Here we are, the last chapter. But this is only book one. Tada! Got you!
Book 2 which will be called ''The Waters of the River Never Lie''. At least that's what I planned, but I might change the title later on. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear it. I haven't gotten very far with the writing of book two, so it might be awhile before it's submitted.
The 2,000 viewer special is almost done. I haven't been able to work on it recently since my schedule decided to hate me. But I plan on having it done soon.
I want to thank everyone for your support and commitment to my story. I had serious doubts on whether or not I should continue writing back when I was posting chapter 6. So thank you everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed. I never would have gotten this far without you!
And a special thanks to the following:
Catsafari: For your help and tips. For your interest and support when I was feeling like the story wasn't good enough.
Sindy Sugar: For your encouragement and excitement which lifted my spirits and gave me motivation.
And NoraVonGikkengen: For your interest and amazement at something that I thought was rather mediocre.
I like to think that you all gave strength and faith in not only this story, but with my own skills as a writer. And I can't thank you enough for that. ( And I know how gooey that sounds, but I'm trying to be sincere.)
Anyway, this is the chapter and as such I wanted to let everyone know that each everyone of you has someone who values you. Even if you can't see it because it could be someone in the virtual world, or someone standing right beside you. Just because you can't think of anyone who would value you, let alone yourself, doesn't mean that they're not out there.
What I'm trying to say is keep your values and your love, and one day there will a person for you to share it with. Because they believe in you and now you believe in yourself.
~R.M.R
Baron and the Baroness stared up at the sky, the stars glistening and shining with each wish that a child would make upon them. Wishes that seem simple and not very well thought out, but filled with a tiny whisper of the heart. A word of innocents that is the core of all wishes.
Being a creation allows Baron to somewhat feel the wishes. Mostly of children though, for their wishes are louder and brighter than others.
Before this mess started, he would describe the wishes to Haru.
Back when Haru was safe and happy. Back when all he could think of was to her smile. And she smiled...It was a wish all on its own...
He remembered how they would lay on a blanket he would spread on the ground and how they would look up at the sky. He recalled the instance when a meteor shower ran across the sky and he explained to Haru that those were the most pure wishes made into reality.
She tilted her head at him and confused smile clearly asking him to explain, but without words. He smiled back and his eyes drifted rather whimsically toward the stars.
''It is a celebration of sorts,'' he said, turning back to Haru.
''What do stars have to celebrate?''
''Why, wishes coming true of course. During a shower such as this one, stars celebrate all the recent wishes pure enough to come true.''
''Recent? But if they were recent, wouldn't there be more showers?''
''By recent I mean by years. Every few years they celebrate the purest wishes that come true. Few are pure enough to make this requirement and so the wishlings, the ones that control wishes, set up a system where a certain number must be reached for the celebration to begin.''
''So, the purest wishes must reach a limit marker before the 'wishlings' can celebrate?''
''Precisely.''
''How can you tell?''
''Creations are born by wishes- at least most are. So myself being a creation, I can hear them.''
''What are they saying?''
''You see those people down there? They are like us. Sometimes they fall to make someone else's wish come true. Or something like that. Its's more of a feeling than actual words, although sometimes they use words. Just not in the right order.''
''Not in the right order?''
''Make true wish someone's fall...And then something about what I assume is a type of food.''
''What? Get out of hear!''
''I am being honest.''
''Yeah right! I bet you speak dragon too!''
''Dov zul vah-Haru-joor?''
And they laughed. The comfortable silence followed as they lay there, the sky still dancing with stars as they celebrated.
''What did you mean when you said that the stars feel?,'' she whispered.
''It's a bit complex to describe...''
''Please?''
''...Alright,'' he chuckled.
It felt like the world was filling with good and hope again. It felt like the way you would think a sunrise felt. A burst of bright magical light restoring life to the world filling it with the glow of hope. He always described it this way because he new no other.
Except when he was around Haru.
He longed to let her touch the stars. To see and feel them as he did. But... He couldn't...
How foolish had he let himself be? How ignorant must be to just now realize that Haru wouldn't always be there..
When would Haru go on to the stars without him?
''Do they always do that?,'' the figure beside him said suddenly breaking him from his thoughts.
''Sorry?''
''The stars...Do they always...sound like that?'' The Baroness asked.
''Can you hear them too?''
''Yes. They sound like children, laughing and playing.''
''Hm...I suppose they do...Quite so actually.'' He smiled thinking of a new way to describe the stars to Haru.
''It makes things so much brighter doesn't it?''
''Yes. She does.'' Baron said quietly to himself, thinking about Haru. The Baroness either heard and remained silent or didn't hear at all. To this Baron was thankful.
'But...The Baroness...Why...Why does...' Baron thought. 'She doesn't have to die...right?'
He turned to her.
''There just has to be another way to save you. Perhaps-''
''Baron.'' She placed her delicate gloved hand on his arm. He stopped and looked at her. She smiled and turned back to look at the stars with Baron's eyes never leaving her.
''The way I see it...,'' she spoke softly with her gaze still on the sky.
''Life is a pile of good things and bad things...The good things don't always soften the bad things, yet vise versa...'' She turned her gaze to Baron. Her kind smile not faulting even as her breathing grew irregular.
''The bad things don't always spoil the good things and make them unimportant. But I can definitely add to the pile of good things in the world...I feel they are beginning to-to dwindle..''
The Baroness began to sway, her eyes drooping. Baron caught her before she fell. She was struggling to keep her eyes open.
''You are a person. Please, don't do this! You must know of a 't give up.''
''Baron..you can't save everyone...I wasn't really a person...not...really...I'm half creation...half human...Or rather..I was.'' The Baroness looked down at her cracked hand as it shined a bright pink light.
''It was nice...being...alive.'' She smiled up at him.
His female counterpart started to crack with pink light flowing inside. It followed along her skin and body like cracks on a broken mirror.
She looked up at the stars wishing to hear their laughter for one last time, but instead they started to sing.
''Turn your face towards the sun... Let the shadows fall behind you... Don't look back, just carry on, and the shadows will never find you.''
Eventually the pink light grew more intense and forceful until it broke free and exploded with a powerful burst, sending him back. Baron raised his hand to block the brightness from harming his eyes and tried to peer through his fingers to get a glance up at her. The light flooded her entire body and morphed it, the ears and tail dissolving away. The mirror light started to recede and the cracks began to vanish and all that was left was Haru.
The Baroness had left to join the stars.
Haru was more beautiful then when he had last saw her. The progression of her beauty forced by the mirror hadn't stopped. It looked like it pushed harder than before.
Haru was levitated down to lay on the cold stone by the mysterious power that lifted the Baroness up. Her dress was the same victorian style and the parasol was held in her limp hand.
Baron ran to her and cradled her form in his arms waiting for her to awaken, all the while his mind screaming-''PLEASE, STARS ABOVE, LET HER STAY WITH ME'' -over and over again making a senseless mantra of apologizes.
He just held her close to himself, not wanting to let go. Silent tears streamed down his face as he thought of how selfish and utterly foolish he had been. He put her in harm's way, and he should have never let anything like this happen to her. And now he would lose her. Surely she wouldn't stand him. But he hoped to god, and all the saintly beings, that she would. That she would hold onto him like he was to her, and never let go, in all his selfishness. He had almost given up when she was taken the first time. He almost let go. He almost cost Haru her life. And it was his fault. He lied to her and betrayed her. How could he-
He should have told her. He should have held her when she needed him to. He should have been there. He should have... Now she'll hate him.
Why would she forgive him when he couldn't forgive himself?
All these terrible things he thought, he believed and even though it was thought impossible for it to become worse, it did when she started to stir.
''Baron?,'' her small voice uttered his name. The stabbing pain of emotion worsened.
''...I-,'' he began, but was cut off by the sudden movement of her arms wrapping around him. She laid her head on his chest and breathed him in. Haru felt at home again.
''I know...,'' she breathed out in a whisper.
Baron gave a sigh of slight relief and buried himself in the crook of her neck. Her soft hair acting as a curtain to prevent Haru from viewing his tear stained cheeks. They didn't say anything for awhile just sat there on the cold cobblestone holding each other in comfortable silence.
''Baron?,'' her voice called out through the silence, not disrupting it, but merely adding to its calmness.
''Yes?''
''What's going to happen? What else are we going to have to go through before this craziness ends?'' She pulled back to look at him.
''Haru-''
''Baron, what if he wins? What if I'll never see you again? What if he takes me away?''
''...'' he remained silent, slightly turning away as to not meet her eye.
''...Baron?,'' she asked, tilting her head to see him. He gazed toward her again, bringing her form closer to his. He leaned his head towards her's and their foreheads touched. He took a steady breath before he spoke.
''Haru, no one is going to take you away from us. I won't let him take you away from me.''
''Don't make promises you can't keep.''
''That's alright. It's probably a good thing this is a promise that is more of a fact.''
''...Good answer.'' she exhaled and leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder as his own fell to do the same.
''Sometimes I hope that this is all a nightmare. That this is all a horrible nightmare that I can wake up from. But then I think of all I have done. All I've accomplished. All the people and friends I have made and that makes me go on. If not for me, then for them. Because of the people I have grown to love, it no longer makes this a nightmare. I just hope now that this dream will not end.''
''In the Gardens of Memories...
In the Palace of Dreams...
That is where you and I shall meet...''
''But a Dream is not reality...''
''Who's to say which is which?''
The End