Note: As always, I don't own the Keys to the Kingdom.
They had tried to destroy the Will, though that was impossible with their power. They broke it, hoping to be rid of it and its influence, though that never happened. The Will was too powerful. The least fragment, the one that had belonged to Mister Monday escaped. An heir would be found soon. They knew what was likely to happen to them.
They met together, right up in the Incomparable Gardens, near the Elysium, so that Lord Sunday would be the most powerful of them all, and force the others to see as he saw fit.
Even Monday had bothered to come there, for he knew the consequences of his actions. The only one absent was Duchess Wednesday, who, they had deposed of long ago.
"Quiet everyone." Lord Sunday said, though none of the others were talking. They were all sitting around an ornate round table, with Sunday's chair being the tallest and grandest of them all. Mister Monday found it hard not to complain that the chair was uncomfortable and he couldn't sleep properly, but for his own safety refrained.
"As you know," He continued, "The Will has escaped. It was inevitable that one of the fragments would break free, and I believe that it is time that we finish the matter once and for all. We must destroy the Will." There was silence from the other days.
"We've already tried that, haven't we?" Saturday said. "It is not poss-"
"It is not possible with the power we wield now. The Seven Keys alone cannot destroy the Will. That is why we will need a power greater than them to destroy the Will." Sunday paused here for an instant, taking in the fact that the others bore expressions of disbelief. Weren't the Keys the most powerful objects in all Creation?
"Seven Keys separate will not do. Seven Keys together still cannot, but the Seven Keys as one can." Sunday spoke. "I know of a way to do it. We will merge the Seven Keys together." He got up, holding a small, blue crystal in his hand. Various hues of blue flowed in the crystal, as if they were staring into a lake. They colors mixed together and separated, only to become one again.
"This is a crystal that was made by the Architect herself." He said. "It has the power to fuse, or combine any number of things or objects, provided that they all consent to do so. However, it appears that She never fully managed to perfect it, for whatever use She had intended for it."
"I found it near the Elysium, and it seems from whatever I can gain, whenever two objects are split, then the sum of their powers are less than that of the whole. This will continue as the objects are split even further." Sunday now gazed up at the sky. "Imagine, all of the Seven Keys fused together, with the whole being many times stronger than all of them combined at the height of their powers. Not even the Will will be able to withstand that."
He now looked at the rest, who had been staring at him, even Monday was pretending to pay attention now. "There are, however, a few difficulties. We will have to finish the crystal, a task I leave for Tuesday and Saturday. There will also be the issue of convincing Wednesday to give her Key as well."
"I can also do that, you know how good I am at convincing people." Saturday said with a sly grin. Sunday said nothing, which meant that the job was hers.
"There is, however, another matter." Tuesday said. He was about to say what all of them were thinking at that moment. They all might work together at times, but they would betray each other quickly for power should they be given the chance. The Treaty existed due to this fact. They would have to make another.
"As so, I will be the one who will wield this ultimate Key and destroy the Will. Of course, this document," he pulled out a long scroll from his sleeve, "states that after it is destroyed you may all take your Keys back."
"Will we get them back?" Monday asked.
"Yes, it's fusing them that's hard. Separating them is easy." Lord Sunday lied without the slightest regret. Should the rest of them have known that they could never be separated once fused, they would never agree to sign the contract.
Of course, Sunday would never violate the contract as it said that he would give the Keys to the others when the One Key was broken, though the One Key was his until broken. The others looked slightly hesitant at signing the contract, so he encouraged them by holding on to his Key. The others watched him apprehensively, they knew that he could still strip them of their powers.
Thursday signed without even reading the whole thing, he would never disobey a superior. Monday was far too lazy to read it, and Tuesday didn't give it much thought. Friday signed it so she could go back experiencing.
'Twas only Saturday who had doubt, though she knew that she would be powerless against the other five. She signed it, and the six seals on it shone in a variety of colors. She took the document and kept it, she would need to get Wednesday to sign it as well.
Lord Sunday smiled. He could get rid of all of them and the Will in one fell swoop.
Arthur stood outside the hospital ward. They had just moved to this new town, when he got to know about Uncle Albert.
He was one of his blood relatives. He was unable to adopt Arthur due to his medical condition. Apparently, he wasn't too right in the head, though the doctors thought that he would be okay soon. He hadn't gotten any visitors in over ten years, so Arthur had thought that he might visit him.
He walked in. The place was pretty neat, though plain. There was only a single bed and a few chairs in the place. On that bed was a man who was rather short and looked weak, as if a blowing wind might knock him over. He smiled when Arthur walked in.
"It's nice to see some people other than the doctors once in a while." He said. "I have a photo of you." He said, taking out a card that was from Arthur's mother. It had a photo of Arthur, who looked just like any newborn baby.
Arthur couldn't think of anything to say at this moment, after all, what could he say at this moment? Before he could even think of saying something, he noticed that there was something odd about the room. Yes, he hadn't been hallucinating, it was as if there was a thick, black fog in the room. Suddenly, he felt weak and collapsed.
Almost an instant later, he woke up, and looked around the room, surprised. They weren't in the same room that they had been in a few moments ago. There weren't a few bed, there were many of them. Everyone was sleeping, and they all were old people, except Arthur.
Suddenly, the ones at the back got up, with their eyes closed, and still walked forward. They looked really odd, Arthur guessed they were sleep walking. The people next to them did the same, and then so did the others.
Including Uncle Albert. He got up (was he strong enough to do that?) and walked with the others, who had somehow made a perfect line.
Arthur realized that he was still holding the card. He frowned, there was something odd about the letters on it. It was as if the type was moving. He watched it, astounded, as they moved around to spell a few words:
Follow the sleepers. Act like them. Do not let them know that you're awake. Do not panic, the Will will be done.
Arthur stared at the writing and then at the others. Uncle Albert was moving with the rest of them, ignoring Arthur when he called for him. Arthur walked up to him and shook his arm, though he didn't seem to take any notice. They were walking out of the door, and Arthur decided to follow them. There they were, slowly moving near the lake. He couldn't believe his eyes, the people were vanishing at the approached it, though they didn't drown. Uncle Albert was going to go near it soon, he had to make up his mind.
He closed his eyes, and joined the line.
He walked a few paces, and decided to close his eyes at the last minute as he approached the lake, not wanting to see what was going to happen.
He didn't drown. He kept on walking, though the ground felt weirder right now. There was something wrong with his balance, it was as if there was less restraint on his legs.
"We've got an odd one here." A voice said. "This one looks to young to be taken."
Before Arthur could open his eyes, the floor beneath his feet melted, and he fell.
He was falling, and he no longer bothered closing his eyes. There was darkness, darkness all around him, though at the last moment light erupted from beneath him and he landed. It didn't hurt too much, though he was sure that the catch in his lungs would come again. It didn't. He got up.
He was standing on metal, and the ceiling was only a few feet high. What was more important, Uncle Albert was nowhere to be seen.
The letters that were on the card began to move, swirling and twisting, at last taking the shape of a frog, something that Arthur didn't find too impossible given the current events.
"Where are we?" Arthur asked.
"The lower levels of the Upper House. Saturday will not be expecting us to infiltrate her territory, and it is difficult to detect me amidst so much sorcery." The Will said. Arthur didn't get a word of it, and listened closely as it spoke, speaking of a long tale about the place they were in, of the Keys, of the Morrow Days and what they planned.
"And, of course, we'll reinstate you as Duchess Wednesday later." Saturday said, speaking to Wednesday, who had assumed her human form with a bit of help from Saturday's Key. "So long as you agree to sign this document, we will also cure you of your affliction, and the Will will be gone. Everyone will be happy."
"Are you certain?" Wednesday said, who was restrained by Saturday's sorcery, unable to eat Saturday and the rest of the ship as she desired.
"Have I ever lied to you?" Saturday teased. Wednesday read the document carefully. Yes, it said that she would be reinstated as soon as everyone else got their Keys back, and that she would be cured of her affliction.
"As a bit of goodwill," Saturday said, "I am releasing the part of the Sixth Key that binds you. You will find it easier to maintain your shape with that." She wrote a few words in the air, and Wednesday seemed to relax slightly. Wednesday took her thumb, and marked the document. With the sign of all of the Morrow Days, the seal flared with light for an instant, momentarily blinding all of them.
"Goodbye then." Saturday said, leaving. She would now just have to take the crystal again from Tuesday, and then give it to Sunday, who alone could execute the order. There was something she didn't like about that prospect.
Tuesday used the full might of the Second Key, willing it to add to the crystal before him. It took him hours of painstaking effort using huge amounts of nothing, but he finally finished it, making a mental note to charge Sunday after this was all done.
He was near his grand station, and then and elevator opened, revealing Saturday.
"You have come in good time." Tuesday said. "It is done."
Saturday studied the crystal. "Lord Sunday wants that all of the Morrow Days, once again, gather near the Incomparable Gardens for the fusion of the Keys. Be there." She said, leaving, ignoring Tuesday's comments about he was losing precious working time and calculating just how much he should charge them.
Saturday stared at the buttons in the elevator. She should go to the Incomparable Gardens, but there was a part of her that said otherwise. She took the document again, studying it and the crystal carefully, wondering what was amiss.