Hopeful Dreams in a Dark World

by TheArrowblackcabary

In a world without hope, in an age of dying dreams, some people will still find enough hope inside themselves to strive for the impossible. Shirou will attempt to bring light to his dark world, even if it is a fool's errand. (FSNxChangeling the Dreaming/WoD)

8. Chapter 8

"Last chance to guess," Rene said as he glanced back at Shirou.

Shirou pouted at the hints of glee in the older teen's voice. At least being annoyed at Rene was better than focusing on the water dripping all around him. The origin of life sliding off the black-leafed trees surrounding them.

The water could at least have the decency to fall all at once or something rather than sporadically hitting him from every direction. It was the worst when he could feel huge dots of water land on his neck and slide down it.

How many drops would it take to drown him?

"A school?" Shirou decided to guess. If his luck was anything like he thought it was, this would all turn into a big scheme to get him back into school by… … …

"What are you talking about?" Rene cast an incredulous look at him.

"School? I had forgotten about that," Goffred said, glancing up at the dark sky. "I hope I won't have to make up too much work."

"That's what ya worried about?" Vaiva said slightly mockingly. "Just skip it. Or eat it and say your dog ate or somethin'."

"Wouldn't it be better to just never go back?" Viktoria quietly added in, somehow not at all disturbed by the water that was running down into her eyes.

Best to keep his mouth shut. His answer was obviously wrong; there was no need to add more fuel to the flame. Even if he had his own thoughts.

A hero needed to learn and do school stuff if they wanted to save people, but he didn't miss it. The longer he spent here, away from all that stuff, the less important it felt.

He was not a delinquent. He was sure of that.

"It was worth a guess," Shirou closed his eyes as he spoke. Reluctantly doing his best to accept defeat. "I'll win next time."

"Sure you will," Rene said with a small smile. "Keep holding on to that hope. Crushing dreams is sweater when the person truly believes in them."

Shirou glared at the older teen, his pout returning at the needlessly evil words.

The group continued their walk, moving uphill until they reached the top. From there, a tall structure could be seen.

A black tower. The thing must've had three floors or four floors high.

"A tower?" Shirou said, turning toward Viktoria. His pout turned into a frown. "I think I could guess a tower."

"That is what you see but not what it is," Viktoria whispered, glancing away from him.

Shirou looked back and it was still a tower. An evil-looking one at that.

"This is a freehold with several important trods connected to it. These roads were sealed in a time beyond memory," Rene explained, his eyes focused on the tower. "They may only be unsealed by a Sidhe during the rare and brief period when the trees' tears run dry."

So this was about opening some random roads?

"Why were they sealed?" Shirou decided to ask the most obvious question. "You don't find something sealed in such an obviously evil-looking place without a reason."

"What's evil-looking about it?" Vaiva asked. "I think it's really cool."

Viktoria nodded in agreement. She kept her eyes on the tower, almost entranced by it. Her gaze skipped over the small glass windows.

"It does seem silted Unseelie," Goffred commented, partially siding with Shirou. "But those scoundrels lack the discipline and plan to create. They must've come in sometime after we left and redecorated it."

The changeling frowned but listened. He thought they should be more beautiful, spiraling, white, gold, and purple. Not something so close to gothic human designs. Maybe he should put his preconceived notions in the garbage. It wasn't like it was dangerous.

They continued to pleasantly talk as they walked toward the tower. Flying there would be so easy, but it felt wrong to leave the others behind. If only they'd move faster. The ground was muddish, and the trees were way too close together at weird angles a lot of the time. Constantly hitting his wings against the foliage hurt.

"If you only need a Sidhe, then why are Viktoria and Vaiva with you?" Shirou decided to ask once they were almost to the tower. He directed the question at those two but hoped Rene would answer.

"I ran into him after I somehow willed myself to the Dreaming," Vaiva explained with a shrug. She ripped a small tree branch off as she passed it, beginning to naw on it. "Didn't have no options but to come along. Oh, and Vik got lost or somethen."

"I see," Shirou nodded, getting the gist of how this group formed. He guessed he was in the same boat as the girls.

They broke through the tree line before the tower's base. It cast a long, cool shadow over them. Purple doors, twice the size even the largest human would need, stood out against the black stone. Dark and thorny vines grew from the ground to encase parts of the tower. A few black spikes that seemed to have fallen from the top of the tower littered parts of the clearing.

"Here we go," Rene said, leading the way with an almost cheerful air. He easily opened the doors without needing to use a key or anything. The oldest of their group kept a step or two lead on the others as they entered.

Shirou blinked several times, a slight tingle in his eyes. The intense dark prism of colors filling the interior took a moment to get used to. Shades circled around the room, lighting it well enough for them to see the other side of the circular room.

Cracks were strewn across the stone floor. The remains of various broken things littering the massive place. A large stone monument sat in the middle of the floor with two statues on either side of it.

He glanced up, the colors darkening the higher they were until they were black. Swirling black. Moving in rhythms like the tides of the sea. Bottomless. Suffocating.

Shirou quickly looked away, keeping his gaze down toward the ground. A taste of seawater made him try to swallow, but it did nothing.

"The rooms and stairs," Viktoria whispered, yet her voice echoed off the walls as if trying to escape before being eaten. Her hand pointed to a massive set of stairs leading up from the other side of the building. "They are, but they can't be."

What was she saying?

The length of the stairs was massive, several times that of the doors, and their height… Shirou wouldn't look up to see how high they go.

"This tower must have been quite the place in the past," Goffred said while looking over at the glass windows that lined the walls. "The rooms must each contain their own personal spaces through ancient arts. No other possibility makes sense. You uncovered quite an exquisite location, Rene."

"What are ya talking about, fancy pants?" Vaiva asked roughly. Shirou nodded in agreement, lost.

"It means these walls are the exterior shell of this hub. Magic beyond the Kithain was used to create this central passage with the rooms each door holds," Rene explained with a slightly creepy feeling smile.

"Well, they can't be that far beyond us if they left this place such a mess," Shirou said, glancing at all the random debris lying around. It was a worse mess than any he'd seen before. If only he had a strong vacuum, preferably a super strong German one that'll absorb everything in its path. The one his old man got him could've sucked up a small child.

"Blame not those who created, but those who destroyed," Goffred lightly rebuked, almost sounding like Viktoria.

"Goffred is right. All this damage must be the result of an attack," Rene said, walking over to a broken pot and picking up a shard of it off the ground. "The same reason the trods are closed."

"Whatever," Vaiva interjected, her eyes looking around. "There is nothin we can do about that, so let's go explore."

Rene turned and scowled at Vaiva before stopping himself. "Fine, but the second-floor door is blocked off, so don't bother. You'll never reach the next floor. Also, that room is mine. The four of you go and choose your rooms, while I rest."

The oldest teen pointed at a certain door, one of the two closest to the stairs.

It was fair for him to get the first choice of rooms since he found this place. That also meant he had probably already explored the rooms, but it looked like he was going to help them.

Rene did as he said, leaving the four childlings alone.

Vaiva and Goffred both look at different rooms. The former's gaze was on the rooms closest to the left end of the staircase, while the latter's was on the right room at 3 o'clock.

"As a Sidhe, it is only natural that I receive the most luxurious boarding," Goffred suggested something outrageous without a hint of self-awareness. The boy turned toward Shirou. "Of course, I believe it best to follow that logic. Shirou gets the second pick, then Viktoria, and finally Vaiva."

"What?! Why am I last?!"

"Because you don't care," Goffred answered right to her face. "Viktoria is more delicate and reserved. Keeping that in mind, she more than likely wishes for a space of her own after all this time in constant contact with people and will use it more than you. Thus, she is higher on the priority list than you. Shirou gets, as I think you commoners call it, second dibs. His wings mean he must choose a room suited to them, assuming any of the rooms have high ceilings or other traits beneficial for one with his morphology. Leaving you, the Redcap that cares not about her room, as last."

"I may not care, but that doesn't mean ya can decide who gets to choose what they get. We should all talk about who gets what room together," Vaiva counter suggested. A few seconds later, she continued under her breath. "And don't think I miss what you did there."

The echos of a door being slammed shut interrupt them.

Shirou turned, only now noticing that Viktoria was gone. "Looks like she's not going to wait around for you to argue."

"We weren't about to fight," Vaiva muttered, with Goffred nodding in agreement. The winged fairy could only shake at the two. Unbelievable. The air between them defused into mutual annoyance at Viktoria taking matters into her own hands.

"Sure," Shirou decided not to fight about this or risk the previous conversation sparking the remaining embers between the pair. "Why don't we go look at that shrine and statues before looking at the rooms?"

"They may look even more marvelous up close," Goffred said, beginning to walk toward it. The other two changelings followed behind.

"I don't know. The dude on the right is kinda cool, but the left guy is creepy look. Makes me wanna gouge out his eyes," Vaiva said once they were right in front of the two statues and the stone monument between them.

The statue on the right showed someone out of a fairy tale, but he slumped slightly. He looked like a knight, with ears similar to Goffred's. The other was of a monster with two fanged mouths and four arms. The first two started like normal human arms, but the other two branched off from their elbows into entirely new limbs.

"Can either of you guys read this?" Shirou asked, pointing at the few words that remained on the large rectangular stone. No matter how many times he tried to read it, his mind refused to comprehend the words, and they refused to give their meaning to him.

"No, it seems the text doesn't wish for us to read it," Goffred declared, his eyes shifting between it and the statues' bases. Shirou blinked as he realized there was a little text there. The one on the monster didn't make sense, but the hero's statue had a name he could read… "Forlonus is proclaimed to be, or had been his name."

"But he wasn't a fairy," the words slipped from Shirou's mouth as he looked up at the statue's ears. Suddenly, bits of the face became strangely familiar despite never seeing him before.

"I must profess I have never heard of this man before, have you?" Goffred asked, a sour look forming on his face.

"N-o…" Shirou started before a bit of righteous anger hit his heart. The warrior almost managed to kill her. If they hadn't been there, she would've died.

Who was… he thinking about…

Shirou felt the memory slip from his mind.

"Maybe ya got him mixed up with someone else?" Vaiva offered.

"That could be," Shirou admitted, shrugged. Unable to do anything but look away from the statue.

"That is likely," Goffred agreed. "Why don't we get to looking at the rooms."

"I'm hungry, so sure," Vaiva crossed her arms over her chest. Shirou quietly nodded in agreement.

The three briefly discussed which room to visit. They eventually agreed to check out the doors on the left half since there were fewer doors for them to go through due to Rene's room being on that side and several of its doors being blocked by debris or rocks.

Shirou ended up picking the first door they'd check out. The sight they were met with when they entered was surprising in how ugly it was. It had gaudy purple flooring and a big ornate bed and desk. There was a literal stash of valuable gems, gold, and other things, all neatly shoved to one corner of the room beside a grand desk.

The desk had a dark-looking black goblet on it that looked like something royalty would use or something. A row of weapons spears were placed behind the desk, but probably within reach from where the black chair was currently pushed out behind the desk. A suit of armor was on the other side of the seat, but the helmet was on the ground.

"This room is incredible!" Goffred excitedly proclaimed, running toward the bed and jumping on it.

"Duh, he'd love something so ugly," Vaiva muttered to Shirou's silent agreement. The whole space was the kind of extravagance the noble would like. Well, it seemed like he was free to have the room if he wanted it. They weren't going to fight him for it. "All that gold is nice, though. If we brought it back with us to the real world, we'd be rich."

Shirou blinked and really looked into the gold. "That wouldn't work. It isn't… human gold."

He nearly said it wasn't real, but it obviously was. It was just that humans wouldn't be able to see it.

"Hey? What's this?" Goffred asked, causing the other two to look back over at him lying on the bed. His head peaking over the far side to see something they can't.

Shirou and Vaiba walked over to take a look as Goffred pulled something from under the bed. "A whip? Gross."

"Here, I thought ya'd like something like that," Vaiva said to the noble.

"Why was it under the bed?" Shirou asked, biting his lip. Why someone would want to keep a whip in their room? The spears and armor made sense since they were cool, even if the ones in this room were ugly. A whip? That's just lame.

"I am unsure," Goffred said, looking over the white, red, and black whip. The coloring starts in the former before fading into the second and darkening into the third. The fading wasn't uniform; it felt more like blood splatter.

"Is there anything else under there?" Vaiva asked.

Shirou got down on the ground, and Goffred pulled up the bedding. It was super dark, but when he looked into it, he could see the energy. Something was down there, with a mixture of bright and dark colors.

He reached through the and grabbed something soft and light. He pulled it from under the bed and sat up.

A doll. It had long white hair and dull purple eyes. She wore a black dress with bits of purple on it. There was what looked like a black hat glued on its head. The weird thing was that the dress had tears on it and a crack along her left cheek.

"A girl's doll?" Goffred questioned, tilting his head slightly. "What an odd thing to find."

"It's creepy," Vaiva muttered.

"I don't think it's just a girl's doll," Shirou said, looking at it. He watched the black energy corrupting it's bright counterpart, holding it in place. Tiny purple strings were leading out of its body. "Just look at it. There's something magical about it."

Both Vaiva and Goffred leaned forward, focusing on it and waiting for something to happen.

"I don't see nothin' special about it," Vaiva grumbled after a few moments. Her eyes narrowed.

"There is some glamour in it, but nothing more than what would be expected from a chimerical doll," Goffred added in.

Shirou stood up and followed the purple strings. They led to the pile of gold and things by the desk. Had these strings been here the whole time and just blended into the floor or beneath their notice? Maybe they only appeared when he picked up the doll?

Shirou was equally confused when he found, deep between these expensive objects, like socks fallen between the drier and wall, was a small hourglass.

He pulled it out to find all the sand within had fallen to its bottom half.

"There are tiny lines of energy connecting this doll and hourglass. Neither of you see that?" Shirou turned and asked the pair that'd follow him. His eyebrows raised.

"No, if they exist, they must be beyond my sight," Goffred spoke sourly. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Should you not keep the doll an hourglass? You alone have the ability to study it."

"I can't see them either," Vaiva interrupted, glaring at Goffred.

"Fine," Shirou quickly spoke before Goffred could say anything. He didn't want to have some little girl's doll, but he wanted to figure out what its deal was. "I'll keep her, but I'll come back to get her later."

He had to anyway since he had Goffred carry his snorkel in his backpack, which the younger teen had now left on the bed. Rene had all the cards, so they'd have to go to him if they wanted to play again.

"I shall pray that the soul of a murderer does not line within it," Goffred said, leaning back a bit.

"What was that?" Vaiva was the one to ask.

"It was a movie I saw my parents watching," Goffred explained. "The film featured a doll which contained the soul of an infant killer."

"Sounds depressing," Shirou spoke his opinion. He didn't get a 'killer' feeling from the Western-looking doll.

"I don't know. It sounds kinda fun," Vaiva shrugged. "A lot of those movies are. Papa always knew how to pick out the best ones."

Shirou listened to her while placing the doll and hourglass on the desk. Neither he nor Goffred had anything to add, so they left the room to go to the next one.

As they were walking, Goffred sneezed. Uglyly

"Excuse me," Goffred stuttered, wiping his nose. "That was inelegant of me."

"Yeah, it was. Ya sounded like a donkey," Vaiva teased, looking down on Goffred with a smile.

"No, I did not. It was only slightly unsightly, which can be forgiven. I have not regained all my etiquette training, nor is sneezing…"

"Why'd ya stop talken?" Vaiva asked as they approached the next door.

Shirou was a bit curious, too. What was he going to say about sneezing? "Are you worried about people talking about you?"

"What does sneezing have to do with such a thing?" Goffred asked back. He frowned and looked away from the pair. "No, it is a secret that belongs to the Sidhe."

"Sounds more like ya have an embarrassing secret," Vaiva said as the three came to a stop in front of the door. "What? Are y'all not used to sneezing in human bodies or something?"

"Would that make a difference?" Shirou thought out loud, slightly confused. "Isn't sneezing just sneezing?"

"You presume we used to sneeze," Goffred let words slip from his mouth, casting off blame. "Us Sidhe are the embodiment of nobility. Such deficiencies would never exist within our dream."

"That's stupid. Even the noblest king sneezes," the winged fairy spoke defensively. He thought he could remember the sneeze of someone that sounded like a lion cub. "No sane person would care."

"Ya forgot nobility ain't sane," Vaiva playfully jabbed in his side. "We should count ourselves lucky he didn't try to kill himself in shame."

"Stop saying such ridiculous things," Goffred proclaimed before walking forward and opening the door as if trying to end the conversation.

It failed when they were met with a rock-filled doorway and a rush of dust, causing Goffred to ugly sneeze again.

"You should learn to cover your nose," Shirou commented, slightly disgusted at the amount of snot that left Goffred's nose. "It's a common courtesy among humans that stops you from being gross."

Shirou didn't need to say more, given that was enough to leave Goffred looking utterly scolded and ashamed.

"Yeah, anyway, looks like this room's a bust. Let's go look at another one," Vaiva quickly changed subjects as she looked at the blocked-off room with a sour expression.

"Could you eat the rocks?" Shirou asked since she seemed so down about not being able to look into the room.

"Nah, I ain't eaten nothing with Leech snot on it, and ya know the rocks gotta come from somewhere. If it's from the roof clapping, there wouldn't be much of a room left anyway," Vaiva answered surprisingly rationally and simply.

"To whom are you calling a leech?!"

"Obviously not you," Shirou sighed, a little annoyed by the constant sparks. "Let's get on with looking through the other rooms."

"In that case, why don't you lead us. Preferable to a room suitable for habitation," Goffred closed the door slightly too hard. "You should be capable of that."

"Sure," Shirou agreed, raising to the slight challenge in Goffred's voice. Blue eyes scanned the room before falling upon a distant door between Viktoria and Rene's room, a pull toward it rising up from within. He followed that feeling, leading the other two to it. "Do either of you want to open the door?"

"Me! Me!" Vaiva volunteered. She grabbed the doorknob and then swung the door open.

Shirou leaned to the side to look around the girl's large body. He could see a lot of stuff neatly stored within. Whoever last managed the room did a respectable job at it. Especially since not everything was packed or the same size. The paintings off to the side were proof of that.

"This could be my room," Vaiva said, entering the room first. "Unless you got some objection."

"You want to stay in a storage room?" Shirou frowned as he followed behind the girl. The three of them step through the door one after the other. An undercurrent of wood filled the air.

"Yeah, look at all this. So many different flavors," Vaiva said, licking her lips and rubbing her tongue against her tusks. Her eyes fell on a set of six mirrors lined up in two rows of three. They had ornate designs lavished in dancing scarlet and obsidian around the purple-tinted glass.

Was that a dozenish set of prison bars? Why?

"Then it's yours," Shirou accepted it even if he didn't get it. Wouldn't it be better to get a bedroom and swing by to take something from the room? Then again, she could probably sleep in one of the chairs Goffred was poking at.

Actually, he was standing oddly still and staring down at the large black and red seats.

"There is a message here," Goffred spoke, his voice going higher as he spoke. He took a step back from the seat.

Shirou tilted his head before walking over to Goffred, moving a few steps ahead of Vaiva. His wings gently swished behind him. The winged boy went to the right of the younger boy, while Vaiva went to the left.

He straightened, his wings clapping together as he looked down at the message. The emotion on the ancient-looking scroll radiated like heat from the sun. Hot. Burning. Passionate.

The rage of the writer imprinted upon the paper, transmitting a message beyond time and space in a language beyond the comprehension of humanity.

'PUT THE CHAIRS BACK WHERE THEY BELONG WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH THEM!'

He would. He wouldn't be lazy or unorganized like his sister. He promised!

Shirou barely managed to turn away from the paper, long enough to notice Goffred and Vaiva having taken several steps away from the paper. The former stood straight as a board, while the latter looked like a squirrel about to flee.

The room felt like it was on fire as they all started to sweat. Boiling from the rage.

"Lady Vaiva, would you kindly do us all a favor and devour that message, lest it curse us," Goffred said as he took another step back. His leg shaking slightly.

"Nope, I'm full," Vaiva claimed, albeit looking like she wanted to cut out her own tongue for such a declaration.

"Of all the times not to be hungry," Goffred complained. "How could such anger exist?"

"You obviously haven't had to deal with people that leave random garbage everywhere," Shirou said with a frown. Anger within his heart resonated at the same frequency as that within the message. He reached down to grab the letter.

"Ya really wanna grab that?! It could be cursed."

"It must be the recklessness of the Eshu. We must stop him before our friend hurts himself."

Since the paper was more a scroll than anything else, Shirou decided to roll it up. He'd throw it out later. However, he would take the author's complaint to heart and make sure the chairs –

"Ohf!" escaped from Shirou's mouth as he was tackled by the two other childlings. Forced face-first into the cushioned seats before being dragged to the floor. "What the hell! Get off me!"

"This is the best – easiest – way to help ya!" Vaiva muttered as she tried to restrain him. She was bigger and stronger, able to overpower him head-on. Shirou, refusing to lose to a girl younger than him, kicked at her and did his best to slip from her grip, escaping a few times. Only to accentently hit Goffred in the face.

"OWIE," Goffred shouted, stopping for a few seconds. "How dare you! We're trying to help!"

Goffred tried to jump back in, but Shirou was able to get out of the way enough for Vaiva to take the brunt of it.

"Ya Shidnuts!" Vaiva yelled after her head hit the floor.

"Sorr –"

"Grr…"

"You're both idiots," Shirou muttered as this turned into a three-way fight. Punches, kicks, and grabs going everywhere. Some bites and nails snuck in, too.

Shirou didn't know how long the struggle went on between the way too aggressive Vaiva and surprisingly evasive Goffred, but eventually, they cooled down – exhausted themselves – and stopped.

Of course, this only happened after Shirou took the brunt of most of their fighting. But who was keeping track?

His aching jaw for one, but the pain was quickly dulling. At least he could take refuge in winning since he was the only one who could stand up.

As the winner, he stood up, walked over to one of the chairs, and sat down. The highly cushioned seat was high up, enough so that his feet didn't touch the ground. The seat was very comfortable.

The note had been torn up in the scuffle, ending up in a dozen pieces all over the room.

Shirou waited for the two of them to stop breathing and groaning on the floor. After an eternity, about a minute, he stood up from the chair.

"You two both have your rooms; I'm going to go find mine," Shirou told them so they could get up in their own time while he could find a place to rest. He was feeling tired after the fight.

Shirou walked out of Vaiva's room and looked around the large circular space. His eyes didn't go up. He felt grounded to the floor. He needs to stay away from the waves.

Walking forward, he rushed toward the next one. The door wouldn't open.

The next one opened but was blocked with rocks.

Finally, he found the third one open and unblocked.

He entered inside and took a look. The first thing that caught his eye was the single Western-style bed in the top left corner of the room. There was also a table he walked to since the ceiling of this room was weirdly low, maybe only a little bit taller than the average adult man from floor to ceiling.

There were four seats around the table. Weird since there was only one Western-style bed, and they were pretty bad chairs, too. Plain and normal rather than artistic or fanciful. They were borderline boring. Nothing worse than boring.

No way high-brow fairies like Goffred would sleep in a room like this, but he was fine with it. It was good enough for him. If only because he felt better in this room than any other for some reason. It felt more welcoming. If only the roof was higher and had a window.

He'd need to pick up the various decayed pots and things from around the room. Maybe he could try to throw the shards into one of the collapsed rooms. Get it out of everyone's way.

His new table could hold them for now. He'd figure out how to get rid of them later.

Shirou walked around, picking up all the random things to be thrown away. The room once had shelving that'd fallen off the walls, splattering its contents everywhere. Everything was so mixed together that it was impossible to make heads or tails of what the wreckage had been. There were only a few things he could identify.

"A dagger?" Shirou asked out loud as he picked up half of a pot to find a blade hidden underneath it. Calling it a dagger or even a blade was over-selling it, making it seem more than the shank it was.

It had a super practical design to it, which found grace in the act of being efficient. It had an almost golden color to it. Was it also like that? Perhaps made that color to hide it with whatever was in the jar? Or was it dyed that color by whatever was once within the pot?

Another strange mystery.

Well, it wasn't like he'd find out now.

Shirou placed it to the side and went back to cleaning.

---

Shirou took in the smell of his newly cleaned room. The neutrons dancing within his mind called the smell's tune familiar, but he didn't know from where. The dampness of the air didn't feel quite right, being one or two percent off.

The same could be said for the creepy doll before him. He'd set it up leaning against the hourglass, the snorkel to its right.

How'd people think this was a good idea for little kids?

Shirou picked it up and turned the hourglass upside down before placing it back down. If they were linked, then it probably had something to do with the sand in the hourglass. That just made the most sense.

However, as he looked around the doll to stare at it, it seemed like finding out might take a while. Only a few grains of sand had fallen down to the lower half, moving one at a time. At the rate it was going, it could take a month or more for all the sand to be down to the bottom half.

There was a hard knock on the door, startling the fairy. Shirou stood up from his chair and went to see who it was.

The door creaked as Shirou opened it to find Rene on the other side. The oldest member of his group's fist was raised to knock again. "Do you need something?"

"No," Rene answered, his lips twirling upwards a bit. "But I have something for you."

Shirou glanced down at Rene's hands to see he was holding… some clothing!

The fairy's eyes brightened, wings joyfully whushing behind him. They were both real and dream, crossing to be both simultaneously.

He took a step back to let Rene into his dark-ish room. The older teen glanced at him before entering the small room with heavy steps that barely echoed against the walls. Shirou's own steps were quiet in comparison, not making a sound as they went to the table.

"What's that?" Rene asked, glancing at the strange and bewildering doll. His body shifted to the side as if to try and escape its gaze.

"A doll, but I don't know much about it other than finding it in one of the rooms," Shirou answers with only a passing interest in it right now.

The older teen scowled, shaking his head before moving on and placing the clothing on the table. "I found this clothing for you to wear."

"Thanks, but I'm surprised you found something like this," Shirou asked without asking a question, tilting his head as he moved closer to the clothing. It looked kinda modern, not at all like what would fit with the ancient tower. Tunics weren't in fashion, and he didn't know the last time they were, but it looked modernish compared to everything else. "It doesn't make much sense to be here… then again, there were human-looking paintings in Vaiva's room."

"The ancients may have claimed them for some reason or sought to study them to better grasp the freezing world beyond," Rene explained, leaning forward to separate the articles of clothing.

That didn't answer Shirou's not-a-question, but maybe he was just overthinking it. The doll didn't fit either, so maybe he shouldn't think so hard about it. "Will it fit with my wings?"

"I have already made adjustments for that," Rene pushed the green tunic over to him, pride leaking into his voice.

Shirou took it, picking up the folded tunic. The fabric was as smooth as ice cream. Its emerald color drew his eyes. The tint was as if it was painted of trees. Only the slightly misplaced smell drew any bit of repulsion, the odor being like stale corn.

He turned it over to look at the back. Instead of a normal back-to-the-clothing, it had three sides of a rectangle cut out of it. Only the collar side still remains to create a flap. There were two pieces of red string on the cut-out bottom side to tie to matching strings below it on the left and right.

Shirou took off his dirty and tattered shirt, placing the rags on the table. He slipped on the oversized shirt, the fabric long enough to brush against his legs through the pants' tears.

"Let me tie it," Rene told him, swirling his finger.

Shirou nodded, spinning around. He'd rather do it himself, but Rene was the one giving the gift, and he wasn't sure how to tie it.

Rene's cold hands as he grabbed the strings by Shirou's skin.

The cloth moved, drawing closer around his wings. Shirou almost lost control of his expression as it touched the sensitive part of the root of his wings where human flesh ended and butterfly began. Having something rub into that space felt weird, like hitting your funny bone. The feeling faded as his flesh adjusted, leaving a slightly raw but almost pleasant feeling.

"It is done," Rene said, pulling away but staying close.

"Thanks," Shirou answered, turning around to face Rene. His attention was on his shirt before looking up to meet the older teen's eyes. "It's nice. Comfortable"

He wished it didn't go down so much, but otherwise, it fit. The color was good, too. Vibrant and lively like spring.

"Wear it always," Rene hummed in agreement, moving a step closer to him. The older teen reached out to the table and grabbed his tattered shirt. "I will throw this away."

Shirou nodded, not seeing much point in keeping it around.

His bare feet shifted against the stone ground. Glancing at the table, it didn't look like Rene managed to find shoes or socks. Maybe he should ask Rene about using the fabric from his clothing to make socks, but that might be too selfish. Rene already gave him a new set of clothing. Asking for more would be greedy.

"There," Rene said, reaching out and bringing his hand toward Shirou's face.

"What?" Shirou asked. Quickly, he backed away before the hand met face. A chill filled his cheek as if an unseen force was cupping it. Observing it.

"That expression, I hate it," Rene bluntly told him. Lips turned downwards as his eyes sharpened. Shirou froze after jutting up into a straight position. "Finished dressing yourself."

Shirou's wings folded together behind him as he watched Rene leave the room, closing the door behind him.

What was that about?

He sighed, putting the question to the side. There was nothing he could do about it but move on.

Shirou looked at the green and red pants. Hopefully, they'll fit as well as the shirt.

---

The winged fairy's stomach growled with the ferocity of a tiger. A hungry cat commanding him to find food.

Standing up, he walked out of his room to see if any of the other doors led to a kitchen. They'd eaten breakfast before they arrived at the tower around lunchtime, but it was far past dinner time at this point.

The tower was darker than before. It was like walking with only a candle to light his way. He stumbled a few times, accidentally tripping in a hole or on something. After the fourth time, he decided to use his wings to float slightly off the ground, keeping one hand on the wall to make sure he didn't get lost in the darkness.

Still better than walking under the black ocean.

Shirou kept moving until he noticed someone walking a bit ahead of him in the dark – Goffred? That was his hair.

The fairy gently moved over to him, moving faster than the walking boy. He must've been trying not to hit anything but couldn't fly. How unfortunate. Those locked to the land are really crippled.

He'd slowly drifted further from the ground, so he had to lean down to tap Goffred's shoulder.

"BAWH!" Goffred yelled, elbowing Shirou in the face.

"OWE!" Shirou yelled, falling backward onto the ground and slamming into it wings-first. Stone pitching them to create a sharp pain. His hands covered his nose. All his shock and anger at getting sucker punched flowed into one word. "You!"

First, earlier. Now, now. He was getting sick of being hit.

"Shirou?!" Goffred said, his breathing the slightest bit uneven. His body was tense as a spring. Small hands reached to his chest, shielding his heart. His voice was shaky, more words filtering out his mouth, but ones only vaguely recognizable at best.

"What are you saying?"

Goffred spoke again. The words rode a tone of inquisitiveness. Marching to a beat that sounded like English.

"Rene's magic must've worn off," Shirou realized at the same time the other boy did. Or at least he thought he did. Why else would he looked like a lightbulb went off in his head.

Wings parted air and gravity to release the changeling from the ground's domain.

Gesturing, he rubbed his stomach and pointed at his mouth. Charades were the only way he could try to communicate.

Goffred's stomach growled, responding in the most universal language. Hunger. A problem that needs to be solved.

Shirou shrugged at Goffred's reddening cheeks. He pointed between himself and Goffred, then around the space. "Do you want to look for food together?"

His words wouldn't reach Goffred, but it felt natural to ask.

Goffred collected himself, doing his best to erase the red from his cheeks, before nodding up and down. He pointed at Shirou and directed him to go in front.

The winged fairy nodded. It was reasonable for him to go first since he couldn't be tripped by things on the ground.

Gracefully, he drifted in front of Goffred. An instinctual rhythm in his movements that came as naturally as walking. Only for it to be shattered. Blemished. By someone grabbing onto his pants legs.

Shirou scowled, swiftly rounding back around. His eyes glared down at the noble fairy. A spark of anger ignited in his heart. What made Goffred think it was all right to just grab him while he was flying! It was super rude!

Goffred's eyes widened, and he let go of his pants and spoke in a vaguely apologetic tone.

The slightly older fairy let his anger abate, accepting the presumed apology.

They made their way forward until they reached another door that neither of them thought they'd opened before. Doing their best to gesture that to the other.

Shirou opened the door, entering it before Goffred. As they did so, the light in the room flashed to light. Briefly blinding them both.

His blue eyes burned, unable to adjust fast enough. Stinging. He had to rub his eyes until he stopped seeing stars.

Who in the world makes lights that flash on so spontaneously. It had to be either a cruel prank or stupid building.

He glanced over at Goffred to see him still adjusting to the light. A couple soft – what he decided to assume were – complaints whispered under his breath.

Wait... The pitch… wasn't it slightly off… and behind them… and Goffred's lips weren't moving…

Shirou slowly turned around.

"AH!" He screamed at the pale figure behind them. The small figure was close enough for life-filled yet unsettling cold breaths to brush against them.

He saw the familiar girl jump in response, impulsively swinging a fist forward and clobbering him in the chin. A strong burning sensation radiated through his jaw as fell backward into the room.

Stumbling back, he heard Goffred yelp in surprise, but no punch.

The pain in Shirou's jaw quickly faded into nothingness. He looked back at Viktoria, only to find she'd moved, halfway hiding on the other side of the door, leaving only her left half visible. Eyes were cast down at the ground.

She looked half-frightened, half-embarrassed.

Goffred said something first in English. His voice broke once or twice, and his hand covered his heart.

Viktoria looked up at Goffred. She said something slowly that sounded less like the language she was speaking before and more like English. The other boy repeated the same words, and Viktoria slowly responded again.

Goffred smiled, moving closer to Viktoria. Shirou could only sit to the side as the two of them had a slow conversation in English. The native speaker had the advantage in the exchange.

She speaks English too!

Well, it was a result of Viktoria being good enough to speak two. Getting mad at her efforts was wrong, but it sucked watching the two of them talk without knowing what they were saying.

He looked away from them and surveyed the room.

The room had pots and crates, with a few broken or cracked. The shelves were still standing, with a few empty clear containers on top of them. A rectangular table was in the center of the room, a few cabinets lined the walls, and what looked like… cooking equipment.

There were two other wooden doors in the room. Opening them… it was a walk-in pantry the size of the room.

None of the food looked rotten, even if something about it felt off. A bit dark and self-serving. Asking to be eaten when no good food does that. Still, food!

Shirou's wings fluttered as he took a step back and closed the door behind him. He walked back to the talking others. Viktoria looked like she was seconds from running away from the still-talking Goffred – like a scared black kitten.

He pointed at the oven-looking thing and other cooking utensils lining the far wall. This had to be a kitchen. There may still be food or ingredients to be found within the room.

Goffred came to the conclusion before nodding with a self-satisfied look on his face. Muttering something, including the word Eshu, that Shirou ignored.

He glided away, moving up to level with the nearby shelves. He ignored the empty clear jars and bottles, first picking up a small red bottle. The liquid inside swished as Shirou removed the cork to reveal its red contents. He was about to drink some of it to taste it, but a sudden shout from Goffred stopped it.

Shirou turned back around to see Goffred looking back at Viktoria with more than little confusion. She was looking up at him with a bit of concern. Did she have Goffred get his attention since she can't talk above a whisper.

The winged fairy flew back over to them, setting down on the ground. He was careful to not spill a drop from the bottle.

Viktoria said some words Shirou didn't get before changing them. Looking to Goffred as she spoke them slowly. Goffred turned back to him and repeated the words, pronouncing them far more clearly. Shirou did his best to listen, trying to figure out what was so important. With how Viktoria speaks, understanding her was already hard enough without needing to play the foreign language telephone game.

[Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. Sunday.]

The seven words Goffred spoke were repeated two more times, and Shirou did his best to figure them out. Each of the words sounded the same, and there were seven of them. Were those the English days of the week? The sounds at the ends of the words fit from his vague understanding of them.

"I think I understand," Shirou nodded, even though they wouldn't understand him. But he couldn't figure out what the days of the week meant.

Viktoria glanced down, looking down at her slender, pale hands. She brought them up to chest level and spun them around once. Shirou could only tilt his head, unsure of what she was signaling. The girl seemed to notice and change her gesture. Now, she pointed her two index fingers and circled them repeatedly.

Hmm. Was Viktoria saying something like 'restarting' or 'over and over again'?

Restarting and days of the week, he didn't see what that had to do with anything. The days going over and over again might make sense. The weeks continued one after the other. Something to do with time? Was there something time related to the kitchen? Or was it more specific to the bottle he was holding?

Did time have anything to do with cooking ingredients or food?

…

There was something, but what was it?

Shirou paused, trying to remember something. The knowledge was there, but it seemed so dull and boring. As soon as he got a grasp on it, he dropped it. It was just toooo banal. Who cared about something like that?

Well, some annoying people should care about that.

A certain memory of a family member came to mind. She kept trying to eat spoiled food, forcing him to constantly make sure everything was fresh.

The fairy blinked as he finally grabbed hold of some of his human knowledge. That was right. Food expired over time. How bad would the stuff in this place be? And they didn't know anything about the strange things around.

He gave Viktoria another nod to indicate his understanding. She seemed to take a small amount of joy in his gesture. The tiny smile was nice; she deserved it for pointing out his recklessness.

Taking a swig of the bottle was a stupid idea. He should try a little of it first to test it.

Unhesitatingly, he poured some of it into his hand before licking it with his tongue right after. The taste was milky, maybe a little sour, with a hint of strawberry and crimson. Flavor lingered in his mouth, shifting. A little too dark for him. His throat felt soggy, like the opposite of dry throat when you haven't drunk anything in a while.

Shirou looked back at the other two changelings. Goffred looked disgusted while the other was giving him an empty gaze.

Did he get her message wrong?

Before anything could happen, they heard the sound of something moving from within one of the crates.

All three of them jumped before slowly turning their eyes toward the crate. Goffred took a step back while Viktoria became still.

A dark bit of mystery entered Shirou's heart as he stared at the crate. A mixture born of knowing not what lies ahead, yet knowing it will be the worst possible thing imaginable.

Shirou's wings fluttered before he took off, placing the bottle down on the table. Swiftly yet quietly moving toward the crate at an angle above ground in case whatever was inside could see through the cracks in the bottom. Shirou could see a huge hole in one of the upper corners of the crate's lid, but it shouldn't matter since he was approaching from the opposite direction.

The thing inside must've been in there for a while. Otherwise, the lights would've been on when they entered the room. It could've been hiding in here for countless human lifetimes, waiting to be revealed.

Shirou stopped once he reached the box, giving one nod of warning to the other two before reaching down to open it. His hands reached into two small holes they could just barely fit into. Grasping them, he prepared to pull the lid off. Only to never get the chance.

"That smell – ?!" was all he could say before it began.

Again.

He only saw his archnemesis for a few moments before it sprung from the hole in the lid. The furry being trying to stab him through the mouth. Shirou tried to close his mouth, but he wasn't fast enough. The blade struck his teeth, causing an awkward bit of pain.

The creature pulled its knife back, trying to climb over his shoulder.

"Don't you dare!" Shirou yelled as he instinctively knew the monster was targeting his wings. He stopped flapping his wings, trying to squish the devil in the fall, but it got out of the way. The painful impact of his sensitive wings against the hard stone floor momentarily paralyzed him instead.

The creature came at him again faster than he could react. He was going to get stabbed again until…

Viktoria came out of nowhere and punched it. Her punching arm seemed slightly off, bending in a wrong direction, but that didn't diminish its power in the least. The blow sent the fuzz ball flying through the air.

Her punch must've been stronger than his. The monster's knife flew away from it and into a far corner.

Shirou stumbled up to his feet, doing his best to convey thanks to Viktoria while he was at it. A thanks that never reached her, for the creature jumped at her this time. Its curved claws dug into her skin as she let out a quiet, shrill scream, unable to reach a level beyond loud talking. The blood leaked down the tanuki's claw, scarlet staining its paws.

"You rabies pest!" Shirou childishly cursed at it, charging to try and get it off Viktoria, only for it to get out of the way. Jumping away from either of them and toward Goffred, who was staring off to the side.

Somehow, Goffred was almost able to dodge it, only failing because of some insane acrobatics. Contorting its body and changing how it fell, it gripped onto the noble changeling's scalp. Digging in tight before Shirou could do anything. The other boy's screams filled the air as Shirou rushed to beat it off him.

It tried to pull back and flee but was tangled in Goffred's hair. Shirou had two choices: beat it up while it was tied down, risking extra injury to Goffred, or focus on getting it out of his hair. His mind automatically defaulted to the latter, his Seelie half relishing the chance to help.

Shirou grabbed its middle section, tightly holding the wriggling creature as best he could. Goffred was screaming in pain, trying to run in the opposite way he was pulling. Pieces of his scalp tore off like tilled dirt.

Eventually, something gave, a bit more flesh and hair from Goffred, and the creature was free. It tried to bite and claw Shirou, but it couldn't draw blood. He tried to throw it into the door as hard as he could. Putting the entirety of his 12-year-old changeling body strength and will into it.

It worked, launching the demon through the air too fast for it to do anything. A loud bang filled the air once it hit the door, a small bit of blood splatter flowing around the impact before being drunk by its canvas.

Shirou felt a mixture of triumph and pity as the tanuki still struggled, standing up. It was so hurt that Shirou was having a hard time finding the will to press the arrack. Even looking over at Goffred's injuries didn't convince him…

Viktoria punted it out of the room with a terrifyingly powerful kicking. Sending it careening into the darkness beyond the room. Her face twisted into an even creepier expression than normal that Shirou wanted no part in understanding. The girl swiftly closed the door as if that would keep it out.

Still, a sigh of relief filled the air, at least for the uninjured Shirou. Goffred was crying, and Viktoria was poking at her wound. They both were in critical need of healing.

The milk from before would work if he enchanted it.

Flying over to the bottle, he picked it up.

He needed to do something to get the spell to work good. Circles were easier, but he wasn't bleeding. Maybe spinning around in a circle a bit might work?

Well, he couldn't think of any reason it wouldn't.

With that in mind, he spun around in the air five and a half times. Doing it fast enough to move quickly but not too fast to spill anything from the open bottle. He felt the warmth curl and shift, prepared to power a spell, while his body sensed a shift in the air.

Then, he called upon a tiny fragment of spring. Enchanting the milk to heal and bring regrowth in those who drink, but only for so much. For they were in the grasp of decay, suffering, and death.

Shirou blinked as he finished his fifth circle, placing his vision back on the other two. Goffred was now curled on the floor, still loudly crying, looking at the chunks of his hair and scalp everywhere. Viktoria was silently picking up one of the chucks and studying it. The unnatural movements of her body make the action look extra creepy.

At least, Goffred was too out of it to notice.

Shirou flew over to Viktoria first and gestured at her to take a single sip of it. It took a little persistence on his part, but she eventually did. A single sip caused her wounds to mend in seconds, triggering a small smile on his face.

The feeling of helping people was great. There really was nothing like it.

He turned away and flew over to Goffred, with Viktoria following behind.

Shirou stopped in front of Goffred, unsure of how to handle this. Viktoria was calm and collected and easily understood what he wanted her to do. Goffred is the complete opposite. Forcing the drink down his throat was wrong, but he couldn't comfort him first. He wasn't good at that, and they couldn't talk. Maybe he should get Rene, or there was another option.

He turned toward Viktoria and pointed at Goffred, then back at her. If she could talk to Goffred somewhat, she could calm him down.

It took a while, but eventually, she managed to get through to him enough for him to accept his potion. Shirou willingly gave it to him. Goffred drank the entire bottle, shaking with pain yet maintaining a sort of elegance.

In the blink of an eye, Goffred's wounds healed. Even his hair was returned to what it was before a lot of it got ripped out. The power of spring really is awesome.

It all was making Shirou feel great. His bare feet swing back and forth above the ground. A surge of energy was pulsing through his veins, urging him to move and help more.

He had to wonder if Goffred needed more help since he was sitting so quietly. Viktoria was still talking to him, helping him in a way Shirou couldn't. He was rattled by the tanuki, bringing his hand through his hair even after it healed. The panic radiating off painted the air orange.

Shirou patted Goffred's shoulder, showing his support. The action seemed to calm the other boy a little bit. His expression went neutral, and his crying stopped. His hand was slowly brought in front of him, pointing at where the monster assaulted Shirou.

The winged changeling tilted his head. What was Goffred trying to say?

The noble pointed again and again, his hand shaking. Accusingly moving closer to where Shirou was attacked.

What could it be? Maybe Goffred thought he should be wounded for some reason? Why would his blood ever be spilled? That didn't make any sense.

Shirou shrugged. It'd be easier to figure out what he wanted once they could talk again. Ignoring the cold anger on Goffred's face, why waste time on that when it'll just rile up the younger changeling?

No, better to turn around and get back to finding something to eat.

There had to be something around here. Something he could have f… a good time cooking with the other two.

---

When walking, the sound of someone with shoes and someone without shoes king was oddly different. The fleshy sound of Shirou's bare feet was quieter but longer than Goffred's. His steps were higher-tuned against the stone, slightly more careless.

Shirou's steps were still reserved. He still sidestepped the most dangerous spots, if only out of habit. It wasn't like they could hurt him or anything, but he was still barefooted and walked like it.

"You never said where we're going," Shirou pointed out to the other boy. The early morning light spilled in through the windows but was assimilated into the dark color pallet. He kept his gaze away from the ceiling. "It better not be to hunt down that monster."

Goffred shivered, his hand reaching up to brush where he had been wounded. "Never shall I seek a monstrosity. I pray that the creature bled out."

Shirou could barely stop himself from shaking his head at Goffred's violent wish. The tanuki probably bled out. Otherwise, they wouldn't have found the blood stain when they left the room last week. It probably crawled somewhere while they were cooking and waiting for the sun to rise, then died. They probably wouldn't find its body because of that. Not because it somehow survived. At least that's what he told himself, even if he didn't believe it.

"It could have been worse," Shirou pointed out, leaning forward. His voice grew cheerful. "It could've gouged out your eyes or saw off your hands. Healing you would've been much easier."

Goffred stepped a little to the right, away from Shirou. "I would request that you don't speak of such terrible possibilities, lest they be brought down upon us."

Shirou considered his words, leaning back. "A lot of things have been slipping out the last few days."

He got a glance from Goffred, but he turned back toward a door before saying anything. "Here, I discovered something unknown to us but pleasant."

Shirou tilted his head, curious about what it was. Goffred opened the door, entering first. They entered a room, the floor changing into a patterned purple title. Two black walls on each side formed the hallway, which stretched on for ten seconds. The distance between the two walls grew farther away, and the ceiling ascended.

It was kinda wasteful. The previous occupants couldn't be that tall, or they wouldn't be able to enter through the doorway.

Shirou froze once they walked out of the hallway and into the hidden room. In front of them was what looked like a giant pool; the water tinted a slight purple. The sound of rushing water undertoned the air, somehow flowing from the mouths of two stone statues. Each of them depicted a monster, one male and one female.

His skin felt cool, even as he felt sweat beginning to pour down his back. His gaze locked on the water. The bottom grew deeper and deeper til only darkness remained. Was there even a bottom to begin with? Was it an infinite pit waiting to swallow them?

A heat seared at his lungs. A cold rushing into met it, swirling together.

"Are you alright?" Goffred asked him, the smaller boy's hand somehow finding its way to his shoulder.

"Yes," Shirou managed, breaking away from the sight of endless water. His hands cramping. "Is this all there is to the room?"

He was indirectly asking if they could leave, but that didn't seem to get through to Goffred. The other boy took his hand off Shirou's shoulder to look back at the room. "It's a bathing room. If you want to take a bath."

"If that is all," Shirou muttered. Why would you need that much water for a bath? It was absurd. Now that he thought about it, an onsen had too much water. He should've noticed that before.

"What is beseeching you?" the noble child questioned, the concern returning.

Shirou swallowed, both physically and his pride. "Water… I don't like it."

"I don't understand. What do you have against water?" Goffred sounded completely innocent. Naïve about what Shirou was feeling. Talking around the subject wouldn't work, would it?

"Water is scary," Shirou told him, avoiding eye contact. He looked away from the so-called bath and noticed at each of the corners were pillars, or the remains of one in the case of the furthest left corner and closest right. One of the remaining ones had a series of cracks, like broken glass. A fist-like whole being the epicenter.

"How so?" Goffred looked back at the water, studying it. He walked over to it and poked it. "What is there to fear?"

"Drowning, being eaten by darkness," Shirou answered, the room feeling colder. The walls around him seemed more cavelike. Growing tighter and rougher, threatening to trap him.

"I still fail to see the connection? Why do you fear a possibility?" the younger boy pulled his hand out of the water, shaking it a bit to dry it.

What? Does he really not get it?

"Because it could… and has… happened."

"It sounds like you're letting your human half influence fear, but that might be beneficial," Goffred spoke as he sat down beside the water, looking into it. "Humans fear things because they are limited by reality. Unlike The Dreaming, it is finite. They can only have and do so much. When you only have a few possibilities, fear becomes but the natural response."

Shirou turned around, facing away from the endlessly deep bath. The sound of running water flowing into the bath sent chills down his spine. "You're not getting it. Fear doesn't have anything to do with possibility or chance. It isn't rational or irrational. You shouldn't try to define it."

Even if he had his snorkel with him and a hundred of the world's best lifeguards watching him, he still wouldn't bathe in that bottomless deathtrap. Ensure there isn't a possibility he drowns wouldn't wipe away his fear.

"Then why else would I fear for the first time not only after taking on human flesh but thinking about that which has become limited more than anything else?" Goffred asked with a quiet voice. "My future was without end or limits, but now I will either… meet my end or I will not. There is nothing else. Unlike you and the others."

Shirou bit his lip. The smell of water filled the air, and steam slowly lurch through it.

There was some context he was missing. What made Goffred different than them?

He couldn't ask, but the other boy luckily knew to elaborate.

"Sidhe didn't go through the changeling way properly. Normal changelings reincarnate into eternity, their cycle only terminable by cold iron's cruel embrace," Goffred somberly explained. The words 'cold iron' lingered in the air. Shirou's hand absentmindedly rubbed where he'd been wounded. "None know if we shall reincarnate too or… our dreams will be snuffed out by a mortal death."

Shirou managed to glance back at the other changeling. The boy's expression was sour, gazing into the water.

Death…

It had no place in spring. Spring was a time of joy and growth.

Was that why fire and death walked hand in hand? To snuff out the green of spring and leave nothing but sorrow?

Echos of screams and crimson drummed in his ears. The first time he knew of death was then. Fire taught him what he never needed to know. Or did he need to learn of death?

Death was natural, but he hated it. The sorrow it brought. The cries of countless to be saved from it. Understanding it made the fairy more determined to help people. If he saved everyone, there would be no death.

But what could he do for Goffred?

"It's a part of being human," was the only thing he could think of.

Death was something people had to come to terms with. You couldn't talk it away.

"We are not human. Our duties go beyond a lifetime," Goffred murmured. "What will happen if our dream dies? Will humans be left without our guiding light? What of our duty to them?"

"Sounds human to me," Shirou spoke, shifting foot to foot as his feet started to sweat.

How human were fairies? How fae were humans? What did it say about them who were both? What was the line between them?

He had no clue. He knew what it felt like to be betrayed by someone he trusted and be viewed as wrong, but that was it.

Still, Goffred's concerns were human and a part of being one. They could be answered through the eyes of a human. If Goffred would be willing to search through them.

Goffred's somber expression faded, but Shirou felt like it wasn't because of his words. "As all fear is. Alas, that returns us to what I was saying. Your fear can be helpful. Use it as a tether for your humanity. Lest you lose sight of it."

The fairy accepted the end of the previous conversation rather than uselessly extend it – and the time he would spend near that monstrosity. He'd leave once this was over, no matter what.

'losing sight of it'

It did feel distant.

What did the Autumn World look like again? He could remember only a few scattered bits of memory captured through a human lens.

If he tried to picture anything else, it ended up as it should look lik… no, that was how it'd in the dreaming. To a fairy.

What was the original color of his eyes? What was his street address?

Little details were foggy as if trying to remember a dream.

Yet, the water. Those sensations of drowning. They were of the Autumn world. The hell of fire before, unchanged. Piercing the fog through terror but leaving him feeling darker…

Goffred was right about him losing his human self, but there had to be a better way. Something to stop his human soul from fading into its fairy half. If only he knew. [LS1]

Shirou turned away from Goffred, making sure not to look at the water. That didn't stop it from invading his mind. Every time he thought not to look at it, he was reminded of his fear.

"I am not requesting you reject the bliss of the dreaming. Human banalities or politics have no place here," Goffred clarified. "But do be mindful of not fulling to Bedlam – insanity caused by losing hold of one's mortal half is not simply cured."

Shirou paused, knowing Goffred was right but hating the method. He had no other choice but to agree until he found something better than fear. "I will."

He didn't want to go insane. That would be bad and get in the way of his dream.

The winged fairy walked away, ending the conversation there. The sound of rushing water seemed to follow him with every step. He tried to drow – ignore the sound by humming. The tune came off as bubbly.

No matter how high it went, it never overcame the sound of rushing water.

---

Shirou sat on the edge of the table, watching the sand sloooowly trickle down. Two weeks for it to get to the halfway point, so it'd be another two weeks before it was done. Sitting around waiting for it to be done was torturous.

It should be the same time Goffred can open those roads, which works well since that will be when he leaves the group.

How…

The last two weeks have been nice. They didn't have modern appliances, but Shirou still learned a lot about different types of cooking. Well, that and to watch Viktoria so she couldn't stealthily put olive oil, or equivalent, into everything.

Steps approached, forewarning the arrival of another. Glancing over, Rene walked through his open door without knocking. "Yo."

"Hello,' Shirou remarked.

"I decided it's about time for you and the others to go out and play," Rene stated, stopping close to Shirou. His hand gripping the edge of the table next to Shirou's left leg.

"Okay, what game?" Shirou asked, moving to the right. He leaned forward more than he already was as his wings gently swished behind him. Creating within their span a space for himself.

"Tag," Rene answered, a prideful smile forming on his face. "I decided, and the others are already leaving the tower."

"Hmm… I guess I can play," Shirou decided after considering it for a few moments. He didn't want it to seem like he was interested or anything. He floated off the table to the ground. Bare feet took a moment to adjust.

"Follow me," Rene stepped in front of Shirou before leading him out of the room. He did his best to not look up into the tiding darkness above. They met the other three right outside the exit. The shift from indoors to outdoors was like moving from a sauna to a snowy courtyard. The colors are so much brighter, like looking into the sun, albeit he wouldn't recommend looking into the sun above.

Shirou waved and exchanged pleasantries with the other three. Goffred was standing to the side, Vaiva was cowing on something next to him, and Viktoria was sitting across from them.

"You are all here, good," Rene said after taking a few moments to close the tower's doors behind him. "Today, you four already know why you're here. The one who'll be it first is… Goffred. You will begin in 3…"

Shirou blinked, quickly looking at the other three. Especially lingering on the startled Goffred. He'd probably be the easy one to escape from. He rates Viktoria as a far greater threat.

Turning, he ran down the stairs before Goffred was allowed to move once Rene's count was done. He didn't want to be the first one tagged. Vaiva was running, too. Viktoria might be, but he couldn't hear her.

"0," Rene finished, presumably leading to Goffred chasing them.

He ran into the wet forest, uncaring about the mud covering his feet. His wings pulled back together. He'd have to be careful with them. They expanded his tagged space by a lot and limited his movement.

Shirou turned to see Goffred chasing behind him. "Stop running!"

"That's not how you play tag," Shirou shouted back, sprinting away. He zig-zagged through the trees as best he could. The twisting roots all around threatened to trip them up.

They ran and ran. The sound of slowly dripping water accompanied them.

Goffred tripped first, crashing into the ground. Shirou stopped and turned to look at him. The noble's ragged breathing was distressingly loud. "Are you ok?"

"Yes," Goffred moaned, sitting up. The roots stopped him from falling directly into the mud, but there were still smudges of it. "Please, give me a few moments before continuing."

"Sure," Shirou nodded, leaning against a tree. He felt a little pity for the noble. The game wouldn't be fun if he ran off why Goffred is down. Also, it'd probably turn tag into hide and seek. "You should try to excuse more."

"Idle exercise is below a Sidhe," Goffred spoke, wiping sweat from his forehead as he stood up. "I have ready myself for us to proceed."

"What are ya two doing?" Vaiva ran through at that moment. Her running was more brutish and forceful than Shirou's or Goffred's. "Whose it?"

"Goffred," Shirou told her as he turned and ran in the opposite direction.

"Ya can't catch him, ya can't catch me!" Vaiva yelled loudly, her steps hard enough to crush into some of the tree roots as she ran. Shirou could hear it as he ran.

"Dare not tease fate!" Goffred chased after the girl instead of him.

Shirou paused, looking back at the other two. He could keep running, but that'd be no fun. Would it? The fun is in the chase and seeing the others have fun…

Why was he focusing so much on fun? That wasn't right… he should be thinking about something else… what was he thinking about when the others were playing cards?

The fairy hummed, luminous blue eyes growing brighter yet duller. Guilt, dark and swirling in his stomach. Sorrow and fear tinting the spiral. Yet, he had trouble doing anything about it. It was much better to go play; he was invited this time.

Shirou ran after the other two, a small smile on his face. Fulfilling like a well-crafted sword. He never knew friends could be like that. Alone as he'd been. Watching joy from afar.

"You are it!" He heard Goffred shout from afar just as they came into view.

"I'll get ya back!" Vaiva shouted back, but Goffred managed to dodge her hand. "Don't dodge!"

"Never," Goffred responded, causing Vaiva to yell.

"Vaiva, you're going to need to outlast him," Shirou helpfully suggested based on his own experience. Goffred was really agile until he was tired. Then he tripped on his face. He didn't think Vaiva had good stamina stats either, but it was something.

"I don't need ya pity!" She yelled, shifting toward him and running at him like a runaway train.

Shirou ran away as fast as he could. He expected to be able to run away and then escape like before. Out stamina her, only for her to straight jungle off the ground and tackle him after a frighteningly fast sprint.

"Get off!" Shirou murmured, crushed under Vaiva's size. It was like a dumbbell was thrown on top of him from the top of a twenty-story building in 10x gravity.

The girl laughed before jumping up and running away, leaving the still, slightly dazed Shirou out of it. He wasn't hurt. The hamster wheels that powered his brain ran twice as fast as he considered some things.

It'd be hard to tag Goffred. He wouldn't be able to outlast him like last time since the sidhe just had to focus on dodging rather than running.

Vaiva was scary and would probably tag him back before he got away.

Where was Viktoria?

Shirou looked around. A wave of goosebumps ran down his spine. Was she watching them from the shadows of the trees? Hidden within the unseen?

The blue-eyed changeling stood up, deciding to run after Goffred.

Goffred was still in sight but started running as soon as Shirou went after him. The chase continued for several minutes. Rushing through the twisting woods. Several times, Shirou almost managed to tag him, only for the other fairy to jump through a small break between the trees or swerving around spaces Shirou couldn't get through. He'd use the extra time to catch his breath and keep going. It was getting annoying.

He had his best break when he managed to jump off some oddly shaped dark ground to get over some hedge Goffred went through, revealing a small clearing.

"You're it!" Shirou said, barely managing to tag Goffred. His wings fluttered, and he flew backward into the air. The clearing gave him just enough space to fly out of reach.

"Wait?! Do you not see the fault in using your wings?!" Goffred shouted up to him.

"I know; that's why I'm staying just above the top of the trees," Shirou answered back down. His entire body lurched forward to pat the top of a tree. "You can climb a tree to tag me."

"By the time I did such, you would be long gone," Goffred complained. The younger boy looked up and down the nearest tree.

"What are ya doing?" Vaiva asked, running into the clearing. "Which of ya are it?"

"Goffred," Shirou told her. He floated over and sat on the tree top he was just patting. His wings were ready to fly at a moment's notice.

"What he says is correct, but I am questioning the validity of flight," Goffred crossed his arms, looking a bit sour and annoyed. "Does it not seem unfair?"

"Nah," Vaiva shrugged her shoulders. "Alls fair in tag and games."

Games and tag weren't the same thing?

The wood of the tree brushed against Shirou's bare feet as he considered that thought. It seemed kinda weird. He didn't understand its logic, but it might just be a bizarre saying.

"That isn't right," Goffred rejected her words. "The rules and etiquette should be followed to provide a fair field for all."

"Fair," Vaiva derisively snorted. "Fair is only when everything works for ya."

Goffred protested loudly.

Shirou tilted his head. Was the game still on, or were the two going to fight again? Maybe he should just come down if flying caused this.

"What is going on?" Rene asked, having caught up. He was basically the judge or referee, so maybe he could sort this out.

"Shirou has diluted himself into thinking it's fair for him to fly," Goffred pointed up at Shirou. His words were barely audible from the top of the tree. "How would we ever tag him from down here?"

"Think about it; it should be obvious," Rene spoke loud enough for Shirou to hear. He leaned down and picked something off the ground. It was hard to see from all the way to the top of the tree.

Rene looked down and began talking to the others. Now, he wasn't talking loud enough to be heard. Vaiva got involved in the conversation. The three of them chatted. Rene had to be explaining something to them, but what?

Vaiva seemed to like it, but Goffred was unconvinced.

Shirou leaned forward, gripping the tree to make sure he didn't fall. His ears twitched as they strained to pick up a sound.

'WHAM!'

The winged fairy nearly fell. A thud impact rang out with the sound of pain. The world was dizzy for a moment before returning to focus. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a rock falling down the tree.

Did someone throw a rock at him?! He looked around, trying to find who did it. Barely, his eyes could make out a pale and black girl glaring at him.

What?! Why was she so angry at him?! Was she going to throw another at him?!

"Stop it, Viktoria!" Shirou shouted down at her. A bit of a pout molding his face downward.

"Good throw!" Rene complimented her, looking way too smug. Violence wasn't something to be cheering on! Wait…

Did he give Goffred a rock? Was Vaiva reaching down to get one?!

"Aren't we playing tag?!" Shirou asked them, his wings fluttering. Stoning had nothing to do with tag… unless that was their plan to get him down!

Rene ignored him, going back to convincing Goffred. He could see the younger boy slowly being convinced.

Shirou crossed his arms, taking off into the air. There was no point in trying to stop them. They wouldn't listen anyway. "Throw your stones, but you won't get me!"

Viktoria threw a rock at him harder. What was with her?!

Vaiva threw a rock, too, aiming for his wings but missing. The rock flew into the distance before hitting some wood behind him with a small thud.

Aiming for his body was one thing, but his wings, too?!

Shirou childishly stuck his tongue out at them before flying away. He flew forward, constantly swerving, changing altitude, and more evasive maneuvers to keep himself airborne. Dodging rocks as they ran around the tower.

The winged changeling had just a bit too much fun for someone narrowly avoiding rocks. The lack of malice amongst them let playfulness and glee fill the void among the four kithain childlings.

---

A big door stood in front of Shirou. The upper half wanned into a circle made of glass dominated by purples and blues. If there was a meaning to the pattern of cold colors, he couldn't find it. All he got from it was an ominous feeling.

Still, he had nothing better to do. He might as well visit Viktoria and talk with her. They wouldn't have much longer to do.

His knock was on the softer side. Viktoria was on the quiet but vengeful side, and he didn't want to incur her wrath again. Not that he ever got an explanation about what he did when he asked; she just got mad again.

He shifted from foot to foot as he waited for Viktoria. His arms found themselves crossed in front of him.

The door opened without a creak, swinging swiftly despite its size. The dark girl gave him a lifeless stare before looking down at the ground. "Are your hands empty and in need of something to grasp or guidance?"

"I wanted to see what you're doing," Shirou shrugged, unfolding his arms and showing her his palms.

"I am cleansing the knowledge beyond our grasp," She answered, leaving Shirou couple lost. What was she talking about?

Nothingness rested undisturbed between the two.

Viktoria slouched slightly as she looked back at her room, Shirou… and the floor.

The winged changeling waited for Viktoria to make the next move. His eyes never left her, ignoring her private chambers just beyond. Stealing a long look at it would be no different than breaking in.

"My boudoir is unlocked for a drop or spill," Viktoria finally decided, taking a step back to let Shirou in.

"Thanks," Shirou said, closing his wings behind him to pass through the doorway. The air seemed to change as he crossed the boundary into the girl's room. His senses acknowledge it as such, rather than an ancient room in which Viktoria was squatting. The air seemed to scream 'her.'

His bright blue eyes took a few moments to adjust to the colors in the room. The colors were purple, green, and black. Only they were warm colors instead of cold ones. Bookcases lined the walls, some fully filled, others completely empty, and everything in between. The colors of the books' covers ranged beyond those of the Autumn World, shades out of space and time.

The only break in the bookcases was a large western-style bed positioned straight across from the entry, taking their spot against the wall. It was so well-kept it was hard to believe Viktora slept there.

"What's with the desk?" Shirou asked Viktoria after she closed the door. His gaze focused on the weird desk with two piles of ripped-up paper on each side. The smaller pile is torn into far smaller pieces than the other.

"As was spoken in the present left behind, I am cleansing knowledge," Viktoria whispered to him, walking next to him.

"What? Why?" Shirou questioned, turning to the girl with utter confusion. His wings unclapped, coming to rest near his shoulders.

"Books retrain knowledge, even when unreadable. If the knowledge is beyond my hands, others could still grasp it. Thus, it must be expunged from existence," Viktoria explained, walking back to her desk. She picked up a book and pulled out another page.

Shirou followed behind, caught off guard by the girl's… hobby.

He didn't care about the books. Knowledge was important, but it wasn't like he could read them. So, nothing was lost. She was being pretty selfish. Those books could be useful for someone else in the future, but now they're torn to pieces. Then again, that's unlikely. Convenient things like that don't happen in this world or any other.

"I also foresaw upon the possibilities that this was best," Viktoria continued, tearing the paper into small pieces.

"Foresaw? Like perdicting the future?" Shirou tilted his head, leaning on the desk slightly. Predicting the future wasn't too out there, but it was unexpected.

"Yes, my abilities lie within soothsaying," Viktoria explained. She tossed the small pieces of torn-up paper into the smaller pile. "That which could be is fragmented possibilities upon my arts. Horses in particular, but all possibilities can be tasted by my tongue."

Shirou almost took a step back once Viktoria's gaze fell upon him. She put back on ferocious explanation eyes. "Would you like to take a glimpse into tomorrow?"

The winged fairy paused, crossing his arms.

Already, he knew everything was determined by fate. There was only one path forward. He hoped it was a good destiny, but what if Viktoria revealed it wasn't?

Welp, it wouldn't change anything. He'd still do the same thing. Even if it'd be more boring

Viktoria wanted to do it, so he might as well go along with it. Hopefully, she'll be delighted.

"Sure," Shirou agreed, rubbing the back of his left ear since it iched a bit. "How do we do it?"

The girl weakly smiled before closing the book she'd been tearing pages from. "Come, let us find comfort where we are, but furthest from the despicable sagas."

Shirou nodded but didn't lead the way. He'd just follow her to wherever they were going.

Doing that, he couldn't say he expected to expect her to mean for the two of them to sit in the middle of the room. She sat close enough for either of them to grab the other's shoulder.

The carpet was thankfully soft. Weird it had carpet, but maybe the previous occupant liked carpet?

"Soothsaying is an art that goes beyond glimpsing the webs of the Dán, yet that is where my talent lies," Viktoria explained, softly raising her hand to look into it. The joy in her expression faded somewhat. "Never have I been wrong, even when partaking in the art without using the art. The other routes all lead to the same destination."

"That's how fate works," Shirou pointed out. He hoped a little praise would lighten her up a bit. "Getting the same result just proves the methods work and the results are right. You must be good at it."

"Enough to bet on," Viktoria whispered with a mix of happiness and melancholy. Her eyes lingered on her palm for a few more moments before looking up at Shirou. "Of all the paths to the answer, I enjoy cheirosophy and cheirognomy the most."

"That's the…" Shirou started, unsure of what she was talking about. The words registered in his mind, and they were vaguely familiar. He might've heard them in one of Kiritsugu's books.

"Reading of palms and hands," She explained, holding her hand out to him. Seemingly gesturing for him to give her his palm. "It is found in many cultures, even Ancient Greece. I learned it in this life from a translation of an ancient text long before our time."

"It must've been hard to get it," Shirou said while giving her his hand palm up.

"Not very. Many books of the last age of the Fae became rewritten and drifted into the great cathedrals of knowledge," Viktoria stated, to Shirou's surprise. She must have some really good libraries to find books that old. "Their silence and solitude filling my soul as I wait for my parents after every celebration."

Shirou's expression darkened. Flashes of his own past broke through to strike his heart. The room was dim, far more than it should've been for a room full of books. "That's good for someone like you. You must've been happy."

…

"Yes, I was," the young girl admitted, her voice growing lower. Dark eyes drifting to the side. Her grip on Shirou's hand loosened. "Us, humans, can find the greatest warmth in so many different things. Contradictory things, more than not. Reading through our ancestors' knowledge felt rejuvenating. Seeing my parents happy when they picked me up, knowing it was because of me, was like a fire. If only I hadn't been in this world when a dying god's screams echoed into its foundation, scattering me to the wind."

That was far more than Shirou expected, but he got it. The feeling of helping others, especially those close to your heart, was incredible. It was enough to override so much... yet it couldn't remove what it overwrote.

When she said she knew it was because of her, the sorrow in her voice rose to the surface. Something there she glossed over, and it wasn't his place to push.

"If you want to find your parents again, I can help," Shirou offered. "Those roads – trods – will be open soon, and we can journey off. See if any of the others want to come with, too."

Viktoria looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. Her hands tightened around his as she processed what he said. Surprise and indecision on her face before she looked away. "A journey can't be had alone."

Shirou smiled, happy to hear her agree. Relief filled him, knowing he wouldn't be alone again once he left this tower. "Why don't we get back to the fortune reading? Maybe we can find out if we'll have good luck once we set off."

"Yes," Viktoria nodded quickly, a warm atmosphere filling the room as she looked back at his palm. His gaze scanned it as she conducted the examination, moving his hand and figures around without any resistance.

"The most prominent mount is the Mount of the Moon," Viktoria spoke, her focus on the portion of his hand across from his thumb. "It shows an ego but a lack of self-worth. Imagination, dreams, and ideals rule you when taken with the type of your hand. A life of voyages lay before you, brought on by recklessness and chasing the unreal. The voyage lines run from the Mount of the Moon yet converge before reaching the Mount of Jupiter... meaning there will be no return from thy voyage."

Viktoria paused, thankfully giving Shirou some time to think.

He'd expected lots of talks about the future, not a personality test. Even if he thought it was way too right. Hearing his life would be full of voyages sounded great and exciting. The no-return part didn't bother him since he had no plan to go back, only forward.

Knowing he'd never go back was comforting…

Shirou let out a breath right as Viktoria continued, taking his mound off whatever was going to assault his emotions.

"This line goes far enough to form a star, foretelling you shall abandon not just your worldly possessions, but you're relationships and all else you could be for your voyage," Viktoria said, tracing a line through his 'Mount of the Moon.' Shirou guessed he could see it toward the top. "Your mount also has a slight angle forming a crescent, foretelling a life troubled by girls and a high chance of drowning."

"Drowning?!" Shirou repeated, leaning forward despite his fright. He didn't care about the girl thing, and he already knew some of them were trouble with their cooties, but most of them were cool and no worse than the boys. He just needed to keep the troublesome boys and girls away, easy. Not going near water? Almost impossible.

"Yes. In fact, this twinkling light on your Mount of the Moon reiterates the threat of drowning, as well as hypocrisy and dissimulation," she said softly and with a little excitement. She pointed at lines that looked vaguely like a star toward the bottom of his hand, separate from the other one.

What was with this mount and drowning?!

Shirou bit his lip, stopping himself from letting his frustrations be known since they might ruin the good time Viktoria was clearly having.

"Your second finger is slightly flat, indicating fatalism, sadness, and melancholy as prominent parts of your future," Viktoria repeated, shifting a little due to straightening her back.

"Is there anything good?" Shirou asked, his free hand grasping the carpet. A forced smile on his face.

"This line that cycles back to near your Mount of the Moon," Viktoria traced a line that made a circle from the mount and back to, breaking only right before it. "Indicates you're light wouldn't be extinguished for a long time, but the broken line also connects with the line of fortune. This means your life has been, will be, or repeatedly be in danger but saved by good fortunes from the Dán."

It'd probably be repeatedly. However, he has trouble imagining good fortune helping him. His hero was dead.

"That's good," Shirou commented. At least they would have to worry about drowning for a while. He still would, but he didn't need to. "Anything related to the immediate future?"

"No," she reluctantly pulled her hands away from Shirou's after tracing a cross shape from the intersecting lines in his palm. She glanced at her own palm. "May we see it together in the tomorrow that may never come."

"Yeah," Shirou agreed, rubbing the back of his head. Something felt off, but he wasn't sure what, and Viktoria's neutral expression was giving any clues. "We can iron out the details later."

His wings flapped as he flew to his feet before the other changeling could stand up. He reached down, offering her a hand, which she shyly took.

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Viktoria said, releasing his hand now that she was standing up. "The former is preferable, but the latter is likely."

"We can find a time to meet if we both want it enough," Shirou stated, leaning forward a bit. If they couldn't manage a meeting to plan their journey, then they were doomed to fail. "We can plan that once we talk to the others."

Viktoria nodded, her left hand reaching across her body to scratch her right arm. "May the stars be bright as they watch over you."

"Good night," Shirou returned, content as he left the room. His wings flowed back and forth behind him, in tune with his steps. He closed the door behind him.

Walking back to his room, the light was dimming as night fell. He took a detour when he noticed Rene near the tower's front door.

"What are you doing out?" Rene asked him when he approached. A bit of tiredness in his voice.

"I was talking with Viktoria," Shirou explained, looking over Rene. It had been getting mudder outside as the water dripped from the trees. They'd played a few more games outside after the first but eventually had to stop due to how bad it was getting.

Rene was still clean, so he probably opened the door to check the trees from the tower.

"What did you she say?" Rene sounded lighter than before, highlighted by the rising of his lips to show his teeth. They seemed mostly white, unnaturally so, except for the parts closest to his gums that yellowed.

"We talked about once the trods were opened. Viktoria wants to get home, so we decided to leave together, along with whoever else wants to come," Shirou paused, rubbing the back of his head while glancing away. He didn't think Rene would want to come, but he might as well give him the chance to.

"Going back to that world… Anything else?" Rene's smile faded, and he took a step closer to Shirou.

"Yeah, she also read my palm. Apparently, she's good at telling the future," Shirou diverted the conversation. He brought his hand from behind his head and showed his palm. "Viktoria's really good at it."

"She never told me that," the older teen spoke. His eyes alit with interest and annoyance. "I'll have her read my future then."

"She enjoys it a lot," Shirou added in encouragement. It was a good way for the two of them to hang out.

"You need to go sleep. I'll see you in the morning," Rene said as he walked in the direction of Viktoria's room rather than his own. His steps were heavy but leisurely. He moved as if he had all the time in the world.

Shirou pouted, not liking being told to go to bed. He could go to sleep when he wanted to, as early or late as he pleased.

…

He yawned, rubbing his eyes. Well, he was getting tired. Maybe Rene was right. But he was going to bed cause he was tired, not cause he was told to.

Shirou nodded to himself, walking over to his room.

He couldn't wait to hear how Rene's fortune reading went over breakfast. Goffred and Vaiva would probably want to do it, too.

He let out a relaxed sigh, his wings resting. Hopefully, tomorrow morning will be full of everyone having a good time. Smiling a lot.

---

The half-asleep boy yawned as his eyes opened. He sat up from his hard bed, scratching his hair. Shirou pulled his arm behind his head and used it to push his elbow before doing the same for his other arm. He glanced back to make sure his shirt was still in place around his wings, unlike most mornings it was.

Shirou pulled back the blanket and flew off the bed, landing on his feet by the table. He hated how much room the bed took up. It made him appreciate his old futon.

He leaned on the table, his hands gripping the edge. The sand in the hourglass was almost empty. At the rate it was going, it'd be done today. He couldn't wait to see what, if anything, happens.

The kitchen was calling, though, and he needed to go make breakfast. Hopefully, everyone else will be there on time, especially Viktoria and Rene. The fortune reading had to take less than an hour at the absolute most. So, they must've gone to sleep at a reasonable time.

Shirou let go of the table and walked toward his door.

'sniff'

The fairy stopped in his tracks.

That almost sounded like a little girl crying or something… …

Shirou turned around, quickly looking all over the room.

If someone was crying, he needed to help them!

Yet, nobody was there.

Searching everywhere, even under his bed, came up with nothing.

Maybe he imagined it or something.

With a small sigh, he turned and left his room. Gently closing the door behind him. He leisurely walked as he made his way to the kitchen, not bothering to knock before entering.

He wasn't too surprised to see Vaiva there, poking at a small fire under the stove. She was the other one put in charge of making meals by Rene.

"Hi," Shirou waved, not bothering to say anything else. Vaiva waved back at him and grunted. They didn't need to talk since they'd gotten used to working together and planned everything the night before when they could still communicate.

The ingredients were already on the table. The storage room had a lot of seafood and the like. Way more than Shirou liked, but Vaiva never seemed to get tired of it. She had endless Lithuanian recipes he'd be learning as they worked together. He'd showed her some Japanese dishes in turns.

The pair worked to cook. They were making a breakfast from Vaiva's experience, so she took the lead. Despite looking brutish and being young, Vaiva was surprisingly good at cooking. She didn't do anything fancy or make anything complicated, but she was practical. Getting things done fast and right in the simplest way possible.

Shirou appreciated that style. There was an awesomeness that people often missed in efficiency.

It took them less than an hour to finish breakfast. The delicious smell filled the air, balanced by echoes of sizzling dying to the cold. Five portions were split into their meals.

His was much smaller than the others, while Vaiva's was on the opposite end from the standard three. The three other childlings' portions had been growing the longer they'd been here, slowly wanting more. Shirou felt the same escalating hunger but held himself back. He'd seen how tired the other three got after eating so much.

No, thank you.

Shirou cast a glance at Vaiva before turning around, letting her get a few bites in before the others got here.

The dining room, or the tower's equivalent, had to be in one of the inaccessible rooms. That left them with the kitchen to eat in. The only ones who seemed to mind were Goffred and Viktoria, but they didn't protest too much.

Huh… he wasn't sweating. He must've forgotten to.

Shirou turned back to look at Vaiva, who absolutely wasn't chewing some of her food. A little bit of sweat ran down her forehead from the heat.

The winged fairy moved a little closer, careful to make sure he didn't hit the table as he moved. He raised his fist to her, offering to play rock paper scissors to pass the time till the others arrived. She shrugged, compacting her hand into a fist to play.

He raised three fingers to signal when they should reveal their play.

A nod of understanding from Vaiva. Then they started.

The two raised their hands thrice before bringing them back down on the palms of their other hands. On the fourth, they acted.

Shirou smiled when he saw his paper wrap and crush her rock. She always picked rock first. Way too aggressive and straightforward.

Vaiva frowned. Her eyes narrowed, and her teeth peeked through. The tusk in her mouth lifted the skin of her mouth.

They went again. Her paper was cut into ribbons by his blue safety scissors.

And so the games went, Shirou winning most of them while Vaiva grew more and more determined to win. At one point, she started going slightly slower on the fourth one, trying to see what Shirou did before she chose. It didn't work. Never did.

Eventually, there was a knock on the door. It must've been Goffred based on the sound.

Vaiva shouted her language to let himself in while Shirou moved to the door to open it. There was no surprise that the other boy politely greeted Shirou but gave the third changeling an indignant stare. A stare that quickly glanced around the room before following into it.

Goffred joined into their game, making it a three-way with a little more variation in who won. Vaiva grew a bit annoyed as the games drew on since she couldn't eat with Goffred here. He was way too much of a stickler for rules and etiquette for that.

Shirou agreed that it was important to have basic meal manners and not be rude, but Vaiva was cooking and constantly hungry. So he could overlook it. If she came barging in demanding to eat everything, that would be different.

Eventually, Rene came in without knocking. He looked as well as he normally did. There was still something off about it, more and less so than after he applied magic. It was something Shirou barely thought about after living with him for a while.

Rene pulled out a purple sphere of meat and chewed on it. Something about it bothered Shirou, maybe the color or how perfectly spherical it was. He could see the amount of glamour in it, albeit darker. Harsher.

It looked rotten to Shirou, but he'd seen Rene eat them three or four times before to power the language spell. The older teen would've gotten sick by now if it was bad.

Anything else would've been better, especially since it barely gave him enough power to use the spell on everyone for about a week.

His wings fluttered slightly as Rene finished the purple sphere. He was sure he could power the spell himself for months and never needed to eat something so disgusting. Even though he knew he wasn't as strong as he could be.

Rene didn't do anything before casting the spell, yet it didn't feel any weaker than it'd normally be.

"One of our numbers isn't here," Goffred said now that they could understand each other.

That's rig–

Shirou double-checked the room to be sure.

– yeah, Viktoria wasn't in the room.

"She's probably sleeping in," Vaiva explained, glancing back at the food. "Ya know it ain't weird for someone to sleep in. Dibs on her stuff."

Shirou frowned. That was true. Viktoria has slept in before, but did it have to be today? If they're going to see who all's going to leave as a group and talk about her fortune telling, she should be here.

Well, Rene was already pressing the limits of waiting. There was nothing they could do about it now. He'd go to get her up after they were finished with breakfast.

"Hmm… I knew I made the right choice to pick you two to handle cooking," Rene hummed, walking to the table and picking up a plate.

"Vaiva was the head cook today," Shirou passed off the compliment yet rubbed the back in embarrassment. A bit of joy in his heart.

Rene may have hummed an acknowledgment, or it might have just been the sound of him eating.

"It is nice to have food from people who are passionate, even if they aren't as skilled," Goffred half-complemented, half-insulted. He walked to the table and picked up his food.

"If you can do better, then you're free to," Shirou muttered, taking his plate. He glanced over at Vaiva. She somehow picked up her food when he wasn't looking. Her eyes were glaring holes into Goffred's head as chew her food.

The other boy didn't hear his comment and just continued eating.

The four of them ate and talked for a bit. Rene directed and controlled most of the conversation, but Goffred and Vaiva were neck and neck for who talked the most. Shirou got pulled into the conversation by both trying to get him to side with one of them.

He did his best to stay neutral and answer truthfully, even if it sometimes earned some ire from both of them.

Rene finished first, reminding them to clean up before lunch as he left. Goffred finished next, and he went off to take a post-meal nap.

"I can come back and clean the dishes later," Shirou told her as she glared at her empty plates. He pushed his leftovers over to her. "Try not to eat too much before lunch."

"Thank," she gave him a single thanks. The girl crossed her arms over her chest, looking unbothered. Yet, there was a bit of an edge in her voice. "But ya know that's impossible. My hunger ain't ever gonna be filled. Ya can't have too much like that."

"hum… I guess you're right," Shirou agreed once after rolling it around for a few moments.

If you never stopped being hungry, then you couldn't eat too much. Well, you should still care about how it affects other people, but they have more than enough food. Vaiva didn't have to worry about calories, nutrients, or even if something was editable. She was a black hole that'd never get sick, gain weight, or suffer any negative consequences of overeating.

Some people would kill for that.

With that, Shirou left the kitchen. He leisurely made his way to Viktoria's room. His eyes stayed toward the grow, watching how the darkened light shined through the window and ground into the floor. The beams dance in circles like a figure skater. His wings beat them aside, their light brighter.

Shirou reached Viktoria's bedroom door and knocked.

There was no response.

The blue-eyed changeling knocked on the door again. Slightly harder this time.

His foot tapped against the ground for what felt like hundreds of times.

"Viktoria! It's time to get up!" Shirou knocked again harder.

His wings fluttered as he waited, tapping his foot faster. His eyes drifted to the doorknobs as minutes died and were reborn into new ones.

Opening the door was alright, right? Invading a girl's room was wrong because… Why again?

They'd spent years in a girl's room. Two girls, actually, since their silly master got married. There was nothing any more special about it than any other room.

The fairy's trepidation faded. He reached up for the doorknob. It felt slightly cold to the touch. The size of it was too large for his head, and it took more of his strength than he'd liked to admit to open it.

The door creaked, making a horrid noise like rust playing a tambourine. Did Viktoria or Rene slam the door and break something?

Shirou closed his eyes as he flinched from the sound, his ears drooping in pain. A nauseous feeling entered Shirou's stomach as he breathed in the air of the room. The emotions of the air had changed. Twisting. No, twisted. It wasn't bending, but it was already bent.

"Viktoria," Shirou opened his eyes. The door was fully open. The room was darker than before. The light being swallowed dimmed. The shreds of paper were scattered across the room.

Red.

Red blood painted the shreds nearest Viktoria crimson. Scarlet. Velvet.

It dripped – no… no… it was dry. It wasn't dripping down the left side of her face. Stains, that's what they were.

Vibrant stains against pale skin.

Blood should be in the skin, not out of it.

An eye should be a sphere.

A young girl should be breathing.

He couldn't be seeing this.

---

AN:

Hello, and welcome to a new chapter of this fanfic.

Sorry for not answering most reviews last time. I'll do better this time and thanks for leaving them!

It honestly went on more than a bit too long and might be a little bloated. Like it doesn't feel like much happened despite it being ¼ the size of a novel. Something I need to work on.

Some parts of it I edited, others I didn't because I grew tired of doing that when going over almost 20k words + how I kept changing huge parts wherever I went.

I hope y'all enjoy it.

I wanted to have the other childlings be people with their own outlooks and philosophies. Taking advantage of them being reincarnated fae for them to be more thoughtful than most children - though I worried I went too hard on that. At the same time, I want the audience – and Shirou – to have only bits and pieces of their inner selves and beliefs rather than the whole picture. Leave enough for you guys to form your own conclusions about those things and their past.

Rene's fun to write cause he beats to the tune of his own drum – to downplay it – and everyone's judging them based on their own tune. Leaving every scene he's in basically being two scenes, and y'all only get to see it from the childlings' perspective. It'll be fun to build on that in the next chapter. Show how it tics up there.

Was also happy to introduce a new fate character, going to be fun with that.

I should also mention it save people a google or two: but the statue was a reference to a certain obscure character in Arthurian myth. And Viktoria mentioning the last age of the fae was a joke/talking about the Victorian age.

Again, I hope you guys enjoyed! And have a wonderful day/night/morning/afternoon/whatever else.