Omens
Both boys arrived at the castle quiet and completely sober with Nino already formulating strategies in his mind, creating a mental bullet list of the things he needed, the things he knew, and the things he should consider. Right after Ohno's drunken confession of a stray yet persistent vision that haunted him, an afternoon that was supposed to be spent in relaxation, turned into something deathly serious and stirred Nino's mental gears into overdrive as he haphazardly packed their things up and walked on, unaware of the blades of grass and the bits of food that clung to his clothes as he purposefully stalked towards the castle. Ohno, meanwhile, plodded after Nino, uneasy in his contemplation of the things he had let loose in the midst of his drunkenness. On the surface, Ohno appeared normal: the vacant, 'not quite here' stare was fixed firmly on his face, but in the years that they've grown to love each other, Nino knew better. Not much concerning Ohno ever passed by the prince unnoticed. Just as they were about to enter their respective rooms, Nino stopped and turned to face Ohno...
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I was just spacing out..." Ohno replied, not quite meeting Nino's eyes.
"Give me credit for knowing you better than that. What's bothering you?" Nino gently persisted.
"I'm sorry. I think I drank too much and said things I shouldn't have." Ohno's gaze was fixed on the floor beneath his boots.
"Don't ever be sorry for giving me hope. I believe in everything you told me" Nino replied, taking Ohno's hand in his and giving it a firm squeeze.
"But I was just--"
"Even if you try to take it back, or say that it isn't true, I've already made up my mind. "
"But Nino..."
"Leave it to me, okay?"
"... We were the only ones who made it to that other world... everyone else was..."
"I understand. I'll keep it a secret." Nino embraced Ohno tightly before they parted ways and Ohno headed to his room.
****
Now things are starting to make sense... anyway, I think he felt really guilty about it, that's why he kept it a secret...
I know. I had to get him drunk to get it out of him...
****
As he was about to retreat into his chambers, Nino bumped into Yuki who came running down the hallway. Her eyes were hidden beneath her long black hair which was strangely unkempt and clung messily about her face. In Yuki's arms, Nino could make out what seemed to be a stuffed animal (or perhaps, it was Yuki's cat, he can't be sure...) Yuki didn't seem to acknowledge Nino, nor did she bother with apologies, as she resumed running and headed straight to her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her as she entered. Nino, though a little startled, chose not to dwell on it for the moment; there were more pressing matters in his mind. He needed to mull over the details of Ohno's vision (or as much of it as he can remember) before he can come up with a clear solution, and he needed the breathing room to steady his nerves. Though he acknowledged that there were certain things about the staff that he needed to ask his sister, Yuki, it appears was terribly upset over something. Nino decided to let it wait, and leave Yuki her space, at least until he had a clearer idea of what he needed to do.
That night; Yuki refused to come to dinner and stubbornly remained in her room despite the pleading of several palace servants and some earnest coaxing from Jun, Sho and Aiba. Nobody knew what had taken place in the training room, and the only thing they were sure of, was that Yuki had been alone in there for a couple of hours, presumably practicing some of the spells by herself. Whatever it was that had Yuki upset was bad enough for her to refuse contact even from the closest of kin, and left the others wondering just what happened inside that room to turn Yuki, of the short fuse and the sharp tongue, uncharacteristically quiet and somber. As much as he wanted to leave Yuki her room to grieve or recover, a nagging feeling in his gut refused to let him leave his sister alone. He knew, intuitively, that whatever it was that had his sister this upset was somehow connected to Ohno's vision; and if that were true, he would just have to risk Yuki's wrath and have a random breakable object flung at his head when he entered her room.
Half an hour after they finished dinner, Nino knocked hesitantly at Yuki's door, and mentally prepared himself for some verbal lashing, or to have his sister scream at him to be left alone. What he didn't expect, however, was the unresisting silence that met his knocking (which turned irritably loud and obnoxious after several attempts to catch her attention.) Curious, Nino pressed his ear against the door and listened in: From where he stood, Nino could make out the barely restrained sobbing coming from Yuki, which gave him more cause for alarm than he previously had. Deciding to take a risk, Nino tried opening the door, which to his surprise yielded quite easily, and had none of the spells or booby traps that Yuki normally used to keep people away. Nino cautiously stepped inside Yuki's room, expecting, if not an insult, at least some small porcelain vase to be hurled his way. What greeted him instead was a heartbroken and defeated Yuki. She was lying on her side, in the middle of her four-poster bed, with her arms curled protectively around a white fluffy cat that resembled her beloved pet. Keiko, her cat, lay stiff and unmoving on the satin covered mattress of Yuki's bed, while she carded her long slender fingers through its matted fur.
"Yuki..." Nino spoke quietly, breaking the mournful silence that surrounded Yuki's room, as hesitantly approached his sister and sat at the foot of her bed.
"Keiko's dead. It's my fault." Yuki sniffed, as she sat up, cradling the stiff body of the lifeless feline in her arms.
"What happened?"
"I tried to take her traveling with me using the key, but she didn't survive."
"What do you mean?"
"I tried crossing worlds and I thought I'd take her with me...I thought we'd have some fun together. “Yuki said between sobs, "She seemed to be fine, but when we came back, she had seizures, and all of a sudden her heart stopped, and she just dropped dead."
"Do you know why it happened?" Nino stared at the frozen cat. It looked like one of those preserved animals that his father kept as trophies back in the days when he still went hunting.
"No." Yuki shook her head, wiping a stray tear that ran down her cheek. "I wasn't allowed to use the key to travel yet and I tried it out on my own without Eriol knowing..."
The two remained in a companionable silence for some time, with Nino pondering over the implications of Yuki's revelations, and Yuki still quietly grieving the loss of Keiko...
"I guess it was good that I didn't try to take you with me, huh?" Yuki finally spoke, her eyes red and bleary from all the crying.
"I guess so..." Nino trailed off, trying to make the connection between his sister's revelations and those of Ohno's...
“I think this just means that I can't just take anyone traveling with me."
"At least you found out early on." Nino replied in consolation "There might be a way... we just have to find out how to get the others to travel with you safely. I still think you shouldn't try to attempt taking the whole kingdom with you though..."
"Thanks..." Yuki sighed “You know, I think that Eriol has a stack of books about the key which he hasn't shown me yet. I know where he keeps them but he won't let me go near them for some reason. I think I should get my hands on those one day... In the meantime, can we keep this a secret?" Yuki pleaded. "Help me find a place to bury Keiko. She needs to be somewhere pretty, probably the garden, where the daisies grow. She likes daisies..." Yuki spoke in a sad and broken voice, pushing Keiko's eyelids shut.
The following morning found the siblings digging up a grave for Keiko in a secluded spot near the newly blossomed daisies which filled the air with their sweet floral scent. Though uninvited; Sho, Ohno, Jun, and Aiba, with his pet squirrel perched on his shoulders, followed close by and stood solemnly behind them as they watched the two bury Yuki's beloved pet.
"I'm sorry if we're intruding, but Shimuken told me about Keiko, and he said he wanted to say goodbye too." Aiba spoke in an apologetic manner as Nino started to dig.
"Thank you, Aiba; Shimuken..." Yuki replied.
"We're very sorry about Keiko" said Sho "I had a cat too, and I loved him very much."
"We brought her favorite toys." Jun added, handing Yuki a toy mouse and the ball of yarn that Keiko had always chased around. "I thought she might miss them..."
"Thank you, Jun I think Keiko would appreciate it." Yuki replied, taking Keiko's toys and placing them beside her cat, as Nino started shoveling the dirt over Keiko and they all bid their last goodbyes to the fluffy pet.
After Keiko had been buried, the six had decided to hold a small feast in honor of Yuki's cat. Aiba and Sho brought the food, while Jun and Ohno brought the drinks. Yuki and Nino carried the utensils and the picnic blanket which they spread over a small empty patch of grass near the place where Keiko was buried. Yuki's mood remained heavy despite the attempts to cheer her up, and Nino's promise of looking for another cat that looked exactly like Keiko only served to worsen her mood. It was only later on, after a few glasses of wine, that Yuki revealed something that worried her far greater than the loss of her cat...
"I'm really sad that Keiko's gone." she began "but I think she really helped us in her own way... If she didn't... die, then I wouldn't know that, maybe, the key would only let me cross dimensions. If that's true then that means there's no way..." Yuki trailed off, looking somberly at the half empty glass, through her bloodshot eyes as she swirled the bitter red wine.
"Eriol already told you not to burden yourself with things like that." Jun interrupted, "but if you're really determined, we'll try to look for ways."
"I'll do my best to help you too." said Sho "I would even do some research in the temple's library for you, but I'm not so sure they have books regarding the Key..."
"Thanks, both of you”.
***********
Despite the loss of a beloved pet, Yuki's experimentations sparked renewed hope among the five, who tried containing their excitement at the fact that one could actually traverse worlds. Nino, especially, took this as a sign that Ohno's visions were indeed prophetic and not a fantasy borne out of wishful thinking. Of all of them, he and Ohno were the most determined and enthusiastic in helping Yuki; making time for some research on the sly despite the equally rigid training that they went through to develop their abilities.
Their enthusiasm, however, was short lived. Though there were volumes of books in the library, outlining the Key's long and boring history, none of the books contained actual documentation of experiments regarding the Key, there weren't even any books that had information about what life was like in other dimensions. There seemed to be a significant lack of information regarding its actual use, while the library was filled with more useless books on theoretical speculations on how the Key came to their world, and what it's previous owners might have looked like. Nino was growing desperate and seriously doubted the head wizard's trustworthiness. He remembered the night Yuki mentioned that there might be books on the Key that the wizard didn't let her touch, and that it was kept in the safety of his own study, probably warded and bespelled to protect itself from the idly curious.
"Well now, we'll just have to get around that, won't we?" Nino murmured to himself as he closed another thick volume on the Key's previous eccentric owners.
"You were saying something?" Aiba perked, grateful for any interruption which gave him an excuse to stop reading.
Nino looked at Aiba quizzically for a moment, grinned, and then said:
"I'm going to tell you something, but you have to keep it a secret."
"What? What is it? I promise I won't tell anyone!" Aiba replied in an exaggerated whisper...
***
That afternoon, Shimuken found himself inside Eriol's study, looking for a particular book, which was supposed to be "glowing red" and "acting really funny," or so Aiba told him. The little squirrel was promised all the nuts he could have for three days, if he could just sneak in, leave the small rolled up parchment beside the book, and come back to Aiba unnoticed. The book was quite easy to find. The thick leather bound book did glow red, but it didn't act funny, or at least Shimuken didn't find it funny when he came near it and nearly singed his fur. Apart from that, the book really smelled musty, as if it had been unopened for several years and the paper already seemed to be crumbling from age. Shimuken did as he was told and placed the rolled up parchment as near to the crabby old book as he could. Seconds within coming near the book's protective barrier, the paper burned and was pulverized into microscopic bits, startling the small squirrel who sought shelter under the nearest desk. After a few moments, Shimuken poked his nose out experimentally, and decided that it was safe to come out; still curious about the book, Shimuken once more attempted to go near it, and to his surprise (and relief) his fur was left unharmed. With his job done, Shimuken scampered off to look for Aiba and demand immediate payment, with interest...
"Waah. Shimuken nearly got burned!" Aiba screeched as he anxiously watched his small friend through the scrying pool.
"Hey, at least he's still alive." Nino replied "Here, I have his treats with me. You really do have a great squirrel, Aiba. Thank you for letting me use him"
"Of course! Er, by the way, what was in that paper that you gave him?"
"It's a spell to neutralize the protective wards. With some luck, I'll be able to get that book..."
"Ohh. You're amazing Nino! I haven't been able to do that"
"I learned it without them knowing. They don't know that I can do it."
"Why?"
"Because then, I won't be able to do that. And it's convenient for me."
"I see... Hey, if you need my help, I can talk to the other animals too."
"I think I might need your help, Aiba. I'll have to think about this some more." Nino said as he formed his next plan of action...
Previous: Flashback Next: Faith
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I was just spacing out..." Ohno replied, not quite meeting Nino's eyes.
"Give me credit for knowing you better than that. What's bothering you?" Nino gently persisted.
"I'm sorry. I think I drank too much and said things I shouldn't have." Ohno's gaze was fixed on the floor beneath his boots.
"Don't ever be sorry for giving me hope. I believe in everything you told me" Nino replied, taking Ohno's hand in his and giving it a firm squeeze.
"But I was just--"
"Even if you try to take it back, or say that it isn't true, I've already made up my mind. "
"But Nino..."
"Leave it to me, okay?"
"... We were the only ones who made it to that other world... everyone else was..."
"I understand. I'll keep it a secret." Nino embraced Ohno tightly before they parted ways and Ohno headed to his room.
****
Now things are starting to make sense... anyway, I think he felt really guilty about it, that's why he kept it a secret...
I know. I had to get him drunk to get it out of him...
****
As he was about to retreat into his chambers, Nino bumped into Yuki who came running down the hallway. Her eyes were hidden beneath her long black hair which was strangely unkempt and clung messily about her face. In Yuki's arms, Nino could make out what seemed to be a stuffed animal (or perhaps, it was Yuki's cat, he can't be sure...) Yuki didn't seem to acknowledge Nino, nor did she bother with apologies, as she resumed running and headed straight to her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her as she entered. Nino, though a little startled, chose not to dwell on it for the moment; there were more pressing matters in his mind. He needed to mull over the details of Ohno's vision (or as much of it as he can remember) before he can come up with a clear solution, and he needed the breathing room to steady his nerves. Though he acknowledged that there were certain things about the staff that he needed to ask his sister, Yuki, it appears was terribly upset over something. Nino decided to let it wait, and leave Yuki her space, at least until he had a clearer idea of what he needed to do.
That night; Yuki refused to come to dinner and stubbornly remained in her room despite the pleading of several palace servants and some earnest coaxing from Jun, Sho and Aiba. Nobody knew what had taken place in the training room, and the only thing they were sure of, was that Yuki had been alone in there for a couple of hours, presumably practicing some of the spells by herself. Whatever it was that had Yuki upset was bad enough for her to refuse contact even from the closest of kin, and left the others wondering just what happened inside that room to turn Yuki, of the short fuse and the sharp tongue, uncharacteristically quiet and somber. As much as he wanted to leave Yuki her room to grieve or recover, a nagging feeling in his gut refused to let him leave his sister alone. He knew, intuitively, that whatever it was that had his sister this upset was somehow connected to Ohno's vision; and if that were true, he would just have to risk Yuki's wrath and have a random breakable object flung at his head when he entered her room.
Half an hour after they finished dinner, Nino knocked hesitantly at Yuki's door, and mentally prepared himself for some verbal lashing, or to have his sister scream at him to be left alone. What he didn't expect, however, was the unresisting silence that met his knocking (which turned irritably loud and obnoxious after several attempts to catch her attention.) Curious, Nino pressed his ear against the door and listened in: From where he stood, Nino could make out the barely restrained sobbing coming from Yuki, which gave him more cause for alarm than he previously had. Deciding to take a risk, Nino tried opening the door, which to his surprise yielded quite easily, and had none of the spells or booby traps that Yuki normally used to keep people away. Nino cautiously stepped inside Yuki's room, expecting, if not an insult, at least some small porcelain vase to be hurled his way. What greeted him instead was a heartbroken and defeated Yuki. She was lying on her side, in the middle of her four-poster bed, with her arms curled protectively around a white fluffy cat that resembled her beloved pet. Keiko, her cat, lay stiff and unmoving on the satin covered mattress of Yuki's bed, while she carded her long slender fingers through its matted fur.
"Yuki..." Nino spoke quietly, breaking the mournful silence that surrounded Yuki's room, as hesitantly approached his sister and sat at the foot of her bed.
"Keiko's dead. It's my fault." Yuki sniffed, as she sat up, cradling the stiff body of the lifeless feline in her arms.
"What happened?"
"I tried to take her traveling with me using the key, but she didn't survive."
"What do you mean?"
"I tried crossing worlds and I thought I'd take her with me...I thought we'd have some fun together. “Yuki said between sobs, "She seemed to be fine, but when we came back, she had seizures, and all of a sudden her heart stopped, and she just dropped dead."
"Do you know why it happened?" Nino stared at the frozen cat. It looked like one of those preserved animals that his father kept as trophies back in the days when he still went hunting.
"No." Yuki shook her head, wiping a stray tear that ran down her cheek. "I wasn't allowed to use the key to travel yet and I tried it out on my own without Eriol knowing..."
The two remained in a companionable silence for some time, with Nino pondering over the implications of Yuki's revelations, and Yuki still quietly grieving the loss of Keiko...
"I guess it was good that I didn't try to take you with me, huh?" Yuki finally spoke, her eyes red and bleary from all the crying.
"I guess so..." Nino trailed off, trying to make the connection between his sister's revelations and those of Ohno's...
“I think this just means that I can't just take anyone traveling with me."
"At least you found out early on." Nino replied in consolation "There might be a way... we just have to find out how to get the others to travel with you safely. I still think you shouldn't try to attempt taking the whole kingdom with you though..."
"Thanks..." Yuki sighed “You know, I think that Eriol has a stack of books about the key which he hasn't shown me yet. I know where he keeps them but he won't let me go near them for some reason. I think I should get my hands on those one day... In the meantime, can we keep this a secret?" Yuki pleaded. "Help me find a place to bury Keiko. She needs to be somewhere pretty, probably the garden, where the daisies grow. She likes daisies..." Yuki spoke in a sad and broken voice, pushing Keiko's eyelids shut.
The following morning found the siblings digging up a grave for Keiko in a secluded spot near the newly blossomed daisies which filled the air with their sweet floral scent. Though uninvited; Sho, Ohno, Jun, and Aiba, with his pet squirrel perched on his shoulders, followed close by and stood solemnly behind them as they watched the two bury Yuki's beloved pet.
"I'm sorry if we're intruding, but Shimuken told me about Keiko, and he said he wanted to say goodbye too." Aiba spoke in an apologetic manner as Nino started to dig.
"Thank you, Aiba; Shimuken..." Yuki replied.
"We're very sorry about Keiko" said Sho "I had a cat too, and I loved him very much."
"We brought her favorite toys." Jun added, handing Yuki a toy mouse and the ball of yarn that Keiko had always chased around. "I thought she might miss them..."
"Thank you, Jun I think Keiko would appreciate it." Yuki replied, taking Keiko's toys and placing them beside her cat, as Nino started shoveling the dirt over Keiko and they all bid their last goodbyes to the fluffy pet.
After Keiko had been buried, the six had decided to hold a small feast in honor of Yuki's cat. Aiba and Sho brought the food, while Jun and Ohno brought the drinks. Yuki and Nino carried the utensils and the picnic blanket which they spread over a small empty patch of grass near the place where Keiko was buried. Yuki's mood remained heavy despite the attempts to cheer her up, and Nino's promise of looking for another cat that looked exactly like Keiko only served to worsen her mood. It was only later on, after a few glasses of wine, that Yuki revealed something that worried her far greater than the loss of her cat...
"I'm really sad that Keiko's gone." she began "but I think she really helped us in her own way... If she didn't... die, then I wouldn't know that, maybe, the key would only let me cross dimensions. If that's true then that means there's no way..." Yuki trailed off, looking somberly at the half empty glass, through her bloodshot eyes as she swirled the bitter red wine.
"Eriol already told you not to burden yourself with things like that." Jun interrupted, "but if you're really determined, we'll try to look for ways."
"I'll do my best to help you too." said Sho "I would even do some research in the temple's library for you, but I'm not so sure they have books regarding the Key..."
"Thanks, both of you”.
***********
Despite the loss of a beloved pet, Yuki's experimentations sparked renewed hope among the five, who tried containing their excitement at the fact that one could actually traverse worlds. Nino, especially, took this as a sign that Ohno's visions were indeed prophetic and not a fantasy borne out of wishful thinking. Of all of them, he and Ohno were the most determined and enthusiastic in helping Yuki; making time for some research on the sly despite the equally rigid training that they went through to develop their abilities.
Their enthusiasm, however, was short lived. Though there were volumes of books in the library, outlining the Key's long and boring history, none of the books contained actual documentation of experiments regarding the Key, there weren't even any books that had information about what life was like in other dimensions. There seemed to be a significant lack of information regarding its actual use, while the library was filled with more useless books on theoretical speculations on how the Key came to their world, and what it's previous owners might have looked like. Nino was growing desperate and seriously doubted the head wizard's trustworthiness. He remembered the night Yuki mentioned that there might be books on the Key that the wizard didn't let her touch, and that it was kept in the safety of his own study, probably warded and bespelled to protect itself from the idly curious.
"Well now, we'll just have to get around that, won't we?" Nino murmured to himself as he closed another thick volume on the Key's previous eccentric owners.
"You were saying something?" Aiba perked, grateful for any interruption which gave him an excuse to stop reading.
Nino looked at Aiba quizzically for a moment, grinned, and then said:
"I'm going to tell you something, but you have to keep it a secret."
"What? What is it? I promise I won't tell anyone!" Aiba replied in an exaggerated whisper...
***
That afternoon, Shimuken found himself inside Eriol's study, looking for a particular book, which was supposed to be "glowing red" and "acting really funny," or so Aiba told him. The little squirrel was promised all the nuts he could have for three days, if he could just sneak in, leave the small rolled up parchment beside the book, and come back to Aiba unnoticed. The book was quite easy to find. The thick leather bound book did glow red, but it didn't act funny, or at least Shimuken didn't find it funny when he came near it and nearly singed his fur. Apart from that, the book really smelled musty, as if it had been unopened for several years and the paper already seemed to be crumbling from age. Shimuken did as he was told and placed the rolled up parchment as near to the crabby old book as he could. Seconds within coming near the book's protective barrier, the paper burned and was pulverized into microscopic bits, startling the small squirrel who sought shelter under the nearest desk. After a few moments, Shimuken poked his nose out experimentally, and decided that it was safe to come out; still curious about the book, Shimuken once more attempted to go near it, and to his surprise (and relief) his fur was left unharmed. With his job done, Shimuken scampered off to look for Aiba and demand immediate payment, with interest...
"Waah. Shimuken nearly got burned!" Aiba screeched as he anxiously watched his small friend through the scrying pool.
"Hey, at least he's still alive." Nino replied "Here, I have his treats with me. You really do have a great squirrel, Aiba. Thank you for letting me use him"
"Of course! Er, by the way, what was in that paper that you gave him?"
"It's a spell to neutralize the protective wards. With some luck, I'll be able to get that book..."
"Ohh. You're amazing Nino! I haven't been able to do that"
"I learned it without them knowing. They don't know that I can do it."
"Why?"
"Because then, I won't be able to do that. And it's convenient for me."
"I see... Hey, if you need my help, I can talk to the other animals too."
"I think I might need your help, Aiba. I'll have to think about this some more." Nino said as he formed his next plan of action...
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