Chapter 11: Knight of Wands rx

Rubi closed her eyes. She breathed in deeply, letting the air sit in her chest, gathering up all her frustrations before allowing them to leave in a drawn-out breath. Her lids fluttered open and focused on the single ray of dull light that made it through the heavy drapes. The darkness felt soothing around them.

"Do you remember why things were tense in the Ether?"

The human body was an improper vessel for ethereal energy. It couldn't digest the foreign fuel nor host the souls of those who produced it. Ethereal creatures didn't pick or choose what parts of themselves were preserved. In Rainy's case, she could regenerate the vessel that hosted her; however, her memories were flawed.

"Father Aquarius…" The fae pulled the blanket to cover her neck as she rummaged through her mind. She hoped the warmth could help her translate the thoughts and feelings prodding her tongue. "He wanted the Council and the Houses to choose… Something about the humans. I don't know."

"I don't know either," Rubi admitted. Her smaller container made for an even worse host. "But we have seven years until the Great Conjunction that will usher in the Age of Aquarius. Whatever Father Aquarius is planning, you and I both know it's not good. At least for the humans. Rainy, we cannot be here when that happens."

The familiar had hoped this journey through the most challenging country would have earned Mother Scorpio's favor. She would reward their bravery with a solid pathway back to the Ether. In her most conservative plans, Rubi thought that if they were still here by the time Aquarius ascended the throne, Scorpio could rescue them while citing the neutrality pledge from their lineage. Whatever he wanted to do with the humans didn't have to involve a fae who didn't want to be a human in the first place.

But Rainy did the unthinkable. She used her sacred energy to interfere with a human who had made a conscious decision.

"I didn't know what else to do…." The fae had to ration her breathing to keep her body functioning while navigating the pains and aches that came with it. "I'm in a human body, there are weird thoughts and feelings, and I can't do anything about them…."

Rubi snuggled up to her master over the blanket to not disturb her delicate wounds.

"You should have let him die."

If Mother rescued them, she would be standing behind Rainy's decision. Leaving a single fairy and her familiar to join the rebirth cycle would safeguard the rest of the House from having to participate in whatever Aquarius had planned. Neutrality was a safe option for everyone.

"I tried…" She licked her lips. They felt dry and flaky. The moisture from her tongue stung. This was real. Everything about this moment was real, yet her mind dared to carelessly add words she couldn't take back. "But that felt worse than the idea of joining the rebirth cycle."

Rubi sighed. That's what she thought. "Now what?"

"I'm alive, so there is some hope."

"Uh…huh…"

"If I don't see the Blue Lotus when it blooms, it's over. I'll join the rebirth cycle and release your contract. You can still go back."

"Don't be stupid." Rubi sat up. "But you're still willing to hunt for the flower?"

She nodded. Her neck didn't hurt. "If I do find it, Mother is giving me a chance to return. And I'm taking it. I won't do this again, Rubi. I'll be more serious once we can leave here."

The familiar felt the weight of the bleak future she had envisioned sink into the dark room. If this motivated Rainy to buckle down and push harder for their end goal, then at least they got something out of it.

"Alright. This is the last thing we need to overcome."

"It is."

Rubi snuggled back into her spot. Rainy closed her eyes. Until then, they could rest.

[11]

Sleep bypassed Nanami while he waited for his senior to summon him for their meeting. Even when his mind drifted along, he couldn't relax long enough to see where his thoughts took him.

Two days.

Two days until the opening of the Ethereal Gates.

Gojo placed a paper cup with black coffee in front of him. Nanami knew the bags under his eyes were extra dark that morning. The only thing keeping his hair from his face were his glasses, and he'd just barely changed into some joggers to head out. His senior could have pulled from the endless material his sloppy presentation offered, but he opted for the simple gesture instead.

Gojo seemed a lot more serious than… Ever, to be honest. Nanami felt strange but grateful to be on the same page finally.

"How is work?"

The white-haired man made a face. "Frustrating. Can't get them off my back, you know?" He picked a piece from his croissant, shaking off the excess flakes on top of his other breakfast treat. "Really limiting to my creative ventures, but I always find a way."

Nanami felt the liquid burn his lips. The slight pain made him feel present. "I see."

"But that doesn't matter," he waved the blonde off, putting an end to the necessary formalities. "You seem to have a close relationship with the fairy woman."

Nanami fixed his glasses. "We've come to a cordial agreement."

"It's not a bad thing," Gojo clarified. "To be honest, this is better than what anyone could have planned. You trust her. She trusts you. Perfection."

"What exactly was the plan?"

"The school had their eyes on her for decades but couldn't approach because, one, she was too powerful, and two, there was no way to restrain her. However, in the last decade, she's cast her net to more than half the world, thereby eliminating problem numero uno."

Nanami's eyes settled on the table.

"And then I found this beauty!" He retrieved a small jar. "All the way in a remote village of Haiti. I think it's the last one out there, considering how long the school's been searching for it."

Smoke and wax drippings from the lid stained the glass container.

"Now we just wait for the Blue Lotus to bloom, but instead of allowing her to consume such a precious little gift from the Ether, well, you know the rest."

They would lock her in the jar and have the amulet eat her instead. Rainy would lose all traces of her lineage after a year. She would become a blank slate. A mighty blank slate.

"Wh-" Nanami cleared his throat. He felt dirty just asking. "Who would brand her?"

"Well, of course, the school really wants Master Tengen to have the honors. With an amplifier like that, he'll never need another vessel. We could secure the barrier, maybe even expand it. But her powers are enough to go around so," he shrugged. "Anyone who needs it."

Nanami touched the jar. The radiating ethereal energy tickled his fingers. "May I ask how they lured her?"

"A kid with a cursed technique that allows him to infiltrate dreams. It's obvious that would be her Mother's preferred communication method during the opening of the Ethereal Gates."

"I see. That's why she had two dreams."

Gojo nodded. "Sure. Anyway, do you think you can help me catch her? I think you understand why having her on our side is so important."

"I never liked the way the school did things, but…" Nanami felt a tightness around his heart. "Yeah…"

He couldn't deny the importance of a strong barrier. This country depended greatly on it. Humanity itself…

"She seems to like you," he smiled. "But there's a good chance she'll finally use your name to help fight off her competition. Fairies are never as generous as they seem."

He didn't answer.

Gojo pushed the jar towards Nanami. "I'll be as close as the forest allows, probably by the lake, but I can't go into Limbo. Other than that, you're the hero in this story."

He grabbed the jar. The light around them reflected off the shimmering liquid as it swayed with the container's every movement. It looked like a galaxy trapped in a small space. Little stars comforting him right there and then.

He made a wish.

"You take it." Nanami pushed the talisman back to his senior. "When I see the opportunity, I'll send her to the lake."

Gojo brimmed. "I never took you for a gambling man, Nanami-kun."

"We have a better chance of getting through this together."

"That's the spirit!" He raised his hot chocolate. "To keeping the world safe!"

Nanami stood up. "I'll see you then."

[11]

Rainy looked a lot better by the time he returned home that night. None of the bandages left had any seeping blood, and she was strong enough to sit on the couch with several thick blankets layered on top of her head.

"How are you feeling?"

She blew on the steam coming from the cup in her hand. "I'm alive."

It felt more like a reminder to them that this moment was real. The end of their journey approached.

Nanami felt a slight shiver under his sweater. He cleared the little beads of water that hadn't seeped through the cotton. The former sorcerer didn't remember much about what he did after meeting Gojo, but apparently, sometime during his walk, it had rained.

"Yesterday-"

"I'm sorry."

He breathed out. "What was that yesterday?"

Rainy sat the cup on the side table and straightened herself. He didn't meet her eyes. "I'm really sorry. I panicked and left-"

"That doesn't matter right now. Yesterday, what you did to me…"

It really didn't matter. The fae just wanted to soften her guilt—stupid human body with its stupid human emotions.

"Cursed energy is a uniquely human ability that comes from the soul. Because my soul is not human, I cannot create it. However, we have a common ancestor, Source, which means I can interact with human souls to a certain extent."

Humans were Source's imperfection. They needed to polish their souls through lifetimes of work. Those who overcame their shortcomings could join the Ether and Source's other perfect creations. Souls who shattered under pressure were sent to the Broken Lair.

Together humans and ethereal folks were Source.

"Ethereal energy can amplify cursed energy. That's what I did."

"But you're not supposed to."

Nanami still felt the softness of the wax on his fingers.

"No."

"So why did you?"

"Because I didn't want you to die…"

It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him.

"Will you be hunting the Blue Lotus?"

"Yes."

Or the work of a cunning creature securing her future.

"If you trust me to help you, I can get you through Limbo."

Either way, he had a job to finish.

"Y-you can?"

He finally joined her on the couch. She moved the blankets to make room for him.

His eyes met hers briefly. He was a man of honor, after all.

"Yes."

She lowered her gaze first. A solemn stillness settled in the room.

"Thanks."

Their fates were sealed.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading.