~Chapter Thirty-Five: Death of Humanity
Justuo's Point of View
My drowsy eyes snapped open at the sound on my phone going off. I picked it up, glanced at the caller (because I was so out of it I couldn't tell the song playing), and saw that Aki was calling. And it was three in the morning. God Dammit.
"What the fuck?" I answered. "How many times do I have to tell you, Aki, just because it's four in the afternoon over there in Japan, doesn't mean it's four over here? You do realize it is three in the morning in Virginia right now? And I was sleeping really well, too!" My complaints were cut short when Aki finally broke in.
"Kiyo and her friends have been pronounced dead in this world," Aki said. I heard the news in the back ground, speaking rapid Japanese about the five missing girls, and the one girl in their circle of friends who hadn't budged with any new information. I quickly flipped my television on, and turned it to the news channel.
"After many months of following the story of the five missing girls, many have come to the same conclusion; the girls are dead. The most mysterious case that has baffled many of our finest has finally been concluded. Starting with Kiyo Rakugo's disappearance, followed by Eienyoru Tsukiyomi's strange behavior and withdrawal, Kairi Lin was the next to be reported missing after reportedly taking a walk in the woods behind her grandfather's home. Only days later, Kiyomi Aoyuuki was found missing as well. Months later, after Yami Aki and Mizu Aore suffered the loss of their closest friends and refused to talk to cameras about their losses, they, too, disappeared from Mizu's house. These six friends seem to be connected to each other, but still, Yoru refuses to be interrogated. Our last hope for solving this bizarre mystery of disappearance is to further question friends of these girls to see if any others have any leads to where these children could have gone…"
The lady reporting the case continued but I tuned back into Aki's babble on the other line. "…seems like you're really going to be hammered with some questions considering you and Kiyo dated some way before she went missing. You were close to them, so you should be getting ready to face their questions. You better cover up really good. And make sure to tell the rest of Avalanche the story just in case. Can't have too many holes in the story," Aki said.
"Yea, I got it," I muttered. "I guess that means we have to tell them they're dead over here. Is Hana there?"
"Yea, we aren't doing much in school today. We'll be out of class in about an hour or so. We could meet you in the Paranormal World in a few hours," Aki offered.
"Sure, that sounds good. But I have a few things to take care of before I go," I said. Sayo flashed through my mind.
"Alright, but don't get yourself caught up in this world for too long. Kairi and Kiyo are going to want to know, and I sure as hell am not telling them by myself."
"Yea, okay. I won't be long. I just need to get to the school today for an hour or so, if that. I need to see Sayo," I said stifling a yawn.
Aki chuckled a bit before continuing. "Sorry I woke you so early, brother."
"Yea, yea, you're damn lucky it was for a good reason," I teased.
"Or what? Are you gonna try to kick my ass again?" I knew Aki was wearing a cocky smile that went along with his teasing tone.
"Any time and anywhere," I challenged.
"I'll have to take your word on it then," Aki challenged back.
"Would you give me that phone, Aki? God, you and Justuo are so stupid sometimes," I heard Hana saying in the background.
"Sure, sure, here you go," Aki muttered. "See you later, Justuo."
"Yea later, Aki," I said but before I could finish saying his name, Hana was talking into the phone.
"Hey, make sure you tell Kairi and Kiyo soon, okay? They'll tell the others," Hana said.
"I want to tell them myself," I said automatically. "It wouldn't be right to let Kairi and Kiyo explain it themselves."
"If you're going to the castle to make an announcement, you know we're coming, too," Hana said.
"And so is Avalanche!" Aki called from somewhere near Hana. I laughed and shook my head.
"Alright then," I said, yawning again. "Tell them all, and we'll go after I'm done at the school."
"Okay. Get your rest, sleepy head," Hana teased.
"Blah, blah, blah," I said.
"See you later, Justuo!" Aki called.
"Bye guys," I replied before hanging the cell phone up. My arm flopped back down onto the bed. I closed my eyes and relaxed back into the calming darkness of sleep.
After stopping by my homeroom classroom and telling Kimiko that I wouldn't be in class this morning for the morning show, I found myself walking towards the parking lot from the Tech buildings of the high school campus. I knew "Yoru" usually stood talking with her normal friends. Scanning the parking lot quickly, I saw her standing alone except for the stray student every so often stopping to say a greeting to her. When she saw me, her eyes became guarded; she knew who I was.
"Sayo," I greeted.
"Justuo," she replied in a monotone voice. "What brings you to me?"
"You've seen the news?" I asked, quietly.
"Of course. I think I may make a disappearance of my own. Though, that means Yoru could never come back to this world. It isn't my decision to make," Sayo replied just as quiet.
"Do you plan on living here forever then?"
"Of course not. I am waiting for Yoru to return. When she does, I can be on my way. My brother worries me. I haven't heard from Yoru about him and Kiyomi for awhile."
"Negative… is your brother, right?" I questioned, trying to connect the loose ends.
"Of course. Keep up," Sayo said, evenly. "I haven't heard from Yoru in quite a while actually."
"I'm going to the castle today where they're residing in the Paranormal World. You can join me if you'd like," I offered. Sayo shrugged, and glanced away as if she didn't care. Or maybe that was just her attitude. Damn, I didn't know. I had talked to her all of four times throughout this law shit with Kairi and Kiyo.
"I am leaving this world," Sayo finally declared. "Yoru has had time to decide if she was going to return, and she has not." I waited for more, not really sure of what to say to that. "I'll return on my own will, and finally finish this endless debate. The children are dead to this world."
"I understand," I commented after a while. She nodded precisely. "I have to meet some friends. Let me know what you plan to do so I can cover for you."
"Of course," Sayo replied evenly. I turned to leave, quickly making my way towards the top of the parking lot where I could sneak away and leave the school premises. After walking down the short cut to McDonald's, I went to my car, and left, driving straight for my house where I could be alone and will myself to the Paranormal World.
"Hey, Justuo!" Aki said, hitting my shoulder. "Fayt's been bugging the hell out of me. It's about time you got here."
"Blame my excitement," Fayt said shrugging. "I'm pumped for this!"
"Idiots," Hana murmured as Serein nodded in agreement.
"Don't try to start anything," I said ignoring their comments and acting serious. "Ash is really touchy about his castle. You saw that before."
"Yea, he freaked out because you showed up without his permission," Prompto said.
"By the way, Kairi put up a good fight against you," Serein commented.
"Until you punched her in the ovary," Aki said. "No eggs from that ovary."
"I felt really bad for that," I replied after a moment of remembering the scene. Kairi was fragile even in other worlds. She would have to train harder to catch up.
"Can we please get going?" Hana asked, sounding annoyed. "We can sit here and listen to you boys talk non-stop, or we could go tell the children that their normal lives are dead for good. I'm sure Serein agrees that we should go, right, Serein?"
"Hana has a point, Justuo. Let's get going," Serein agreed.
"Yea, yea," Aki muttered. "Let's go."
"Look on the bright side; we aren't that far away from the castle," Prompto said.
"The only reason you're saying that is because you can't keep up very well," Fayt teased.
Their teasing and chattering continued as we left for the castle. Luckily, as Prompto had said, we weren't far from the castle. Within a half hour of walking, the town was in sight. The atmosphere in my group grew solemn, and I found myself sifting through the ways I could tell Kairi, Kiyo, and their friends that they could never return to the Human World. I could say it bluntly…
No. Definitely not. The image of Yami getting teary eyed flashed through my mind. No. Not bluntly. Maybe I could tell one of them and then that one could tell the others…but that was a bitch move. I'd just have to tell them all to their faces. Or I could have Ash do it…
No. I had to say it. I would say it. If Avalanche were the ones to find out about their "deaths" then we would be the ones to tell them. We were at the castle wall and drawbridge by now. The main entrance to the castle grounds that led to the Garden Courtyard lay ahead. "Ready, brother?" Aki asked.
"Of course," I said. With that, we walked into the Gardens, and towards the main entrance of the castle. Thankfully, the Guardians watching the entrance didn't see us as a threat when we came walking up to the castle. I'm guessing Ash had cleared his "keep Justuo away" orders. I'd had to sneak in to see Kiyo, Kairi, and their friends the past few times. Though, it was a lot easier the last time…Maybe my name really was cleared?
Shaking my head, and forcing myself to clear my mind for the task at hand; telling Kiyo that she could never return to her home world with her friends. My stomach lurched. Maybe it would be a bit harder than I thought. I scolded myself again, and forced myself (again) to think straight. I smelled for Kairi's scent as we entered the castle.
Finding it easily, I followed it while Avalanche followed my trail. I found myself walking down the familiar hall that housed all of Kairi's friends. Hopefully they were all together. I had spoken too soon. Kairi's magical resonance became apparent as I rounded the corner. I stopped just as Kairi bumped right into me. She gasped, and wobbled backwards a little before catching her balance, and realizing who she had ran into.
"Justuo?" she wondered aloud. Her eyes refocused on my friends behind me. "And friends?"
"Hey, kohai," I said simply. "We need to talk to you."
"What's up?" Kairi asked smiling that hopeful smile she always wore.
"I need you to gather Mpopyya, Kairi," I said, calmly. Kairi's smile slowly faded to worry.
"What's wrong?" she whispered, immediately returning to the childish-looking Kairi I remembered from the Human World. "Is someone hurt?"
"No, but we need to talk to Mpopyya. Can you gather them?" I asked. It felt right to call them Mpopyya again. It had been so long since I'd spoken that name.
"And a place to talk where we won't be listened in on," Aki added from behind me.
"Yes, and a place where we can talk in private," I repeated. Kairi nodded slowly, her brows furrowing in worry and confusion.
"Yea, sure. Can you tell me what's going on, though?" she asked. Naïve Kairi.
"I'll tell you all together," I said. Kairi groaned in frustration. I resisted the urge to chuckle at her. "You'll know in time, kohai. For now, gather your friends."
"Yea, yea," she muttered. "Follow me. We'll talk in Kiyo's room. It's got the most chairs and places for everyone to sit." Kairi led us down the hall and to the left. She opened Kiyo's door that had Queen Kiyo Rinoa Everdusk printed on a golden plate. The name Everdusk still sounded foreign to me. She had always been Kiyo Rinobi Rakugo to me. Kairi opened the door and revealed Kiyo's huge room. I mean, damn, her room was as big as my house. A bunch of chairs and couches sat around a lit fire place, almost like a miniature living room.
"How homely," Fayt muttered.
"Is it big enough?" Prompto asked as we entered the room farther.
"Don't complain. I like our rooms being big," Kairi said. "Don't go through Kiyo's belongings, Justuo." She gave me a long glance and I smiled sheepishly. Kairi smiled a strained smile, and left out the door.
"There's enough room for all of us to live in here," Aki said, plopping down on one of the couches.
"I know right. Everyone that lives in His Majesty's castle has to have a room fit for twenty people," I said, sarcastically.
"I would like a bed this big at home…" Hana muttered, taking in Kiyo's bed that could probably fit five people easily. I rolled my eyes, and glanced around, taking in the love of my life's room, and where she would be living for the rest of her life.
Kairi's Point of View
I strode from the room and into the hall in search of a servant around the castle that could gather all of my friends up and get them to Kiyo's room. I was about to send Lancer when one of the servants that I was familiar with, Jack, passed me in the hall on the way to the Dining Hall. I turned quickly, and called out, "Hey, Jack!"
He quickly stopped, turned around, and scurried back to me. "Yes, Guardian Kairi?"
I offered him a soft smile before saying, "Can I ask you a favor, please?"
"Of course, my lady. Anything for Her Majesty's Guardian," Jack replied loyally.
"Can you gather Kiyo, Yomi, Yoru, Mizu, and Yami and bring them back to Kiyo's room, please?" I asked, quickly. I felt an edgy feeling gnawing at my stomach and knew that I should hurry. So I added, "Like, right now?"
"Yes, of course, Guardian Kairi," Jack said, bowing. "It'll only be a few minutes. I'll be on my way. If there's anything else you need, I will always be at your service."
"Thank you, Jack. I really appreciate that," I said, sincerely. Jack nodded, and turned on his heels immediately. He hurried down the hall, and I felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe I shouldn't have rushed him..? My stomach twisted painfully in response to the thought. No, I did what was right. I turned around, and walked back to Kiyo's room where I was greeted by Justuo and his posse.
"Back already?" Justuo asked, raising an eyebrow when I came back into the room. My eyes traveled to a boy with a blond ponytail who was sitting on the couch next to a boy with white hair and orange and purple streaks going through it. I could tell that the one with white, orange, and purple hair was Japanese. Glancing back to Justuo who was waiting for a reply, I simply nodded.
"Yea. I sent one Ashu-Niisama's servants to gather them all up and bring them here." As I said it, I felt numb. I had a sense of foreboding from this little get-together. Justuo nodded and put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me towards the sitting area where most of his friends were waiting and chatting. I took note that there were only two other girls in the room besides me. Justuo was so sexist!
"I should probably introduce you to Avalanche, kohai," Justuo said, stopping a short distance from the sitting area. "Especially considering they will be teaching you as well."
"What is Avalanche?" I asked, as everyone in the room turned their attention to me. "And why will it be teaching me?"
"What is Avalanche?" snickered one of his friends, the one with white, purple, and orange hair. Justuo laughed a real, whole-hearted laugh before answering my question.
"Avalanche is a group of rogues that fight for what they want, and for what they feel is right and wrong. Nobody rules us," Justuo said. Then his friend with the iridescently colored hair continued for him.
"And we do whatever the hell we want!" Justuo rolled his eyes before continuing.
"Anyways, these are the members of Avalanche. This loud mouth that can't keep quiet for five seconds is Akihiko."
"Call me Aki, for short. No need to be so formal, brother," the strange white, purple, and orange haired boy that was Aki said. I remembered hearing a lot about him, Hana, and their now deceased friend, Miki, when Kiyo and Justuo used to date back in the Human World before he royally messed everything up.
"Yea, yea, well if we're doing introductions, might as well introduce with full names. So, yes, this is Aki. The blond one with the pony tail beside him is Prompto." Prompto waved at me as Justuo continued. "The guy with blue hair that kinda looks purple in the light is Fayt. This boring looking Japanese girl is Hana." The girl with really dark brown hair and brown eyes that was obviously Asian threw Justuo an annoyed look before Justuo quickly added, "And the tall, slender blond girl with the dark eyes with purple flecks is Serein."
"Hi," I said awkwardly. I wasn't sure how to respond to the large group of friends he had introduced me to.
"Avalanche, this is Kairi Fatewin, my Human student, and practically my little sister," Justuo said. He grabbed me around my arms before I could respond and 'noogied' my head.
"Ow, hey stop that, you're messing up my hair!" I shouted in agitation as I struggled to get out of his in-Human grip. He chuckled, and released me. "Baka!" I growled at him in Japanese. It meant idiot.
"Any questions?" Justuo asked as if he hadn't just tousled my hair and frizzed it up. I grumbled under my breath as I walked over to Kiyo's bed side and picked up her brush to fix my pink cascade of hair. It had grown a very small amount since I had cut it to my shoulder blades.
"How about species? Is everyone here Human, or are they freakishly strong and quick like you?" I asked with nonchalance.
"Fayt and Aki are Feavii like me. Serein is an Elf, Prompto is Human, and Hana is a Human Hybrid. We aren't sure what exactly Hana is, but she isn't fully Human." I took his words in, nodding slowly as I put Kiyo's hair brush back on her bed side table. "And that's Avalanche for you."
I smiled politely at them, despite the anxiety gnawing at my stomach. What news could Avalanche have for our group, Mpopyya?
Kiyo's Point of View
"Concentrate, Kiyo," Ash murmured as I began to shake with strain of trying to control the air around us. I didn't have a wind teacher, and it was so frustrating trying to learn something without a teacher to teach it to you! I growled in frustration, and my concentration slipped, making me collapse against Ash's strong grip.
"Ash, can we please work on something, anything, except for wind? I can't learn it without a teacher. I need an example," I muttered in defeat.
"Don't push yourself too far. Of course we can work on something else. We can work on water if you'd like?" Ash offered. I didn't say anything or move for awhile as I tried to catch my rapid breath and wipe the sweat from concentrating so hard off my face.
"I actually was expecting to learn something else…" I said, putting on my flirty smile and voice. Ash raised his eyebrows and returned the flirtatious glint in his dark blue eyes.
"If that's what you really want to learn, I could teach you a few things." Ash's voice had become really hot. It was low and seductive; it made me shudder. I automatically moved closer, and was about to kiss him when a loud noise interrupted our small fantasy.
"My Lord, and My Lady," a familiar voice called from not far away. I gasped in surprise, and jumped a bit. Ash and I both looked towards the castle entrance where the male voice had come from. Jack, one of Ash's servants, was standing there, looking a bit nervous. My cheeks warmed as Ash blinked; kinda like he was trying to clear his mind.
"What's wrong?" Ash asked, as I took his hand and pulled back from him some.
"Nothing is wrong, but Guardian Kairi has asked me to tell Kiyo she needs her as soon as she is able," Jack said quickly. A wave of surprise pulsed through me as I looked at Ash for guidance of what to say to Jack.
"I see," he said, looking between Jack and me. "I guess that means it's serious. Kairi never sends anyone to find you. She comes and finds you herself." Ash's calculations made me wonder if anything was wrong. Was she too busy to come and get me? That didn't seem right. Shaking it off, I listened to Ash continue. "Go on then. Don't be too long, love. I'm supposed to be training you, remember?" His teasing tone made some of my worry fade and I smiled, feeling my lust from before return.
"I know. I'll be back soon enough. You can finish teaching me later." I added a wink in the end, and knew I had him under my spell. Smiling to myself, I followed Jack back through the Castle. He told me to go to my room before splitting ways and claiming that he had to gather our other friends as well. More than a little curious, I hurried to my room.
When I opened my door, I froze in surprise for several reasons; One, Justuo and Kairi were both sitting on my bed. Two, there were five other people that I didn't even know sitting in front of my fire place.
"Umm…? Kairi?" I questioned. She gave me a sheepish grin before Justuo's face lit up.
"Kiyo!" he called like a child had just opened a new present on Christmas morning. What the hell was going on?
Yoru's Point of View
My breath came rapid. I pounded as hard as I could against the punching bag. I had bandages wrapped around my knuckles to ease the impact as I rapidly punched, and kicked the large punching bag. Rufus and Archer watched from the sidelines as Rufus called out commands. After non-stop punching and kicking for thirty minutes, Rufus called me off. Feeling disgusting and sweaty, I walked up to Archer and Rufus.
"You did so well, Young Master!" Archer said, sounding really pleased. "You beat your record by two minutes!"
"That isn't good enough," I groaned, feeling down. I was disappointed in myself. I could do better than that!
"Yoru, you did well," Rufus assured me, as if he had read my insecurities. "Don't push yourself too hard, and don't beat yourself up." I didn't argue with him. There was no point in it because it would get me nowhere.
"Take a break and cool down. Walk laps around the gym to cool and grab a sip of water from the water fountain if you need it." Rufus' words registered after I had started doing what they had said. As I lapped the gym twice, the door to the hallway outside of the gym (or Inner Training grounds was its more formal name…) popped open. I glanced up just as Archer and Rufus did. A young servant boy that I'd seen around the castle often poked his head into the door and came in after his eyes landed on me. He walked up to me, bowed gallantly. I twitched a little as I thought of how to react to this when he began speaking.
"Lady Yoru, it seems that Guardian Kairi needs you to gather in Her Majesty's room as soon as it is possible for you. She made it obvious that it was very important." The servant finished before he said his goodbyes and left. I turned back to Rufus and Archer who both were looking about as surprised as I felt right now.
"Well, I guess that cuts my training short today," I said, feeling a bit relieved that I wouldn't have to do more. I was such a lazy person. Rufus nodded in agreement.
"I'll see you when we're due to train again, Yoru. You should probably see what's going on with Kairi. It seems to me that it must be very important." Rufus' words made my mind begin to wander. I nodded quickly, said goodbye, and left for Kiyo's room immediately. I really wanted to shower, and get my nasty, sweaty training outfit off, but if it was so important that Kairi would send one of Ash's servants instead of coming to get me herself then it must be really serious. Maybe even life or death. With those thoughts pulsing through my head, I turned down our hall and made a B-line straight for Kiyo's room.
Yomi's Point of View
"Now, you must sit with your chin and neck at a perfect right angle, ninety degrees, not ninety-one, not eighty-nine, ninety even. If I see you with anything more or less, I will put a neck brace around neck that will force a ninety degree angle…" Fonda's ridiculous babbling continued annoyingly as I stared out into space, wishing that I could seriously throw the cup of tea we were supposed to be learning how to sip correctly right at her stupid annoying face. I was dressed in a dress that was huge and poofed out like a giant mushroom that covered my waist down. My hair was pinned back in a really tight bun, and I was being forced to wear make-up; not even the pretty kind that some young girls wore, but the stupid ancient stuff that fifty year old grandmas wore! I was in five inch heels, and had stupid lacy glove on my hands and arms.
I really was starting to hate Fonda's formality classes. She never quit going on and on and on about posture and behavior and perfection and how much better she was than me because I was a Half-Vampyre and she was a full! It ticked me off!
"Kiyomi, is there a problem?" Fonda asked sounding annoyed. Her stupid English accent snapped me out of my thoughts. I glanced up and put on a very sweet smile.
"Yes, Lady Fonda. There is a problem," I said as sweetly as I could manage.
"Would you like to share it with the class then?" Fonda snapped.
"Of course, Lady Fonda. The problem is your annoying pompous, bum-scooching, and racist attitude towards anyone and everyone that you think is not as amazingly stupid as you! And you're stupid annoying English accent is getting really annoying!" I started out sweetly but by the end I had ground my teeth together and finished with a forced sickly sweet smile.
"Excuse me?" Fonda said, sounding outraged.
"You heard me, ma'am," I replied sweetly. Just as she was about to burst into a huge rant, her door opened, and a young servant boy walked in, Jack. Jack and I had been friends ever since I had snuck out of the castle through a secret passageway. He had seen me leaving and promised he wouldn't tell anyone that I knew about it. Coming back to the present, I watched Jack curiously. When his eyes landed on me, I offered a smile.
Jack smiled tentatively before speaking to Fonda who was watching with critical eyes. "What do you want, boy?"
"I am here for Lady Kiyomi. It is best for her to be in the Queen's room." Before continuing, he turned his attention to me directly as I let the surprising information sink in. "Guardian Kairi said that it was very important for you to meet her and your other friends in Her Majesty's room." I nodded slowly and turned a smirk on Fonda.
"Looks like I'm excused from class. See you later, Lady Fonda." I stood, and walked past a stunned and speechless Fonda. I followed Jack into the hall and said, "Thank you so much." He smiled and replied.
"You're quite welcome. But I still have to get Lady Mizuki and Lady Yami."
"Well I'll see you around then, Jack. Bye!" I said, and I skipped off towards Kiyo's room.
Yami's Point of View
"Come on, Mizu, you're supposed to heal me!" I shouted as I tapped the buttons on the game console's remote. Rath snickered as his character in the video game killed mine before Mizu's character could get to me in time to heal me.
"Rath, that isn't fair! You know we aren't as good as you, damn it!" Mizu growled in anger. Rath laughed out loud as my character came back. Rath had invited us to play games with him in his room before training. Mizu and I, gladly, accepted the challenge and overestimated our abilities. Rath had made us on a team together against him and had given us the ability to come back to life whenever we died, and we were still losing. He hadn't even died once.
"You have a curve! You can come back to life, and it's two against one. That's fair," Rath said, but I could tell he was fighting to keep a smug smile from forming on his lips. I ground my teeth, and had a flash back of when Kairi had let me borrow her Kingdom Hearts game in the Human World. Homesickness washed through me. It had been a very long time…
"Yami, watch out! Rath is behind you!" Mizu shouted. I gasped, and my eyes focused back on the huge flat screen, high definition television Rath had in his room just in time to see Rath's game character pull out Chinese-looking sword. I screeched in surprise and slammed down on the attack button.
My character flipped into the air, pulling a katana out of thin air, and helm-splinted Rath's character. There was a long silence as Rath's character cursed and fell to his knees before admitting his defeat and dying. Mizu was the first to break the now growing awkward silence.
"Fuck yes! That's right, Rath, we won!" She jumped up from the huge (and very comfortable) couch and threw her finger at Rath as she laughed and continued yelling "Yes!" and "We won, bitches!" I shook my head, clearing the déjà vu from my mind and with it, all thoughts of home or homesickness.
"We just kicked your butt!" I said, victoriously.
"Yea, and how many times did I kick yours?" Rath asked, allowing a slim smirk to form on his mouth. He pointed behind an exuberant and jumping Mizu to the screen that showed the statistics of the battle match. "I do believe that says two hundred eighty-four kills to one."
"We still beat you! Just once! That's enough for bragging rights for two weeks!" Mizu shouted, sounding a bit annoyed that he always had to one-up us.
"Yea, yea, you one the battle, but I can grantee that I will win the war." Rath went back to the main menu of the game as Mizu situated herself back on the couch and picked her remote back up (from where she had thrown it to the carpeted floor in the heat of the moment.) Rath clicked "War Mode" and then clicked three players, putting us on the same team again.
"I bet I win for sure on this one," Rath said, about to press play. A quick tap on the door caught everyone's attention. "Come in!" Rath called, sounding a bit annoyed that someone was interrupting our game play.
The door opened, briefly blinding Mizu and I until it shut closed. "Lord Rath, I have been sent by Guardian Kairi to retrieve Lady Yami and Lady Mizuki. She said that they needed to meet her in Her Majesty's room." The male voice that had come from the door had us all looking back at a small servant boy. He seemed a bit winded and weary; making me wonder if he had ran here or if the news Kairi had was really bad.
Mizu and I exchanged glances before looking at Rath who seemed to have gone from "I'm-The-Game-Master!" to "Epic-Vampire-Guardian-Guy."
"Is everything okay, Jack?" Rath asked. All humor had left his voice and he was now all business.
"From what I heard, everything seems to be fine. Kairi just needs all of her close friends in Her Majesty's room for some kind of meeting, I suppose. I do not know much about the reasoning," the servant named Jack said.
"Go on, then. Be careful," Rath said to us after a very long, fidgety silence. We nodded silently, and left with Jack, who led us in the direction towards the East Wing. Anxiety crawled into my stomach as the possibilities ran through my mind.
Justuo's Point of View
The door opened one last time as the rest of Kairi's group of friends, Mpopyya, joined the awkward silence that had enveloped the room. Yami and Mizu (who were in skinny jeans and band tee-shirts) joined Kiyo (also dressed informally), Yoru (who was sweaty and in training pants and a shirt), and Yomi (don't even ask what she was wearing…) who were all still giving Kairi a questioning look (who was just as confused as they were), despite my presence and the fact that I had introduced them to all of my friends. Giving Yami and Mizu and quick introduction to Avalanche, I readied myself to tell them the one thing that would change their lives forever.
"I have some bad news," I began. Kairi's eyes widened, and she instantly moved closer to her friends; a Guardian instinct that they feel whenever they know something could potentially harm their protectants, emotionally or physically. When I didn't continue right away, it was Yoru who spoke up.
"Yes? What is it?" She didn't seem annoyed or loathing like she usually did when she spoke to me. She seemed like a normal, Human teenager that was purely curious about the news I had to bear. It made my stomach clench.
Deciding to get it over and done with, I said it quickly, and as nicely as I could manage in my mental strained state. "The Human World thinks you're dead." There was a very long silence as I held my breath. But no one in Mpopyya said anything. All of them except for Yoru and Kairi stared at me blankly. Finally, Mizu broke the silence with a simple sentence that made her seem young and naïve (in a good way, I suppose.)
"So? Of course they do. We've been gone for months, right? It's only logical that they think we're dead." Mizu's words seemed to force me to find my courage, and I found myself shaking my head slowly.
"No, that's not what I mean. I mean they have officially pronounced each of you dead. There's no going back now." My words were harsh, but I had made them soft, gentle, and what I hoped were soothing. Then the truth seemed to sink in, every one of them except for Yoru seemed to become very solemn. Some had tears welling in their eyes, one of them being Kiyo, though she seemed to be holding them back as best as she could. I almost walked up to her and hugged her, but decided against it.
Kairi's face flushed really badly like it always did when she cried, and I was worried she would be in hysterics, but Yoru put a hand on her shoulder as if to calm her raging emotions. Yami and Mizu seemed too stunned to say anything. Yomi's eyes watered, but her face refused to show emotion.
"We're dead," Kiyo breathed. Kairi put her hand on Kiyo's shoulder as Yoru had her; as if to give strength to both of them. Then Yoru turned to me, completely surprising me and my friends.
"Sayo can leave. A life in the Human World without my closest friends isn't a life I'm willing to live." It was like Yoru had known that I had spoken with Sayo. I didn't show my surprise, but nodded instead.
"I know you each have some thinking to do," I began, glancing at each of them before turning to Avalanche and continuing, "So we will leave you by yourselves. I'll see what we can do about getting you out of training for the day."
Kairi's cheeks flushed even more and a single tear streaked down her face. Her tear was the first of many for that night.
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