Light Dying

Part IV

"Every action is littered with costs and consequences." Who can say what actions are caused by your own and which you only take part in the consequences. Kit could never imagine what was to come and not every consequence can be dealt with.

The sky was a little grey today and Kit watched the overcast as the trolley pulled her into the city. She couldn't be sure why, but she'd been very uneasy the last two days. There wasn't a cause for it that she could disconcert, she simply felt a building dread. Kit decided to ignore the unease to focus instead on how astoundingly hungry she was, a side effect of her condition.

Thankfully, or unthankful depending on how she looked at it, she'd been fired as Mrs. K for her choice in reading material. Kit stood by it, even if it had lost the V.F.D. their position inside the academy. She was able to escape with a new batch of suffering orphans and hope that a few of those children's vacant stares could be turned intelligent with good literature. Now she could eat things mildly tastier than that cafeteria's nonsense. Not that her cooking was much better, she wished she was headed towards the hotel instead. Being able to spend more time with Dewey lately, he made sure she, er, they, ate well.

Kit looked down at her stomach, setting a hand there for just a moment but it seemed too foreign still so her sharp eyes darted back towards the skyline. She still wasn't settled with it all, wasn't that unusual for her? It wasn't something she expected, or had ever planned on. Kit wasn't sure if she'd wanted it either, but it felt irrelevant now that he or she was here. Maybe it was the hormones changing her old way of thinking. It wasn't entirely the idea of a baby that had her unsettled anymore, it was the timing that made it all the harder.

Kit detested not knowing things, and to not know something like this… she shook herself. Dewey. She had chosen Dewey and that was that. That thought wasn't enough, doubt still wormed its way into her mind, as doubt did. Why, oh why, had it all happened so close together?

She knew why, it was a climax. Being with Olaf again made her realize neither of them could continue to cling on. It reminded her that she had liked being so fully alive once, that once she'd dreamed of more than Jacques' dour outlook on love. She refused to let the hardships of the world take her own hope from her, as it had sucked out most of Olaf's. The whole encounter ended up pushing her past her hesitation about a future with Dewey quickly and then… well now she just couldn't know. Kit had almost felt bad that they were the springboard, so to speak, for her and Dewey until she saw in the news he and Esme had run off together after that terrible auction. She'd always suspected he spent too much time with her after the schism. It must be much simpler for Olaf, than for Kit. She glanced down at her stomach again.

Dewey, she decided. Just the odds were better, weren't they? Three times against once, it must be. It didn't matter, anyways. A child was a future, and she only had a future with one of them. She'd never been able to see a future with Olaf after the fires and the masquerade, but she hadn't really stopped imagining one. Now, now that line of thought was very much finished. Especially considering Olaf's current track record with children.

How could she possibly imagine a possibility where… where this wasn't Dewey's child? Imagine it as Olaf's… maybe once, maybe not even a very short time ago. But since reading up on all he'd done, following up with her fellow Volunteer's? Never. It disgusted her how much he'd done lately.

All the wicked things he'd taken part in or schemed up, had always disappointed or irritated her, but children? He couldn't sink lower. Those poor children. Wasn't Beatrice and Bertrand's deaths enough? Now Olaf was so low as to torment children, orphans? He should understand their pain, but neither of them had to lose parents, become orphans so young. He didn't only not understand, he'd tried to marry Violet! The girl Kit remembered holding as a well behaved infant.

That's how it went now, as soon as she tried to make up an excuse for him, there was something else he'd done staring her in the face. Forcing her to see the truth. Which must be that Olaf was deranged. Money or revenge couldn't be so important as to chase and torment the Baudelaires like this. To kill Monty and Gustav over it. Josephine and Georgina… people he had cared about once! Of course… he hadn't seemed deranged to her when last they met.

Kit wasn't sure he could be capable of all this wickedness, but one thing was certain, it was all of his own doing this time. She'd looked deep enough to be sure. There were no convenient villains pushing him towards their agenda. It was just Olaf this time around. He must have lost his damn mind or maybe the man she'd loved just finally gave up and died in the face of it all.

Kit stepped off the trolley with a hard frown. She wanted to stop obsessing about it. When she was with Dewey, she could. He made her believe in this future he dreamed of. He was so wholeheartedly in his supportive and enthusiastic way that it seemed like the future might be okay. Better than okay, even. For the first time since the schism she wanted to get away from the ugliness of the past and could imagine she had somewhere she wanted to go.

Kit wasn't with Dewey, though, instead she was approaching at her rarely used apartment. With this new hunger she couldn't ignore, distracting herself from her predicament was also, quite impossible. Good thing she was used to it.

She was near her building's door when she spotted a promising scrap of paper being thrown about by the wind. Condition or no condition, Kit's habits hadn't died, and she took after it, swiping it up. She never could know when one might be a piece of evidence that managed to escape the fires and she'd be able to clear Lemony's name. It seemed more important than it ever had been. Kit glanced down again at her stomach, afterall Jacques and Lemony were going to be Uncles soon. She wanted Lemony with Jacques and her now more than ever. Kit just wanted her family to be together.

Kit darted low and caught what looked to be the top page of The Daily Punctillio . Successful, she turned back towards home and Kit freed the sad bit of newspaper from the excess dirt on it.

Oh. The date was yesterday, it did her no good. The news, she found, was never very reliable these days. She straightened with what was left of the front page, her eyes sweeping the headline.

'COUNT OLAF DEAD!'

World Renowned Actor/Villain's Body Discovered By Authorities.

Kit's steady feet stumbled and she lurched to the side. She would have fallen if not for the railing leading up to the building. She read it again and the pain of it was almost too much to bear.

In a moment, in three words, all the wonderful work she'd done cultivating an extreme dislike for him shattered. Love didn't die, even if the life around it did. All the emotions she'd turned off burst from their pipe and overwhelmed her. She'd lost so many people, some to his hand… or his associates, but it didn't change the fact. The two chose their sides of things but deep down none of it mattered.

It just couldn't be true.

Kit was used to loss, but… how could he be dead? She despaired at the thought that she'd never see him again. That he wasn't out there, making something of his life, even if it wasn't what he'd ever hoped for. She couldn't look at the paper and get angry with him for what he let himself become if he weren't out doing it. Olaf just couldn't be gone. Not him.

Part of her aired caution, or maybe it was denial. Her own brother, alive and rather unwell, was reported dead by this very newspaper. So why would it have to be true now? Olaf could be breathing just the same as Lemony. Besides, wouldn't it be just like Olaf to think up some clever ruse to get himself out of all the trouble he'd gotten in by faking his death? Yes. It seemed like just the dramatic thing he might do.

She thought it seemed over the top, but had to remind herself of exactly how over the top his now public crimes were. Kit's throat swelled, as she realized she was thinking of him in the present tense. As if… she glanced back over the headline, feeling nauseous. It couldn't be true, he was too slippery, too clever… he would fake his own death.

He certainly would find a way if anyone could. Kit took solace in thoughts of all the articles declaring Lemony falsely dead. He even had a funeral! Her associates, she assured herself, would know the truth.

Armed with this slight hope, Kit made it up to her accommodations. She shouldn't take anything The Daily Punctillio wrote as fact unless there was a photo attached as proof. They made the wildest claims and were notoriously inaccurate and lazy. Kit made herself the strongest tea she had and then sat down to read the entire article for clues he was still alive.

Today is a sad day for The Daily Punctilio with our deepest

sorrow we report to the good people fortunate enough to

afford the newspaper that Count Omar is DEAD!

Count Omar was arrested by the herole village of V.F.D.

Count Omar was quickly tried for his various crimes and

sentenced to being burned at the stake on the town square.

While the pyre was prepared Count Omar was being held in

the town's jail. While being strung up to the pyre it was

discovered that Count Omar was already DEAD! Murder,

suicide, accidental death, are all questions the people of

V.F.D are asking themselves currently. Police Officer

Luciana was first to announce the mysterious death of

Count Omar the night before his burning at the stake.

The new detective-

Kit's eyes narrowed at the detective's exclamations, thinking that in this current case 'new' meant unlikely to be true. It also seemed possible it was Olaf in disguise. Wouldn't that be the correct play, to put yourself in the role of the law whilst running from it? It seemed perfectly plausible. Kit didn't recall their Sherriff being a woman, either.

The useless article went on to account for the woe that the newspaper wouldn't be able to report on the 'great and majestic villain who terrorized anyone that came to contact with him.' Kit scoffed audibly and nearly threw the thing away. Yes, well of course they didn't know his backstory! The only thing they got right was the 'guess' of the 'reporter' Julienne's that his parents were poisoned. Only half right, as usual with this... this... affront to the good work of real reporters everywhere! Kit sipped her tea too quickly, feeling it burn down her throat, but unable to linger on the discomfort for more than a moment.

One might think this article would be about Count Omar

impersonating a detective in the village of fowl devotees

however it is the opposite. His death has shocked The

Daily Punctillio and its future riveting stories about

Count Omar who we've learned is Count Olaf and

we have been reporting the name wrong for quite

some time now. No matter he will soon be forgotten

now that he is dead. Goodbye Count Omar it was a

pleasure reporting all of your terrible crimes to the

good public.

Kit paused, a relieved smile transforming her face, and the panic that had seized her heart viciously started to ease away. Oh, that was as good as proof. Olaf was alive, and up to his usual devious ways. Kit set the paper down and took her glasses off so she could rub her face a few times. Olaf was okay. Ridiculous man. He could have sent her a message, or something. Of course, why would he? Kit's lips thinned and she replaced her glasses. They were on opposite sides, after all. He'd want V.F.D to think he was dead as much as the law itself. Perhaps more, seeing as they were the only ones to ever put his schemes to rest, when they were able to catch him.

None of that mattered to Kit right now. Oh it should, but she wasn't as noble as she tried to be. Olaf was alive, and her heart could rest easier. Reading between the lines, it was clear that Olaf had used his position as a 'detective' (Kit could only imagine how ridiculous that had been) to pose someone else as him so he didn't have to hide any longer. Of course this damn newspaper never helped anything! They just reported it wrong and accused the wrong people of the wrong things. Like Lemony.

Kit glanced at the rest of the article uncomfortably. Of course, if they were reporting a death, someone had died. Honestly, Kit didn't want to know if Olaf had taken advantage of a death or had simply made his own advantage. She couldn't be sure anymore what he was capable of. So she must read on, because knowing what he did, following it… maybe Kit wasn't as over it all as she'd forced herself to be upon finding out she was pregnant. She continued the poorly written, grammatically incorrect article with a hard scowl.

Most importantly what are our readers going to read

now that Count Omar is dead. He has been in our

headlines for the past bazillion issues it seems.

Always concocting schemes and plans to steal enormous

fortune. Looking past that as his only motive what else

could Count Omar possible want. A close source has stated

that Count Omar and his very fashionable girlfriend Esme

Squalor are after something that holds sugar. A sugar holder.

What could one possible want with a sugar holder? Is this Count

Omar's ultimate plan? Could he be part of a secret organization

that once whole but now split apart? Could he be the one who

has started all the fires? Questions we may never get answers for

simply because we are the outside looking in on a series of very

unfortunate events. We will miss his devious plans to commit vile

crimes to research and investigate to write pulitzer winning articles.

We will miss his nose, eyebrow, and crooked smile on our front cover.

We will most of all miss his antics and schemes against orphans.

Farewell to one of the greatest villains we have ever known Count Omar.

Kit let out an irritated sigh at Geraldine Julienne's finish. She did just love throwing whatever she could manage about their secret organization into things. It was half her fault Lemony was on the run. How did she even know about the sugar bowl? Oh it didn't matter, it was Olaf giving her the news. Well, used to. Now how was Kit going to keep track of him? He'd been in the village, perhaps she needed to go back to taking over Madame Lulu now that she couldn't teach. See what she couldn't find out about the going on's in the Hinterlands.

Kit had a sad feeling she wasn't going to get to see Dewey for a little while again. She wished sometimes he didn't need to stay hidden, but she knew his work was of the utmost important in all of V.F.D. Kit also wasn't about to stop her work, although Dewey had shyly asked once if she wanted to through the pregnancy. The truth was there was too much work to be done right now for her to rest. Later, for now the world was too noisy for her to step back.

Kit picked up her tea cup to sip at as she turned the paper over to read what clues may lie in a follow up article.

Her teacup promptly slipped from her fingers. Kit's dark eyes failed to take in the headlines spouting that the Baudelaire orphans were now the Baudelaire murders nor the heroic efforts of Detective Dupin.

All she saw was a face she knew as well as her own. Her fingers reached out to brush over her twin's inked, troubled face. For the first moment of her life, Kit's thoughts simply stopped. She stared in shock at the page and it wasn't until her elbow set in the wet remains of tea on the table that she was thrown back into a lucid state.

Kit shook her head slowly. The article didn't mention anything about the man known as Jacques Snicket. Only his silent face explained the loss beginning to envelop her. No… no, except the photo's tag clearly stated: 'Count Olaf is dead and Baudelaire orphans are now Baudelaires murderers! They are in jail for murder of Count Olaf.'

The Daily Punctillio always reported it wrong. Kit tried to deny it to herself, but she thought back to the unnamed, mysterious dread that had been building in her for days. She looked at the shattered tea cup with despair. She'd thought it herself, Olaf must have used someone to clear his name. Only it couldn't be true. Olaf would never… not her brothers. Not his friend! He'd never before and Kit wanted to refuse to believe he'd do something that would destroy her life. She did refuse. Jacques just couldn't be... gone. Yet logic and an inky photograph made it abundantly clear.

Kit groped suddenly as a pain developed deep in her chest. It took her breath away and Kit let out a dry sob. Oh, Jacques… he couldn't. He couldn't.

As much as she wanted to deny it, her mind worked quicker than she wanted it to. Everything added up and the evil truth lay plainly before her. He stared at someone troubled, never to see again. Kit was never to smile at her beloved twin again. Kit thought on the last they'd spoken, the last time she'd seen him, with equal despair. It hadn't been enough! How could it be the last! How could anything be the last with Jacques? Nothing could be enough! Kit threw the paper from her, as if it was what had done this, and tumbled up from her chair.

The truth was relentless and the truth was that the person who she was always, and would always be, closest to in this world... was gone.

The one constant in Kit's life had been her twin, and she his. From minutes within their births, it had always been, and always would be. How was it Kit stood here without him? How was this world so cruel that she would not have gone with him, or he have stayed with her?

She didn't remember moving but somehow Kit had made it into her bedroom and she crumbled onto her bed. It was all over, and Kit gave into the despair that constantly tried to catch up to her. She had lost so many loved ones, both to the schism and to untimely deaths since. Nothing, nothing could compare to the grief that threatened to rip her apart ever since her eyes landed on her beloved twin on the front page. The relief she felt that Olaf wasn't dead was quickly dismissed in her pain and an anger replaced it. How could he betray her, betray Jacques, in such a way? The anger only gave her reprieve for a single moment before that too was overcome by grief, making her limbs heavy and her chest ache. Was Jacques in pain when he left this world? Did he know? Or was it simply a swift end? No! Oh she couldn't think about it! Olaf was involved, that much was clear. How could he bring the greatest pain down on her, when once he had claimed to love her forever? Declared he'd never hurt her, and yet... this... this was beyond pain, it was beyond anything.

It was impossible, and she was suddenly living in an out of balance world, one that couldn't spin without its axis.

What did it matter? Why did any of the reasons, or events leading to it matter? Then she'd need to do something about it. No, no, she couldn't do this. She couldn't live with this too. Kit couldn't go on in a world where Jacques no longer existed. Kit didn't have the strength. The worst part? She wasn't entirely shocked. This world was so horrible, so filled with darkness, constantly burning despite all their efforts. Now the brightest light she'd ever known was extinguished too.

Her other half was gone and it felt to Kit as if he'd been torn from her chest.

She vowed then that she was never going to leave her bed. Kit couldn't face a world without Jacques. She didn't care about the needs of others, or the good work that needed doing. She didn't care that he'd berate her for lying down to give up. Jacques didn't understand! He hadn't lost as she had, if the positions were reversed, she argued, he'd do the same. Even if he wouldn't… he wasn't here to tell her that. So Kit grabbed her blanket with weak arms and drew it over her trembling head to block out this dark reality. She couldn't go on with Jacques lost. Kit couldn't find a single reason strong enough to pull her up and away.

Note-

Oh this one was heartbreaking! It had to go into it's own part because it was far too sad! I feel like this thoroughly explains why Kit is so reluctant and steadfast on Olaf's wicked ways at the end of The End, despite both of them dying. He finally did the one thing she couldn't forgive. Of course she does get out of bed eventually, being hungry, and ends up finding a certain message and a Quagmire to lend a hand to. (For those curious, I did write word for word from The Daily Punctillio article featured in the TV show, grammatical errors and all! Obviously I own none of it! G can have her own work! ;) )

This is the end of my series, though! I'll leave their last moments to the unfortunately wonderful author, who captured all of our imaginations! Thank you everyone for reading and please leave me a comment to let me know what you thought of it now that it's done!