Matthew could only watch in horror as Gilbert grew insubstantial, sinking, falling into earth and clay and darkness. A sound like a final gasp escaped his lips and then he was gone. Yong Soo didn't seem to notice, still channeling energy. He was glowing, moonlight running through him and into his circle, passing into the second through the channel of purifying salt, running through the lines of the pentagram and centering on the still clay figure that was starting to look like Gilbert.
He wanted to run, to scream, to do something, but the magic coursing through him held him still. Every pulse of energy drew another detail into the clay, painted another blush of red, flash of silver onto the cool orange.
And then something jerked, like a frayed rope about to give out. A high, thin keening ripped through the night. Yong Soo looked like he was being torn in half, pulled equally toward the soul he was binding and the moon he was relying on. The surges of power increased in frequency and strength, nearly bringing Bhaltair to his knees and leaving Arthur to mutter a string of curses-prayers-wishes under his breath.
The searing, blinding, freezing power flashed, pushing at its bindings, fighting its restraints. Éimí shrieked, the high, unnatural sound of a predator in pain.
Nikolai curled in on himself, earth-bound body fighting the influx of celestial power. Pain seared at his every nerve-ending, telling him to get out get out get OUT, but he couldn't move, couldn't even think.
Yong Soo gasped, a sharp sound like breaking glass, and the glow suddenly stopped. He collapsed, leaning against the barrier around his circle. It crackled faintly where he touched it, but he didn't move. The power rushing through the diagrams ceased and Alfred's legs gave out, leaving him an exhausted heap just barely within the lines carved into the ground.
"That was quite a trial, da ze~!" Yong Soo grinned weakly. "I bound him as best I could; I don't know if it worked. You all survived, right?"
Nikolai groaned quietly as he straightened into a sitting position. Bhaltair leaned against Ceilí, both of them looking half-dead. Arthur ran shaky hands through his hair. Matthew stood as still as a statue, shock and relief and worry running through him in equal amounts. Worry gained strength rapidly, and he abruptly threw himself to his knees beside the motionless clay doll that was supposed to be Gilbert.
The skin was smooth, soft, human feeling. But it was cold. Cold as the still air around them, cold as the clay it was made from. The chest lay still, the eyes closed. Nothing happened. No flutter of breath, no beat of pulse. Nothing.
"D-damnit, Gilbert! Don't you dare die on me. Don't you dare!" Something like tears choked Matthew's voice. Liquid blurred his vision as he locked his eyes on Yong Soo.
The creature shrugged. "I'm sorry. Really, I am. But if he didn't bind properly, there's nothing I can do."
Matthew broke, burying his face in the unmoving, heat-less chest and crying, body shaking like a branch in a storm. Arthur reached out like he wanted to comfort him, but drew his hand back and looked away. Alfred whispered his brother's name, once, soft and hoarse and unheard.
Nikolai, kneeling beside Matthew, narrowed his eyes. Something seemed off. Forgotten. He closed his eyes and saw it. Saw Matthew, laughing and blushing. Saw him with someone. Someone loud and crass and silver-haired. His eyes shot open and locked on Gilbert, so he was the first one, the only one, to see the pale mouth open in a sharp gasp, to see the color flood the death-white cheeks, to hear the ragged first breath of a new life.
Gilbert sat up abruptly, choking and gasping, drawing air into his new lungs. Matthew, dislodged from his earlier position, sat back, simply staring at him. "Y-you…"
"Yeah, me." Gilbert's voice was raspy and hoarse but unmistakably his. "Who were you expecting, the Easter Bunny?"
"Gilbert, I-I thought, I thought you'd, you'd," Matthew burst into renewed tears and tackled Gilbert in a bone-crushing hug.
"Did I worry you, Birdie?" Gilbert smiled indulgently and rubbed Matthew's back.
Yong Soo cocked his head. "Not that watching human displays of affection isn't fascinating, but can I go now?"
Ceilí looked up. "What? Yes, yes, of course." She intoned something in the dulcet language from before. Yong Soo smiled.
"Thank you!" He slowly began to return to mist. "Hey, Beilschmidt! Good luck on the whole 'coming back to life' thing!"
"Good luck on the whole 'dying world' thing," Gilbert shot back, grinning. Yong Soo laughed as he disappeared. "So, is the spell over now?"
"Yeah. All we have left to do is destroy the circles." Bhaltair stumbled from the pentagram as he spoke.
They all began to obliterate parts of the diagram, rubbing it into the dirt from which it had come. The salt was scattered to the wind, picked up by a helpful boost from Ceilí. As Nikolai smudged out the final line of the pentagram, Gilbert's eyes went blank.
Things were flooding his mind, memories he hadn't realized he'd forgotten. His own high, childish laughter and Ludwig's startled yelp as he was pushed into a pool. Roderich's closed eyes and a gentle lullaby floating on the air as Gilbert tossed, unable to sleep from fever. Francis and Toni, both drunk off their asses, roaring with laughter over a joke Gilbert hadn't heard over the jukebox. A blur of spiked blond hair and broad shoulders and dull, pulsing pain.
"Gilbert? What's wrong?" Matthew's eyes locked with his.
"N-nothing, it's just…nothing." Gilbert shook his head.
"Things are coming back to you." There was no question in Nikolai's tone. "The soul being detached from a body can cause memories to blur and eventually be lost. Being reunited with a body, even though it isn't the original, will bring them back."
"Memories?" Matthew asked quietly, wondering what Gilbert might have forgotten.
"Yeah. Mostly things from when I was a kid, and things I did with Toni and Francis." Gilbert shook his head, trying to puzzle out the last memory.
Bhaltair exhaled slowly, and his barrier dissolved into wisps of light that quickly disappeared.
Ceilí looked over the assembled group. "All right boys, we've had a long night. Why don't we all turn in? Gilbert, you probably need it the most. Your new body needs to gain some energy."
..
Chapter nineteen already! But stayed tuned in, folks, 'cause this isn't quite the last chapter. There'll be at least one more, possibly others. Equilibrium out!