Chapter Sixteen

The Final Curtain

***

Despite the surprising reappearance of Vexel, things were very quiet; the Brothers had warned Zexion of Vexel's activities and the Realm was on a constant search for her. Jade told the Storm Hawks to keep an eye out for anything suspicious that way both worlds searching for one twisted woman…one shadow looking for one boy…

Firno and Reo had decided it would be safer if Firno stayed at the War residence for protection; the younger brother had no problems hanging around really it just gave him more of an excuse to play with Keeran, when it became dark, the younger brother said goodnight to the small family as he headed for bed.

"Do you think he'll be safe?" Jade whispered as she cuddled up to Reo; Keeran's cot had been moved into the parent's master bedroom; he refused to sleep alone, and it was always easier to look over him, just in case.

"Firno? Yeah, he'll be fine; he's a strong man, he won't let Vexel control him…but it's still best to keep him around, just in case." Reo said, finding his page in a book. Jade nodded and rested her head on his chest; both brothers were strong and she trusted Reo;s judgment "You're right…"

"Oh, I just remembered." Reo pulled the cover off Jade slightly, a hand on her stomach; Jade smiled as she watched him stroke her still flat tummy, she was only a couple of months pregnant, but already Reo sensed the shadow was stronger with this baby then with Keeran. Jade really didn't mind if had more shadow or not; she adored her little boy, she'd do anything for him, even if saving him sent her to heaven; and she was sure she would do the exact same for her unborn child too. Reo was never at fault, and shadow children she found were so easy to care for, they should have no problem, but Reo didn't look too satisfied tonight…

"What's wrong?" Jade she asked concerned at the look on his face.
"Well…the shadow's gotten twice as strong then last night, I doubt that the human side can't last much longer…" He mused softly
"Oh…but doesn't that just mean it'll be easier to care for?" he asked.
"No you don't understand…if the shadow takes over the baby completely and continues to grow strong…it'll kill the baby and probably take you as its host."
"Oh…oh yes of course…" Jade bit her lip, she completely forgot about how dangerous shadows could be inside a human being…

"We'll have to shrink the shadow back; from tonight, every night until the shadow has settled you have to apply a Solaris crystal to your stomach for about fifteen minutes, since I can't do it." Reo said, glancing at the emergency drawer full of crystals Jade kept.

"Yes Doctor Reo." Jade nodded and chuckled softly as she reached over inside the drawer, pulling out a bright yellow stone and pressed it against her tummy. She smiled as she felt the warm glow stretch over her stomach.

As the night went on, and Jade and Keeran slept, Reo was tense; something was wrong but he couldn't put his finger on it; he quietly slipped out of Jade's gentle embrace and paced, he had to think this over…

Meanwhile, in the other room across the hall; Firno sat up in his bed, running a hand through his hair, he had a very sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach, something he hadn't felt before, and didn't like the feel of it either. He stretched, no way was he going to sleep now, he got out of bed and pulled his clothes on, he might as well try and walk it off.

He's barly gotten his pants on when he suddenly gasped as hundreds of small black tendrils wrapped around him tightly before he could even blink. He growled and struggled to be released. He attempted to shout, but a few tiny capillary tendrils went down into his throat like a gag and a larger shadow wrapped around his mouth to silence him completely.

Vexel suddenly grinned down at Firno and cackled in her throat triumphantly as she stepped out of the shadows. Firno remained strong, he would be like Reo and never give in, no matter what she said…but she would hurt the others…but he desperately hoped Reo sensed something.

Firno growled as best he could. He felt the strange pain in his stomach transfer into his hand somehow, both his hands began to ache as power grew stronger.
"Oh not yet, Kratonis…" Vexel hissed, injecting Firno in his arm with a thick, tar like dark grey liquid. Reo stormed into the room, but far too late; Firno was already feeling sick, the room began to spin and shake at the same time.

"F-Firno!" Reo shouted, fear pumping his adrenaline. Vexel sneered at him her eyes glinting maliciously as she disappeared along with her web of shadows before Reo could get a hold of her to find out what she did to his brother. Firno fell to the floor, shaking horribly

"Brother!" Reo ran over, holding Firno to steady him, his mind racing; what ahd Vexel done!? "Firno! Firno talk to me!" Reo shouted. Jade stood in fear in the doorway, Keeran clinging to her; both of them had woken up to Reo yelling the younger Shadows name.

"G-Get out…" Firno muttered, his complexion turned whiter then ever before, white than anyone could ever possibly go even for a Shadow ;his voice was thick and heavy, he sounded sleepy and sounded slurred.

"What?! No I'm not leaving you!" Reo protested in shock as he clung to Firno's shoulders, even by just touching his younger brother, he could feel the poison spreading faster through his brother…what could he do?!

Suddenly, Firno grabbed his neck and squeezed, Jade cried out in shock just as Reo did.
"Quickly! Get out all of you!" Firno pleaded, suddenly his voice started to change dramatically, turning stronger and deeper…it sounded dark and deadly…it wasn't like him at all. Keeran and Jade screamed as Firno placed a hand on Reo's chest and blasted him into a wall, Reo smashed right through the wall and fell onto the grass outside, in shock.

Firno jumped through the hole and landed by his fallen brother, tearing his gloves off. He looked so menacing and scary…his eyes were hollow and completely black, losing the fogged look. He grinned like a madman, laughing harshly at Reo. "Oh how the mighty have fallen!" He snickered softly as he sauntered over to Reo.

Reo gulped and crawled slowly to his feet "B-Brother…?" Reo was scared…no denying it; in fact he'd never felt so terrified in his life; he stood up fully, shaking slightly in the bitter cold; but it was his fear that made him tremble. 'This can't be real…please let it be a dream…please…' Reo thought desperately as he stared at his younger brother

"You don't know what these are do you?" Firno raised his hands. Stretching down his hand from the wrist were thick black lines, like tattoos, but these started to move. They wiggled slowly like a tired worm, glowing ever so slightly. Reo blinked, he remembered he noticed them the first day Firno had been on Cyclonia, but never questioned it…he also remember back when Raves had captured him and he was stuck in the cell, Firno had drained the power of the leech crystal by touching it…

"I can suck any power out of any crystal and bend it to my will!" Firno laughed. "It's been building up for years, brother, yet you never noticed! Want to know why you never noticed?" He asked with a sneer
"Firno please, I-"
"Shut up!" Firno barked, Reo took a few more steps back. "You never paid any attention to me! Not since we came to this hellhole! Because of the stupid human!" Firno finished with a growl.
"You shut your mouth about Jade before I do something I regret!" Reo roared, taking out his blades his anger overwhelming his fear; he'd defend Jade to the ends of Atmos if he had to.

Jade and Keeran were shouting and screaming at Firno to stop. Firno twitched a finger and the whole wall next to them blew sky high; Jade scream and covered Keeran.
"NO!" Reo gasped; Jade ran out of the house hurriedly, Keeran shaking in her terrified arms. "Jade, run for it! Please, just go!" Reo cried out; his priority was protecting Jade and his child first.

"I'm not leaving you! Firno, STOP IT!" Jade sobbed in fear "Please just stop!"

"Don't talk to me, human!" Firno snarled before turning back to Reo. "You won't use your weapons against me, Araxta…" Firno grinned in a twisted demented way.

"You're not my brother, so yes, I probably would." Reo said softly; he realized that now; this was not the brother he'd grown up with

"I am, this is the real me, Araxta!" Firno slowly circled Reo, who never took his eyes off him. "You think that weak side of me was the real me? Don't make me laugh"
"No its not! This is all Vexel's doing! She's brain washed you-!"
"Enough!" Firno stretched out his fingers with a glare "Your voice grates on my nerves" He snarled, he held his hand out to Reo and a short blast sent Reo flying across the length of the garden, dew flying up as the shadow skidded past.

Reo stood up straight away, Firno was right…he couldn't fight against his own family…not against his own brother…

"Tell me something, Araxta." Firno said, relaxing slightly with his arms crossed. "Why did you pick a human over me?"
"I didn't." Reo panted lightly, having the air knocked out of him. "I love you both, what's so wrong with me settling down with someone I love?!"
"It's been like this since we were kids, Araxta! It was always about YOU, never about ME!" Firno protested with a slight snarl his eyes narrowing in anger.

"I never wanted it to be ANY of us! I wanted the best for us, for you!" Reo protested "Then show it!" Firno blasted more of the crystal power at Reo, but the elder dodged them.

"Stop it now!" Jade yelled as she dived on Firno, grabbing hold of his wrists as she tried to pull them down, tears running down her face; she could bare watching her family be torn apart; how could Firno, kind calm sweet Finro suddenly turn and be this monster before her. She wouldn't let Firno hurt the only man she ever loved, she couldn't! Firno grabbed her and threw her down with a growl.

"Leave her alone!" Reo charged at his sibling, dodging any blows and making some of his own, using the shadows as shields, but the brothers were too on a par to defeat each other. Firno suddenly dodged and grabbed Jade b y her throat and held a glowing hand at Jade's stomach with a grin.

"N-No Firno…not the baby…not you're niece or nephew…please…" Reo raised his hands, eyes as wide as Jade, who was too scared to move let alone escape as she fear fro her unborn child, Keeran was hiding in a bush near by, sobbing his little eyes out at the horrific scene.

"Then put the blades away…" Firno chuckled darkly. "Throw them away."
"Okay…okay, I'm doing that…" Reo through his blades over the fence into the spare land on the other side, hands still raised; he had to do as he was told, he couldn't let Jade get hurt because of him.

"Good boy." Firno said with a satisfied smirk before he threw Jade at the bush Keeran was hiding in she fell in and landed hard hitting her head which made her dizzy.

"Stand there, scum!" Firno pointed in front of him, a few meters away, Reo obeyed with shaking arms and legs as Firno laughed harshly, a laugh that hurt Jade and Keeran's ears painfully. "Look at you! So pathetic! I thought you were a PURE Shadow! You're just a coward…you disgust me!"

"I'm disappointed in you too Firno…I thought you were stronger then this…but you're just a little weakling." Reo replied gently but menacingly.
"Why you little-"
"What…too afraid of the truth? Show me that you're strong…fight against it!"
"I'm no fool!"

Vexel's laugh could be heard around them before the witch herself appeared by Firno's side. "Finish him off my son, become the new King, and be respected by all those who doubted you." She said proudly; she was obviously enjoying wathcign the two brothers turn ion each other.

"Don't listen to her Firno! She's being hypocritical; she doesn't care about any of us! She just wants an heir!" Reo pleaded.

"Oh give it up, Araxta, she'll get one, one way or the other." Firno sniggered. "And the only way I can lead a good world…is to get you out of the way." The younger brother said with a dark smirk.

"Firno, have the throne! I don't want it! You don't have to kill me for it!" Reo protested.

Jade shook away the dizziness in her head as she crawled over and watched this felt so helpless. She wanted to attack, to help Reo somehow but she couldn't win against Firno AND Vexel, not only that he pregnancy made her venerable and she couldn't bring Keeran into battle with her…she clung to her son and stomach, praying Reo would get out of this or Firno would come to his senses 'Please…' she begged IN HER MIND 'Please let him be okay'

"The Kingdom won't accept me if you're still alive…say you're last words." Firno grinned, reflecting Vexel's. Reo felt his eyes blur and a tear fell down his cheeks, the other shadows laughed madly at him, Reo begged in his mind for someone to come and help him…Zexion… their father…he had to come…quickly.

But Reo wasn't going to make it, he felt it deep down inside himself, so he wouldn't leave this world in fear…he stood up tall and looked at his foe's in the eye."When I die…I want you to leave Atmos, and never harm my family…that's all I request from you." Reo said, bravely.

Firno pondered this before he shrugged and nodded once. "Agreed."

Reo then tilted his head slightly to the bushes.
"Jade…Keeran…I want you to run…as far away as possible, I want you to find Father…can you do that for me? I just want you to be safe…"

"D-Don't say that…please!" Jade sobbed harder then she ever imagined she could, Keeran hardly took in breath from his cries.
"Daddy! Please make Firny stop!"

Firno and Vexel found all this amusing…

Reo didn't answer Keeran, he felt himself dying already at the sound of his family's weeping it was heartbreaking to hear; he was already a dead shadow walking…why hide it now?

"Can I ask you something Firno…can you live with this?" Reo said, looking at his Brother deep in the crazed eyes. Firno hesitated for a few seconds before he smirked "Yeah, I'll live with it."

Then, it was all over.

Firno clashed his wrists together, blazing white sphere of cracking power gathered together and grew rapidly. With a grunt, Firno released it; Reo closed his eyes before the blast made impact. Reo was sent high into the air, Jade screaming and crying until her throat was raw as Reo landed, shielding Keeran's eyes so he didn't see it, so he didn't have to witness the horrifying scene she had. Matter fell down like rain…it splattered to the ground with a hiss and a small thud as bigger pieces fell along with it…all that remained of Reo War…was almost a torso.

Vexel shrieked with joy and twirled in the falling remains of her elder son; Firno stared at the droplets sizzling on his hot hands.
"Oh very well done, Kratonis!" Vexel giggled darkly. "Now to kill your father…"
"Sorry mother, I'm in charge now." Firno placed a hand on his mothers neck, and she soon joined the Matter bath…before she could even scream.

Jade was surprised she should stand, let alone walk, but she did. In the total shock and fear, she collapsed at Reo's remains…somehow he was still breathing…Keeran clung to Reo's darkened shirt and just rested his head, in shock and out of tears. Reo very weakly rested a hand on Keeran's back and stroked his son's hair.

Jade started shaking horribly, she couldn't control her body. Reo looked at her with the eyes she feel for over two years ago…but the spark of mystery and mischief was gone they;d become dark and dull as his life faded; Reo attempted a smile, but Jade couldn't reflect it. She was too hollow inside…she didn't know what to do…she was an empty shell.

"Jade…" Reo murmured softly. "Can you promise me something?"
"Anything…" Jade nodded, shock cushioned the blow for now.
"Every day…will you tell yourself…and the children…that I love them…every day…without fail…" He choked; It could have been from the rising Matter in his throat, or the tears down his face but it didn't matter what mattered was his request; Jade nodded again, shaking even more.
"I promise…every single day."

Meanwhile, Firno stopped clutching his forehead as the pain subsided, he groaned and rubbed his eyes as they returned to normal.
"Wh-where am I?" Firno blinked and looked at why his feet were sticking to the floor…he then had the sudden urge to throw up…

The whole garden was almost black with fresh Matter, the stench was horrific, it stung his nose to smell it. Then he came across the scene he only saw in his nightmares…Jade and Keeran were clinging to a small body…as Firno focused he suddenly yelled, causing attention on himself.

Reo didn't have the energy to look up, but was determined the poison wore off when Vexel was murdered; Firno was only manipulated when she was alive. Firno's scream rang out as he realized and remembered what had happened; he'd had no control of his actions or speech, he was trapped in his own mind, with Vexel's orders ringing in his skull; Jade snarled but Reo grabbed her wrist softly.

"Don't leave me…" He gurgled. Jade looked back, her eyes wide and she burst into more tears.
"Me leave you! You're leaving me! Please Reo, I can't do this alone! PLEASE!" She sobbed hard into his chest. Reo stroked her hair as best he could, with Keeran clutching to his other hand.

"I'm sorry…I'm so, so sorry…" Reo whispered, ignoring the tears down his cheeks. "I-I can't…"

"NO! No you've got to! What about the baby?! What about Keeran?!" She shrieked. Reo could only sob once; he sniffed and reached pointed to the ground in the creator he was dying in.

Jade looked over she barely noticed a silver glint under the dirt and Matter. Jade reached over and cleaned it off…she couldn't breath. In her palm was an engagement ring. Reo rested his hand on hers.
"I was going to…ask you tomorrow…"
"Tomorrow…t-that's the anniversary of the first day we met…" she said softly as a fresh wave of tears fell down her face as she clutched the ring tightly.
"What time is it?" Reo muttered.
"Almost half twelve…" Jade barely saw the watch through the tears.
"Then…Jade Rotaski…would you marry me?"

"Yes, no hesitation. Yes, yes, yes." Jade leant down and kissed him…for the last time.
She gripped a hold of him as she screamed in grief and sobbed into his chest as she felt his head tilt away and his lips lose firmness, is body relaxed…and he slipped away.

Firno was clutching at the grass, tearing it out and he broke down; he made sobbing sounds but no tears ran down. He killed him…his only brother…the only person he trusted entirely, hands down, no questions asked, the one person eh trusted with his life…and he took him away. He looked up when he heard fearful panting; Zexion stood over him, wide eyed and about ready to crumble.

"Firno…what did you do…?" He gasped softly, Zexion's whole body was shaking at the scene he saw before him; he didn't have a heart but it shook him up to the core.

"I killed him! I didn't mean to!" Firno sobbed, dryly. "She poisoned me! I couldn't stop…" He cried clung to his father's leg. Zexion looked at him in a shocked stare; His eyes swam with so many emotions, anger, pity, sadness, hurt, regret…all of this emotions clashed, he wanted to throw off his son and hug him at the same time… he knew Firno couldn't be fully blamed, he squeezed Firno's arms gently before simply walking to Reo's corpse.

"…Oh Reo…" He said softly a she sunk to his knees; he wanted to cry to break down like Jade and burst into tears; he'd missed out on so much of his sons lives…so much and now his eldest was gone…he wanted to cry but he couldn't, not yet; he had to be strong for Jade and his grandson, even for Firno, if he broke down who would hold them up?

Jade suddenly strained her jaws and growled, she'd run out of tears and now she wanted justice, she turned to Firno looking bloody thirsty as she stood. "I'll kill him!" She screamed, about to charge at Firno, But Zexion caught her and held her back.
"Don't, enough Matter has been shed tonight…I've lost one son…I don't want to lose another" He too was extremely upset about the death of his son, especially by his other child.

"Let her kill me, Father…please…" Firno croaked.
"You BASTARD! After everything he's done for us! EVERY THING HE SACRIFICED!" Jade shrieked before Zexion held her close to let he sob on his chest, scooping up Keeran.

Zexion took the crown off his head and threw it at Firno's feet.
"No throne is worth it…" He muttered.
"I don't want it!" Firno shouted, upset.
"It's too late! You killed your brother…as sad as I am to say it Firno…this is your punishment." Zexion said softly.

Firno swallowed as he gingerly picked up the crown, he deserved this…his father was right "Can….can I say goodbye to him…?"
"No!" Keeran yelled in a high pitched tone as he clung to Jade "Stay away from daddy!"
"Very quickly." Zexion said softly a she stroked Keeran's hair to sooth him.

Firno sat by his dead brother, and clung to him for the last five minutes…

*

King Kratonis the second ordered everyone out of his chambers, so he could be alone. He had been completely blocked out of Jade's life, understandable really. Firno hadn't seen her or Keeran since that night; he often wondered what the baby would look like…Zexion visited him sometimes, but they were short and far between visits.

Firno took the crown off and simply threw it onto the padded throne. He walked through a small door, only royalty could open. He walked through a small garden path, on either side was a statue, getting more and more modern as he trailed the path; this was the royal graveyard. Firno stood at the last statue in the row, there was a very new piece, Reo standing with a grin on his face, changing the pattern of all the stony faces of their ancestors. Firno sat and stared at the statue for a long time, resting a black thorned flower in the vase, which was already filled with flowers from Zexion earlier. He then took out a picture Jade took a long time ago, when Reo and Firno were actually laughing about something, an arm around each other.

Firno smiled weakly at the photo as he remembered that day. He sniffed and felt something trail down his cheek and splash onto the photo before it ran down and sank into the soil…lost…forever.

The End