Chapter 16:

I held Ty for a while, until I was positive he was asleep. I gently slipped my arm out from under him, getting up, watching as he shifted, rolling over. I sighed, going to the window and pulling the curtains back, staring into the stormy night, thunder rolling through the distant hills. I closed the curtains and grabbed a robe, rushing from our room as I loosely tied it. There were very few lights still on, but as I made my way around, trying to find my Uncle, I paused, seeing the lights for the archive on. Curious, I started towards the archive, thinking my Uncle was there.

"Hello…?" I softly called, slowly walking in as the door creaked, the sound echoing along with the pattering footsteps of the rain. I glanced around, seeing guards on patrol, but they didn't seem bothered at all. I continued through the rows of documents.

"… not in spell tomes, not a mage! Not any record in this blasted archive has anything I can use!" A voice bellowed, unrecognizable.

"Calm down-"

"No! I can't calm down; it's nearly been 20 years since she told us of this information- 20 years I've been searching for clues! I've looked everywhere… And failed." The voice cracked at the last part.

"It's going to be ok, we'll be ready, I promise you everything will be fine." Uncle assured. "You should rest."

"It's dark, I can't rest, my body is awake while my mind lingers elsewhere." I shook my head, leaving. What are they looking for? I doubt I was supposed to hear any of that. As I wandered pointlessly through the halls, I saw some guy, a bit older than me. He had red brown hair, skin that seemed just the slightest bit pale in the dark, and the clothes on his back weren't… the best.

"Hey!" I called, not too loud so I didn't wake anyone. He glanced over his shoulder, meeting my blocked eyes with his blazing ones, like fire in the dark. He turned and took off running. I tried to keep up with him, but considering he was as fast as I wolf and disappeared from my sight, I gave up rather quickly. "Fuck you too kid." I muttered, back tracking to the library. I opened the door, closing it behind me as I entered the dusty room. I grabbed a torch off the wall, lighting it with magic and walking around, looking for something to read. My fingers trailed the layers of dust set upon the binds, until stopping upon a book I hadn't seen before.

History of Gingaria

By: Lancara Smith

Curiously, I took the book, or tried too, the book tilting forward and causing mechanisms to go off. Eventually, a section of bookshelf on the floor pulled itself away, revealing a small tunnel that I could fit through. I instantly dropped to my knees and started crawling through the long tunnel, dragging my torch along with me, though it went out after a minute or so. Once I felt no ceiling above me, I stood, lighting the torch again, revealing an old, crumbling hallway leading down.

Trying not to stumble, I soon found a room with 3 podiums, each with a book placed neatly on top. One podium was blue, like the sky. One was red, like hell. The last was black. I approached the first podium, the blue one.

The Creation

By: Unknown

The cover showed the sun, white fire with a person in its center, floating there, as if raising the sun themselves, the entire body black because of the white yellow sun. I looked to the red podium, moving to it.

Creation of An Opposite

By: Unknown

The cover was split diagonally, from the top right corner to the bottom left corner. On the upper half of the picture was the sun high in the sky, the Overworld in its full glory, the man from before closer, not blacked out from the sun, looking over his left shoulder, a curious look on his face. It was my Uncle. The bottom half had the Underworld, another man standing in front of a lava lake with sharp cliffs and mutated looking mobs in the background. He was looking over the shoulder opposite of my Uncles, his entire face concealed by black because of the intense light behind him. The only thing you could see were his white eyes piercing the dark. It was my dad… I moved to the black podium.

The End

By: Nova Caelum

I just stared at the cover. There wasn't anything there. Just the silver words against the black hard cover of the book, written to a fine point, curved and detailed. The end…? The end of what? I picked the book up delicately, as if it'd fall apart in my hands, but set it back down. I looked around, finding a torch holder on the wall and placing the torch there, removing my robe and lying it on the ground nearby. Returning the book to my hands, I sat down, opening the cover.

Table of Contents

The Beginning

Creating

Destroying

Corruption

The End

Section I

In the beginning, there once was an empty space in time, where nothing may lie or touch. For in that empty space, was a simple nest, hiding the truth behind it. And one day a daring man ventured with his brother to this sacred place that has bred many wonders to the galaxies across all known universes. These men did not care, and used magic to begin creating a better world from the dust and ash that lay there.

That nest, the key holding together the chaos was soon left; abandoned; forgotten. For the creation of this new world had caused its destruction, but the men did not care, simply wished to rule in their own world. But soon they fought for power, believing they could not live in peace and rule with harmony over the subjects. The dark energy seeping from one had begun to spread fear in the minds of the innocent. So the man fled to a different world, opposite of the first both had created.

The remaining brother continued to build his people, build their confidence and trust in his power, all mighty. Little did they know that the nest and what it protected wanted vengeance. Without the sacred ground of the magical beings that protected that land, the skies soon turned red as blood, the ground seeping with anger. When the second brother returned with his army of undead, all the blame was turned to him for ruining the peace and beauty. Before any battle could start, they soon noticed what they'd neglected before. A small, tiny, fragile little girl, upon her hands and knees before them.

Each looked to the other for guidance, as neither had created the being before them. And sobbing. Sobbing sounds came from that girl, faint, eerie. So both went to comfort her, feeling that it was right. As they landed before her, 5 feet between them all, they froze, the sobbing they'd thought they'd heard not sobbing at all. But laughter. Joyful, ringing laughter. And she raised her head and looked them both in the eye, her own as wide as any pair of piercing eyes could get, her smile vicious, curled, ear to ear with jagged teeth forming that white plastered between both thin, pale lips.

Louder, louder now grew the girl. Standing, tall, tall, taller still. And a screech as blood curling as any sound left her mouth, anything but a human noise. Oh, then the wings that came forth from fog on her back, and scales, shining dull like glass in the blazing sunlight, black, covering every inch of skin as a long, spiked tail came from her back, her body getting bigger, bigger still, until a mighty beast stand before them. Standing now on the four legs it had, bellowed a mighty screech from the depths of its throat, coated in venom as sharp as a blade.

And the creatures, oh the vibrant creatures, demented minions that once roamed this land freely, with claws and eyes so big, they seemed to reach into your soul. Fled, did the armies. Fled until their feet may bleed, but they did not surrender the land they once called home, but neither did the beast. No, they fought until many once free innocents lay dead between them all. And together, the brothers forgave, fighting alongside each other to defeat the threat to their land. The land of which they believe to be theirs, oh, but they stole this land from the mighty beast! Stole of which was not theirs to keep!

I slowly closed my eyes, my finger still pressed firmly to the fainted words where I left off. I took a deep breath, continuing to read until I felt drowsy and tired. About to bring the book with me, I paused, deciding to put it back instead. I don't want someone stealing it, now do I? I started back for my room, entering to find Ty still fast asleep, sprawled out on the bed. I chuckled, adjusting him so that I could once more hold him. At my touch around his waist, he rolled into my arms, getting comfortable instantly and once more returning to his deep, welcomed sleep. I sighed, burying my face in his hair and falling asleep as well.

~Ty~

A few days later…

I tied Jerome's tie like I had when we'd practiced a while back, then stood up straight and smoothed out his outfit where wrinkles tried ruining its perfection. I grabbed a comb and brushed out his fur, not trying to make it look perfect, but simply trying to get rid of the knots. After that I set the comb down and messed with his collar, then nodded slowly.

"You ready?" I asked. Jerome swallowed the lump in his throat, slowly nodding. "Hey, everything's been ready for the wedding since before we even got here, trust me, you're fine." I assured him. He gave me a nervous smile; nodding. "So, you're ready?"

"Yeah, let's do this."

~Mitch~

I could barely hear a word of what the priest was saying, but I could hear just enough to keep up with the actual wedding. I just couldn't stop staring at Jerome. His smile was so pathetic right now, he just looked adorable. And nervous. We had a crowd mixed with Jerome's old friends and family members, as well as mine, but I didn't care who might have been out there. There was lovely music playing faintly in the background, and decorations exquisitely placed around the yard. I gave Jerome's hand a small, not very noticeable squeeze, which he returned; not seeming helped by it at all.

I could see our friends seated just behind our parents, each giving us happy smiles, Cameron next to Adam, Adam next to Hazel. Blaze even sat on a seat, next to Hazel, as if they were a couple. Ian was behind me and Ty behind Jerome, Ty smiling and Ian as well, or at least I'd hope he's smiling. Jerome's parents were smiling happily, his mother with tears in her eyes as she watched us; a normal reaction for any parent as I'd guess, but I wouldn't know. My mother was smiling happily and tearing up as well, but my father just sat there, a straight face, not even a smile. He didn't look happy, and even though it didn't show I knew on the inside he was disgusted.

He hates the fact I'm gay in any way, shape, or form. I'm surprised he even came! My mother probably dragged him along, saying he had to come to his son's wedding day. I couldn't have cared less if he came, but I wouldn't tell anyone that.

"-Do you, Mitchell Hughes, take Jerome Aceti to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do." I confirmed, slipping the ring on Jerome's finger, his pathetic smile increasing.

"-Do you, Jerome Aceti, take Mitchell Hughes to be you husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do…" Jerome responded, slipping a ring onto my finger.

"Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband, and husband. You may now-" Neither of us let him finish, just pulled the other closer and kissed. "Kiss." He mumbled, smiling happily.

~Ty~

Mitch and Jerome haven't left the others embrace, and it's adorable, the way they just sit there cuddled up together. Adam returned to my side, handing me back my glass, as it was now filled with wine, like his. I sipped it, the taste bitter, but I didn't mind. Everyone mingled, or danced if they wanted, and I glanced at Adam, then back on the dance floor with a small smile. I felt Adam slip my glass from my hand, setting it down next to his and he took both my hands, leading me to the dance floor.

"Oh, no, I don't know how to dance." I muttered.

"I don't mind leading." He quietly assured, wrapping my arms around his neck and wrapping his own around my waist. And we danced with the others for who knows how long. It was peaceful, fun. Eventually, our feet sore, we returned to our drinks, finishing them. Earlier Adam had asked about the cloaked figure, on why he wasn't here or attending the wedding. Notch simply said he didn't like crowds of any sort; that they made him uncomfortable. I saw Notch sipping his own glass of wine, nearly on the other side of the room, Jerome and Mitch sharing a simple, sweet making out session not too far away.

"I love you." Adam whispered in my ear lazily, pouring himself another glass of wine.

"Adam, how much have you had to drink?" I cautiously questioned.

"Only 3 full glasses, nothing much." He responded, setting his once more half empty glass down after drinking from it. It was full a second ago. "And must I say, you're very sexy looking right now, that suit really hugs your form." Adam purred, wrapping his arm quite low around my waist, his hand resting on the outer side of my right thigh. I felt a cold chill run down my spine, shivering along with Adam as the room got silent.

The double doors, the entrance of the room, were suddenly flung open, the cloaked figure rushing towards us with a quick pace, Adam now standing up straight. He doesn't seem affected by the amount of people at all! Notch suddenly started coughing madly, letting his glass break on the floor as he rushed after the man. The man came straight for us, no one stopping him, or even trying. The man stuck out his arm, catching both of Adam's shoulders and forcing him towards the back room, a small room we were told to leave alone. Adam went pale.

"D-DAD?!" He screamed as the man slammed the door behind them. When Notch got to the door, he tried to open it, but it was locked.

"I told you not to scare him! Or to let anyone but the staff and I see you!" Notch determined, sounding slightly pissed off.

"No one saw my face or my body, so I did what you asked!" The man responded.

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU EVEN-" Adam was cut off, and the room stayed quiet, until a flash shone from under the door, white. Soon, the door opened, a pale Adam standing there, no one else in the room. He seemed disturbed.

"I am so sorry, I told him not to scare you, I swear I did." Notch determined. Adam looked sick. "I think you should lie down, why don't you go to bed Sky." He suggested. I automatically volunteered to take him back to his room. Adam leaned on me the entire way, his arm wrapped around my shoulders and his still pale face starting to turn the slightest bit green. A few doors down he fell to his knees, but I pulled him back up and got to our room, where he instantly rushed for the bathroom. I sat on the bed and waited for him to stop vomiting. Sure, some people would be right at a vomiting person's side, but if I were to do that I'd probably vomit myself. When the vomiting stopped and the shower started up, I sighed, shaking my head with a smile.

I stood back up and stripped myself down to my boxers, then glanced in the mirror. Maybe… I shook my head. Adam could come in at any moment, I can't risk that.

"Hey Adam?" I called.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"I'm going to bed, ok? Are you going to be alright by yourself?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine, I love you, goodnight." Adam assured.

"I love you too." I answered, then yawned and crawled into bed.

~Adam~

I turned the water off, drying my body and brushing out my hair. I gathered my suit and left the bathroom, putting it away and pulling out a new pair of boxers, clean ones. I glanced at Ty and sighed. He's adorable. Ty rolled over, getting comfortable again. After I was dressed, I sat down by the foot of the bed, taking nice, slow, deep breaths. My father was here… Here in the palace, and my Uncle never told me… My father is looking for something; or someone, he still is and that's why I left, because he doesn't care about anything but that one, stupid thing! And now, now he wants help looking for it! What does he take me for, some slave he can summon upon at any time?!

I'm his son. But he's never seemed to care about me like I were his son, so why should I treat him like a father? I huffed, looking back to Ty and smiling. I crawled over to him, getting under the covers as his body instantly went for the warmth I brought, curling into me as I once more pulled the covers over us. I wrapped my arms lightly around his waist, firmly holding him. I buried my face in his hair, sighing happily.

"Tick tock Sky." I froze, the hair on my neck standing up and my eyes going wide. "You're wasting time." The man added. The air shifted, and when I looked behind me, he was gone.