rein in her temper before she continued, "so, you owe me, and the three of them an explanation...Will you do this, please?"
"O-okay" Nino nodded "Don't mess me up or anything"
"Don't be silly. Now, follow me..." Yuki stood up and walked towards a long hallway with Nino trailing after her. They passed through a long corridor and several more rooms before reaching the last door in a very secluded area of the mansion. The door was painted with a dark mahogany stain and had a knocker shaped like a lion's head, carved out in silver. The room was illuminated by the soft glow of a handful of candles scattered in each corner, lighting up after a snap from Yuki's fingers. At the center of the room was an altar and an image of a Goddess dressed in white robes, her flaxen head was crowned with a wreath of violets and in her arms was an infant cradled close to her bosom. The figures were surrounded by animals big and small, watching over them as the calm lake reflected the pale, silvery beams of the full moon above. On the floor, were several intercepting circles outlined in symbols and runes that emitted a faint purplish glow as Yuki and Nino stepped inside them.
Yuki retrieved the small golden key from her pocket and stretched her hand to the side, exposing the key to image of the moon that shone brightly behind the Goddess. With her eyes closed and her head bowed down, Yuki uttered a few syllables as the key glowered from a warm golden yellow to a blinding white light that illuminated the room. As she finished chanting the key grew from a small piece that fit snugly into Yuki's palm to an ornate silver staff, embedded with jewels, and nearly as tall as Yuki. Nino gasped, remembering the very same staff that he saw in his dreams. The image of Yuki in his dreams, dressed in her white robes reminded him faintly of the picture of the Goddess behind, except that the Yuki in front of him, had black hair and was currently in jeans and a shirt, but it did nothing to lessen the awe that Nino felt at the moment.
"You... that staff... I remember it." Nino stuttered, and then: "You used to hit me. A lot. Are you sure you're my sister?" he pouted
"Oh, shut up. You weren't such a nice brother yourself" Yuki stuck her tongue out. The old Nino was so close to coming out...
"So, what comes next?"
"Come here." Yuki brought her brother beside her so that they stood at the center of the circle. "Close your eyes and imagine a barrier protecting us. When you've completed the circle, open your eyes."
Nino closed his eyes and envisioned a beam encircling them, protecting them with its green light, alongside it was a dark blue one, which he knew was Yuki's. Nino felt a surge of energy go through him, as he continued reinforcing the circle. It felt as though he were remembering the steps to an old dance he had long forgotten, and magic was the music that fueled the life in his veins. Nino finished forming his barrier, making sure that the dome was thick and formidable as he opened his eyes to see his sister grinning widely at him.
"Wow, you must've missed doing magic so much. There was no need to build a fortress." Yuki laughed
"Huh? How come I can't see it?" Nino asked; looking around for the green and dark blue wall he had seen a while ago.
"Close your eyes, you'll see it again." Yuki explained as Nino complied.
"Oohh… How did that happen?"
"It's a long story... Anyway, now, we'll get your memories back." Yuki replied, forcing a smile.
"Are you okay? You look a bit nervous"
"Yes, now sit down and close your eyes, please."
Nino sat cross-legged in front of Yuki. Both of their eyes were closed as they held each other's hands while Yuki recited the words to an ancient spell that Nino repeated, one syllable after the other, not minding how foreign it sounds on his tongue. It had been such a long time since he had done magic and his body missed the rush and was longing for more. After a few moments, Nino felt as though he were being separated from his body. He also felt Yuki with him, formless as he was, floating above their physical selves which were sitting inside the circle protected by the translucent blue and green barriers they've created.
"This is so cool!" Nino exclaimed, looking down at their unmoving bodies sitting down inside the circle.
"Psh. You used to be so bored by this."
"Hey, I'm only remembering things now. So, what else could I do?" Nino replied, zipping around the room, examining the altar and poking at things experimentally, only to find out that his fingers went right through them.
"A lot...Well, you'll find out more later. Now let's get down to business."
"Okay, what do I do?" Nino zipped back beside Yuki
"Think back on when you first met us and focus on all the emotions you felt, and everything you feel when you're with us, with me, or with Ohno..."
"Okay..." Nino replied, repressing a slight dread.
"I know that it probably wasn't pleasant, but I'm afraid there's no other way..."
"Don't worry. I've already gone this far..." Nino said as he centered himself and thought back to his first encounter with the dolls...
"Promise me not to pull out when things get bad."
"I won’t."
Previous: Yuki's Diary Next: Flashback
(*Sorry for the looooooong time it took to update. Real life's not been cooperating with me, and a lot of things got in the way ;___; I still have quite a few chapters to go, and I hope to have the next one posted sooner. Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it.)