Remember

Episode Six: The Gateway

Chapter Two

The afternoon sun poured golden rays of light onto the floor of Blumiere's room, bringing about a soft glow to every piece of furniture. Dark blue skin smeared with dirt was highlighted by the gentle light, a serene reminder that this perfectly still scene was part of a very real, living tragedy. Dimentio observed quietly from one corner of the room, hiding his presence with his cloak of invisibility, and his emotions with his two-toned mask.

He'd been waiting for nearly ten minutes now, and Blumiere still had not moved an inch, save for the occasional shiver. Dimentio could tell by the wounded look on his face that something terrible had happened, but what? Was he pouting over the fact that he was still locked up in his room?

Without a sound he moved a bit closer, trying to examine his cousin's face more clearly. There was something about the way his eyes glittered...something he couldn't quite place. For some reason, it reminded him of his father.

Which brought him to the reason why he was here.

In three days, Dimentio, along with Merletoph and probably Mimi, were going to find this world's Dimensional Gateway and use it to enter the Gateway, which, from Dimentio's limited knowledge of the place, meant that they would be traveling through a dimension that connected all other dimensions through their Dimensional Gateways. Essentially, they would be picking a random door and seeing which world it spat them out on. Furthermore, it meant it wasn't likely they would ever return to this world again. Which meant he'd never see his father again.

Considering how his father had acted towards him for the entirety of his life, Dimentio should have been feeling more joy than anything at this opportunity. But there was an uneasy feeling twisting around in his stomach, something that told him leaving his father was a terrible idea. Especially if he is the wielder of the Dark Prognosticus. He may have the ability to find us in an instant, no matter where we are. Not only would leaving make his father do something potentially dangerous, but Dimentio was beginning to worry that leaving Blumiere here alone wasn't a good idea either.

He'd been pondering his father's relationship with his cousin ever since he'd guessed that his father was trying to kill him. His father had denied it, sure, but Dimentio now knew that his father was very good at telling lies. Up until yesterday, Dimentio had always been told that his mother, a human, had left after nurturing him because she couldn't bear the sight of a non-human child—a monstrosity. So Dimentio had spent his days spying on the human townsfolk, studying them, wondering which one could be his mother.

His father had lied about the very same thing to Blumiere when he asked him to go search for Sha'i. What was the point of that if not to put his nephew in danger? Why purposefully go behind Basile's back and help the king's son escape if he didn't have some higher agenda?

Dimentio could only come to one conclusion: it had something to do with the Dark Prognosticus. Which meant that his father must be the wielder and that everyone in the castle, and in the town, and possibly in the entire world, was in danger.

He had to tell Blumiere. He was the only tribe member besides his father who knew he existed, and probably the only one willing to help. But...here he was, sulking. Dimentio's heart pounded as he drew nearer still, not wishing to alarm his cousin, but also not wanting to speak out loud and risk revealing his presence to anyone outside.

He placed his invisible palm on the corner of the bed, pressing down until it made a sizable imprint. Blumiere either didn't notice or didn't care, so Dimentio hovered above the same spot and allowed himself to drop down, bouncing up and down on the corner of the bed. Blumiere's dulled eyes stared right through him for a moment, but then, as he realized what was happening, he uttered a gasp and shrunk back. The invisibility shimmered away as soon as Blumiere opened his mouth, revealing a bouncing Dimentio with a gloved finger held to the mouth of his mask. He'd changed back into his normal attire before leaving Merletoph's, and though the outfit made him feel more secure and guarded, a part of him missed the feeling of his hair touching his face. At the crest of a jump, he stuck in the air, floating a little closer to Blumiere.

Dimentio began moving his hands about, signing a warning to his cousin. "You need to be careful. It is dangerous for you to stay here."

He was met with a blank stare.

Rolling his eyes, Dimentio tried again, this time going much slower and exaggerating his movements.

Blumiere raised an eyebrow, and uttered a faint, "What?"

"Do you know how to sign?"

"..."

Dimentio narrowed his eyes behind his mask. So his cousin didn't know signs. Is that… Did father just make that up for me? Dimentio mentally shrugged, assuming at the very least that Blumiere was just uneducated.

The sapphire-skinned prince shifted in his bed, leaning closer to Dimentio. A whispered question floated out of his mouth. "Do you know how to write?"

Nodding his head, Dimentio couldn't help but roll his eyes again. Of course I know how to write.

Still cautious, Blumiere slid off of his bed and stepped toward a large desk not far from his bed. He opened one of the drawers and produced a piece of neat parchment and an ink pen. Handing them to Dimentio, Blumiere then returned to his bed.

Dimentio spun the pen in his hand, examining it momentarily before he pressed it to the parchment. He recognized it as a blood pen, one that, instead of using ink, marked with the magical orb from a mage's spell. That meant it didn't require an ink well to use. That also meant Dimentio would be writing with Blumiere's own blood.

The ink, a dark, black-purple color, flowed smoothly out of the pen as Dimentio wrote. Blumiere waited patiently as the nib scratched away at the parchment until the magician hovering above him finally turned it around.

In curving, slanted letters, the parchment read, "I am leaving this world in three days with Merletoph. It is too dangerous to stay here any longer. You are not safe here. My father has been trying to kill you. He has the Dark Prognosticus."

Blumiere stared at the overwhelming bits of information Dimentio had written. His blue skin paled as he re-read it, turning his gaze to Dimentio in disbelief. He opened his mouth to speak, but Dimentio held the pen and parchment out to him before he could say anything. With a dry swallow, Blumiere took them and scrawled out a quick, jagged-lettered reply.

"How are you leaving and why is Aldrik trying to kill me?"

Dimentio retrieved the utensil and stationary. "We are going to the Gateway. We have someone who knows how to get there. I can explain everything else later." After a few heartbeats of hesitation, Dimentio continued. "Come with us. I will help you escape."

"Merletoph!" The name exited Timpani's mouth for the umpteenth time as the drenched woman trudged and stumbled her way through the woods on the western side of town, searching for the old sage's house. She hadn't gone far before realizing she wouldn't even be able to see his house if she came to it, because of its magical cloak, so she'd done her best to follow the trail Merletoph had led her and Blumiere down...last night? Was it really only last night that all of this happened?

Exhaustion had long since begun to affect her eyesight, but now, as she wandered through unfamiliar territory, it was everything she could do to keep her eyes open. Shivering, she pulled the towel around her shoulders closer to her body, though that, too, was soaked.

"Merletoph!" Please hear me. Timpani prayed to her stars again, wondering if they were listening.

A familiar-looking tree caught her eye, so she wobbled over to it. Upon further inspection, it looked like it may have been one she passed last night, but all of the trees were beginning to look the same. Still, it was the only lead she had, so she looked around for anything else that might be familiar. A trampled flower looked suspicious, so she ambled towards it, not considering that she might have just trampled it herself. On the way over, her feet got tangled either with some grass or with each other, and she tumbled, crashing to the ground.

Shadowy claws of sleep crept up from the ground and tried to pull her into the world of the unconscious. Were it not for the chill that grasped her bones, she would have been perfectly content to sleep on the grass. Instead, she curled into herself, too tired to get back up, too tired to cry.

She had just closed her eyes when a sudden spot of warmth spread through her chest as if the sun had finally graced her with a few of its rays. She curled in tighter, relishing it. But the warmth wouldn't stay still enough to comfort her. It bobbed around inside her chest like an apple in a barrel full of water, constantly moving. Timpani focused on the warmth, now convinced that it was not from the sun, and when she did, she was aware that the warmth had a direction to it. It was subtle, but it was almost as if it had a tail attached to it, pulling her deeper into the woods. Startled by this, she sprang up into a sitting position, clutching her head as her vision blurred momentarily. As soon as she stopped thinking about it, the warmth faded back into a bobbing shape inside of her and was fading faster every second.

"Wait," she called into the empty forest, "come back!" The fluttering warmth returned, and this time, Timpani was aware of a peculiar feeling nestled in the back of her mind, almost as if she could feel someone nearby. She glanced behind her, expecting to find a person watching her, but only trees crowded her vision. The warmth's 'tail' was pointing in the opposite direction. Pushing herself to a standing position, Timpani began to follow it, this time more careful on her feet.

It must be Merletoph, she thought, It has to be. This must be his...his soul, or whatever he called it. A smile crossed her face. She didn't dare wonder how it had happened, and instead, let herself be filled with gratitude. The stars had answered her prayers.

It wasn't long before she was able to recognize a path Merletoph had taken before. She emerged from the trees into a small clearing, and instantly she knew she was in the right place. Merletoph's house was right in front of her, invisible to the human eye. She called the sage's name again, reaching her hands out to try and feel the wall of the house.

"Timpani?" The opening of a door split the air, and suddenly the entire house phased into view. Merletoph's head peeked out of the entrance. The warmth flared inside Timpani's chest as she looked at him, and then faded away until she couldn't feel it anymore.

A laugh quickly turned into sobs as Timpani stumbled toward him. "I found you!"

"Gracious stars," Merletoph uttered, guiding her inside. "Come, sit. Tell me you're not wounded."

"I'm okay," Timpani assured him, sinking into the couch. "Your shield protected me. Th-thank you."

Merletoph began to examine her anyway, inspecting her with concerned yellow eyes. "You do appear uninjured."

"Where is Ronan? I...I asked a boy to bring him here, but...I couldn't…"

"Ronan is fine," Merletoph said. "And the woman with him, Kathleen, is healing, too. They should be completely healed in about three days."

"Oh, thank the heavens."

"And what about you? Did you find Blumiere? Is he alright?"

Timpani's lips trembled at the mention of the dark mage's name. A shaky breath escaped her mouth, and she could only nod in reply.

Sympathy warmed Merletoph's expression. He put a hand on Timpani's shoulder. "Why don't you get some rest? You look exhausted. We can talk more about this later."

"Woah, hey!" A feminine voice flew in from the bedroom hallway. "You're back!"

"Ah, Mimi," Merletoph said, "perfect timing. Your friend here is very tired, and there is no space left in my room for her to sleep. Would you mind if she took a nap in your bed?"

Timpani was too exhausted to politely decline.

Mimi's face brightened. "I don't mind! I can show her all the cool things in my room!"

"Let her rest, first," Merletoph chuckled, "and then be sure to ask her before you start showing her your rock collection."

"Thank you, Mimi," Timpani said as Merletoph helped her to her feet. "I would love to hear about your collection after I've rested."

Mimi giggled and clapped her hands together. "Okay! Have a good rest!"

Merletoph led the way to Mimi's room. The bed was small, but Timpani knew she wouldn't have trouble falling asleep. She could have slept on the floor. After changing into a robe offered by Merletoph and giving him her mud-soaked dress to wash, Timpani sunk into the bed, and at last, fell fast asleep.

The black porcelain shingles that covered the roof of the Tribe of Darkness' castle were finally dry enough for Dimentio to recline on. Their rain-polished surfaces still glistened in the sun, becoming almost mirror-like in appearance. The masked boy faced the sky, knowing if he looked at his reflection, he'd only want to see what lay beneath his outer shell.

He still had several hours before his father would meet him here and recently, Dimentio had begun to feel uneasy when he was alone. There was too much going on, too many things he didn't know before that were now made clear to him, and yet, this new knowledge brought countless hidden truths. He couldn't bear to be alone with his own thoughts, not when there was still so much unknown. He replayed his written conversation with Blumiere, his cousin's last reply ingrained into his mind. Had he been right to ask his cousin to go with him?

They would only have to cloak Blumiere's signature for as long as it took to get to the Gateway. Then, his soul would be too far away to concentrate on, just like Sha'i's soul was too far away for Merletoph to properly focus on it. Merletoph was one of the most powerful sages in the Tribe of Ancients, Dimentio reasoned. If it was a difficult task for him, certainly Blumiere's father wouldn't be able to properly track him. But, with the power of the Dark Prognosticus on his side, Dimentio's father was a different story.

What if father can use Blumiere's signature to hunt us all down? Was there any way to know for sure if they'd be safe? And then there's the matter of Blumiere's...agreement. Dimentio sat up, pressing a gloved hand over his masked forehead. He couldn't make this decision on his own. He couldn't stand to be alone anymore. He needed to speak to Merletoph.

Teleportation carried the magician to his grandfather's living room, a place that was now a regular destination. Merletoph was in the kitchen, his back turned, preparing something in a large pot over a stove. There wasn't anyone else in the room, so Dimentio removed his mask before saying, "I have returned, Merletoph."

Merletoph wasn't even startled. "So you have, my grandson. Is something the matter?"

"I have come to ask you a question."

"Oh? Go ahead, then."

"Who is coming with us to the Gateway?"

The contents of the pot fizzled, and Merletoph retrieved a spoon to stir it with. "You and I, of course. Mimi will have to come with, too. Kathleen will lead the way, but she will not be entering the Gateway with us. The boy Ronan will stay here, though. His grandmother is still alive, and I'm sure she would appreciate it if he were returned to her safely."

Dimentio fiddled with the corner of his mask. "Do we...have room for two more?"

Finally abandoning his cooking, Merletoph turned around to face his grandson. "Who do you mean?" His expression was quizzical, but his demeanor was calm as he waited for Dimentio to explain.

"I asked Blumiere to come with us," Dimentio said. He waited for Merletoph to shut him down immediately, but his grandfather did not say anything but nodded toward him, prompting him to go on. "He isn't safe here," Dimentio continued. "My father has been plotting to kill him, though I don't yet know why."

"It would not be safe for us to take Blumiere with us," Merletoph said in a gentle voice. "His soul signature is already well-known here. Assuming your father is the wielder of the Dark Prognosticus, he would have no trouble crossing dimensions to trace Blumiere's signature."

"I could cloak his signature," Dimentio suggested, "twice every day. Just like my father did to me."

"Is that a responsibility you are willing to take? We will be moving frequently from place to place. We will not always be resting at the same time every day."

"The exact time my father cloaks my signature has been ingrained into my mind. I know exactly when seven o'clock is, every morning, and every night. As soon as my signature uncloaks for the first time, I will cloak Blumiere's signature. Every day and night at seven o'clock, I will cloak it again."

Merletoph's lips pursed as he considered Dimentio's proposal. "I fear this may compromise the safety of everyone traveling with us. Are you sure Blumiere will be unsafe here?"

"No one is safe here," the magician said. "Not while my father is still alive. But he is specifically targeting Blumiere, and I… I don't think Blumiere deserves to die. He tried to find my mother, after all. I think…" Dimentio took a deep breath. "I think saving Blumiere would be a nice thing to do. And I want to do what is nice."

A proud smile lifted the corners of Merletoph's mouth. "You are right, Dimentio. That would be a nice thing to do." Stepping away from the bubbling pot of what was beginning to smell like carrots and potatoes, the sage approached his grandson. "If you are willing to take responsibility for your cousin, then we will take him with us. However, you mentioned two additional travelers earlier. Who is the second?"

Dimentio frowned. "Ah, yes. One moment." He reached into a pocket concealed on the inside of his poncho and revealed the folded piece of parchment that contained his conversation with Blumiere. Unfolding it, he presented it to Merletoph, who began to read its contents. As he got to the last line, he closed his eyes and hummed.

"Very well. I will see what I can do."

Dimentio nodded. As he folded the parchment to fit it back into his pocket, he glanced one last time at the final sentence Blumiere had written.

"I will not leave without Timpani."

A somber breeze trickled through the fog that hid the light of the moon from the grassy field. As Timpani waded through shadowy wildflowers, she steeled herself against the night's chill and her unpleasant thoughts.

Early tomorrow morning she was to meet up with Blumiere. She was going to tell him personally that she was not traveling with him to the Gateway, just as she had told Merletoph two days ago when he'd informed her of the dark mage's request. She was going to see him one last time before they all left, and she would wish them a safe journey.

And then she would never see Blumiere again.

Her feet slid to a stop on the damp grass. When she'd told Blumiere she never wanted to see him again, she had been truthful. She'd thought that would be the safest option for both of them. But now that she knew someone in his own tribe was trying to kill him, and that he was about to leave for a place completely unknown and never come back...she didn't know what was safest for him anymore.

But she couldn't go with him. She had to stay here, and...warn the others.

Shaking her head, Timpani picked up her feet and continued walking toward her destination. Nearly half of the people in town had already packed up their belongings and were fleeing for a safer location in the world. Timpani knew of one town about a day's journey away, but some of those making an escape were talking about going even further. She couldn't blame them. The town had been in a silent panic ever since the battle at the castle. There were, of course, those who couldn't afford to leave everything they had and move away. Timpani supposed that was the reason this town still existed, considering the history of deaths caused by the tribesmen in the castle.

She would stay on this world. She would move away with her aunt and uncle and live her normal life again. A pang of sorrow flared in her chest. She didn't even know what 'normal' was anymore.

The light wood of the meadow house cut through the fog just ahead of her. Just the sight of it eased her worrying heart. Even at night, spending time alone in this house brought her peace. She would sleep here tonight, meditating on her thoughts and preparing herself to face Blumiere tomorrow.

She opened the front door to the calming darkness of the living room. She closed the door behind her, moving with practiced steps toward where she knew a box of matches was located on top of a counter in the kitchen area. She slid a match out of the box and struck it against the side, lighting the wooden stick with a small flame. The table directly behind her contained an oil lamp, and she was cautious not to move the blaze too quickly as she turned to light it. Carefully, she lifted the rounded glass cover and guided the fire to the lamp's wick.

"Timpani, don't be frightened—"

The voice that came from the darkness may have been soft, but it was everything Timpani could do not to scream at the sudden noise. She jerked, the lamp's glass case shooting out of her hand and clattering to the floor. The lamp, now holding a flame, flickered orange light into the small room. Thankful she hadn't dropped the match, Timpani gave it a flick to put out the fire and then planted her hands on her hips.

"Blumiere, what in the land beneath the stars are you doing here?"

Blumiere, who had been sitting on the couch, scrambled to his feet and held his hands in front of him defensively. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you—"

"You were sitting on my couch in the dark, Blumiere! Of course I would be startled!"

He retrieved the glass cover from the floor, checked to make sure there were no cracks, and then placed it over the lamp's flame. Timpani backed away from him. "I, er—yes, yes, of course, you would be. I apologize. But please, Timpani, I must talk to you."

"My answer is no, Blumiere. I am not leaving with you tomorrow. That is final." If he wasn't going to give her time alone to think about it, she wouldn't bother thinking about her decision at all.

He walked around the table so he could get closer to her. "Wait, Timpani. Please, just...listen to what I have to say."

Crossing her arms over her chest, Timpani held Blumiere's gaze. She could see in his eyes that he was restraining himself from coming any closer, but his desire to hold her close to him was evident. Timpani stood her ground but replied, "Very well. Speak, then."

Blumiere put a hand on the table, as if he needed to support himself, and then drew in a deep breath. "I never felt love before meeting you, Timpani. And I fear I might never find it again. I must leave this world, for my own safety. But you are not safe here either, no one is! My uncle, who I thought was helping me this whole time, is actually plotting against me. He knows who you are, and he knows our relation. If I escape, I fear he might...use you against me. I cannot allow that, Timpani. I must know you are safe."

Blood roared in Timpani's ears as her heart beat against her chest. "I will escape to a safer place on this world, with my family. I will be fine."

"Answer me this truthfully, Timpani. Do you love me?"

She tore her gaze away from him at last. How dare he ask me this? Memories of their time spent together fluttered through her mind, welling up in her chest until she felt tears sting her eyes. She had only one answer.

"Yes." The word crackled out of her throat.

Blumiere's hands grasped her shoulders as he closed the gap between them. "Then, I have a proposal to make." A quiver worked its way into his voice. "Timpani...will you marry me?"

Stunned, she took a lurching step backward, shaking his hands off of her shoulders. "What…" Crystal eyes shining with tears bored into him. "What are you thinking? There's no possible way… No one would ever allow it!"

"You're right," Blumiere sighed. "It would be forbidden, at least in this world. But if we can't be happy here, we must leave for a place that will accept our love."

"But, Blumiere, is there such a place? How can you be sure we'll find it?" Her voice rose as she recalled how eager her own people were to kill Blumiere and his family. How would he be treated by people who had no idea what he was capable of? "Think… I can't bear to see you hurt again!"

"If our love has no home, let us spend our lives searching together!" Blumiere's calm, persistent voice rumbled over hers, and he stepped closer to her once more. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to be able to keep you safe. So please, I beg of you again… Timpani, marry me! I promise I will make you happy!"

She allowed him to take her hands, but she could not meet his eyes. Instead, she stared at the interlocking of their fingers, her pale thumb, and then his dark blue one. A pattern of light and dark, perfectly balanced.

"You...just won't give up, will you?" Her voice was little more than a whisper. "Of all the crazy, stubborn, foolish men…"

He gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "Timpani, answer me, please!" He was still so far away, but Timpani swore she could hear the beating of his heart.

I was so convinced I'd let him leave me behind, she thought. How did that seem like such an easy decision before? She forced herself to look at his face one last time, to ingrain in her memory the face that she would never see again. She would have to reject him.

But then she looked at his eyes, his wide, perfectly night-blue eyes, his arched eyebrows, and soft black hair, his lips quivering ever-so-slightly as he waited for her answer, and she couldn't do it. Not after everything he'd done, all of the risks he'd taken to see her. Here was a man willing to devote his entire life to her, and she was about to let him go? No. She couldn't do that.

"Blumiere—" she could scarcely get his name out. "I love you. Take me away. Take me to a world where we can be happy." She watched as his face contorted with relief, and a trembling half-laugh, half-sob escaped him as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his chest.

He rocked her back and forth as they stood wordlessly for a few moments, both sniffling to try and clear away their tears. Blumiere broke the silence with a sigh. "Timpani," she could feel his chest rumbling as he spoke. "I want to make a promise to you. If there is a world out there where we can be happy together, I promise I will find it."

"And I promise I will never leave your side as we search," Timpani said. "Nothing will tear us apart. I love you, Blumiere."

"And I love you, Timpani. Hundreds of thousands of years from now, that fact will not have changed."