Chapter 28: The Stone

Winter was cold. But the word winter is even an understatement. So cold it was Northern Ice. An apocalyptic feeling for three months as food was stock piled and the windows blocked by walls of snow. It was a lot worse than anyone could predict. Kararagi was a town of red brick, but as matters stood, it was a town of unnatural white snow towers. It was a town of machinery and tall chimney stacks. Smoke constantly pumped into the air to heat up the building but the smoke couldn't melt the snow that had stuck to the towers. Paths were covered never to be found and the river frozen never to flow again. But it was getting better and spring was arriving. The arrival of spring means the arrival of new life. Rem was eight months pregnant and she definitely looked it too. Her stomach had expanded to a grand size and she was fully ready for her child. She often complained of back pain but she knew it would be all worth it. Ram was enjoying her life as it was going to be closing soon. She is regularly confined in Subaru as he seemed to understand her concerns. Ram was slightly worried about her death. But she was enjoying her last few days, she was happy to be with everyone. Crona and Kayo having less to do now spent a lot of time playing board games, Crona had grown to be quite the genius. Otto often played with Kayo and Crona but mostly spent his time with Ram.

It was an early morning. Subaru hadn't slept so well in so long due to the noise of the heavy wind. He slides open the curtain at the window. The snow was lower. Lower than usual. The warmer winds had removed some of the snow and you could clearly look out. Not that there was nothing to look at. Everywhere from treetop to hidden crevasse was covered in the white flakes. Crona came running out from her room and stared out the window.

"You can see outside" Crona explained.

"Oh, isn't that new?" Kayo joked.

"Maybe you might be able to see your house out the back windows" Subaru suggested.

Kayo's house was completed but for her own safety Subaru decided it would be better to stay in the house with everyone else rather than on her own.

"Soon you can put all the work we did to use" Otto followed up.

"I wonder if we could go outside today?" Ram wondered.

"Possibly. Not for long. The weather is so unpredictable" Subaru pointed out.

"How is Rem doing, Subaru?" Otto asked.

"She seems to be doing better today" Subaru replied.

Rem had been quite sick from the cold weather and being pregnant, luckily she had recently gotten better as she was sick for a few days. Rem slowly strolled into the sitting room, supporting herself against the wall to help her bear the weight of her child. Any day now she could enter labour, her time was coming near.

"I am doing a lot better today, I must agree" Rem joined the conversation.

"Oh, you are up and about today?" Ram sarcastically remarked.

"Good because you need to be on top form to be ready for what's coming" Subaru brushed off Ram.

"Ready for snowman-building" Crona cherred.

Crona had left the room without anyone noticing and flew back into the room fully covered in woolen clothes from head to toe.

"Wait, wait I am coming" Otto clambered after her.

"Despite the front she puts up she really is still just a child at heart" Ram smiled.

"She has come a long way, and look how great she stands now" Subaru replied.

"Wait for me" Kayo called out, running after Otto and Crona.

Rem laughed, she looked over at Subaru who had his hands on his hips and had a proud smile across his face. This was his new family he had built and cared for. Subaru was quickly reminded of what was to come as the glossy pink hair in front of him dropped to the floor. The thudding noise of Ram hitting the floor was slightly muffled by the tatami mat. Rem and Subaru dropped to Ram's side nearly just as quickly as she fell to tend to her.

"Nee-sama! Nee-sama!" Rem called.

Ram looked up at Rem faintly.

"I'm fine, just suddenly got a bit light headed" Ram replied.

Ram clenched her forehead with one hand and supported herself against the kotatsu. Rem helped her sit up against the table. A heavy pulsing against his leg alerted Subaru. He reached for his pocket and pulled out a small gem, a token from Roswaal.

"Natsuki-dono" Roswaal called to Subaru.

"Huh, why so formal?" Subaru replied.

"Don't lose it" Roswaal palmed a cloudy green stone to Subaru while shaking his hand.

Roswaal stood tall overlooking his gardens in his mansion, his new maid; Petra, had made a fine addition, although she was still adjusting to the workload, Frederica was returning soon.

"Oh" Roswaal twitched at a ring on his finger.

The ring illuminated a light glow from its green centre.

"I guess it is time" Roswaal concluded, clicking his fingers.

In a blink of light Roswaal's feet were soaked by the cold snow, it was nearly up to his waist.

"I guess I should've expected that I guess" he laughed it off.

Roswaal clenched the glowing stone with his fist and the glowing stopped. Like a shiver running down his spine Subaru felt a presence. Subaru instinctively shot a glance at the window towards the front of the house but the snow still blocked the view. The feeling of this presence completely captivated him. Subaru ignored Ram altogether who was still recovering on the floor. He gripped the gemstone tightly as he slid open the shoji and stepped into the genkan.

"Subaru?" Rem called him.

"I- I'll just be a moment" Subaru stuttered in reply.

Subaru pushed open the front door of the house compressing the snow behind it. The coldness of the snow against his body which was lightly clothed and his bear feet pulled from his trance.

"Subaru" Roswaal called out.

A perimeter of snow quickly melted to water and sunk into the ground around Roswaal revealing him to Subaru. The snow was still stacked up against the house, no one could see in or out.

"Subaru" Roswaal called again.

"Roswaal, the stone it rang out, why are you here? You must help Ram'' Subaru shot out.

"Subaru, I am here because the stone called for me" Roswaal answered.

"Why did you give me this stone? Why is it calling you?" Subaru pestered.

"The stone called because-" Roswaal was cut off.

"Subaru, what are you doing? Roswaal-sama? Why?" Rem approached from the house continuing to question Roswaal like Subaru.

"The stone called because the end is near" Roswaal finished.

We back? Yeah we are! Time to finally wrap this up - L