Recite the pi, recite the poem
Whenever the world seems evil to you,
Remember I care for you, I always do.
In the sea of troubles, I am by your side,
To swim with you be it calm or high tide.
Though time and space might tear us apart,
You're always in my mind, my soul and my heart.
When hellos are gone and goodbyes are here,
We'll meet again, so do not fear.
"…So do not fear."
Klaus Baudelaire's eyes snapped open. He stared at the ceiling for a moment or two, momentarily forgetting where he was. He then sensed movement somewhere next to him, and the next thing he knew, his sister Violet was by his side.
"Klaus?" said Violet. "Did you say something?"
The middle Baudelaire tried to focus on his sister's face — it was pretty difficult to look at her without his glasses on. "…Huh?"
"Dengar," Sunny piped in as she sat next to Violet. Sunny probably meant something like, "We heard you say something just now."
Klaus was about to say maybe he was just talking in his sleep, but then a soft voice came into his head. It was a female's voice…very light and quite melodious too…
"Klaus, are you all right?" Violet said, worried. He quickly nodded.
"I'm fine, I am…it's just…"
"Just what?"
Klaus paused as he heard the same soft voice in his head. He was pretty sure he recognised it, and before long he knew who it belonged to.
"…Violet, Sunny — when we were at Prufrock Prep…did…did Isadora sing to any of us?"
Both his sisters looked at each other, and then back at him. "No, I don't think so," Violet replied, sounding a little bit worried. Klaus narrowed his eyes at her tiredly.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"…Wakaranai," Sunny said after a pause, and she meant something along the lines of, "Now we're really not sure because it's been a while since we left that boarding school."
Klaus sighed. "You're right. Maybe I was just dreaming, anyway… How's little Beatrice doing?" he asked, changing the topic before any of his sisters could ask more about his 'dream'.
"Sleepy in cradle," Sunny said, smiling and exposing her four sharp teeth. The three Baudelaires looked at the cradle that Violet had invented across the room, and smiled. Little Beatrice was growing up steadily indeed, and Klaus had to keep in mind that taking care of her was important, and that he had no time to ponder about a dream for too long.
But all day long, he hummed that tune softly and did so quite unconsciously — thank goodness little Beatrice was okay with it…she could get a little choosey about the songs sung to her.
—X—
Prufrock Prep
Approximately 3-and-a-half years ago
Klaus registered someone entering the Orphans Shack, his or her noisy shoes making noises as he or she advanced further into the room.
"Baudelaires!" he heard the voice — Duncan's voice — called out, shaking him gently by the shoulder.
"Nggh," was all that Klaus could reply. They had been running laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps after laps, and their legs were killing them and their bodies ached and they simply didn't have enough energy to even lift up their heads and greet the Quagmires as they visited them.
"I think we shouldn't disturb them, Duncan," came Isadora's voice.
"Yes…okay," agreed the other — Klaus mentally thanked them for being so understanding, and made a note to thank them immediately when he woke up. Well, he was sure he mumbled a 'thank you' before the triplets retreated out the door, but it would sound like he was snoring anyway.
—X—
"Good morning, Violet," greeted Duncan, giving the eldest Baudelaire a small wave and she waved back. "Did you get enough rest?"
Violet sort of winced as she approached the triplets. "Well, yes, I think," she said, giving a small smile.
"Where are Klaus and Sunny?" Isadora asked.
"I'm afraid they didn't get enough rest," Violet said, glancing at the Orphans Shack. "They're both still asleep. I thought I'd let them sleep for a few minutes more, and then we can get ready for breakfast."
Duncan, probably sensing an opportunity to chat alone with Violet, quickly suggested, "Hey, why don't you go and wake them up, Izzy? Violet and I will be right here — anyway, yesterday you were telling me about that invention of yours…"
Shaking her head at how obvious Duncan's feelings were, Isadora went into the Orphans Shack, her noisy shoes making noises as she approached the two sleeping Baudelaires.
"Hey, Sunny," she said softly, shaking her by the shoulder. "Rise and shine — breakfast awaits us."
Little Sunny opened her eyes slowly and rolled to her side, stretching a little. "Oxygen debt," she said, yawning, and although Isadora didn't understand what that meant, she was pretty sure Sunny was trying to say how tired she was.
"I know," Isadora said, laughing a little, "Violet and Duncan are already outside. You can go join them — I'll wake Klaus up."
Sunny yawned again as she approached the basin filled with water and washed her face. Once she was ready, she slowly went outside and Isadora heard her greet Violet and Duncan, abruptly cutting Duncan's excited speech (they were still discussing one of Violet's inventions).
Isadora turned her attention to the middle Baudelaire, and placed her hands on her hips. "Sleepy head, eh?" she said to herself, a mischievous smile slowly forming on her lips. She then approached Klaus' bale of hay, the noises made by her noisy shoes not at all disturbing Klaus Baudelaire's sleep.
"Hey, wake up," she said, shaking him by the shoulder gently.
"It's… 3.14159265358979323846 …ma'am," he mumbled in reply. Isadora suppressed herself from giggling. Hearing a person reciting the pi in his sleep was definitely new to her.
"I'm not Mrs. Bass, you silly! This is Isadora, now rise and shine!"
"…264338327950288…"
"Oh my goodness, Klaus!" Isadora laughed, unable to suppress her laughter any longer. "Violet," she called out, "your brother just recited the pi when I…"
Laughter from Violet and an explanation about a famous journalist from Duncan told her that Violet Baudelaire was too occupied with her brother to even hear her calling out. So she decided to take things into her own hands.
Reaching inside her pocket, Isadora took out her notebook and flipped to the right page. She hesitated. Her eyes slowly looked at her sleeping classmate — he actually looked a little odd without his glasses, but it wasn't a bad thing. She simply wasn't used to seeing Klaus without his glasses on. Watching his sleeping like this — his face seemed tired and yet peaceful, his chest rising and falling in one rhythm — was something she wasn't used to either.
Isadora blushed. Then she swallowed, and looked at the eight lines of words written in her notebook.
"Klaus?" she called out once more. When he blurted out more numbers, Isadora was pretty convinced that he would not wake up in the middle of her poem recital… So, clearing her throat, she began:
"Whenever the world seems evil to you,
Remember I care for you, I always do."
She stopped, and glanced at Klaus nervously. He hadn't moved a muscle. Now feeling more confident, she stared at the second couplet — and began to softly sing it:
"In the sea of troubles, I am by your side,
To swim with you be it calm or high tide.
"Though time and space might tear us apart,
You're always in my mind, my soul and my heart."
Klaus stirred, but did not recite the pi. He now wore a small frown on his face. So quickly, Isadora finished her last couplet:
"When hellos are gone and goodbyes are here,
We'll meet again, so do not fear."
"…Wha…?"
Klaus Baudelaire had finally opened his eyes.
"Booh!" Isadora said playfully, grinning at him as he sat up. "Rise and shine, it's almost breakfast time."
She watched as Klaus shoved his glasses on. "Did you say something just now before I woke up?"
She gave a convincing confused frown. "Me? No, I didn't say anything — you did though: you recited the pi."
Klaus looked a little embarrassed. "I did?"
Isadora laughed. "It's rather unique, you know."
"…Thanks, I guess."
Isadora Quagmire laughed again, and said it was no problem.
—X—
The island
Present day
"Klaus," Violet called, struggling a little to keep the bowl of porridge out of Beatrice's reach as she took Klaus' notebook from the table next to her, "what's this?"
Klaus Baudelaire looked away from the book he was reading. "What's what?"
"This," Violet said, now reading the words on the page, "It…it looks like…"
She paused for a while, not knowing whether it was wise to say the name, but in the end she did anyway:
"It looks like what Isadora would've written in her notebook…"
"Oh, the couplets you mean?" Klaus said calmly, returning to the book in his hands.
"Yes, these couplets."
"Well," said her brother, "I've been hearing those lines in my dreams lately. So I copied them down."
"…You hear couplets in your dreams?"
"Yes."
"… … …"
"I think Isadora did write them," Klaus said, once again taking his eyes off the book to stare thoughtfully at the notebook in Violet's hand. "And I'm sure she recited those couplets to me…I just couldn't quite figure out when."
Violet didn't know what to say, and Beatrice, as if she knew it was her cue, wailed and pointed at the bowl of porridge in Violet's hand. The subject was not discussed again afterwards.
—X—
The Anxious Clown
Approximately 4 years later
She did not like it.
Isadora Quagmire did not like the way one of the waiters kept glancing at her table. He was a clown with a shocking purple afro wig, with a not-so-big red nose and his face was completely covered in white paint, with the usual lines and patterns painted in black around his eyes and on his cheeks.
She smoothed the sweater she was wearing — again. Yes, she was getting a little anxious. Deciding that she'd leave once she'd finished root beer, Isadora quickly placed the drinking straw at her lips and began to drink.
"Miss?"
Isadora jumped. She was too anxious and wanted to get out of the place as soon as she could until a mere 'Miss?' could surprise her. She whirled around and to her dismay, found the suspicious clown standing right next to her, one hand balancing a tray with a jug of plain water on it, and the other hand smartly placed behind him.
"You startled me — yes, what is it?" she said quickly.
"You've been looking around the restaurant ever since you first arrived," said the clown, "are you, by chance, waiting for someone?"
"No, no I am not, I am here alone. I — I needed some time alone with my thoughts," she added, hoping for the clown to pick up her hint of 'LEAVE ME ALONE!'
"Oh, I see. I'm sorry, I didn't realise this was a sad occasion."
Isadora Quagmire froze. Then slowly, she looked up at the clown, who was also looking at her carefully. After a short pause, she slowly said, "…The world is quiet here."
The clown gave a small smile. Then, to her surprise, the clown began to recite a couplet she had long forgotten, but still deeply treasured—
"When hellos are gone and goodbyes are here,
We'll meet again, so do not fear."
Isadora's mouth hung open slightly as she stared at the clown. It couldn't be! It was impossible! It was…
"3.14159265358979323846…264338327950288…?" Isadora recited.
The clown's smile turned into a grin. "Hey, Izzy," he said, "I recite the pi; you recite the poem, right?"
It was Klaus Baudelaire.
—end.
A/N: I'd like to say sorry if I got the pi wrong (to all you amazing mathematicians... ;D ). To those of you who don't know what 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288 is, try googling it. And as for "How did Klaus survive the sinking of the Beatrice" and stuff, I'll leave that to your imagination. 8D
P/S: Yes, I'm a HUGE Kladora fan. (Gasp) You didn't know this before??