SO this has been (somewhat) rewritten with added detail and side stuff~
~0~0~0~0~
They were flying in the sky as usual; heading over to the palace for the weekend when out of nowhere, something hit Alice from behind and went straight through her body. Into her back and out through her chest. The boys heard her ribs shatter.
Surprised and dazed, Alice lost her balance and fell off the broom. Because of that, the broom itself disappeared and the boys fell after her.
The branches around them snapped with ear-splitting cracks as they fell and the younger boys were screaming. The eldest managed to grab Arthur and slow their fall by grabbing the larger branches. The others were lucky to fall against branches that were flexible and still covered in leaves. The leaves and bushes on the ground cushioned their fall somewhat.
The eldest, along with Arthur, landed with a loud thud.
"Ugh… Is everyone all right?" The eldest boy, Adam, called out as he pulled Arthur up.
"I think I broke my arm and leg!" The second eldest yelled back.
"We landed on our feet wrong!" The twins yelped.
"They'll heal! Arthur. You all right? Arthur!"
Arthur was staring at the figure lying against a large tree.
"Gran…?"
"Granny!" The second eldest shouted as he and the other boys crowded around Alice.
"What happened?"
"Grandma Alice! Say something!"
Alice shakily propped herself up against the large tree and pressed her hand on her upper ribs. She pulled her hand back to see it completely covered in dark blood. "…Oh… oh dear." Her voice quivered and she gasped. "… A… Adam..."
"Grandma!" The redhead teen grabbed her hand. "C'mon! You can use magic! You can heal!"
"S… sorry boys… I can't… he… heal this." She said in between gasps. "It's been so l-long since I needed a stro-ong healin' spell; I have …forgotten… what the words were." She gasped again, slightly coughing from the lack of air she could get. "Adam. Take care of the boys." She squeezed Adam's hand. "Make sure …Kai doesn't feed his little dragon licorice again…"
"I will! I'll make sure he doesn't!" Adam promised.
The strawberry-blonde boy hugged his grandmother's free arm. "I won't do it again!" He nearly wailed. The panic finally hit the boys as they realized that she was dying, and fast.
"M-m-m…" her voice became faint and shaky. "Make s-sure the twins and Peter behave-." She coughed loudly and blood trailed from her mouth. "Artie…" She beckoned the preteen closer.
"Yes Gran?" Arthur's eyes burned, but he wasn't about to let her see his tears.
"Roses are your friend… Violets are your foe…Embrace... who you are... and p-put on a show."
"What're you saying Gran?" Arthur gripped her bloody hand; confused from the little poem and horrified at her gaping wound.
She sighed with a small knowing smile but did not answer his question. "Can I have … one last group –cough- hug?"
The boys gently embraced her and she embraced them back, holding them close while she sang slowly with her fading voice.
Hush now dear children
It must be this way
To weary of life and deception
Their favorite song was enough to break the younger four boys' brave facades and they cried. The burn in their throats was too much. Adam bit his lip, determined to stay strong.
Rest now my children
She stroked Arthur's head. Her gentle fingers combed away the sticks and leaves caught in his hair.
For soon we'll away
Her voice became softer, slower.
Into the calm…
…And the… quiet…
~0~0~0~0~
Arthur Kirkland was a serious man. He had friends (though they were few due to his tendency to disagree with others) and was out finding love. One could say that he was very rich, although young he managed to gain a successful career and inherit his grandparent's house; but it was due to his other family members' deaths.
Still, he's rich. He's surprised that the ladies haven't been throwing themselves at him. Maybe he's just too busy with his career...
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOONNNNNK!
The sudden loud foghorn jolted Arthur out of his daze. Out of reflex, he jumped back and crashed into the other reception parties along the docks. This caused him to knock down half of the group.
"WAUGH!"
"Hey! Watch it!"
"It's just a ship's horn, you arse!"
"Get off!"
Arthur ignored them and righted himself. "Oh, I am very sorry miss, are you hurt?" He helped up a woman he had accidentally knocked over, who shook her head.
"Oh, no. It's alright. I jumped too! Silly me." She said with a faint accent as she dusted off her dress. "I did not expect it to be so loud." She paused a moment. "But now I am wondering: what were you thinking about so intensely that the horn surprised you?"
She looked at him intently and Arthur fidgeted. "I was thinking about… my grandmother's death."
"Oh, I'm so sorry." The young woman paused, noticing how gloomy Arthur became. "Um…Who are you waiting for? I have a nephew who's supposed to visit within the next two weeks or so."
Arthur was thankful for the subject change. "I have a younger cousin coming from the Americas. He will be staying with me until he is of age. Speaking of which…"
This ship in front of him was the right ship; it even arrived on time, but the passengers were still aboard.
He pulled out his pocket watch to glance at the time.
"Oh. My nephew isn't on this ship. He would be on deck by now annoying the passengers and yelling his head off. It was nice to meet you. Good day." She hurried off.
"Have a nice day!"
He looked back at his watch. "The passengers should have disembarked by now." He muttered as he put the watch back in his coat pocket. The passengers leaning on the ship railings looked confused as well.
Suddenly, a loud commotion broke out on the deck, and the passengers moved away from the noise and up against the rails and slammed into those who were already there.
A blonde teenage boy ran right out of the crowd and to the bow of the ship; followed by a large white bear.
Arthur's eyes widened. He glanced at the people around him out of the corner of his eyes and looked back up at the deck. The boy had run to the very front of the ship, climbed the railing, and was now balancing dangerously on the other side, yelling something unintelligible from where Arthur stood. The bear turned around to face and growl at the few ship officers that tried to follow the boy.
The officers hung back, not wanting to spook the boy into letting go.
No one can see it, Arthur thought.
"Helen?"
A green light leaped from his woven watch chain and landed on his shoulder. The light faded and revealed a blonde fairy with indigo eyes and translucent dragonfly-like wings; she was wearing a dress made of bluebell flowers.
"Yes, Arthur?" The fairy answered his call.
"Will you please make sure the young man doesn't fall and get him to safety? My magic will only bring unwanted attention."
"Understood. I will do my best!"
The fairy flew away gracefully and up close to the boy. The teen noticed her and nearly fell from surprise, but he kept a firm grip on the rail.
The fairy curtsied and smiled at the teen. "Hello. I am Helen. What is your name, might I ask?"
"M-Matthew." The boy replied.
"It is nice to meet you Matthew. Might I ask what you were chanting just a second ago?" She slowly hovered closer to him. Looking at him closely, she could see the dark circles under his eyes and his arms were shaking. He looked fairly clean but it was obvious that he hadn't been sleeping well for at least a few days, if at all.
The teen hesitated. "I just want to leave. I didn't want to come here."
"Where are your parents?" Helen asked. Maybe I can have them help convince him to safety, she thought.
Matthew stiffened and held his breath.
"D... mur... n-not here."
Helen saw his eyes become glassy.
Oh. He wants to join his parents. She thought.
"Do you have friends?" She asked as she sat on the rail next to his hand and embraced it.
"I do, but they're far away right now." He replied.
"Then keep living so you can see them again. They would be devastated to hear the news if you killed yourself."
"That's-." He cut himself off. I only want to be taken. I was calling him to get me.
"Please." The fairy begged. "There's a lonely cousin down there who wants to meet you; your last name is Williams, yes?"
"It is. What is his name?" Matthew asked.
"Arthur Kirkland!" Helen chirped. "He's a bit stuffy but he's really crazy and funny when his best friend comes over to bother him! I could watch the two for hours and never be bored! Just don't eat his cooking! Except his tea and biscuits; those ones are delicious. Oh, you should see him when he's drunk!"
Matthew smiled a little. "We wrote some letters to each other. I would like to meet him for a while." I'll take refuge once he comes for me tonight. "Kumajiro, come back." He called to the polar bear, which faded into a soft light and disappeared into the teen's body.
Matthew looked up at the officers. "I-I... I've changed my mind." He said as he purposely made his voice shaky.
0o0o0o0
Arthur had stayed where he was and watched the two talk.
He had an eerie feeling; as if someone with ill intent was targeting the boy. He glanced around the crowd, then to the docks, then the streets, then tho the buildings- there's someone there. That person is definitely facing the ship with a long stick in their hand. Arthur's instincts were yelling "Danger!"
Helen needs to calm the boy fast or something terrible might happen.
Minutes passed like hours, but eventually the teen called back his bear, which vanished, and he let the officers drag him back aboard the ship.
The crowds on both the deck and the dock sighed in relief and some even applauded, unaware of the fairy's intervention.
Arthur glanced back at the person on the roof but they had disappeared.
Finally, the passengers were allowed to leave the ship. A few minutes later, the teen walked onto the dock with his luggage and Helen bouncing on his shoulder. Two men in white followed right behind them.
"It's him~! It's him~!" She squealed and waved at Arthur. He waved in return and the teen walked up to him. "It's Matthew~!" Helen sang.
"Hello, Matthew. My name is Arthur Kirkland. It is a great pleasure that you will be staying in my home." He held out his hand.
Instead of shaking the aforementioned hand, Matthew instead pulled out part of a beaded necklace from the collar of his shirt. He stared at Arthur with a neutral expression and half-closed eyes.
"He wants to see where you keep me housed first." Helen said. "He just wants to make sure that you are who you say you are. He's become fairly cautious, you see."
"Of course." Arthur pulled out his pocket watch again and pointed at its chain; a long and complicated weave with three colors and a few small beads woven in shaped like flowers.
Matthew nodded and shook Arthur's hand.
I didn't need to see it, but this is an act. I have already known him for a long time. Matthew thought.
"Sir," One of the men in white said. "Now that you have confirmed yourself to be his new guardian, I recommend that you send the boy to the nearest asylum house. His behavior on the ship was disturbing to the public."
"Oh?" said Arthur. "And what has he done that has been too disturbing for the public?"
The man brought out a piece of paper. Apparently he made a list. "He vanished at random moments, he hallucinated and chased an invisible animal named 'Kumajiro' multiple times, he wouldn't stop humming a lullaby. His gloomy appearance bothered the other passengers."
Arthur shook his head. "Of course he would be 'gloomy'. After all, a lowlife murdered his parents last week. It would be strange if he looked cheerful after such an event. As proof, he pulled a suicide attempt on the bow of the ship; a considerable percent of suicides take place because a loved one had died recently. As for 'chasing an invisible animal'…" he held out his hand and Helen jumped onto it. "What is this girl in my hand wearing?"
The doctors laughed. "What girl? Your hand is empty!" One of them said.
"Maybe you can't see her, but your companion does."
"Urk."
"Helen, will you please take off the man's glasses?"
"AUGH! Please don't!" The doctor with glasses said and backed away.
"Then please tell me what she's wearing."
"Alright! Alright! She's wearing a blue dress! Just don't let her touch me!"
The first doctor stared at his companion like he sprouted another head.
"I rest my case. He doesn't need to go to an asylum, he only needs time with family." Arthur picked up one of Matthew's large suitcases "Come Matthew, let's go home."
Matthew nodded and picked up the other suitcase.
They left the docks, and as Matthew stared at all the different buildings, statues, and items in the shop windows, Arthur hailed down a small buggy-taxi. Matthew felt the urge to gawk at the sweets he saw in one shop and press himself against the glass, but he quelled it. First impressions come first. Especially wherever there were lots of people. In his hometown, he didn't need to worry too much about it unless someone new came.
"To Willow Circle please." Arthur directed the driver as he and Matthew sat down on the rear seats and set the luggage at their feet.
On their way through the stone streets, Arthur remembered something. "Oh, silly me. Matthew, the letter I received about your coming had your name and our relation as cousins, but not your age. How old are you?"
Matthew stared at him for a minute before replying, "Sixteen."
"That's good to know. I had to guess your age when I set up your room. It seems I made the right choice of decoration." Inwardly, he was cheering and throwing confetti and flowers.
A few minutes of silence pass, and Arthur was trying to come up with other ideas for conversation to get Matthew to talk to him, when he heard the boy hum.
The slow song he hummed seemed very familiar, so familiar, that Arthur was surprised that he cannot remember where he learned it from or what the lyrics were. "Matthew?"
The boy stopped humming at looked at Arthur.
"Um… where did you learn that song? I think I recognize it."
"Really?" the boy murmured, "You shouldn't be able to know it." Crap. He's beginning to remember. It's too early.
"Oi." The driver called. "We've arrived at Willow Circle. Care to tell me which house to drive up to?"
"Oh, sorry. It is the red brick house near the back, the one with the black gate in front. Thank you."
The driver pulled the buggy up to the gate. Arthur paid the driver and the cousins got off.
"Well, I hope you will like it here, Matthew." Arthur said as he unlocked and opened the gate. "Just before we go inside, I have to warn you; I am a detective by occupation and am currently handling a difficult case."
"I understand. I won't get in your way."
"Oh no, that's not the point. You can help anytime you feel like you have an idea that can help the case. Different views and perceptions have proven to solve cases faster and more often than a closed mind. The point is that there are other detectives living here temporarily, and the house can be a little loud at times." The two walked down the walkway.
"It's taking more than one detective to solve this case?"
"Yes, and they're some of the best in the world. However, many do not speak English as a first language, so some have hired translators. And because of the occasional mistranslation, there are many fights. Some have taken residence elsewhere; I can't house all of them."
"Oh."
"It can be hellish, but tonight we will have a small meeting." Arthur took out the house key from his pants pocket and unlocked the door. He opened the door, picked up both of Matthew's suitcases, and gestured for him to go inside. "After you."
Matthew pushed open the door wider, and looked at the dark yet decorated hallway and staircase. When Arthur looked in, he sighed. "I forgot; it's Saturday, they went drinking last night. Go on in, I'll open the curtains when I get in there."
"Kuma…" Matthew whispered. The necklace under his shirt glowed a soft pale blue; a white light quickly flowed out of it and onto the floor. The light became solid and took the shape of a polar bear cub. "Hey," Matthew cooed, visibly relaxed and picked up the cub. "This is our new home. Let's open some curtains and explore a bit."
"Okay." The cub replied. "I hope we get to eat soon."
"No need to worry, mon cher! I made crepes!" An accented masculine voice called from down the hallway.
"Oh, goody." The cub said.
Wide-eyed, Arthur just realized that he had forgotten to lock the third-story windows when he left the house.
~0~0~0~0~
Remember to make sure you've locked all the doors and windows or else a funny and sexy Frenchman will sneak in.